Emperor's Bane

Chapter 849: Heresy Appears
"And you know that, Anglete."

"I, your father, Lorgar Aurelion, have always been a materialist."

“That’s why I believe in God.”

"Because they really exist: they are not false legends."

Once the topic was opened, the Great Speaker seemed to be unable to stop talking. When he was alone with his most trusted offspring on the gray-black sand dunes, the talkative Luo Jia not only forgot the time, but also forgot whether they had strayed from the original topic.

Of course, the Great Speaker does not think that he has gone off topic.

Angertai was a pure warrior, and he had no idea what kind of mentality Luo Jia had when he decided to embark on the path of pursuing God: if he wanted to explain it clearly, it would inevitably take a lot of words.

Moreover, when facing Angertai, the Primarch had the patience to explain the whole cause and effect.

After all, this was the legion adjutant whom he decided to promote and entrust with important tasks in the future, so he had to do a good job in ideological work on him.

Even though Angerte is still pure and ignorant as a blank sheet of paper in terms of faith,

But coincidentally, dealing with the Faithless is exactly what the Primarchs are best at.

What's more, Anglete has an advantage that most non-believers cannot match.

He will listen: but he will not talk back.

Most of the time, the Word Bearer would simply repeat a single sentence to his Primarch.

"I understand, my lord."

Angelte nodded obediently.

Indeed, if they live in a universe filled with unknowables, that can only prove that within this universe there exists a will far greater than theirs: this will is a god-like existence to them.

"So why should we follow it?"

Then, the Word Bearer raised the second question in his mind.

"Since gods exist and they seem to have nothing to do with us... then why should we believe in them?"

Suddenly, Angertai paused in the middle of his words, realizing that his expression seemed unclear: So, while the Primarch's expression had not changed, the Word Bearers captain quickly changed his words.

"I mean, the gap between the power of the gods and ours is so huge that the products left by them are beyond our comprehension. In this case, how can we ensure that rash contact will not bring disaster to us?"

"Can't we just... get out of the way?"

"Just like the Imperial Truth?"

"..."

The silence of the Primarch made Angertai feel inexplicably uneasy.

"No offense, my Lord, but I..."

"That's enough, Anglete."

Luo Jia shook his head.

"It's a legitimate concern."

"Since you can ask this question, it means you are indeed thinking."

The Primarch smiled with satisfaction.

"As for your confusion: this is a common question among beginners."

“They only saw the danger and the shallow connection of interests, but failed to see the deeper meaning beneath the ice: the pursuit of gods is not based on results and reality, because faith itself is a manifestation of will.”

"In other words, in a world where gods exist, actively pursuing gods means that you have the courage to encounter the truth of the world and the guts to explore the unknown. But most importantly, it means that you are aware enough to seize the initiative regarding the future."

"Initiative?"

Anglete pondered the word.

As a veteran of the Word Bearers who fought his way back from the battlefield, Angertai knew the meaning of this word too well: Oftentimes, in a battle where both sides are evenly matched or even the enemy is stronger than you, the greatest chance of turning the tables is to seize the initiative the moment the war begins.

Let your enemies get into your rhythm, be led by you, and defeat them with your rich experience in your own home field.

Anglethe understood this well.

"Yes, initiative."

Luo Jia suddenly smiled, as if he had thought of something happy.

"You know what, my child."

"Although most of my brothers like to label me as weak and compromising, they are actually the weak ones when it comes to matters of faith: they have no idea of ​​the importance of taking the initiative."

"what do you mean……"

"Think about it, Anglete."

The Primarch poked his own temple.

"Do you think my brothers, the best Primarchs of the Imperium, are fools?"

"of course not."

"Do you think they have ever wondered in private, after witnessing the Emperor's might, whether our father was really as mortal as he claimed?"

"Tell me, my child."

Luo Jia turned his head and stared at Angertai's pupils with his golden eyes.

"If a man possesses the power of tens of thousands of suns, if he and his offspring conquer tens of thousands of planets, if he can lead tens of thousands of ships to conquer the galaxy with his will alone: ​​then please tell me, if you are a bystander to everything, would you think he is not a god?"

"of course not."

Anglete answered subconsciously.

"Yes."

Luo Jia nodded.

“But that’s what they think.”

"They actually believe that the emperor who can do all this is not a god."

"It's ridiculous. Can they find any other appropriate words to describe my father?"

"They are aware of the truth, I can assure you. Most of the Primarchs know very well in their hearts whether my father is the mortal he claims to be: but they choose to turn a blind eye to the problem, remaining timid in their hearts, unlike me, who is willing to speak the truth."

"And even worse, the most pathetic of my pathetic brothers, like Guilliman, who was so foolish that he actually believed the Emperor was a mere mortal: he couldn't even see the truth and not speak it out, wasting his talents, and of all people, it is he whom I pity the most."

"As for the others, most of them remain inactive: people like Fulgrim, Ferrus, Vulkan, Mortarion, and Corax, they simply don't think about this question seriously, they don't even think about where the Emperor's power comes from."

"They are a bunch of ignorant small shopkeepers who only know how to calculate this month's profits."

"As for those who are wiser: I do not believe that Morgan, Leman Russ, Jonson, and Jaghatai Khan are unaware of the nature of the Emperor, but they choose to remain silent because they dare not disobey the Emperor's attitude in this regard. They are more concerned with their own immediate interests and choices than considering the future of all mankind."

"At the root of it all, these smarter people have not escaped from the limitations of the secular world. Their eyes will look a hundred years into the future, but what they care about in their hearts is not the future of mankind."

“They are unwilling to admit that only belief in God is the true future of mankind.”

Luo Jia sighed.

There were times when the Lord of the Word Bearers did feel lonely: he did not have a single like-minded ally among his brothers.

Although he admires many people.

Even if it was Guilliman, Lorgar would quietly praise his rationality in his heart.

"They don't know, or they just don't want to know: it's better for humans to honor the gods than to ignore them."

“It’s easier too.”

"Moreover: the benefits are bound to outweigh the disadvantages."

"Does it have more advantages than disadvantages?"

Angertai and the Primarch's figures cast long shadows on the sand.

"Why do you think so, sir?"

"What should I say?"

Luo Jia sighed. He seemed to have thousands of great stories in his mind, but he didn't know where to start.

"Listen, Anglete."

"I can describe it this way: We live in a world with gods, just like a group of primitive people living on a continent roamed by giant beasts."

The Word Bearer was stunned for a moment.

"You mean: those gods are like giant beasts to us."

"Yes, they roam the world, their power is far beyond our understanding and far beyond our control: they live in their own rules and world, but just one action or a legacy they leave behind could very likely have a huge impact on us."

"Think about it. We are just a group of apes who have just walked out of the cave. We built a village in a land inhabited by giant beasts. We thought that the world was just the branches and jungles that we could understand and touch. At this time, we found a footprint, a footprint that was so huge that it far exceeded our imagination."

"Warp space?"

"That's understandable."

"To the beasts, this is just a trace they left behind, but to us, it is a dangerous signal: if the owner of this footprint accidentally tramples over our tribe, we will have no choice but to face destruction."

“So, although we seem to live in two different worlds with the behemoths, their existence is closely related to our lives. They may affect us at any time. Even if the probability is very low, we should not gamble with the future of the entire race.”

"Of course, some people may have other ideas in their minds: for example, even if some people are aware of the existence of the monster, they will deliberately pretend to ignore it, thinking that they only need to hide in the corner and will not be affected. Maybe this is true, but like I said, how dare you bet on this?"

"So: I have always looked down on those who think they can hide from the gods."

"Because they actually want to use their own understanding to avoid things that they cannot understand."

“The final outcome will definitely be failure.”

Anglete nodded.

"So, what is your solution?"

“Take the initiative to reach out and look for it.”

Luo Jia withdrew his gaze and looked at his child with infinite patience.

"Like I said, worshipping the gods is better for the future of mankind: we should not fear or avoid the existence of those giant beasts, because they are conscious and intelligent, so they also have needs, and conversely, they can be useful to us."

"They could be useful."

"it works?"

Angertai was stunned for a moment: he didn't expect that this would be the Primarch's attitude towards the gods.

"Yes."

The primarch smiled.

"My child, do you think faith is some profound word?"

"In essence, faith is a kind of transaction. The altar is the scale. We put our sacrifices on it and then listen to the gods' offer. Or, we ask the gods to help us complete what we cannot do ourselves, and then pay the corresponding price."

“That’s what faith is.”

“The essence of any religion is to get what you want but cannot get.”

"Even if they are fanatical believers, they can still obtain the spiritual comfort they desire in their hearts."

"And that's what I'm doing: finding and worshipping those gods, and getting from them what I want, which is the future of humanity."

"Because we live in a universe where unknowable things exist, if we want to prosper for a long time, we cannot rely solely on known means: no matter how advanced the dark technological age was in the past, they were unable to resist the erosion of the warp storm."

"As for the Imperial Truth: Does it have a way to combat the Warp Storm?"

"If not, how can you avoid the Second Age of Strife when the next Warp Storm strikes?"

"Pray for the next God Emperor?"

Luo Jia smiled disdainfully.

He was contemptuous: contemptuous of his brothers for never having thought of this question.

They couldn't have failed to realize that, as he said, they were just hoping for the best.

A sad fluke.

"So, if we want to avoid it, we can only trace it back to its source: to those beings who created the Warp, and gain safety and protection from them."

“And the behavior that happens in this: is the faith in the mouths of other people.”

Luo Jia took a deep breath.

"As I said before: gods are giant beasts walking on the land. We follow their footsteps to find them and offer them tributes and sacrifices. In return, they give us salvation, security and hope."

"Of course……"

Having said that, the Great Bearer suddenly narrowed his eyes: an emotion called ambition flashed across his face.

“If we do that well enough, we can also go a step further and take a more materialistic approach.”

"materialism?"

Anglete's brow twitched.

"Is there any connection between them?"

"Of course."

The Primarch raised his head, and the wind from the stars caressed his straight nose.

“The only anchor of materialism is objective facts.”

“As long as something is real, we must face it, understand it, and dissect it.”

“To analyze the conditions of its formation, understand its material composition, and discover its energy field.” “And if [it] is replaced by God, then the process will not be any different.”

The Primarch held out a hand.

"When we discover the existence of God, we can think about these questions."

"For example..."

“Since God exists objectively, can God be accurately observed?”

"Do they have a set of explicable operating rules and internal logic?"

"Do they possess the miracles and divine powers that we know of in our daily lives? And do these miracles and divine powers have fixed triggering conditions and rules for using them?"

"Do they need offerings, or do they want to obtain some metaphysical concepts from us, or are they just simply interested in it, and a good god that theoretically cannot exist?"

"And if offerings are required, then is there an accurate and fixed conversion ratio between the offerings to the gods and the gifts granted by the gods: as long as a certain amount of effort is made and the specified conditions are met, the corresponding results will be obtained?"

"Just think, Anglete, what a delicate subject this will be."

"If done properly, we will no longer be mere supplicants before the beast. We will establish a more complex symbiotic relationship, or even a more equal trading relationship: do not understand faith as a simple offering. The existence of some gods also depends on their believers."

“If they are not dependent: we can definitely find a way to make them dependent.”

Luo Jia smiled, but he looked more dangerous than when he was on the battlefield.

"Remember, Anglete."

"We are working for the future of mankind, not for gods."

“For this: we have to take risks.”

"Like I said before: In a world with gods, the influence of these higher-dimensional beings on the world is destined to be decisive. We cannot completely avoid their influence, just like humans cannot survive without air, and living things cannot survive without water and food."

"But on the other hand, although actively pursuing gods is a more dangerous behavior, opportunities and risks coexist. If we can truly figure out the rules related to gods, then the rewards we get will far outweigh the previous risks. And then again: since we can't avoid it, why not take the initiative to attack?"

"I'm not the type to sit back and wait for death."

“I’d rather take the initiative.”

The Primarch slowly clenched his fists.

"In a word, Anglete."

"If you actively pursue gods, it may be harmful, but it may also be beneficial."

“But if you just avoid it, then all you get is harm: it just comes later.”

"It's that simple."

“We need fanatical faith. But the fanatic’s faith is based on calm choices.”

"..."

Anglete was silent.

"Sir, I think I understand why you address your father respectfully."

"Even though he doesn't want to be a god."

"Yes."

Luo Jia nodded in relief.

"Do you know why I abandoned the faith of Colchis and turned to the God-Emperor? Because when he appeared before me, I clearly realized that for a race spread all over the galaxy, the faith in the gods of Colchis was pale and powerless. They were not the behemoths we could look forward to."

"But the Emperor is."

"Even though he doesn't think so?"

"It's no big deal."

The Primarch waved his hand.

"Just as I once mistakenly followed the beliefs of Colchis: I would not be surprised if a god did not realize his own identity at first."

"Moreover, no matter what my father thinks, what he is doing now is essentially the duty of a god."

"He revived a race that was theoretically on the verge of extinction. He conquered the entire galaxy in two hundred years. He could cast a sun-like light in the void. With just a word, he could make planets and stars disappear into thin air."

“All these things: although they are not very close to God, they are certainly very far away from people.”

"So, don't worry: the Emperor has not yet become a god, just like a behemoth needs to go through a growth period. We are lucky that we have found a young behemoth willing to protect us. We can grow with him until he is as majestic as a mountain and is willing to protect our safety forever."

"He is the beast that can protect us and lead us to a glorious future. More importantly, he is the only beast that is willing to respond to us. Although we still know nothing about him, his kindness and dedication are visible to the naked eye."

"Even further: The Emperor's heart burns with selfless devotion to humanity. He is the beast that is most likely to help us accomplish the materialistic methods mentioned above. We don't need to figure out the rules or calculate the proportion of sacrifices, because the Emperor, this beast, is not completely unknown to us."

“Even malleable.”

"We can decide for ourselves what we give to the beast that protects us, and what he gives us in return: what could be better than this? A god that is completely in line with our ideals."

“He is the savior.”

"Is this... possible?"

Anglete was somewhat skeptical.

But in his eyes, Luo Jia's smile suddenly became dangerous.

"No need to question it, kid."

“Like I said: faith, in essence, is nothing more than a transaction.”

"And if time goes on, both parties in the transaction will naturally develop a mutual dependence."

“It’s not just that we need God, Anglete: God needs us, too.”

"Or, do you really think that the Imperial Truth can continue to operate for a long time, even from the most utilitarian perspective?"

"If my father maintains this empire in the future, the simplest way is to find an imaginary community for millions of completely different worlds in the form of a god."

"I can understand that."

Anglete nodded.

It's easy to imagine: the Human Empire is a behemoth with almost no common goals. During the Great Crusade, the slogan of reviving the race might be able to unite everyone, but if a long period of peace comes, millions of civilized worlds will need a new reason to unite them again.

From a practical point of view: a shared faith is the most likely solution.

"At that time, the God-Emperor will have to accept His true nature."

Luo Jia smiled and shook his head.

"After all, there is a difference between idealism and realism."

“And I’m a realist.

Having said this, the Primarch paused.

"But as you said, the only small problem now is that because my father does not want to become a god yet, we are not sure what kind of sacrifice he wants."

“We still need to explore: although this is only a difficulty at this stage.”

“So, this is also the fundamental reason why I built the perfect city.”

"For me, the perfect city itself is a sacrifice."

"The Emperor protects us and we serve Him, as it should be, but I made a mistake: I viewed the Emperor, the New God, through the lens of Colchis, and I did not offer the sacrifices He desired."

"But fortunately, after being thunderstruck by the wrong sacrifice, he responded to me."

"He told me, like a god, what he wanted."

"Jihad."

Anglete whispered.

"Yes."

The Primarch nodded.

"He wants holy war: that is why we have come here on this expedition."

"This is a sacrifice: a sacrifice for the future of humanity."

"Now, do you understand?"

"..."

Anglete took a deep breath.

"Forgive me, my Lord: but I have a damned question."

"Go ahead."

Luo Jia smiled.

"I have plenty of time today."
"I would like to know……"

The Word Bearer hesitated.

"Excuse me, my Lord."

"According to what you just said, if we choose the Emperor and suddenly encounter a second beast that is equally powerful, or even more powerful, and is also willing to protect us, what should we do?"

"..."

The air was silent again.

"..."

Just as Angertai began to wonder if his head was still on his neck, he heard a sigh from the Primarch.

"Good question, my boy."

"You have a really sharp eye."

"It is the right decision to appoint you as the captain of the first company."

"Sir...I..."

"No need to say more."

The primarch shook his head.

"Then I'll tell you."

“My faith has only one criterion: that is, faith in a God who is useful to mankind.”

"In other words: As long as he can be useful to mankind, I am willing to believe in him."

"I can be a fanatic of the One God."

"But if it's possible, I wouldn't mind worshipping in the Pantheon."

“That’s all…”

"..."

Anglete was silent.

However, before the Word Bearers could figure out how to respond to the Primarch, an abrupt voice, a third voice, suddenly interrupted the conversation between father and son.

"That's an impressive statement, Aurelion of Colchis."

It was a peculiar accent: the thick accent and clipped syllables could not quite disguise the lack of fluency in the language.

Angertai's eyes widened. He felt fear, confusion and anger: fear that the enemy could be so close, confusion that there was no difference between him and his comrades in the distance, and anger that the Primarch's dignity was challenged.

The Word Bearer drew his pistol and quickly pointed it at the source of the sound.

But the Primarch was faster than him.

Luo Jia had turned away: he did not look angry, or confused.

He just opened his mouth: he opened his mouth to the gloomy wind that had blown up at an unknown time.

"Colchis?"

The Primarch seemed to smile.

“Who are you: why do you hide yourself?”

"I'm not hiding."

The voice answered them.

This time, Anglete heard it clearly: it was the voice of a young woman.

Then the Word Bearers saw her.

She seemed to appear suddenly, as if she had always been there, or as if she was a dead leaf blown by the wind. When she lifted up her strange cloak, a young face that matched her voice was revealed.

She bowed to the Primarch, and the sweet sound of her voice made the wind seem a little weaker.

"Nice to meet you, beloved of all gods: you have a blessed name."

She said, and then she laughed.

"I'm Ingsel."

"The Cadians."

"I come for the original truth."

(End of this chapter)