Emperor's Bane

Chapter 889: Brothers, settle accounts clearly

"Are you sure this will work?"

"How do you know if you don't try? Stop talking nonsense and help me get that wig over there."

"Which one?"

"Of course the silver one... Hey!"

"I was wondering why it seems like something is wrong: your butt is a little crooked."

"And why use lungs? You should use meat. Lungs don't feel right to the touch."

“And this curvature, this texture…”

"Oh! Forget it."

"You had better stay away, Guilliman, and I can do it myself: you are not suited to this craft."

"Go get the wig."

"..."

The Lord of Five Hundred Worlds, his hands stained with blood, stood there in a daze, until his brother had urged him again and again with some impatience, then he came to his senses, lowered his head, muttered something that no one could understand, and left their crime scene with lingering fear.

He soon found the wig.

Not to mention, it looks and feels exactly like Morgan's hair.

I'm afraid even the Dawnbreaker can't tell the difference.

Moreover, after taking away the wig, the sharp-eyed Macragge people also saw some interesting things nearby: this long skirt seemed to be Morgan's favorite style, those riding boots had been with the Spider Queen for a long time, and the axe blade leaning against the wall, wasn't it the Lord of Avalon's most handy weapon on the battlefield?

Guilliman had seen these things before, and seeing them gave the Primarch a familiar sense of reassurance.

Of course, if Guilliman had not seen these things in Conrad's private locker, he might have felt more at ease.

Why are these things in Conrad's room?

Well, considering their relationship...

That’s not right either!
#The brain of the hardworking and simple old farmer of Macragge is being tested#
"Robert!"

Just when the Macragge people didn't know how to feel about the current situation, screams that had become extremely impatient came from the other end of the room.

"What are you doing!"

"Are you always late?"

“Ah… here it comes!”

Guilliman responded hastily, then took a deep breath to adjust his mentality, quickened his pace, and rushed back to his job: However, before arriving, the Primarch stopped and held his breath.

He needed a moment to gather his courage to face what he was about to see.

The Primarch walked in a room he was familiar with. During the time that Guilliman stayed in Avalon, he had always stayed in this room, but before that, this was indeed Konrad's bedroom: so the smell left by the latter was naturally stronger than the former.

For example, the chandelier on the ceiling of the room remained dim no matter how it was adjusted: thanks to it, Guilliman felt like he was living in a bat cave.

And if in the past, this dim light was just a minor annoyance, now, coupled with the special temporary environment, it is enough to cause some real psychological harm to the Macragge people.

The Primarch muttered again, and there was a slippery crunching sound under his feet.

"Be careful, Robert."

The voice of the Midnight Ghost came faintly.

"You've already crushed three of my lungs. If you crush them again, I'll have to use yours."

Guilliman did not dare to reply, for he was afraid that he would smell the stench as soon as he did so: right now, he was standing in the middle of a pile of frozen meat and internal organs, as if he were in a slaughterhouse where people would be disemboweled. The stench of death lingered in every corner, taking a long time to dissipate, making the Primarch feel physically nauseous.

This was very abnormal. Although Guilliman was not known for his fighting skills among his brothers, he had participated in many battles in the Great Crusade. He was also accustomed to death and bloodshed on the battlefield. Theoretically, no matter how disgusting the stench of corpses was, it would not affect him.

But this time it was different, perhaps because the stench came from the Primarch's internal organs and flesh, so even though they had been frozen for a long time and the stench was so weak that it was almost negligible, Guilliman still felt unbearable nausea.

Is it because they are the same kind of flesh and blood?

Make him feel the crisis of death?

The Lord of Macragge tried to interpret his predicament with a more scientific approach, but his brother had no intention of helping him: Conrad was happily humming a Nostramo ballad that had long been out of tune, singing in cheerful syllables about how to make a human lute or a baby's cloak.

At the same time, the Midnight Haunter dug out handfuls of his own organs and flesh from the life freezer he had specially moved, and then used the rich and colorful artistic cells in his mind to turn these bloody clay into the greatest work of history.

Guilliman didn't want to admit it: but he did see a hint of the Spider Queen's charm in Konrad's face carved out of flesh and viscera.

Although he watched the Midnight Haunter sew lips made of his skin onto those neatly arranged teeth: God knows where he got these teeth from, the Lord of Five Hundred Worlds felt that he would definitely have a lot of nightmares tonight.

But this is not important, what is important is...

"Are you sure that this thing we made can really fool those Dawnbreakers outside?"

Guilliman suppressed his nausea and stood behind Midnight Haunter who was concentrating on his creation.

"What are you going to do?"

Conrad didn't even bother to look back.

"Let me be frank first. Our respected Lord of Avalon has been in a coma for three days. Although he can still barely fool the guards outside, those Terrans have obviously begun to get suspicious. Especially considering that tomorrow is Thursday, the situation will be even worse..."

"What happened Thursday?"

"Morgan treats her personal guard to dinner every Thursday."

"So either we have this statue to come to life by tomorrow night: or you put on Morgan's wig and go to the kitchen yourself."

"or……"

In the middle of the conversation, the Midnight Ghost, who was originally very excited, suddenly became silent, as if someone had strangled him.

"Or what?"

Guilliman frowned behind Konrad.

"nothing……"

Midnight Haunter became a little absent-minded.

Guilliman observed: he felt as if his brother were observing some psychic signs?
He quickly followed suit.

Hmm...I didn't feel anything.

"Robert!"

Konrad suddenly stood up, somewhat rudely interrupting Guilliman's thoughts.

"Help me get it first."

"Ah? Ah."

The Macragge man took the pair of work gloves stained with blood and flesh in a daze.

Before he started to get curious, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.

Guilliman glanced at the time and it seemed to be time for dinner.

Is it Virgo? Didn't they say they didn't need to eat tonight?

"I'll open the door."

Although his mind was full of confusion, Guilliman, who was closest to the door, instinctively made a choice. Just as he moved towards the door, the Macragge man did not hear certain sounds behind him: the sound of taking off clothes and dragging something like a rope.

On this side, Guilliman had already opened the door.

"Ania, I said we..."

The sound stopped suddenly.

"what!"

"Morgan?"

"you're awake?"

As soon as the door was opened, the blue eyes made the Macragge people freeze in place.

【…】

The Spider Queen did not respond to her brother because Guilliman was now dressed so strangely: he was wearing a large white full-body work suit, and almost every part visible to the naked eye was stained with blood. One hand was holding a pair of bloody work gloves, and he looked like he was doing something disturbing.

【What are you...doing, Robert?】

"me……"

While the Lord of Macragge was still thinking about how to answer this somewhat embarrassing question, Morgan had already taken a step forward without question. Her arrogant attitude made Guilliman instinctively retreat. As a result, the Spider Queen gained a view of the entire room: Then, as expected, she immediately saw the pile of flesh and blood statues.

[…What is that?]

"That's Conrad..."

"Conrad?!"

Just as the Macragge was about to make a rebuttal, he turned his head and saw a scene that caused his heart and lungs to stop.

Where is the shadow of the Midnight Haunter now in front of that Conrad artwork?

If you look a little further to the side, you will find a victim who is tied up tightly with ropes and has his mouth sealed with chains. He is curled up on the floor and unable to move. He can only desperately look in the direction of Morgan and call for help with his eyes: Aren’t those watery, narrow pupils the eyes of the Midnight Haunter?
"Morgan...Morgan..."

Amidst his desperate sobbing, one could seem to hear Conrad crying for help from his sisters with tears of joy.

"..."

Guilliman froze in place.

No: What the hell is going on?

Before he could fully comprehend the current situation, Morgan next to him had already frowned.

She looked at Guilliman, who was covered in blood and holding a pair of scarlet gloves in his hands, then looked at the flesh and blood statue that made people feel nauseous just by smelling it, and then looked at the mess on the ground and the filth like a killing field, and Konrad who was tied up tightly and thrown aside.

【Can you explain, Robert? 】

"..."

Guilliman's eyes widened.

"No...I...I'm not..."

------

Virgo couldn't quite comprehend what had happened in the fifteen minutes her mother had been gone.

In fact, she couldn't even understand why the first thing her gene mother did when she woke up after being in a coma for three whole days was to find her two brothers: at the same time, she asked Virgo to retrieve all the military documents of Avalon and summon the captains of every Dawnbreaker Legion.

However, Virgo saw it with her own eyes: when the Spider Queen returned to her own reception room with two bloody Primarchs, the expressions on the faces of all three looked a little off.

No. Virgo silently watched her mother throw away her favorite soft chair and sit on a dry and hard chair.

Well: there was something particularly wrong with her mother.

[Ania, where is what I want? ]

"it's here."

Hearing Morgan's call, Virgo quickly sent the first load of documents over: but before she could leave, the Spider Queen immediately issued a second order.

[By the way, Anya. 】

[Remember to unseal Lilith: I might need her now.]

"..."

Virgo froze in place.

The name felt strange, after all, she hadn't heard it for decades, but Virgo soon remembered the meaning behind the name.

It is the only one among the nine star maids that is despised. If it were not for their mother's insistence, Virgo and her twin sisters would not want to acknowledge the existence of this so-called "Perseus".

As for the reason?

It's not that complicated.

Although each of the Star Maids has different appearances and personalities, as Morgan's works, they still inherited many common features from the Spider Queen: for example, the deep hatred for aliens.

And Lilith Perseus, rather than being another daughter created by the Primarch, is more the embodiment of the Lord of Avalon's remaining bad taste: the encounter that took place a century ago may have long disappeared from the memory of even the most senior Dawnbreakers, but in the blood of the Dark Eldar who left corpses all over the ground, the Spider Queen still preserved a trophy.

Lilith, the competitive queen of Commorra, is one of the representatives of the supreme military force of the Dark Eldar.

But now, its other identity is the captive and [daughter] of the Lord of Avalon.

An unacknowledged daughter.

"Are you... sure, Mother?"

Virgo asked the Spider Queen a rare question in return, and Morgan looked like he had expected it.

She stared at her eldest daughter.

[I said: I need her now.]

"Understood. I'll do it right away."

Nodding, Virgo's figure quickly disappeared behind a secret door at the end of the room.

[She is becoming more and more independent in her thinking.]

It was not until Virgo's figure completely disappeared that the Primarch sighed to the two brothers in front of her.

[I don’t know if this is a good thing. ]

【As for you two...】

Spider-Girl's vision slowly turned back to the two Primarchs sitting opposite her: Konrad was looking at the ceiling with an innocent face, as if there was a poem engraved on it that made people linger: while Guilliman on the other side, although sitting upright, still stared at his Nostramo brother with a somewhat resentful look.

[Oh, forget it…]

Morgan rubbed his temple.

[I don’t want to pursue this matter anymore.]

[Listen, you two, I have a more important task for you two: or rather, a request.]

Feeling the seriousness in Morgan's words, the two Primarchs put away their playful attitudes and sat up straight.

"Speaking?"

Guilliman nodded solemnly.

【First, Conrad.】

Morgan looked at the easier one.

[I need you to return to Nostramo immediately and put the expedition to the Ghoul Stars on the agenda.]

【Trazyn will act with you.】

"Tarrazin?"

The name made Conrad raise his brow, and then he gave a cruel smile.

"If I remember correctly, among all the plans we discussed before, there was only one situation in which Trazyn would act with me."

[Yes: that is the situation now.]

Morgan's expression was serious.

【We are going to activate "Plan Z". 】

"Plan Z?"

Although it seemed like he had expected it, Conrad still looked a little surprised.

"Is the Emperor so confident?"

【Maybe. 】

In front of Guilliman, the Lord of Avalon did not reveal any further details: although the Macragge people did not seem to have the intention of digging deeper.

[You don't have to worry about Trazyn's attitude: he and I have already discussed it.]

【He will do his best to help you. 】

"I don't doubt that."

The Night Haunter grinned mockingly.

"After all, he, or they, can also gain a lot of benefits in this process, right?"

【It’s not important.】

Morgan shook his head.

[Remember to leave some troops behind: Avalon may need the support of the Eighth Legion at that time. ]

"I'll let Sevatar stay."

Conrad waved his hand nonchalantly.

"He knows what to do: but I won't leave too many people behind, after all, this journey is quite dangerous."

"You know, Morgan: let alone completing the plan itself, I may lose a lot of warships and soldiers just to reach the destination."

"And my goal: I have no doubt that they have the ability to destroy the Legion."

【So I told you to be careful. 】

Morgan nodded seriously, she knew that what Conrad said was not an exaggeration.

【Remember to keep in touch, we need your final location to appear at the right time. 】

"I try my best."

Conrad just nodded, then slumped down in his chair without any image, and seemed to have no interest in the content of the subsequent conversation.

【As for you, Robert.】

Morgan's eyes moved to the other brother: she sighed almost instinctively.

[I'm sure you've heard it, Robert, we're about to do something big.]

Guilliman nodded.

"Is this an order from the Emperor?"

[I guess so, but don’t tell anyone. ]

"Don't worry, I will."

Guilliman's assurances were always so reassuring.

"So, what do you need from me, Morgan?"

【One thing.】

The Spider Queen held up a finger.

[In the next period of time, I will gather all the main forces of the Dawnbreaker Legion and then launch an expedition that will last for an unknown period of time: for at least a year, my Far Eastern border will be in an extremely empty state of defense, so...]

"So, you need me to mobilize a certain number of Ultramarines to help you defend your territory, right?"

Guilliman understood what Morgan meant.

"Don't worry, Morgan. When I return, I will immediately mobilize 200,000 people."

【…】

【very good. 】

Morgan nodded.

【However, there is one more thing I think you have the right to know. 】

[If nothing unexpected happens, I would say that there is a high probability that the person who will help me supervise the entire Far East Frontier will be Zhuang Sen.]

"...Jonson?"

【right. 】

"He... manages the reinforcements I sent?"

【……right.】

"..."

"that……"

"How about this, Morgan?"

"I think: sending 100,000 people should be enough."

[You think that Zhuang Sen can only command 100,000 people? ]

"Do not."

Guilliman shook his head.

"Because 100,000 people is the maximum loss the Ultramarines can bear at one time."