Emperor's Bane

Chapter 940 Convergence
Come here, my generals.
Let me see if you are still as valiant as you were during the great expedition of yesteryear.
Just like the soldiers under your command.
Despite the passage of many years, in the eyes of everyone, including Morgan, the majesty of the Lord of Mankind has never diminished in the slightest.

The galactic conqueror who once commanded the ruins of the Ulanor Empire can still walk imposingly before his warriors, awakening their dormant loyalty with just a glance.

The emperor, clad in his golden armor, flowing red cloak, and laurel wreath radiating angelic light, was a household symbol of royal power during the Great Expedition.

He gripped the Emperor's Sword, burning with an inextinguishable flame, tightly in his hand, while at the end of his other arm was the Emperor's Claw, which had torn the orc emperor of Ulanor to pieces years ago: he had considered gifting the latter to Warmaster Horus, but ultimately chose a more powerful gift.

Fifty years ago, the Lord of Mankind, clad in armor and wielding weapons, led his Primarch, the Royal Guard, and twenty Astartes Legions to conquer the entire galaxy. The hundreds of thousands of Astartes present were all witnesses to that golden age. Even the few newcomers who had never personally experienced the glory of the Great Crusade did not prevent them from regarding those legends as their lifelong aspirations.

Now, the Lord of Humanity, carrying memories, glory, and history, has stepped out of the scroll of legend.

Just witnessing his unparalleled figure brings back memories of the glory and loyalty of yesteryear for the veterans.

As for the new recruits, they would only tremble with excitement at the thought of personally stepping into the history of the Great Expedition.

Hundreds of thousands of pairs of eyes stared intently as the sun, unique to humankind, rose slowly from the distance. Some of them even had to squint, for in this cruel land where the sun never shone, they had not seen the real sun for far too long: if they looked directly at it, even their pupils would be burned to ashes.

The Emperor's radiance not only dispelled the perpetual darkness within the Web of Light, but also illuminated his path forward with his vast army: tens of thousands of Imperial Guards and Silent Sisters formed an endless river of gold and silver, spears made of crimson flames gleamed under the Emperor's light, and armed servants, carrying ammunition and armor sealant, stayed close to their master.

Behind them, the black and laurel-green Pegasus riders symbolized the knightly army of House Veridion, while the loyal Engine Lady Jaya Dacas led a wave of black and gold giants. She and the fire bee titans beside her symbolized the Iron Alliance between the Emperor and Mars: although no one would deny that this once great alliance had cracked and was on the verge of disintegration.

Once upon a time, the schemes and plots of Karlberhal and his cronies were nothing more than mosquitoes outside a screen, serving no purpose other than to annoy people. However, a series of tragic events and the brutal infighting within the Imperial government ultimately gave the Martian rebels the opportunity to overturn the tide: when Horus's actions began to cause the order of the galaxy to fall apart, the Forging General and his cronies seized the initiative.

Now, what was once insignificant has gradually become a thorn in Terra's side. The situation on Mars has completely spiraled out of control due to the brutal infighting within the Mechanicus. The followers of the Forging General have swept across the Red Sands, crushing the last remaining opponents of Karlberhal to dust. The High Lords Council has almost completely lost this proxy war that is right on Terra's doorstep. Karlberhal, supported by Horus, has officially become the ruler of Mars.

Even the Emperor Legion, which was located within the network, knew about this news long ago.

Nevertheless, the Mechanicus army, commanded by the Tech-Patriarch, chose to remain within the Webway to fight for Omnisiah: an endless army of protectors followed closely in the footsteps of the Titan Legion, their numbers far exceeding the Primarch's vision limits and surpassing the combined total of everyone else present.

Although, tactically speaking, these spiritually deficient Mechanicus troops could never compare to the Imperial Guard or the Astartes, they were a vital force in assisting the Emperor in building the Web. Without them, the Lord of Mankind could not have forged the future he envisioned. It was for this reason that, in order to retain the loyalty of the Technopatriarch, the Emperor promised her the Martian throne after the rebellion ended.

However, in private, the Spider Queen received accurate information from the Father of Genetics.

The Emperor made it clear to the Primarch that the Tech Patriarch and her army were not worthy of complete trust.

They are not the Imperial Guard; they will not continue to fight for Omnissiah when they are at their wits' end.

The reason the Tech Patriarch chose to ignore the current chaos on Mars and stay on the Web was simply to use this achievement to gain the Emperor's endorsement and suppress all her colleagues in the future. If she found that this ambition was not going to be realized, or realized that Terra was powerless to deal with Mars, she would rather immediately throw her army into the Martian civil war.

And that's exactly what the emperor wanted.

In the Emperor's plan, he did intend for the Patriarch of Technology's army to become the main force in the future purge of Karlberhal and his followers: considering that the loyalists on Mars had been wiped out by the rebels, if the Patriarch of Technology and the Forging General, the two remaining Martian powers, destroyed each other in the civil war, then Mars, having exhausted all its forces, would be in line with the Emperor's expectations.

He naturally did not intend for the Imperial Eagle to continue in its strange two-headed state in the future.

But for now, that's a story for another time.

The Lord of Avalon turned her gaze away from those futures dead she saw as her.

She looked at the Emperor and saw the first Astartes warrior kneeling at his feet.

When he arrived before the phalanx of Astartes, the Lord of Man refused to let his guards continue to follow him: to have bodyguards before the Astartes was an insult to these loyalists, and an insult to the Emperor himself.

His gaze swept over the Dawnbreakers, Salamanders, and World Eaters in turn. The most valiant could look directly into their lord's eyes, like Karn and Bayar. Their interactions with the Lord of Man were even closer than their interactions with the Primarch. While new recruits humbly bowed to the Emperor, these Terran veterans could exchange a smile with their first lord.

They were looking forward to a fierce war, just like the war to unify Terra back then.

When the Lord of Man finally reached a near-perfect height, high enough for the hundreds of thousands of Astartes warriors present to look up at, the first veteran in the crowd slowly stepped forward, gripped his weapon, and then knelt on one knee facing the Lord of Man: this was not out of fear or fanatical reverence, but simply to once again demonstrate his loyalty to his lord.

Just like back in Terra: every Astartes warrior would kneel down to swear allegiance when they first saw the Emperor.

Starting with the first spontaneous act, one after another, or solemnly silent, or with expressions of deep emotion, the Astartes warriors of the three legions knelt on one knee, paying homage to their lord and the gods. The solemn silence and soft sobs proved that the Emperor had once again secured the loyalty of these brave warriors: though he had not uttered a word, though he had merely walked slowly past them.

But he has regained them.

Whatever happened before, these legions will now continue to fight for their emperor.

Just like the Great Crusade, or even longer ago.

What a wonderful performance!

Further afield, the three Primarchs witnessed firsthand how the Lords of Man once again conquered their respective legions of Astartes.

However, none of the three imperial sons showed any panic: either they thought there was nothing wrong with what the emperor was doing, or they were not worried at all about their actual control over the legion.

He may use it; but ultimately it is still my property.

The Spider Queen smiled at her two brothers, and this time she received no disapproving glances.

"We'd better get there quickly."

Only the Lord of the Salamanders sighed.

"It is impolite to make the emperor wait for us."

Vulcan seemed to adapt to Morgan's current arrogance much faster than he had imagined.

Perhaps this Primarch, born with a sensitive mind and an extremely clear understanding of emotions, has already figured it out: no matter what his sisters say, their actions are undoubtedly acts of loyalty: the seemingly arrogant Spider Queen is safer than those in the real universe who claim to be loyal to the Emperor.

If that's the case, why bother caring?

"Don't be in such a hurry, brother."

Angron spoke up to stop him, his gaze sweeping over the World Eaters before the Emperor: seeing the Terran warriors in the Legion so excited before the Emperor, while the Lord of the World Eaters was surprisingly calm, he could understand the behavior of these Legion veterans.

There is no conflict between their self-respect and their worship of the emperor.

His conflicts with the father of genetics...

"..."

Whether or not Angron has let it go, he does not intend to make things difficult for his offspring.

However, on the other hand, "even when soldiers are sent to fight, they must be given certain rewards and compensation."

Anglong's voice was slow and deliberate.

"And now, he intends for our offspring to embark on expeditions to the most ferocious lairs in the galaxy for him: even if eradicating the aliens is the Astartes' birthright, why should we interrupt them if their only expectation of reward is to linger a little longer before their worshipped human lord? They deserve the reward, don't they?"

"..."

This left the Lord of Fire Dragons speechless.

Then, his gaze lingered somewhat awkwardly on the fire lizard formation in front of the Emperor. Vulcan could naturally sense the excitement of his veteran soldiers as they faced the Emperor's personal inspection. He did not want to disturb them, but wasting a battle opportunity for this was indeed not in line with the Fire Dragon Lord's consistent way of life.

Don't worry, brother.

Morgan saw through Vulcan's worries.

Faced with this kind-hearted man, the Spider Queen is still willing to temporarily return to her old ways.

She smiled at Vulcan.

If the emperor feels it's enough, he will remind us of the past in his own way.

"……All right."

After much hesitation, the Lord of Fire Dragons finally gave in.

So, for the next period of time, the three Primarchs watched with different expressions as their Father of Gene performed before the Astartes: how the Emperor shook hands with the warriors who impressed him, called out their names affectionately, and reminisced with them about the glorious battles he remembered so vividly; how he walked like a giant in the ranks of the Astartes, raising cheers and battle cries like a tsunami wherever he went.

But all of this paled in comparison to the sun-like smile on the face of the Lord of Mankind: on that face, a mixture of bronze and charred brown, the Emperor’s stern handsomeness captivated all who beheld him; he could both respectfully lift a kneeling warrior and move his listeners to tears with poetic words.

“I never imagined my father would do these things.”

Vulcan couldn't help but sigh.

"In my memory, he has always been very serious."

"Maybe he just doesn't need it."

Angron sneered: This is no easy task for him.

"Believe me, Vulcan: when the two of us are alone, he is more serious than you think."

"You've spent time with your father privately? But I remember you've only met a few times."

"Getting along doesn't necessarily have to be face-to-face; it can also be..."

Alright, you two.

Morgan interrupted the conversation.

She gestured for her brothers to look in the direction of the Emperor.

Father is calling us.

"Now?"

Angron frowned.

"He had only spent less than half an hour with them."

How long do you expect it to take?

Morgan smiled at him, then turned and walked to the front of the three Primarchs.

However, she did not quicken her pace, but walked towards the Emperor at a normal speed. But Vulcan and Anglon behind Morgan seemed to have inadvertently admitted something: they slowed their pace even more, not walking beside Morgan, but following behind the Spider Queen half a step behind, like followers.

The three Primarchs thus advanced from the other end of the Astartes phalanx toward the Emperor. As soon as they came into the sight of the Progenitors, the most perceptive warriors noticed the discord among the three Primarchs: the fervor stirred up by the Emperor was gradually receding, and whispers echoed in their ears and on their communicators.

But from beginning to end, no one showed any dissatisfaction with this arrangement.

From the Emperor to the warriors, everyone silently witnessed the Spider Queen leading her brothers to the Lord of Man. When she stood still and met her father's gaze, the two Primarchs behind her focused their attention on Morgan or the Emperor, patiently waiting for their next move.

Morgan looked at her father.

After many years, seeing the Emperor in person again, instead of talking to a visible but intangible shadow in a so-called dream or psionic illusion, the Spider Queen felt a strange sense of emotion at this change.

Has things really come to this?

As he reflected on his actions, Morgan slowly bent over, but not in a very noticeable arc.

[A salute to you, Father.]

Behind her, Vulcan paid homage to his lord with even more solemnity, while Anglon stood his weapon on the ground and gave the emperor a simple nod.

The Lord of Humanity responded to each one.

+It's a pleasure to see you all here, my generals.
The emperor smiled, a smile that wasn't cold on his square jaw.

In the time to come, we will once again fight side by side: for the future of all humanity.
Is this just a slogan?

Morgan asked.

No.
The emperor continued to smile.

This is what we are doing.
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This chapter isn't finished yet, so I'll post this much for now. There will be another chapter later, so it won't affect tomorrow's update.

(End of this chapter)