Emperor's Bane

Chapter 945 The Lion's Decision (Part 1)
As a self-proclaimed elder brother, the Lord of Caliban rarely misses his blood relatives.

In his view, this was an unnecessary action.

For both the wild beasts of the forest and the knights of the fortress, remembering the dead is of no practical value.

The former goes without saying.

Real beasts don't have the concept of remembrance.

They might mourn for a moment for their deceased family members, but in an emergency, or during a dry season when food is scarce, even the dead or living relatives can be used as food to fill their stomachs and survive when they are threatened by hunger.

In remembrance?

Who would reminisce about the meat they ate?

Humans don't, and neither do wild beasts: that's why they're called wild beasts.

The latter situation is more complicated.

As the Grand Knight Commander whom many knightly orders in Caliban follow—a title he still holds to this day—and a model knight under Luther, it's impossible for Johnson not to understand chivalry. On the contrary, as a man who is serious and reserved to the core, the Lion of Caliban can be said to be the living embodiment of chivalry.

Johnsen knew better than anyone that the highest-ranking building in the Knights of Caliban's fortress was the chapel used for public events and to commemorate fallen heroes. Prayer ceremonies before each large-scale expedition were also indispensable, and Johnsen himself had presided over them hundreds of times. However, this did not mean that the knights were particularly fond of remembering their brothers.

Rather than meaninglessly reminiscing in one's heart, seizing the time to hone one's martial arts skills and then taking up one's sword to kill more giant beasts is the truly meaningful memorial ceremony in the eyes of the Knights: even if you pray for your fallen brothers for hundreds of days and nights, it is far less valuable than personally killing the beast that once harmed him.

At least in Zhuang Sen's eyes, this was the truth.

Therefore, he naturally applied the same concept to his actual relatives.

Nostalgia is pointless; it's better to do something practical.

Moreover, he didn't actually have many brothers to remember.

In Zhuang Sen's eyes, not all Primarchs can be considered his true relatives.

Some people just happen to stand under the emperor's double-headed eagle banner and dedicate themselves to the same cause.

They were comrades-in-arms, and could be considered brothers in a way.

But family?
Even for someone like Zhuang Sen, the term "family" carries an extremely heavy weight.

Within the Primarch, perhaps only about a third of the people could meet the standards that Johnson considered his relatives.

As for what this standard is?

At least……

It should at least reach Guilliman's level, right?
Although by the standards of family, that Macurag was the worst kind of person, even more annoying than Conrad when he was a kid: but even the worst of family members can be classified as family, while those who were not even as good as Guilliman did not even meet the standard of being worth remembering in Johnson's eyes.

Moreover.

He wouldn't even miss Guilliman: who would waste time on something so meaningless?
What do you miss about him?
Do you miss him because he always views himself with the most extreme and narrow-minded perspective?
What a nasty guy.

Will anyone else in the galaxy do this?

……

Besides, Zhuang Sen is always very busy, isn't he?

The dark corners of the galaxy will always harbor eyes that yearn for the Empire, and the distant stars will forever be gathering momentum for the next wave of invasion, even those double-headed eagle banners that have already been raised. The world, seemingly bathed in the glory of the Emperor and the Great Crusades, cannot be trusted: defeated lands will always rise again, and ambitious individuals will always yearn to ascend to the heavens once more.

Johnson could never rest, and his legions never truly ceased their war efforts. Brief respites and periods of peace were merely prelude to even longer expeditions: they ventured into the darkness and storms of the outer realms far more often than they lingered in Caliban and other worlds.

While other legions enjoyed peaceful times, even as the blades of their chainswords began to rust, the First Legion fought against the remnants of the Ulanor Empire, tirelessly wiping out the last remnants of the Randan Empire, using imperial decrees to clean up those casting worlds that crossed the red line, or simply setting sail beyond the reach of the Star Torch to kill extraterrestrial enemies unknown to humankind.

Johnson was happy to do this. He was happy to commit massacres in the name of emperor and empire, and to be silently forgotten in the peaceful years forged by the Great Expedition, until he became a bland footnote in history books: except for those students who need to memorize historical knowledge points ten thousand years later, no one will spend time specifically remembering the name of the Lion Caliban.

Zhuang Sen was happy living this kind of life.

He should have gotten what he wanted.

If it weren't for some despicable and incompetent fellows who messed things up when he left.

……

The First Legion's main fleet's return journey from the darkness beyond the region was far from smooth.

Objectively speaking, they had indeed done their best in every aspect: the Dark Angels were experienced in expeditions, the quality of the ships and the quality of the sailors under their command were impeccable, and Johnson's orders were executed 100%. Not to mention, there was the expedition fleet they encountered halfway through the journey, which could provide them with a relatively reliable route.

Although more than half of the area along this route is a chaotic mess shrouded in subspace storms.

However, in such a dark and treacherous place as the outer reaches of the world, having even a vague route is already a rare and precious thing.

The First Legion was already familiar with these things.

Therefore, as early as when the fleet weighed anchor, the captain and navigators of the Unyielding Truth provided their Primarch with a plan that was as detailed as possible: they assured the Lion that, barring unforeseen circumstances, they were confident they could bring the Dark Angel back to the galaxy within a few months, allowing Johnson to quell the chaos within the Imperium.

This is also the best development in the Primarch's mind.

Then?

Then, at the very first moment the fleet began its warp jump, the entire Dark Angels Legion's expeditionary fleet encountered a warp storm that came out of nowhere.

Even the most experienced navigators failed to detect any signs of the storm, and even the Primarchs, who were well-versed in psionic energy, were completely unaware: the storm seemed to have been waiting for them. This deliberate catastrophe did not even scatter the First Legion's fleet, but instead left them stranded in the warp for an extended period.

After they finally weathered the most violent wave of the storm, the navigator leading the fleet had his three eyes almost completely submerged in blood and tears, and the Dark Angels barely managed to break free from the constraints of the warp. They found themselves still trapped in the darkness beyond the realm, having deviated from their previously familiar route and arrived in a completely unfamiliar and unfamiliar location.

With no other option, Zhuang Sen and his army could only use the most primitive method to determine their location.

They found the nearest alien world, quickly wiped it out, and then determined their relative position to the Milky Way by deciphering the aliens' ancient texts and scriptures. After repeating this process nearly twenty times, they wiped out the alien paradise, which was the size of a star sector, and the Dark Angels finally got a general idea of ​​their direction.

Without any hesitation, they set off again.

To avoid a second wave of the warp storm, the Dark Angels did not dare to make long-distance jumps. Instead, relying on the superior skills of their navigators and sailors, they conducted a series of short-distance "skipping stones" in the High Heavens: they would choose to land in inhabited star systems, slaughter the local alien worlds, and then use their books to confirm their location and replenish their supplies with their flesh and blood.

As for those who are a bit of a nuisance: the Dark Angels' arsenal will never lack extermination orders.

They had been burning, killing, and looting their way home: just before Zhuang Sen's patience was almost completely exhausted, they finally arrived home.

But time was no longer on their side.

When that lucky expedition ship reported the Terra crisis to the Primarch, Johnson repeatedly confirmed with the captain and sailors that at that time, only a few months had passed since the so-called Terra crisis, and the conflict and rupture between the Warlords and the Highlords Council was not yet a hot topic that could sweep across the entire galaxy.

However, when the Dark Angels finally returned to the galaxy after overcoming a series of hardships, any well-informed person they encountered would say with certainty that the Terra crisis was more than a year ago, and those officials with special channels in the Imperial Central would even assure the Primarchs that the Warmaster's army had already embarked on the expedition to Holy Terra.

War has broken out.

In any case, they all returned quite late.

"Time is no longer on our side."

Standing before the lion of Caliban, Coswayne reiterated their current predicament.

Given the current situation, this warning seemed somewhat superfluous, but the other three people in the room—including the Primarch and two Legion elites—did not offer any further criticism of Koswayne's nonsense.

They were all deeply engrossed in their own thoughts.

Primarch Johnson sat on his throne, his posture, demeanor, and imposing presence exactly the same as they had been over a hundred years ago, displaying the same decisive and ruthless nature. In the eyes of the Dark Angels, Johnson was almost unchanged from the time of the Randan Wars; he remained in a phase that evoked both love and hate.

The Dark Angels revered him, but they were not without their grievances against the Father of Genetics.

This state has lasted for over a hundred years and will continue for much longer, as will be visible to the naked eye.

However, nothing can truly remain unchanged forever. Even Johnson cannot be exactly the same as he was a hundred years ago: at least Cosway's keen eye can spot a problem.

Compared to the Randan War, or at some point before that.

Do not……

To be more precise: compared to the time when the [true Legion Commander] was still active in the First Legion.

The current lord of Caliban, at least in his appearance and attire, is rather sloppy.

"..."

That's right: this is a very profound expression.

As for the truth of the matter: you can't expect Johnson to have the mind to care about his hair and beard, or the dust on his armor, when he is trapped in the dark outer regions and full of worries about the Emperor and the Empire.

Of course, even though they were trapped outside the galaxy, the First Legion was not so poor that they didn't even have servants and minions to perform the daily cleaning for the Primarchs: but even those servants who had been stripped of their minds could not last long in the face of the sullen and furious Lord Caliban.

As for those mortals?

It wasn't that none of them dared to clean Zhuang Sen's face, but the results under the raging rage were hardly impressive: after comparing the before and after work of these respectable mortals, the Lion King Steward decided it would be better to have them temporarily suspended from work.

Without them, the Legion would at most have to adapt to a unkempt Primarch.

Anyway, they've already gotten used to it.

Thanks to the efforts of these mortals, any dark angel who was fortunate enough to see the Lion King's face couldn't help but begin to have a question in their heart.

Did the Primarch fight the Wolf King of Fenris again without their knowledge?
Otherwise, why does this beard look like it's been chewed by a dog?
"Ugh……"

Cosway sighed inwardly.

Indeed: some things cannot be made up for by acquired abilities and efforts.

After his revered predecessor left, even though he had worked hard in the position for many years and gained the recognition of everyone, including the Primarch, Coswayne himself still felt that he had never reached the standard required for the position of Lionmaster: after all, the person who created the position had done it so well.

Just like after Makado, which mortal would dare to call himself the new Seal Bearer?

After a few sighs, Coswayne shook his head, shaking off these distracting thoughts.

They have more important things to do now.

Thinking this, Chief Steward Lion turned his gaze to the two colleagues standing beside him.

Astram and Arachios.

Unbeknownst to them, the three of them had become the Legion's three most powerful figures, second only to the Primarch. Whenever there was an extremely urgent matter, such as at this moment, Primarch Johnsen would summon these three most capable offspring to the throne, listen to their respective views and debates, and then Johnsen would make the final judgment on how to proceed.

This time is no exception.

However, this time it is different from the past: previously it was just about battles and expeditions, and the most serious thing was just throwing an extermination order into the star system. But this time the importance of this matter far exceeds that of the past. It can be said to determine the fate of the legion and even the entire empire.

No one dared to draw any conclusions.

Even someone as arrogant as Astram chose to be cautious in his words and actions at this time.

So, all that remained in the air was the Lion King sitting there muttering to himself about the current situation.

"Based on the accurate information collected."

The Primarch's fingers tapped on the armrest of the throne.

"At least a month ago, Horus's fleet had already marched toward Holy Terra."

"Following him were Forem, Chagatai Khan, and Motalian: Saint Gilles could also be included."

"It's astonishing."

Astlan lowered his voice.

"Even Saint Gilles is involved?"

"He could only be said to be involved verbally: after all, the Ninth Army did not actually send out a single soldier."

Coswayne retorted.

"It cannot be said that not a single soldier was mobilized."

Arachos, who always paid attention to details, disagreed with Coswayne's words.

"The intelligence is very clear. Although the main fleet of the Ninth Legion, like their Primarch, has never left the Bal region and has not participated in Horus's siege of Terra, they have indeed sent a large contingent to act alongside the Shadowmoon Wolves under the guise of a military observation group. They should now be at the forefront of the battle against Holy Terra."

"Don't forget, it's Radolon who's in charge of leading this military observation group: he's the one who truly represents the angels' thoughts."

"I think so."

Astland nodded in complete agreement.

"Intelligence indicates that Radoron brought more than five thousand Holy Blood Angels with him to Shadowmoon Wolf."

"As an army, this is indeed not much."

"But as a military observation group, this number is a bit too many."

"Who knows what the angels are thinking?"

"What he thinks is not important."

Ultimately, it was the Primarch who spoke, interrupting the debate among the three officers at the throne.

"Whether in words or in deeds, the Ninth Legion is now on Horus's side."

Johnson was not interested in questions that bordered on formalism, such as whether the angels had sided with Horus.

"Therefore, I would classify them as destabilizing factors."

"Just like Terra."

Zhuang Sen added.

"At least for now, I can't be sure whether the Warlord or the High Lord is telling the truth, or whether they are both lying. But the Terra crisis has indeed revealed an undeniable fact to us: that is, the Emperor is indeed missing, or at least, he is unable to deal with the current chaos in the galaxy."

"Since the Emperor has not intervened, Terra and the Warmaster are merely potential traitors."

The lion of Caliban waved its paw dismissively.

"After all, their actions are questionable in terms of loyalty."

The Primarch's fingers rubbed together impatiently.

"First is Terra."

"Although I don't care much about these things, Luther complained to me repeatedly in his letters: ever since the Emperor chose to go into seclusion after the Ulanor Conference, Terra's performance on various issues has become increasingly disappointing. It is clear that the High Lords have gradually forgotten their original intentions and are now levying exorbitant taxes in the name of the Emperor."

"Perhaps their hearts are still loyal, but their actions can hardly be considered loyal."

“If it weren’t for their astonishing exploitation and oppression across the galaxy, things wouldn’t be like this.”

"And it has come to this."

"No one would doubt their negligence...and incompetence."

At this point, even the Lord of Caliban's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Generally speaking, Zhuang Sen has never cared much about these worldly matters, but conversely, the fact that even he has heard about them and knows them like the back of his hand speaks volumes about how bad the situation is.

Before this, the Primarch might not have cared.

After all, this matter had nothing to do with his duties.

But since Terra's actions have become so serious as to affect the grand order left by the Emperor.

This then relates to his duties.

The Primarch's fingertips traced the sharp edges of the throne, while his children bowed their heads in awe.

They all knew that this was a manifestation of the lion of Caliban harboring murderous intent towards certain things in his heart.

As for what his blade desires: naturally, it is the Terra Highlords who have made the situation so bad.

In the eyes of the lion, dereliction of duty and incompetence are crimes on the same level as disloyalty and rebellion.

Especially those high-ranking officials who have received the Emperor's favor and are able to act according to his will, ruling over millions of planets in the galaxy in his place: the incompetence of ordinary people will only affect a small area under their jurisdiction, but the incompetence and dereliction of duty of these high lords will push the galaxy into the abyss, just as they are doing now.

Is there any essential difference between causing the galaxy to burn due to dereliction of duty and causing it to burn due to rebellion?

Therefore, they should all be dealt with.

Perhaps Johnson couldn't do that: after all, he also had to consider the crucial role that the High Lords played in the operation of the entire galaxy. Rashly using the methods of the Dark Angels to deal with them could very likely cause the entire Imperial government to collapse instantly, which would only cause more serious consequences than the High Lords' dereliction of duty.

Johnson wouldn't do that.

Fortunately, Zhuang Sen knew that he had more than one person in his family who could help him.

He only needed to do his job as before: he was responsible for using his sword to wipe out the armies loyal to the rebels and sharpen their fangs. As for the rest, Morgan and Guilliman would surely be capable of handling it. The galaxy under their rule would only be better off than the one under the High Lords, where life was devastated.

Similarly, they would certainly have a way to get rid of those high lords who had already proven their incompetence without disrupting the overall situation of the empire: Johnson wouldn't mind helping Morgan and Guilliman complete the final step.

That's right: even Guilliman.

His Macurag brothers, despite their many flaws, have one thing in common:

Zhuang Sen had already seen it clearly long ago.

Whether you call it seeking fame or naiveté, Guilliman harbored a very naive idea: he genuinely believed in the positive meaning of the Great Crusade, that it would bring humanity back to a great era, and that peace and prosperity would become the eternal themes thereafter.

If we could involve him, or even let him personally guide the arrival of the golden age.

Guilliman would not refuse.

He will spare no effort to achieve the grand goal of bringing humanity back to its golden age.

Even if it's just to make his name shine in history books ten thousand years from now.

In this respect, Guilliman is trustworthy.

It was precisely because of his and Morgan's presence that Johnson was not worried about the High Lords.

Presumably the emperor would have no further objections.

As early as the Great Crusade, the Lord of Mankind had repeatedly boasted to Johnson about Morgan's abilities, especially her talent in governance and rule.

Johnson was no fool; he could hear a very clear inclination in the Emperor's words.

If in the early days, the Emperor only mentioned Morgan to find topics to talk about with the Lion, then...

As the time draws ever closer, the Lord of Man's plans for the Spider Queen may indeed have changed somewhat.

Zhuang Sen could certainly tell that from what he heard.

He had a hunch: perhaps Morgan was one of the gifts the emperor left for humanity.

After all, she is unique among the Primarchs, isn't she?
Should she succeed the High Lord?

The situation can't get any worse.

This is one of the important reasons why Zhuang Sen decided to go to the Far East frontier.

He needs to reach an agreement with Morgan on this issue.

When he marched on Terra.

He hoped that he would bring with him more than just a legion capable of ending the war.

It should be a brand new future for the entire galaxy: and the duty he, as the Emperor's knight, is to fulfill.

------

This chapter was originally supposed to be 12,000 words, but I'm too sleepy right now, so I'll just post this much for now.

I will edit and revise the remaining 6,000 words during the day before publishing them.

(End of this chapter)