Emperor's Bane

Chapter 949 Kneel down, I'm begging you, little sister.

Leon Johnson may have many flaws.

But foolishness is not among them.

From the moment he first opened his eyes and his brain began to develop thoughts and consciousness, the Caliban had little to do with the word "stupid."

Yes.

He was impatient, cold-blooded, extravagant, inhumane, harsh in managing his subordinates, callous, and lacking in empathy...

But he was not stupid.

Zhuang Sen can be defined as a bad person in many situations.

But he was never a fool: at least he was quite clever when he did bad things.

Of course, the same standards and rhetoric can also be applied to other prototypes.

Or, to put it another way: most of the originals.

After all, there are always a few pure and honest gentlemen among the brothers, making people wonder whether the Primarch was a world wonder forcibly seized by the Emperor, or the result of him drinking too much with some female creature: Morgan had considered the latter possibility many times.

However, such thinking often comes to nothing, because given the Emperor's personality and experience, there are simply too many candidates to choose from: you can't even simply define the other party as a living being, after all, there are potential suspects in the warp.

Fortunately for Morgan, she never had to think about this problem with Johnson.

Lord Caliban may not be erudite, lacking impressive knowledge, and his emotional intelligence and demeanor often provoke anger and hurt; but he is not a fool. He may hardly be called a scholar or a genius, but he is absolutely proficient in all the wisdom and philosophy needed for life.

It's a fascinating concept: a truly intelligent person may not need much wisdom or knowledge to live a good life.

Conversely, even a scholar renowned for his wisdom is not immune to making foolish mistakes: knowledge is never a purely positive term.

In Morgan's short life of less than a century, she had verified the truth or falsehood of these two statements several times.

Zhuang Sen is just another living example.

The argument used to verify the case is the lion's acceptance of new knowledge such as subspace and chaos.

……

It's better than I expected.

At least for Morgan, conversations with Johnson usually went smoothly as long as they didn't involve the military or equipment: this time was no exception.

The story begins with the Spider Queen and continues until the Lion of Caliban learns what he needs to know: the black tea that Morgan casually placed in his cup to replace water hadn't even cooled down yet, and the clock had only just passed its shortest interval.

The reason Morgan spoke so quickly was not because she wanted to end the conversation quickly: although she was indeed deeply involved in a war, what she was talking to Johnson about was just an exquisite projection that she had set up before setting off. The state of this projection could not affect the Spider Queen's true form, and entrusting everything about the war space to her was just as important as the war in Comoros.

The main reason the narration went so smoothly, besides the already excellent cooperation between the two Primarchs, was the rare and effective educational result of the Lord of Man: the Emperor had educated the Lion about the existence of the Warp many years ago, and although Johnsen had never paid attention to this issue, he was still competent on many basic knowledge points.

To put it jokingly: the Kaliban were even more wary of the warp than Magnus.

However, on the other hand, few people are less wary of the warp than Magnus.

Of course, besides this, there is another reason that is hard for ordinary people to think of: that is, chaos itself is not complicated.

It's ironic that, as the culprit behind the great fall of the Eldar Empire, the most powerful and dangerous enemy of the Emperor and the entire human race, the destroyer of countless civilizations, the actual creator of the Age of Conflict, and one of the behind-the-scenes forces that led the entire real universe to this state and might even get worse (we can never forget the contributions of the Necromancers), neither the warp nor the four Chaos Gods are concepts that require a long time to explain and understand.

The rulers of the High Heavens are powerful, possessing a rich foundation and countless domains of power. The latter is precisely what makes Chaos so troublesome. Their invasions and energy are everywhere, inevitably presenting opportunities to launch attacks and always able to find the rifts they desire.

Compared to this extreme breadth, the structure and source of power of the four Chaos Gods are not complicated.

At least in terms of the Primarch's comprehension, Morgan could explain the general content of one of them in just a few minutes.

Zhuang Sen's acceptance level was also quite good.

For the bloodline of the Emperor, understanding and accepting these things that are enough to overturn their worldview is not a difficult thing. The real difficulty is how to maintain their original intention and loyalty under the all-out offensive of chaos after understanding its existence and energy: this is also what the Emperor has been truly worried about for a long time.

Initially, Morgan disregarded the Emperor's mindset. In her view, leaving the Primarchs in such a state of ignorance would only cause them to fall one by one when faced with the inevitable full-scale attack of Chaos, due to their ignorance and lack of preparedness.

As for this question, the Emperor never gave Morgan a more reasonable explanation: although the Spider Queen's deep understanding of the Empire's core mechanisms during the final period of the Great Crusade was already astonishing, the Emperor never answered her simple question.

Morgan even harbored a bit of conspiracy theory.

Is it possible that, for the Emperor, the corruption of the Primitive by Chaos was simply a natural selection process of survival of the fittest?

#This is a trial.#
#Only those who remain loyal amidst the chaos are worthy to be my son.#
Ok……

It feels like something he's capable of doing.

"So, they are the real enemies?"

After the Spider Queen shared information about the Prince of Pleasure with her brother, Johnson's brow furrowed noticeably more deeply than when he listened to the other three.

Clearly, the domain and functions of a certain newborn god particularly disgusted...and instilled fear in the lion.

Indeed, for Johnsen, the Dark Prince's power was perhaps the kind of opponent he least wanted to face.

For the god of war, Johnsen never worried that he and his legions would fall into a frenzy for blood and skulls.

They are utter destroyers, and war is a serious matter to them. The Bronze Throne's insatiable thirst for blood is precisely the type of war that the Dark Angels despise most.

If the purpose of war is not to completely annihilate the enemy, then war is meaningless.

As for the Lord of Change, Zhuang Sen was more wary of him than of the other two. After all, a god who controls intrigue and usurpation may not be the most reliable ally, but he will definitely be the most troublesome opponent. Not to mention the complexity and uniqueness of the Dark Angels themselves, which makes them seem extremely easy targets for the Lord of Change.

Fortunately, most of the inner circle and monasteries of the Dark Angels, those complex, sophisticated, powerful, and exclusive ancient organizations, had been largely destroyed in the previous wars, greatly reducing the space for the mutated ones to maneuver. It was hard to say whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

However, there are also potential hidden dangers. After learning about the abilities of the Lord of Change in detail, Zhuang Sen couldn't help but hesitate about the order he had given earlier: Did he really want to hand over the main force of the legion to Astran and Koswayne and let them act outside his sight?
Cosway is not to be doubted.

But Astram...

After some thought, Zhuang Sen decided to tentatively trust this distinguished Terra veteran.

He at least wouldn't betray the Emperor, would he?
As for the so-called Father of Corruption, he is the enemy that Johnson is least worried about. The only overlap between the Dark Angel and him is perhaps only in their fondness for extermination orders: however, the Death Guard is clearly better at this.

"..."

Very good, it's time to put the plan to strangle the Death Guard Legion on the agenda.

But what is truly worrying is the youngest god, whom Morgan ranked last.

Simply by listening to His authority, the Caliban quickly realized the real problem.

"Even I cannot stop my soldiers from feeling joy or satisfaction in battle."

After serious consideration, the lion of Caliban shook his head in defeat.

"This is indeed something that is impossible to guard against."

"Of course, this does not mean that the other three Chaos Gods are not powerful and terrifying opponents."

"If what you say is entirely true, Morgan: The Great Crusade is merely our ticket to being able to fight them."

"but……"

"Why didn't the Emperor tell us beforehand that we would be facing such an enemy?"

"Could it be that he has some hidden difficulties?"

【…】

Morgan simply smiled.

When she spoke again, the Spider Queen had already ignored the topic.

Zhuang Sen wisely refrained from asking further questions.

He briefly summarized the current situation.

"That is to say..."

"In order to combat the chaos in the warp, the Emperor must complete one of his tasks in the Webway, during which time he will be unable to attend to matters in the real universe: the war between Horus and Terra could very well be exploited by the chaos, causing the situation to escalate to what you call 'out of control.' At that point, not only will the Empire's cause be affected, but the four Chaos Gods could also drag all of humanity into utter ruin?"

This can be interpreted as: But there is a slight flaw.

Morgan held up one finger.

It's not highly likely.

Chaos will definitely intervene.

"Now is not a good time."

As a commander, Zhuang Sen responded with a disdainful smile.

"They had many better opportunities."

"They could have launched a major offensive against the Emperor during the Terran Wars, or taken the Primarchs away when they were scattered across the worlds, or joined forces with the Xenomorphs to attack the Empire during the Randan Wars: instead of standing before us after the Great Crusade has ended, at the height of the Empire's power."

From a military perspective, that is indeed the case.

Morgan nodded.

[But do you remember what I just said, Zhuang Sen?]

"of course I remember."

Zhuang Sen nodded.

"The biggest characteristic and weakness of the four Chaos Gods is their capriciousness; they put their own preferences and desires before tangible benefits."

"Moreover, their biggest disadvantage is their disconnect from the real universe: unless there are large-scale sacrificial rituals or willing lackeys, their invasion is destined to be neither large-scale nor long-lasting."

Zhuang Sen paused for a moment.

He figured it out.

"So, that's the reason?"

"They waited until now because, compared to the servants and lackeys they could find before, the traitorous Astartes Legion was undoubtedly a stronger sword: the most likely to help them kill the Emperor and the Empire?"

You can understand it this way.

The Spider Queen rubbed her temples.

If she could, she would like to explain everything clearly to Zhuang Sen, but there are some things she really can't say. Even Zhuang Sen shouldn't know everything: just like before she set off, the Emperor had repeatedly told her not to tell Zhuang Sen anything about the Dark King.

Not at least not now.

After receiving Morgan's affirmative reply, Johnson remained silent for a short while to sort out his thoughts.

Let me sort this out.

"In other words, what we are about to face is a war that is nominally a war against the rebels, but in reality a war against an untouchable evil god and his demonic army hidden in the warp. Its scale will make all previous wars pale in comparison, and it will touch on a wide range of unreal realms, which cannot be dealt with by past rules and experience."

"But most importantly, some of our brothers and their legions will turn to these evil gods, becoming their servants in the real universe, and channeling the chaotic forces of these warps into the galaxy, where they will be seduced and supported to become something new that we have never seen before: they will gain greater power and bizarre life forms, as well as an unyielding hatred for the human empire?"

"In the end, they might even summon demons in the truest sense to the lands of the empire."

"And drag the entire galaxy into subspace?"

That's generally true.

Morgan nodded, but she did not point out the inaccuracies in Johnson's words.

Because even Morgan himself couldn't be sure of the truth.

But the worst part is that we still can't be sure who will side with the Chaos Gods.

"What's so difficult about this?"

The Caliban's brows relaxed a little.

"Who are the people the Emperor currently trusts?"

Throughout the entire galaxy, only four people know most of the Emperor's plans.

[Himself, Macardo, Waldo]

【And me.】

Morgan tapped his chest.

"Makado?"

Zhuang Sen frowned again.

"You mean to say that the Seal Bearer was part of the Emperor's core plan from the very beginning?"

【Yes. 】

"Including the taxes he collected."

【Yes. 】

"..."

Did the emperor trust him absolutely?

[Even surpassed me.]

These words silenced Zhuang Sen, and he readjusted his thoughts in his mind.

"So, who else, like me, is allowed to participate in this project?"

The Spider Queen counted on her fingers, beginning to recount the details with great familiarity.

[While Lemanrus and Rogdorath didn't know the specifics, they were aware of the plan's existence. Angron and Vulcan's legions were involved, but they weren't the core members. Conrad knew some things, and he had his own place in the plan, though not as important as you. As for the other Primarchs, the Emperor believed the less they knew about the Webpath and the Chaos Four, the better.]

Zhuang Sen listened in silence.

But as he listened, he realized something was wrong.

"So... there's no Horus?"

【No. 】

Morgan's reply was cold and indifferent.

Then, quite unusually, Morgan actually saw a hint of sympathy on Johnson's face.

This sympathy came and went quickly, as the Primarch's expression soon turned serious.

"He shouldn't have done that."

Hearing a subtle criticism of the emperor from Zhuang Sen's mouth was a rare experience.

"No matter how many flaws Horus may have, his loyalty is beyond doubt."

"Even if he, like Dorn, only knew of the existence of the plan itself, it would save a lot of trouble."

Are you sure?

This time, it was Morgan's turn to return Johnson's contemptuous smile.

[Dorn and Lemanrus remained loyal and stable even after learning of the plan's existence and their exclusion from it.]

But are you sure Horus could do that too?

Johnson narrowed his eyes; he knew the underlying meaning behind Morgan's words.

"So, you think Horus and his followers are the traitors who sided with the Chaos Gods?"

This statement sounds incredible: after all, no one could believe that Horus would be loyal to an option other than the Emperor.

But just like the truth that Morgan has always believed in: after eliminating all the impossibilities, what remains, however absurd, will become reality.

For Zhuang Sen, this was not hard to figure out.

The Chaos Gods wanted to use the Primarchs and Astartes, the sword of the Empire, to stab the Emperor. But among all the Primarchs, there were not many who could become the sword. In addition, the Emperor himself had already eliminated some safe options, so there were very few suspects left.

Admittedly, both Rhodes and Feralus are barely worthy of the title of sword, but a real war requires more than just fanatical agitators or generals. It requires a commander who can raise the banner and command with great force, and a false king who can stand up to Holy Terra and the Emperor: Who in the galaxy is more suitable for the position of the head of the great traitor than Horus?

Moreover, if this point had not been confirmed and Horus's instability recognized, how could Horus have been kept out of the Lord of Man's core plans, given the relationship between the Emperor and the Warmaster?
At that moment, Zhuang Sen truly understood.

And he made a decision immediately.

"Horus will be the enemy."

[I hate to say this, but I can't think of a more suitable candidate than Shepherd God.]

"Then things will be simple."

Zhuang Sen's lips curled up into a smile.

The Caliban's original witty and humorous air vanished instantly, replaced by the sharpness of a drawn sword: nothing could ignite Johnson's passion more than a confirmed enemy of the Empire.

The lion's brain began to work at breakneck speed, roaring simultaneously with its beastly instincts and the wisdom of its genetic prototype.

"Based on my prediction, Horus will not be able to break through Dorne's defenses within a year."

"At the same time, the forces he used to defend the Far East were destined to be gradually withdrawn and weakened due to the escalating Solar War. As for Saint Gilles and his Holy Blood Angels Legion, their morale was already unstable, and they were not invincible opponents."

“I can bring the main force of my Dark Angel Legion to Avalon, then complete the full military mobilization of the Far Eastern frontier in the shortest time, and then take control of Saint Gilles under the guise of peace talks, ordering the Ninth Legion to give up resistance or completely destroy them. Immediately afterwards, the eastern frontier of the Wolf Kingdom will be wide open to us.”

"Dorn and I will attack from two directions, and the Horus rebels will be completely wiped out within two to three years."

"He simply doesn't have the time to fall into chaos."

"Before he can do that, I will personally cut off his arrogant head with my sword as a warning to others."

That's a great plan, bro.

The Spider Queen slowly shook her head. "But you've overlooked two issues."

【First.】

Time has no concept in subspace.

Do you know why the Emperor and I don't want you to immediately wage war against Horus, but rather want the war to be kept under control until the Emperor returns?

Theoretically, the Primarchs and Legions can guide Chaos without taking time. The Warp has the capability to turn ten thousand years into a single instant in reality. One moment a loyal subject of the Empire could become a lackey of the Chaos Gods the next.

Therefore, the real core issue is preventing Horus from being driven into a corner: once the Shadowmoon Wolves are pushed to the limit, the Wolf God, in desperation, might turn to Chaos, instantly causing the situation to spiral out of control.

This process is unavoidable.

[The news of your two-pronged attack with Dorne may have just landed on Horus's desk, and the very next day, he will be driven to desperation and become a tool of Chaos: Can you really crush the Wolf Kingdom in a single day?]

"Horus is not that fragile."

Are you prepared to place the fate of all humanity on the mental fortitude of a rebellious warlord?

"..."

Morgan sighed.

I understand your thoughts, Zhuang Sen.

I also want to nip the rebellion in the bud as soon as possible.

But believe me, in terms of time, we are destined to be no match for the Four Chaos Gods.

They are masters of manipulating time.

"……snort……"

The lion let out a deep groan.

"But they are not a group of people who dare to confront things head-on."

【…】

Morgan didn't speak; she just stared intently at her Caliban brothers with an extremely serious gaze until Johnson looked away in frustration.

"I understand: I will not launch a full-scale attack before the Emperor returns and takes control of the situation."

【No. 】

Morgan shook his head dismissively.

Strictly speaking, the goal was to prevent Horus from experiencing despair before the Emperor's return.

[Because when people are desperate, they are likely to try unorthodox methods, and even the Primarchs are no exception: at this point, Chaos has a greater chance of corrupting Horus's will.]

"That's what I can't understand."

Zhuang Sen frowned.

"Couldn't you just tell Horus the same thing as you told me? He's not a complete traitor yet."

Trust me, if you can.

The emperor did this long ago.

"..."

"And what's the second point?"

You've overlooked someone.

The Spider Queen opened her palm, and a golden, radiant shadow materialized before Morgan.

Zhuang Sen looked at that face with disdain.

"Guilliman?"

【Yes. 】

Morgan nodded.

After you go to the Far East, I hope you can keep pace with Guilliman.

There must be at least one force between the Far East and the Five Hundred Worlds to maintain their basic strength: this is necessary to provide sufficient support to Terra upon the Emperor's return.

“I have no doubt about this allocation.”

"But does this mean I can send the main force of the Dark Angels back to Caliban?"

[This is for the best: Horus wouldn't dare do anything to your legions at this time.]

However, before they go back, you must warn them to keep a close watch on the Eye of Fear.

"The Eye of Fear?"

Zhuang Sen was taken aback for a moment, then understood.

"Are you worried that the army of Chaos will invade from here?"

[It's not a worry: it's a certainty.]

"Don't worry, Luther will handle it."

I have no doubt about that.

Morgan closed his palms again.

So, let's get back to Guilliman.

You don't seem willing to cooperate with him, Johnson?

"It's not a matter of whether I want to or not."

The Lord of Caliban had a solemn expression.

“Guilliman makes me feel...unsafe.”

【…】

Morgan's brow twitched.

[I thought you two were already familiar with each other: You don't still believe those rumors, do you?]

"Precisely because I'm already familiar with him."

Zhuang Sen leaned forward, forcing the Spider Queen to meet his gaze, and then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Have you ever thought about it, Morgan?"

"After Horus raised the banner of rebellion, Guilliman and the five hundred worlds were unusually quiet."

"Moreover, Horus's political propositions are indeed beneficial to Ottaramar."

"Most importantly, the War General was not a military strategist in name only. He was beyond question in terms of overall planning, strategy and command. It is impossible for such an excellent person as him to make the foolish move of concentrating the vast majority of his forces on the western front when the Far East was still uncertain: unless he had absolute confidence in maintaining stability in the East."

【…】

So, what are you trying to say?

"I mean……"

Zhuang Sen took a deep breath.

"Is it possible that Guilliman is actually a quasi-ally of Horus, hidden beneath the surface of the water?"

"They are allied with each other, but this alliance does not include military obligations to Terra."

【…】

Morgan blinked.

Her smile was somewhat bitter.

I know you've always had some minor complaints about Guilliman, Johnson...

"No, I'm not joking."

The lion interrupted Morgan.

“I’m very serious, Morgan: Guilliman has every reason and motivation to ally with Horus.”

"And that's Guilliman."

“I have never hesitated to look at him with the most extreme and narrow-minded perspective.”

Do you have any concrete evidence?

"……No."

“It’s intuition, Morgan.”

"But believe me: Guilliman's role in this rebellion could not have been so innocent."

"He must have his own ulterior motives."

"And certainly not someone you can completely trust."

"If you're placing your hopes of quelling the rebellion or supporting Terra on him: you'd better not do it."

"I don't think Guilliman can accomplish either of these tasks."

This is why I came to find you, Zhuang Sen.

Morgan wisely refrained from further entanglement with the Caliban on this issue.

Even if Guilliman is truly unreliable, you can still become Terra's savior with Avalon.

"This is just my job."

Zhuang Sen raised his head slightly. Although his voice was as calm as water under the blazing sun, Morgan still accurately caught the arrogance in his eyes.

So, would you mind listening to my plan?

"Avalon is yours, and you have the final say."

After the flattery, the lion became much easier to talk to.

【very good. 】

Morgan smiled.

[You should already know, Johnson, that once your army arrives in Avalon, I don't want you to begin military mobilization immediately; but don't be too slow either.]

How should the timing be estimated?

[This likely began when it was confirmed that Horus's army could not disengage from the western front, at which point a general mobilization commenced.]

I believe you can seize the right opportunity.

"Leave this to me."

The lion made his promise.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

There is one.

First, if a general mobilization is decided, you will need to do another thing: in your capacity as the interim general agent of Avalon, simultaneously write a letter condemning Terra and the Warmaster.

"At the same time... condemnation?"

[Yes, accusing both sides of inaction regarding the Emperor's disappearance.]

[Feel free to elaborate on the specifics, but my goal is to avoid giving the impression that you favor either Terra or Warlord.]

Make them think you are neutral.

[Let them believe that you think neither Terra nor the Warlord are worthy of your loyalty.]

What's the point of doing this?

Macardo will understand the deeper meaning; he did this primarily to appease Horus.

Do you think the War General will fall for it?

This is not important.

Morgan waved his hand dismissively.

Do you know why I insisted on inviting you to become the interim governor of the Far East frontier, Johnson?

"why?"

Because of your reputation.

Morgan's fingers slowly brushed against the lion's mane.

Cool fingertips brushed against the burning hot skin on her forehead.

If Rana were to condemn both Tara and the Warmaster simultaneously to demonstrate Avalon's neutrality, no one would believe him.

A promise from one Astartes is too little.

[But it's different with Johnson: no one will take Johnson's statements on the issue of loyalty lightly.]

You believe they are disloyal and unworthy of loyalty.

Then they will believe what you say.

The same principle applies.

[If it were Rana who announced a general mobilization in the Far East.]

Therefore, there will always be someone who wants to strike first and deliver a fatal blow before Avalon is ready.

But what if it were Zhuang Sen...?

Everyone knows the cost of challenging the super-military group under Johnson's rule: Horus understands it too.

This is why I need you, instead of Rana, to rule the Far Eastern frontier, my brother.

Your reputation alone is worth more than an entire Dawnbreaker army; and what you need to do is make the most of it before the Emperor returns.

[To prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.]

[Let Horus's army not set its sights on distant lands.]

【…】

Morgan paused for a moment at this point.

When she spoke again, her tone had changed.

Zhuang Sen also became serious.

Having lived together for a century, the Caliban knew very well that the next words would be Morgan's promise.

The Spider Queen never broke her promise.

At least for Zhuang Sen: it has never happened.

------

Trust me, brother.

[After the Emperor returned.]

You will have endless battles to fight.

An endless stream of enemies.

There was still blood that couldn't be washed away.

Countless rebellious stars await your conquest: until the Emperor's light once again illuminates the galaxy.

That would be a slaughterhouse that would eclipse the entire Randan War, the Ulanor War, and even the entire Great Crusade.

And you will have a place among them.

[A position that an emperor will personally promise.]

"..."

On Zhuang Sen's face, a dangerous, satisfied smile, the kind that only a beast could possess, slowly emerged.

“I’ll look forward to all of this, Morgan.”

------

The lion of Caliban was very certain.

He will never regret believing Morgan's promise.

(End of this chapter)