Emperor's Bane

Chapter 963 The wings are hardened

Chapter 963 The wings are hardened
As a veteran of the Royal Guard who has served the Lords of Man for over three hundred Terran standard years, Aquilon had long since learned to remain calm and composed throughout his long military career.

Even if the entire world collapsed before him, even if an army of mountains and seas charged towards him, even if the most powerful enemy in the galaxy held a deadly blade to his neck: the Imperial Guards would remain calm and composed, never wavering in the slightest, and would never betray their mission and loyalty for it.

This composure stems not only from inner strength but also from a broad perspective: for 150 years, during which the emperor stood at the forefront of the Great Expedition, Aquilondus always served as a member of the Golden Legion, fighting in every battle on the road to the great revival of human civilization.

He did not miss a single revelation, nor did he witness firsthand the magnificent feats of the Emperor in every action: if you had the privilege of recording how the Lord of Mankind killed every madman who dared to challenge him, you would disregard all the splendor and magnificence of the galaxy, for you have already witnessed the most cutting-edge scenery in the real universe.

Before the mighty power of the Golden Emperor, everything in the world paled in comparison and paled in comparison.

And Aquilon is one such lucky one.

Having been tempered by war and the emperor, the already unyielding spirit of the Custodians is now even more unmoved by the vicissitudes and fears of the world. This powerful strength, like his own, has been recognized, and Aquilon, along with another small group of elite Custodians, has been given a unique mission in the Battle of Comoros.

While the vast majority of the Golden Warriors were bleeding alongside Astartes and the Mechanicus on the deep and ever-changing streets of the Web of the Underworld, Aquilon and his men remained far behind the Comoros front, dozens of continents away from the bloodbath at the border. Yet, an exceptionally solid defensive line had been erected there, far more expensive and sturdier than the front lines.

About a hundred Imperial Guards and an equal number of Silent Sisters were stationed inside this defensive line. Outside their fortress were countless hardworking Ominisian believers and their massive, mountain-like machines. Behind the fortress lay the boundless radiance belonging solely to the Lord of Mankind: everything they were determined to defend to the death.

To be fair, this responsibility made Aquilon feel an especially heavy burden on his shoulders: although he had served as the Emperor's security officer several times before, the forces they had were never as weak as they were now.

In fact, if it weren't for Waldo, the head of the Imperial Guard, who opposed it with all his might, the Emperor wouldn't have wanted to keep even the last hundred Imperial Guards. Instead, he planned to send the entire 10,000-man regiment to the front lines. This extreme disregard for their own safety put Aquilon and others under tremendous psychological pressure, forcing them to adopt even more extreme standards and rules to compensate for the extreme shortage of manpower.

Under this new rule, anyone who approaches within three kilometers of the fortress without cause will be shot immediately, which has indeed cleared a considerable safe zone. However, this considerable safety zone also means that when a huge, completely unexpected figure appears in front of the fortress gate, Aquilon cannot ignore it even if he wants to.

Before the figure had fully appeared, dozens of Imperial Guards and Silent Sisters had already surrounded it. Only when the giant-like shadow revealed its silver exterior and the insignia of the Dawnbreaker Legion did the almost frozen temperature in the air begin to drop slightly.

"The Dawnbreaker?"

"What are you here for?"

Because of the formidable reputation of a certain Spider Queen within the Imperial Guard, Aquilon and the others did not immediately execute this Dawnbreaker for breaking the rules. However, they soon noticed something amiss: the guy in front of them was indeed frighteningly tall, at least four meters, making him stand out even among the Imperial Guard.

However, despite its enormous size, the Dawnbreaker moved rather timidly: it looked like a child playing beside its mother.

The moment Aquilon's confusion arose, his pupils widened suddenly: as the tall Dawnbreaker retreated step by step to the side, the true protagonist behind him was revealed.

Long silver hair, blue eyes.

There was also the rising anger in his breath, and a faint, indifferent smile at the corner of his mouth.

All of this was already notorious within the Imperial Guard.

"Mr. Morgan."

Even Aquilon, known for his arrogance, subconsciously bowed slightly as a sign of respect when he uttered the name of the Primarch before him.

What brings you here?

I want to see the Emperor.

"We have not received any requests from the Emperor."

Because I didn't apply at all.

Now, move aside.

The Spider Queen waved her hand dismissively, but the breeze from her palm felt like a fierce ice storm, making it difficult for the surrounding guards and the Silent Sisters to breathe.

They paused for a rare moment, and in the end, Aquilon, who had already stepped forward, had no choice but to bite the bullet.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Morgan."

"But you cannot go in without the Emperor's permission."

The Spider Queen, who had been looking down as if deep in thought and hadn't even glanced at Aquilon, finally raised her head after hearing those words and gave the Royal Guard a look.

Do I sound like I'm making a request?

"..."

This time, Aquilon heard it clearly.

The Primarch's voice was filled with rage.

Moreover, if he hasn't made a mistake, this anger isn't directed at anyone else.

It was his master behind him.

At this moment, even the pressure exerted on Aquilon by the emperor and his legion who faced the orcs on the land of the Ulanor Empire back then was far less than one-tenth of what it is now.

It is true that there are often some family conflicts between the Lord of Mankind and his only daughter, which is no secret within the Legion of Ten Thousand and the Sisters of Silence. However, the current situation is clearly not suitable for the Spider Queen to continue to throw a tantrum. But it would be too optimistic to think that they can deal with the only Primarch who can pose a threat with the power they have at their disposal.

At this moment, it wasn't just Aquilon: even though there were hundreds of Imperial Guards and Sisters of Silence surrounding the Primarch and her offspring, even a newcomer like Hector could clearly feel that the Emperor's guards were not only significantly suppressed in terms of their aura, but their eyes and breathing also revealed pessimism.

It was as if they were willing to die for their king.

But before Hector could figure out the connection between the unusual pessimism of the Ten Thousand Men and the ever-gloomy Mother of Genes beside him, a new feeling quickly took over his mind: the Mother Radar in the Dawnbreaker's heart was buzzing, and cold sweat inexplicably spread from the back of his neck to his buttocks, slowly pulling Hector's gaze away.

His mother was calmly staring ahead: at the gate that the Imperial Guards had sworn to defend to the death.

The Dawnbreaker can sense it.

Driven by an inexplicable yet burning rage within Morgan, the Spider Queen's once profound patience had been completely worn away in such a short time.

God knows just how angry she was.

Anyway, Hector didn't know.

All he knew was that when the Spider Queen seemingly unintentionally took a step forward, Hector's internal alarm bells immediately focused all his energy on protecting his brain and mind: as a high-ranking officer qualified to frequently meet Primarchs, Hector's brain naturally had security features specifically set up to guard against hostile psionic attacks.

That is why, when the Spider Queen’s anger swept in all directions with her breath, Hector, standing beside her, was the only one who escaped unscathed: although he knew that the vast majority of the credit was due to his Mother of Genes intentionally avoiding him.

But the others weren't so lucky.

The first to react were the Silent Sisters, whose mission was to fight against psychic power. These warriors, who had long been in sync, almost instinctively activated their respective anti-magic fields. The combination of hundreds of Silent Sisters was enough to strangle those infamous Alpha-level psychics in their infancy. However, after colliding with a wisp of wind stirred up by the Spider Queen, the Soulless Sisters witnessed their defeat.

It didn't even last a moment.

This was not a battle, nor a confrontation, nor a crushing defeat: it was simply the crushing of a dry leaf while strolling.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of Silent Sisters collapsed to the ground without any resistance. Without their help and support, the Imperial Guards did not last any longer than Hector had anticipated: when the Dawnbreaker watched helplessly as his Mother of Genes walked past the kneeling Imperial Guards and the limp Silent Sisters, he felt as if he didn't even have time to blink.

Follow me, Hector.

The Primarch's call brought the Dawnbreakers back to the real universe.

Only then did he realize it.

From the moment the Primarch made his move until the end: Hector himself hadn't even taken a single deep breath.

"..."

He dared not say anything, but quietly followed in the footsteps of the Primarch, watching as the Imperial Guard warriors tried their best to stop them, but under Morgan's gaze, they could not even stand up.

At this moment, the Primarch suddenly stopped.

She nodded toward a place that was empty in Hector's view.

No need to worry, Ms. Kohler.

I meant no harm to my father; I just needed him to explain some things.

The sound echoed in the air, but received no effective response: even if there was indeed a person in that air that smelled slightly strange, they did not seem to completely believe the Primarch's words.

While both sides remained silent, a not-so-loud voice resounded in everyone's hearts.

Whether it's the Primarch or the Imperial Guard.

Let her in.
"..."

The next moment, the fortress gate, which had been tightly closed, seemed to be pushed open by an unseen person.

Look, Hector.

The Primarch did not rush to enter, but instead turned to look at his offspring with a mocking expression.

He could have stepped forward from the very beginning.

But they insisted on waiting until now.

Morgan glanced at the Imperial Guards and the Silent Sisters who were struggling to their feet on the ground. They had also heard the Lord of Man's command, so even though they were all radiating frustration and anger, none of them dared to look at the Spider Queen in order to stop her.

[They just had to escalate things to this point.]

It's always the same.

The Primarch shook his head and sighed.

Why do you think he did this?

— To teach them a lesson.
Or, to put it another way: have more expectations.
Upon meeting, the Lord of Humanity answered his only daughter's latest question.

[Psychological expectations?]

Unfortunately, this answer was far from satisfactory to Morgan.

Would you mind if I explained it in a little more detail?

This is not a question.

Strictly speaking...
To the Dawnbreaker's surprise, even with him, an outsider, present, the Lord of Humanity did not change the subject.

I've been worried about something lately.
I've discovered that the Imperial Guard's mentality is being consumed by widespread arrogance and a relentless pursuit of victory and absolute perfection. While I'm not worried that this will corrupt them, such a mindset is certainly not a good thing, at least not in line with the path I initially envisioned for the Imperial Guard.
But the real problem is: if, in the future, for some unavoidable reason—you know—I have to relinquish my command of the Imperial Guard for an extended period, the Guard might become disoriented due to their inability to accept this change and their lack of relevant experience and psychological preparation. I don't want them to completely cease functioning after my departure. Their true role should be played out ten thousand years from now, not now.
So, you want them to become familiar with failure.

The Lord of Avalon smiled.

[Am I being made to be the villain again?]

It's not about familiarizing them with failure; it's about making them aware that they have the potential to fail.
This is not a problem we should avoid.
The emperor corrected him.

+Also, there's one more thing.
He looked at his only daughter.

I also intend to take this opportunity to establish Morgan's personal authority and powerful image among the Imperial Guard.
[By playing the villain?]

+Power has no inherent good or bad.
Instilling in the Imperial Guard the impression that your power far surpasses theirs may prove quite useful at some point in the future.
They will eventually become your tools.
While I don't expect you to use them as skillfully as I do, I also don't want you to leave such a tool as the Imperial Guard unused: that would be a waste.
It's rare that we share the same idea.

The Spider Queen ended her first conversation with the Emperor with a soft exclamation.

Completely ignoring the fact that Hector, not far behind him, was frozen stiff like a startled duck.

What did he just hear?
What does it mean that the Imperial Guard is a tool of their mother?

Shouldn't the Imperial Guard be the emperor's private army?

Why would their mother be able to use the Lord of Humanity's private army in the future?
……

Hector stopped thinking in time.

He was terrified of facing that seemingly simple answer that was within his grasp.

Although he was quite looking forward to it, however...

Hector the Dawnbreaker.
The Emperor's voice interrupted Morgan's son's thoughts.

Hector looked up in surprise, and before he could even marvel at how the Emperor knew his name, he had already instinctively walked up to the Lord of Mankind. As he looked up to behold the Emperor's divine countenance, Hector realized how long it had been since he had needed to look up.

But the emperor is greater than him.

+It's growing very well. +
The emperor looked him up and down and nodded in satisfaction.

Then he looked at Morgan.

+You've done a great job, Morgan.
It's just my job.

The Primarch didn't care at all.

Besides, I'm just like you.

We all want to know what the maximum size Astartes would have been if it had grown naturally.

Hector was a once-in-a-lifetime experiment.

Indeed.
The emperor did not linger on the topic for long before extending one of his hands and placing it on Hector's broad forehead as a sign of submission.

Hector could feel the will of the Lord of Mankind traveling through the river of his memories, relentlessly scouring and reshaping his mind with an unyielding attitude: the Dawnbreaker humbly accepted the Emperor's inspection until the Lord of Mankind finally learned everything about that battle and why Morgan had come to him.

+Just an heir?+
The Emperor frowned.

+This is making you uneasy, Morgan?
How much more do you think is needed?

Faced with such heartless words, the Spider Queen seemed to have expected it and gave a cold laugh.

+I thought you were already aware of this: from the moment you decided to bring the Dawnbreakers here.+
Don't confuse the two, sir.

Morgan glanced at the bewildered Hector, gritted his teeth in extreme dissatisfaction, and swallowed the tantalizing aroma of birdsong that had risen to his tongue.

I am indeed prepared to let the Dawnbreakers die on this disgusting land: but that doesn't include letting them be dissected alive on blood-soaked experimental tables.

You understand the implications better than I do, don't you?

That happened a long time ago.
The emperor's tone seemed somewhat weaker.

+You know, Morgan, while things are going smoothly for us right now, overall we're still walking on ice. +
In this situation, even the smallest decision requires careful consideration, let alone what you're asking me to do that could change the entire course of the battle: if we fail to achieve our initial goals, if the truly important undertaking goes wrong because of your momentary recklessness, if…
There are no "what ifs"!

Hector got goosebumps as his genetic mother abruptly interrupted the Emperor's words.

Then, they responded with bloody mockery.

I'm just here to inform you, Father.

Do you think I intend to follow your advice?

The Primarch paused for a moment.

She seemed to have made up her mind.

Under the emperor's inquisitive gaze.

Let me tell you.

In my eyes, even the life of just one of my offspring matters.

[And it far surpasses your grand ambitions.]

You can freely express your dreams, your frustrations, and your unfulfilled grand plans, and I must also do what a mother should do: your authority means far less to me than the name of the Dawnbringer, and your dreams are far less important to me than my bloodline.

I will fight for you here.

But don't think that your words will make me cross my own bottom line.

So, I'll just speak frankly.

[Regardless of what you think.]

[No matter how much of your damn grand plan you've hidden from us participants?]

I will always act according to my own will.

I will strike at the very bottom of Comoros.

[To open a second front: even if it's just to rescue the son trapped there.]

[Someone you've never even heard of.]

As for you...

The Spider Queen gave a cold laugh.

She looked at the Emperor: the face of the Lord of Mankind remained as calm and composed as ever.