Emperor's Bane

Chapter 971 Butcher
"The one who holds the seal."

Can we talk alone?

After yet another military meeting, Rogdorn did something completely contrary to his usual habits in private: he took the initiative to call out to Macardo and asked to have a secret conversation with the de facto ruler of the Terra government, with only the two of them present: without any attendants or recorders.

For the usually upright leader of the Imperial Fist, such dishonorable behavior is truly rare.

Even for a seasoned and knowledgeable squire, this was the first time in over fifty years of dedicated cooperation with the Terra Guard that he had received such treatment.

Macado felt somewhat flattered.

After only a moment's hesitation, the Seal Bearer canceled all his subsequent schedules and followed Dorn into the deeper parts of Terra Palace.

Throughout the journey, the Primarch remained silent, advancing steadily at a uniform pace. They passed through an anti-gravity platform from which they could glimpse the magnificent complex surrounding Terra Palace. Here, even details tens of kilometers away could be clearly seen, ensuring that the Overseers would not miss any minor flaws.

Makado's gaze lingered on the vast army of blacksmiths, porters, and stonemasons, a strange stain on the splendor of the imperial palace: the ceaseless shouts and the sound of stone-cutting, the overwhelming dust and industrial fumes that swirled endlessly around this tireless construction force, turning the most noble area of ​​the empire into a smog-filled mess.

However, not a single high-ranking Terran gentleman dared to stand up and drive away these indecent, shirtless burly men, even though they were committing a heartbreaking crime with their own hands: demolishing the magnificent gardens and palaces surrounding the royal palace and replacing them with ugly, gray fortresses.

This order came directly from Dorne, the Marksman, and the Highlords Council.

After news of Horus's rebellion was confirmed, the transformation project for the entire Holy Terra began. Dorn, with a grim expression, pulled out his long-forgotten blueprints, preparing to transform Holy Terra from the most glorious capital of the entire empire into the most stubborn fortress in the entire galaxy in the shortest possible time: and any cost that would have to be paid in the meantime would be negligible.

This included the Terra environmental remediation project, which had finally made some progress, being rendered futile.

This includes the tens of millions who are destined to die on construction sites.

Similarly, this also includes those minor details that, relatively speaking, don't even amount to a price.

The last glance of the seal bearer fell upon the walls of the palace.

After Horus’s rebellion was confirmed, even the Guardians had to abandon their pride and allow the Imperial Fist free access to most of the palace, even to modify the palace itself. The sons of Dorne proved they deserved this privilege: they were using all their wisdom and strength to raise the defenses around the palace to an unimaginable level.

Even if ten Glory Queen ships arrived together, they would not pose a real threat to these high walls and fortifications.

If all the projects can be completed smoothly.

Makado silently added the last sentence in his mind.

This is not unfounded worry: as the head of the Assassin's Court who controls the shadow power of the Empire, Macado is well aware that the war they are facing is all-encompassing: it is not limited to the fighting on the battlefield and the comparisons in the rear, but also involves countless bloodshed in the shadows.

Errors, destruction, and panic.

For months now, Horus’s allies have been using these methods to disrupt the progress of the Imperial Fist.

Just yesterday, Makado's agents destroyed another rebel stronghold in Terra, burning hundreds of loyalists to the traitors to a crisp. Most of them were losers in previous political struggles, drawn by the promise of a comeback from the Wolf God. But there were also some more dangerous people lurking in the shadows.

The most elite agents bear tattoos of Hydra: clearly, the Alpha Legion, still mired in chaos and civil war, is diverting all its forces to both sides of the war.

Since Alpharis left Terra to fight for control of the Legion in the Maelstrom, he has not been in contact with the Marksmen for a long time.

Marcado wasn't worried about his own safety, but he was concerned about the outcome of this serpent civil war: reports from all over the galaxy indicated that Omega's shadow offensive was growing increasingly fierce, seemingly proving that Alpharis was at a disadvantage in the struggle, with more Hydra children siding with the traitors.

But at least for now, their threat is not that great.

Poisoning workers' food or sending suicide trucks to construction sites: that's the limit of what they can do.

Even Dorn could handle this.

Thinking of this, Macardo couldn't help but glance at Rogdorn, who was still focused on his journey.

Regardless of how much praise and affirmation he had previously given to the Lord of the Imperial Fist, Ron still exceeded the Marksman's expectations of him in the short period following Horus's rebellion.

His ability.

His tolerance.

And most importantly: his loyalty.

Without Rogdoryn and the Fist of the Empire, even the Marksmen couldn't imagine how they could have won.
At the same time, Macardo could also sense a hint of crisis from the Primarch's increasingly taciturn and solitary demeanor: Rogdorn was strong, but not as indestructible as rumored. At least in his heart, he still had hesitation and doubt, and there were still violent fluctuations that could interfere with his work.

Otherwise, this conversation would not have happened.

With the Primarch's mind preoccupied, the two finally arrived at one of the Primarch's offices in the palace. It was a small and simple gray-white room that was completely incongruous with the noble status of the Terran Guard. It had no decorations, and apart from simple tables, chairs and filing cabinets, there were only blueprints and papers piled up in every corner.

While the Primarch went to find the chair, Macardo picked up one of the blueprints and found that it described the cycle of destruction and construction: Dorne detailed how to destroy a priceless amphitheater and build a permanent fortress on its ruins: all of this had been done two months ago.

The one who held the seal couldn't help but imagine what kind of mindset Dorn had when he drew up this blueprint.

Because he clearly remembered that this priceless amphitheater was originally designed by Dorne: he had proudly called the building one of the most precious gifts he left to Terra and its people.

With this in mind, Macardo could understand the sentence written next to the blueprint.

……

Horus-Lupecal.

May he be hated for eternity.

……

Below this casual remark, the sharp-eyed handprinter discovered some more traces.

It was a sentence that had been erased: but it was still barely legible.

……

I hope he can repent and change his ways.

……

Yes.

Macardo smiled.

This is Dorne.

As he put the blueprint back in its place, his gaze was immediately drawn to a small object next to him: a plate with a half-eaten lemon cake on it.

This is... Dorn's?

Just as the Marker was staring blankly at this thing that seemed so out of place with Rogdorn, the Primarch had already dragged back a second chair: he seemed completely oblivious to what Macardo had done, simply set up the chair, and then sat down directly opposite the Marker.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Makado.”

There was no pause, and no build-up.

The moment the Founder's buttocks touched the cushion, the Primarch's voice reached his ears.

"What do you want to talk about?"

The one who held the seal set the scepter aside and faced the gaze of the Primarch with an open mind.

He also longed for a conversation.

In fact, ever since Rogdoryn received the Emperor's commission on Uranor and became a Guardian of Terra, his relationship with the Marker has been neither particularly good nor bad.

Even though they both served in the Terran palace, they rarely had any frank exchanges. Even after fifty years of working together, the relationship between the Master and the Primarch could only be described as slightly improved, and this was largely due to Lemanrus's efforts to mediate.

However, after the outbreak of the Terra crisis, the Wolf King's efforts were almost completely in vain: although Dorn chose to stand on Terra's side, it did not mean that he would agree with all of Macardo's decisions. For example, the Marksman's decision to sink the Vengeful Spirit was a thorn in Dorn's side that he still couldn't get over.

Everyone present knew that Horus was not the mastermind behind the bombardment of Terra, and the Soul of Vengeance was merely a tool used by the real culprit. Although sinking it was not entirely untenable from a legal standpoint, such a brutal treatment of a decorated expeditionary warship was indeed a chilling act.

Since then, Rogdorn and Macardo's relationship has returned to how it was at the beginning.

Distant and indifferent.

However, as Horus's army was about to knock on the gates of Holy Terra, both men knew that this cold relationship was not conducive to the war.

They should at least be more honest with each other.

"I have some military matters to discuss with you."

Rogdorn spoke first.

"After discussing these matters, I have a private question I would like to ask you for an answer."

"I try my best."

The person holding the seal nodded.

The Primarch had already picked up the first document.

"The first message came from the Far East Star Region."

"The Dark Angels' expeditionary fleet has been found to have returned to the range of Starlight."

"It is unclear what their next move will be, but it is highly likely that they will head towards the Far Eastern frontier."

"According to previous intelligence, Morgan, the controller of the Far East frontier, has now disappeared and is leading the main force of her legion on an unknown expedition. It is highly likely that Johnson has accepted Morgan's request to go to Avalon to help stabilize the situation in the Far East, which also means that he can control the power of two legions at the same time."

"You don't need to worry about that."

The person who held the seal shook his head.

“Johnson may not be loyal to the empire.”

“But Johnson will be absolutely loyal to the Emperor.”

"I know."

Dorn seemed unmoved.

"But please forgive me, Seal Holder."

"I will not lower my guard against the Dark Angels until Luther, Johnson, or any other authoritative figure who can represent the First Legion publicly announces that they will support Terra and condemn Horus."

“I understand what you’re thinking, Dorn.”

"But please also think of it this way: Johnson will at least delay Horus's forces in the east."

I am pessimistic about this.

The Primarch put down his documents.

“If it were in the past, I would have thought the same way.”

"But Horus now is not quite right."

"I can't be 100% sure if he will divert his troops because of Zhuang Sen's presence?"

"Are you saying that the Wolf God would willingly expose the entire Wolf Kingdom to Zhuang Sen's military might?"

"It's not impossible."

Dorn's expression turned serious.

“I want you to know, the Seal Bearer.”

"Admittedly, the Wolf God has always been known for winning unfairly in the past."

"Then please don't forget his best tactics."

"That is beheading."

"Leading a contingent of elite troops, we will strike directly at the enemy's command center with almost no protection, and by forcibly killing their most powerful commander, we will bring a new turning point to the already stalemate in the battle."

“I have witnessed his beheadings more than once.”

"Trust me, Makado."

"A person skilled in using decapitation tactics."

"Perhaps not very smart."

"But they will never lack the courage to fight to the death."

"And Horus was such a person."

“You don’t need to worry that I don’t understand this, Dorn.”

Makado just smiled.

“From the moment he dared to raise the banner of rebellion, we should not question the courage of the Wolf God.”

"So, what's the second piece of news?"

"The Dark Raven Guards."

Dorn looked at the Handprinter before him.

"Just as you predicted: Corax did indeed convey his plan to transport supplies from his territory to the solar system through Riza's intermediary."

"The transport fleet will depart from Redemption Star, pass through the Taran system under my control, and then enter the Solar System under the cover of the Riza fleet, eventually arriving in Terra."

"Isn't this a good thing?"

The person holding the seal stared at the document and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Morgan hadn't lied to him after all.

Even while in the web, the Spider Queen can still be of help to Holy Terra: she is far more reliable than some humanoid creature that only brings back bad news.

Thinking about this made Makado angry.

God knows what he was feeling when he received the message from the Lord of Mankind.

To ensure the smooth progress of Project Netroad, Holy Terra had given everything. Even Rogdorath donated a large amount of military supplies, risking the complete collapse of the entire front. But what was the result? The first important message the Emperor conveyed to them was that the entire Project Netroad would be delayed by at least a year.

One year!
With just a few words, the war with Horus could be extended two to three times over.

If Morgan hadn't immediately approached Macado after the Emperor left, offering her ingenious plan to solve the Imperial Fist's resource shortage, the Master of the Seals wouldn't have even had the confidence to convey this bad news to Rogdorn. But even with the latter as a buffer, the Master of the Imperial Fists remained silent for almost a minute before nodding in acceptance.

"If the information reported by Corax is true, then we can indeed delay Horus for a longer period of time."

The one who held the seal heard a hint of relief in Dorn's tone.

"at the same time."

"I also suggested to Corax that he continue to maintain apparent neutrality."

"Otherwise, once we go to war with the Death Guard, the supply routes will likely be affected."

"But even if we remain neutral, this long and fragile transport route still has many hidden dangers." The Primarch counted them one by one.

"The most important one is Taran, which is a crucial hub that the entire transport route cannot bypass."

"But the world itself doesn't have many defensive forces."

"Although Taran has a considerable number of well-trained human troops, the number of Astartes is pitifully small."

"And it just so happens to be within the Death Guard's attack range: the chances of it being attacked are not low."

"There's no need to worry about that."

Macado answered with considerable confidence.

"Corax has assured that he will send at least tens of thousands of Raven Guards to secretly guard this transport route to Terra, and in the Taran system, he will send additional troops: at least ten thousand Raven Guards will participate in the war as volunteers."

"The Chinese People's Volunteer Army?"

Dorn frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"A means of deceiving people."

Makado spread his hands.

“The Raven Guards have no shortage of yellow dye.”

"Outsiders would only think that the Imperial Fist stationed in the Taran system is... unusually large."

"..."

Dorn paused for a moment.

"Ok."

“I will get Sigismund to cooperate with them.”

"But even if the supplies can reach Terra smoothly, it won't significantly improve the situation on the front lines."

Horus still holds the advantage.

"His advantage in manpower and fleet is too great; he can choose the battlefield whenever he wants."

"And we can only passively accept it."

"I know."

Makado also acknowledged this fact.

Where do you think the War General's goal will be?

"His ultimate goal will definitely be Terra."

Dorn pondered for a moment.

"But if it's a short-term, phased goal."

"I think he'll try to find a way to eliminate this mobile force I have."

“I still have 190,000 Imperial Fists at my disposal, including the newly added Black Templars. Once this force is wiped out by Shadowmoon Wolves, even though we still maintain hundreds of millions of military forces throughout the Sun Starfield, we will completely lose the initiative and be gradually divided and surrounded by the rebels.”

"That is to say..."

The person in charge of the seal should give it some thought.

"Could we maintain a fleet presence...?"

"No."

Dorn simply shook his head.

"If we keep this mobile force in Terra and never allow it to attack, then it's no different from being annihilated."

"Horus has a large army; he can easily advance on Betangamon while simultaneously guarding against us."

"And what's really important is that the initiative in the war is now entirely in his hands."

“If we don’t find a way to seize the initiative, it will be difficult for us to hold out until the Emperor returns.”

"how do you want to do it?"

Marcado asked bluntly and frankly.

Even though more than six thousand years have passed, military affairs have never been the domain of the Sealholder, and he wisely did not try to show off his limited skills in front of Dorne.

"It's very simple."

The Primarch pointed to the solar star field projection to the side.

"If my guess is correct."

"Horus's next step should be to divide its forces and attack Betangamon and the Minerva-Haken system separately."

"why?"

"Because the former is an objective I cannot abandon: my mobile forces must be deployed."

"And the latter is the closest bridgehead to Terra: I can't just give it up here."

"So, if Horus intends to lure out the nearly two hundred thousand Imperial Fists in my hands, his best course of action is to attack Minerva-Haken."

"And wait here to ambush them and wipe out all the reinforcements I sent."

"So how do you plan to deal with this?"

I intend to accept his invitation.

Dorn answered decisively.

"I have constructed comprehensive defense systems and deployed a large number of troops in both the Minerva and Haken star systems."

"And our fleet is sufficient to maintain a stable shipping route from Terra to Minerva-Haken."

"Now, the support from the Raven Guards can help alleviate the pressure of insufficient supplies."

"With these as backup, I am confident that I can fight a close war of attrition against Horus at Minerva-Haken."

"Do you have a way to defeat him?"

"No."

Dawn shook his head.

"The difference in strength is too great. Even if I were on the defensive, it would be very difficult for me to defeat Horus."

"The most likely outcome of the war is that Horus will conquer both systems at a higher cost in casualties than we have, forcing us to retreat back to Terra."

"I will lose a lot of troops in this battle, but the Shadowmoon Wolves will suffer greater casualties than us."

"And more importantly."

"Even if Horus wins, he will waste a lot of time here."

"It can take anywhere from a few months to a year."

Dorn tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips.

“Even if he can defeat me, Horus cannot immediately march on Terra. He must go to Betangamon to rescue his two allied legions that are being held back. This will take him at least several more months. I believe that Lemanrus’s forces will fight to the last moment.”

"As one grows, the other shrinks."

"We will hold out until the Emperor returns."

"The only difference is whether Horus's fleet will dock at Betangamon or Pluto."

"..."

Even the one in charge of the seal fell silent at the cold indifference in those few words.

"You mean you're going to wager both the Imperial Fist and the Space Wolves?"

There is no other way.

Dorn's voice was so flat that it was as if he wasn't discussing a completely unrelated group of people.

"not to mention."

"Whether it's the Imperial Fist or the Space Wolf."

"Our lives are not a prerequisite for victory."

"As long as the Emperor can return, even if my and Lemanrus's forces are completely wiped out, even if Lemanrus and I die on the battlefield, in Caliban, on Redemption, in Medusa and Avalon, those wavering forces will answer the Emperor's call."

"There will be a stronger army: to wipe out the rebels weakened by our resistance."

"Victory will surely belong to the Empire, to the Emperor."

"In that case."

"Then why be stingy?"

"To know."

"The destiny of Astartes".

"Never died in bed."

"Throughout history, there has never been a retired Astartes."

"..."

"That's what I said..."

The person who held the seal shook his head.

"Isn't there... any other way?"

"Do we have to become: a group of butchers?"

"Do you think this is terrible, Marksman?"

Dorn asked the question out of mere curiosity.

"If you want to know the answer."

"Then I can tell you, there is no better way."

“I am a Primarch, and Horus is a Primarch.”

“I command the legions, and Horus will have no shortage of legions.”

"I possess the Mountain Town, and the Wolf God also harbors an unknown giant warship."

"Do you know what this means?"

"We haven't widened the gap."

"Size, will, technology, morale, and command methods: although each has its own strengths, there is no qualitative difference."

"Horus can defeat us in naval battles, but he cannot completely destroy our navy."

"Horus has far more troops than us, but he is also unable to achieve a more exaggerated casualty ratio."

"Horus has the initiative firmly in his grasp, but he has no way to overcome my fortress and defenses."

"The difference between us is more or less."

"Not whether it exists or not."

"In other words, the war between us is not a war between an industrial country and an agricultural country."

"It is a total war between a large industrial nation and a medium-sized industrial nation."

"In other words, in the end, this war will almost certainly and can only develop into a war of attrition."

"There will be no turning point, and there will be no miracle."

"In the end, it all comes down to who can send more Astartes and mortal soldiers to the battlefield."

"And in exchange for what we want."

"What Horus wants is to crush our morale and destroy our confidence in the war."

"What we want is to buy time and prolong the Wolf God's pace of devouring us as much as possible."

"But no matter how different the results may be, the means we use to achieve those results are the same."

"That means using soldiers to wear them down."

"We accumulate the victories we desire little by little."

"This means that it doesn't matter who wins."

"The one who laughs last will only be a butcher."

"I am a butcher."

"Horus was also a butcher."

"There is no distinction between noble and base among butchers."

"There are only victorious butchers and defeated butchers."

"And now, we are all trying to avoid becoming the latter."

“We are all making our killings meaningful: that’s all.”

(End of this chapter)