Warhammer: Don't Call Me the God of All Machines

Chapter 755 Guilliman angrily rebukes his ministers (Seeking monthly votes)

"My lord, your authority in the Council of Truth is truly awe-inspiring, and we are humbled by your inferiority."

"You didn't see how ugly Ezekiel's face was when you handed over control of the Original Space Marine Project to me."

"After you formulated the Original Space Marine Project for us, Ezekiel used his experience in the Black Shell modification project to forcibly interfere in it."

"Although it's not good to talk about other sages behind their backs, I still have to express my doubts about him. His selfishness is too strong, even exceeding his loyalty to Om Messiah."

After the Council of Truth concluded, the wise men and priests present left in an orderly fashion.

The great sage Ezekiel, who had been sitting in the suspended chair, stared intently at Loxi for a few moments with a somber expression before departing with his disciples.

Only Caul, Rand, and a few of their trusted sages remained at the scene.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Kaul still faithfully expressed his opinion to Rose.

This is also what Lothier admires most about him: Belisarius Caul will never hide his true thoughts because of the vast difference in status between the other party.

He is an exceptionally pure mechanical priest; right is right, and wrong is wrong. His loyalty to Om Messiah can withstand the test of time.

"Are you suspecting that he might be using some kind of heretical technology?" Losi asked thoughtfully, squinting his eyes.

For those fundamentalists of the Mechanics movement, organizations like the Advanced Technology Community, which advocate for knowledge sharing and open source, are actually heretical.

The heretics that Loshi refers to are the dark mechanical cult that worships Vashtor.

After the Emperor founded the Cult of Mechanism, the faith of this behemoth actually flowed towards different goals.

Most of the faith should have been directed toward the fragments of the Void Dragon imprisoned on Mars, but this part was intercepted by the Emperor and directly attributed to Om Messiah.

Other branches flowed towards the [Primal Power], while the most extreme and blasphemous part of the faith was taken into the possession of Vashtor, a warp secondary god.

Kaul nodded, knowing he would bear the corresponding responsibility for saying those words.

“I will investigate Ezekiel in secret. Leave these matters to me. You just need to focus on completing the upgrade missions for the Primal Forged Space Marines.”

Rosie also made her own judgment: she had to remove Caul from this matter.

If Ezekiel were to learn that Caul had reported him to Lothie, given the sage's character, he would likely retaliate immediately for Caul's betrayal.

Never underestimate the methods and power of a great sage of the Cult of Mechanics; those who dare to look down on them usually meet a terrible end.

However, if the person conducting the investigation is Rohe, then Ezekiel should think twice about his actions.

Kaul is at risk of retaliation and harm, but Rosie is not afraid of any of that.

If Ezekiel couldn't understand well-intentioned advice, then Rosie knew a little about fighting.

……

Holy Terra.

Not long after leaving, Imperial Commander Guilliman returned to his office.

The guards along the way keenly observed Guilliman's unusual behavior.

Each of them is a highly professional psychologist and micro-expression expert, capable of discerning the essence of things from subtle details.

Compared to when he left, Guilliman now exuded a murderous aura, his facial muscles were noticeably stiffer and more taut, and his stride was two centimeters longer than before.

The Primarch's cloak billowed, as if a general about to set off was declaring his stance.

He summoned the Imperial Guards, ostensibly for protection but in reality for surveillance.

"Valentino, please inform Tribunal Diocletian, and all the other High Lords, to come to the Council Hall for a meeting."

"I have an important decision to announce."

Guilliman called out the name of the guard in the gleaming gold armor, not his full name, of course. It would probably take at least three days of continuous effort to call out the full name of a guard.

"clear."

The imperial guard nodded slightly and then turned and disappeared into the corridor.

"Since Waldo's disappearance, the Imperial Guard has not elected a new Marshal."

"After all, for these superhumans created by bio-alchemy, carrying out a single mission could mean disappearing for hundreds of years."

Before confirming whether Waldo was truly 'missing' or dead, they naturally couldn't choose a new leader.

Guilliman actually disliked Diocletian, the extremely arrogant tribunal of the Household Guard.

Each member of the Imperial Guard was unique in their personality, abilities, and experience.

However, Diocletian was the most "stereotypical" of the Guards, who had no interest in anything other than the Emperor.

However, considering that he is about to declare a state of war for the empire and will need the cooperation of all departments of the empire to reunite power, he will still need the help of the Imperial Guard.

The Marshal of the Imperial Guard represents the Emperor's will, and he rarely expresses his own opinions.

However, if Guilliman could persuade the Imperial Guard, he would face much less resistance.

Guilliman sat astride the chairman's seat in the conference room, with Auguston, who had been disarmed, standing beside him, while the rest of the Ever Victorious Guard stood guard outside the palace.

The Imperial Guard was extremely efficient; within three minutes, the Imperial Guard's protector of the people, Diocletian, had arrived at the meeting room.

Since the other tribune, La Endymion, was ordered by the Emperor to run deep into the nets and disappeared without a trace during the War of the Nets, Diocletian has been the most senior tribune.

With Waldo's disappearance, he became the current spokesperson for the Imperial Guard, and was qualified to exercise the powers of the Marshal.

“Lord Guilliman,” Diocletian greeted him, and Guilliman could not find a single fault in his manners.

“I have dispatched the Imperial Guards to various parts of Terra to summon the High Lords and the high-ranking members of their secondary factions.”

"I hope you have a good reason to explain this operation, otherwise the Imperial Guard will reassess your qualifications for this position."

As soon as Diocletian spoke, Guilliman frowned.

He now understood why Horus hated the Guard so much back then; these expensive toys created by the Emperor were despised even by the Primarch.

But in Guilliman's view, their abilities did not match his arrogance.

“I am the supreme commander of the empire. This is the will of the seal holder and the emperor. You have no right to judge me.”

"Even if you have the right to make suggestions, that power belongs to the Marshal of the Imperial Guards."

"And you, Diocletian, the tribune, you are now merely a temporary substitute."

Guilliman has a good temper, but that doesn't mean he can act like nothing happened when he's ridiculed.

Diocletian remained unfazed, seemingly oblivious to Guilliman's sarcasm.

As time passed, more and more high lords, along with the high-ranking members of their respective factions, arrived at the meeting room designated by Guilliman.

Some of them seemed a little nervous, but they relaxed slightly when they saw the Imperial Guards officers present in the meeting room.

To be honest, it's a lie to say they're not worried about Guilliman staging a "Terra Spring".

If the Primarch really gets impatient and overturns the rules set by Macardo, they would probably be powerless to fight back if they were holding the meeting there.

Fortunately, the Imperial Guard was present, so they could at least hope that the Imperial Guard could keep Guilliman in check.

The entire conference hall shone brightly under the ever-burning lights in the niches.

On the floor beneath your feet, you can still see the names of countless people who made great sacrifices in the history of human empires.

Exquisite crystals and gems from all over the Milky Way hang in the sky, while murals and sculptures created by the finest artists tell the story of humanity's arduous journey in the past.

The High Lords, surrounded by their respective supporters, arrived at the giant conference table. Guilliman first noticed the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice.

Their bodies revealed an undeniable weariness, a trace that no medicine, food, or surgical repair could completely remove.

Because of Guilliman's sudden summons, they had to temporarily put aside their mountain of work, and the bureaucratic machine was about to fall into disarray.

In addition to the representatives of the High Lords' Council, managers from other secondary departments also came to the scene.

The empire was so vast that as it continued to subdivide power downwards, even more specialized departments would emerge.

Among the group of senior bureaucrats, one woman stood out the most.

She wore only a simple robe and a laurel wreath on her head; otherwise, she had no extravagant or complicated decorations.

Everyone who sees her feels a surge of compassion and kindness, as if their souls have been cleansed and refreshed by holy light.

This person was the first living saint of the state religion and the first pope, Euphrates Cilicia.

When Makado forcibly brought the state religion to the forefront, many people expressed their dissatisfaction and resistance.

However, by today, the status of the state religion has been thoroughly solidified, and Guilliman's reformed version of the "Imperial State Religion" has spread throughout various star systems in the galaxy.

Qi Le stood quietly in the crowd, while the imperial officials around her looked at her with awe.

Even around her, apart from a group of state mission personnel, officials from other departments tacitly reserved a large open space.

When Guilliman's eyes met Qile's, he immediately felt a blinding golden light, which was faintly burning his will.

"Could it be that the Emperor can really see our situation through Qile's body and eyes?"

Is that even possible?

Guilliman muttered to himself, he was really unsure of what to do.

After everyone had arrived, Guilliman quickly counted the number of people and found that the key figure of this meeting—the navigator ambassador—had not yet appeared.

In addition, the abbot of Xingyuting and the presiding officer of Xingjuting have not yet made an appearance.

At their level, many details already reveal their attitudes and positions.

Guilliman understood that the Navigator Ambassadors were using this opportunity to express their dissatisfaction, and the lateness of Star Court and Star Torch Court also indicated that they stood with the former.

The imperial commander's expression remained unchanged, still bearing a calm and composed smile.

“Diocletian Tribune, it seems your brother has failed to deliver the message properly.”

"Perhaps you should urge them again."

Diocletian retorted without hesitation after hearing Guilliman's sarcasm.

"First of all, the Imperial Guards will absolutely complete their missions 100% without any possibility of error."

"Secondly, we are the Emperor's guards. We do not share the same brotherhood as the Astartes. You should not call us brothers."

“Foolish brotherhood can cause emotions to overcome reason, which in turn can cause the situation to spiral out of control.”

After all, one of the triggers for that war of betrayal a century ago was the brotherhood among you guys.

Diocletian's eloquence allowed him to hold his own against Guilliman, and he even once again turned his attention to Astartes and the Primarch.

Everyone could hear the argument between the Chieftain and the Primarch, but they pretended not to hear it, huddling together and whispering to each other, putting on a show of having a pleasant conversation.

What a joke! Only a fool would want to get involved in a conflict between these two entities.

If the Imperial High Command were categorized by their origins, the Imperial Guard and Primarchs would be considered the most transcendent, as they are fundamentally different from ordinary people.

Haven't you noticed that the High Lords have changed over the past century, while the Imperial Guard and the Primarchs remain the same, without even showing any signs of aging?

"Gentlemen, we are all under the watchful eye of the God Emperor, why are you arguing?"

"You are both the son of a god and the most loyal guardian of the God Emperor. You should unite as one and fight to defend the God Emperor's kingdom."

Euphrates Kira stepped forward; her pristine robes, faded from repeated washing, were somewhat white, and only she dared to step forward to mediate the conflict.

“I am defending my father’s empire, but what about these corn cobs in their glittering armor? What are they doing?”

"My loyal brothers and I, along with countless Astartes warriors, have proven our loyalty with time and our lives."

But the Imperial Guards still suspected us, monitored us, and waited for an opportunity to kill us.

"Without us, this empire would have collapsed long ago. Are we supposed to rely on him and his ridiculously expensive golden corn to protect the empire?"

"They went to the world's frontiers of the empire to see for themselves, to investigate whether the people there were living in hardship, and to see if the enemy was still rampaging?"

Guilliman's voice was so loud that it even made the eardrums of some of the Imperial officials standing nearby hurt.

Some maintained a facade of harmony while secretly plotting to win over the Emperor's Imperial Guard to counter Guilliman's growing power.

Some people sensed danger in the situation; the meeting hadn't even started and it was already arguing like this, so the situation might get even worse.

Just as Guilliman and Diocletian's argument was getting more and more heated, the Navigator Master finally arrived late and stepped into the meeting room.

Behind him, representatives from the Star Language Court and the Star Torch Court followed closely, their steps synchronized, seemingly forming a close-knit group.

Guilliman took a deep breath and returned to his position.

He looked around, and everyone immediately fell silent, waiting for Guilliman to announce the start of the meeting.

Everyone seemed to instantly suppress their emotions, transforming into an extremely cold and mechanical demeanor. For these high-ranking officials of the empire, displaying the most appropriate state when needed was practically an instinctive reaction, as natural as eating and drinking.

"The meeting is now open. Please remain quiet. If you have any questions, you may vote or speak."

The meeting recorder immediately and skillfully started the recording equipment, while the clerks used parchment to make the most primitive record.

Every high-level meeting will be fully recorded and stored to provide factual evidence for the future.

"High Lords, Elders, a new and immense crisis is approaching."

"More than a hundred years ago, the traitor Horus was corrupted by the power of the Warp and dragged other discontented Primarchs down with him, ultimately leading to a civil war that affected all of humanity."

Guilliman’s opening remarks immediately sent a shiver down everyone’s spine.

A century has passed since the Horus Rebellion, but it still leaves a deep psychological scar on humanity.

Under normal circumstances, no one will mention Horus, the civil war, or the betraying legions anymore.

If one must say something, it's usually implied using "that person" or "that war."

Why is Guilliman bringing up Horus again on such an important occasion?
To emulate his brother and become the second Horus?
Some people had this thought in their minds, but they would never dare to say it out loud.

But what kind of threat could be compared to the Horus Rebellion of Guillimana?

"After the war, Macado and I reorganized the Empire, restructured the Terra High Lords Council, and brought the Empire from a state of war to a state of peace."

"In retrospect, the choices and decisions we made back then were indeed correct. Humanity has gradually recovered and emerged from the shadow of that devastating war."

Guilliman affirmed the significance of the High Lords Council, which relieved many people.

Their concern was that Guilliman intended to turn his back on them and completely overturn the entire system.

"but--"

Guilliman abruptly changed the subject, and everyone's hearts tightened again.

“However, both Makado and I overlooked one problem: what if the Empire were to face another catastrophic threat?”

The commander-in-chief of the Astronautical Army immediately felt that Guilliman's spear was aimed at him.

His current position is inseparable from the reforms implemented by Macardo in eliminating the mortal auxiliary forces and creating the Astral Army.

The same feeling was shared by the Imperial High Admiral, who controlled the reorganized Imperial Navy and controlled almost the entire space naval force of the human empire.

Guilliman's sharp gaze focused on the faces of the two high-ranking Imperial Army officers. His aggressive gaze made them feel as if their skin was being burned by a laser.

However, neither of them were ordinary people. Even if the Primarch wanted to use his gaze to intimidate them, it would be difficult for him to do so.

"What do you mean, Lord Guilliman? Do you intend to reunite the Astronautical Army and the Imperial Navy into a single behemoth?"

"The original plan of the seal holder was to prevent the army within the empire from becoming a monolithic entity, at least so that it would not immediately defect under the orders of a second Horus."

The commander-in-chief of the Astral Army spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, and the admiral agreed with his idea.

Although this restrictive system means that the Astronautical Army can only call for naval support when fighting, and the Navy does not have enough ground forces to deploy when fighting.

History seems to truly be a cycle. The Empire's current military system bears a striking resemblance to the ancient Terra era, where the navy discriminated against the army, and the army looked down on the navy.

As beneficiaries of the existing system, they naturally did not want their power to be lost or even disappear.

“Reorganization?” Guilliman muttered the word to himself.

"It's not a reorganization; I just need to take back command of you for a short period of time. Once the war is over, I will return it to you naturally."

"I prefer to call it wartime mobilization rather than restructuring."

Guilliman then revealed his plans, and the two military commanders' expressions immediately changed.

They're not children; how could they possibly believe any promise to return the money after the beating?

Moreover, if power can be passed around, it means it is not true power.

Under Guilliman's immense pressure, the two of them gritted their teeth and refused to back down, turning their attention to the trio of navigator ambassadors who had huddled together.

These three individuals hold permanent seats in the Highlord Council, and there is still a gap in strength between them and the Highlord Council.

"Lord Guilliman, are you saying that humanity is facing a calamity that can only be overcome by everyone uniting together?"

"Is this necessarily related to the strange faster-than-light technology that appeared on Ganymede?"
According to our intelligence, the Advanced Technology Community has announced the commencement of a massive project called the "Space Bridge."

Navigator Ambassador Alicia Cortez holds her Skull Eagle Scepter, with an open psionic eye embedded at the top and purity marks hanging from the top on either side.

This woman, with her long, flowing silver hair and a headband made of a metal that suppresses psychic energy covering her third eye, wore only a half-body armor. Her indigo-purple long skirt reached past her ankles and trailed slowly with her movements.

Her voice was clear and cold, and her words seemed to resonate with the surrounding spiritual energy, yet there was no sign of it overflowing or becoming disordered.

The fact that she could master such powerful psychic energy at the age of forty-something shows that her psychic talent far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Even when facing the Primarch, she could still raise her questions with conviction, demonstrating remarkable courage and willpower.

"Lord Guilliman, aren't you afraid of causing some unknown negative reactions by rashly adopting a brand-new technology of unknown origin?"

“As a member of the Imperial High Lords, I have the right and the obligation to remind you of this.”

Alicia's eyes were piercing, trying to see even the slightest hint of emotion on Guilliman's face.

She wanted to put pressure on the Primarch and express the anger of the Navigator family behind her.

Although the Navigators are psionic mutants, their irreplaceable role has allowed them to acquire political capital that is completely disproportionate to their population size and legal status.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the navigator were to begin nonviolent non-cooperation, the entire empire would stagnate.

Guilliman was silent for two seconds, then he took heavy steps toward Alicia.

The surrounding high lords all paled, their fingers gripping the armrests of their seats tightly.

What would Guilliman do?
Should Alicia's status as Navigator Ambassador be revoked on the spot, or should this outstanding Navigator Leader be executed on the spot?
These cunning political animals even began plotting how they should unite the Imperial Guard to counter the Primarch if Guilliman were to bleed the palace in this sacred place.

Guilliman now has only one victorious army leader by his side, and even that has been disarmed by the Imperial Guard.

The other victorious soldiers are far outside the palace, and there is only one unarmed Primarch. It shouldn't be too difficult for the Imperial Guard to take him down.

These Highlords have long since been replaced, and their understanding of the Primarchs' combat capabilities is still based on war reports from hundreds of years ago.

In their eyes, the Primarch, though powerful, was not so powerful that he could not be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Guilliman hadn't lifted a finger in over a century; in the eyes of the High Lords, he was nothing more than a living, breathing government approval machine.

What gave you this misconception?

"So you think you can use your power to oppress me?"

Guilliman grabbed Alicia's leader in his hand and lifted her up into the air with a gentle pull.

The navigator ambassador showed no fear; she simply stared defiantly at Guilliman.

If she dies here, the Navigator family will use it as an excuse to launch an attack on the Empire.

She had already made preparations.

Even at the cost of sacrifice.

The widespread adoption of the space bridge must be prevented. Even at the very least, its promotion must be delayed, and we must find ways to buy them time.

On this point, all the Navigator families will unite.

They knew that their mutant identity was extremely dangerous within the Empire. Once the Empire no longer needed them, their status would collapse instantly, leading to a genocidal purge.

As the representative of the family, Alicia had long been prepared to sacrifice herself.

"Look at you, how ridiculous and pathetic you are."

"The Horus Rebellion has only been quelled for a short time, and you have already begun to fight for power and profit, even resorting to killing each other."

"The Space Bridge is a super technology brought back by my close friend, the Sage Loshi, which allows humanity to bypass the effects of the subspace and directly exceed the speed of light."

"If we master it, humanity will enter a new era, and our dependence on the warp will be greatly reduced."

"And you want to obstruct its implementation, even by using assassination and sabotage."

With each word Guilliman spoke, the aura he exuded grew stronger.

Alicia's face turned deathly pale. Her psychic eye spotted a terrifying warp entity approaching her.

The gap between them is as vast and insurmountable as that between plankton in the ocean and a giant whale in the void.

Didn't they say Guilliman didn't understand psionics? What is this?
Guilliman shoved the woman aside, his anger finding an outlet.

He lunged at the massive marble table, which was over ten meters long, and threw it away.

The marble table shattered into pieces and slammed onto the floor under the force of gravity.

"Wake up, my fellow countrymen, the green-skinned orcs are coming, and they are far more powerful than the Ulanor orc empire that my father destroyed."

"An ancient ghost from the war in the heavens has awakened. He is an ancient orc who is more powerful, more rational, and more ferocious than the current green-skinned orcs."

"He entered the galaxy decades ago and has been frantically multiplying and accumulating power in places we don't know about."

"If we don't unite and abandon all our differences and infighting, we humans will all fall under the swords of these green-skinned bastards."

Hearing Guilliman's angry yet mournful roar, everyone present was stunned.

The first question came from Diocletian, the officer in charge of protecting the people.

“That’s impossible. Our Imperial Guard Eyes haven’t reported any unusual activity regarding the green-skinned orcs.”

Can you confirm the accuracy of the information?

With red eyes, Guilliman continued to stand before Diocletian.

The next moment, the Primarch, moving at a speed that even the Imperial Guard couldn't see, grabbed the opponent's armor and casually tossed it onto the wall that had just smashed the marble table.

The powerful tribune was embedded deep in the wall, like a little girl's favorite doll, utterly helpless, only letting out a muffled groan of pain.

"Do you think I would use this kind of information to deceive you? You idiots, absolute idiots!"
I am the emperor's thirteenth son, the commander-in-chief of the empire, and my love for this empire runs deeper than any of yours.

"I understand the horror of lies better than any of you, how dare you do this?"

"War is coming, and I must consolidate all power and strength, and mobilize all personnel and military forces, solely for the purpose of war."

"The Astral Army, the Imperial Navy, the Astartes Legion, the Mortal Auxiliary Forces, the Mechanicus forces, the Imperial Guard, the Silent Sisters..."

"In the name of the Emperor, you must obey my will."

Diocletian struggled to climb out of the wall, but he did not retaliate against Guilliman.

“I admit my mistake of arrogance, Primarch.”

He lowered his proud head and bowed to Guilliman for the time being.

As Guilliman said, even if he wanted to seize power, he wouldn't have come up with such an absurd reason or excuse.

Doing so would only insult the intelligence and honor of a Primarch.

Guilliman didn't even bother to look at him.

He was exhausted and weary.

“From this moment on, all navigators, star talkers, and members of the Star Torch Court must put aside their selfish desires. I will never forget your merits, nor will I erase your contributions.”

"The space bridge is a supplement to, not a complete replacement for, human subspace travel. You don't need to worry that I'll discard you after the fact."

"In fact, I have absolutely no interest in power, and I have no desire to play these clumsy political games with you here."

"If it weren't for your inability to truly control the smooth operation of the empire, I would have gone back to Macurag long ago and become the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds."

Guilliman's scathing rebuke made many of them blush with embarrassment; those who had earned their place here were elites selected from millions.

They may fight for power and profit, but that doesn't mean they lack the vision and knowledge to know what is right and what is wrong.

“As you wish, Imperial Commander.” Euphrates Kira stepped forward, offering to support Guilliman on behalf of the state religion.

After the emperor ascends the golden throne, who is more worthy of the state religion's service than the emperor's own children?
Representatives from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior quickly stood beside Guilliman to express their stance to the Emperor's son.

They saw the enormous benefits that the space bridge could bring, potentially increasing the efficiency of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice.

Their administrative orders, transmitted via the space bridge, were able to reach all parts of the galaxy in a smooth manner never before imagined.

Stability alone is something these high lords wouldn't even dare to dream of.

When Diocletian stood beside Guilliman on behalf of the Imperial Guard, everything was settled.

Guilliman has regained de facto control of the High Lords Council.

(End of this chapter)