Warhammer 40: My Fiancée Fulgrim.

Chapter 222 Huron: Am I a loyalist?

“I oppose the idea of ​​continuing negotiations with Huron, the tyrant of Badab, which is simply adding fuel to the fire.”

Judge Sergeus was the first to stand up and object.

Why is this Otis so hard to kill?

Originally, under the Inquisitor's arrangement, for the safety of both sides and to prevent the escalation of the conflict, the Red Scorpion and Mantis Warriors Chapters were not even allowed to send fleets of cruiser class or higher to the Sorrow System.

Neither side's main forces will appear near the Sorrowful Galaxy, thus creating conditions for negotiations between the two chapter commanders.

—This is just a peace negotiation; there is no need to use large warships and heavy artillery.

Both sides' armies must exercise absolute restraint to create conditions for this meeting.

Of course, only the judge himself knew that this was a scheme he had set up—before the talks even began, Judge Serkis had already informed his "ally" of the time and location coordinates of the meeting in exchange.

Soon he will receive the final conclusion of the Sad Galaxy's betrayal: Huron deliberately sabotaged the peace talks and murdered the Red Scorpion Chapter Commander, intending to break ties with the Human Empire.

Without Otis's obstruction, as the Inquisitor's Envoy, he could pronounce Huron's treasonous act when public sentiment was high and completely wipe him out of the Badab Sector!
Yet, this meticulously planned scheme failed to complete the most crucial step: killing Otis.

“I have already discussed this matter formally, Your Honor.”

"As for the detailed report, I think my adjutant will send it back to headquarters soon, so please keep an eye out for it."

Otis, the leader of the Red Scorpion Chapter, looked at the other party with a hostile smile.

Otis was well aware that all of this was actually related to the judges.

Serks demanded that both chapters reduce their fleet size and refused to accept Astronomical communications. Every move this Inquisitor made dramatically increased his suspicion.
However, due to the lack of conclusive evidence, Otis did not directly confront his opponent.

"Moreover, our preliminary investigation revealed that the force that suddenly attacked the meeting was..."

"It is very likely the rebel legion that has been dormant for ten thousand years—the Legion of the Word Bearers."

The news of the Word Bearers' reappearance in the Sorrow system spread like wildfire in the Casgo and Badab sectors.

The news was so explosive and sensational that within just a few days, almost all the residents of the two star sectors learned that the damned Word Bearer was about to once again enter the real world through a warp rift.

The legendary demons actually exist!

For a time, the entire star sector was filled with panic.

Since the Great Rebellion, only a few Word Bearer Chaos Space Marines have appeared sporadically in various corners of the human world; they have never appeared in the real world in a formal, organized manner.

After a long period of disappearance, most people had almost forgotten the existence of this legion, believing that it had vanished into the long river of time.

Therefore, scholars within the Empire have speculated that this traitorous legion, like the Night Lords, likely fell into a long period of division and civil war after betraying the Human Empire and was never able to reunite, ultimately failing to form an organized army.

Maybe...maybe these traitors have already killed each other and all of them are dead!
But now, the Chaos Space Marine army that has appeared in the Sorrow Galaxy seems to refute all of people's conjectures.

The Legion of the Word Bearers is still able to exist in the fortieth millennium, and moreover, the Legion Primarch himself appeared during the attack on the Sorrowful Galaxy.

"That's right, the thing you were most worried about has probably happened."

"Even Aurelion Rogar, the Primarch of the Word Bearers, appeared on the battle barge that attacked the Council."

At a meeting within the human empire, Otis made a startling statement.

This is Casca's request.

Why does Wang Xiulun dare to declare at this moment that he will become the absolute guardian of Badab and control all power in the Great Vortex and its surroundings, given that the High Lord Council has chosen to launch the Badab War?
—It's because I have too much free time!

The world has not seen a war of legion size for a long time, to the point that many people believe that peace is the norm now.

Although the Empire of Man has entered a state of sustainable collapse, the lack of an insurmountable external enemy like the War of the Beasts has led the Empire to prioritize eliminating internal "traitors" over dealing with external enemies.

The two smaller empires were unable to deal with each other's Primarch-level forces, and after Guilliman's fall, there was no one within the empire capable of integrating the Astartes Chapters into a unified force.

A large number of Astartes chapters are simply scattered throughout the Empire, responsible for protecting the world.

Having been deprived of large-scale combat training for a long time, modern Space Marines are likely incapable of handling legion-sized warfare.

Therefore, Casca must now instill a sense of crisis in them!

By using Otis's words to highlight the impending threat of the Word Bearers, the two forces are temporarily united under a common goal, and then cooperation can be achieved during the crisis.

Huron is indeed an ambitious man—much like his supposed father of genes, Robert Guilliman. He also wants to control everything in the Vortex as the overlord of Badab and become the "local emperor" of the Badab sector.

But fundamentally, he was not a born traitor.

All of Huron did was to ensure that the future of the human empire would not be threatened by the forces of the Great Vortex Chaos.

Faced with the overwhelming force of the Word Bearers, he naturally knew how to make his choice.

"This is what we saw and heard in the Sad Galaxy."

"The demonic Primarchs of the Word Bearers have reappeared after disappearing for countless years, and they may very well launch an invasion of the Imperium of Man through the Maelstrom in the future."

"If we waste a large number of our troops here, traitors will surely profit from it in the future."

"interesting."

"Otis is indeed a wonderful story."

As the Red Scorpion Chapter Master, who had narrowly escaped death, explained why it was necessary to ally with the tyrant of Badab, Inquisitor Serx stepped forward to oppose the proposal.

"Although you have successfully captured the enemy's flagship, through the purification ritual of the Inquisition, we can only conclude that this battle barge has indeed been contaminated by chaotic forces."

"To date, there is no evidence to suggest that this is the warship of the Word Bearers, which we do not believe to be the warship. Or, if a former traitorous Primarch now only has a battle barge, then it is very likely that this is all a conspiracy set up by someone to deceive us."

As he spoke, Serkos paused for a moment, as if on purpose.

"—And most importantly, I'm more interested in how you escaped from the clutches of the other party."

This is the biggest loophole in the words of Otis, the leader of the Red Scorpion Chapter.

When Loka led the Word Bearers' fleet through the warp veil to the Sorrow system, how did the Chaos Space Marines, with far superior strength and warship firepower, manage to seize the ships and even drive away the Daedric Primarch Loka himself, when Otis was in an abandoned transit station?

He, the Red Scorpion Chapter Commander, was able to single-handedly annihilate the entire Legion of Wordholders in Astartes, and even single-handedly drive that Primarch back to his homeland.
Yes.

Why was Otis able to survive the Primarch's attack?
What kind of super war god is this, single-handedly wiping out the enemy?
If they're already this capable, why would they need to cooperate with Huron and his team?
With Judge Serks's accusations, all eyes in the temporary war council once again fell on Otis, the Red Scorpion Chapter Master.

"I certainly cannot take on the entire legion by myself, and even with the help of the pirate fleet, it is impossible to defeat the powerful Primarch."

"It was a dark shadow, a dense shadow made of crows. No one could tell who it was."

Since Kasgar is unwilling to reveal his whereabouts to the Inquisitor now, there is only one last way to cover up the bug of who drove away Luojia—

Push it to Corax.

It was all the crow king's doing!

According to Otis, just as he and the Chapter Leader of the Mantis Warriors were about to be killed at the transit station, a shadowy figure used psychic power to teleport them to the flagship of the Word Bearers, saving the two Chapter Leaders.

Moreover, this mysterious, ghostly figure never revealed its true form—Otis could only see it shredding any chaotic dregs that dared to approach it as it moved swiftly and agilely.

"He is not a simple human being; he is more like a more terrifying being."

Otis didn't actually know who this creature made up of crows and shadows was.

But since it was a request from the legendary hero Kasgar from ancient times, he chose to agree.

"His body transformed into a dark cloud formed by millions of ravens, accompanied by the cawing of the crows that could silence all things, and millions of pairs of gleaming claws and sharp beaks coalesced into a storm that reached the heavens and touched the earth, playing a harmonious symphony."

Badab Sector, Badab Planet.

The tranquility that once filled the tyrant's thorn palace has also vanished.

This place used to be the residence of the governor of the Badab sector, but it was dismissed by Huron for some reason because it defied Huron's wishes to expand his legions.

Now, both the sector governor and the planet governor will be concurrently held by Huron, the chapter master of the Star Claws. As an Astartes friar, he prefers to be involved in politics to secure more support for his Star Claws chapter.
In his words, these were the military merits and rewards that the Space Marines deserved. Compared to awarding them to ordinary soldiers, the Space Marines, as the backbone of the Imperium of Man, were clearly more deserving of these honors.

And this is also the origin of Ruft Huron being called the "Badab Tyrant".

Of course, Ruft Huron was also a very cunning guy.

After taking control of the entire sector as the "Guardian of Badab," he worked diligently to develop this planet, which was struggling to survive due to the vortex. He gradually grew stronger through his own strength and personal charisma, to the point that he now possesses the power to rival the human empire.

Huron possessed Guilliman's prowess in one-on-one combat and boundless ambition, along with his extraordinary ability to develop and expand the planet. In less than a century, Badab transformed from a desolate and decaying place into the heavily guarded and impenetrable defense it is today. Not to mention, Badab's PDF planetary defense forces alone possess weaponry comparable to the Asgardian Army.

Of course, some people might question whether Huron's approach was an attempt to emulate Regent Guilliman by building his own little world. But the Guardians of Badab refuted this with righteous indignation about the need for planetary defense.

As for the true reason behind it, only Wang Xiulun himself probably knows.

"The current situation is far more complicated than we imagined."

The Mantis Warriors' leader returned to the Thorn Palace: "The unknown forces that broke in during our negotiations are very likely minions of Chaos. They want to sow discord between us and the Human Empire, frame us for treason, and hunt us down to the death!"

"Yes."

Huron's expression was equally grim: "According to our intelligence, what happened to the Red Scorpion Chapter Commander in the end?"

He is the key.

As long as he is alive, there is a possibility that the negotiations can be reversed, but—

The leader of the Mantis Warriors could only shake his head helplessly.

He knew nothing about the fate of the Red Scorpion, which was of utmost importance. After being teleported away by that mysterious figure at the transit station, he was transported back here to his own flagship.

If they're lucky, Otis will probably be teleported back to his own flagship, but who can say for sure?

"The tyrant Badab. If you're interested, I can tell you the answer."

"It's you!"

The next moment, within the empty and tranquil Thorn Palace, a black phantom was taking shape.

The moment he saw the other person, the Mantis Warriors captain, who had survived the ordeal, recognized him.

it's him!
He was the mysterious person who saved him in the Sad Galaxy!
The other person did not seem to be very tall, and under the hood, he was blurred into a blurry figure by some strange force, making it impossible to see his specific appearance.

"My friend, please tell us what the final outcome of the battle in the Sad Galaxy was."

Huron responded with a calm, friendly smile, gesturing for him to discuss the matter in a private area at the back.

"I see."

Huron had considered the possibility of a third party intervening and causing trouble in the Sad Galaxy.

However, based on his existing intelligence network, it is impossible for any force within the vortex to interfere with their negotiations.

Unfortunately, he overlooked Luo Jia, a shut-in who had been meditating in the subspace for ten thousand years.

But what he didn't expect was that all of this was actually resolved by the mysterious being in front of him, and the legendary demon primordial was actually defeated and forced to flee.

Even with his help, Otis did Huron a favor at the Human Empire Council by portraying the pirate fleet that inexplicably appeared at the negotiation as Huron's goodwill assistance.

But Huron didn't have it!

Who would spread rumors about someone doing good deeds anonymously?
broken.

Now Huron has truly become a loyalist.

If he hadn't believed in the truth of the Empire, Huron would have truly thought that the man before him was the Emperor incarnate.

"why?"

"Ok?"

“I want to ask you—why did you choose to trust me? Although I don’t know who you are, I have never had any dealings with someone as powerful as you.”

“It’s simple, Huron.” The mysterious man seemed to be laughing. “You’re a loyal fellow.”

Yes, Huron is cunning, shrewd, and ambitious.

But he's also a loyal friend.

For a Space Marine like him, loyalty to the Imperium of Man may not be so great, but for his brothers-in-arms, the Astartes would never abandon even one if possible.

It was precisely through his benevolent and righteous methods that he was widely praised by the major warband commanders throughout the Great Vortex region: they all believed that Huron was the only capable person who could completely resolve the Great Vortex problem after the Great Rebellion.

“I will help you cover up the Tiger Claw Chapter incident—don’t ask me how I know, and I will ensure that your power in Badab remains unchanged. I can even help you clear away the chaotic threats within the Maelstrom.”

"But I only ask you to do one thing."

“In the future, I will need your assistance—just as the Executioner Chapter came to my aid because of their oath—in the future, I will also need you as the Guardian of Badab to help me fight.”

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple."

"What a debt of gratitude I've incurred."

Huron shook his head with a wry smile.

If it were someone like the High Lord who comes in and tries to intimidate others with his power, Huron would definitely fight him to the bitter end.

But as a timely helper in the martial arts world, Huron, the brother of this mysterious figure, naturally couldn't refuse the favor.

"But friend, who exactly are you? And if I want to repay this favor in the future, how should I do it?"

"You will only know in the future."

"I can only tell you one thing—when that time comes, I will assemble a large army and head to Holy Terra to eradicate corruption from the Highlord Council!"

High Lord!?

Did he hear that right? This guy wants to storm Holy Terra and seize the Highlord's throne?!
Huron's eyes suddenly shone with a dazzling golden light.

This isn't about repaying a favor; it's Wang Xiulun's lifelong dream after being disgusted by Badab for most of his life!
"it is good!!!"

"My friend, just tell me! I, Ruft Huron, will do my best to cooperate!"

Loyal!

"Phew, Huron seems to have stabilized."

"Now all that's missing is that damned judge who keeps insisting on starting the Badab War."

Having been teleported to a pirate fleet ship, Casca, who had just finished negotiating with Huron, temporarily shed his disguise as the mysterious man.

[Captain, where are we going next?]

The psychic communication from the Void Dreamer reached his ears, reminding him to take the next step.

“We’re going back to Kasgo.”

The Badab War is almost at the stage of peace talks, but as for Casca during this time, he has a more pressing task ahead of him.

He needs to gather enough men.

In this operation, Casgar's target was the former Ultramarines Second Company Commander, who was currently imprisoned in the stasis field of Inquisitor Serx.

—Titus!

If the timeline doesn't change much.

Now, he has just acquired a combat barge from Otis, nearly a hundred Tiger Claw Space Marines, several pirate fleets, and the strong support of the Red Scorpion Chapter.

For someone who has only recently awakened, having such an army is already a remarkable achievement.

—But that's far from enough.

Despite Casca's prowess, he still needs a qualified and capable adjutant to assist him in leading the army and controlling the situation when he leaves.

And to pave a new road for the future fully prepared legion of the Sons of the Emperor.

This person must be capable enough in combat, and also possess a strong will to ensure that they are not corrupted by chaos.

It seems that Judge Jerome Serks has already presented Casca with the best candidate.

(End of this chapter)