Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 261 Mother and Son

Guilliman slowly rose to his feet, his usually solemn face now revealing barely concealed excitement.

From this day forward, Macurag will embrace the stars and usher in a new era.

As he rose, all the high-ranking officials and ordinary people who had participated in the welcoming ceremony stood up, their eyes fixed intently on the emperor.

Guilliman walked to Doom, raised Doom's arm high, then lifted Fulgan's forearm, and shouted to his people, "My blood brother..."

"Doom Norwick!"

"Vulcan!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as King Macragge shouted:

"Doom Norwick!"

"Vulcan!"

These two imposing Primarchs were both imperial offspring and brothers of Guilliman by blood.

After a grand welcoming ceremony, the crowd dispersed at the order, and Guilliman led the Imperial personnel into the inner palace for a meeting.

Today, not only is Guilliman returning to the Empire, but Macuragh will also be incorporated into the Empire.

Inside the spacious council chamber, a negotiation ceremony had already been prepared, awaiting the arrival of all parties.

Guilliman sat on the left, below him were Macurag officials, bureaucrats most skilled in negotiation and bargaining.

Vulcan sat on the right, below him were the Emperor's private staff, responsible for negotiating with Macurag and discussing specific terms.

They are symbolic; once the specific tone is set, merger negotiations will proceed.

Meanwhile, Doom and the Emperor sat in the upper positions, observing the entire negotiation as witnesses above the negotiating table.

The Empire granted Macragg favorable conditions and divided the region into the "Greater Otarama Sector" and the "Otarama Sub-Sector," with Macragg as its center.

Guilliman was granted the power to participate in the Great Crusade, leading the Thirteenth Legion to conquer the stars in the name of the Emperor.

The world conquered by the Thirteenth Legion was incorporated into Maclag and ruled by Guilliman.

Macurag enjoys a degree of autonomy and is exempt from tithe tax, meaning it does not have to pay taxes to the Empire.

In exchange for these generous terms, Macurag must give his all to defend the Eastern End Starfield for the Human Empire.

This star field is vast and contains countless stars and numerous alien races that constantly harass the human world.

Since the Imperial Expeditionary Forces could not be stationed permanently, a stable regime subservient to the human empire was needed to eliminate the alien threat.

Macurag has an excellent geographical location, situated in the right half of the Eastern End Starfield, making it naturally suited to play such a role.

Although far from the Empire, with a Primarch present, Macragge will not betray the Empire.

Entrusting such an important task to Guilliman clearly demonstrates the Emperor's high regard for him.

Once the general direction is established, the subsequent negotiations become much simpler.

Those intricate negotiations were extremely complex, with bureaucrats on both sides arguing fiercely and exchanging heated blows at the negotiating table.

"You don't seem to like the atmosphere inside."

A gentle, intellectual voice rang in my ears. Ms. Eudon's greeting was soft and polite, with a hint of tentative kindness.

Doom sat in the garden; he had left the negotiation hall, unwilling to listen to the politicians arguing over their own interests.

There was no point in listening, and since I had no connection with him, I left happily.

As Ms. Euton poured him a cup of tea, a polite smile appeared on Doom's handsome face: "The tug-of-war between politicians, which may seem like a war of words, is actually more like vultures fighting over food—greedy and boring."

"Demanding exorbitant prices and then haggling on the spot, testing every single byte and bottom line—it gets boring after a while."

"Of course, I don't mean to belittle them. There's no need to get deeply involved when it doesn't concern you."

Yodon was somewhat stunned. The person in front of him was very frank and did not seem like a Primarch with extraordinary intelligence.

“Madam,” Doom warned the woman as she poured tea into her cup, “you’re going to spill it.”

"Oh...oh!" Yoton quickly picked up the kettle. "Please forgive my rudeness."

"What is your impression of Robert?" The woman asked her adopted son's brother as she sat down in front of the Primarch.

The emperor's son before him was the twenty-first among his brothers, the last of the brothers.

But it's clear to anyone with eyes that the King of Warriors holds an extraordinary position, second only to the Emperor within the human empire, and his impression of Guilliman is crucial.

Upon hearing the woman's question, Doom saw worry on her face—the worry of a mother for her son's future.

He had seen that expression before, in Queen Daisy's eyes. For a moment, Doom was somewhat dazed; the blonde, blue-eyed Daisy seemed to overlap with the person before him.

"Nothing special." After a moment of stunned silence, Doom quickly gave his answer.

Yes, nothing special.

As a Primarch, those four words wouldn't apply to Guilliman, but Doom certainly thought so.

Guilliman lacked the wild charm of Ruth, the charisma of Horus, and the captivating appearance of Fugen.

The Primarchs each had their own strengths, and Guilliman seemed somewhat "ordinary" compared to them.

He does things in a conventional and rule-abiding manner, prefers to plan carefully before acting, and lacks a spirit of adventure.

In everyday interactions, Guilliman was not well-liked, as he frequently offered advice and admonitions.

There may be some enthusiasm and good intentions involved, but more often than not, it can come across as overly fussy and nagging.

On the Royal Majesty, even the kind-hearted Vulcan sometimes grew annoyed by the details that Guilliman paid attention to.

"Nothing special?" Ms. Eudon smiled slightly upon hearing this. "Then I'm relieved."

She spoke in a relaxed tone, without a trace of falsehood, and after letting out a long sigh, poured new tea for Dum.

"Are you satisfied with this evaluation?" Doom picked up the small cup, gently blew away the steam, and caught a glimpse of the lady's relaxed expression out of the corner of his eye: "It's not an outstanding affirmation."

Ms. Euton replied, “That’s exactly why I’m happy.”

"A mediocre evaluation might not be good for others, but it's good for Guilliman."

"His great father granted Makulag autonomy, which was a great authority."

“If Guilliman acts aggressively or shows any ambition, he will immediately become the target of public criticism.”

"Being ordinary is good. Although the brothers may not have a strong impression of him, it will not breed unnecessary suspicion and jealousy."

Doom nodded repeatedly. He didn't see any wish for his son to become a dragon among men, but he heard from a mother the simple wish for her son to be safe and sound.

“Not necessarily.” After listening to the woman’s thoughts, he smiled and shook his head, his gaze sharp as he stared at Yoton: “Jealousy and suspicion don’t always come from power.”

"We are the Primarchs, born under the will of the Emperor, and all arrangements for us are made by the Lord of Humanity."

"No matter what role you play, whether you are envied, despised, or praised, the key is to conform to the emperor's will."

"These are the missions of the Primarchs. We bear the honor and responsibility, and are also the fundamental factor of immense power."

“But Guilliman is different.” Doom smiled and pointed a finger at Ms. Eudon: “Perhaps a large part of the jealousy and ostracism he will suffer in the future will come from you.”

"Why?" Yoton asked, puzzled.

She was incredibly intelligent, yet still just a mortal. She couldn't grasp grand narratives, but she understood that her son's future was connected to her own.

“You are a mother,” Doom reiterated, emphasizing Euton’s identity: “a mother who loves my brother.”

On the spaceship, Guilliman mentioned Yotton more than once, and every time he brought it up, Vulcan would change the subject.

Every time Doom saw that look on her face, which seemed to want to escape, he couldn't help but suppress a laugh.

“My brothers were scattered across the stars due to an accident.” Seeing that Yoton was still puzzled, Doom patiently explained to her, “Some worlds are not as good as Macurag.”

After he finished speaking, he fell silent, savoring the tea in his mouth and enjoying its mellow sweetness.

“I understand.” Mrs. Euton understood. She frowned and sighed deeply, her tone full of pity: “You are like demigods on earth, yet your souls are forever missing a piece.”

"The Lord of mankind has made your bodies indestructible, your hearts extremely resilient, and your forms majestic and radiant."

"But the regret in my heart, that emotional void, can never be filled."

Doom remained silent, then slowly nodded in agreement with what the woman said.

Beneath the powerful exterior of the genomicon, there is always a soft spot, an emptiness that can never be filled.

Guilliman's ordinariness also stemmed from the love of his adoptive parents, which made him more considerate of others.

"And what about you?" Lady Yoton was curious about the King of Warriors' childhood, what had taught him these principles.

Doom paused slightly, his face stiffening, before slowly setting down the cup and standing up, his tall shadow looming over the woman.

Yoton felt a little uneasy, so she quickly stood up and looked up at the majestic giant.

"She was so gentle." The Warrior King's voice was low and hoarse. "Now, all I can remember is that gentleness..."

(End of this chapter)