Warhammer: Primarch's Life from the Beginning

When Leo turned around, Kara had already turned to the side and let the visiting guest into the gap created by the nuns.

The woman approached slowly, but stood very straight. Her coat collar was embroidered with the silver eagle emblem of the Hohenstaufen family, the cuffs of her black gloves were adorned with the insignia of the Holy Hammer Inquisition, a wide gold belt cinched her waist, a molten pistol hung on her left side, and a power dagger was clipped to her right. Her black hair was combed back, neatly tied at the nape of her neck, and a strand of hair fell down her left cheek.

She stopped and looked up at Leo with a scrutinizing gaze and an air of aristocratic elegance, offering only a brief gesture of greeting.

Kara's face immediately darkened. She took half a step forward, her voice still gentle, but now sharp.

"Inquisitor, you should be more mindful of etiquette in the presence of Primarchs."

Catherine looked at Carla, her feet not moving an inch, and she wasn't annoyed, but simply spoke calmly.

"I am indeed an Inquisitor, and it is my duty to monitor both within and outside the Empire, including the Primarchs."

She spoke calmly, but her entourage reacted immediately. The stormtroopers and Inquisition personnel instinctively spread out slightly, their hands resting on their weapons, their eyes fixed on the nuns. The nuns behind Kara were not to be outdone; though their guns were not raised, their feet had already subtly taken up positions. The air tensed instantly, even the guards on the high walls turned their visors to see what Leo was up to.

Leo raised his hand and stopped Kara from reacting.

That's enough.

He glanced at the small figures of the soldiers behind Catherine, finding it somewhat amusing. If he hadn't spoken up, Kara and the other nuns might have skinned them alive. It seemed the nuns needed to control their temper in the future, or they would cause trouble sooner or later.

Moreover, in the original history, there were indeed some young and inexperienced Inquisitors who dared to investigate Guilliman, only to find his body nowhere to be found. Such incidents are also recorded in the Empire during the Moon of Shame at Armageddon.

The gist of it is that after they fought off the Chaos invasion, the Inquisitor wanted to wipe out the entire planet's population. The Space Wolves objected, so the Inquisitor and his Grey Knight Grand Mentor opened fire and attacked. In the end, they were all killed by Logan, the leader of the Wolf Pack, with a single axe blow.

Kara gritted her teeth and retreated, but her eyes remained coldly fixed on Catherine.

Leo looked at Catherine.

"You've come to see me because there's something important you need to discuss."

Catherine nodded, her expression even more serious than before.

"I have been investigating cultists in Terra recently and have found traces of Chaos corruption in many places. I have destroyed a large number of evil objects related to a certain Blood Lord, including skulls, blood, prayers, ritual objects disguised as holy relics, as well as forbidden pages that have flowed into the slums and hives."

As she spoke, her eyes darkened slightly, as if she were seeing those cellars and incinerators again.

"Just now, I concluded a high-level Inquisition meeting on Terra. My colleagues discovered the same situation in other areas of Terra, but on a wider scale, in greater numbers, and the level of Chaos contamination has far exceeded normal levels. What we are seeing is no longer scattered heretics, but an organized spread, which is estimated to be orchestrated by some force behind the scenes. The Inquisition sent me to you on the recommendation of Primarch Guilliman."

After she finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent for a moment.

Leo nodded without revealing any emotion. It seemed the battle at Lionsgate was unavoidable, at least for this stage; its prelude had already begun. It appeared that although history had been altered, the overall outcome remained the same: Terra, even in this vacuum, could not escape Khorne's influence.

He looked at Catherine.

"Has this situation been effectively suppressed?"

Catherine gently shook her head.

"There hasn't been much progress so far. The situation near the palace is relatively good, but in other parts of Terra, especially in the various hives, large-scale cultists have begun attacking the Imperial government day and night. The biggest reason for this is the current Eternal Night Cataclysm. After the Star Torch was extinguished, space routes were blocked, and the Tien Taxes from various Imperial worlds could not be transported to Terra smoothly. The shortage of supplies is widening, which has led to the further incitement of civilians in many places by the cultists. Frenzied massacres and sacrifices have occurred in almost every hive."

Hearing this, Kara's fingers unconsciously tightened around the gun. She had grown up in another sector and had always heard that Terra was a holy land for pilgrims, but she never imagined it would descend into such chaos. A surge of anger rose within her, not towards Catherine, but towards those who had caused all this trouble under the Emperor's rule.

Leo continued to ask.

"Was martial law enforced?"

"It's already been carried out," Catherine replied quickly. "The Terran Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with the Astral Army stationed there, had already imposed martial law and suppression on the densely populated Hive City. However, the scarcity of supplies is a fact, so a popular uprising was inevitable. Many people didn't become heretics first; they were simply hungry and, in their desperation, were chosen by the heretics."

Leo was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice:

"Terra is not an agricultural world; it cannot produce its own food and must source it from elsewhere. Only by quelling the riots first and then conducting precise suppression can we stop the spread of chaos and mitigate the potential disasters we may face."

When Catherine heard the words "next," she seemed to have grasped some crucial information.

"What disaster? Do you possess the ability to foresee the future?"

The question was direct. Kara looked at Leo; after all, he was her Primarch, and she was curious about his abilities. Legend had it that Archangel Saint Gilles, one of the Primarchs, also possessed prophetic powers. She had always felt that Leo was preoccupied; could it be related to this disaster?

Leo couldn't easily explain; he couldn't very well say he knew the official history. But right now, prophecy was indeed the perfect excuse, so he slowly began to speak.

"In my premonition, that cowardly Lord of Blood will summon eight high-ranking archmages and lead eighty-eight demon legions to invade Terra, thus directly initiating a full-scale war against the throne."

Catherine's face turned pale instantly.

She wasn't unfamiliar with chaos, nor was she unfamiliar with interrogating demon worshippers, but this was Terra, the royal palace, the heart of the entire human empire. Her throat was dry, and a series of consequences raced through her mind; if this were true, the impact would be unimaginable.

Leo already had a preliminary plan in mind. Judging from the situation, casualties were inevitable, and Terra's chaos had deeply corrupted it. The main challenge now wasn't how to save every citizen, but how to mitigate and slow down the Blood Lord's invasion. There were too many plans to make; simply discussing it with one inquisitor here wouldn't solve the problem.

He looked at Catherine, his tone becoming steady.

"Continue with your work, contact the court, and send another batch of Grey Knights."

Catherine nodded immediately. She no longer doubted the necessity of the order; on the contrary, she felt it had come too late.

Leo then looked up, waved to the Imperial Guards on the distant high wall, signaling them to come over, and then turned to Kara and said.

"Contact the Pope; I need to convene a High Lords' meeting as soon as possible."

Kara didn't hesitate at all.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The Imperial Guards on the high wall moved quickly. A transport boat emerged from behind the passage and stopped close to the edge of the road. The captain of the shield guards leading the group bowed to Leo first, then stepped aside to open the hatch. Kara and two of the nuns immediately boarded the boat to inspect it, while the rest stayed close to Leo.

Leo took a step forward and glanced back at Catherine.

"You did a good job. If possible, we'll meet again."

"It is my duty, Your Highness."

As she watched Leo board the transport ship, her heart grew heavier. Only then did she belatedly realize that from the moment the Star Torch went out, Terra had already entered the countdown to war.

After Leo stepped into the cabin, he spoke to the Imperial Guard piloting the transport ship.

"Let's get to Guilliman's location first."

The transport ship slowly rose and flew towards the depths of the palace.