Warhammer: Primarch's Life from the Beginning

By afternoon, an open space at the Saints' Headquarters had been crowded with people.

Nuns stood in circles along the sidelines, their black and white armor intertwined, explosive guns and chainsaw swords hanging at their sides. No one spoke; only the soft hum of the power armor servers could be heard. Their expressions were focused.

Leo sat behind a high platform next to the training field, his elbows resting on his knees, looking very serious, but his mind was blank.

Who is he? Where is he? What is he doing?

As the sun was high in the sky, he was strolling around the courtyard, casually taking a look at what the place looked like, when he was surrounded by a group of combat nuns, their faces flushed, who respectfully and eagerly invited him to move to the training ground to witness their daily combat practice.

Leo originally wanted to politely decline, but those pairs of eyes were frighteningly bright. Looking at the scars on their wrists, he felt that if he refused, he might see some self-harming scenes, so he changed his mind before he could say anything.

Then things got out of control.

When the nuns on duty nearby heard that the Primarch was observing, almost all of those whose duties were related to combat came and signed up to participate, afraid that they would miss their chance if they were even a step too late.

They wanted to demonstrate their martial skills and worth to the Primarch, proving that they were not just figureheads who recited prayers and stood guard.

So that afternoon, all that could be seen was blood splattering everywhere, with each nun striking with ruthlessness, sometimes causing Leo to feel a pang of pain.

These women fight so fiercely.

The two nuns in the arena were fighting to the very end. They were wielding chainsaw swords and moved with lightning speed. Their first clash sparked a string of sparks.

The nun on the left lunged forward, her sword slicing diagonally across the opponent's breastplate. The nun on the right parried the blow with her shoulder and delivered a backhand elbow strike to the face. The helmet slammed against the ground with a dull thud, and Leo guessed that the blow might have hit the bridge of the nose.

The two immediately locked in a close struggle, their chainsaw blades gripping each other's arm guards, causing their wrists to go numb. Neither of them backed down until one of them suddenly raised his knee to create some distance, using the half-step gap to slash upwards into the seam of his opponent's shoulder armor, knocking him to the ground.

The nun who had fallen tried to get up, but the victor had already stepped on her wrist, and the sword was at her throat.

Leo immediately raised his hand to stop him.

"That's enough, that's enough."

The dense crowd on the sidelines suddenly came to life, letting out gasps of amazement.

Leo stood up, and the nun who had won nodded, announcing her victory.

The nun's chest heaved, her face smeared with sweat and blood beneath her helmet. She bowed deeply to Leo, who comforted her on the ground, encouraging her to keep trying.

The defeated nun gritted her teeth, propped herself up, bowed to Leo in thanks, and her voice didn't sound like that of a loser at all.

Just as another pair of nuns eagerly entered the arena and got into position, a rotating nun quickly ran over, stopped at the edge of the platform, and leaned down to whisper.

"Your Highness, the senior you brought is in the ceremony hall preparing for his investiture and the bestowal of his sacred armor."

Leo stood up after hearing this.

"Okay, lead the way."

Before leaving, he shouted something loudly towards the training field.

"Keep practicing, don't wait for me!"

He was met with a chorus of unanimous agreement.

.

.

Inside the ceremonial hall, incense and candlelight mingled together. This place enshrines the remains of a living saint, hence its other name, the Hall of Relics.

As Leo reached the door, Kara had already finished reciting the triple oath.

He didn't go in; he just leaned against the doorpost and watched from afar.

Kara handed over her power armor, old weapons, and nameplate, and knelt before the sacred relics wearing only a simple undershirt, her shoulders and back straight, her white hair hanging down her neck.

The officiant applied holy oil to her forehead, and the prayers echoed throughout the hall.

"In the name of the Emperor, you are the sword of faith, the flame of heresy, and the shield of purity."

Leo found it fascinating; it was the first time he had ever seen such a religious ceremony. After a moment of restraint, he turned his head and lowered his voice to ask the maid beside him.

Why take off your coat?

The maid, who had been keeping her head down, shrank her shoulders when she heard the Primarch's question. It was actually inappropriate to speak in such a situation, but answering the Primarch's questions was their duty. She hesitated, pursed her lips, and answered softly.

"Because that symbolizes shedding the mundane, humility, and purity, it means that one no longer belongs to the individual, but only to the emperor and the church, that the old self dies and is reborn as a new instrument of the emperor."

After she finished speaking, she didn't even dare to lift her eyes, thinking to herself: I'm doomed, I'm going to be whipped later.

Leo simply nodded.

"I see."

Soon after, Kara completed the Holy Armor Ceremony. The new power armor was fitted onto her piece by piece, and it seemed to be taller than before. In addition to the gilded patterns and holy script engravings on her shoulders, there was an iron halo on the back of her neck, which was placed on her power backpack. A rose rosary inlaid with gemstones hung on her gloves.

Then came the scepter representing authority and the brazier of sacred flame, the officiant continued the chanting, and attendants moved back and forth...

Leo was getting sleepy watching it. He wished he had gone back to being a referee; that was much more interesting.

.

It wasn't until a voice calling "Your Highness" woke Leo, who was leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed.

He looked up and saw Kara standing before him with a smile on her face. Behind her were two hooded attendants, one clutching a scepter and the other holding a brazier. She herself carried a large holy book with a skull embedded in its cover.

"So you're the head nun now?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Just as Kara was about to continue speaking, Morven Val walked over.

"She is now able to preside over purification rituals, burning at the stake, and pre-battle blessings."

Mo Wen glanced at Leo and continued.

"In addition, I will arrange for a branch temple to be set up on your ship, with a full staff of personnel. From now on, all administrative affairs, daily life and combat activities on your ship will be handled by them."

Leo nodded to her.

"Thank you, High Lord."

Karen Mok remained calm.

"This is what I should do. Although you are a low-key person, your status in the state church is practically no different from that of the Pope."

Upon hearing this, Leo couldn't help but ask.

"Then why is it necessary to hold an identification ceremony?"

"Because of the Empire's slow communication," Morven replied, "one of the purposes of summoning bishops from various star sectors is to spread the news of the power shift as quickly as possible."

"To prevent the Pope from encountering a few reckless, fearless church members in a certain sector who refuse to acknowledge their faith; there have been such examples in the past."

Leo expressed his understanding, and Mo Wen didn't say much. After a simple bow, the group parted ways.

After Leo left the Temple of Bones, Kara bid him farewell and went ahead to the Holy Commandment to oversee the renovation and expansion of the ship's chapel.

As the sun was setting, Leo rushed back to the training ground, only to find it empty and the bloodstains on the ground had been cleaned up.

He stopped a passerby and asked them, only to find out that they had all gone to evening prayers.

"..."

.

.

Terra Palace, Library of Sacred Texts.

Passing through the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Leo entered this confidential archive controlled by the Inquisition. The files here documented many dangerous or isolated worlds; he sought to uncover the secrets of the Malaca system.

As far as the eye can see, there are endless layers of bookshelves and corridors.

Yellowed reels, cracked data panel screens, dry parchment that looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch—Leo even spotted spiderwebs in the corners.

What's the difference between this place and a tomb?

He found a place to sit down, and the area manager quickly came over to greet him. Leo heard that noisy voice, looked up, and saw that it was actually a mechanical priest.

"I'm looking for an imperial world called the Malaca Galaxy. I only know that it's located in the dark side, but I don't know if it's in the Extreme Starfield or the Hazy Starfield."

The administrator immediately said he would find the relevant files as soon as possible, and then called his assistant who was standing guard in the distance to follow him. The two of them soon disappeared into the bookshelf maze.

After a while, another assistant came panting and brought over a large platter of Glocks cheese and a barrel of Jupiter Silk Brandy, which he respectfully placed in front of Leo.

"I'm sorry, sir, although this place looks dilapidated, we still have some valuable ingredients stored in the warehouse. Please enjoy."

Leo stared at the things on the table, completely bewildered.

"This isn't a restaurant, why are you giving me these?"

The assistant wiped his sweat and explained in a low voice.

"Looking for information here is like going on a jungle adventure; it takes three to five hours to get back. To keep you from getting bored, we've brought you some food first."

My goodness... that's incredibly efficient!

Just then, a familiar voice came from the side.

"I didn't expect the Primarch to be interested in our archives."

Leo turned around and saw Cleopatra Ers, the representative of the court, already sitting across the table with a smile. She raised her hand and waved, and the assistant immediately stepped back.

Leo looked at the old man.

"Does the court have something urgent to discuss with me?"

Ers stopped laughing, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out a bit.

"There is indeed a top-secret matter that may be closely related to you."

He looked into Leo's eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately.

Are you interested in the Grey Knight?