The Bizarre Adventure of the Warhammer Guard

Late at night, before the warmth of the banquet hall had completely dissipated, the King of Assassins was already in action in the shadows surrounding the palace.

Grand Master Wangorich moved swiftly down the corridor. Since meeting with the Imperial Guard, he had become increasingly clear about what he should do. He not only sought revenge, but also sought to purge the corrupt elements among the High Lords for the Lord of Mankind.

He navigated through a maze of secret passages, moving through blind spots of surveillance equipment and patrolling sentries, and finally arrived at a secret room in the courtroom.

The room had no ornate decorations or extravagant carvings, only cold stone walls, a long metal table, and four chairs.

A man was already seated in a chair, waiting there for a long time. He was none other than the High Inquisitor, Veritus, who wore a hood and a mask, with only the sharp light in his eyes shining through.

"Is the news true?" Veritus's voice was old but full of power.

Wanorić walked to the table but did not sit down. He placed one hand on the table and hid the other hand inside his clothes.

"The Imperial Guard personally displayed the authorized scroll, bearing Lord Guilliman's signature and Primarch blood. Furthermore, he confirmed that the Eighteenth Primarch, Vulcan, Lord of the Dragons, is on the world of Cordra."

A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint whirring of air from the vents. The Primarch, now a myth within the Empire, held significance far exceeding any political considerations in its re-emergence.

"The Highlords' Council has long been corrupt," Veritus's voice came from under his hood. "They play political games above the survival of the Empire, and even secretly obstruct support to key war zones. But doing so may destabilize the regime and undermine the stability of the Empire."

“It’s alright, Grand Inquisitor, Chapter Master Kurland has already contacted his forces at the Last Wall,” Wangorich said. “We just need to force Udo to resign so that Kurland can organize a large force.”

"Besides," Wangorich glanced at Veritus, "we have a member of the Imperial Guard standing behind us."

Wangorich had no liking for the High Inquisitor, and they disagreed on many past decisions, but at least when faced with the orc invasion, they chose to unite against it.

"What's the name of that Emperor's Claw?"

"Elpis, his men told me that it was the Imperial Guard that appeared in the council hall that day."

Upon hearing the name, Veritus's pupils contracted; he recognized the guard.

That was a name he had heard long, long ago, long before he accepted his mission; it was the name that the Seal Bearer had told him himself.

"Three days from now," Veritus sighed, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, "I will convene a Highlord Council to discuss the gathering of the Chapter Masters of Kurand. The rest is up to you."

-

Time flies, and the three-day period has arrived. The temporary High Lords' meeting was held as scheduled.

Inside the grand hall, the twelve Supreme Lord's chairs were almost full, except for Kubik, the representative of the Mechanicus, who was absent due to "busy research".

Lord Udo sat in the main seat, his expression seemingly calm, but the solemnity between his brows revealed his inner unease.

It is highly unusual that the court has never held an emergency meeting before, especially since it was convened because of Kurland's gathering.

The meeting began with a lengthy speech, followed by a speech from Veritus, the representative of the Tribunal who convened the emergency council.

Instead of discussing the gathering of Space Marines, he focused on the Orcish invasions across the Imperium, the remaining forces on Terra, and the inaction and corruption of certain Highlords.

"High Inquisitor," Lord Udo interrupted Veritus, "get to the point. We're not here to hear these irrelevant things."

"Lord Udo," said Veritus, "these are not unrelated matters. According to our intelligence, the Dragon Lord Vulgan Volkan has appeared in the world of Cordra!"

These words immediately caused a stir in the hall. The term "Primarch" itself contained immense power.

"Grand Inquisitor," Lord Udo's face darkened, and he tried to keep his voice steady, "such baseless rumors are not suitable for discussion in such a serious meeting. The priority is to assess existing threats and adjust defenses, not to chase myths."

"What if this isn't a myth?" A loud voice came from the entrance of the hall.

The heavy doors were flung open, and Chapter Commander Kurland, clad in power armor but without a helmet, strode in. Behind him stood Grand Instructor Wangorich of the Assassin's Court, along with four other fully armed Chapter Commanders.

Further away, heavy, orderly footsteps echoed from the corridor outside the hall. It was a square formation of three hundred Astartes warriors, standing silently but exuding a murderous aura.

Several days earlier, Kurland had explained Elpis's summons to the other chapter leaders, as well as his plans, including the crucial location of the Primarch and the instructions to secretly exceed the thousand-person limit.

The most emotional of all was Grand Marshal Bohemond of the Black Templars, whose expression turned fanatical as he repeatedly shouted, "For the God-King!" and "This is the God-King's guidance!"

"Kurand! Vangorich!" Lord Udo, filled with shock and rage, abruptly stood up, his finger trembling as he pointed at the intruders. "Who gave you permission to bring weapons into the council hall? This is the most serious desecration of the High Lords Council, a blatant defiance of the Astartes Codex! Are you plotting a rebellion?"

"According to the sacred texts, when the Empire faces a major crisis and a High Lord has committed serious dereliction of duty or caused delays, the other twelve High Lords may propose a procedure to remove the High Lord from office," Veritus said slowly as he stood up. "And they are my witnesses."

Kurland ignored Udo's roar and continued forward, his tall figure closing in on the high lords. The guards who had originally wanted to stop him all silently retreated after seeing the Minister of Justice's gesture.

Seeing this, the other high lords exchanged bewildered glances, many showing expressions of fear and hesitation. Some high lords who had previously been allied with Udo quietly averted their gaze.

"Lord Udo," Wangorich approached Lord Udo from behind and whispered in his ear, "you can leave this position with dignity. But if you are removed through proper procedures, your fate will not be good."

"you……"

Udo's face turned pale. He looked around and found himself isolated and helpless. The high lords who had originally supported him did not dare to look in his direction and mostly kept their heads down.

"Okay. I am no longer able to perform this duties, and I voluntarily relinquish my position."

Udo opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't make any meaningful sound. He slumped into the chair, as if he had aged hundreds of years in an instant.

Under the direction of Veritus, the removal process proceeded at an astonishing speed, and Kurland was subsequently officially appointed as the new commander-in-chief of the Empire, granted supreme command authority over the massive fleet.

Now, it's time to set off to find the lost Lord of Fire Dragons.