Horus always loved to smile.
For the Wolf God, a smile was a weapon, a tactic, an attitude, a habit: just like the fires of war between galaxies, the scions in the legions, and the monuments on Terra, in Horus's eyes, a smile was a natural part of his life, an invisible sword that was invincible in his memories, and the most exquisite half-move in his art.
When did this situation begin?
Perhaps even Horus himself no longer knew.
——————
The room, after a battle, was somewhat messy, but a place to sit down and chat could still be found.
The Primarch of the Sixteenth Legion was a tall figure; even among the Emperor's demigod scions, he belonged to the more imposing type. When he sat down, he still looked much larger than Morgana, like a giant from the sky who had fallen from the clouds, lowering his head with difficulty to observe a shepherdess.
The Wolf God wore an indestructible silver-white armor, with a ferocious black wolf pelt draped over his shoulders. His head was shiny, his jaw wide, and his forehead had shallow wrinkles. His entire head looked like a smooth boulder eroded by ocean waves. His skin seemed thin; whenever he made an expression, internal structures like his cheekbones and sphenoid bone would protrude through his skin, making the Wolf God appear somewhat aged.
His chest plate was adorned with patterns such as lightning, wolf heads, and scarlet eyes, proclaiming his identity as the Lord of the Luna Wolves Legion.
Whenever Horus's smile appeared on his face, more wrinkles would form on his cheeks, making him look older than his brothers, but also more mature and steady.
In Morgana's eyes, Horus's appearance wasn't particularly handsome. At least in the Spider Lady's aesthetic, the Wolf God's facial features weren't as beautiful as Lion El'Jonson's, and his bald head was a big minus. Comparatively, Morgana actually preferred blond hair; certain fragments in her genes constantly reminded her of the greatness and beauty of gold.
But this did not prevent her from sighing in her heart at Horus's unique temperament: he merely sat there, smiling, and naturally exuded an amiable aura befitting a superior. He simply greeted, chatted, and discussed various topics, yet the person speaking with him would instinctively feel it was a great boon, that the greatest demigod was condescending to speak with them out of noble kindness and magnanimity.
You could even believe that his every word and action was truly for your sake, and you could trust him completely, because no one in the world cared about you more than he did.
Look at Sejanus on the other side, a figure who dared to confront the Lord of Death with silence and attitude, a figure possessing true reason and wisdom. Yet his gaze towards his genetic father was no different from that of a simple child adoring his father, merely mixed with the familiarity of looking at a close friend.
Compared to his brothers, the Wolf God was like a true prince, a noble heir to the empire by birth...
...
Wait...
Something was wrong.
Deep inside, unseen by both Horus and Sejanus, Morgana slowly frowned: after the initial, almost seductive, dazzling brilliance, the true feeling Horus gave her was actually very strange.
She had met at least five or six Primarchs. Regardless of whether their personalities were benevolent or their morals noble, whether they were cowardly fools, obsessive geniuses, people and beasts disguised as one another, or even pure giant babies, they all had one common trait: their true nature was not hidden.
The arrogance, talent, and smooth sailing unique to Primarchs made them disdain to hide themselves further, because these favored sons of the Emperor had almost never encountered moments where they needed to compromise. They did not need, did not approve of, and would not think of concealing their uniqueness.
Magnus had never considered even slightly concealing his superiority as a scholar. His actions made the entire Thousand Sons Legion believe themselves to be the bearers of a greater destiny, observing everything in the Human Imperium with the attitude of a philosopher disdaining brutes.
Perturabo, though maintaining an outwardly indifferent and tough demeanor, had intentions that anyone with a clear mind could discern. And because of this, a low pressure born of resentment and neglect gradually rose and grew stronger within the Iron Warriors Legion.
As for Lion El'Jonson and Leman Russ, those seemingly distant, yet actually very distant, comedic rivals—they appeared to be more cunning and deeply thoughtful, concealing their true nature well. However, their inherent arrogance and volatile temperament mercilessly betrayed them. If Morgana had any lingering doubts about their true nature before, after Duran's Farce, she had thoroughly seen through these two individuals who wore disguises.
As for Mortarion...
Tsk.
——————
As just mentioned, Primarchs always disdained to conceal their true nature, or rather, they had never seriously tried to, because their position and power dictated that they did not need these "tricks of the weak."
Concealing their strength, making themselves appear humble and weak, and then using this low posture to spy on other Primarchs: such behavior fundamentally violated the instincts and worldviews of these favored sons of the Emperor, as well as their adherence to dignity and pursuit of glory.
So, when Morgana, this sufficiently strong weakling, this sufficiently weak strongman, trampled upon so-called dignity and honor and used such tricks on them, unless they were truly smart, nothing could stop the Spider Lady from being unstoppable:
Once upon a time, her disguise deceived all the Primarchs, because no Primarch truly cared about her.
Her gaze simultaneously spied on all secrets, because no Primarch truly feared her.
And beyond this, a more important reason was that they might have never seriously observed the mortals around them, just as the high-hanging sun never truly paid attention to the myriad grasses it illuminated. And in their self-pursuits and dreams, there seemed to be no place for genuine friendship with mortals.
They were not cautious enough, not magnanimous enough, not perceptive enough...
Not smart enough.
But Horus, perhaps, was an exception.
——————
Morgana couldn't see through him.
For now, she couldn't see through him.
Evidently, compared to some of his brothers, Horus was better at disguising himself. Perhaps this was his innate nature, or perhaps it was an instinct he forcibly developed to conceal certain things.
Such a person.
Doesn't seem like a natural-born prince.
Morgana narrowed her eyes, curling her lips into a smile, responding to the Wolf God's impeccable friendliness. At the same time, her mind was spinning rapidly, thinking, analyzing: ever since Lion El'Jonson "exposed" her true identity, the long days of slacking off made the Spider Lady take a few moments to even enter a state of thought and investigation.
And clearly, this time, someone else was also interested in her true nature. This was no longer a monotonous peek, but had become an interesting mutual probing.
——————
"Long ago, I heard of your reputation, Lady Morgana."
"Perhaps you yourself haven't noticed how famous you are. Anyone who pays attention to this war would notice your achievements and abilities. You have accomplished more than any Dark Angel."
Horus sat there, watching with satisfaction as Morgana's pupils fell into a bewildered daze at his words.
"Before this, you never cared?"
[The days in the First Legion taught me not to care about honor, Lord Horus.]
"Indifferent to fame and fortune... This is indeed a good thing, but there's no need to exaggerate."
Horus smiled, his smile seeming to possess an extraordinary magic. The Wolf God spoke slowly, word by word, as if they were truths from the galaxy.
"Actually, I'm even a little curious, Lady Morgana, have you never received rewards like commendations or honorary titles in the First Legion? In the Luna Wolves, we often bestow honors upon meritorious mortals, after all, they are our brothers who fight alongside us."
She hesitated for a moment, seemingly truly pondering the Wolf God's words.
[The First Legion does not care about honor, Lord. The Lion of Caliban prefers to instill values of responsibility and sacrifice into every corner of the legion.]
Horus blinked; he looked almost pure and innocent, but in his gaze, this silver-haired lady from the First Legion seemed even more innocent and transparent.
Horus's smile continued.
"To be honest, Lady Morgana, I know many old warriors from the First Legion. Before my brother's return, I had the honor of fighting alongside these great warriors. I remember how these Terrans accepted honors, they actually needed honor, even if only occasionally."
[But the Lion doesn't.]
Her words were firm, causing Horus to fall into a very brief silence.
"My brother told you this?"
[Not just me, but everyone in the entire First Legion.]
The Wolf God nodded, a speculative glint in his pupils.
"I hope so..."
He was silent for a while, seemingly digesting this information, then leaned back, looking quite casual.
"But then again, the First Legion certainly needs honor. They deserve any honor in the galaxy, after all, they are fighting a powerful opponent, an opponent perhaps unprecedentedly strong."
"Just this fact alone is enough for every Dark Angel to be personally honored by the Emperor."
[That sounds good, but the Lion might not like it.]
"Yes, but it's the truth, and I also know... my brother regards responsibility as his honor, doesn't he?"
[You could say that, Lord.]
"Then, I'm curious, does this war that has ignited in the northern galaxy count as an honor in my brother's eyes? After all, it is his responsibility, a responsibility unique in the galaxy."
[...]
This question seemed to stump the silver-haired lady from the First Legion. She lowered her head and fell into a long silence until Horus patted her shoulder with a smile.
"Alright, that was my slip of the tongue, Lady Morgana, I apologize to you."
The Wolf God was smiling, letting out a hearty, apologetic laugh, but there was not a hint of mirth in his eyes; instead, they sparkled with thought.
"I'm just a little worried. I used to have many friends and acquaintances in the First Legion, but now it's hard for me to hear about them anymore. They were all Terrans, and renowned warriors. You must have heard their names, perhaps even fought alongside them."
Then, Horus uttered more than a dozen names of important Dark Angels, all of whom were indeed Terrans. Some had died in battle, while the rest continued to serve in the legion.
However, in Morgana's replies, there was only "died in battle" and "missing."
"Going missing in the galaxy is not a good thing."
When Horus said this, his lips did not turn down.
"They seem to need a funeral, complete with corresponding medals and honors. As Lion El'Jonson's advisor, you should remind him to do so."
[No one can reverse the Lion's will, Lord Horus, not even the veterans of Terra.]
Horus tilted his head slightly, then slowly nodded, a flicker of a satisfied smile on his lips. This genuine smile was fleeting.
"Seriously, Lady Morgana, this war is simply too cruel and prolonged. I'm even worried about the true situation of the First Legion—Lion El'Jonson is always so stubborn and unyielding; he doesn't seem to want to accept our help."
"But the Emperor clearly granted him the authority to issue initiatives and commands to various legions as the frontline commander-in-chief. To be honest, such authority is unprecedented. I never thought the Emperor would issue such a command before."
"But... why isn't Lion El'Jonson making good use of it? It would make this war much easier, wouldn't it?"
[...I cannot give you an accurate answer, Lord Horus.]
[...Perhaps it's just... he doesn't want to?]
"Why do you say that?"
[If the First Legion couldn't handle the war and situation, then no amount of people would help.]
Horus laughed heartily, looking at Morgana's bewildered yet serious face, a hint of playful amusement and triumph flashing through his mind.
"The First Legion is indeed powerful, Lady Morgana, but they are not the strongest, and perhaps not the most trusted and relied upon."
[Indeed.]
Horus's lips curled, this time with pure arrogance.
[But if the First Legion truly annihilates Rendan, this unprecedented opponent will be enough to prove that the First Legion is the strongest and the one most trusted by the Emperor, wouldn't it?]
"..."
Horus's laughter abruptly stopped.
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