Chapter 80 - Emperor's Method

The moment the sword rang out, Angron, who was struggling against his own instincts and the Butcher's Nails, felt a chill on the top of his head as a quarter of his cranium was sliced clean off.The Emperors Sword, like a blade that sliced through iron as if it were mud, easily sheared away the portion occupied by the Butcher's Nails. The Primarch's tough skull offered no resistance against the Emperors Sword, and if the skull was like that, the cables of the Butcher's Nails were even less of an obstacle.In half a second—no, less than a thousandth of a second—the Emperor had gone from drawing to sheathing his sword, solving the problem that had plagued Angron for so long with the most brutal and effective means possible."Ah..."It was only then that Angron's agonizing cry echoed out; even with the toughness of a Primarch, he could not endure such a sudden and grievous wound.The Emperor sheathed his sword and plunged a vial of Poseidon anesthetic directly into the agonizing Angron. This time, the super-anesthetic that had controlled Angron countless times finally fulfilled its true purpose.Within mere seconds, Angron, who had been bound and screaming incessantly by the Emperor, was instantly knocked unconscious. This scene made even the Emperor look at such an outrageous anesthetic with some trepidation; fortunately, he had already issued orders to destroy it, and the War Hounds would faithfully carry out his command."The rest is up to Master Amar." The Emperor completed his task and prepared to leave; the Imperium's Chief Biologist would examine Angron's brain to see if any fragments remained.At the same time, he would assess whether the Primarch's regenerative abilities could regrow the tissue based on the state of the damage. If not, custom devices to replace the damaged tissue would be needed—a task far too simple for the Tech-Priests, who were keen on turning their entire bodies into steel behemoths. These details naturally did not require the Emperor's concern."Transmit the order: the Fleet is to return to Holy Terra." The Emperor commanded the Custodian. Swain had already found Jonson, and with Angron, that made four Primarchs returning at once; this would be a great event to boost the morale of the entire Imperium."As you command, my liege." The Custodian began adjusting the Fleet's destination to Holy Terra according to the Emperor's order. The Emperor had been away for quite some time; it was time to return to Terra.Meanwhile, in the Segmentum Obscurus, on Caliban."Transmit the order: the Fleet is to return to Holy Terra!" Swain said to the Custodian Tribune. In a month's time, Lion El'Jonson had already arranged everything, big and small, on Caliban.As in the original history, Lion El'Jonson had unhesitatingly wiped out the Order of Sirius in the Northern Wastes, who stubbornly believed that the beasts were the root of Calibanite chivalry. At the same time, he had formed an alliance with those little people wearing green cloaks; thus, Lion El'Jonson had completed the unification of Caliban.In the Warp, the two Fleets began their journey toward Holy Terra, one from the Segmentum Obscurus and the other from the Ultima Segmentum. Compared to the expeditionary Fleets campaigning across the galaxy, these two Fleets seemed so small, yet they were powerful enough to stir the tides of fate.The Fleets sped toward their predetermined destination through the Warp."An interesting little one has entered this great game. How amusing." A voice murmured with interest from within an unknowable labyrinth deep in the Warp.At first listen, the voice had the tone of a highly learned old scholar, but it then shifted into various different languages; whether human or xenos, one could find them all within it.If this simple sentence were to ring in the ears of a mortal, countless mortals would be corrupted by this whisper from the supreme deity of the Immaterium. Clearly, by the time Swain realized what his actions might have triggered, it was already a bit too late; the great Lord of Change in the Immaterium had already begun to notice the other's existence through the threads of fate."I hope this interesting little one can bring about some more interesting changes." The Lord of Change extended a slender hand and wiped across the air. An invisible ripple swept over the skies of Barbarus, and the information regarding Swain was completely erased. Clearly, the great Lord of Change was happy to see Nurgle get frustrated; this was a very amusing matter for him.The conflict between the eternity of decaying life and the authority of the Lord of Change planted a small seed of foreshadowing here."Ah, Lion El'Jonson, we are about to exit the Warp. I am truly sick of having to travel through the Warp for every faster-than-light voyage, but we have no choice. It feels like doing the butterfly stroke in a cesspit." Swain complained to the golden-haired Lion El'Jonson, his mouth full of crude talk.The waves of the Warp were now slowly beginning to subside, but in two hundred years, new storms would rise again, and Warp travel would become even more troublesome then."I think Warp travel is quite fine; at the very least, it's convenient. If we relied on sub-light speed travel by Warship from Caliban to Holy Terra, we'd never arrive even if we traveled until we died." Lion El'Jonson said indifferently, not knowing why this Deputy-Primarch of the Raven Guard was so repulsed by the Warp."Just you wait. You'll know when the crap gets on you. We've arrived at Terra. Do you see that golden palace? That is your father's Flagship, called the Emperors Dream. Why couldn't he pick a better name instead of such an ominous one? Is that the War Hounds next to it? It seems your father found one of your brothers during the Great Crusade. Will you be jealous?" Swain muttered a series of questions to Lion El'Jonson.As for why Angron returned with the Emperor, Swain did not yet know what had happened to Angron."Alright, shut your mouth, let's go down!" After spending several months together, Lion El'Jonson and Swain had become much more familiar with each other. Most importantly, when they were idle during the Warp voyage, they had sparred a few more times, which allowed them to learn from each other and have more to talk about.The Stormbird flew down toward the magnificent golden palace on Holy Terra. The Emperor had returned to the palace a step ahead, and now Corax and Mortarion were waiting on the landing pad for Swain's arrival.The Stormbird carrying Swain flew toward the direction of the Legion's garrison, while Lion El'Jonson's Stormbird flew toward the location of the Emperor; the young Lion El'Jonson needed to meet his father before reuniting with his brothers."Corax, Stinky, I'm back! Have you finished the homework Malcador gave you?" Swain bade farewell to Aquilon and darted out of the golden Stormbird, greeting his Primarch brothers enthusiastically.Corax was naturally very happy to see Swain return, but Mortarion's face turned dark upon hearing Swain's form of address. Ever since Mortarion had poisoned Swain, the latter had given him a new name."I am merely researching poisons; I do not smell," Mortarion said sullenly."You're about to be enveloped by toxins, and you say you don't smell? Stay away from me in the future; I don't want to be your lab rat." Swain warned Mortarion; the other's talent for using poisons was truly too strong."We have completed the tasks assigned by Uncle Malcador. In a few more months, the Legion will be ready to set out and join the ranks of the Great Crusade," Corax said.He had originally been a bit worried about whether Swain would be able to make it in time for the newborn Legion's first battle, but now it seemed his worries were completely unnecessary."Let's go, let's go eat something good. Lion El'Jonson has gone to see your father first; I expect you will all meet each other tonight. By the way, have you seen the Primarch of the War Hounds?" Swain followed the two Primarchs into the Raven Guard Legion garrison."We haven't seen Father since he returned, nor have we seen the Primarch of the War Hounds. They are probably still discussing something; we should be able to see them later," Corax explained the situation after the Emperor's return."It seems Angron still didn't escape the fate of being nailed. I just wonder if there is any saving him?" Swain pondered inwardly.Subsequently, the three of them began discussing issues regarding the development of their Legions. The return times of the two Primarchs were similar, and the integration of veterans and Recruits was also progressing at a similar pace. Barring any accidents, it was possible that both Legions would set out at the same time.During their conversation, Swain also learned that both Legions had successfully obtained the production authorization and production lines for Saturnine Dreadnoughts. However, both stated that these things were not only expensive to build but also had very long production cycles; the Legions couldn't afford to equip them. Instead of this, it would be better to acquire more Iron Riders.The Legions were large and complex; the Primarchs finally understood the predicament Malcador faced. There were simply too many places that required money and resources, especially for the Raven Guard. Swain required Corax to establish a comprehensive educational system on the worlds they conquered. The speed at which they consumed the ten times the supplies given by Malcador made Corax's heart ache when looking at the reports, but he also knew this was a necessary initial investment; in the future, this investment would yield the most bountiful fruits for the Raven Guard Legion.As for Mortarion, it was much simpler. With a single phrase, "Must be resilient," he dismissed his homeworld. The Tech-Priests didn't even need to modify Mortarion's homeworld; they just needed to provide various military supplies.Regarding the Death Guard, Swain said nothing. Every Primarch had their own ideas and approaches; there was no need to interfere with others' thoughts. Discussing was one thing, but pointing fingers and criticizing was wrong—a point on which Swain was very self-aware.The trio's discussion came to an end with the appearance of the Custodians. The Emperor had finished talking with Jonson; next, the Primarch brothers needed to get to know each other and build rapport.What puzzled everyone was that they did not see the mysterious brother who had returned with the Emperor. The Emperor only said that Angron was injured and needed to recuperate for a period before meeting them later. After introducing Corax and Mortarion to Lion El'Jonson, the Emperor summoned Swain alone."Angron has been nailed?" This was the first sentence Swain said when he met the Emperor alone."It's not a big problem; I've already removed that damn thing," the Emperor said nonchalantly, as if he had done something insignificant.