Warhammer: I don't want to become a stinky can!

Page 666

Angron laughed.

[You should teach him how to fake it, or perhaps your approval process is too strict.]

I don't deny Mortarian's superb forgery skills, but some of the traces are too crude—

Guilliman hesitated for a moment.

[It's as if it were written by someone who has never experienced political struggle.]

Angron cannot deny that

The Death Guard is a one-man show.

He said, at least for now,

He has some candidates to correct his mistakes... but I think the Mortarion's offspring are unwilling to forcefully oppose the host.

They both simultaneously recalled another Death Guardian who had claimed to have disappeared or died.

Killieman shook his head.

I'm very worried about him. Mortarian's condition is unstable after the explosion at Kadia.

It was obvious to everyone that Mortarian had become more extreme and unstable, and his psionic energy, like his broken and extreme thoughts, was unconsciously attacking everyone.

Guilliman heard even worse news from the joint briefing of the Assassins' Court and the Inquisition: on the Fortitude, Mortalian may have lost control and killed his offspring.

Out of caution and believing that Mortalian did not want others to know about this, Guilliman did not tell his other brothers, but simply sealed all the files.

However, Sevita, the Grand Instructor of the Assassin's Court who came to report, seemed completely unconcerned about the matter. Sevita's exact words were...

"It was just killing a few Space Marines from our own legion."

Coupled with the bat's characteristic cold laugh.

Angron paused, a bitter smile playing on his lips. In truth, the Lord of the Red Sand believed that all the Primarchs currently existing were mentally unstable: Saint Gilles was aloof and indifferent, Guilliman was overworked and anxious, Mortalian…

Mortarian's mental state was so beautiful that even Angron was frightened when he saw it.

The Lord of Red Sand strongly suggested that Mortarion stay with him a little longer, but Mortarion firmly refused, explaining that the Lord of Pale's reason was that Mortarion's current behavior was merely a result of unstable psionic energy.

He sometimes displays extraordinary calmness and composure, as if he doesn't care about anything; at other times he is extremely paranoid, as if everything is against him.

Angron hoped that Mortarion would give him a break and allow him to relax. After more than two thousand years, it was time for him to let go.

But... Angron gave a bitter laugh to himself. Under the starry sky of Terra, the Lord of Red Sand would sometimes wake up on the edge of dreams and reality, his eyes filled with crimson, as if he had returned to the day his gladiator teacher died.

I suggest—I suggest we go have breakfast now.

Angron shrugged and moved on from the conversation.

………………

【past】

【Storm Starfield】

[Motalian said he doesn't intend to see us.]

Angron leaned against the observation window, half his face pressed against the cold glass, staring with a hint of disappointment at the hive planet before them.

This is a rather prosperous hive city, serving as a diplomatic node between the Storm Starfield and the Empire. Within the two largest hive cities on the north and south sides of this planet stand churches that cover almost half of the planet's surface.

One side is golden, representing the state religion; the other side is dark, representing the religion of the underworld.

The Underworld Cult is a unique organization in the Storm Starfield, personally established by the Pale Lord.

Saint Gilles stood beside the seated Anglo, his brow furrowed as he stared into the darkness of the hemisphere.

Angron stared out the window for a while, then, feeling bored, turned his head and reached out to stroke the archangel's feathers.

I never imagined the cult of the Underworld would grow to this size.

Saint Gilles's vision was obscure; in the presence of a state religion, establishing a separate religion was a major taboo. However, with Saint Gilles's forgiveness, Mortalian still used the religion of the underworld to resist the infiltration of the state religion.

Are you dissatisfied?

Angron asked casually, picking at the golden chain among the white feathers with his hand. Saint Gilles probably felt itchy, and his wings twitched slightly.

I just...

Saint Gilles sighed softly.

I don't know how to face my brother; he hates me.

[Motalian is just like that.]

Anglong said, "Laugh."

Don't take it too seriously; he just has a grumpy face, but he's actually very caring.

To appease the angel, Anglon lied.

The last time they met, Mortarian's heart was uglier than his face.

Thinking of this, Anglon looked at Saint Gilles again. Saint Gilles' mood remained the same as always, like a fluffy and luminous ball of feathers, but now the light was slightly dim because Saint Gilles was in a bad mood.

Angron had already made up his mind that he would take this opportunity to stay in the Storm Starfield. Since Mortarion wasn't coming, he would go to Mortarion instead.

Mortalian disliked Saint Gilles and Guilliman, so Angron thought it would be better to spend some time alone with Mortalian.

He planned to talk to Mortarian, about anything and everything, as long as Mortarian came out of his fanatical paranoia, or rather, as long as Mortarian felt a little better.

From the very beginning, Angron realized that Mortarion was extremely insecure and felt that the whole world was against him, except for his comrades.

In response, Angron specifically sought out the origins of Mortalian, believing that his childhood experiences under his foster father led to Mortalian's mental deficiencies, and that subsequent events exacerbated his paranoia.

Even though Guilliman and Saint Gilles also have flaws, their personalities can still heal themselves.

Angron remained silent. After he fell into a deep sleep due to his battle with the Void Dragon, the other Primarchs had not paid attention to Mortarion's situation, and he was somewhat annoyed that he had not noticed Mortarion's abnormality before.

Saint Gilles sighed again, pulling Anglon back to reality.

I am not an unreasonable person... so let's see what this cult of the underworld he founded really is.

Prior to this, due to his status, Saint Gilles had never set foot in the territory of the Church of the Underworld.

Angron laughed.

I believe my brother and I will manage the area very well... after all, it's in the name of his former comrade-in-arms.

Angron once again gazed into the distance above the hive city. Beyond the gaze of the Lord of Red Sand and the Archangel, the Hades Cathedral, constructed of black stone, was dim and dark, while the black stone, which had long since been transformed into the psychic side, hummed.

Holding a scythe, the towering, deep statue of Hades was enveloped in billowing mist.

…………

【now】

Hades was silent for a moment,

"Old Mo, were you really planning to kill your own brother back then, or...?"

I was faking it.

Mortarian raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, but was unusually relaxed.

[Previously on Terra, I did want to kill Sanguis, but I couldn't defeat the alliance between Sanguis and Anglo.]

Killieman, who was standing next to them, coughed awkwardly.

After that, I realized what the Lord of Humanity truly wanted.

Mortarian opened one hand.

[It was too late. Even if the religion of the underworld had been established as the state religion at that time, the emperor, who had been steeped in powerful faith for thousands of years, was on the verge of collapse. The dam needed to release its floodwaters.]

If it weren't for the Primarchs' vigorous promotion of the state religion, Mortarion believed that an ultimate stress-resistant king like the Weasel could have lasted much longer, perhaps even ten thousand years.

Therefore, Mortalian subsequently acquiesced to the priesthood of Saint Gilles.

Hades felt a chill run down his spine for a moment.

"So, who exactly is Saint Gilles...?"

It is and it is not.

Mortalian said calmly, glancing instinctively at Guilliman, whose lips were tightly pressed together and whose face was clouded with gloom.

We've all overlooked one point... Saint Gilles himself possesses a strong duality; I think his essence is a duality of opposites. If you insist on asking, then I believe Saint Gilles's bright side has never deceived us from the beginning.

He disguised himself very well.

Motalian said,

I think... I might have seen another side of him beforehand, but at the time I only saw it as a symbol of his downfall.

Mortarian nodded to Guilliman.

Let's continue, my friend.

Yay, it's gone!

Chapter 702 [Killing]

"A remarkably advanced mindset and understanding of the version."

Hades commented as follows.

"...Do you need to rest now, Old Mo?"

Mortalian was clearly speechless. The Primarch glanced at Hades and exhaled mist from his gas mask.

That's a story from a thousand years ago... I've long forgotten it.

…………

What can Mortarion see?

Mortarian can't see anything.

Fog, fog, fog—Motalian's world is filled with a hazy fog. Sometimes, he is one of these ethereal and uncertain beings; other times, he is trapped here.

The road to reality is nowhere in sight.

But Mortarian knew he had to go back.

Unable to comprehend the arrogance of the fools in the Warp who had built a false god's altar capable of destroying human civilization, Mortarion's instincts had warned him beforehand, yet he was once again trapped in the shackles of the Warp.

Mortarian even began to miss Magnus.

Only the Primarchs who are familiar with psionic powers know what they are doing—they don't believe in numerology and never try to understand Mortarion's pronouncements.

If humanity does not want to be completely destroyed and transformed into a heavenly divine kingdom the moment its Lord of Humanity rises, they should act immediately to stop this catastrophe, not hasten it.

Ignorance.

Those who only look at the surface.

An angel in appearance versus a fly... Mortalian knew what people would choose, so he didn't need to say more.

Only the white mist flowed silently.

…………

[A depressing atmosphere.]

Guilliman spoke in a voice only the three Primarchs could hear, and led by the silent Soulless Ones, they moved toward the location of the Cathedral of the Underworld after visiting the State Church.

The all-black cathedral of the Church of the Underworld presents a cold and austere style, with sharp lines that reach towards the clouds. It can be seen that the designer referenced Gothic style while incorporating postmodern elements. The intricate patterns unique to Gothic style have been simplified and abstracted into just a few lines.

grand.

Every part of the church is enormous enough to overwhelm the senses, casting shadows on the ground as if it were a bottomless abyss.

Saint Gilles' long, golden eyelashes trembled.

He wanted people to fear Hades as much as they feared him, as much as they feared the Guardian of Death.

Unlike the much smaller Night Lords, who rely on human skin and flesh to create terror, the Death Guards' terror comes from their inhuman silence and grimness. They are like blood-stained monsters moving through the fields, appearing and disappearing in the mist.

Killieman nodded, then shook his head, and casually said,

I spoke with the administrators of this sect, and I had assumed it would be a more secular place.

The rather slick administrators sometimes made Killman even wonder if they themselves truly believed in the cult, or were simply there for the sect's perks.