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

Page 299

The wine in the angel's steadily held glass suddenly rippled.

[This is... a mud ring?!]

The angel's voice trailed off for a moment as he saw a crudely made mud ring, its surface simply bound together with a bone plate resembling a stone, made of grass stems. It didn't even look like it could be worn—it was too fragile.

I'm just as shocked as you are.

The Wolf God spoke slowly, his voice calm yet slightly trembling.

My son,

Horus spoke, and the angel realized he was repeating the Emperor's words.

"This is a ring I made when I was a child. I used to use it to help me thread needles and mend clothes."

The Emperor said calmly that the dazzling light that had previously dazzled Horus had faded, and Macardo stood somberly behind the Emperor, his hood obscuring the old man's eyes.

"It was committed after the first murder."

The first murder in human history occurred when Neos's uncle killed Neos's father. From then on, the boy named Neos became the emperor. He killed his uncle and completed his first revenge.

“Lupecal, you and this ring were created after the first murder.”

The emperor's tone was completely flat.

"I'm sorry, I can't take you and humanity back to the time before that."

"Father?" Horus asked, trembling slightly. "I don't understand?"

Her cold eyes stared at him, a stark contrast to the smile she had given him when she handed him the gold ring; there was too much hidden sorrow in them now.

“You have been brought to a cruel world, a world where murder, revenge, and fratricide have occurred.”

The Emperor said, and Macado behind him swayed slightly, but Horus completely ignored the mortal who was staring at his father with confusion and unease.

"This was not my intention."

The emperor paused.

“At least after I saw you, my first son to be found, Lupecal, I realized that I was just as cruel as the world, that I commanded a child to face a world where murder had already taken place.”

Horus grinned, trying to make a smile.

[Father, I can bear all of this. I have led my legions to conquer countless worlds. I will not hesitate to use my bullets. I will ignite the flames of war—an extermination order is not a sin I cannot bear.]

The Emperor continued to stare at him, looking sorrowful, like a father unable to afford his child's journey, even though he had given him the entire legion of the galaxy.

"...I believe you can do all of this, Horus. Face it like I did, face this world, face the first murder."

The emperor continued speaking, staring at the clay ring. Horus seemed to see the ring shimmering with golden light.

"Rings are usually a type of jewelry that symbolizes wealth, power, and status."

"But in ancient Terra, it also appeared as a practical tool."

The emperor fell silent.

"I hope you can carry it with you at all times."

Horus paused for a moment, then carefully picked up the ring from the small box. He could feel an angel bowing beside him, silently and cautiously watching the clay ring.

The angel lowered his voice to a very low hue.

He may know what you're going to face, Horus—but he still chooses to believe in you.

Horus slowly turned the clay ring.

But... what will I face?

------

"The Empire's current force targeting psionic beings is the Order of the Silent, led by their leader, Hades. They are currently fighting the World Eaters in the Limitless Starfield,"

"Like the Imperial Guards, you can notify them, but you cannot directly command them; the right to assist in the battle is in their hands."

Macardo reported on the previously overlooked tasks with a blank expression, after the Emperor and Horus had finished their performance of paternal love and filial piety in front of him.

He watched as Horus pretended to listen attentively to the old man's words, but in reality, the wolf god's mind was definitely on the emperor, not on Makado's words.

Makado sincerely hoped that Horus would clear his head, which had been clouded by the Emperor's words, and understand why the Silent Order's report was the only one overlooked, and why it was emphasized after the Emperor had spoken to him.

In fact, apart from a few specific Primarchs, most Primarchs knew more or less about the existence of Warp creatures. Magnus was told the most, followed by Horus, while the Khans and Angels knew about the Warp without being taught and maintained the greatest vigilance.

Then there was Mortarion—Makado wasn't sure exactly how much Hades had told Mortarion, but he was certain that Hades, being the type who always spilled the beans, had basically said everything he could.

After Makado finished his brief report, the old man returned to his behind-the-scenes role with a somber expression.

The emperor coughed.

“Lupecal, you can seek help from the Order of Silence regarding matters concerning psionic beings and the warp.”

------

He also hoped that I would communicate more with the Silent Retreat.

Horus spoke,

The Order of Silence... its appearance, like that of its leader, was too abrupt.

Horus spoke thoughtfully, while Saint Gilles, standing beside him, exchanged a fleeting, ambiguous look.

The archangel stopped Fugen just now, hoping to learn more information. Mortalian obviously knows something, as does Loka.

The angel spoke softly, patting Horus's shoulder armor.

The deeper we venture into the galaxy, the more psionic beings we encounter. I think his intention might be to better eliminate them.

Horus lowered his head and continued to stroke the ring with his fingertips, recalling the soldiers in the Moon Wolf who had been possessed by warp creatures.

[Looks like I might encounter more psionic trouble in the future—you were just with Mortarion, my dear friend?]

The tips of the angel's wings trembled slightly.

Yes, I chatted with him, as well as Fugen, Khan, and Luojia for a while.

Horus sighed softly.

I hope he and Fugen are getting along well.

Saint Gilles silently looked away. Well, actually, Mortarian shouldn't have gotten along so well with Fugen—but then Luojia arrived.

Finally, the angel carefully considered his words.

Fugen seemed slightly annoyed by Mortalian's manners, but overall they got along well.

Horus laughed and then sighed loudly.

I know, angel, you've definitely hidden something from me—I should thank you for your kindness.

Are you very concerned about Mortarian?

The angel posed his question, which, given the angel's close friendship with Horus, was rather provocative. He glanced slyly at Horus, who laughed loudly but then shook his head helplessly.

I am the first Primarch to return to our Father, an angel who told me he hoped I would be a good brother.

You've always been a good older brother, even now that you're a War General.

Saint Gilles spoke gently, while Horus waved his hand dismissively.

The second Primarch to be recovered was Lemanrus. I still remember standing there, filled with rage—I couldn't accept that someone had barged in and stolen the Emperor's attention from me.

The angel silently encouraged Horus to continue, and Horus simply spread his hands.

But then... I discovered that Ruth wasn't what he seemed. He followed me into a room and then instantly stripped off his wolf skin.

Horus laughed, as if recalling something funny.

Honestly, I was taken aback, even terrified. But I quickly realized that my brothers were all adults, and I couldn't treat them like children anymore. So I started communicating with them like an adult, which really helped me get through that difficult time.

The angels laughed too.

[A calm and rational Ruth, I apologize,] Saint Gilles laughed louder and louder, the delicate chains on his wings jingling. [Perhaps only you have ever seen him in that form, Wolf God.]

"Yes," Horus said cheerfully, "I later realized that being the eldest brother allowed me to see a different side of you."

Shepherd God paused, then touched his ring again.

[The same goes for Mortarian. The moment I saw him, I knew he would be a big problem. His aura was too unique; he didn't carry much of a trace of civilization.]

Mortarian even seemed to have some farming experience, as evidenced by his skillful use of his large scythe.

This was truly shocking to Horus. A Primarch couldn't even survive on supplies given to him by others; he had to cultivate the land himself—not even hunt. A Primarch who hunted with a gun was far more acceptable than one who cultivated the land with a sickle.

The angel looked at Horus, recalling the scene of Mortarion mixing drinks just now.

Perhaps he himself is enjoying it... but I know you've developed a sense of responsibility towards him, Horus, isn't that right?

Horus lowered his eyes, gave a slightly embarrassed smile, and continued touching his ring.

Conventional communication methods don't work with Mortalian; he's very wary of malice and hypocrisy.

So you tried a less-than-mature way of communicating, Horus?

Horus nodded.

[I also feel guilty. I didn't expect Koz to suddenly erupt like this. It was my negligence. I could have sensed that Mortalian had just begun to trust me.]

The light in the angel's eyes flickered.

He cares a lot about that Death Guard, doesn't he?

These words immediately pulled Horus out of his emotional reverie. The wolf god straightened his back; this was also his ultimate purpose in turning the topic to Mortarion.

[I'm very curious, what exactly is the relationship between the Death Guard and the Silent Order? Angel, did you hear something?]

Saint Gilles shook his wings, and his expression turned serious.

I just happened to overhear quite a bit of that.

Saint Gilles said,

It seems our father is far more wary of the Warp than we thought.

--------

The Emperor stood there, silently watching the Wolf God's departing figure. Behind him, Makado's hoarse voice rose from the shadows.

"My Lord, do you truly love them all equally? Is the love you give to Number Sixteen completely equivalent to that given to Number Twelve?"

The Emperor's initiative to suggest that Horus should have more contact with the Order of Silence was not part of their plan; it seemed more like the Emperor subconsciously acting in Horus's best interest.

The Emperor remained silent for a long time before the Lord of Humanity slowly spoke.

“Lupecal… he is the one who is most like a human being.”

4.1k! 6k+ today, that's it, yay!

Oh, by the way, those two underlined sentences are the original text, not me being gay.

Chapter 362 The bystander sees more of the game than the player.

Inside the arena of the Devourer of Worlds, Hades suddenly sneezed, his hands holding the double axes paused, and he shook his head.

What's wrong, bro?

Standing next to Hades, Angron asked. Although he couldn't engage in high-intensity combat, Angron, who was always busy, could still guide Hades in learning how to use the battle axe.

Hades blinked.

"Maybe—someone is insulting me, I'm not sure?"

He rubbed his nose.

"Never mind that, let me show you a trick first."

Angron burst into laughter, then watched as Hades began to play with his double axes.

--------

Faced with a being stronger than you, someone you cannot comprehend, is your only option to submit and distort them into a god?

[Then can you explain their power, mercy, and magnanimity? How could mortals possess such power?]

Mortarian took a deep breath and took another sip.

Does having great power necessarily mean being a god? Have you ever seen anything filthy?