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

Page 182

Chapter 213 is full of praise.

Inside the small meeting room of the Blade of Vengeance, a banner engraved with a wolf's head and a crescent moon, inlaid with fine gold thread, hangs down in a natural arc from the wall. A huge chandelier shines continuously. It is a bright and magnificent room, where clean white porcelain and gleaming gold complement each other, together creating the glory that belongs to the Shadowmoon Wolf.

"Please come in."

Horus's amiable voice came from the other side of the door. Abaddon opened the door for Hades, who was a rather large moon wolf. He stood tall and proud, seemingly trying to create an atmosphere, but unfortunately, this gesture did not have the desired effect in front of the truly big Hades beside him.

"grateful."

Hades whispered to Abaddon, who had opened the door for him, and then stepped into the room.

Horus was not wearing full armor; the wolf god wore short, platinum armor for training. The brightness of the room reflected off the armor, giving Horus a dazzling brilliance with every movement. A dozen fluffy, soft pelts lay quietly on the wolf god's shoulders, offerings voluntarily given to him by the subjugated civilization.

Compared to Mortarian, the scarecrow who doesn't care about his appearance and lets poison gas and oppression permeate the air, Horus is like a swaggering gray wolf with smooth, fluffy fur.

Hades prepared to bow—

"That doesn't have to be the case."

Horus's voice came, lacking his usual majesty but gaining a more approachable quality.

“You are a hero of this battle, so there’s no need to be so formal. These are just the formalities of ordinary officials. There’s no need for such formalities between brothers in the legion.”

In his interactions with Mortarion, Horus discovered that the Death Guardians generally disliked formalities, even the necessary ones. The Wolf God, of course, understood, just as some of his brothers considered them necessary respect and honor, while others completely loathed them.

Upon hearing Horus's words, Hades maintained his expressionless demeanor. It was best to remove his helmet when meeting the Primarch alone, so facial expression control was clearly essential at this moment.

"Thank you, my lord. I am Hades, the commander of the Death Guard. I have come on the orders of Lord Mortarion, the legion commander of the Death Guard, to discuss with the Shadowmoon Wolves Legion the various matters concerning the post-war affairs of Druun."

Mortarion remained locked in the apothecary, seemingly having developed a certain psychological aversion to the Lord of Death due to his previous contact with Horus. As a result, the matter was thrown out and randomly targeted by a lucky member of the Death Guard's management.

Hades, who was feigning death in the medical room, was "randomly" selected.

In some legions' discussions, if the Primarch himself is unwilling to come forward, other capable warriors within the legion can do it on his behalf; this is not unique to Mortarion.

Horus smiled, which was not a good thing for Hades, because Horus's smile was too inflammatory. The Primarch knew how to manipulate and exploit the emotions of others.

“You’re still too tense. Don’t be so reserved, Hades. Shadowmoon Wolves may not be as serious as Death Guards, but I think sometimes a more relaxed atmosphere is more suitable for warriors to come up with some radical ideas.”

Hades sighed inwardly. The cunning Primarchs were terrifying. Compared to Horus, people like Mortarion and Perturabo were more endearing; at least they wouldn't say such strange things.

"Thank you, sir."

Hades nodded. This wasn't just empty talk with Abaddon and the others; any conversation with the Primarch required mental effort and energy.

Moreover, Mortarion had just told Hades that he had sold Hades' information, so Hades now had to be even more careful.

"How is Mortarian? I remember he didn't look too good when I last went to the Endurance."

"Thank you for your concern, sir. Lord Mortalian is doing well, but recently he has been staying in his laboratory and is unable to go out."

To avoid confusion, Hades didn't mention it was a pharmacy.

Horus blinked thoughtfully. "I didn't expect my brother to have such a hobby. Let him focus on his research. He doesn't need to worry too much about this battle."

Hades breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, but then Horus abruptly changed the subject—

"This is all thanks to you, Hades. If you hadn't led the Death Guard into the main city, this battle wouldn't have ended so quickly."

Hades' smile froze.

Even though he already knew Horus had "watched" the recording, at this moment he still wanted to say, Mortarian, thank you the hell.

To be fair, being affirmed by a powerful person should make one feel genuinely proud, especially since the one praising Hades without reservation is a Primarch, a demigod of the galaxy.

In Horus's mind, no Space Marine he praised could bear such weight. They would be like little wolves with their heads held high, proudly puffing out their chests, and then recounting their deeds again, or using a seemingly humble tone to claim credit.

However, Hades did not react in this way; he remained standing there, and Horus even felt a sense of fatigue.

For Hades, this was really unnecessary. He wasn't the kind of person who advanced based on glory. Perhaps this was important to those warriors who often did hard work and went unnoticed, but for Hades, he didn't need it.

Even though Horus deliberately created an environment for bestowing honors, Hades did not truly immerse himself in it.

Hades was even starting to feel embarrassed.

"Thank you for your praise. This is simply a necessary measure. I haven't given it much thought. If this can end the war quickly, then I will do it."

Hades didn't say anything more, which didn't meet Horus's expectations, but the Primarch didn't show any impatience. Horus's expression became even more amiable.

"That's rare humility. I think Deathguard is very lucky to have a warrior like you."

"Haha, I'm even a little jealous of Mortarian."

The Wolf God clapped his hands and laughed, then suddenly looked at Hades with a mysterious air, "After all, special warriors like you are not common. Don't worry, I promised Mortarion to keep it a secret."

Horus certainly wanted to win over a powerful warrior. He admired them and never hesitated to praise them. Moreover, he hoped Hades would reveal more information himself.

But Hades was too restrained; for some reason, this Death Guardian possessed a deep-seated caution hidden beneath his surface.

Hades took a deep breath and greeted Mortalian again. Unfortunately, Primarchs remained invincible against attacks that escalated to the level of their ancestors. "Thank you for your understanding. I am indeed rather special, which has caused some confusion for both myself and the Legion."

Horus smiled at Hades, "Perhaps there are those in other legions who can answer your questions. Don't worry, you will meet them."

Hades, in truth, took most of Horus's words as attempts to win people over; Horus genuinely enjoyed admiring and recruiting warriors from other legions. Therefore, Hades automatically disbelieved Horus's words, dismissing them as mere empty promises from Horus after careful consideration.

In his understanding, unless it was the two vanished Primarchs, the other Legions did not have a deep understanding of the existence of the Untouchables.

What Hades didn't know was that his image had been completely distorted in Horus's eyes.

"hope so."

Finally, Hades said this, and realizing that his words could not substantially get Hades to reveal more information or make Hades feel more favorably toward the Moon Wolf, Horus quickly changed the subject to Druun.

Also, equal code

Chapter 214 I also praised

The post-war cleanup of Druon proceeded quickly, as everyone there was dead.

This psionic alien is more like a kind of swarm consciousness. After the main body dies, all the other subordinate aliens also die, and the puppet population it controls also dies directly, saving the process of being wiped out by the Legion.

Because this was a planet with a high estimated production value, the Mechanicus ships arrived almost as soon as the news of their victory spread. After a brief greeting to the Shadowmoon Wolves and the Death Guard, these thirsty sages eagerly led their frigates to begin a more detailed search and valuation.

In fact, regarding the connection with the Cult of Mechanics, after Horus learned that this was just a small forging world nearby, he decisively assigned these tasks to Abaddon. The Mourner was not only responsible for combat, but also for all diplomatic affairs of the Moon Wolf.

The Death Guard routinely sends out Hades.

Abaddon watched in disbelief as Hades chatted amiably with the sages he was connecting with. Throughout the meeting, Abaddon, as the representative of the Moon Wolf, barely uttered a word.

The sages naturally held a high regard for the master blacksmith who held a high position in the legion, but another possibility is that Hades's binary Martian jokes were well-received by the sages.

After the sages left slowly, dragging their scarlet robes with satisfaction, Abaddon blinked and stared blankly at Hades, who was about to get some refreshments.

At first, Abaddon thought Hades was a technical sergeant who had learned a skill by cultivating a close relationship with the Primarch. But after witnessing Hades's achievements, he realized Hades was a highly skilled warrior who also happened to be in charge of the Death Guard's forging department, since Hades' time studying on Mars was too short.

But now, he felt that Hades's technical expertise was not just nominal; this master foundry clearly had an extremely high level of mastery over the intricate and complex techniques of the Mechanicus.

Abaddon gasped. Moreover, Hades could also handle the Legion's diplomacy. Abaddon originally thought the Mourners were comprehensive enough, but now Hades was even involved in the Cult of Mechanics.

What a monster is this!

"Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Hades, who was munching on a snack, glanced at Abaddon. This moon wolf seemed to have become a bit dazed since the meeting began. But Hades was negotiating with the sages, so he didn't pay much attention to Abaddon.

The current Mechanicus's plan to transform this planet is to make it an agricultural planet, because the soil conditions are extremely good and the population is zero. It was originally intended to be taken over and turned into a garden planet, but this possibility has been rejected due to the parasitic aliens that have appeared on it.

Hades was wondering if he could get the Death Guard to take over the planet. Nobody was there? Nobody was better; it would be perfect to transport people from the giant hive world of Galaspa.

However, this means that the planet may be transformed into a more comprehensive agricultural planet. The Mechanicus did not originally support this proposal, but they were persuaded by Hades.

Of course, this had to be discussed with the Moon Wolves, but Hades thought the Moon Wolves probably wouldn't care. In his conversation with Horus, the Wolf God was clearly not interested in the planet; he was more concerned with the Death Guard, Mortarion, and Hades.

Moreover, when Hades was negotiating with the Cult of Mechanics, he noticed that Abaddon didn't raise many objections.

Hades subconsciously ignored the fact that the conversation he had just had with the mechanical sages was conducted via radio waves, which Abaddon could not hear.

When Hades asked him, Abaddon blinked as if he had just woken up.

"Hades," Abaddon glanced at Hades hesitantly, "So you had such a good relationship with the Cult of Mechanics?"

"I'm a master foundry worker, so naturally we're closer."

"and you."

Abaddon was speechless for a moment. Conversation was his forte, but seeing Hades eating so casually, he didn't know what to say. Is this what a strongman is like?

Abaddon was certain that if Hades were Shadowmoon Wolf, he would undoubtedly be the strongest person below the Primarch, and Shadowmoon Wolf would be reclassified into a new level of strength based on him. Even though Abaddon was confident in his abilities, he was still unwilling to admit that there might indeed be a gap in strength between the two of them.

This is not only about combat strength, but also about the ability to manage the legion in all aspects and social interactions.

"What's wrong?"

Hades finally finished eating. He patted Abaddon beside him. Putting everything else aside, Hades tried hard not to let his eyes wander to Abaddon's spiky ponytail. What he didn't understand was why such a handsome young man would have such a hairstyle.

But he couldn't very well tell Abaddon now, "Come on, get a new hairstyle, man, it looks awful," or Abaddon would probably challenge him to a fight to the death on the spot.

It's like he can't tell Horus now that you might betray the Empire, or that you shouldn't start any of those so-called warrior societies, and that you should remember to shoot both of your shots at Erebas—that's just nonsense.

Some truths cannot be spoken from this perspective, and others are unaware that they are the truth. The premise for him to tell the truth to Mortarian is that this elder brother trusts him.

However, he could try.

Hades crossed his arms, ruefully savoring the taste of the pastry he had just eaten. He had eaten it too quickly and hadn't really appreciated its flavor.

"Abaddon."

Hades suddenly blurted out a sentence out of the blue.

"I think you're quite capable in diplomacy. You're in charge of all the diplomacy for Shadowmoon Wolf?"

Abaddon was taken aback. What was Hades talking about now?

"I am in charge of a small part of the trivial diplomatic affairs, while Seganus is more responsible for the diplomatic affairs after the formal battles."

"Sycanus didn't come today."

"He's better at more formal occasions; I'm the one in charge of that."

Abaddon was annoyed. Hades was mocking him.

But to his surprise, Hades' eyes lit up, and he looked at him earnestly.

“Perhaps you should try diplomacy more, Ezekiel. I’ve had a pleasant conversation with you as the Death Guardian, but I just don’t quite get the hang of Seghanus.”

Seghanus, the rational one among the Shadowmoon Wolves, was the only one who could truly restrain Horus. He was ambushed and killed during a diplomatic conference on a mission to other human nations.

Seghanus was too honest. If it were someone like Abaddon, who was a master of reading the room and had survived a thousand years under the rule of the Four Gods in the original story without going mad, he would most likely have been able to see through the ambush immediately.

Hades looked at Abaddon with a smile, not at all feeling that his suggestion was inappropriate.

“Those sages just told me that your proposal was very concise, and they said they hope that the two of us will be responsible for the upcoming reports.”

Abaddon was taken aback; the sudden affirmation from Hades puzzled him. "To be honest, I don't think I made much of a contribution in the meeting just now."

"That's because you're not familiar with the facial expressions of those sages. Look, the left indicator light flashes twice when it means they're satisfied."

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Chapter 215 Contradiction?

The cleanup of Druun proceeded quickly, partly because it no longer needed to consider the small rebellious forces after the war, and partly because the various forces of the Empire were well coordinated here, not only in matters between the two legions, but also in negotiations with the Mechanicus. As for the Empire's administrative departments, they did not come; they simply released the tax details for the next thirty Terran years to the planet.

Because the planet is currently at a standstill in production, these officials have kindly exempted this year's taxes.

In the empire, only death and taxes are inevitable, and to some extent, these officials who rush to the front lines to collect taxes are also quite fierce.

In the Shadowmoon Wolf's conference room, Hades looked helplessly at the tax notice on the electronic screen, pondering how to apply for tax exemption or reduction this time. The Empire's official system was intricate and complicated, which made the approval of tax exemption applications quite troublesome.

Vox, Abaddon, and Seghanus were also struggling through mountains of paperwork. The good news was that these were also battle-hardened warriors, so Hades could now sit back and stare blankly at the screen with his arms crossed.

With a slight sound, the conference room door was pushed open by the servant, whose head almost touched the ground as he bowed. The large, platinum-haired man that Hades recognized walked into the room.

It is the Wolf Shepherd God.

The people in the room were about to stand up and pay their respects, but Horus stopped them immediately. As usual, the wolf god greeted the only two Death Guards in the room with that inspiring smile.

Perhaps because he hadn't managed to raise Hades' favor in the previous conversation, this Wolf God didn't cause trouble for Hades first.

"Is this Vox? I've heard Mortarian mention you before, a warrior who has improved rapidly. It's a pity I didn't see you on this battlefield."

Hades felt Vox freeze instantly. He sighed inwardly, "Don't let him get kidnapped, Vox."