The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Hearing the word 'Primarch,' Illyrian's shoulders twitched involuntarily. He then feigned composure, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and exhaled a long breath.

"I understand, Chapter Master Sorshyan. I won't ask any further questions. What I've heard today will remain buried within me forever. These matters are not for me to know."

Having said that, he placed the teacup on the table with a slightly trembling hand.

"I am merely an ordinary astropath. Why are you willing to share these things with me, even deigning to travel with me and take me to see things that may involve classified information?"

"Do you think I have ulterior motives?"

"I simply don't understand. What do you hope to gain from me?"

"Of course, it's you yourself."

"Me?"

"Having served in two Founding Chapters, you possess a deep understanding of the Astartes' behavior and culture. You are also a powerful psyker with leadership potential and extensive knowledge. Such talent is rare to find in the Imperium. I don't have many hobbies, but appreciating talent is one of them. Oh, almost forgot this."

Sorshyan stood up, walked to a small storage compartment, pulled open a drawer, and took out a delicate black-rimmed eye covering, which looked somewhat like military equipment.

"I know you don't want to undergo visual restoration surgery, but if you trust me, you can try this."

Illyrian took the item, felt around for a moment without sensing anything unusual, and then put it on his face. As the eye covering made contact with his skin, a silver streamer flashed along its edges, drawing out restraints to secure it.

Two seconds later, his vision, which had always been a grayish-white blur, began to sharpen like a focusing lens, with outlines gradually deepening and faint patches of color dancing at the edges of his view. This caused Illyrian to widen his nonexistent eyes in surprise.

Ten seconds later, he abruptly stood up, looked at Sorshyan, and said in disbelief:

"Impossible! Why can I see!"

Sitting in his chair, Sorshyan leisurely picked up a pastry, chewed it for a moment, then picked up his teacup and took a satisfied sip. Only when Illyrian reached out to remove the eye covering did he slowly say:

"You must turn it off before removing it, otherwise it will cause short-term neurological disturbances. There is a small bump at the corner of your left eye; that is the off button."

Illyrian raised his hand, but after a moment, he lowered it again and instead looked at Sorshyan.

"You are even more impressive than you appear in psychic visions, Chapter Master Sorshyan."

Sorshyan smiled and spread his hands.

"I couldn't help it. I once wanted to be an ordinary Space Marine, but fate, or rather He, shaped me into what I am today."

Illyrian then scanned his surroundings. He had originally thought he was in a closed, dimly lit cabin. He was puzzled by Sorshyan's peculiar habit of setting up a table for tea in a cold, sterile cabin, but this sight shocked him.

After a long while, he slowly sat back down in his seat.

"This isn't Imperial technology."

Hearing this, Sorshyan raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"All of it."

Illyrian pointed to the eye covering on his face.

"Including this. My optic nerves, in theory, have been completely burned out, and I have no neural interfaces on my body. Without medical treatment, there's no way I could see anything, not even with mechanical augmetics. But this... it doesn't even use nerves."

"Brainwave technology."

"Too light, too small, too incredible."

"This is related to what I'm going to show you. This is what it created."

Illyrian looked at Sorshyan and suddenly shook his head slightly.

"I don't understand. Why are you doing so much for me? I don't think I'm worth such an investment."

"Whether you're worth it or not, I know in my heart."

Sorshyan leaned back slightly.

"Since we've talked this far, I actually have a small question."

"Please ask."

"How much do you know about your parents?"

This question immediately silenced Illyrian. Seeing him lower his head and remain silent, Sorshyan didn't press him but continued to eat his pastry and drink his tea.

After an unknown amount of time, Illyrian suddenly reached out, picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and then said softly:

"My mother's biscuits were always what I considered the best in the world..."

Sorshyan didn't respond because he knew Illyrian had more to say.

"...She was once a noble lady from Badab, from a prominent and wealthy family. However, all of this was destroyed by the rebellion launched by the Tyrant of Badab. After her family was destroyed in the war, she was forced to wander to an obscure world on the edge of the Maelstrom. She was accompanied only by two maids and an old nanny. For a noble lady like her, who had been pampered since birth, life suddenly became very difficult. Although she brought some wealth, it wasn't much. She could only purchase a dilapidated manor and support herself by weaving and growing flowers. But this didn't affect her kindness and optimism. The extravagant life of the past didn't leave her with any bad habits, and she always educated me that way when I was young. Unfortunately, she only stayed with me until I was six years old before a disease took her life. That backward world didn't have enough medical technology to cure her."

After listening, Sorshyan raised his head slightly.

"Nastase was your mother's surname?"

"Yes."

The other party didn't mention his father at all. Sorshyan wasn't sure if his mother hadn't told him or if he didn't want to say, but he personally guessed it was the latter.

"You hate that person."

Illyrian didn't speak, just ate the pastry in small bites.

Sorshyan didn't press further. It was enough to know this much. The reason he valued Illyrian so much wasn't just because of 'bloodline.' From the development of a series of events, it seemed that Asuryan was the one who truly made a move on the Alexei family. Therefore, he wasn't sure if the First Phoenix had other arrangements. Plus, Orod's death was too suspicious. Sorshyan still felt that there might be some secrets hidden within.

Illyrian was likely the key to unlocking this secret, but of course, it had to be done slowly.

Just as the two remained silent for more than ten minutes, the cabin door suddenly opened, and Carnelian walked in.

"We've arrived."

Sorshyan and Illyrian stood up at the same time and turned to walk towards the exit. On the way, Illyrian asked in confusion:

"So fast? We shouldn't have left the star system yet, right?"

Sorshyan chuckled and raised his hand to signal the opening of the hatch.

As the surrounding scenery dissipated and turned into white walls, a rift slowly opened, and steps extended out.

Sorshyan took the lead and walked out. Illyrian followed him, but as soon as he left the cabin, his mouth involuntarily opened, and his breathing became rapid. When a ray of sunlight shone on his face, his expression, a mixture of shock, astonishment, and amazement, was extremely complex.

Sorshyan turned around and spread his arms.

"Welcome to Ghelan, the former pinnacle of human technological achievement!"