Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

Many times, Guilliman felt that he was actually a very hypocritical person.

In other words, very greedy.

As Archon of Macragge, Lord of Five Hundred Worlds, Guardian of Humanity, Primarch of the Ultramarines, and Son of the Emperor: these titles were all listed in his mind, in descending order of importance.

With these responsibilities, he knows that he must be greedy, ruthless, and accustomed to looking at most things in the world from a political and rational perspective: only in this way can he retain his expectations for the future and guide the direction of the Five Hundred Worlds. His dream future.

For that better future, he must be a villain now, a villain who works tirelessly to target all the knowledge, treasures and unknown opportunities in the human empire: and he is also very good at becoming such a role, his political skills and The cold code seems to be born for these atrocities.

Nothing makes Guilliman feel more self-loathing than realizing this.

But despite this, he also knew that he had to do this: he had to deal with the emotions of him and his blood brothers from a rational and political perspective from time to time, to tarnish those pure and flawless family relationships, for himself or the five Baijie strives for more benefits.

He doesn't want to do this.

But he must do it, and do it often.

For example: now.

【……】

The Primarch let out a long sigh and fell into a rare silence, thinking about how to tell his adoptive mother these dirty political dramas and the appropriate reasons why he had to be involved in them.

This is very difficult, no less than an extremely painful trial against one's own heart and conscience: but the only thing to be thankful for is that Ms. Euton always has enough patience for her adopted son. When this respected elder When she sat there quietly, looking at the Primarch with her loving eyes, even the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds, whose heart was full of instinctive mania, unknowingly calmed down again and regained his composure. He developed the rationality and eloquence that he was proud of.

[First of all, I hope you can understand the premise of all questions: In this so-called warmaster election, there are actually only three more suitable candidates, namely Horus, Jonson and Ferrus, and they are all very good. Excellent, and possessing great talents that I can only dream of. 】

"You are too modest, Robert."

[This is not modesty, madam: I am simply stating the facts. Our genetic father has given each of us different energies. Although some people have overlapping talents, what I am good at is definitely not those tactics and strategies. 】

Euton listened quietly to Guilliman's conclusive words. She had no more replies or objections, and just nodded with a smile.

"So: I thought you would name more candidates, such as the archangel who is so perfect and holy in all legends, or the one you always praise so much. Dorne, and our reliable Lord Morgan: aren’t they suitable for the position of Warmaster?”

The Primarch was silent for a moment. He was thinking very seriously about every word from his adoptive mother. Please give the most authoritative answer he could.

[Sanguinius does have the fame and charisma to become a Warmaster. He is a character worthy of love, respect, and even admiration. His heart always contains purity and tenderness, but this is precisely the main reason why he is not suitable to be a war commander: he is suitable to appear in the sky on the battlefield, He is suitable to appear at the forefront of the army formation, but he is not suitable to appear in the command room where strategizing is needed. This is not because he is not good enough, but because he is not suitable. 】

[As for Dorn, his situation is the same. Even if you look at the entire galaxy, there is no one more trustworthy than Dorn: In the name of Five Hundred Worlds, if possible, I am willing to recommend him to become Holy Terra or even Horse The garrison officer of Kurag, because he will be the anchor of stability on any key front, there is no need to worry about the tasks assigned to him. 】

[But like I said, Dorne is also not suitable for the position of Warmaster. He lacks the communication required for this position and the kind of political compromise. Dorne will only make the entire Great Crusade a tense battle. Qi's performance competition forced each legion to maintain a long period of high pressure: from a long-term perspective, he was not a good choice. 】

[As for Morgan, she may be the most suitable person to become the Warmaster among these three people. In fact, if my sister shows some more interest or talent in the military, I am even willing to recommend her. To become a warmaster, because Morgan has the ability to coordinate the overall situation, handle multiple fronts and battlefields at the same time, and coordinate the relationship between various legions. This ability is very rare, even for Horus, in this regard It can't be perfect either. 】

[The biggest problem with Morgan is her character. Her character determines that she is more suitable to be an assistant, or a coordinator occupying the center of the network. She lacks the authority and seriousness needed by a war commander. She Her external image is too mysterious and too soft: look at the Daybreakers who were spoiled by her, and look at how Morgan treats her children. From the bottom of her heart, she is too gentle and lacks combat. The right kind of indifference and ruthlessness needed to be handsome. 】

[And this is the point where Horus has the greatest advantage. In terms of authority and influence over all forces in the empire, I am afraid that all my brothers combined cannot compare to that wolf-shepherd brother: Horus. Having dominated the Great Crusade with his Legion for a century, he had countless hours to carve out a glorious image and a reputation for generosity and ruthlessness. 】

"..."

Jotun listened, and she could feel her adopted son's heartfelt excitement, which showed that these words were Guilliman's real thoughts and not political speeches filled with decorative words.

"So, according to you, Horus is the one most suitable to be the Warmaster."

Guilliman paused and nodded reluctantly.

[Yes, from a practical and utilitarian perspective, Horus is indeed the most suitable choice to become the Warmaster: In other words, the position of Warmaster, from the moment it was born, is basically It can be identified as belonging to Horus. 】

"But in the previous unofficial statements, you obviously supported your brother named Ferus more. Although he didn't respond at all to your flattering actions, he was really indifferent."

At this point, Ms. Youton's face became obviously unhappy.

Guilliman rubbed his hands in embarrassment: he had to admit it. Unlike his great appreciation for Ferus, the Primarch of the Iron Hands had little feedback for him.

[Although I have always claimed that my steel brother Ferus also possesses the best military talent among all brothers: and I also think so from the bottom of my heart, but I still have to admit that when it comes to Warmaster In the election, Horus's advantage was so much greater than that of Ferus that it could be called a gulf. 】

[After all, my fearless brother did not realize that the position of Warmaster is not limited to the battlefield. He cannot rely on clear calculations, well-organized planning and the unstoppable tide of steel. Something to solve. 】

[After all, considering the current political system of the empire and the overall background of the Great Expedition, the position of warmaster is almost inevitably related to politics: in the current human empire, a man who can control the vast majority of military affairs The position of power naturally exists at the apex of the political system, and it has to meet the feedback and demands of the entire political system. 】

[Because power can be from bottom to top or from top to bottom. If you are at the highest apex of power as the war commander, if you do not have enough courage and means to tighten the cage of the entire political system, then You are very likely to be backlashed by this system, or even kidnapped or ostracized. 】

[Becoming a Warmaster means that you will inevitably come into contact with countless political undercurrents, and have to deal with countless forge worlds, imperial governors, Rogue Traders, Terran officials, and various local forces that I cannot list one by one now. Exchange what is needed and achieve win-win cooperation. 】

[And I doubt that Ferrus will be good at this, or that when Ferrus realizes what he has to face after becoming Warmaster, will he continue to do what he does now? Pursuing this position? 】

[Although I have no doubt about the ability of my brother, I still want to say that he has never shown his political talents or interests. He even doesn’t bother to govern his home planet. Here, In one respect, he is not as good as most of his brothers. 】

[So, although I am a staunch supporter of Warmaster Ferrus, I still have to say that there is a high possibility that he will give up halfway and give up the competition for Warmaster: and once Ferrus withdraws from this election, then No one could stop Horus' victory. 】

"Um……"

Yudun nodded.

"Then according to your words, Horus will definitely become the Warmaster?"

[I can only say that there is a great possibility that Horus will eventually become the Warmaster: the possibility is more than 90%. 】

"That's for sure: However, what does this have to do with you, or with the Five Hundred Worlds? Could it be that the victory of Horus will have any bad impact on the Five Hundred Worlds?"

【……】

Guilliman was silent.

He sighed.

[You can’t say that: Horus is my brother after all, and he is also the kindest and most considerate of all the Primarchs. He has the same rays of light as the sun. If he becomes the Warmaster, I will actually be happy to obey him. command and dispatch. 】

[What really worries me is another point: that is, Horus and Warmaster are too well matched. If he can fully mobilize his self-confidence and authority, I even believe that he can Use the full power of the Warmaster position. 】

"Full power?"

【Yes. 】

Guilliman nodded, his pupils radiating the ruthless light of a politician.

[As I said before, the position of Warmaster has been a thing with huge hidden dangers from the moment it was born: to put it simply, the scope of power of this position is really too broad. Due to the wishful thinking of my genetic father, the most primitive, crudest, but also the most powerful and extensive power. 】

[There is no constitution, provision, or mature system that can limit the authority of the Warmaster. As we know, the Warmaster's duty is to succeed the Emperor and continue to command the Great Crusade. 】

"That's the only thing?"

[Yes, although there are many different opinions, the core is only this sentence, and this is where the power lies: Politics is a discipline that pays attention to close combat. The shorter the words, the stronger the political dominance, because Short words often mean that there are fewer corresponding rules and regulations, and short sentences like this are basically general statements. Generality means monopoly, and monopoly means almost borderless power. 】

[My real concern about the war commander is here: this is a position with no institutional planning and no power restrictions. Its theoretical jurisdiction is really too broad, with no exact boundaries at all. Everything depends on this. Self-expression of job holders. 】

[Commanding the Great Crusade in place of the Emperor: The energy contained in this sentence, if fully unleashed, would be to create the second Lord of Mankind, which would allow the Warmaster to theoretically have power over all legions and the entire empire. , or even the entire galaxy, if the Warmaster himself can exert these powers. 】

[And Horus is precisely the candidate who has the ability, skill, authority, and even the ambition to fully exert this theoretical power. His becoming Warmaster is not only the result of popular expectations, but it will also be a catastrophe for the five hundred worlds. Potentially dangerous news. 】

"Bad news?"

As soon as these words came out, Ms. Youdun's originally calm pupils collapsed: this word obviously touched one of the deepest bottom lines in her soul.

Perhaps from the outside, Ms. Yodon is just the adoptive mother of the Primarch and Guilliman's internal lord, but in fact, she has a third hidden identity: he is Macragge and even the entire Five Hundred Worlds. A representative at the Primarch's side when necessary. She would speak on behalf of the entire Five Hundred Worlds, reminding Guilliman not to break his rule and promise to Ultramar because of his loyalty to the Empire.

This is a worry and a prevention of future risks: after all, Guilliman's identity is being constantly torn between the two positions of Lord of the Ultramarines and Lord of Ultramar. The former symbolizes the Empire of Man and the Empire. The emperor, a unified galaxy, and the possibility of Guilliman leaving the Five Hundred Worlds and heading for a bigger stage, and the latter means the entire people of Ultramar, and those rulers who are always worried that their rulers will be killed by the emperor. The Macragges snatched away by the Emperor.

As a pure native of Macragge, Yodon naturally supports the latter. In fact, she has no more favorable impressions of the Lord of Humanity: in her eyes, he is just a person who may take him away at any time. snatched away by his adopted son, a stranger from far away in Holy Terra.

And now, Jotun smelled a similar intimacy in Guilliman's words.

"Be more specific, Robert."

She couldn't help but urge him.

The Primarch rubbed the corners of his eyes in annoyance.

[How to put it, like I just said: Warmaster is a position with no theoretical power boundaries, and Horus is a person who can fully exert this theoretical power, that is to say: If Horus becomes Warmaster, there is a certain possibility that he will intervene in the internal affairs of the Ultramarines Legion and even the Five Hundred Worlds. 】

【after all. Although I have been claiming that Horus is my friend, I can still feel that he is somewhat wary of me. This mentality may come from the strength and continuous expansion of the Five Hundred Worlds, and in After becoming a Warmaster, this kind of psychology will definitely develop and grow due to the opposition of status and responsibilities. 】

[What's more, to be honest, my Cthunian brother is not a pure and innocent figure: he is keen on cultivating his own supporters in various legions. Just like the 19th Legion has completely become a commando under the command of the Luna Wolf, Horus is fully ambitious to use his power as Warmaster, but in the face of his ambition. The interests of Five Hundred Worlds may be harmed. 】

"Why?"

[Because as I said, the Warmaster not only has a military responsibility, but also has great political power. Although this power is invisible and invisible, it really exists. , is a deformed embryo produced by the current Songun politics of the human empire as a whole. 】

[Sitting in the position of Warmaster, Horus has a hundred ways to exert his influence on the five hundred worlds: these methods may not be too rough or even too obvious, but they are often subtle like this. means. It started to give me more headaches because I couldn't even find a formal reason to reject him. 】

[What's more, if you think about it from the perspective of the entire empire. Horus's decision can even be said to be correct. From his point of view, an existence like Five Hundred Worlds must be weakened to a certain extent: I think this is what Morgan will propose to me. The reason for the opinion is that after all, she also has a behemoth like the Far Eastern Frontier in her hands. At this point, our interests are the same. 】

"..."

Ms. Euton was silent. She had to spend a long time to suppress her shock and digest the huge amount of information in Guilliman's words: when he chose to speak again, her voice seemed a little hesitant. .

"This...everything you are talking about now is a possibility, isn't it?"

"If Horus becomes Warmaster, he may take action against the Five Hundred Worlds, but he may not do these things."

[Yes, what I said is just a conjecture and a hypothesis. 】

Guilliman nodded.

[But madam, as the ruler of five hundred worlds, as the Archon of Macragge, or as a politician, how could I pin these practical interests on the fantasy of a brother? This kind of guarantee is too vague to make people feel at ease. 】

[I must have some more practical means to protect the interests of the entire Five Hundred Worlds, and this is the main reason for my hesitation: In the last communication between Morgan and me, we talked about this topic, and she told me A solution. 】

When the Primarch uttered the last few words, he hesitated.

"tell me."

Youdun's tone has become a little irritable. This forced Guilliman to smile softly to appease his adoptive mother.

[Do you remember what I told you before, madam: there are actually three candidates for Warmaster. Apart from Ferus, who is very likely to withdraw midway, there is also Jonson who can become a rival to Horus. . 】

[Unlike Ferus, Jonson’s desire for a warmaster is extremely strong. Even if he knows the complexity of this position, I don’t think he will give up. 】

[The only problem is that compared to Horus, Johnson is really not suitable for the position of war commander. If Horus is a marshal who can coordinate the overall situation, then Johnson is a more suitable one to stand on the battlefield. The sword general on the front line is obviously weaker than our Wolf Shepherd in terms of overall situation view: this is one of them. 】

[Second: Compared with Horus, Jonson is obviously at a disadvantage in terms of accumulation of reputation and political means. He may not be suited to the political role the Warmaster is meant to play. 】

[Frankly speaking, if Jonson is elected Warmaster, my brother Caliban may give up the Warmaster's theoretically unlimited political power because of his character. Instead, he regarded it as a symbol of honor and an important reason to urge him to march towards a more bloody battlefield. 】

Yuden blinked.

"In other words, if your brother Johnson becomes the war commander, he will most likely not exert all the political rights of the war commander, but will continue to be a man who does not care about politics, or even care about the Five A pure military leader of a hundred worlds?”

【No. 】

[Zhuang Sen will also be concerned about the Five Hundred Worlds: No matter who stands in the position of Warmaster, the Five Hundred Worlds is a problem he must face, but it is different from Horus. Jonson will only prepare a large army, and when I may do something detrimental to the empire, he will kill Macragge at all costs. 】

[He won’t, or doesn’t bother to use the power of Warmaster to suppress me invisibly. That’s not part of his art of dealing with people: This is the biggest difference between him and Horus. If he is allowed to serve as Warmaster, I don’t need to worry about political pressure, and Five Hundred Worlds will avoid the possibility of a worse future. 】

[But the only problem is that for the entire empire, Johnson becoming the war commander may be a mistake. 】

[As for me, I have never thought that Zhuangson is suitable to be the Warmaster. If I recommend him, it will only be because of the interests of me and Five Hundred Worlds: not because of my relationship with Horus and Zhuangson. Between them, I was even more convinced of Jonson. This was a lie and could also be seen as an insult to Horus and Jonson. 】

[So, I am not sure whether I want to make such a despicable choice: maybe when Zhuang Sen knows that I chose him, he will be furious. After all, anyone with a discerning eye can see that I did not support Zhuang Sen. The reason why Mori became Warmaster cannot be said to be that I was impressed by his charisma, right? 】

"..."

Ms. Euton was silent for a while, then nodded slowly.

"So, for the entire human empire, Horus will be a better choice. For you and the Five Hundred Worlds, Jonson is the more suitable choice: Is this the dilemma you are facing now? Robert? "

【……】

【Yes. 】

"Then I have a question: Based on your previous description, you don't think Warmaster is a correct position that should be established?"

[It has hidden dangers. 】

"So, since this position itself is wrong, why did you let Horus be elected Warmaster? Horus will let all the power of this position be used, which will only amplify this mistake, and since Jonson If Jonson cannot exert his political power, he will minimize the impact of this mistake."

“A wrong choice is not necessarily an unsuitable choice.”

【……】

[This is a sophistry, madam. 】

[Although I think the position of Warmaster is a wrong decision, since it is an order issued by the Emperor, then I must abide by it: and make the best choice I can make, which is Horus . 】

"Even if it's wrong?"

【……】

【It does not matter. 】

"But it's true, isn't it?"

Youdun smiled, and after thinking for a moment, she added another sentence.

"And according to you, since Horus is so popular, it doesn't matter to him whether he has your vote or not?"

"You can choose someone who is more beneficial to you: is this all a political statement?"

"For example: Jonson?"

【……】

【……】

[You mean, Horus has so many votes anyway, one more vote than mine, one vote less than mine, is actually not that important to him, but I can make this a statement? 】

"Yes."

"Are you afraid of offending Horus?"

【……】

【……】

【hiss……】

[Does it make sense? 】

[Anyway, with or without my vote, for Horus...]

[It shouldn’t have any decisive influence, right? 】

I added some plot: remember to refresh it