Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

"Robert."

"...I'm here, Ms. Euton."

"Say: How will your brothers boast about you behind your back?"

"...Cough cough cough cough!!!"

——————

"Why do you think so, Ms. Euton?"

The Lord of Macragge took out a tissue from the side of the desk, wiped his lips, and did not forget to glance at the document he was correcting and the handwriting he had just left: after making sure that the brief gaffe had not caused any damage, After any actual losses, the uncrowned king of Great Ultramar dared to muster the courage to look at his adoptive mother with a few rays of resentment.

The adoptive mother of the original body, the most noble lady in Macragge, realized after a brief moment of surprise that her words seemed to have caused trouble to the original body: an apology accompanied by an embarrassed smile appeared on You. Ms. Dayton's face is no longer young.

"Did I say something wrong, Robert?"

After saying that, Ms. Euton first poured a glass of water and placed it in Guilliman's hand. Then she struggled to drag the rather heavy chair under her buttocks and leaned forward so that her arms could rest. It can be propped on the table to support the chin, so that the lady's gaze can go straight into the primarch's pupils: in that gaze, there is a kindness that has not changed for decades.

Fortunately, decades ago, in order to take into account the obvious size gap between the Primarchs, the Astartes warriors, and mortals like Lady Jotun, Guilliman ordered that almost all the humans on Macragge be replaced. All office facilities have been modified accordingly: for example, the desk he is using at the moment adopts a mountain-like design. The original body himself can be in the middle part of the desk, and the higher one [ He sits at his desk and writes on the mountain peak, while his mortal advisors or relatives and friends can also use the lower [mountain foot] on both sides.

If this were not the existence of such small details that are close to the people, it would be difficult for a mortal like Ms. Yuden to work with Guilliman: in the heart of the Lord of Macragge, such people-friendly measures are one of the few that can make people happy. It was something he felt truly "proud" of, and he even recommended such a "change" to his blood brothers with fiery passion.

As for the result of this, it is not too bad: Horus, Sanguinius and Fulgrim all expressed their gratitude to Guilliman in the most elegant language, and they swore that they Will consider the suggestions of the Macragges, but also insinuate Guilliman's other intentions in the reply, because no one believes that the Lord of Five Hundred Worlds would specifically contact his brothers because of such a trivial matter.

Dorn's actions were more characteristic of the Imperial Fists: in his reply to Guilliman, he made it clear that he would take his brother's advice, and his tone was so blunt that it made the Primarch of the Ultramarines feel like he was reading a copy of It was a tough announcement from the War Council, but under this tough reply, Dorn gave something else. It was a draft of furniture specially designed based on Guilliman's suggestions. The Lord of Five Hundred Worlds is now This desk was designed according to the draft given by Dolan.

Among the other brothers, Vulkan, Jaghatai Khan, and Leman Russ all responded insipidly, but Guilliman heard that his suggestions received the most thorough response among these legions. It was implemented; but Ferrus, who had high hopes from the Lord of Macragge, his response, together with Guilliman's letter, disappeared like a mud cow into the sea, and the Iron Hands Legion did not change at all.

As for Morgan...

Thinking of this, Guilliman had to cough.

He did not send Morgan this kind of advice aimed at being close to the people. After all, the inspiration for this advice came from when Guilliman received a delegation from the Dawnbreaker Legion and observed the details of the relationship between the Dawnbreakers and the mortals in the delegation. Refined: He believes that the Far East Frontier must do better than him in this regard.

The Macragge has never been ashamed to admit the excellence of others, but he also does not expect that others will discuss his merits: after all, although compared to Guilliman's coordinating ability, his political sense can be said to be low. Horrible, but not entirely impossible.

Guilliman was well aware of the fears that some of his brothers had about him. He chose to turn a blind eye, but he would not be like his adoptive mother, who naively believed that there would really be a Primarch who would boast about him behind the scenes. .

Um……

Maybe someone like Horus or Morgan would praise him, Sanguinius probably meant it, Leman Russ would laugh at him vulgarly, and as for Dorn, he might praise Guilliman's professional abilities. , but will also immediately criticize his [attitude issue].

And others...

Once again, Guilliman coughed slightly to relieve the embarrassment. He took the drink from his adoptive mother with his free hands. That brain was enough to handle all the political affairs of the entire Grand Ultramar sector and the Ultramarines Legion at the same time. , had to concentrate all his attention to deal with the expectations in Ms. Youton's eyes.

Just like any ordinary mortal mother, the adoptive mother of the original body always has an inexplicable pride for her child, believing that he can do the best in any aspect, whether in [career] or [relationship] : When Guilliman was young, this pride from his mother would make the original body proud, but as he grew up, this pride would often become a rather subtle burden.

Just like now, although Ms. Euton sincerely wants to know what she said wrong, Guilliman certainly cannot directly refute his mother: admitting that the relationship between himself and his brother is very bad in front of his adoptive mother is It was a very disgraceful thing, something that even Guilliman, who considered himself humble, found difficult to accept.

Therefore, facing the sincere gaze of his own adoptive mother, the Primarch only hesitated before thinking about speaking.

"Ma'am, why do you think that my brothers would boast about me behind other people's backs: I mean, it's unreasonable for a person in our position to talk about another person of the same position behind his back. It's very, very disrespectful and very taboo."

"taboo?!"

Ms. Euton's voice was slightly higher pitched, even a bit shrill.

"What is taboo? What is [people of your status]? You are brothers and sisters, and the blood from the same father is inherited in your bodies: Yes, if it is in front of other people, in your In front of warriors and your people, you should indeed emphasize your status and what kind of person you are, but if you are in front of your own blood brothers, you still have to use words like "taboo" and "person" , it would be too sad to distinguish, my Robert."

Ms. Euton spread out a hand and frowned. Her words were like a gentle sword that made the Primarch unable to resist. Then, the Primarch's adoptive mother seemed to think of something and smiled back. On to her face.

"Think about it, Robert: while I haven't met most of your brothers, I have met Morgan. She was Macragge's most distinguished visitor ever, and I believe she represents you in some sense. Family, no matter from which perspective, Morgan is a friend worthy of your heart, isn’t he?”

"Think of your cooperation, think of the freighters plying between Avalon and Macragge: if Morgan had not boasted of your stewardship of Ultramar before her people, How can these two places be so close as brothers now?"

"……All right"

"Morgan...is special."

Guilliman rubbed the corners of his eyebrows with a headache. In his hand, he still held the drink: In order to prevent himself from showing more gaffes because of Ms. Euton's next words, the Primarch decided Wait until the conversation is over before enjoying the drink.

Now it seems that this is an extremely correct decision.

The Primarch sighed in his heart: he could only sigh in his heart.

here we go again……

Guilliman didn't know what to say.

Ever since that extremely successful diplomatic visit more than ten years ago, the word "Morgan" seemed to have omnipotent magic in Ms. Euton's mouth: for more than ten consecutive years, the close relationship between the two The exchange of letters and the increasingly prosperous trade routes between Avalon and Macragge have made this magic not only not dissipate with the passage of time, but also become thicker and stronger.

To this day, even the Primarch himself is restricted by this word. After all, it is impossible for Guilliman to invite a brother like Jonson or Mortarion to personally demonstrate to his adoptive mother [original Body Family】The actual situation: Morgan is the exception.

Just like he couldn't spread out the political map of the entire human empire and tell his idealistic adoptive mother clearly: From a macro perspective, the current closeness between Avalon and Macragge is wrong. They should treat each other as enemies, so that the big shots on Holy Terra can feel at ease.

Guilliman can't do this, he can't do this to his adoptive mother, nor can he do this to the Ultramarines or the people of Macragge. The narrow-mindedness in his heart that is trapped in the Ultramar region is also at this time Trouble: After all, for the Five Hundred Worlds, the current situation where huge benefits are generated due to misunderstandings and mistakes is the best result. Not even Guilliman himself can break this result with his own hands.

Thinking of this, Guilliman couldn't help but feel extremely ashamed for his selfish behavior in this matter: he knew very well that in the Emperor's original plan, Morgan should be positioned as the bridgehead to contain the Five Hundred Worlds. In the current friendship between the big political sectors, the political pressure Morgan has to bear must be countless times greater than that of Guilliman, but the Lord of Avalon has never complained to the Macragges.

The thought of his sisters suffering at the hands of the Emperor, not to mention his unsuspecting adoptive mother, would have stirred the Primarch's heart and wracked his conscience with agony. I always like to praise this sister in front of him, reminding him of his selfishness in this matter in disguise: think of this. The Macragge, who was immersed in the "imperial political whirlpool" he had imagined, not only showed a painful expression.

It's just that the original body was well hidden. When Ms. Yuden's eyes flickered like stars, she turned back again. Guilliman had already shown a decent smile while responding to the idealistic words in his adoptive mother's mouth. Fully affirmed.

"Yes, madam, I also believe in the beautiful future between the Five Hundred Worlds and Avalon. The ideas on paper are being built into reality step by step by our own hands, right: You should still remember that my sister The second visit to Macragge is about to take place, and not long after, if the time is correct, the Dawnbreaker's fleet should have arrived at the edge of the Five Hundred Worlds by now."

"Of course I won't forget it."

Joden laughed, with Guilliman rarely seeing such genuine joy in her.

"As early as a few months ago, the entire city of Macragge was preparing for this visit. The lights in the buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce were not extinguished. I was also counting day by day when Ms. Morgan arrived. time.

The primarch's adoptive mother smiled, and then winked playfully: that was activity that did not belong to her age.

"But having said that, Guilliman, I think of a question: I heard those officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that you don't plan to welcome your brothers in Macragge?"

"Yes."

The primarch nodded.

"I intend to meet them in the emerging industrial world [Cauth], which is an important hub on the main trade route between Macragge and Avalon, and it is growing extremely rapidly because of this: nowhere is it better than Calth. It is more appropriate to serve as the starting point for this visit. The results of my more than ten years of sincere cooperation with Morgan will be most perfectly reflected in Cowes."

"Indeed, Cowes is very good."

Yudun nodded with satisfaction.

"Although at Morgan's request, the welcoming ceremony on Macragge cannot be as elaborate as last time. There will be no grand military parade and titans standing side by side, but this means that we need something more elaborate. Means: Calth is very good, I remember it was a miraculous industrial world with vast wilderness and lush forests at the same time.”

"Then, do you need me to accompany you to the ceremony, Robert?"

"...No, no need."

The primarch paused.

"Macragge still needs you to be in charge, Ms. Euton, not to mention, the welcome ceremony on Calth will not last long: Morgan and I will return to Macragge in the shortest possible time, about ten to fifteen With Morgan here, the voyage in the subspace will be smooth sailing."

"Isn't that too rushed?"

Yudun conveniently picked up the Ministry of Foreign Affairs document in front of him.

"After all, according to the documents sent from the Far Eastern Frontier, there will be another Primarch: I remember it was Conrad, visiting together. This is the second noble person Macragge will welcome. Guest of the Primarch."

"..."

Guilliman didn't reply, but his fingers wrapped in steel gloves were already clenched together, making a creaking sound: Ms. Euton was unaware of all this, she was immersed in the thought that her son would be with another child. In the joy of meeting blood brothers.

"If my memory is correct, Robert: Did this Conrad ever fight alongside you? I remember it was the Osiris expedition a long time ago. At that time, this Conrad had just returned to the empire."

"……yes."

Guilliman forced a smile on his face to cover up the haze in his heart: there were some things that the Primarch would never reveal to his adoptive mother.

For example, the reason why Guilliman chose Calth instead of Macragge to meet Morgan and Conrad for the first time was not only the political considerations he mentioned before, but also some personal emotions. Reason: Although Morgan vowed in the communication that Conrad had changed his ways, the Lord of Macragge still insisted that he would never let this crazy brother set foot on the horse until he saw the change of Midnight Ghost with his own eyes. The land of Kulag would never let him get close to his adoptive mother.

After all, the unhappiness before the Osiris expedition was still fresh in his mind, and the Lord of Macragge remembered very clearly: During the battle with his brother, Conrad once made some very dangerous remarks about Ms. Euton, although He didn't believe that his brother would really point his sword at Ms. Yuden, but when it came to his adoptive mother, the Lord of Macragge was unwilling to take even the slightest risk.

As for Konrad's other misdeeds, such as the black history that almost led to a war between the Ultramarines and the Dawnbreaker Legions, Guilliman claimed that he had forgotten it several times, but in the heart of the Primarch, he must have There must still be some grudge.

He, Guilliman, is not a clay man: the clay man is actually quite angry.

Dealing with his adoptive mother with a decent smile, the original body's thoughts had already flown to Calth, and to the issues related to Morgan and Conrad: the Lord of Macragge knew very well that he could not discuss the issue of Midnight Ghost. , too in-depth study. After all, the Lord of the Eighth Legion and his legion have obviously been incorporated into the system of the Far Eastern Frontier in some way. If he pursues the mistakes Conrad made before, If he hits hard, it will undoubtedly affect his friendship with Morgan and the close cooperation between the two major political sectors in the east of the empire.

so.

He might shake Conrad's hand: but his other hand would be clutching the sword.

He may salute the banners of the Night Lords: but that doesn't mean he respects these Imperial executioners whose hands are stained with blood and who leave behind only wails, wreckage and ruins.

He might allow the blood-stained boots of the Midnight Haunt to tread upon Macragge's soil, but he would not allow him access to Lady Jotun. He would not let him reveal his horror and absurdity to any Macragge.

He is Robert, the son of Lady Euton, and a friend of Morgan: but if it is for the good of Ultramar, for the sake of his people and his adoptive mother, he does not mind becoming the Guilliman that some of his brothers call him. .

He doesn't mind.

Never forgive Conrad.

…

…

He wouldn't forgive Krader.

…

Maybe, not.

…

After all, what fool would give a madman a second chance?

——————

"..."

"I guess I wouldn't mind giving Conrad a second chance, Morgan."

Guilliman lowered his head, muttering in a low voice while constantly flipping through the report about a world in his hand: On the cover of the copy, the large characters "Nostramo" were written in High Gothic. of gleaming.

The Primarch first looked at the staggeringly rich resource reserves in Nostramo and the Ghoul Stars. He briefly scanned them and did not stay for too long: for the rich and powerful Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds, Said, these figures are not enough to go to his head, nor enough to attract his attention.

What really interested Guilliman was the second half of the text, which dealt with the concept of reforming the entire Nostramo system and its actual implementation: because this was a document handed over by Morgan himself, Markkula The Lord of Grid chose to believe the authenticity of the document. In other words, in his impression, Conrad, who was still in the lunatic stage, was indeed using a cruel, ruthless, but also very efficient method to defeat him. On the originally hopeless home planet, a simple but solid authority system was re-established.

Although this system did not fully conform to Guilliman's political vision: it was a bit too tough and rough, but the Macragge still understood the value of the words "adapt to local conditions", and he did not say much. .

What's more: if this proposal really comes from Conrad, it can only mean that the midnight ghost who has changed his evil ways in Morgan's mouth is real.

Thinking of this, Guilliman couldn't help but fell silent. He thought of the oath that no one knew he had made in his heart before setting off. He also thought of the real evil deeds Conrad had committed. He also thought of the real evil deeds Conrad had committed. When he first came to Calth, he saw with his own eyes the formation composed of the Night Lords that came down with the Dawnbreaker formation.

Those soldiers of the Eighth Legion, with their neat steps, serious eyes, and few words, completely lost the shadow of the bloody legion in the legend: of course, maybe all of this is just a disguise.

But compared to the shameless nature, even the disguise itself can be regarded as an improvement, right?

…

not to mention……

【……】

Standing next to Guilliman, the Lord of Avalon didn't say anything: Morgan just raised his arm and gently brushed away the fatigue from the dusty hair, while quietly looking at his own hair. Brother, she was not going to use her words to ask for forgiveness from Macragge for Conrad, and Conrad himself did not want her to do so.

Besides...

Seeing Guilliman slowly closing the document, as if it was of great weight, and sighing for a long time, a smile crept up the corner of Morgan's mouth: just like she thought, no matter what, Robert is still Robert. It is difficult for him to become the hard-hearted Guilliman as he imagined.

At least, not now.

"..."

In the smile of the Lord of Avalon, the Macragge once again glanced out the window: Calth is a beautiful world worthy of praise no matter what, even if it is the honor guard of the three legions of the Ultramarines, Dawnbreakers and Night Lords Walking on this land does not destroy the original harmony and tranquility of this world at all, just like those industrial buildings that stand one after another.

Whether it is the farthest wilderness, or the prosperous city a little closer, or the soldiers of the three legions standing silently on the training field at their feet: tranquility and peace, development and strength, these three elements are like this They are cleverly combined to weave the most vivid scene of the Great Crusade.

When anyone sees this scene, they won’t have too much resentment in their hearts.

Especially Robert.

"..."

Guilliman laughed.

"where is he?"

【More inside. 】

Morgan rubbed his neck.

【Do you want to meet him? 】

"..."

Macragge closed his eyes. Maybe for a moment, he really wanted to be the hard-hearted bastard in his imagination. However, the innocence and compassion of the idealist were so noble that now The dazzling emotions that even Morgan could not adapt to finally rose up in Guilliman's god-like face, like the sun, rising unstoppably.

Just a tiny bit of hope, just a tiny bit of possibility to move towards a better place, was enough to make him forget the darkness of the past, enough to make him choose to believe again: perhaps, this is the most admirable thing about Macragge people.

Everything finally melted into the sigh in Guilliman's mouth.

"anyway."

"We're still brothers, aren't we?"

【……】

Morgan laughed.

【certainly. 】

[Of course we are brothers. 】

[Trust me, Guilliman: Conrad has realized his mistake, and he even prepared an apology gift for you. 】

"..."

Guilliman smiled bitterly.

"A share of [hard work]?"

【No. 】

——————

"It's a labor of love."

"..."

"Indeed, it is a labor of love."

When the Lord of Macragge walked into the room specially prepared for him for the first time, even with Guilliman's powerful multi-threaded brain, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment: the reason for his daze was In the very center of this large room.

The only piece of furniture in this room is placed there: it is a square table in the shape of a staircase, used for exhibitions, and on every corner of the square table, people have carefully placed one after another. small gift.

"..."

Guilliman's breathing was a little heavy. He wanted to walk faster, but he had to suppress his inner excitement to prevent his heavy steps from knocking down these small gifts: When he walked to the table, the Primarch I almost couldn't wait to pick one of them up.

This is a chess piece, or in other words, this is a lifelike villain. Although it seems to have no practical value, the Lord of Macragge, who has a superb memory, can tell the identity of this villain at a glance: This is exactly A certain elite veteran under his command, and whether it is the posture of wielding the war blade or the scattered orc remains that were similarly carved around him, they all reveal that deep in Guilliman's memory, there is something about this ultimate Warrior elite veteran, the most profound memory.

This is a chess piece that has been carved with great care. Every texture detail on his body has been handled extremely skillfully. The various colors of the armor are even and standard to the point where even the Primarch can't find a fault. Even the roaring face seemed to have real drops of sweat dripping down: Guilliman estimated that even he would have to put a lot of effort into making such a realistic flag. Next A lot of hard work.

Guilliman remembered clearly: this elite veteran was once one of the benchmarks for the Ultramarines Legion's external propaganda, and the content of that propaganda was a war against the orcs. The veteran looked like a chess piece, wielding a war blade. Cut off the head of the orc warlord.

Apparently, someone silently memorized the content of this propaganda and used it as a template to carve out this chess piece.

"..."

Thinking of this, the Lord of Macragge put down the chess piece almost with respect, and looked at other places on the table: This chess piece was huge enough to serve as Guilliman's own bed. The chess pieces were fully occupied, and with just a slight glance, the original body discovered that these chess pieces were all veterans of the Ultramarines who had made great contributions, and they were all propaganda materials used by the Ultramarines.

Some of them are highly publicized. Some of them were only mentioned in some reports, but in any case, their fighting scenes were vividly depicted and displayed here: Obviously, the person who carved these chess pieces not only carefully collected them I have read all the promotional materials of the Ultramarines over the years, and even spent a lot of time carefully trying to figure out the psychology of these warriors when they were fighting, and the possible scenarios that existed at that time.

From the veterans fighting at the grassroots level, to think tanks and technical sergeants, company commanders and chapter leaders, even those war engines, flying units, and even the Knight mechas and Titans who have made extraordinary contributions, all the chess pieces stand like this. On the table, if they survive, they will be enough to withstand a high-intensity war.

"..."

Guilliman watched all of this quietly, letting time pass by minute by second. He carefully looked at the details of every chess piece, looked at the family crests on the knights' armor, and looked at the veterans of the Legion. Traces of honor since the Terran period: there was no error anywhere, even if there were slight discrepancies with what Guilliman remembered, but after comparison, the Lord of Macragge discovered that the error was actually Own.

So, in the end, Guilliman just watched it all quietly, quietly looking at these lifelike works of art, showing the entire history of the Thirteenth Legion so vividly in front of him: Before this , even the most glorious memorial on Macragge seems unable to do this.

"..."

For a moment, the Primarch didn't know what to say. When he finally opened his mouth and uttered the first sentence, it was a pathetic question that made Guilliman himself want to laugh at him.

"How many are there?"

There was no desire for an answer. This was just a sigh from the Primarch. However, almost the next second, in the shadow of the room, accompanied by the sound of elegant steps, the man who in Guilliman's memory was only crazy was now calm. The voice that amazed him calmly answered the Macraggean.

"Five hundred."

"Five hundred, exactly."

"..."

Slowly, the primarch turned around.

He saw the Nostramo man, who was clean, elegant, and showed a decent smile towards him, completely in line with the demeanor of a son of the emperor...

Conrad.

"..."

The original body was silent for a moment. In the Midnight Ghost's kind smile, he carefully observed the eyes from Nostramo: Conrad did not have any more cover, he just allowed Guilliman to use his best Carefully explore, searching for everything in his pupils.

He waited.

He replaced his words with silence.

Until a few minutes later.

Until the results come.

Until Guilliman sighed again and realized: at this moment, in front of such Conrad and such a gift of apology, he seemed to have only one choice.

A choice that comes from the heart.

A choice that satisfies everyone and makes Guilliman's heart no longer tormented by the past.

…

then.

He laughed.

——————

"..."

"Welcome to Macragge."

"brother."