Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

"That's right, brother."

"For me, at least for me now, all the rights and status in the world have long become a thing of the past. They are no longer valuable the moment they are obtained. Instead, there is a more glorious sense of mission, a strong desire to complete the supreme responsibility given to me by the Emperor and the people."

"Now, I only have one thing in my mind, that is, to stand my next shift, not to live up to the loyalty I once swore to the Emperor, and not to live up to the crown that is about to come."

"On this point, I think I can finally empathize with you."

"Empathize?"

This uncommon word finally attracted the interest of the Primarch a little. He removed the wine glass that had been printed on his lips, and his smiling eyes turned along with the misty silver thread. The perspective had to be slightly raised to see the always pleasant shepherd wolf god.

The Phoenix nodded.

"This is a flattering remark: Can I understand it this way, brother?"

"Of course."

Horus always makes people feel at ease.

"It's well known that I like to flatter others by acknowledging their merits."

"Oh..."

Fulgrim laughed, and his mood could not help but jump. The giant symbol of the Emperor's Children Legion, composed of pale golden wings and eagle claws, clinging to his right shoulder, left a small blurry shadow in the air.

"Although I realized it before: but you are really good at making people happy, Horus."

"Do I?"

The Wolf God blinked his eyes. His bright silver arm armor and gloves were decorated with the Imperial Eagle and the Eye of Horus. This was part of his exclusive special power armor. With the wolf skin that had accompanied the Primarch for decades, Horus's body looked a whole circle larger than Fulgrim's. The Phoenix's shoulder could only touch the giant eye on the Wolf God's chest.

But this did not prevent Fulgrim from naturally putting himself in a better and stronger position during the conversation. He would do this when facing anyone, and most brothers would not have any objections to this.

At least Fulgrim didn't find out.

"Of course you have: I bet at least three-tenths of your good reputation comes from this."

The Phoenix Army shook his crimson cloak arrogantly. Although they were talking, Fulgrim's eyes did not stay on Horus, but he kept searching in the queue of the parade ground below with a smile, waiting for his offspring to pass by, so that he could better observe their performance.

Of course, he was not worried about anything embarrassing, because he handed over the entire parade queue of the Emperor's Children Legion to Akudona for management: the head of the two hundred court swordsmen had prestige and influence second only to the Primarch. He was enough to sit in the Third Legion where many dragons were rising. As long as he was equipped with one or two calm and cautious adjutants, it would be a stable system that could operate on its own.

In fact, after the Legion returned to Chemos's territory, Fulgrim planned to set up such a dual system: even if he had no doubts about his ability, Phoenix knew that he could not handle all matters well. It would be a good thing to let Akudona lead people out to take charge of the situation as soon as possible, at least so that this court warrior could accumulate more experience and have some skills other than swordplay.

As for his deputy, Solomon looks good, and with Tarvitz, there are also those Terran veterans who Akudona boasted of their calmness and loyalty on weekdays, and send their people and companies to his command, so that he can use them more smoothly.

Fulgrim once considered whether to let Fabius join in, but Fabius himself refused this request. As for who would take on the position of Primarch attendant who usually followed behind him after Akudona left: Phoenix remembered Eidolon, who impressed him deeply.

He is a good officer: he should be able to fill the vacancy left by Akudona, and there will be no problem.

Phoenix nodded, and the more he thought about his plan, the more proud he became. He didn't even hear Horus' whispers. When he came to his senses belatedly, Fulgrim could only put on an innocent smile and pretend to look at the legions that had not yet entered the field, showing great interest.

"How long will it take for us to see the heroic figures of your Luna Wolves?"

This topic was very successful: Horus was obviously unaware of Phoenix's absence.

"Soon."

He calculated the time.

"Just behind the Dark Angels."

"Behind the Dark Angels?"

Fulgrim raised his eyebrows.

"Did your descendants know in advance?"

"I told them myself."

Horus seemed very calm.

"There are indeed some dissatisfactions. For example, Ezekiel and Torgadon, and even Aximander have implicitly expressed their resistance. It took me two nights to appease everyone and make them realize that this is not a big deal: Sejanus and Loken are helping me to watch it now, and there will be no problem if I leave it to them."

"Interesting."

Phoenix nodded, and he seemed to think about it for a while, and then a smirk slowly climbed up the corner of his mouth.

"According to your statement, you seem to have let it go a long time ago, brother?"

"What else?"

The Wolf God glanced at him, with a slight disdain in his pupils.

"We can't dwell on the past illusions, can we?"

"A heroic speech."

The Phoenix chuckled.

"Can I understand this as your victory declaration after defeating Jonson?"

"Not really."

The Wolf God's voice became cold.

"In fact, I talked to Jonson last night."

"You? And Jonson?"

"Yes, our Caliban brothers are more reasonable than you think."

The Wolf God lowered his head slightly, as if he was recalling something a few hours ago, his mouth slightly raised, and then quickly straightened.

"In any case, all disputes about the Warmaster have come to an end. Jonson and I have reached a consensus. If we continue to argue insignificant matters, it will only affect the responsibilities entrusted to us by the Emperor: not to mention that there is no conflict between us."

This sentence was said sincerely.

"Whether I become the Warmaster or not, I have never thought of ruling any of my brothers, and there is no deep-rooted rebellious sentiment in Jonson's heart: he even promised me the attitude of Morgan and Conrad, although I don't think his guarantee is very reliable."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think Ferrus can fully represent your attitude and views on a matter?"

The Phoenix was stunned.

Then, he stopped talking.

Fulgrim was silent for a long time, longer than Horus thought: the question of the wolf god obviously made him very uncomfortable. The Phoenix seemed to want to find a reason to fight back, but his silence told his inner thoughts.

"It's hard to imagine: you can also reach a peace agreement with Jonson?"

"We have never been at war."

Horus shook his head, but his straight chest told another thing.

"In fact, Fulgrim: once you start to take your responsibility more seriously, you will find that many things that were unimaginable before are actually so easy to overcome. In the past few nights, the Lion of Caliban is not the only person I have interviewed. I have learned to sit down and talk with many guys who avoid each other or even hate each other."

"You mean..."

"That's right: Malcador."

The Primarch spoke word by word, and the name of this mortal made him feel cursed.

"That old thing."

"The Emperor's most trusted servant."

Fulgrim whispered: This is also what most Primarchs think of the Sigillite.

"That's all."

The Wolf God snorted.

"Just like decades ago, the old bones are still trembling and weak, but the shrewdness and viciousness in his bones have never changed. Negotiating with him is like looking for a straw in a pile of needles: but the two of us finally talked about something and signed an agreement reluctantly."

"Disgusting."

"Let me guess."

Phoenix stroked his chin, his brows furrowed suddenly, because the military music that suddenly rose when the next legion entered the field steadily disturbed his ears. The military music arranged by the Lord of the Imperial Fist was indeed passionate and magnificent. For a nascent Galactic Empire, it was really suitable: if you ignore the heavy tone that was enough to deafen the ears of the Primarchs present.

"Are you planning to get some benefits for your Wolf Kingdom from Malcador?"

Phoenix had to increase the volume.

"Not planning to: I've already done it."

Horus sighed softly, and with just a little force from his palm, cracks appeared on the bluish-white terrace railing.

"If there was no other way, I really didn't want to say another word to that old dog."

"Is the situation bad?"

"It's worse than I thought."

Horus' eyes were cold.

"When my father handed over the entire territory of the Wolf Kingdom to me, he told me frankly that this was not just a reward, but also a responsibility and a test for me: in the years before Ullanor, I spent a long time and traveled every inch of the Wolf Kingdom. Facts have proved that what my father said is true."

"From the land north of the Great Whirlpool, it is all my personal fiefdom. This sounds really spectacular, but it is too barren: in the past few decades, a large part of the territory of the Wolf Kingdom was the main battlefield of the previous three Randan Wars and the subsequent Ullanor Orc Empire War. A large number of civilized countries and human colonies that originally lived here were directly turned into death worlds. Although the land is vast, the population on it is pitifully small."

"I have identified at least a thousand worlds that have been subject to extermination orders."

"Jonson is really crazy..."

"Okay: at least not all."

Phoenix nodded, indicating that he was very clear about Horus's current predicament.

"How does it compare to the Five Hundred Worlds?"

"In terms of territory alone, my Wolf Kingdom is more vast than Guilliman's Ultramar, but the population and civilization are completely incomparable, even inferior to Morgan's Far Eastern Frontier, which has never stopped being cultivated: this is why I have to find the Sigillite, and I must seek help from Holy Terra."    "Did you ask him for privileges?"

"To be specific: neglect."

At this point, Horus carefully observed Fulgrim's eyes.

"I hope Holy Terra will ignore some of my next moves."

"What do you mean?"

Phoenix frowned.

"Horus, don't tell me that you want to tolerate those mutants or other garbage that trample on the bottom line of the Empire."

"That's not the case."

The Wolf God quickly rejected it. His good reputation and persistence made Fulgrim not notice the waves flashing in Horus' eyes: the Wolf God actually reserved his attitude on this issue.

"I only reached two major agreements with the Sigillite. One is that in the future, once the rebellious worlds that dared to resist the Empire were sentenced to hard labor for generations, some of them would be exiled to my kingdom, and I would execute their punishment on behalf of the Emperor. Malcador agreed to this without hesitation, and I could even hear him breathe a sigh of relief."

"Of course he would: who wouldn't want a landfill that has nothing to do with him?"

Phoenix blinked.

"Perhaps we can also reach a verbal agreement on this, brother."

"I'd be happy to."

The Wolf God nodded.

After a moment's hesitation, he added.

"You don't need them to go back, do you?"

"..."

Fulgrim was silent for a moment.

"Of course."

He smiled.

"Who cares about them: what is the second clause you and Malcador agreed on?"

"As for the second one, it is to take into account the special nature of my fiefdom."

The Wolf God was somewhat pleased: the next victory was his proud work.

"One of the reasons why my father gave me the Kingdom of the Wolf was that this land is actually the least visited area by the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet during the Great Crusade. At least half of the universe in the Kingdom of the Wolf has not been hoisted with the double-headed eagle flag of Holy Terra. Countless pocket worlds and alien civilizations are hiding there, waiting for us to destroy or colonize."

"A huge fortune."

Fulgrim only briefly thought about the vast territory of the Kingdom of the Wolf: half of the land is open and unexplored, and the prospects can be said to be quite impressive.

"That's right."

Horus nodded.

"I told Malcador that I have full authority over these unexplored universes. Terra cannot ask me how I want to deal with them. I don't need to report to Terra what I have gained here and how I plan to use it: Makaro was a little dissatisfied with this, but after several negotiations, he agreed to my request."

"What is the price?"

"Taxes."

The Wolf God said it easily.

"He needs me, the Warmaster, to be a model for paying taxes to Terra."

"You know what I mean."

The Phoenix laughed, his eyes sweeping across the Salamanders that were walking across the parade stand.

"I guess Malcador is not optimistic about his prospects in the Maelstrom."

The Phoenix Lord did not notice the slightly narrowed eyes of the Wolf God.

"The Maelstrom, you always mention: what happened there?"

"Nothing."

Fulgrim waved his hand.

"If nothing unexpected happens: Malcador's agents or Guilliman's Ultramarines will probably bleed. At this point, neither side is willing to retreat, and we can't find anyone who can mediate between them."

At this point, Fulgrim seemed to suddenly think of something.

"Hey, wait..."

He looked at the Wolf God.

"Horus: You seem to be very suitable to talk between them."

"Don't be kidding."

The Wolf God quickly stepped back.

"I don't even know what happened in the Maelstrom."

"That's right."

Phoenix's interest faded, and he sighed.

"In fact, you should make some friends in the Maelstrom, Horus. The geographical location of the Maelstrom is quite important. It might be good for you to have a friend to talk to you about things here. After all, we are the Primarchs, and our promise is enough to gain the sincere friendship of mortals."

"Yes."

The Wolf God responded casually.

His pupils were glowing.

In the next few minutes, the two Primarchs did not speak. They watched the Salamanders' phalanx pass by in silence. The dark faces made them feel unfamiliar. But the Wolf God, who was more familiar with the Lord of Fire Dragons, was keenly aware that there were many new faces in the phalanx that he was not familiar with.

"Are the Salamanders also expanding their army?"

"It is said that it is related to Vulkan's governance strategy for his fiefdom."

Phoenix is ​​very clear about this: the Salamanders are his neighbors.

"Vulkan has guaranteed the absolute safety of his people. He is trying his best to expand his army, ensuring that there are fortresses and garrisons on every world, as well as sufficient patrol fleets and void stations. I heard that the Salamanders' military strength has exceeded 100,000, and is still rising."

"But..."

Phoenix changed the subject.

"I also heard that Vulkan plans to imitate the method of Corax and hand over the governance of his country to those mortals. The communes on each world will elect leaders, and then these leaders will form a huge communal council to govern. He will be a figurehead. It is hard to imagine how weak this government will be."

"I heard that he doesn't even plan to continue expanding his direct mortal auxiliary army, but encourages the various communes or worlds under his command to train their own defense forces independently, and will also provide corresponding subsidies: that is, the universe where he is located is relatively stable."

Phoenix shook his head, obviously disdaining such weak means.

"Fortunately: he at least knows how to expand the army."

"It's just the situation."

Horus has his own opinion.

"What? Fulgrim? Don't you plan to expand the Emperor's Children?"

"Of course I have to expand: my various Pronia generals will do this."

"You handed over the military power to them?"

"Safe."

Phoenix raised his head arrogantly.

"They will not defy my will."

"My ultimate plan is to expand the entire Emperor's Children Legion to 150,000 people."

"What about you, Horus?"

"Me..."

The Wolf God tilted his head slightly, and his voice sounded sincere.

"You know, Fulgrim, the national defense pressure here is very high."

"So, according to my plan..."

"My Luna Wolves need at least 300,000 battle-hardened warriors."

...

And there are more reserve troops.

Horus added silently in his heart.

He did not feel guilty: because his information channel had told him long ago.

Every brother is doing this.

——————

That's all I'll write today. I just took my temperature and found that I have a high fever. I'm going to sleep first.

By the way, readers should also pay attention to keeping warm in recent days. I'm in Dalian, and the temperature switches seamlessly between 6° and 16°. This is the third time this month that I feel uncomfortable and have a high fever. In two days, it will be time for the temperature to drop again. I just want to wrap myself up in the quilt like a ball.