Warhammer: Don't Call Me the God of All Machines

Chapter 779 Traitor Guilliman! (Seeking monthly votes)

"Guilliman is a traitor!"

"Ryan Johnson and Saint Gilles are traitors too!"

"Whom can the empire still trust? Who is truly loyal? Who is the emperor's unwavering follower?"

The green-skinned orcs bypassed the defenses set up over vast distances through the network channels opened up by the Eldar, and appeared directly inside many human worlds.

If the network had not been severely damaged over time, making it unable to sustain large-scale troop deployments for extended periods, any race that controlled the network would possess an absolute advantage in mobility.

The speed demons spreading news of the Second Reich appeared in Macragge, in Nostramo, in Baal, in Chogoris, on Nocturne...

The entire Extreme Starfield became a hotspot for green-skinned orcs, especially the homeworlds of the Astartes Legion, which were given special attention.

After all, not many people knew the inside story of the three Astartes legions, and even fewer knew it after the Horus Rebellion.

For example, the Salamander Legion, although their Primarch was in Macragge, was unaware of Guilliman's actions because Vulcan, who had just escaped from Koz, was in a state of madness.

After crossing the network to aid Terra, the warriors of the Ultramarines, Dark Angels, and Blood Angels swore to keep this secret forever, never revealing it until their deaths.

Although the Emperor and Macardo later stated that they were aware of the three legions' little secret and had forgiven the Guilliman brothers for their reckless behavior.

But the key point is that the truth about these things is unknown to others.

The entire empire was unaware that Guilliman had actually plotted a rebellion, nor that the Emperor had ever forgiven them.

Such scandals, which cannot be exposed to the light of day, must naturally be buried and rotted away in secret archives where the sun never shines.

Neither Guilliman nor the Emperor anticipated that one day this deeply buried scandal would be made public.

Furthermore, the scope of this exposure even extends to most of the Milky Way.

The 100,000 Evil Sun Orcs used as cannon fodder, along with those Blood Axe Kids, were deadly signal sources, spreading the message—a message powerful enough to shake the foundations of the empire—to everyone.

They were quickly wiped out by human armies around the world, unable even to wage guerrilla warfare on the planet, but they had already accomplished their mission.

Macragge.

Having just explained the situation to his subjects in a live broadcast and publicly refuted the rumors, Indramiyad, without even taking a break, hurriedly notified the Star Speakers to send a top-priority secure communication to the Ultramarines base on Terra.

"Father, the secrets of the Second Empire have been exposed by the green-skinned orcs. With me in charge of the Five Hundred Worlds, we can't cause any trouble, but we can't reach other places. Please be careful..."

Lamiad didn't know whether these suddenly appearing orcs were only in Alterama or also in other places.

If it's the former, that's fine, since the entire Altramar is under their control, and even if chaos occurs, it's easy to manage.

But if it's the latter, then the entire Ultramarines Legion will be in deep trouble.

"How are our people reacting to the rumors spread by the orcs? Is anyone planning to use this as an opportunity to attack the Primarch?"

"How effective was my live broadcast in calming people's minds? Are there signs of riots and rumors declining?"

"If so, immediately initiate emergency procedures to forcibly deal with those ambitious individuals who attempt to incite rebellion."

Meanwhile, the governor standing to the side wore an unusually strange expression when questioned by Ingeramiad.

"The situation in various places has been collected, and the information network composed of stonemen and Astartes can obtain the situation in real time."

"However, sir, I think you may be overthinking it."

"There are indeed people who want to attack the Primarch because they are provoked by the green-skinned orcs, but they are very few."

"and……"

The consul's tone began to take on a more meaningful tone.

“Speak your mind,” Lamiad said.

"Furthermore, those ambitious individuals who wanted to attack the Primarch have been spontaneously organized by other Ultramarians and executed directly through mass trials."

"Our people are more supportive of the original than we imagined."

"The vast majority of the information we received indicates that...they all support the establishment of the Second Reich."

Some even lamented why the Second Empire didn't continue, and why our Great Otlam Kingdom wasn't established until now.

"Some people are asking when Lord Guilliman will be able to return from Terra to Maclag and take over the reins. He is our monarch, not the monarch of Terra."

Lamiad was stunned. This was completely different from what he had imagined.

He was a firsthand witness to the fleeting nature of the Second Reich, after all, he was a veteran who survived the Battle of Koss.

"Public opinion polls show that more than 89.5% of the people of Altramorna believe that the Second Empire was a decision that was in line with the times and the expectations of the people, and they scoff at the scandals spread by the green-skinned orcs."

"Only a fool would believe our enemies' accusations against our leader. How could anyone prefer to believe the enemy rather than their own people?"

"They even took the initiative to mobilize, with various merchant guilds leading the way, to donate supplies to our quartermaster department free of charge to support our military operations in the Ghoul Stars."

"Their only request is that, after the recapture of the Ghoul Stars, we support them in engaging in closer trade with the Midnight Lords and provide them with tax breaks."

"The people's desire to join the army is high. They are all complaining that our Otlama Auxiliary Army is too demanding and they have no chance of getting a spot to enlist."

Lamiad placed his right hand on his forehead and slowly sat down in his seat, signaling to the consul to give him some time to calm down.

"So, after all that, it turns out I just overreacted?"

"Since that's the case, it means the people's hearts are with us. We can't let them down. We should immediately organize a propaganda campaign to tell our people about the situation in the northern frontier."

Lamiad was quick-witted and immediately used the Greenskin Orc invasion as an opportunity to boost morale and inspire the troops.

The situation for the Ultramarines is more optimistic than expected, while the rest of the human world is already experiencing tremendous upheavals due to the impact of this bombshell.

Nostramo.

Vulcan had also heard the news of the sudden appearance of green-skinned orcs.

After all, once Loshi ordered orbital bombardment and began rebuilding Nostradamus to the standards of a frontline fortress, there weren't as many dark, shadowy nests left to hide in.

Even the nobles of Nostramore were buried alive underground, so where could the green-skinned orcs run to?

However, before they were completely wiped out, they still broadcast the news that Guilliman was a traitor.

Nostrama is the front line against the Great Green Tide, where humanity has stationed hundreds of billions of troops.

Upon hearing the news spread by the green-skinned orcs, Vulcan immediately ordered a news blackout and simultaneously conducted ideological work among all the Astartes and the mortal Star Guardians.

"Unless there is concrete evidence to prove it, these are all false rumors, the enemy's conspiracy to undermine our morale, and we must not fall for it."

With the Lord of Fire Dragons personally overseeing things, Nostramamo naturally couldn't cause any trouble.

Once the situation stabilized, Vulcan sought out Roche and privately inquired about the veracity of the news.

"Vulcan, I don't want to deceive you."

"I can only tell you that it is true."

As Luo looked at the inky black giant before him, Vulcan remained outwardly calm, but his heart was churning like the lava of Nocturne.

Upon hearing Roche's affirmative answer, Vulcan also showed a hint of frustration and disbelief.

"When the Five Hundred Worlds were affected by the Destruction Storm, Guilliman did not know whether the Empire still existed or whether the Emperor was still alive."

Therefore, he allied with Saint Gilles and Lane, and together they temporarily formed a second empire in Macragge.

"If the empire has already fallen, they must take on the responsibility of backup and continue to light the beacon of humanity in the Far East."

"The Second Empire lasted only a short time, so when news came from Terra confirming that the Empire still existed and the Emperor still existed, it completely vanished into history."

Roche tried to recount that history to Vulcan in the gentlest way possible.

"At that time you were completely lost and crazy. The torment you suffered by Coz ​​was so profound that you were unaware of everything."

“I understand, you don’t need to worry about me losing control of my emotions.”

"I still have that much self-control."

Vulcan sat down in front of Roche, even though he was still several feet taller than Roche.

"The principle of analyzing specific problems in specific contexts applies, and given the circumstances at the time, Guilliman's choice was quite reasonable."

“I’m just sad that Guilliman didn’t tell me this, and he didn’t completely trust me.”

Vulcan looked somewhat forlorn, but he quickly rallied.

"I think the Emperor has long forgiven Guilliman's rash behavior; he did not show any anger when Guilliman returned."

“When I was guarding the Emperor with the Seven Hammers Amulet, I never saw him show any dissatisfaction with Guilliman.”

"Perhaps we can use this to help Robert wash away the dirt on him. He is now a key figure for us, and we must not let humanity lose trust in him."

"Vulcan continued."

“I know you have unwavering trust in Guilliman, but the current situation is that our trust in him does not mean that those ignorant humans also trust him.”

"Especially those high lords who had strong opinions against Guilliman and whose core interests had been violated."

Rosie spread her hands, looking helpless.

"Your solution is indeed good, but now we have a problem facing us—"

“I know that the Emperor did forgive Guilliman, as well as Saint Gilles and Ryan.”

But it was all an unspoken understanding between them. To save face for each other, they didn't leave any trace openly; at most, only Macardo and Waldo knew the truth.

"But now, apart from Guilliman, the Emperor has ascended the Golden Throne and fallen into a deep sleep. Who can make him speak up again and acknowledge his authority?"

"As for the others, some ran away, some disappeared, who can testify?"

Loshi scratched his hair until it was a mess; the green-skinned orc's underhanded trick was nothing special.

The solution is simple.

All that's needed is for the Emperor, the person directly involved, to come out and clarify that he instructed Guilliman to create a backup of the human empire in the Five Hundred Worlds, and that it was all his idea. Then no one will dare to criticize Guilliman for this anymore.

After all, everyone is criticizing Guilliman for overstepping the Emperor's authority, but if everything was a contingency plan laid out by the Emperor, then there's nothing more to say.

However, everything seemed to have reached a dead end. The Emperor was unable to speak, the witnesses had disappeared without a trace, and Guilliman could only take the blame.

No matter how he explains, no one will believe his confession.

"Our situation here is alright. After all, everyone is facing pressure from the green-skinned orcs, so even if there is dissatisfaction, it won't immediately erupt."

"Moreover, the Midnight Lords probably didn't care at all whether Guilliman established the Second Empire or not. They were traitors back then, and their faith in the Emperor was exceptionally fragile."

Vulcan also had his complaints about the Midnight Lords, but he had to consider the bigger picture and didn't bother with these Coz brats.

"But the closer you get to Holy Terra, the higher the recognition of the Emperor and the Empire becomes."

If they knew that Guilliman had once established a second empire, their reaction would probably be much stronger.

Just thinking about it gave Rosie a headache.

Damn it, who gave the green-skinned orcs this crazy idea?

Loshi didn't believe this was the idea of ​​the green-skinned orcs.

These guys are cunning enough, but they don't have this kind of insidious, vicious, and ruthless mentality.

After all, if the orcs wanted to do something bad, they would at most try to sabotage you during battles.

Moreover, the ancient orcs were only released after the Great Rebellion ended, so how could they possibly know what Guilliman had done?

"It must be Abaddon, and those traitors who have thrown themselves into Chaos."

"It's like a persistent ghost, it really is persistent, it always jumps out from the shadows to annoy you from time to time."

"We're on the front lines, and there's not much we can do to help Guilliman. We can only hope that he can calm things down as soon as possible."

"Loshi murmured, gazing toward the direction of Holy Terra."

……

Just as Roche had guessed.

Robert Guilliman, the great commander of the Empire, felt like his head was about to explode.

He had to take deep breaths constantly to control himself and prevent himself from losing his temper.

Everything was going according to plan: Lothie personally led the Solar Fleet to reinforce the Ghoul Stars, and the various Astartes Legions were also preparing for battle, launching a joint attack on the Greenskin Orcs from the southern and western fronts.

Space bridges are being deployed systematically, especially the network of space bridges leading to the Ghoul Cluster, which is expanding at an incredible pace with the full support of the Empire.

According to predictions from the Advanced Technology Community, Terra and Macragge will be able to connect via a space bridge within ten to fifteen years.

But just when everything was thriving and flourishing, a large group of green-skinned orcs, who appeared out of nowhere, spread scandals about the Second Empire throughout the Sun Starfield.

This undoubtedly struck at Guilliman's Achilles' heel; even the Primarch was stunned for three seconds by the news.

Although the human defense forces had completely wiped out the green-skinned orcs, burning these filthy greens to ashes with promethium flamethrowers, the damage could not be erased.

Especially in Holy Terra, this news caused a huge stir.

The High Lords, who had been forced to unite under Guilliman's oppression, were overjoyed, as if they had grasped a lifeline. "Good, good, good, Guilliman!"

"You keep saying that everything is for the sake of humanity, and everyone has to temporarily put aside their differences and unite together."

But you yourself committed such an act that was tantamount to treason!

Navigator Ambassador Alicia was holding the intelligence sent by the family alliance behind her with great excitement.

Previously at the Terra Council, she joined forces with the Abbot of the Star-Speaking Court and the Abbot of the Star-Torch Court to put pressure on and protest the promotion of the Space Bridge.

However, at the meeting, they were ruthlessly and forcefully crushed by Guilliman, and even the Imperial Guard sided with Guilliman.

The other high lords also sided with Guilliman, and the prestige of this imperial commander soared to unprecedented heights.

Even if Alicia was unwilling, she had no choice but to accept the reality before her.

Honestly, if she mobilized all the navigators to strike in order to blackmail Guilliman into retracting his orders, let's not even discuss whether she could actually get all the navigators to obey her commands.

The moment she made her decision, the Assassins would be taking her head and placing it on Guilliman's table.

Alicia absolutely did not want to die. She had become the High Lord of Terra at a young age, and had a bright future ahead of her.

Although she had indeed prepared herself to sacrifice herself, Alicia was truly terrified when Guilliman's large hand gripped her in mid-air.

Her feud with Guilliman thus continued.

She either opposes Guilliman and gains the support of the Navigator family behind him, or she has no choice but to side with Guilliman and then be unexpectedly killed by the Navigator family, replaced by a new Highlord.

“Guilliman will consider the bigger picture. Even if he doesn’t like me, he won’t kill me directly. That would undoubtedly damage his personal prestige too much and would also arouse fear among other high lords.”

"By doing this, he has violated political rules and grassroots consensus, and the impact is extremely negative."

"And those navigator families behind me, they are ruthless killers. Not to mention me, even my maternal clan would probably be wiped out by their wrath."

Alicia pondered that although her family held a very high status and power, it was nothing compared to the entire Navigator Alliance.

After weighing the two options, she felt it was better to continue being hostile to Guilliman.

"Go ahead, spread this news. I want to see how our imperial commander will explain it."

"Remember, we shouldn't show ourselves. We're just there to fuel the flames. Anyone who dares to show their face will definitely not have a good ending."

"What Guilliman needs most right now is someone of sufficient stature to make an example of someone, and our Primarch has never said he wouldn't kill anyone."

"Many people have forgotten that Guilliman was not only an outstanding politician, but also an invincible commander who was decisive and ruthless on the battlefield."

……

We need an explanation!

We need to know the truth!

"Did the Second Empire really exist?!"

Just as Guilliman was trying to quell the uproar, his adjutant brought another piece of bad news.

On the Victory Avenue of Holy Terra, a grand demonstration of hundreds of thousands of Terran mortals took shape in a very short time and intensified rapidly.

When Guilliman stood atop the towering walls of the palace and looked down upon the avenue, he could see countless crowds, like ants, beginning to converge on Victory Avenue.

When the number of people exceeds ten thousand, the scene becomes boundless. When hundreds of thousands of ordinary people gather together, the noise and chaos are impossible to ignore.

"How could these mortals organize themselves so quickly?"

"Who is organizing this?"

Guilliman was not intimidated by this display of power. He was a battle-hardened Primarch, and even if these hundreds of thousands of mortals came to kill him, he would not be moved in the slightest.

He was simply puzzled; even if the green-skinned orcs made the scandal public, it wouldn't have caused such a stir so quickly.

Logically speaking, if an ordinary person hears some negative information about an important person, the most likely reaction would be to hide their tracks and prevent the information from being leaked.

Then they would secretly test the waters with their friends and family, and then spread the news as gossip.

Guilliman sensed a conspiracy; this was a demonstration orchestrated by an unseen force.

“We are still conducting an urgent investigation, sir,” the adjutant replied anxiously. “The Assassin’s Court and the Inquisition are involved in the investigation. Should we use force to suppress them?”

Although the adjutant did not explicitly state his meaning, Guilliman understood what he was thinking.

The nature of the march undoubtedly changed once the Assassin's Court and the Tribunal were deployed.

After all, the Assassin's Court and the Inquisition are both sharp weapons used by the human elite to eliminate internal corruption and traitors.

Their intervention signifies that the empire has tacitly approved of the march as a small-scale rebellion.

"The situation is still unclear, how can we do this?"

Guilliman immediately rejected the idea.

“They are all my father’s people. The mortals who are able to stay in Holy Terra are either rich or noble. If we arrest and arrest them indiscriminately, the impact will be far too bad.”

Guilliman knew that even he had to follow the rules.

After all, if even the imperial commander-in-chief takes the lead in ignoring the rules, then this is just a blank sheet of paper that can be smeared on by anyone. How can we restrain and discipline humanity in the future?

"Who is their leader?" Guilliman pressed.

“The state bishop, Elfreda Ya, was the first to incite the state believers around her to this march and demonstration.”

“Lord Guilliman, the vast majority of these mortals who have gathered here are devout believers of the state religion. With a bishop calling on them, they will naturally respond in droves.”

The adjutant's answer made Guilliman's face turn even more ashen.

"Religion... even with all the restrictions and influences I've imposed, it's still extremely easy for it to get out of control in a frenzy."

Guilliman has already drastically altered Luo Jia's sacred text, injecting his own ideas into it, but unfortunately, the same classic text has different meanings in the eyes of different people.

Over the past century, the state religion has also developed into many factions with different focuses.

Although they were all under the banner of the state religion, some factions were more fanatical in their worship of the emperor, while others were more obsessed with studying the rational aspects of it.

Guilliman knew the name Elfreda; she was very well-known in the Church of England.

This bishop was not Terran, but came from an ordinary hive planet on the edge of the solar system.

After the Horus Rebellion ended, many remnants of the rebels scattered and fled in all directions in search of a chance to survive.

A rebel army of the Word Bearers reached Bishop Elfreda's homeworld during their retreat, intending to plunder its population and resources for resupply.

Despite the planet's fierce resistance, the mortal defenders were routed by the onslaught of the Chaos Astartes. It was in this desperate moment that the young Elfreda stepped forward.

It was she who waved the flag, and with her battle cries and prayers, rekindled morale and inspired more civilians to join the resistance.

Although the mortal resistance was still severely damaged by the Word Bearers rebels, they managed to maintain a resistance posture until the Imperial reinforcements arrived.

Elfreda boosted morale and commanded operations on the front lines of the war, and miraculously survived.

After that, she joined the Imperial State Church and became an ordinary priest, gradually rising to the rank of bishop through her outstanding performance.

Many followers of the state religion believe that a great fanatic like her might become a living saint of the state religion like Euphrates Cheryl in the future.

"What has the Pope of the State Church said? Does Qile know that Elfreda is launching a demonstration that will shake the entire Terra?"

The adjutant shook his head and answered his original's question.

"The Pope is not currently in Terra. A week ago, Euphrates Qile went to a religious world in the Storm Sector to preach and call on humanity to unite and face the threat of the green-skinned orcs together."

"We are temporarily unable to contact Pope Qile; there has been a violent fluctuation in the subspace star language."

Guilliman frowned. This seemed...too much of a coincidence.

“I’ll confront this bishop now. You should have the officials in the Ministry of the Interior hand over their duties first, to avoid any mistakes.”

After saying that, Guilliman hurriedly left his office and headed to the Royal Palace airfield to board his private Stormbird.

At that moment, Bishop Elfreda, who had caused this uproar, was walking at the very front of the crowd.

She had long, light blonde hair and wore no fancy accessories; it was simply draped behind her head and secured with a headband.

The bishop's priest's robe was made of the cheapest cotton and linen, and it had turned somewhat white from being washed so many times.

The only thing that looked somewhat valuable was a gold-embossed copy of the Emperor's Sacred Words, chained to his waist.

Bishop Elfreda's eyes were filled with compassion and determination.

Her face bears the marks of time, but this only enhances her elegant and composed demeanor.

In her hand she held a sacred banner of the state religion, which depicted the imperial eagle and the skull of purity. Seals of purity were sealed on the banner with red wax, and it swayed constantly in the breeze.

Behind her, some of the most devout nuns followed closely in the bishop's footsteps.

As they walked, they recited the contents of the Emperor's Sacred Words in perfect unison.

Most ordinary believers, however, kept a certain distance so as not to disturb the prayers of these pure and holy beings.

They were all devout believers summoned by Elfreda, and their faith in and worship of the Emperor was so fervent.

Therefore, when they heard the rumors spread by the green-skinned orcs, they were filled with rage and hatred for these damned aliens.

Guilliman was the son of the Emperor, and he possessed divinity, making him seem like a sacred and inviolable god in the eyes of the people of the state religion.

However, the messages spread by the green-skinned orcs were not limited to just a few simple headlines.

My mental power has compressed a large amount of information into easily spread junk code, which spreads like a virus among human thinkers.

Even personal thinker computers can quickly analyze the information, allowing people to understand the ins and outs.

When the complete truth is laid bare before them, even the most devout human will doubt its authenticity.

In their view, they have the right to know the truth and whether the great divine son has ever committed the crime of disobeying the emperor.

If Guilliman didn't do these things, then why doesn't he come out and explain?

"We demand an explanation! We demand answers!"

"Guilliman! Guilliman!"

"No sacrifice was too great to be accepted, and no betrayal was too small to be ignored!"

Such blatant accusations against the imperial commander-in-chief are the kind of insane acts only those devout followers of the state religion, whose minds are filled with the supreme faith in the emperor, could commit.

They never considered their own gains or losses, nor did they care whether it would incur Guilliman's wrath or even lead to their deaths.

They were only concerned with whether Guilliman had truly transgressed the Emperor's authority, which was an intolerable overstepping of power and a contempt for the authority of the Lord of Mankind.

If Guilliman did indeed do it, then they would force this Son of God to repent to the God-King for his actions.

The cries of countless people overlapped into waves of tsunami.

The brand-new Victory Avenue trembled under the trampling of people, leaving even the Terra police and garrison forces at a loss.

The leader is a high-ranking member of the state religion, and now hundreds of thousands of imperial followers are involved. They can't stop them, nor can they let it go unchecked.

"Damn it, are these people insane?"

"They actually believed the aliens' lies! They've been worshipping the Emperor so much that their brains are completely empty!"

A veteran of the Sun Auxiliary Army cursed, clutching his incendiary rifle to prevent anyone from blending in and sneaking into restricted areas.

“We don’t believe any of this. Lord Robert Guilliman has worked diligently for the Empire, and everyone has seen it. What does it mean to slander him now by accusing him of establishing some kind of Second Empire?”

"Besides, the Emperor has now allowed the Primarchs to establish their own fiefdoms. Is it really necessary to be so nitpicky about the old ways of the past?"

However, the followers of the state religion showed no sign of paying attention.

They were simply venting their anger and hoping that Guilliman would step in and give them a satisfactory answer.

Alfreda kept the crowd under control, preventing them from doing anything out of line.

They didn't want to destroy anything.

This is the sacred Terra, the place where the Emperor resides. Every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and tile here is the Emperor's property, which cannot be violated.

Just as the bishop and believers were about to continue their demonstration, a cobalt blue Stormbird adorned with a laurel wreath flew in from the direction of the palace.

Four white trails of exhaust lingered behind the Stormbird as the Imperial Commander's vehicle came into view.

In an instant, countless eyes were fixed on the tiny storm bird, and they were all in a state of excitement.

"Guilliman is here!"

With a scream from the crowd, the Stormbird circled in the air once before finally landing slowly at the main entrance of the palace.

Fully armed, Guilliman emerged from the slowly opening hatch, his face expressionless, showing no sign of panic.

With heavy power boots clattering on the paving stones of Victory Avenue, Guilliman strode quickly toward the angry, blinded crowd.

(End of this chapter)