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

Chapter 782 Spring in Terra (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As Bishop Elfreda ordered the Sisters of Battle to execute Bishop Diaz, who disagreed with her, the remaining bishops instantly showed fear and unease.

When Bishop Diaz's blood flowed on the meeting table of the Highest Order, Elfreda's nature was completely transformed.

They had realized a terrible fact: these crazy women were really planning a top-down armed coup.

They simply didn't know whether this was Alfreda's long-planned conspiracy finally exposed, or a decision she made hastily after being shocked.

If it's the former, then this highly renowned bishop has been hiding her true identity far too well.

She was a deeply hidden ambitious woman, a ruthless executioner, and a traitor who attempted to overthrow the state religion.

It was all such a coincidence: the green-skinned orcs brought Guilliman a major scandal, Pope Euphrates Kieran happened to leave Terra to attend an event in a religious world, and Guilliman was forced to leave Terra...

"Gentlemen, I know you doubt my motives, but I swear by my faith that I have absolutely no selfish motives."

"My loyalty to the Divine Emperor is as clear as day."

"I simply will not allow the Emperor's empire to be stolen by anyone else, even if that person is his son."

“We must offer our worship to the Emperor with greater sincerity—we need to build more magnificent cathedrals and transform the offerings and tithes of countless believers into the crusades of holy war.”

"We must wage a war of faith against those green-skinned orcs, proving our piety with blood and sacrifice."

"Guilliman's mobilization order was not enough; he compromised with the high lords and asked them to contribute their efforts, which was far too weak."

"How can such conservative people lead humanity to victory?"

As Elfreda's stance became increasingly clear, the other high-ranking bishops were even more alarmed.

She wants more than just a state religion; she wants to mold the High Lords' Council into the form she desires!

The leaders of the state religion suddenly felt that the world was changing far too fast, and everything seemed to be running wildly in an unknown direction.

Elfreda felt an endless surge of energy within her that needed to be released, a feeling she had never experienced before.

When she stopped, it felt as if an invisible flame was burning her soul inside her, causing her extreme pain and discomfort.

The divine emperor must have seen her efforts and contributions, and therefore bestowed blessings upon her.

Furthermore, the God-Emperor did not want to see himself slack off, which is why he urged himself so hard.

The bishop saw all the strange occurrences happening to him as revelations from the emperor.

"Do you agree with my proposal—to reintegrate the power of the entire state religion and purge heretics and false believers from among the High Lords?"

"Please give me a clear and accurate answer immediately. We are very pressed for time and cannot afford to waste a single moment."

At the High Priestess's summons, the battle nuns stormed into the meeting hall with an extremely aggressive manner.

These fighting nuns, stronger, more ferocious, and more ruthless than men, were all dressed in standard human-grade power armor, wielding power swords and carrying explosive guns at their waists.

Their eyes were fierce and murderous, completely devoid of any feminine gentleness.

Some of the more rational members of the State Church believed that Elfreda's methods were too extreme.

However, when they saw the dead Bishop Diaz on the ground, and the dark, gaping muzzles of those crazy women's explosive guns, they had no choice but to temporarily compromise.

If they are all dead, then who in the Church of England can stand against Alfreda?
Temporary self-preservation is for the purpose of being able to play a greater role later.

Of course, there were also some more resolute and unyielding members of the Church who were not afraid of the fighting nun's threat and decisively rejected the bishop's crazy proposal in court.

Like Bishop Diaz, these followers of the Emperor were ordered to be killed on the spot. The loud gunshots of the slingshots rang out, and they too became corpses lying on the ground, convulsing.

With the blessing and miracles performed by Christine, the fanatical fighting nuns have already stood by her side, becoming the most loyal supporters and warriors of the living saint.

In just half a day, Alfreda had taken control of the state church, and in the absence of the Pope, she was the "Acting Pope".

She conducted a small-scale purge within the state church, forcibly imprisoning or executing all the "conservatives" who disagreed with her, leaving only those state church members who already had fanatical beliefs.

Although the state religions of the other worlds of the Empire were not affected, having taken control of Terra's state religion, they now possessed sufficient power to achieve their goals.

“Very good. Next, we will discuss how to correct the high lords’ erroneous tendencies.”

Alfreda sat in the main seat, with Christine and Sister Teresa of the Battle side by her.

"Our greatest advantage is that we still have a completely independent and obedient armed force on Terra."

Five thousand combat nuns have been stationed within the State Church's sphere of influence, a privilege enjoyed by the State Church.

"This force, though not much, is not little either. If we use it at crucial moments, it can be incredibly effective."

Elfreda spoke with great passion, as if she had returned to the time when she organized the militia to fight against the Chaos rebels on her home planet.

"And on Terra, our biggest obstacle, Robert Guilliman, has already left the Throne World on his private jet."

He feared our loyalty, for the fire of faith would burn away the souls of all heretics and false believers.

"The Ultramarines stationed outside the palace have also left with their Primarchs, so we don't need to worry about the threat from these people."

"As for the Imperial Guard, as the Emperor's bodyguards, they never interfere in the affairs of mortals, except in the most urgent and important moments, when their marshal and tribunes will show up to express their opinions."

"Moreover, I know that Diocletian, the tribune, was publicly humiliated by Guilliman at the previous High Lords' meetings, and was even embedded in the wall of the meeting hall. He will not stop us from cleaning up the legacy left by Guilliman."

"Mother," Christine, who stood beside her with an aura of sacred inviolability, suddenly spoke.

“The Emperor has given me a revelation; he has mobilized most of the Imperial Guards to his side, so we need not worry about them.”

“Those golden-armored guards won’t interfere in our affairs, I can guarantee that.”

Christine's words immediately boosted Alfreda's confidence.

She believed her daughter would never lie to her.

"The remaining Imperial Fist units are all stationed on Terra's orbital defense system. As long as we shut down the spaceport and cut off the connection between the orbital system and Terra's surface, they will be unable to intervene."

"Terra is now in our hands."

After some discussion and analysis, everyone was surprised to discover that the vast Holy Terra had very few defensible forces.

Especially since they were already in Terra, when they launched a purge from within, no one was able to stand up and stop them.

As for the servants and bodyguards that the high lords brought with them, they were so fragile in front of five thousand fully armed battle nuns that they would fall down with just a gentle push.

The Highlords never imagined that one day they would encounter an insurmountable enemy on Terra.

"But what about the Assassin's Court? These guys might have a considerable number of high-level assassins under their control on Terra."

Suddenly a bishop spoke up, and everyone realized that they hadn't considered this organization, which had always kept a very low profile.

The Assassins' Court is very mysterious, and their Grand Master rarely makes public appearances or offers opinions on the decisions of the Empire's high command.

They are like an invisible blade, held in the hands of the empire's highest authority, deterring ambitious individuals below.

"Guilliman is gone, why are they still our enemies?"

"They have no reason."

"Alfreda said."

"We don't have any excessive ideas, such as completely overthrowing the High Lords Council or anything like that."

All we need to do is to unite the Empire more closely under the Emperor's will and face our enemies with greater devotion.

“If they rebel against us, then it proves that the Assassin’s Court is not pure either. I will have the Battle Sisters wipe out the Assassin’s Court’s network on Terra.”

"The Assassins' strength lies in their one-on-one combat and secret assassinations, but in large-scale warfare, they are not much stronger than the Battle Sisters."

"Furthermore, all the followers of the Emperor on Terra are our strength. As long as we use the Emperor's name to command them, do you think the Assassin's Court can wipe out these hundreds of billions of people?"

Even those who had opinions dared not stand up and criticize or oppose this crazy woman to her face.

The fighting nuns are now under the enemy's control, and their opposition will be futile; on the contrary, it will only bring them death.

Some senior members of the Church of England, realizing that things were getting out of control, began to secretly plan to send out warning signals to Pope Euphrates Cilicia as soon as possible.

After counting her troops, Elfreda personally led this elite force towards the High Lord's palace.

Meanwhile, the High Lords, who had gathered urgently to discuss what to do next because of the demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of Anglican believers and Guilliman's angry departure, were completely unaware that danger was imminent.

They gathered again at the huge conference table.

The original conference table had been violently destroyed by Guilliman, but the Cult of Mechanics quickly used the Atom Reconstruction Machine to restore the broken marble table.

"Guilliman is really gone!"

"The Ultramarines' warships jumped into the warp from Mandeville Point."

"This is our moment of victory! I can hardly believe that this tyrannical dictator left so easily!"

"Navigator Ambassador Alicia said with great excitement."

Guilliman's spot was now empty, which made the High Lords feel as if the heavy weight on their chests had disappeared.

The situation is excellent, the circumstances are fantastic!

As long as Guilliman was around, they felt that the power they held was not absolute.

Because if the imperial commander-in-chief is willing, he can temporarily strip or take it away.

This feeling was undoubtedly terrible for these high-ranking lords.

But now, the nightmare is over. The ambitious Guilliman has finally left Terra, no longer oppressing these elders who have risked their lives for the Empire.

They could continue to serve the emperor.

"The state religion is indeed doing a very good job. They can easily rely on the power of faith to incite the ignorant masses to do what they should do, without even having to pay any reward. All they have to do is shout 'In the name of the Emperor'."

"By using them to drive Guilliman out, we won't be able to get any leverage over him."

The host of Xingyuting thought to himself, feeling quite pleased with himself.

At a previous meeting, he was forced by pressure from Guilliman to abandon his allies.

Although it is perfectly normal for high lords to unite or separate for various reasons, it is ultimately not a pleasant sight on the surface.

"But the appeal of the state religion is a bit too astonishing. They can directly call on countless believers to obey their will, and can even bypass the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice."

The Interior Minister and the Justice Minister whispered to each other. They had previously sided with Guilliman, and his departure was not good news for them.

What they were more concerned about was the offense the state religion might inflict on other departments, especially the Ministry of the Interior.

The struggle for power among the high lords is an instinct ingrained in their very being; no one ever feels they have too much power.

Therefore, they are always exceptionally stingy and sensitive when it comes to areas where power overlaps.

The Imperial Navy admiral and the commander-in-chief of the Astronautical Army had grim expressions. Although they had clashed with Guilliman before, there was no fundamental conflict between them.

The war between humans and green-skinned orcs has now broken out, and without Guilliman's suppression, neither side can guarantee that the other will cooperate.

Even if they have their own selfish motives, now that the war has begun, they naturally do not want such instability in the rear to occur again.

The High Lords had different thoughts; some were ecstatic, some were numb, and only a few felt sorrow.

They are indeed the best of the best among humans, but when faced with enormous benefits, how many people can guarantee that they will not be misled?
Some impatient high lords have even begun to discuss how to divide the power left behind by Guilliman.

Apart from the admirals, the commander-in-chief of the Star Force, and the high lords of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice, almost no one cared about the extinction war being waged on the Ghoul Stars.

In their eyes, the battlefield in the northeast corner of the galaxy had already gathered forces from multiple Astartes legions, along with the elite Sun Star Realm Army, and the suppression from the Sun Fleet and the massive fleet of five hundred worlds. The green-skinned orcs had no hope of winning.

Even during the siege of Terra, humanity didn't have this many troops.

Moreover, once Guilliman returns to Macurag, he will undoubtedly mobilize more troops immediately to personally lead the campaign against the Ghoul Stars.

With this Primarch blocking their way, Terra can rest easy.

Even if the green-skinned orcs come, they'll have to fight their way through five hundred worlds first. Guilliman is the one who should be having a headache.

"Compared to our predecessors, this is the best of times. The sword of Damocles that once hung over our heads is now far away, and we can govern the empire according to our own will."

Let's drink together.

The Navigator Ambassador raised his glass and gestured to the other Highlords.

The high lords, in turn, showed great respect by raising their glasses in a toast to each other.

They prefer this kind of political game of toasting and drinking, where everyone negotiates cooperation and exchanges terms and benefits over drinks.

Shouldn't politics be like this, instead of resorting to violence and barbaric acts like Guilliman's?

"Homage to the Emperor!" "Homage to a bright tomorrow!"

However, just as the high lords were celebrating, the heavy adamantite gate was suddenly flung open by a savage force.

The strange noise immediately interrupted the lively atmosphere, and several high-ranking lords near the gate looked at the door with displeasure.

Who dares to cause trouble while the High Lords are having a meeting?
Elfreda was the first to push open the door, already dressed in her old military uniform.

Behind her were squads of battle nuns.

These female warriors, clad in jet-black power armor and wielding heavy, half-human-sized explosive guns, exuded a murderous aura.

Their scarlet goggles, set against their white visors, appeared even more imposing.

"What are you going to do!"

The Minister of Justice immediately stood up. Although he was shouting sternly, his hand was already on the miniature button in his crotch.

The moment the Minister of Justice saw these people rush into the meeting hall, he knew they were planning a coup.

The questioning was merely a way to buy a few precious seconds of time for calling for help.

However, when the scarlet button that could sound the alarm was pressed for more than three seconds, and the bailiffs he had expected still hadn't arrived, the Minister of Justice knew he was doomed.

The Minister of Justice, cursing inwardly, slowly sat down and quietly moved his position to the back, shielding everyone in front of him.

"Elders, I am Elfreda, the bishop of the state church."

As the bishop scanned the crowd and watched these high-ranking figures display different expressions before her, a feeling she had never experienced before suddenly arose in her heart.

The feeling was like a warm current flowing through her blood vessels and bones, eventually rushing into her brain and turning into pleasure.

"You are not a High Lord. What right do you have to enter our meeting place in the absence of the Pope?"

"Please give me a reasonable explanation, Bishop."

The Minister of the Interior asked in a deep voice, "In their eyes, a mere bishop of the state church is no different from an ant on the roadside."

"In times of emergency, expediency is necessary." Elfreda showed no fear; the truth was now in their hands.

“We exposed Guilliman’s conspiracy and discovered his stain. He himself admitted that the Second Empire was a fact. So, under our pressure, this traitor left Terra.”

The bishop began pacing around the room, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"As for you all, don't struggle anymore. I've already taken care of the bodyguards and guards you left outside."

"They were all unwilling to cooperate with us, so we had no choice but to ask them to meet the Emperor."

Hearing her openly admit this, the high lords present all showed anger.

While the loss of those close confidants was extremely regrettable, the madwoman's blatant disregard for propriety was even more chilling.

She committed murder openly and honestly; the implications are self-evident.

For a high lord, even settling scores afterward or secretly sending assassins to kill someone is far more dignified than bloodshed.

This is an unspoken understanding, an unwritten, invisible rule, to prevent both sides from falling into a vicious cycle of lose-lose competition.

"I don't want to do anything; I just want to carry out the Emperor's will and protect his empire."

"No one can touch the God Emperor's absolute domain, not even his son. Guilliman is an ambitious man, and sooner or later he will turn the empire into his second empire."

"Therefore, I will purge all of Guilliman's remaining supporters in the High Lords Council, eradicate his political legacy, and restore everything to its proper order and rules."

Elfreda's arrogant words both amused and annoyed the high lords.

Even if the Pope of the state religion came here, he would only sit side by side with them.

Does a mere bishop really think that by temporarily using force to hold them all hostage here, he can achieve his arrogant ambitions?
That's wishful thinking!

The High Lords are merely representatives of the vast and complex power behind them. Even if one High Lord is killed, they will immediately elect the next one.

Unless she wants to completely overturn the entire set of rules, any action Alfreda takes now is nothing but wishful thinking.

The High Lords have always kept special meeting minutes and backups, which are valuable historical data that need to be properly stored.

If they fail to send signals to the outside world for an extended period, the mechanical priest responsible for data storage will immediately issue a warning and mobilize external guards to investigate.

Furthermore, if the situation deviates from expectations, it is not impossible to call upon the support and assistance of the Imperial Fist and the Imperial Guard.

“Bishop, have you considered how His Holiness the Pope would react if he returned to Terra and saw the insane things you have done?”

The abbot of the Star Torch Court questioned him, showing no fear of these fighting nuns of the state church. Even without guards, he was a powerful psychic.

He was confident that he could protect himself if he really fought with all his might.

But Elfreda seemed to have read his mind. The battle nuns pointed their guns, loaded with Blackstone anti-psychic explosives, at the Starlight Abbot, who immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

These battle nuns even took out sachets filled with the ashes of the untouchables.

After the isolation layer was torn apart, a strong soulless force spread out, causing the Star Language Court, the Star Torch Court, and the Navigator Ambassador to change their expressions.

While they weren't as paralyzed and unable to move as the weaker psychics, upon sensing the Soulless Field, their psychic power was severely suppressed, preventing them from using it at will.

"Although Her Holiness the Pope is a living saint, her attitude towards Guilliman is far too friendly."

“She has the wrong person to whom she is loyal. We believe in the emperor, not the emperor’s son.”

"I have already begun screening and sifting through all the members of the state religion on Terra. All the disloyal 'heretics' and the hidden false believers will be found out and purged."

“Even when Euphrates Kilo returns to Terra, what she will see is a state religion that has been ‘purified’.”

"She is still a living saint, but she is no longer qualified to sit in this position."

The high lords gasped in shock.

This guy is fucking insane, he's really insane.

She not only sought to control the High Lords Council, but also, at the same time, carried out a top-down purge of the State Church.

The exact number of members of the state church, from top to bottom, is a question that even the Pope would probably find difficult to answer.

"Aren't you afraid that members of state religions in other religious worlds will judge your audacious behavior?"

"Terra is just one of the tens of thousands of religious worlds in the Empire. It is unique, but it cannot withstand the power of the whole."

The Minister of the Interior said sternly.

"This is a rebellion, a contempt for the Emperor, who sits on his golden throne watching you. Do you think your perfectly crafted excuses can fool him?"

The excited Minister of the Interior immediately attracted the attention of the person behind Elfreda.

Christine slowly walked forward and once again manifested herself before the crowd.

"I am a living saint personally revealed by the Emperor."

"Do you really think that any warp evil would dare to show its face inside Terra Palace?"

"Even those evil gods couldn't do it."

Christine's voice seemed to have a certain reverberation, echoing in the ears of the high lords, making them feel trust and reliance involuntarily.

The hosting of Xingyuting remains questionable.

He knew all too well how rare and precious living saints were; how could another living saint suddenly appear? This wasn't some wholesale market for living saints.

As the leader of the Star Speakers, he naturally underwent a rigorous soul-binding ritual: all Star Speakers would have their neural structures reshaped by the psychic powers of the Lord of Man, enhancing their resistance to warp contamination.

Although this ritual has significant side effects, such as the vast majority of participants becoming permanently blind or even losing their other five senses after the ritual.

However, only the living have the right to mention the side effects. Compared to dealing with the warp every day and suffering from the corruption of warp energy or possession by chaotic demons, this price is nothing.

Although the Star Language Court's initiator is blind, his psychic eyes can still see the world.

His sunken eyes trembled and swayed incessantly, as if trying to discern the true nature of the "living saint" Christine.

In the eyes of the presiding priest, this nun of the State Church was indeed shrouded in an exceptionally strong power of imperial faith, even purer than most of the State Church priests he had ever met.

However, because his soul was connected to the smallest part of the Emperor's psychic power, he was exceptionally sensitive to the Emperor's power.

Christine's imperial aura is very similar to the real one, but it is different, seemingly filled with more of a destructive aura.

He was about to issue a warning when a heart-wrenching pain shot through his chest.

Due to old age and declining health, the host of Xingyuting has already undergone several life-extending and remodeling surgeries.

Thirteen years ago, he received a modified heart developed by the latest research of the Mechanicus, which was far more effective than the heart created by previous biochemical technologies.

After receiving a new heart, the elderly High Lord even felt a second spring in his life, able to serve the Emperor for an even longer period.

Just as he was about to step forward and expose the true face of the so-called living saint, his modified heart suddenly contracted violently, forcibly suppressing his intentions with intense pain.

The host of Xingyuting collapsed onto his chair, convulsing. His muscles were taut, and he looked like a giant fish that had been electrocuted.

His collapse immediately drew gasps from those around him, who frantically called for doctors and bio-sages to come to his aid.

However, when the doctors on duty in the side room arrived, Xingyuting had already stopped breathing and her heart had stopped beating.

Only a single, murky tear flowed from his pale eyes before he closed them with extreme reluctance.

"The lucky one has already gone to meet the Emperor."

"May his soul find eternal peace on the Golden Throne."

Christine, the living saint, slowly bent down and gently wiped away the tears that had fallen from the corner of the Star Language Court's eyes with her right index finger.

Her face was so kind, and she radiated an aura of kindness, purity, and piety.

She resembled a holy mother.

The sudden death of the host of Xingyuting caused the already tense atmosphere to plummet to an even lower level.

Although the head of the Star Court is the oldest among them, this elder is unlike the other Star Speakers, whose bodies are weak due to excessive corrosion from subspace energy. His body is exceptionally strong and healthy.

Even if his time was up, it was impossible for him to die suddenly at this very meeting.

A conspiracy, an outright conspiracy!

The high lords were screaming inside, but they had to maintain a calm and composed facade.

Sister Christine, with her compassionate expression, was, in their eyes, a being more terrifying than any warp demon.

They didn't even know how the other person had done it.

With the ashes of an untouchable being present, it is virtually impossible to use psychic methods to inflict a fatal wound on a rare psychic master without leaving a visible mark.

However, these shrewd people are certain that the death of the Star Language Court host is inextricably linked to Christine and the State Church.

The presiding judge of Xingjuting remained silent for a few seconds.

Because of the deep connection between Xingyuting and Xingjuting, he and the host of Xingyuting are also longtime friends with a close relationship and have always stood together through thick and thin.

But now, the sudden death of the other party has plunged him into unknown fear.

He wanted to avenge his old friend, but at the same time he was afraid that he would also die an unexplained death, and then who would avenge Christopher?
Since there's no way to deal with the other party for the time being, we'll have to resort to that method...

Politics is the art of compromise.

It's time to compromise.

No matter what outrageous demands she makes now, they must agree to them and preserve their bodies for the Emperor.

Christine moved with ease, step by step, toward Guilliman's enormous seat.

Bishop Elfreda followed beside her.

However, in the eyes of the discerning high lords, Elfreda, who held a higher position, was more like a puppet in her daughter's hands.

A dark shadow, indistinct and indefinable, loomed behind her, which even the bright lights of the conference hall could not illuminate.

Elfreda took Guilliman's seat, looking at the high lords with a smile on her face.

Thank you for your cooperation.

"Now, let's continue the meeting."

(End of this chapter)