This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 423 Departure, The Stone Fortress! (Two Chapters Combined)

"Hopeless!"

Young Ifreni, wearing a mask of pain, began to doubt the purpose of being forced by her parents to learn the magnificent etiquette of the ancient Eldar empire, which even the fallen Eldar nobles couldn't help but admire.

Should I teach her to slide on her knees?
She squatted on the ground in despair, hugging her knees, and then looked sourly at the massive fleet that was cleaning up the battlefield.

The Phoenix Lord looked at this young woman who harbored inexplicable expectations for her race, and at the resentment in her expression due to her disapproval of the Spirit Race's current status, and couldn't help but smile.

This young Eldar still yearned for the ancient empire, was dissatisfied with the status quo, and sincerely believed that this long-decayed race could do more, instead of enduring day after day on the road to the survival of the race like other ancient brethren.

Perhaps this is why Death chose her.

The Phoenix Lord shook his head slightly. It couldn't be called a flaw, but for a member of the Elven race, it was indeed not easy to have lived to this day with such a mindset.

Actually, it's not that Phoenix Lords are fanatical.

His armor embodies ancient wisdom. Due to the frequent wars with the Yetan and the rapid changes in the Phoenix Lords, his armor reflects a deeper understanding than that of other ancient Arks, including elements that directly confront the gods.

Even today, many of the Ark's councils of prophets include elders who have survived since before the Great Fall. They chose restraint during the Eldar's most corrupt period and led their like-minded brethren to escape.

Compared to his compatriots who would have shot him if he hesitated over whether or not Biethan should live, he and the Council of Prophets at least knew to think before agreeing.

It's hard to say that such people would fall into blind fanaticism for a single thing, like Uslan.

The gods in this universe have needs. They often offer tempting conditions in exchange for the faith and service of their followers. However, due to the existence of the subspace, these conditions are often backed by chains that are impossible to escape. The moment you nod in agreement, you are instantly dragged into a cesspool.

They should believe in God more rationally and thoughtfully.

However, once you think about it, it will taste delicious.

The legend of the Grim Reaper is widely circulated among the Eldar, and the clown theater troupes that tour the various Arks also have no shortage of plays based on this theme. However, many Eldar scoff at it, and a few extreme individuals even believe that it is a form of Slaanesh corruption, a lie fabricated by the Dark Prince to devour them.

After all, compared to their dark cousins ​​in Comoros, the power they could provide to the Dark Prince was extremely limited.

While the Phoenix Lord did not believe that Death was Slaanesh, he also did not believe that anything capable of ascending to godhood in the Warp today could be anything good, especially since He was a god associated with death, let alone any talk of rising to power.

Rescuing Isha from Nurgle's Realm and escorting her to the Web of Destiny to ask her to protect a portion of Eldar would be more reliable than this plan.

Of course, there are more reliable ones now.

The Phoenix Lord looked at Ramses, who was still focused on the Warp and occasionally joking with the old prophet, and shook his head helplessly.

It can only be said that the sudden emergence of a few capitalists from a group of slave owners has had a huge impact on the overall environment.

Could this be considered an impact of capitalist expansion on various feudal or slave groups of the old era?

Recently, the Phoenix Lord, who has been studying human history, had an idea pop into his head.

While it's difficult to judge which side is more despicable in the context of human history, the simple moral values ​​of these four individuals make up for that.

He bowed and patted Evelyn's shoulder reassuringly.

Since things have come to this, I might as well come up with a nicer title for myself.

At least the gods would find it easier to command them.

Seeing this, Ifreni couldn't help but sigh:
"Asuyan."
-
While the entire planet was celebrating the arrival of the Primarch, a man with sinister intentions was observing it all with cold indifference.

Lord Cypher.

He met with the Lord of Knights.

Despite the raging flames of war, this leader remained untouched by the elements. After leading the Knights of the Round Table to breach the last alleyway, which held a strategic advantage in terms of defense, he stood before Lord Cypher.

As this leader wielded the sword, which could autonomously control its trajectory, he also maximized his own advantages, breaking through enemy lines and dealing with cunning hidden dangers, embodying the word "efficiency" to the fullest extent.

Dark Angels should be like this; they shouldn't let a series of external factors distract them from their focus on the war itself.

Lord Cypher's gaze lingered on the Knight Lord's body, as if trying to find some familiar features.

"Hello, Lord Cypher, I'll call you that for now."

Arthur asked, "What do you intend to do here?"

They had always been curious about Lord Cypher's identity, after all, compared to other fallen angels, his active period covered almost all of history from the end of the Great Rebellion to the present.

But now it seems that Cipher is more like a position; anyone can be Lord Cipher as long as they carry a lion sword, wield two guns, and wear a white robe.

Arthur also scrutinized the lord, with the Knights of the Round Table beside him. Even some of the elders from the Great Crusade struggled to determine the identity of this mysterious figure.

However, this is not a problem for the Dark Angel.

"grown ups."

Lord Cypher returned the ceremonial sword and then bowed respectfully to Arthur.

“I don’t mean to question your decision, but it turns out that you need to reconsider your appointment of the Knight Commander.”

Not far away, before Arthur arrived, Kay, who had volunteered to test his mettle as Lord Cypher, was wiping his wounds.

The easiest way for the Dark Angel to recognize people is by speaking with his sword.

Even as time ages and ravages their faces, these knights, born for battle, can still sense a familiar scent in each swing of their swords.

"Shut up, you!"

Upon hearing this, Kai immediately looked up and cursed, a movement that reopened the wound on his neck where the skin had just begun to heal.

"Don't try to influence His Highness's thoughts like you would the Lion King. You are no longer our ruler."

There was a hint of exasperation in his voice, indicating that Kai found this person's advice quite persuasive.

And it's hard to imagine that Kai, who seems the most carefree, was actually the highest-ranking member of their small group in the past.

The job requirements for Dark Angels are actually quite simple on the surface.

Knights, Knight Adjutants, Knight Company Commanders, Knight Commanders, and Knight Governors correspond to junior officers, squad leaders, company commanders, and platoon leaders, respectively, and are also responsible for various lordships and oversee all internal and external affairs.

However, due to the cultural discrimination caused by recruiting from all over the world within the Dark Angels, there is discrimination against people from the East and West, discrimination against England from the Mediterranean, and discrimination against everyone from the Middle East.

The internal hierarchy is actually quite complex and exaggerated. Everyone believes that they should be involved in certain matters and immediately form a brand new department. They never pay attention to the command system from other cultural circles and always choose to take initiative in the face of various emergencies.

This directly led to an environment within the Dark Angels where superhuman abilities were rampant and responsibilities were unclear.

Even the emperor did it!
Fortunately, it was during the period of growth, and with so much glory, all sorts of problems were covered up. It wasn't until the Lion King returned that he sorted out the issues of authority and responsibility, took all the power back into his own hands, and then put a new big framework on top of it. Only then was the legion's command system truly stabilized.

Zabril was born in Scandinavia, a member of the Skeleton Army, and one of the founders of the Dreadwing. However, his position in the Legion was only a squad leader. Evka, who was born in Egypt, was a company commander, while Kay was a company commander equivalent to a current battle group commander.

As for Galad, whom we found on Vigilant Star, he was a Knight Archon, an Inner Ring Knight, while during the same period, Coswayne, who shone brightly in the Great Crusade, also held the highest title of Ninth Knight Archon.

"I'm sorry, but with you by my side, the long-lost peace has finally enveloped me once again."

After making a joke at Kai, Lord Cypher bowed again, the shadow of his hood cleverly obscuring his face.

"I no longer need to distinguish between the truth and falsehood of the words whispered in my ear."

"you have not answer my question yet."

Arthur asked patiently.

The Broken Steelwings are putting the finishing touches on the Grani system. The hive will be destroyed after an emergency evacuation, and the molten metal will purify the hive that has been marinated by the Nurgle cultists.

As for the planet's surviving population, the accompanying government team has already initiated resettlement plans. Even without using the network, small eco-ships are sufficient to sustain these people's long-term survival.

“I have answered the Emperor’s call to return to the Rock, find the Lion King, and awaken him to stop the fusion of the three sacred artifacts.”

Cypher kept his hands outside his robes, trying to appear harmless, although he knew this would obviously be of little use in front of a Primarch.

"I was supposed to lead the Guardian Angels to escape and use that as a means to complete my plan, but your appearance has changed everything."

No one could have predicted that the Dawnwings would actually make contact with the Eldar and clear the blocked network channels in advance, completing the support across most of the galaxy.

This was unexpected for Chaos, given the presence of the Knight Lord, meaning the Empire's information was no longer transparent to Chaos alone.

“How strange, it’s rare to see someone who isn’t a Riddler.” A spacecraft landed inside another spacecraft not far away. Ramses, having dealt with the potential dangers in the warp, stepped forward and looked at the famous Riddler of the Warhammer universe, who was comparable to the Jester, with a look of surprise on his face. Beside him were a group of attendants from different races.

"The Emperor's voice has become clear, and I no longer need to distinguish which is right and which is wrong from a jumble of contradictory information."

Lord Sefer replied respectfully:
"Greetings to you, Lord of Glory."

"Hello."

Ramses waved his hand, appearing quite casual.

"So you always use those ambiguous answers to prove you're right? And that's how you end up—"

He then asked, and after a moment’s thought, “So that everyone can hear what they want to hear, and give themselves a sense of security like ‘I’m doing the right thing’.”

"Yes."

Lord Cypher nodded without hesitation.

In the past, the emperor's voice was so complex, a mixture of contradictory tones, that there were times when he was urged to go to the palace to rescue the emperor from the golden throne, which often required him to spend a lot of time enduring pain and then thinking.

This makes him appear gloomy, cold, and taciturn to outsiders.

While catching up with his old comrade-in-arms, stroking the armor whose glorious mark was personally engraved by the Knight Lord, and recounting his hardships over the years, the 'Fallen Angel,' who had struggled with Lord Cypher in the cracks between chaos and reality, suddenly cast a death stare at him.

"Now?"

Arthur asked.

"I still beg you to take me to the Great Rock."

Cipher replied, "Only I can confirm the exact location of the Lion King."

"Or rather, only this sword can re-establish a connection with him."

Ramses looked at the broken sword behind Cypher with great interest and couldn't help but say, "Now I understand why Azrael and the others couldn't find the Lion King, not even the Stone Lord."

Arthur gestured for his partner to continue.

"The Lion King is probably currently wandering aimlessly across the galaxy through his subspace domain, making him difficult to locate in the real universe. The Lion Sword itself can serve as a medium, and of course, any Dark Angel can be used if necessary, but at a great cost."

Ramses pondered for a while, but did not say it was true, which was considered an admission of the truthfulness of the other party's words.

"So what do you plan to do after you find the Lion King?"

Lord Cypher met Arthur's gaze with his eyes hidden in the shadows.

He knew exactly what the person in front of him represented, and any potential threat that could undermine their unity had to be eliminated.

"You want to kill him?"

Arthur had to exert a little effort to steady his expression.

What exactly did Ryan do in the past? Although the motivation of wanting to become a Warmaster during the Great Rebellion was very abstract, even the time when he performed the famous Flying Head Punch scene could be considered an accidental killing, right?
Or was that accident actually the last straw that broke the back of Dark Angels?
No, buddy?
Even the dark angels among the Knights of the Round Table, who harbored deep resentment towards the Lion King, couldn't help but show expressions of horror.

So decisive, so ruthless.

Who is this expert now?

"I don't think the Lion King deserves to be punished like this."

Arthur replied, his dry humor, which he casually revealed, made the surrounding soldiers tense up.

After saying that, he raised his hand to stop Lord Seifer, who was about to speak but hesitated.

Listen attentively.

The roar of the war machine engines began to fade into the distance, and the agile figures of Black Talon and Valkyrie soaring through the sky were gradually replaced by the heavy shadows of the large transport planes.

The finishing touches are complete.

"The remaining matters will be discussed upon returning to the fleet. I will confirm the next course of action in the roundtable council."

Arthur began to direct his troops to regroup and head towards their strategic objective, the planet to be placed under the administration of Romulus.

"You have the right to sit in on the proceedings, and your subordinates also have the right to decide for themselves whether to stay or leave."

Racing against time, with clear and organized steps.

Lord Cypher was taken aback for a moment, then immediately nodded.

"it is good."
-
"Hello there!"

On the surface of the Glenny hive, a winged nun with golden armor and black hair avoided the sight of most people and finally stopped a patrolling force at a checkpoint.

"Hello."

The sergeant nodded, his gaze lingering on the wings on the other's back for a moment. His superiors had informed him of the reappearance of this living saint who had fought throughout the empire and had instructed him to report to his superiors the moment he discovered any trace of the other.

Within a radius of several kilometers around him, multiple firing platforms locked onto him but did not fire immediately.

"Have you seen the Primarch? Any one of them will do."

Cyrusin looked around.

The dense enemy forces that had almost filled his vision before his death had vanished. He found himself in what appeared to be a landing zone, with civilians and the wounded being continuously transported onto transport planes. In the distance, amidst the ruins, rescue teams clad in brightly colored work clothes were conducting humanitarian relief efforts on various rubble.

Soldiers, clad in force-feedback powered armor and wielding ancient-style weapons, protected their safety.

It looked like they were already cleaning up after the war.

Cyrusine was quite surprised by the scene. Perhaps because she had seen too many ruins completely covered by death or battlefields shrouded in endless war, the sight before her was novel to her.

"I need to meet with them."

The nun's tone was gentle, and her detached demeanor did not give her an arrogant contempt for everything. Her words revealed a humility that transcended vulgar interests and was a heartfelt service to humanity, which reminded the sergeant of Director Arabella of Dawn Star.

"They've already left."

The sergeant replied in a calm tone.

"what?"

Cyrusin's expression changed slightly, surprised that the protagonist of the war had so easily run away from his own film set.

"left?"

"Should I contact my superiors to arrange a meeting for you?"

"No, no need."

Cyrusine shook her head. She only needed to die once to return to the Warp. There was no need to hitch a ride. After all, there were Imperial believers everywhere, and the power of faith was abundant. There was no need for such trouble.

"Please register me then, as I need to report to my superiors."

The sergeant held his weapon to his side and found a terminal and the accompanying paper documents.

"It's my duty, please understand."

"Hey?"

Celestine, who had previously been chased and kowtowed to by fanatical imperial subjects, excommunicated by the state religion, or executed by inquisitors as a warp demon, was taken aback.

"It's troublesome."

The pen, paper, and terminal shook together.

"Oh."

Cyrusin reached out and took it.

(End of this chapter)