Warhammer 40: My Fiancée Fulgrim.

Chapter 157 Imitating Others (Part 2)

Even as a rival for the position of Warmaster, the Lion had to admit that Horus was far more important to everyone than he, Ryan Eljonsson.

As Horus stepped into the still somber atmosphere of the meeting, the atmosphere instantly underwent a dramatic change.

Great, it's Horus!

We are saved!
Dorn will only ever offer what he believes to be the most correct viewpoint, regardless of whether others can accept it.

Forgrim might be able to mediate the atmosphere among all parties, but she is still too mild-mannered and unable to garner enough public trust.

As for Ryan, it's already a blessing that he didn't cause any trouble.

"What a warm welcome, my friends."

"The wise Emperor believes that the Dark Night Sector is of great importance, and has therefore dispatched me and Shadowmoon Wolf to join you all in unveiling the mysteries of this sector."

Amidst cheers and inquiries from the crowd, Horus smiled and waved to people from all directions.

The entire conference room was immediately filled with a joyful and happy atmosphere.

The great Horus, who can coordinate all tactical plans and harmonize the personalities of all Primarchs, has arrived here!
Unfortunately, this atmosphere didn't last long.

and many more!

Horus wasn't the only one to enter; a lion following behind him was also clearly not in a good mood.

Ryan Al-Jonson!

The Lion King followed Horus; he had returned!
The attendees, realizing they had been celebrating too soon, lowered their cheers slightly.

The room fell silent once again.

Lion: "."

That's really embarrassing.

This was especially true for the lion who had just stepped into the meeting room, which greatly diminished his confidence in his prestige.

"Ahem, I just went out to greet Horus and his Shadowmoon Wolf brothers."

He wasn't so angry that he left his seat, but rather he wanted to give everyone present a surprise.

Clearly, those who thought the Lion King left because he was intolerant of others were judging a gentleman by their own petty standards.

This is very wrong behavior.

"Haha, brother, you're right. It seems everyone's a bit afraid of my brother."

Horus, with heavy steps, turned back and led the lion forward.

"But to be honest, I do wish I could have your intimidating aura."

Horus also envied the opponent's combat strength and the Emperor's favoritism towards the First Legion—something that made him extremely jealous.

In front of almost everyone, Horustan revealed his true feelings.

This made the Lion King feel somewhat flattered—Horus was jealous of the lion's treatment in the eyes of the emperor.

"Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but I have indeed thought about it."

Although Horus himself always claimed to be the son of the First, he knew in his heart that the "First" was not a very significant achievement, nor was it a title that others could not attain.

He really was just one of the more fortunate of his twenty-eight brothers and sisters.

Yes, there are eighteen.

His status as the Firstborn Son would allow him to monopolize the Emperor's reign for thirty years while the other Primarchs were scattered across the world.

But that's about it.

Looking at the Dark Angels' three Glory Queen-class battleships and countless technological creations of the Dark Ages; and then at the Imperial Fist's massive and invincible [Mountain Array].

Shadowmoon Wolf only had one Glory Queen battleship, which was almost the baseline for Primarchs, and no other Imperial favorites.

His sole responsibility is to teach other Primarchs how to adapt to space combat as the Firstborn Son.

It has to be said that Ryan's excellent conditions did make him somewhat envious.

“I never deny that, brother.”

"You can't imagine what it was like to see the two of you, with your invincible and massive fleets."

The "1" symbolizing the emperor's eldest son, the Dark Angel, is always engraved on the Dark Angel's shoulder armor, glyphs, and banner.

Horus was clearly the first to arrive.
But the one marked on the other side is the true eldest son of the emperor, while he himself is just a pitiful number sixteen.
"Brother, it's me."

The lion realized that his mouth was a bit clumsy and he couldn't utter any complete words.

But I was secretly thrilled the whole time.

Horus was such a master at flattery that he made the lion feel so good it felt like it was flying.

"I was just lucky to obtain a relic from the Dark Ages."

Dorne nodded gently to Horus: "This is a gift from the Emperor, and it is also my responsibility to the Empire. I bear both of these burdens."

"This is indeed an enviable favor—but Horus brothers, have you considered that there is another Primarch in this room?"

Fugrim's smile seemed somewhat forced.

They praised Ryan and Rogue, so why skip over Fugrim?
What does it mean?
So you can say she has no redeeming qualities?

Back when I was aboard the Chemos, I was quite pleased with myself for owning a Glory Queen battleship.

As a result, the battleship Queen Glorious was guaranteed to be one for every member of the Primarch's expeditionary fleet!
What's going on?
“Of course, my sister Fugrim. I certainly envy you as the only one among us brothers and sisters who has been married, and I certainly envy the perfect love you have.”

"But you know—if I told the story of the centaur's golden ring like you did, everyone would fall asleep on the spot!"

Horus's honest face twisted into a comical expression as he looked around, instantly eliciting another burst of lighthearted laughter.

Horus, you bastard.

"That's not wrong."

Fugrim was pleased with Horus's words.

Horus certainly knew how to communicate with his brothers and sisters.

In just a few words, the tense atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

Just like the backbone of the many helpless members of the expeditionary fleet, Horus only needed to appear in the meeting room to gain everyone's trust.

Even the stubborn Dorn gave Horus a slightly more conciliatory smile when he looked at him.

This greatly displeased the Lion King, but it seemed that this was indeed the reality—

Even when the Emperor assigned the three expeditionary fleets together, he took into account the possibility of discord among the three Primarchs.

"Compared to the Ryan brothers' deterrent power, I also have my own troubles."

"Even when I'm angry and giving a lecture, my men still dare to stand up to me and fight back."

As he spoke, Horus glanced jokingly at Abaddon beside him.

The latter seemed somewhat unconvinced by the description of Horus and was eager to argue about it.

Although Horus did not name names, it seems that Abaddon had fully grasped his implied meaning.

"You see. That's exactly it."

"It seems that each of us has our own problems to face."

"You have yours, and I have mine."

The lion king's tense expression eased somewhat, and his well-trimmed golden mane finally seemed to flow down normally.

He seemed to glance at the Caliban knight beside him without making a sound.

There stood the biggest troublemaker in the entire legion.

That is, the legion priest who dared to refute the lion on the spot when he met Horus.

This person's name is Nemir, and he serves as a priest in the Dark Angels Legion.

If the name isn't familiar, you've definitely heard of the powerful move, "Lion King Flying Head Fist."

He was the head that got blown away.

As a model Space Marine of the Dark Angels, he performed exceptionally well in all the battles, large and small, that the Dark Angels experienced.

He was an upright and honest man. After being selected as the Legion Priest, he was responsible for overseeing the Legion's logistics and personnel deployment work, and he was meticulous in every detail.

He never slacked off in fulfilling his duties.

But the problem is—he really didn't slack off in the slightest, and he even supervised the Primarch.

As a legion with the most secrets, how could the Dark Angels possibly be as open and transparent as the Emperor demands?

The Lion King himself had a multitude of secrets.

This means that Nemir, as an upright and incorruptible Legion priest, would not show even the slightest leniency regarding the Primarch's own circumstances.

This guy is different from Abaddon.

He seemed to thoroughly enjoy arguing with the Primarch.

It's not just about correcting the original's behavior, but also about enjoying the process of refuting the original.

Nemir, the true advocate of the Primarch.

"Please apologize for my rash departure earlier."

Facing the crowd who were still awkwardly unsure how to welcome the Lion King back, Ryan slowly bowed and apologized.

Before anyone could react, Horus quickly stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over.

"Alright, since everyone has had a thorough exchange of opinions while I was away—"

He quickly put the previous unpleasantness behind him, and now it was time to discuss the issues without letting his emotions get the better of him.

This shifted the focus of everyone's attention back from the Lion King's personal departure to the issue at hand.

Although the Lion King was unwilling to admit it, he knew in his heart that Horus's ability to deal with people was many times greater than his own.

This level of capability gap is difficult to bridge in a short time.

Ryan thought to himself, feeling somewhat disheartened.

"Dorn, what was the outcome of our previous discussion?"

Dorn recounted to Horus the results of the previous discussion among the three Primarchs.

The entire Dark Night sector is shrouded in a massive warp cloud, and entering it would inevitably involve unimaginable risks.

The speed and direction of their actions were the main focus of their discussion at the meeting.

"It sounds like you really need an external point to break the current deadlock."

Horus concluded, his massive, armored body beginning to wander around the round table before him.

The protogenes could not reach a consensus, let alone a strategic agreement.

"My father, when he was in Holy Terra, taught me to discern the thoughts of those who offered suggestions, and to formulate strategies based on that, through their most..."

This is not merely a reflection of differences in command philosophy; it also involves some personal factors.

Horus then interrupted.

"Regarding this situation, my father—"

As Horus delivered his proud speech, Kaska closed his eyes.

coming.

To be precise, it's happening again.

Next, please enjoy the essay recitation by Horus, the Primarch of the Sixteenth Legion, titled "My Imperial Father"!
(Winner of the first prize in the Sacred Terra Gold Centaur Cup Essay Competition)

He exchanged glances with Sigismund, and even with Togadon and Cyranus standing behind Horus.

Now, there is no need for any further communication to understand what they are thinking.

I understand what you mean.

Finally, Horus began his long discourse with a fable about his childhood encounter with the emperor, using this as a springboard to recount countless stories that had taught him...
In short, under the Emperor's guidance, Horus chose a new approach—unlike the Primarchs' strategies, which were either radical or conservative, Horus chose to incorporate their ideas and improve upon them.

According to his plan, the joint expeditionary fleet, spearheaded by the Mountain Array of Rogdorn and the Seventh Legion, would penetrate from one side of the Dark Night Sector and advance towards the main central area.

The remaining three expeditionary fleets were tasked with expanding outwards around the outer star systems that served as lifelines, ensuring that the Seventh Legion's supply lines would not be severed and thus lost contact.

Based on the results of the previous missing expeditionary fleets, the most crucial thing after entering the Dark Night Sector is to preserve the link channels and supply lines.

Only in this way can we ensure that we do not get lost in the environment where the Star Torch is isolated by thick fog.

It takes into account both the current situation and troop deployment of each legion, and also fully considers the ideas of each Primarch.

Unlike Rogdorn, he directly humiliated others.

Horus's plan quickly became the tactical plan unanimously agreed upon by all legion members.

It will be implemented in the Dark Night Sector in the near future.

Although there were some minor hiccups during the meeting, Horus's influence quickly led everyone to reach a consensus.

This is quite rare, considering that when the Lion King left earlier, everyone was lamenting that the arguments between the Primarchs would greatly increase the time consumed by the expedition, thus wasting precious time on meaningless bickering.

"Only when Lord Horus arrives can this dispute between Primarchs be resolved."

People were talking in hushed tones.

"Indeed, if the Empire were to select a war commander again, I would definitely support Lord Horus. There is no one more suitable to lead all the expeditionary fleets than him."

"Shh! Watch out! The great lion is still here!"

"Isn't that unnecessary? Lord Ryan wouldn't be so petty."

"Wait a minute, let's put Lord Ryan's matter aside for now. When you were talking about choosing the war commander, why did you say 'again'?"

"!"

"!"

"!"

Everyone fell into silence again.

Let's close this up; this is a slide that you shouldn't touch.

Of course, this does not mean that Horus was infallible and perfect.

His almost fanatical love for the Emperor earned him some criticism within the Expeditionary Fleet and the Terra War Council. [Horus's expressions of affection for the Emperor were so frequent that I felt, in a way, that I became an unnecessary presence in the Expeditionary Fleet.]

Even when it comes to proclaiming the greatness of the Emperor, Lord Horus has to do far more than I have.

He truly loves the Emperor brand from the bottom of his heart. I'm ashamed to say that I can't even compare to one-tenth of his passion.

— Written by an imperial truth-telling official who originally had a fanatical love for the emperor.

Shortly after being assigned to the Soul of Vengeance as the chief preacher of the Shadowmoon Wolves, he chose to submit his resignation.

I can't bring myself to criticize this; it's genuine love for Emperor Entertainment.

But being too passionate about something isn't necessarily a good thing.

There is no clear line between tradition and superstition or even fanaticism—some extremists may believe that Horus's teachings seriously violate Imperial Truth and are extremely heretical, requiring correction by Imperial Truth Propagandists.

Of course, many people still feel that Horus, as the Primarch of Shadowmoon Wolves, is just a little strange with a quirk, which does not affect his status as the most popular Primarch in the Great Crusade.

Just like believing that a four-leaf clover brings good luck.

This is at most a form of self-suggestion, and it is clearly far removed from the religion that the emperor swore to destroy.

It's not reasonable to burn everyone in the world who believes that four-leaf clovers bring good luck.

This is abnormal, at least for someone earning 30K.

The meeting has come to a close.

Accompanied by the narrators, their photographic and video equipment, and their servants, the four Primarchs began to walk toward their respective helipads.

The logistics forces from the Joint Expeditionary Fleet will soon complete the occupation of the planet Scacia.

This location will serve as a base for supplying the expeditionary fleet, providing a continuous supply for the fleet that will venture deeper into the Dark Night Sector.

Horus and Dorne jointly served as the commanders-in-chief of this battle.

Horus's meaning is not hard to understand—although he is in charge of all of this, as the Imperial Fist and the Mountain Array are operating in isolation, there are many situations that require the other side to make their own decisions.

Everyone agreed with this viewpoint, and after the meeting, they all walked towards their respective helipads.

"and many more!"

Just as the Lion King was about to leave again, he noticed someone calling to him from behind.

He was the son of an emperor.

Their flamboyant purple-gold armor made them easily identifiable. If Ryan remembered correctly, this was the Phoenix Guard who had stood beside Fugrim during the previous meeting.

—Of course, Casgar seems to be a little "closer" than the other Primarch Guards.

As the consort of Primarch Fugrim, the Lion had heard of such a being, though he had never actually seen her.

Especially after hearing the rumors that he possessed powerful psychic prophetic abilities, enabling him to converse amiably with Magnus, get along well with Phyllos, and rescue the Angron brothers from the alien rulers.

Don't underestimate the lion's intelligence network.

"Son of the Emperor, what business do you have with the Lion?"

He frowned and asked.

Immediately afterwards, he saw the other person take out a small ornament from his person.

"Psionic Protection Necklace".

Kaska explained to the Lion King, "This necklace's ability is similar to the Iron Halo—it can deploy a shield when the wearer is about to be subjected to a large impact, thus protecting them from some unexpected damage."

“Nice little trinket,” the lion nodded gently, looking at the ornament in his hand, “but you brought it to me not just to show it off.”

This thing is indeed good, but unfortunately, Dark Angel has everything.

“Of course, great lion. This is a vision I saw in a prophecy—it revealed the death of a dark angel fighting brother, and I am prepared to give it to him to avert the inevitable fate that is to come.”

As Kasga spoke, he stepped forward and looked at Nemir: "I hope you will accept it, brother Nemir."

"Oh?"

The lion became intrigued: "You foresaw his death in the prophecy? How did he die? I'd love to know the details."

—The details are what you punched away.

Of course, Casca couldn't say that, otherwise the head that flew off would have been his own.

"This may be a bit complicated to explain. It was an unexpected enemy who was among us and killed Nemir."

"Alright then, thank you for the reminder, Commander of the Emperor's Son."

The Lion King originally kept a certain distance from such mysterious and enigmatic things.

After all, he had seen too many illogical and unconventional things on the planet Caliban, which made him quite receptive to think tanks and psionic energy.

As long as it works.

Since Casca has been a think tank within the Empire that has given correct instructions on many occasions, and since he has predicted that problems might arise in the future, he would be better off believing this statement now.

—At worst, we can go back and have the other Dark Angel think tank and technical soldiers check whether there are any contamination or eavesdropping devices in this necklace.

The Lion King has a strong sense of counter-surveillance.

But what he doesn't know is that in front of him is someone who knows all his little secrets.

"You're welcome, for the sake of the human empire and the emperor."

After answering, Kasgar practically fled towards the Emperor's Son's landing craft.

whee.

Hehehehehehe.

Hold it in, you absolutely must hold it in and not laugh!
The thought of the future Lion's Flying Head Punch hitting the psionic shield filled Casca with a heartfelt joy.

Plan passes.

【Invincible Rationality】

Sitting alone in his room, the lion fell into deep thought.

As a strong contender for the title of Warmaster, Horus seems to be far more favored than he is.

Both the discussion of the Primarchs and the outcome of the discussion demonstrate this point.

He didn't understand why both he and Horus were putting forward opinions that hadn't been verified before being tested, yet Dorn would always oppose him and choose to trust Horus.

He may not be the most eloquent person, but solutions have nothing to do with a person's personality.

But the lion needs a reason to be rejected.

Could it be because the other Primarchs think they are not loyal enough?

This kind of speculation is really ridiculous.

Loyalty or disloyalty?
Loyalty or disloyalty?
So loyal!!

Within the Primarch, could there be anyone more loyal than the Lion King?
Only he, and only he would carry out everything the Emperor needed without expecting anything in return, and only he could maintain a steadfast lion's heart amidst endless whispers of evil and illusions.

The Emperor said that the biggest shortage in the Great Expedition was time.

So he loaded so many extermination orders.

This was all to better fulfill the emperor's requirement: to conquer as quickly as possible.

The emperor only said that he needed to conquer.

As for whether the conquered land was actually a lifeless, desolate wasteland, the emperor did not say.

That would obviously be faster by issuing an extermination order!
Isn't this a perfectly reasonable thing to do?

Furthermore, a lion will naturally reflect on its behavior after being criticized.

An extermination order is indeed inhumane.

While bombing can certainly reduce those damned guys to smithereens, it will also destroy all industrial facilities on the planet's surface, requiring everything to be rebuilt from scratch.

Their expedition needed a planet that could provide a continuous source of power, not a scorched wasteland in need of rebuilding.

The emperor offered this advice.

After much reflection, the Lion King underwent a significant transformation.

—Now he's more likely to just drop virus bombs.

This way, the various industrial facilities and machinery on the ground will not be destroyed at all.

He rarely uses the Cyclone Torpedo anymore!
Isn't this an extremely kind and efficient approach?

Your Majesty, can you sense that I have become more merciful?
The lion raised its head and looked at the huge bust of the emperor hanging in its study.

Emperor "."

He kept looking ahead without saying a word.

obviously.

The lion has done so much for the empire, yet it has never received a fair return from the empire.

Those guys will always slander the Lion's cruelty, but they have never trusted everything the Lion has done for the Imperial Expedition!
Horus.

The lion grasped the crux of the problem.

He was now extremely eager to figure out the key difference between himself and his Primarch brother: what caused the Lion to be unable to gain the people's trust despite their mutual loyalty to the Emperor?
He must learn from his Primarch brother Horus—who garnered such popularity during the expedition; if Llane wants to become a Warmaster, he must learn from him.

"Bring me the book on that shelf that records Horus's words and deeds during his expedition."

The lion spoke to the creatures around him.

It was a tiny figure dressed in a long robe, whose form was hidden beneath the enormous robe, and no one could discern their exact appearance.

That was the Black Watcher, also known as the Little Robe Man.

(The second from the left is Ryan Aljonsen)
As non-human beings, they are usually taciturn and short in stature, yet they are also very intelligent and can communicate with each other through telepathy.

Their existence is even more unique—these beings can resist the abilities of chaotic entities, like the Untouchables, and nullify the warp energy around them.

At the same time, they can also carry the weapons of the Dark Angels to participate in the battle. Although it is unknown why they can only act as a buff machine in the battle, it seems that their existence will not be attacked by other artillery fire.

There are also rumors that they are creations of ancient saints, possessing power far greater than they appear, and frequently appearing in various major events.

These things, no matter how you look at them, are strange—

Alien? What alien?
Hi.

These are our Dark Angels' allies. On Caliban, a planet teeming with talent, they are a kind of subhuman that helps us fight against the behemoths and the invasion of Chaos!

How can such a human-like ally be accused of having an affair with an alien?

Holding the book handed to him by the little green man, the Lion King thought to himself.

"Let me see what Horus usually does inside and outside the legion—"

He opened the book in his hand, written by the narrator of the Shadow Moon Wolf army.

"emmmmm"

ten minutes later.

"Notify the entire expeditionary fleet to load the Cyclone torpedoes."

"Destination, Kosonia."

—Of course, I wouldn't actually do that.

The thought flashed through his mind, but it only lasted for a fleeting moment.

For a fleeting moment, he genuinely wanted to blow up Kosonia.

Having read about half of the book, especially the part where Horus tries to enhance the emotional connection within the Shadowmoon Wolves legion and thus deepen their shared learning experience at the Shadowmoon Wolves University.
The book was thrown aside by the panicked lion king.

"Oh my god, this is terrifying!!!"

What is this?!

That's terrifying!
This book had a profound psychological impact on a child growing up in the jungles of Caliban.

Horus, he actually did.
this.!

这 是
My thirty-year-old Centaur gold ring horoscope book!
what! ! !
The lion dared not think any further!
"Quickly! Burn it!"

"Burn that stuff!!!"

The lion raised its head and glanced once more at the portrait of the emperor in its study.

Emperor: "."

The portrait, of course, did not speak, nor did it offer any response.

But the other party also seemed to be becoming increasingly helpless.

No. No!!!
He doesn't want to!
Brain, I command you, stop working!

This is blasphemous! This is blasphemous!
How will he face Horus and the Emperor in the future?

While reading this book, I felt as if my power armor boots had been dug out like a Caliban Knight's monastery.

"But why is it that even so, Horus is still loved by so many people?"

After the initial shock, the lion asked himself this question.

No, why?

If Ryan were to encounter Horus now and shake hands with him like before, he would immediately pull his hand back!

That's terrifying!

However, the other citizens of the empire, whether warriors or bureaucrats, all believed that Horus was the best candidate for Warmaster.

Could it be that they all harbored this same feeling towards the emperor?

They're all abnormal!

The lion seemed to have come to a very frightening conclusion.

"This world has gone mad!!!"

Can.
That's why Horus has everyone's support, isn't it?

"Could this be the only way to become a War General through competition?"

The lion looked at the book of the chronicler that he had tossed aside in the distance, and thought with a trembling heart.

(End of this chapter)