Warhammer 40: My Fiancée Fulgrim.

Chapter 177 No Gold Ring, No Mass Rebellion!

The final choice for Warmaster was Vorgrim.

It was an unexpected choice, but upon closer reflection, it wasn't so unexpected after all.

Checks and balances.

Horus and Philos were both very competitive Primarchs, and their legions were naturally unwilling to submit to each other, which led even their close Primarchs to take sides.

Perturabo and Mortalian sided with Horus, while Vokan and Corax were closer to Philus.

Khan has fled, and Alpharex and Omega are now locked in a fierce battle.

Even if someone says they don't care who wins the final battle, once the seeds of doubt and conflict are sown, it will be difficult to resolve the underlying issues.

This is equivalent to directly putting the two strongest and most meritorious legions in the empire on the opposite side.

As the War Master, after the Emperor officially withdraws from the Great Expedition, he will have the most direct control over the legions.

Horus and Philus
They all have a history of using friendly forces as human shields to withstand the first wave of attacks.

During the Battle of Gadinar, Phyllis's decision to send the Ultramarines to the front lines drew the ire of Guilliman.

As for Horus, his actions towards the Raven Guards caused Corax to angrily curse him on the spot.

Everything was done.

The intense competition between the two has made the Primarch on the other side worry whether his Legion will suffer the same fate in the future.

Despite all fighting for the same goal, rifts and factions have emerged within the legion.

If any one of them becomes a War Commander, it will not be good news for the future Great Expedition.

A third path must be explored.

As an emperor, the best choice is to abandon the two whose struggle has reached a fever pitch and choose a third trustworthy Primarch who is capable of becoming a Warmaster.

He/She must be able to coordinate the two factions, the Dutch and the Philippine, while ensuring that he/she is well-liked by both the Primarch and the Empire.

Furthermore, they need to possess the political skills to coordinate various forces, their legions must be of a certain size, and their own strength must be able to play a decisive role.

Due to multiple factors, almost no Primarch can meet the Emperor's requirements.

The Lion King has a very poor reputation and is not well-liked.

Angels are too soft-hearted; although they are very charming, their political skills are too weak.

She is better suited as a ruler than a warlord.

After much deliberation, the Emperor decided to have Fugrim participate in the Uranus campaign as well, to test her suitability.

The result was very satisfactory to him—Forgrim not only did an excellent job of assisting the other two legions, but even killed the orc warlord leader of Ulanor on his own.

Now even his personal strength has reached Old Man Huang's standard.

Most of the planets conquered by Fugrim were recaptured through diplomatic means, and the facilities on those planets were all preserved intact.

Even their relationship with the Cult of Mechanics was valued by the Martian Forging General because the Imperial Legion frequently developed useful gadgets and Fugrim himself possessed forging skills that were also very strong.

A near-perfect candidate.

Moreover, in the Emperor's eyes, she also had Casca protecting her.

Whether it was the Emperor or the remaining Primarchs who were willing to travel to Uranor to participate in the celebration, they all supported Vograim's assistance to the Primarchs during the Great Crusade over the past two hundred years, whether it was helping them successfully heal the Legion's internal flaws or allowing them to escape the doom they were destined to suffer.
In short, with Kasgar's help, Fugrim's reputation among the Primarchs has long surpassed that of Felluth and Horus, becoming the greatest common denominator among all Primarchs.

Even those who are indifferent to the position of Warmaster will choose to cast their vote for Fugrim after experiencing the help of the Imperial Princes during the Great Crusade.

Even Philus was no exception.

Although she felt that her Iron Hand Legion was indeed stronger, without the assistance of the Second Company Commander of the Emperor's Son, they might be much weaker in terms of intelligence gathering and main assassination tactics.

The highest good is like water.

Although the Imperial Prince Legion is not outstanding in any aspect, their perfect coordination allows them to cooperate with all other legions during expeditions, achieving a synergy greater than the sum of its parts. This level of coordination is something that the mechanized forces of the Iron Hand cannot achieve.

With her versatile support abilities, like a perfect puzzle piece, coupled with the dedication she displayed in the Battle of Ulanor, it seems that, though she is reluctant to admit it, Vograim and her Legion are more trustworthy than she and the Iron Hand.

Perhaps Fugrim herself is indeed a bit too much like a peacock who likes to show off, but it must be said that her impressive battle record and legion management ability are enough to give her the right to be proud.

While pride can sometimes be a flaw, well-founded self-praise is not pride, but rather confidence.

It could be said that while he was busy traveling back and forth in Kasgar, making unimaginable contributions to the Empire's Great Crusade, he had transformed Fugrim's arrogance into humility.

Basically, the Emperor's proposal to appoint Fulgrim as Warmaster was supported by almost everyone.

Except for Horus.

"If Fugrim becomes a Warmaster, then my Centaur Ring, my Centaur Ring!"

That's all!

With a snap, Horus fell to the ground and did not get up for a long time.

"My centaur gold ring."

He remained locked in his room on the Soul of Vengeance and did not come out.

The Ulanno Festival opened smoothly as expected.

At the Emperor's request, Uranor was transformed into a trophy world, designated as the laureate star on all star maps and tax records. It would become a place of glory and wonder, not only commemorating the conquest of humanity's enemies but also serving as a grander symbol of the Great Crusade itself.

(Hopefully they don't know this place will one day become Hakimidorton.)
This symbolized the beginning of a great era for the human empire, naturally attracting countless warships of the human empire to dock near the main star system of Ulanno. The massive fleet returning from the Great Expedition thus gathered for the first time on this incomparably glorious planet.

If it weren't for concerns that the flagship's excessive mass would disrupt the gravitational tidal forces of the Ulanno main star, the evacuated void ships, if all remained in near-Earth orbit, would have been enough to blot out the sun over Ulanno.

Humanity, a race that has endured countless hardships and traumas, a civilization that once created something even more glorious, but which was ultimately scattered and gradually declined and perished in the warp storm, can finally proudly declare its revival today!

Under the unification of the great human emperor who appeared out of nowhere, they were reunited; with faith in the future and the future, humanity, under the emperor's great leadership, finally broke free from the oppression of the aliens and reclaimed one lost world after another in the galaxy.

They will be strong again, they will be strong forever!
Until death, until the end of the galaxy, humanity will no longer be oppressed or driven by other races. From then on, humanity will stand forever in the galaxy!
The intricately patterned pavilions, forged from black marble and heavy granite, were constructed modularly in Terra and other Forged worlds before being transported here by envoys across the void.

This is a great masterpiece from the Sage of Mechanics.

Pillars adorned with orc skulls stood scattered along the main road, with smokeless promethium braziers placed in front of them, their blue-white flames illuminating the entire thoroughfare day and night without ceasing.

After the Mechanicus had completed their work, the Imperial Guard and the Titan Legion, who had fought on all sides during the Great Crusade, participated in the assembly.

As the cannons roared and colorful ribbons fluttered, everyone's attention was drawn to the parade ground, which was as wide as the foundation of a city.

The first thing to appear is a sea of ​​armor and uniforms.

The number of Imperial Army troops composed of mortals is countless.

Their procession was so large that even the city-wide reviewing stand seemed somewhat cramped.

At the very front of the procession, those soldiers who proudly stood tall and accepted the inspection were all warriors who had participated in the Battle of Ulano—they were selected for their heroic deeds and awarded a unique honor—the Triumph Medal made of agate and gold worn on their uniforms.

This medal, forged from melted shell casings retrieved from the battlefield, serves as proof of a family's glory for a thousand, even ten thousand years.

Behind them, the Titan Order's massive war machine stood tall beneath the sky torn apart by the contrails of a thousand close-in weapon fighters, and above that, an overwhelming array of fighter jets—flying left and right in the parade, leaving magnificent contrails in the sky with superb skill.

Above that, in the thin air of Ulanno, the Void Ships were gliding past on near-Earth orbits at a speed that appeared as slow as possible, but was actually very fast, displaying their beautiful hulls in a gesture of loyalty, eliciting another gasp from the visitors who had never seen such magnificent warships before.

Then came the most powerful and accomplished legion of the human empire in the expedition.

Leading them were ten of the most powerful demigods among humans.

Primarch.

There are eighteen Primarchs who created the greatest army in history by human hands.

Apart from the seven Primarchs who are currently serving the Empire elsewhere in the galaxy, the remaining eleven have arrived with their legions.

(The original story has nine Primarchs, but Guilliman is not included. Although it is unclear why Guilliman fought the entire match in Ulanor but did not attend the ceremony, it is likely that the story was retconned and Guilliman was not included here. In addition, there are eleven Primarchs in total, including the random female student.)
(Perhaps it's because they're too ambitious.)
Mortalian and his silent, olive-green legion of the dead led the way; behind them was Horus, the god of the wolf shepherds, though he seemed to be giving a wry smile; Magnus, the Crimson Lord, the enigmatic and towering Primarch, followed closely behind with his legion.

Then came Loka Aurelion, a quiet and profound fanatical believer; Angron, on the other hand, did not seem very happy, as if he questioned the extravagance of the ceremony—something he often did after his return.

But no matter how much he protested, Dorn remained steadfast. The Imperial Fist, with its unwavering will and focused dedication, always obeyed orders and remained steadfast in its duty. Behind him stood the Steppe Eagle Khan, his robes adorned with furs, his magnificent armor inscribed with the legendary tales of the White Scar Legion in bold, flowing calligraphy.

The Iron Hand Legion of Naphlus has a mechanical beauty to it—they've always been popular among the Martian sages, sometimes even rivaling the toaster in popularity.

The largest legion, led by Robbant Guilliman, followed meticulously behind; then came the Saint Gilles, surrounded by Blood Angels, their white wings fluttering amidst the golden-armored honor guards of the Blood Guard.

At the very end of the procession stood the glorious, purple-gold perfect warriors, led by Fugrim.

They fought alongside almost all the Primarch Legions during the Great Crusade, cooperating with them in perfect tactical coordination.

A great legion that disregards fame and fortune in order to achieve its expeditionary goals.

It was thanks to their assistance and coordination that Horus and Philus were able to compete for the position of Warmaster on Ulanor.

At the same time, it was the Primarch's own powerful strength that brought an end to this sibling rivalry.

Fugrim will be bestowed with a brand new honor, a title never before granted to any of its kind.

A title that will forever bear the mark of her name.

From the moment the parade grounds of Ulano were illuminated by the starlight until they reached midday, the grand military parade continued.

Meanwhile, in the very center of the palace, which was surrounded by the great Primarchs, Emperors, and the Guardians, the celebrations were taking place outside.

The moment when Fugrim was crowned Warmaster was forever captured in the paintings of the greatest artists from all of Terra, and even the entire galaxy.

Amidst the praise and agreement of almost all the Primarchs (except Horus!), Fugrim stepped forward with a smile to receive the golden laurel wreath bestowed upon him by the Emperor.

As for Kasgar, he was standing behind Fugrim, trailing the gold and red cloak that symbolized the honor of a Warmaster.

"You should strive to unite with your brothers and sisters to plan great things together."

"Never let arrogance or spoiling grow."

The Emperor spoke in a booming, high-gothic voice as he placed the golden laurel wreath on Fugrim's head.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After donning the magnificent golden crown symbolizing the Warmaster, Fugrim once again took the platinum chain from the Emperor and hung it around his neck, upon which rested a sapphire cut in the shape of the Eye of Terra.

This medal is a symbol of military rank and status.

In this glorious moment, accompanied by Kasgar's wry smile, Fugrim officially became the Imperial Warmaster who could control everything in the Great Crusade.

"Well, that's fine too. At least I won't have to see the Emperor put the centaur gold ring on Horus's finger!"

Kaska consoled himself with this thought.

Although the shift in the timeline was unexpected, sometimes misfortune can turn into a blessing in disguise.

But he didn't expect that Forgrim's coronation as Warmaster would not mean the end of the celebration ceremony.

After the chroniclers had all left satisfied, only the Primarch Guard and Macardo remained during the entire celebration.

Horus.

The emperor's words were tinged with helplessness: "Come forward." "Huh? Me?"

Horus stepped forward, somewhat bewildered.

He had been worried that the Emperor might give his centaur gold ring, which he had treasured for countless years, to Vograim as a gift from the Warmaster.

If that's really the case, then he'll literally spin into the sky and explode on the spot.

But now, after completing the coronation ceremony of Vorgrim, the Emperor has turned to himself. Does this mean...?
Could it be that——?
The Emperor sighed.

"This is a reward for your two hundred years of glory and diligence."

He reached out and removed Horus's left-hand armor, pulling out the ancient gold ring he had hidden in his palm.

The golden centaur design on the ring has not deteriorated with age; it remains lifelike.

Then, the Emperor placed it on the little finger of Horus's left hand, who was speechless with shock and emotion.

Horus had longed for the Centaur's gold ring for countless years.

Can he refuse to give it to him?
The emperor had long understood Horus's character perfectly.

If they don't give it to us, we'll rebel!
“Philus, I have deciphered the Dark Age technology we discussed last time, and I have already transferred its data to your Iron Fist array.”

"Magnus, this book."

Unlike the glorious and solemn coronation ceremony just now, it was as if a father was distributing long-awaited Christmas gifts to his children, and each Primarch received his own share.

It's like a kind old father who, after the real expedition has ended, has put down all his burdens and is giving gifts to his children.

As the Emperor reluctantly bestowed gifts upon the Primarchs, Macardo, standing beside him, grinned from ear to ear, his wrinkled face crinkling into amusement, seemingly enjoying the lively moment.

If anyone was unhappy about this, it would most likely be Constantine Waldo, the commander of the Imperial Guard standing behind the emperor. His expression was somewhat subtle; he seemed to be trying to appear happy, but the occasional hints of dissatisfaction at the corners of his mouth revealed his inner envy.

"Father, how could you really give the centaur's golden ring to Horus?"

"Shadow Moon Wolf's hysteria will probably get worse in the future, sigh."

“Forgrim, I remember you should have the most powerful team of apothecaries, do you think you could—”

Kasgar was still dragging Fugrim's cloak behind him, watching the Primarchs laughing and joking with each other after receiving their gifts.

The most jokes are about Horus's centaur gold ring.

But the latter didn't seem to care, maintaining that simple and honest smile no matter what the other person said.

joke!

What does having a centaur gold ring signify?
This shows that he is the Emperor's most cherished son. Even though I disappointed the Emperor in the Battle of Ulanor just now, he was still willing to give me the Centaur Gold Ring!
I don’t even want to act anymore!
Given the current situation, who cares whether he's a war commander or not?
Hehe. Hehehe

In short, Horus was in high spirits.

This is hardly a coronation ceremony for Fugrim!
Isn't this clearly a wedding ceremony with Horus?

"Uh"

"Ugh."

Kaska laughed out loud at Horus's drooling expression.

Perhaps the world has indeed undergone a tiny change because of his efforts.

Kasgar thought to himself, especially as he looked at the bald-headed Angron whose head no longer bore the Butcher's Nail.

At this moment, he seemed to be infected by the joyful atmosphere around him and also became happy.

Not much, but at least there has been some real change.

"Perhaps this is the best moment of the Great Expedition."

Although no one recorded this moment through painting or video, in Kasgar's heart, this scene was far more memorable than the moment when Fugrim was crowned Warmaster.

Perhaps it's all too beautiful to be real, but for now, let's enjoy this moment of peace.

a few days later.

Night fell over Ulanno, but the feast of victory continued.

The ships in the sky shimmered like jewels, and in the center of several fireworks displays in the square below, the sound waves of soldiers' chorus swept back and forth like ocean waves.

At this moment, humans and the Superman Astartes felt both celebratory joy and shared sorrow. They cheered for the Emperor and his newly appointed Supreme Commander of the Imperial military forces, and grieved for the Emperor's impending departure from the Great Crusade to return to Terra to continue his work.

From this point on, the great emperor will be far removed from them.

The soldiers will have to rely on their own strength to complete the great expedition.

Their drunken, carefree songs echoed far and wide in the silent night of Ulanuo.

As the celebration drew to a close, the Imperial Dream had moved to a distant orbit.

Before long, the Emperor will lead his flagship away, never to return to the galactic expeditions. He will return to the Solar System, while the rest will continue the expeditions.

As the revelry drew to a close, a long-forgotten and unbearable sadness welled up in Casca's heart.

It's like that feeling of frustration when you lie in bed on a Sunday night, wondering why the weekend is over so quickly and why tomorrow is Monday.

As Casca looked down at the people still reveling in the afterglow of victory, he sat quietly on the lawn on the hillside behind the arched castle, lost in thought.

Will this place—no, I should say the human empire—remain as peaceful as it is now in the future?
Especially since the inevitable great rebellion was about to begin.

Kasgar does not believe in fate—he has broken the shackles of fate before, whether on Koz's home planet or facing Khorne, the Bronze Lord, with Angron. Kasgar proved with his actions that fate is not unchangeable.

But the deep-seated worries in my heart will not lessen as a result.

This is a War General!

The title of Warmaster, which had once betrayed the Emperor and once betrayed him, fell to Fugrim by some strange twist of fate.

He was betrayed by Olpeson, and betrayed by the leader of the Second Legion.
When the Great Crusade comes to an end and all those monsters and demons of the warp unleash their power, will he be able to protect them with his current strength?
He was a little worried.

If Fugrim were to suffer the same fate as the Warlord, being forced to endure the same fate as the Four Gods, how would he be able to rescue her?

etc--

Casca was thinking about a very serious problem.

If Fugrim were to become the Imperial Warmaster, then as the Emperor's son, he would be the second-highest-ranking Lord Commander after the Primarch.
"Then wouldn't I become Abaddon?!"

Casca felt the top of his head getting pointed.

"Casca!"

At that moment, he heard a call from behind.

That was the Phoenix Queen, a radiant being, the Purple Court Golden Phoenix—and now, of course, she was also the female archetype with the title of Imperial War General.

Fugrim.

"I've been looking for you for a long time!"

Seeing that he wasn't carrying any communication devices, the new war commander was now looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and delight.

"Great War General, you finally have some free time?"

Kaska said with a smile.

“Don’t even mention it,” Fugrim said, scratching his head in frustration. “I haven’t had a single happy day since I took on the role of Warmaster.”

Managing the entire legion was already a huge headache, and now she has to coordinate and command almost all of the expeditionary fleets. This is no easy task, especially since her orders sometimes involve the lives of hundreds of billions of people.

If not handled properly, it could lead to unimaginable consequences for her.

Then look at Horus, who had fought tooth and nail for the position of Warmaster.
Now he's happily taking his Shadowmoon Wolf on a joyful vacation to a new star system!

She was left to handle all matters, large and small, during the expedition, along with Vorgrim and the Emperor's Son.
It's really unfair.

There were only two moments that brought Fugrim joy after he had taken on the role of the Imperial Warmaster.

The first is the moment she was officially crowned.

Secondly, it was the moment she stepped down.

"Hey, it's alright, it's alright." Casca smiled and hugged her tightly. "I'll handle the affairs within the legion for you. You just need to focus on being a good war commander."

"Ah."

"Casca, let me take a puff to perk you up."

In Kasgar's embrace, Fugrim turned and hugged him tightly in return.

"Why do you seem so gloomy? We should be happy to see our hard-earned human empire getting better every day."

"Casgar, did you foresee something?"

No. That's the real problem.

"I can't see a future."

Casgar's last words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

It is precisely because he could not predict anything that he now feels extremely lost.

He was already used to a future that could be predicted.

"Rest assured, any difficulties and dangers will be easily resolved under the great Imperial Warmaster Vograim!"

She sat down next to Casca with a smile, her head resting gently on his shoulder.

"Trust me, Casgar."

She whispered, "Whether you see a terrible future or not, I will take care of it for you."

After the air in Ulano was cleaned up by the Mechanical Church, the sky full of stars twinkled before their eyes.

The starry sky at this moment shines just as brightly as it did over two hundred years ago at Chemos.

At that time, they also faced the same starry sky and made a vow to fly into space in the future.

No matter what dangers we face in the future, we will confront them together.

This is our agreement.

Forgrim smiled and extended her hand, adorned with a gold centaur ring.

However, the centaur gold ring that the Warlord wore this time was crafted and gifted to him by Casca.

"Ah."

"Let's pinky swear."

(End of this chapter)