Warhammer 40: My Fiancée Fulgrim.

Chapter 179 Magnus, the Mischief King
At that moment, both Ahriman and Magnus closed their eyes.

Frost condenses, and energy flows.

From the real world, Magnus, the Crimson King, ventures into the vast heavens, traversing the boundless spiritual realm in search of the benevolent beings with whom he has had many interactions and who have helped him—the two-headed eagle spirits born from the Imperial people's faith in the Imperial eagle emblem.

It is absolutely trustworthy.

Magnus has many friends here.

Not long after he began his journey through the spiritual world, Magnus soon sensed the presence of the two-headed eagle spirit.

The appearance of elves in the warp is different from that in the real world—these creatures do not have any uniform external features, and it is impossible to describe them by their appearance.

The mysterious spirit seemed to be in a constantly changing state, and the only point of reference that allowed Magnus to recognize it was its blue bird-like body with two heads.

"Great two-headed eagle spirit, symbol of the empire, guide, I hereby seek your guidance—"

In the subspace, everything can only be felt with the mind.

Magnus conveyed a friendly and gentle message to it: "We have arrived at the Interles Federation as you have guided us. Where is that forbidden, lost knowledge? What should we do next?"

"Gah!"

Magnus heard the call of a bird.

He wasn't sure if this was the kind of sound the other party, as a two-headed eagle, should make, but he did seem to sense a fleeting hint of mockery.

The very next moment, another extremely shocking message entered Magnus's mind.

"what?!"

This time, the news from the Empire Double-Headed Eagle is particularly significant.

"You mean the entire Interles Federation has been corrupted by evil witchcraft?!"

The negotiations between Fugrim and the Interles Federation are proceeding very smoothly.

The reason this former human enclave was able to survive and develop sufficient awareness of the evil of chaos was largely due to the guidance of an Eldar world that once passed through the area.

Fortunately, Princess Yrel, the Eldar pirate general under Forgrim's command, acted as a bridge from the front lines, ensuring that the meeting between the two sides remained largely peaceful.

It's already a stroke of luck if the other side doesn't think you're a spy sent by Chaos.

Casca thought to himself.

Without the guarantee of Iriel, the war chief of the Spirit Race at the front, it would have been easy for them to be sown apart by the Chaos forces lurking in the shadows, causing unnecessary casualties.

Horus in the original story was corrupted by the path of chaos.

This time, however, Casca was well-prepared.

After their initial meeting, the two sides reached some consensus.

Although the Interles Federation remained somewhat wary of the Emperor's Son fleet, after Casca and his group presented evidence and records of their origins from Terra, the other side seemed to share a deep fascination with this civilization from their ancient, legendary homeland.

They are humanity's compatriots lost in the universe.

As for the heavily armored troops clad in brown and gold armor, when they removed their helmets, they revealed faces that were completely inhuman.

The Cairnblach people, also known as the Giant Apes.

When humanity encountered them, their civilization was aging and declining.

After a century of protracted territorial wars, the Cairnblach people, believing that continuing the war would be pointless, chose to reconcile with humanity.

For the next three thousand years, the humans of the Interles Federation successfully coexisted with the Kanebrage people in a mutually beneficial manner.

This is partly thanks to the Aria technology developed by the Federation of Kings, which allows the two races to engage in deeper interspecies communication.

"This war has taught us a lot. We should understand our place in the universe and embrace the values ​​of compassion, understanding, and forgiveness," the Federation delegation explained proudly.

However, the human empire did not take this seriously.

From the perspective of the human empire, although it did allow some harmless alien planets to submit, the alien race was not popular within the empire.

This is yet another major point of contention.

The human empire simply did not believe in these different beings and always maintained a deep level of vigilance towards them.

After several more rounds of discussions, Warmaster Fugrim and his retinue were permitted to travel to the nearest Interles Outpost world to reach a more in-depth agreement with a delegation of higher authority.

That's the trouble with politics.

Compared to the past routine of "where to go, who to find, how many to kill" in the Great Expedition missions, the Battle of Ulanor ended the eradication of all the aliens in the galaxy that could truly threaten humanity.

(Space Necromancer: zzz)

The Imperial Expedition now faces entirely new challenges.

As the war gradually subsided, it was replaced by endless discussions and negotiations with other human interstellar empires, leaving people breathless.

Now that the Emperor has returned to Holy Terra, no one is issuing them new expedition missions anymore; they must make their own decisions and judgments.

To be precise, it requires the judgment of Warmaster Fugrim.

Fortunately, the Interles Federation is relatively easy to talk to.

Interles's at least theoretical recognition of the Emperor as the sovereign ruler of mankind was already a significant diplomatic breakthrough.

However, the other party seemed to have some reservations about Forgrim's title of Warmaster.

"Not an emperor, not a commander, not a general, but a war marshal. This term simply reveals the essence of chaos."

This angle was something Casca had never thought of before.

Perhaps Guilliman was right?
Is the Regent a better fit than the War General?

Despite the Eldar's guarantee, they still harbored deep concerns about the human empire represented by the Vorgrim.

This isn't actually a bad thing.

For an intergalactic civilization, it is naturally best to be as cautious as possible when making contact with other powerful empires, and people can understand the actions of the Interles Federation.

However, for Fugrim, who was busy with official duties and expeditions, the repeated negotiation meetings between the Interles Federation still failed to reach many effective and substantive agreements.

Amid this back-and-forth struggle, even within the expeditionary fleet, voices began to emerge calling for direct military conquest.

Fugrim's residence in the Interstate Federation Outpost World.

The opulent interior is crafted from gleaming silver and crystal, while the distant horizon, with its azure ocean, echoes with Interstate's distinctive arias.

Looking at this meticulously arranged seaside accommodation, Interles' arrangements are exceptionally pleasant.

But at this moment, Imperial Warmaster Vograim had no time to enjoy a vacation.

Petitions and invitations to visit arrived like snowflakes every day.

In the short time since she took office, as many as five Primarchs have sent letters inviting her to share her views on the overall strategy of the Great Expedition or the War Council.

The name of the Lion King is even among the five Primarchs.

Since the Battle of Ulano and the final confirmation of the position of War General, it seems that there has been no news of the Lion King throughout the entire empire.

No one knows what the lion is thinking, nor does anyone know if he is sulking because the emperor didn't even consider his existence when considering the war general.

Even after learning that he had not been invited to the Battle of Ulano, he did not attend the final celebration as well.

No one knows what the Primarch, who once craved the Warmaster to the point of obsession, was thinking after discovering that what she had dreamed of had been taken by Fugrim.

However, the fact that they took the initiative to send a letter indicates a sign of easing tensions.

Fugrim dared not be negligent and carefully considered his words before replying.

In addition, the future movements and attack directions of each expeditionary fleet also require the approval of the war commander.

And domestic and national affairs are even more numerous than expected.

Administrative orders for conquering new territories during expeditions also required the personal approval of the war commander.

Because of the lengthy negotiations within the Interles Federation, her progress has fallen far behind.

Under the pressure of countless missions, Imperial Warmaster Vograim was required to be omnipotent: not only to serve as an army commander, but also to appease the people, act as a judge, decision-maker, tactician, and diplomatic mastermind.

It was a miracle that Horus could survive seven days in Devon before going mad.

Ababa Ababa Centaur Gold Ring.jpg
Not only that, but something even more significant has recently arrived in the fleet of the Imperial Pride.

—A delegation of bureaucrats from the Terra Tax Authority.

After the Emperor announced his return to Holy Terra, the Terra War Council, which had previously overseen all affairs of the Great Crusade, was reorganized into the Terra Council and the War Council. The former was responsible for all domestic affairs, large and small, within the Empire, while the latter was the military organization for the Great Crusade of Fugrim.

The New Terra Council is composed of Makado, Mars Forging General, Waldo, the Star Court, the Navigator Family, the Imperial Army, the Ministry of Justice, the High Lords, and others.

Apart from the immortal Macardo and the royal guard Waldo, most of them were mortals.

Clearly, there was no Primarch or even Astartes among them.

The newly formed Terran Council has already enacted a decree.

All expeditions and voyages, all Primarchs, all commanders, and all rulers of subjugated territories are required to levy heavy taxes on vassal planets to meet the ever-growing financial needs of the expanding Empire.

The demand for tithes came just as the Interles Federation was about to be incorporated into the human empire.

Imagine you've finally reached an agreement, only to have a bunch of people suddenly come and tell you that the Empire is going to impose heavy taxes on its vassal planets.
I want it now!

"Are you serious?"

"Interstate has not yet fully submitted. As for the other worlds, they have all suffered the wounds of war and rapid social change, and now desperately need rest and recuperation. Taxing them at this time would only sow the seeds of unnecessary trouble."

"His Majesty insists on this."

But the tax officials did not seem to show any leniency.

"The beloved Lord Magician Macado has repeatedly emphasized to me and my colleagues that we must collect tribute and establish a sound mechanism to make it routine and automated."

"This is a thankless task."

"Their ruling authority has not yet been fully legitimized. This plan is far too hasty."

"His Majesty insists on this."

The tax official repeated.

—That's exactly the kind of conversation that Fugrim had with the tax collector.

"These are the terms I negotiated with great difficulty."

What reason should Fugrim give to explain the Empire's new policies to the people of Interles?
Facing Casca in front of her, she let out a painful wail.

Just as Fugrim was struggling with how to bring up the matter, a shuttle from the other flagship of the expeditionary fleet, the Radiant Light, quietly landed in the Interles outpost world.

Due to Casca's strong demands, Magnus was unable to participate in the negotiations with the Interles Federation during the previous talks.

During this time, he was constantly reading the lost books that had been sent from Interles to the Thousand Sons flagship.

A History of Extreme Evil: Advice on Humanity's Misuse of Witchcraft and Blind Faith in Demons

It depicts the images of devils and ghosts, angels and the Holy Infant, and revelation about how humanity abused witchcraft and paid an incredibly heavy price for it.

Magnus was terrified.

Fortunately, Magnus had long since moved beyond the base pleasures of witchcraft and instead chose to communicate with and listen to the guidance of elves like the Imperial Two-Headed Eagle.

Luckily, I didn't do it.

— Magnus consoled himself in this way.

Even though he wanted to help with diplomatic negotiations, he was still rejected by Fugrim.

Furthermore, Fugrim informed him that the people of Interles disliked witchcraft (as evidenced by these books), so Magnus would be better off not showing himself to avoid unnecessary trouble.

He couldn't say anything more about it.

Only one waited in its flagship, reading and meditating, searching for a new moment to repay their kindness.

Until recently, the Empire's double-headed eagle approached him. The Interles Federation's territory spans more than 30 star systems, and its core world is about a 40-week journey from the frontier of the Empire's sphere of influence.

This is merely a peripheral port area for the other side.

"But it is still beautiful."

"Just like any garden world we've ever been to."

After landing, Magnus looked around and exclaimed.

Using his psychic powers, he transformed himself into the form of an ordinary Space Marine before landing.

"But I think it probably won't last long, not long after the tax officer came by."

Ahriman, standing next to Magnus, said sarcastically.

"It will either become a wasteland because of war, or a living hell because of the inability to pay taxes."

It seems that after encountering the human empire, death is inevitable no matter what.

—The emperor's move was too ruthless.

Not only in this country, but other Primarchies also have their complaints about this – this brutal and unreasonable expropriation is essentially cutting off their path to unification through peaceful means.

“I don’t understand what Father did either,” Magnus sighed heavily. “But let’s go find the pollution that the spirit of the two-headed eagle spoke of first.”

He didn't really believe the Empire's claim that the Interles Federation had been corrupted by some kind of evil "chaos."

After all, judging from the current situation, this place is peaceful and beautiful. The tranquility under the night sky, accompanied by the sea breeze and arias, captivated Magnus. Here, even humans and aliens can coexist peacefully. It doesn't seem as treacherous as described in the books, full of indescribable and terrifying demons.

"Try to investigate that place without revealing our whereabouts."

"If the intelligence is correct, it's nearby."

Guided by the spirit of the Imperial Twin-Headed Eagle, the two sneaky fellows headed towards a building called the "Equipment Hall".

The entire hall is ancient and majestic, like a giant museum.

This place clearly holds significant military importance for the Interles Federation. The entire hall is built on a steep bay slope, and inside there are numerous rooms, each two or three stories high.

The massive exhibition dome slops downwards, and even the outer walls display a dazzling array of weapons, from ancient forests of swords and spears to modern mobile artillery, all of which are concealed within a pale blue energy field that protects them.

Outside the equipment hall, several armored officers dressed in silver armor and red chain cloaks stood straight in front of the hall entrance, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, checking for any possible oversights.

"The Interles are heavily fortified, and this is probably where they are."

"But...would they really put a mysterious weapon in this weapons museum?" Ariman questioned. "So careless? It's like putting your most precious books in a small museum in some unknown frontier city instead of in Tizika (the capital of Prospero)."

"."

Magnus did not reply for a long time.

"I do not know."

(Yes, why? Why would such a divine weapon as the Rival Blade be casually placed in a museum in the Outpost world?)

But this doesn't seem to be the time to force our way in.

Although the guards waiting outside were easily defeated, it was not advisable to formally break ties with the Interles Federation before there was any evidence.

"The spirit of the Imperial Twin-Headed Eagle said he possesses great power and can lead us to complete a teleportation without leaving any trace."

"But is that thing really trustworthy, sir?"

Ahriman hesitated.

The diagram of the two-headed eagle spirit seemed a little too obvious, so much so that Ahriman felt something was amiss.

"Perhaps... such a possibility exists."

Magnus did not deny Ahriman's proposal: "But we can make a judgment based on the actual situation at that time."

As a master of psionic research, he could sense that the teleportation array constructed by the spirit of the two-headed eagle was indeed only a teleportation array for an extremely short distance.

They can do nothing but trick the guards into sneaking into the equipment hall.

With that, and with the help of the warp creatures, Magnus quickly completed the spell.

The two of them disappeared from the spot in an instant without even making a sound.

"Who?!"

"Who is there?!"

The guard only felt an inexplicable sense of unease, but after finding that there was still no one around, he returned to his original position full of doubt.

He seemed to sense the legendary chaotic aura, but he wasn't sure if it was real.

"Is it just an illusion?"

Magnus looked around after the teleportation was complete.

This exhibit displays a large number of Kaneblach's weapons—although those things don't look like weapons at all, but rather like boxes, strange trinkets, rings, or iron hoops.

This place displays all the weapons used by the Cairnblach people in their battles with humans. These weapons were placed here after a formal reconciliation was reached between the two sides, so that future generations could visit and learn about the horrors of war.

(This seems to be of little use to the current human empire.)

Just as the two-headed eagle had said, they were teleported into this equipment hall.

"As expected, the Imperial double-headed eagle was friendly; it did not deceive us."

Magnus grew increasingly fond of the little sprite that often brought him surprises.

He sent a psionic message to Ahriman beside him, filled with surprise, and Ahriman nodded slightly to Magnus.

“Let’s hurry and find evidence. According to the spirit of the two-headed eagle, the thing is very likely—”

Right there.

It's actually not hard to find.

Throughout the hall, there were Kaneblade weapons that resembled weapons: several oddly shaped daggers and swords.

Among them, one seemed particularly outstanding, emitting a faint, ethereal glow—although the glow could not be perceived visually, Magnus's psychic perception could clearly sense that energy.

"This is simply a sword, isn't it, sir?"

Ahriman asked doubtfully, "How could these weapons be as deadly and dangerous as that double-headed eagle said, to the point that we have to destroy the Interles Federation?"

"Look here, the Interlesian explanation notes below."

This is a piece created by the Kaneblach people, imbued with the style of the dark ages of evil.

Indeed, the Cainblach people's past is not exactly glorious; they were once believers in a mysterious force called Chaos.

It wasn't until recently that Kaneblach realized the dangers of Chaos, abandoned his sorcery beliefs, and formed an alliance with humanity.

They were specially crafted weapons, forged from intelligent metals created by metallurgists in Kaneblach, a technology that is now completely banned.

People call it anathames, the nemesis blade.

When such a sword is used against a specific target, it becomes a nemesis to that target, determined to kill the chosen one.

A terrifying creation of witchcraft.

"Ahem. But that's not the focus of our discussion right now."

Magnus suppressed his previously explosive thirst for knowledge, which had almost led him to snatch the item and study it on the spot.

He could sense this weapon the instant before or after contact.

hiss.
Magnus felt fragments of psionic visions flooding into his mind.

That is an evil blade, used to pierce the bodies of the innocent.

Soon after, it will be possessed by an entity used to assassinate Magnus's Primarch brothers.

He could feel the fear of an impending crisis, a fear so intense that he forgot to breathe.

At that very moment, the blade fell.

"Horus!!!"

That was the shout from Abaddon, the company commander of the Shadowmoon Wolf Company.

Under the influence of this evil artifact, the Wolf God collapsed to the ground and could not get up.

"Do not!!!"

The company commander picked up the demigod who was lying on the ground, wearing moon-white armor, and cried out in anguish.

And not just this time.

It seems that Horus may be harmed by this blade again in the future.

That was a treacherous fellow; though his presence was obscured, Magnus could still discern his despicable tricks—

Unable to defeat Horus in direct combat, he disguised himself as a seducer to lure Horus and gain his trust.

Finally, just when Horus thought he had won, he revealed his true form, full of fangs, and killed his opponent with the dagger in his hand.

Why does it look weird?

The scene then shifts and changes, and this time it seems that someone else has been affected.

Warmaster Fugrim—while fighting another figure entirely in black, whose exact form was obscured, she was caught off guard when a sudden, evil dagger slit her throat.

At this point, Magnus did not know who her opponent was.

But involuntarily, the word "karma" came to mind.

Then it seems to be Casca.
He was fighting another enormous and insane being. He couldn't see who Kasgar's opponent was in the prophecy; it was as if it had been suddenly erased from his vision.

But Magnus could see the fine, golden-red cracks on his body, which, like an eggshell about to shatter, burst forth with unimaginable flames and light.

But it still couldn't escape its inevitable fate.

Even he, who possessed the ability to heal all wounds, fell into a coma and could not wake up under the blade of this despicable nemesis.

Too much.

Too many psionic allegorical scenarios played out in his mind like a slideshow, one after another.

Of the myriad variations, only eighty-one were shown to Magnus here.

"My lord, are you alright?"

Under Ariman's concerned questioning, Magnus shakily stood up, supporting himself on the glass cabinet beside him.

"What just happened, sir?"

"It is the spirit of the two-headed eagle, reminding us and giving us prophecies about the future."

Magnus's expression was grave: "And if the prophecy is indeed true, this nemesis's blade will become our nightmare in the future."

Because of its ability to ignore any defense, countless Primarchs will suffer damage or even death from this damned blade in the future.

Thanks to the guidance of the spirit of the two-headed eagle!
Magnus broke out in a cold sweat with fear at the thought of letting the blade pierce his other brothers and sisters under completely unknown circumstances.

Without the spirit of the two-headed eagle, Warmaster Fugrim might have been assassinated as prophesied!

And this was not the only victim. Magnus saw many more people, including Primarchs, Immortals, and people he knew, none of whom could escape the fate of being killed by the Blade of Nemesis.

No, it shouldn't be like this.

The future should never be like this.

"We must stop this and prevent a tragedy from happening!"

With that, Magnus, his gaze resolute, reached for the damned dagger.

(End of this chapter)