"Father, how many people like him are there?" Guilliman asked.
Caelan replied, "It's difficult to count the exact number. Olus is certainly not an isolated case, but they must be psykers or 'transmigrators'."
"Because only by entering the Warp can one establish a contract with these Warp entities."
Psykers can actively connect to the Warp, but it's nearly impossible for a mortal to be exposed to the Warp without protection.
Olus's situation was unique; he was able to enter the Warp at a specific time and in a specific manner.
This inevitably involved the covert manipulation of the Chaos Gods. His transmigration location was also premeditated. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he appeared on Macragge?
The Warp entity was also given to Olus by Tzeentch, probably to ensure concealment.
If Tzeentch had given him a demon, the demon would find it difficult to suppress its nature. It would try every means to possess its host.
Even if the contract prevented possession, it would still try every means to corrupt its host, that's its nature.
The key question is, how many such people are there?
Guilliman asked, "Father, is there a more efficient way to identify these people?"
"To accurately identify 'transmigrators', you would have to examine their souls and memories."
"This work can only be done by psykers, which means the Legions must vigorously develop their Librarius departments."
Not all 'transmigrators' will be as high-profile as Olus. If they deliberately hide, it's very difficult to expose them.
Caelan cannot possibly dissect everyone's soul from beginning to end to check for hidden Warp entities.
The workload is too great.
In 40k timeline, many Chapters examine the memories of recruits. The most famous and strict in this regard are the First Chapter and the 666th Chapter.
This can effectively eliminate danger and weed out those weak in spirit.
However, as 'transmigrators', they would find it difficult to stay low-key.
Anyone has ambitions to achieve something, though many have had that spirit ground down by hardship.
But as 'transmigrators' with two lifetimes of experience, they will constantly try to climb the ladder, and their 'guardian spirits' will create opportunities for them.
Such people tend to be young and accomplished, and their life trajectories are often full of 'coincidences'.
Precise investigation is not impossible, but the identification workload would still be enormous.
Tzeentch's move is too insidious.
These 'transmigrators' are all ticking time bombs. Even if they pose no immediate danger,
They were pawns of Chaos from the very beginning, and there's no guarantee they won't explode someday.
And they are often kept in the dark, completely unaware of the conspiracy they are part of.
Finding them is like looking for a needle in a haystack, yet it must be done.
Tzeentch's goal remains unknown, but merely knowing the existence of 'transmigrators' is already nauseating enough.
Furthermore, if these 'transmigrators' are all ticking time bombs, "What about me?" Caelan stared at his hands, murmuring to himself.
He was also a transmigrator. He was no nobler than these people.
Olus used a ritual to launch his soul into the Warp and bounce it back into the body of someone in the future.
But how did he transmigrate?
He came in his own body, not as a soul, and performed no ritual. Moreover, he was certain he was not from the current universe, that was his biggest difference from other 'transmigrators'.
There should be no Warp entity parasitizing inside him; otherwise, Neoth wouldn't have been so friendly to him on Terra.
But was he also part of some conspiracy?
If so, was his education of the Primarchs also part of that conspiracy?
"This is why I hate Tzeentch the most!"
Caelan's brow was deeply furrowed. Once caught in Tzeentch's conspiracy, it's easy to fall into mental attrition.
Perhaps Tzeentch's goal was to make Caelan doubt himself, but what would be the point of that?
Caelan was certainly not someone who dwelt on gains and losses. Since he had already embarked on this path, he would see it through to the end. He would never abandon what he had started!
His first-found son was still waiting for him on Terra!
Even if Tzeentch had some conspiracy, Caelan also had Neoth.
All of his power came from Neoth. Neoth must have left some countermeasures on him.
As long as Neoth was there, Caelan had nothing to fear.
Caelan himself would not give up either. Even if a conspiracy truly existed, it certainly wasn't in the aspect of educating the primarchs.
Caelan was certain his education had been flawless. Even if there were shortcomings, he had repeatedly warned the primarchs about the dangers of the Warp and the Chaos Gods.
With their intelligence, the primarchs could infer the rest.
Even without Caelan, they would never fall for Chaos's tricks again.
"Father."
Guilliman stepped forward. Caelan looked up from his thoughts and met the primarch's cobalt blue eyes.
"Regardless of how fate arranges things, no matter what happens in the future, you will always be my father."
He had keenly caught the trace of worry in Caelan's eyes, and he would never allow that to affect their relationship.
"If there's a conspiracy, we'll break it together!"
"Even if He is the Changer of Ways, the fact that you are my father is one thing that will never change!"
A gratified smile appeared on Caelan's face. "Those words are almost a provocation to Tzeentch."
Nothing is set in stone. The world is in constant flux.
Even father and son could, in Tzeentch's calculations, become bitter enemies.
But Guilliman was a primarch. He had the power to defy the fate Tzeentch arranged for him.
Lilith's voice was like a whisper. "My Lord, shall I dispose of him?"
Caelan's gaze returned to Olus, who instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Everything that needed to be asked had been asked. Keeping Olus alive was indeed a huge hidden danger.
His thinking was no longer like a normal person's. After hearing the horrific truth about the Warp, his first reaction had been to sympathize with the Warp entity.
Even with death imminent, his concern was whether his guardian spirit would die.
The connection between them was definitely not as simple as he described. He and his guardian spirit had formed a deep bond.
Such behavior could be called righteous and loyal, but it was not worthy of pity.
The moment he connected with a Warp entity, he was no longer innocent.
Just like the mortals who survived the First Harkami War in 40k.
They were innocent. They were full of honor.
Yet they were not innocent. They were all ticking time bombs.
Caelan would not righteously call this a necessary sacrifice. At best, it was a cruel act of cutting off one's tail to survive.
"Can't you not kill me? I... I can still help."
Olus's voice trembled, cold sweat pouring from his body.
Caelan had almost forgotten about him. 'Why did you have to remind him?'
This girl looked as beautiful as a flower, with a gentle and pleasant personality, soft-spoken, and elegant manners.
So why did she speak of killing so casually?
What did you people consider human life?
He understood why these people wanted to kill him. They feared he had already been corrupted by Chaos.
But whether he had been corrupted or not, didn't he know himself?
How bitter Olus felt inside!
Caelan stared at him appraisingly. "What help can you provide?"
"I can help you find the other transmigrators!" Olus's voice was urgent, like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline.
He silently apologized to his future colleagues. "Better your friend die than me." They couldn't blame him.
Guilliman pressed, "And how would you do that?"
Olus pointed to his head. "Nehemiah, my guardian spirit, says it has a special perception with other guardian spirits. It can find other transmigrators."
Caelan asked, "Did it volunteer this information?"
Olus glanced at Lilith and swallowed. "Yes, just when this lady mentioned disposing of me."
"Is it afraid of death?"
Olus replied, "Nehemiah won't die. If I die, it will just return to the Warp. But it wants to stay in reality."
"Is that its condition?"
Olus nodded hastily. "You can use me as a human auspex. Just as long as you don't kill me!"
Having luckily obtained a second life, he really didn't want to die.
He didn't need to be a senator or a consul. Let him be an ordinary person, live eighty or a hundred years, and die of old age.
Caelan turned, "Guilliman, it's your decision."
The Primarch would eventually have to face the dangers of the Warp directly. Caelan wasn't the direct victim here.
He had to get used to being a decision-maker. Whatever choice he made, Caelan would support him.
Guilliman was neither indecisive nor soft-hearted, but he was sufficiently rational, able to calmly think through the pros and cons. That was his greatest strength.
If Olus could truly find the other transmigrators, the efficiency would indeed be greatly improved.
But the price would be keeping this ticking time bomb around.
Risk and reward coexisted, and Guilliman had to assess the risks.
The potential benefit from Olus was significant, yet the danger was not high.
Even if a 'guardian spirit' dwelt in his soul, these guardian spirits couldn't directly manifest in reality, nor could they directly summon demonic armies from the Warp.
Like other Chaos cultists, he would need sacrificial rituals or other mediums to drill holes in the Veil.
With proper supervision, the harm Olus could cause was very limited.
But theory is just theory. It still wasn't safe, because they couldn't completely bind Olus's guardian spirit. It might still stir up trouble.
"Sister Lilith, can you control him?"
Lilith opened her delicate hand. In her palm lay an exquisite device smaller than a grain of sand.
"This is a psychic lock. Once implanted, the subject cannot use psychic powers, otherwise it will directly burn out the subject's brain."
Caelan asked, "Another legacy of the Golden Age?"
"Yes." Lilith nodded.
Though not crafted by human hands, it did indeed originate from the Golden Age.
These things could be used to restrain enemies, or to restrain their own kin.
Unless necessary, her former people almost never used psychic powers.
Because unlike them, who had their master's protection, other Aeldari who developed their psychic gifts were essentially pushing themselves into a fire pit.
They weren't as bold as humans, recklessly opening their souls to the Warp.
The Aeldari mainly relied on crafting psychic runes, using the runes as an intermediary to interact with the Warp.
If something went wrong, they could promptly deactivate the rune to sever connection with the Warp and preserve themselves.
Humans were surfing the net without protection, while the Aeldari had a firewall.
Humans had more freedom and could access more content, but viruses could also take advantage of that.
The Aeldari's firewall would block many viruses and issue warnings when encountering risks. If necessary, they could even deactivate the firewall and pull the plug.
Unless the firewall's owner ignored the risks and continued installing, their security was much higher than humanity's.
But the limitations were also significant; their psychic gifts often couldn't be fully utilized.
And for those young kin whose gifts were too strong to easily control,
They usually had such a device implanted. Though the punishment wasn't brain-burning, it would still prevent them from using their psychic powers until they learned to control their gifts.
A thoughtful glint appeared in Guilliman's eyes. It seemed that Sister Lilith and her master were far from simple.
Macragge also had methods to restrain psykers, but only common materials like phase iron.
Nothing as precise as a psychic lock. He even suspected 'psychic lock' was just a codename.
Hearing that the device would burn out a resister's brain, a hint of joy appeared on Olus's pale face. "Then what are you waiting for? Give it to me! I promise I won't resist!"
Olus's reaction was both unexpected and understandable.
Though he would wear the shackles of a restraint device for the rest of his life, better a living dog than a dead lion.
He wasn't a psyker anyway. Not using psychic powers wouldn't harm him much.
"Sister Lilith, implant it."
He didn't know Lilith, nor his brother Angron, nor Claudia.
But he trusted his father. That was the foundation of their mutual trust.
With his father as the bond, they didn't need to go through the slow process of building trust.
Lilith raised her hand gracefully. "Open your mouth."
Olus obediently opened his mouth. The device flew into his oral cavity, guided by psychic energy.
It traveled down his esophagus, pierced through internal organs, and finally followed the blood vessel network towards his brain.
Guilliman stated, "I'll give you one Terran year. Find one transmigrator."
"Okay!"
Olus gritted his teeth and agreed. He understood Guilliman wasn't negotiating.
He had to try. This might be his only chance.
Either prove his worth, or meet his death.
Even if he failed to find any transmigrators, the outcome wouldn't be worse than now.
Olus silently groaned inwardly. "Nehemiah, I'm relying on you now!"
In the sight invisible to outsiders, the beautiful, shimmering blue guardian spirit surrounded Olus. It solemnly patted its chest with its little tentacle hands, its voice filled with childish delight.
"Leave it to me! I won't let my master down!"
"Good, good." Olus finally had a moment of peace. By now, he was already drenched, as if he had just been pulled from a river.
"So, I..."
Olus looked up, dazed, wanting to ask about the next arrangement, only to find the basement empty except for himself.
"They just left?"
Olus muttered, the daze of surviving a disaster making him unsure if this was reality or a dream.
'If they all left, did that mean I could leave too?'
He carefully supported himself against the wall, using his still-trembling legs to stand, and climbed the stairs step by step.
Each step was a tentative probe, fearing the sudden freedom was actually a trap.
When he finally emerged from the basement and the light of dusk fell on his face, Olus's eyes were filled with tears.
'I survived. I really survived!'
God knows what he had been through these past days.
Olus staggered as he pushed open the yard gate. Outside, a carriage was already waiting quietly, the Avitus crest engraved on its body.
The servant by the carriage exclaimed, "My lord, you really were here?"
Olus lowered his voice. "Henry, how did you get here?"
Henry replied quietly, "Someone sent me a letter saying you were nearby and to wait here."
"My lord, you've been missing for days. What happened?"
"Let's talk back home." Olus hurriedly climbed into the carriage and lay down on the velvet cushions.
The familiar incense inside the carriage calmed him.
He was safe. For now.
Henry's presence here was probably a warning too.
Every move he made was under their surveillance.
But what could he do?
Report them to the Senate?
Regardless of whether the Senate would believe him, even if they did, what could they do? The Consul would surely favor his adopted son. He had no way to appeal his grievances.
He was still under their control. Why court more trouble?
He wasn't one of those abnormal people who would rather die than live a boring life.
'Maybe I should run?' The thought popped into Olus's mind. He could flee to another world.
"Absolutely not!" The guardian spirit warned him loudly. Its light grew much harsher.
'I will die.'
Nehemiah said, "Even if you die, you cannot run! This is the task my master gave me. I will not let my master down!"
'Then I'm relying on you.' Olus was extremely resigned, but Nehemiah ignored him.
When Olus left the basement, Caelan had actually been there the whole time.
He had just used his psychic powers to deceive Olus and conceal his presence.
As Olus left, Caelan stood at the door watching him.
Caelan ordered, "Lilith, continue to have him watched. Don't let your guard down."
He was still uneasy. Olus couldn't cause much trouble; he was worried about the 'guardian spirit'.
Although he constantly warned the primarchs to be wary of the Warp's dangers, his own detailed knowledge of the Warp was actually quite limited.
He didn't know much about these native Warp entities. Even the method for identifying neutral entities and demons was taught to him by Lilith.
Because to this day, he had never received any systematic psyker training. His power was entirely self-taught.
But since Guilliman had decided to use him to fish with a straight hook, Caelan wouldn't complain behind his back.
He would only silently support Guilliman, helping the primarch plug any possible oversights.
Although, given the primarch's wisdom, his precautions might be redundant.
What he could think of, Guilliman could surely think of too.
But as a father, he had to do something for his child.