Terra was infiltrated?
Alexander wasn't surprised by this; after all, those Khorne cultists all over the streets couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, could they? They weren't Green-skinned Orks.
But Guilliman was clearly referring to the infiltration and invasion within Terra's ruling system.
This made Alexander find it abstract.
Most of Terra's bureaucrats were within the Imperial Palace, and Terra also had a large number of Inquisitors stationed there.
How could it still be infiltrated? What were the Custodes and Inquisition doing?
For a moment, Alexander even felt a sense of guilt, regretting that his whip wasn't swung fast enough.
"Send them over, send over the unqualified Inquisitors from the Inquisition as well," Alexander sincerely said to Guilliman.
Alexander found that labor was still the best way to transform people; knowledge at most could educate them, but true transformation required labor.
Many Custodes who were farming in the underground palace began to realize that the heaviest burden in the entire Imperium of Man actually fell on the mortals.
The work they were doing now, the mortals on agricultural worlds had to do for a lifetime in harsher, dirtier, and more difficult environments, and mortals did not have the extraordinary bodies of the Custodes.
Alexander also gave them several ideological education classes. Relying on the acting ability granted by the Hot Field Slate & Robot Director and the top logical ability granted by the Thinking Cap, Alexander could refute the Custodes' erroneous thoughts until they were speechless.
Especially the ridiculous notion that the Custodes believed they did not belong to the Imperium of Man and were not a part of it.
Didn't the transformation of their bodies consume wealth produced by the Imperium of Man? Wasn't that wealth produced by mortals?
The Custodes consumed this wealth, existing through the blood and sweat of mortals, so they could not feel that they had no responsibility to the Imperium of Man.
Now, although discrimination against Astartes was still common among the Custodes, discrimination against mortals was no longer prevalent.
Sending those unqualified Inquisitors in for a few days of training would also be excellent.
A flicker of light passed through Guilliman's eyes: "I think I also need—"
"You don't need to," Alexander interrupted Guilliman.
Guilliman was different from the Custodes; Guilliman's workload was much greater than that of the Custodes currently in the fields.
At least in Alexander's impression, it had been some time since he had seen Guilliman leave his pile of documents.
Guilliman sighed softly.
"I haven't found concrete evidence to prove that the Imperial bureaucracy has been infiltrated."
"But I have reviewed all of the Imperium's decisions and decrees over the past millennium and found obvious irrationalities within them."
"For example, when Cadia fell, the Imperium was extremely delayed, repeatedly postponing the dispatch of Custodes to support Cadia."
"For example, when fighting broke out at Lion's Gate, the vast majority of the Imperium's forces were guarding the orbit, completely unprepared for the possibility of daemons appearing directly on Terra."
"For example, those eight important Warp node star systems were practically given to the Black Legion for free."
"Many of their decisions seem reasonable, but when viewed comprehensively, they are not beneficial to the Imperium; instead, they benefit the Black Legion."
Guilliman's words made both Sanguinius and Alexander frown slightly.
"So, anything the High Lords know, Abaddon also knows, and the Vengeful Spirit receives information faster than the Terra Imperial Palace?" Alexander couldn't help but say.
This statement made Guilliman's expression twitch slightly, but he still had to nod: "The worst-case scenario is that it is indeed so."
"If it's not like this, then it can only be that all the High Lords are a bunch of vermin," Guilliman said with a hint of helplessness.
"It's possible that there are traitors among the High Lords," Sanguinius asked in a clear voice, "but to influence the decisions of the High Lord Council, at least half of the High Lords would have to betray. Can Abaddon truly achieve such a degree?"
"I don't trust the High Lords; I just don't trust Abaddon's brain."
"I believe that every High Lord is psychologically loyal, but a High Lord is not an individual in politics, but a representative of an institution and a group."
Guilliman shook his head slightly and said:
"I believe that some traitors have infiltrated the High Lords' inner circles, becoming decision-makers in various institutions, manipulating the High Lords into making decisions that benefit the Black Legion and Chaos."
"But this does not mean that these traitors are truly Abaddon's people; they could be certain traitor Legions cooperating with Abaddon."
"Alpha?" Sanguinius whispered, "Or Tzeentch's followers?"
"Have you confirmed it with the Truth and Falsehood Divination Machine?" Alexander asked, stroking his chin.
"I have. I asked the Truth and Falsehood Divination Machine: Has Terra's administrative system been infiltrated by traitors, interfering with Imperial policy to benefit Chaos or the Black Legion?"
Guilliman said with a troubled tone:
"But the Truth and Falsehood Divination Machine gave no answer, indicating that this question has no right or wrong."
This situation was not uncommon; many things inherently had no right or wrong.
"..Perhaps it's because the Alphas haven't actually rebelled?" Alexander pondered.
"That would be too terrifying; it's better to assume they have rebelled," Sanguinius commented calmly.
"Let Alexander investigate these matters with the Harlequins. Since we acknowledge them as abhumans, let them do some human work."
Saying this, Guilliman tidied the materials in his hand, gesturing for Alexander and Sanguinius to turn to the next few pages:
"I need you to visit several High Lords and sub-lords to assess whether they are trustworthy and if they can continue to hold their positions as High Lords."
"Of course, the truly critical ones are only the Grand Master of the Assassinorum, the Inquisition Representative, the Great Canoness of the Battle Sisters, and the Fabricator-General General."
"Of course, the High Admiral, the Solar Lord, and the Astra Militarum Commander also need attention, but the Navy and Astra Militarum structures are more decentralized, and they may not command all of the Navy and Astra Militarum, so the threat is much smaller."
These were all High Lords or sub-lords who held actual military power, and they were also the few factors within Terra and the entire Solar System that most influenced the rule of Guilliman, Sanguinius, and Alexander.
"Just visit the other High Lords as an aside. For those who are unsuitable, advise them to voluntarily resign, or of course, you can use some unconventional methods."
Guilliman continued, pointing to the documents in his hand:
"The Astra Telepathica Administrator Kellam Purion is our person. The Astronomicon Court Administrator is dead, and I will find someone to fill that position. I will also handle the Ministry of Justice, and the Custodes Commander Trajan Valoris is the same."
"I'll handle the Adeptus Ministorum, the Officio Assassinorum, the Navigator Ambassador, the Navy, and the Astra Militarum," Sanguinius said with a slight sigh, now somewhat dissatisfied with this work.
"The Adeptus Ministorum is a troublesome matter; their Pope Baldo Sylest is a stubborn Conservative Party member," Guilliman reminded him.
"The Pope meets Archangel Sanguinius, his heart racing with excitement, summoned by the Emperor, suffering a myocardial infarction and ascending to the Golden Throne," Sanguinius said calmly.
Everything he said was easily achievable, requiring only a little Psyker power. Even if the Pope had Blanks by his side, they couldn't stop Sanguinius' Psyker abilities.
Then Guilliman's gaze turned to Alexander: "The Great Canoness of the Battle Sisters and the Fabricator-General General must be your responsibility."
Before Alexander could speak, Guilliman continued: "Both have extended invitations to you."
"Great Canoness Morven Vahl has invited you to visit their convent, reportedly because of that so-called Saint Girl."
"Saint Girl?" Alexander's expression was a little strange; he vaguely had a guess as to who that Saint Girl was.
So Alexander nodded slightly, accepting the invitation.
"The Fabricator-General General Oud Oudia Raskian's situation is much more complex."
"..Ud-who Wu Wula?" Alexander asked, his expression twitching slightly.
"Oud Oudia Raskian," Guilliman repeated the tongue-twisting name to Alexander, still using high gothic, which was so complex that Alexander couldn't remember it at all.
"Alright, Fabricator-General General Wu Wula," Alexander chose to simplify it directly.
...Fabricator-General General Wu Wula has lodged a protest against you, protesting your allowing Belisarius Cawl to spread a false religion on Mars, questioning whether you intend to interfere with Martian politics, and even condemning you for violating the ancient olympia protocol," Guilliman wisely did not argue with Alexander on this minor detail.
The olympia protocol was an ancient treaty signed between the Emperor and the Adeptus Mechanicus' high-ranking officials.
The essence of this treaty was that the Emperor, as the co-ruler of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Imperium, governed this dual Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus and the Imperium were not one entity; the Adeptus Mechanicus possessed almost completely independent administrative, military, and religious authority. They were loyal only to the Emperor, not to the Imperium.
Just like the Imperium's symbol, the two-headed eagle, one head represented the Imperium and the other represented the Adeptus Mechanicus, and both were equal.
After the Great Heresy, the Adeptus Mechanicus was reorganized into the Adeptus Mechanicus, theoretically becoming a member under the Imperium's High Lord Council, but still preserving a large amount of autonomy based on the olympia protocol.
Apparently, Cawl's missionary activities on Mars made Fabricator-General General Wu Wula believe that Alexander's group was trying to interfere with Mars... Wait, Cawl was proselytizing? Spreading what religion?
Alexander's expression froze for a moment; Guilliman caught this stunned look.
"You didn't know?" Guilliman raised an eyebrow, asking with a strange expression.
"Should I have known? He didn't tell me!" Alexander's expression twisted into a knot.
News between Mars and Terra was not interconnected; Alexander thought Cawl went to Mars to tinker with Primaris Space Marines.
Proselytizing? What the hell was proselytizing?! Why didn't he tell me?
Alexander instantly felt that Archmagos Vaul was immoral.
"Never mind, even without Cawl, those beliefs about you would eventually clash with the Adeptus Mechanicus."
Guilliman sighed and said:
"The current problem can only be solved by you personally."
"Alright, I'll handle the Battle Sisters and the Adeptus Mechanicus," Alexander said, rubbing his temples with a hint of exasperation, "What else? The Rogue Trader Representative and the Inquisition Representative?"
The Rogue Trader Representative was relatively easy to deal with; he wasn't particularly important among the High Lords.
The Inquisition Representative Ers had expressed goodwill towards Alexander and the two Primarchs... Coincidentally, Alexander also wanted to visit the Inquisition to see if he could rescue some people.
A certain famous Hayek's Chosen might very well be imprisoned within the Inquisition.
That was Guilliman's former second company captain; now that he knew he was in the Inquisition's hands, he naturally had to find a way to rescue him.
"After my matters are concluded, I also need to make a trip to the Inquisition."
Sanguinius said to Alexander:
"There are also some things in the Inquisition that I am quite interested in."
"My Lord, please have a taste quickly."
"These dorayaki are made from all-natural flour and red beans produced on the Paradise World Aphrodite, following an ancient recipe passed down among the nobles of the Terra Nipponese hive city."
The castle belonging to Kania Danda, the Rogue Trader Representative, was the most exquisite and luxurious among all the High Lords'.
This palace, located in a corner of the Terra Imperial Palace's inner court, was as pristine as if it were sketched from morning mist; its slender towers resembled ivory carvings, the palace itself a white water lily, and the bridges connecting the towers like six reeds about to break. Everything, built from marble and alabaster, seemed not like the architecture itself, but like its reflection.
With just a momentary breeze, this delicate, beautiful, and ethereal castle would dissipate into rippling water.
But no one could accuse Kania Danda of enriching herself through her position; this entire castle came from the immense wealth accumulated by her Rogue Trader family over ten thousand years.
Compared to that, the salary a High Lord could earn was negligible, and even the wealth that could be gained through High Lord power was laughably small for Kania Danda.
She was undoubtedly the most incorruptible of all the High Lords, not because of noble character, but simply because the wealth a High Lord could embezzle was not worth her effort.
Even her High Lord salary was used by Kania Danda to fund the children of officials, Astra Militarum, and guards who had lost their parents, all to win popular support.
When she heard that Saint Doraemon would visit her palace to discuss the High Lord position, Kania Danda prepared a private banquet, extravagant even for a Rogue Trader, to welcome Saint Doraemon.
According to the doctrines preached by the Sisters, Saint Doraemon came from the ancient 22nd century. So, Kania Danda found many artifacts from the Ancient Terra period, using them to replicate a 22nd century-style room as closely as possible. Where artifacts couldn't be found, she had craftsmen replicate them to the best of their ability.
This included Saint Doraemon's favorite food, dorayaki. Kania Danda paid a hefty price to obtain a dorayaki recipe, passed down from the Dark Age of Technology, from an ancient noble in the Nipponese hive city.
The ingredients for the dorayaki were brought back by a group of brave crew members dispatched by Kania Danda, who traversed the chaotic Warp, broke through the Black Legion's blockade, and retrieved them from the Paradise World Aphrodite.
In fact, when the crew arrived, the Paradise World Aphrodite was in the midst of a rebellion, and Kania Danda's crew had to first suppress the uprising on the planet before obtaining the necessary materials.
And Alexander, Alexander silently looked at the room before him.
The room was extremely abstract, entirely pure white, making one lose their sense of direction, much like the common style seen in futuristic sci-fi films Alexander had watched in the 21st century.
On the pure white walls of this room hung various paintings, sculptures, and exquisite ornaments depicting Doraemon.
In the center of the room was a glass table, piled high with dorayaki, almost like a small mountain.
The candles in the room burned slowly, emitting the scent of spices, but Alexander only looked at the mountain of dorayaki in silence, silence, and more silence.
Although he had anticipated that Kania Danda might host a banquet for him, Alexander actually had a small expectation.
Recently, while Alexander's workload was not as strenuous as Guilliman's and Sanguinius', it was not light either; after all, cracking the whip was also very tiring.
Alexander hoped to taste the delicacies usually eaten by Imperial dignitaries at this banquet and experience the life of an Imperial noble.
But... but why was there only dorayaki?!
Where was the extravagant banquet? Where was the Quartiscatalin white wine? Where were the rare fruits like apple-peaches? Bring them out! I can withstand the test!
"dorayaki, made using a Dark Age of Technology recipe," Kania Danda said with a bright smile.
Are you testing a cadre with dorayaki?
Alexander's face twitched, and he took a deep breath, saying:
"Lady Kania Danda, in this Year of Great Disaster, this is going too far."
Hearing Alexander's words, Kania Danda trembled all over, taking a step back.
She immediately thought to herself that she had been foolish. The first miracle this Lord displayed upon arriving on Terra was feeding the common people of the entire hive city, even though this severely shook the interests of merchant guilds, including the Water Guild, Corpse Guild, and Slave Guild.
The merchant guilds were most eager to see the Lower Hive fall into drought and famine, so they could dump water and food into the hive city, and acquire cheap corpses and slaves, profiting from the exchange.
However, Kania Danda viewed such trade as small-scale; while the prices of water and food could be infinitely inflated, it was meaningless if no one could afford them, and the few nobles who could afford food and water were too few in number and the market too small.
In the days when shipping lanes near Terra were cut off and bulk goods couldn't come in, Kania Danda's wealth growth rate had dropped by several percentage points.
Kania Danda's palms were covered in sweat. She knew this Lord cared about the lives of common people, yet she had been so excessively luxurious, causing displeasure to Saint Doraemon.
Alexander didn't notice Kania Danda's reaction, nor did he intend to.
Guilliman didn't actually care about Kania Danda; Guilliman only cared about the position of Rogue Trader Representative.
In the High Lord Council, nine major institutions—the Adeptus Administratum, Adeptus Ministorum, Mars, Ministry of Justice, Navigators, Astronomican, Officio Assassinorum, Astra Telepathica, and Inquisition—each held a permanent seat.
The remaining three rotating seats were decided from among the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, the Solar Lord, the Commander-in-Chief of the Astra Militarum, the High Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the Great Canoness of the Battle Sisters, the Imperial Arch-Archivist, the Ecclesiarchal bishop of Terra, and the Rogue Trader Representative.
According to Guilliman's plan, the Rogue Trader Representative would no longer be a High Lord; this position would be replaced by Morven Vahl, the Great Canoness of the Battle Sisters.
Kania Danda could retain her identity as a Rogue Trader Representative, but she would no longer serve as a High Lord and must leave Terra.
This was because Guilliman believed the Imperium now needed military strongmen more than trade strongmen.
Guilliman had even already prepared the dismissal order in advance.
Alexander, while pondering how to speak, reached out and took a dorayaki, stuffing it into his mouth...
Well, you know what, this dorayaki is actually quite delicious.
Have another one.
While Alexander was frantically devouring dorayaki, Kania Danda was already as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Why was this Lord remaining silent?! Had he already started to get angry?
Kania Danda gritted her teeth, waved her hand, and motioned for her attendant to quickly go to her treasure room.
She had heard some rumors before that Saint Doraemon seemed to like collecting precious holy relics.
Kania Danda happened to have such a holy relic in her possession, which might win Saint Doraemon's favor.
Is there ice mixed in with this dorayaki? Why is it more intoxicating than a Guest Ridge apple? Have another one.
Alexander had no idea what Kania Danda was thinking, only continuing to devour dorayaki.
Until Kania Danda, slightly trembling, walked to his side, holding a box in her hands.
Alexander glanced at her, then ate another one.
He picked up another dorayaki and put it in his mouth.
Kania Danda mustered her courage and opened the box in her hands. Inside was a piece of scale armor, shimmering with faint light.
"My Lord, this is a holy relic I obtained from the Terra hive city."
"It is said to have been gifted to a Primarch by the Emperor during the Great Crusade. Judging by the time of its creation, it should be from when Leman Russ had just returned."
"After all, at that time, the only Primarch on Terra was Leman Russ."
After devouring another dorayaki, Alexander's gaze finally shifted slightly to the box in Kania Danda's hand.
If it was Leman Russ' relic, would the Space Wolves leave it unattended? A doubt arose in Alexander's mind.
At that time, the Primarchs on Terra were not just Leman Russ. The first Primarch to return was Horus, and the second was Leman Russ.
This scale armor could, in fact, belong to Horus. Did Kania Danda deliberately pretend not to know, or did she not dare to suggest such a possibility?
But it didn't matter anymore; Horus was now in the Emperor's own hands, and there should be no problem with scale armor from Horus' first thirty years after his return.
Alexander took the wooden box containing the scale armor and stuffed it into his four-dimensional pocket.
[Item: Alpharius' Scale Armor.]
Alpharius.
Have another dorayaki.
Alexander picked up another dorayaki and put it in his mouth, calming his emotions.
It's even worse than Horus!
Although Horus was the first Primarch to openly return, most people didn't know that Alpharius, the Primarch of the Alpha Legion, had fallen into the Terra Imperial Palace and never left the Emperor's sight.
At the beginning of Leman Russ' return, there were three Primarchs on Terra simultaneously: Horus, Leman Russ, and Alpharius.
Especially considering Guilliman's concern: the Alpha Legion had infiltrated the Terran bureaucracy, infiltrating the High Lords' inner circles.
Alexander's gaze towards Kania Danda suddenly became strange.
If there truly was an Alpha lurking by her side, or if she herself was an Alpha, how could such a flaw be exposed?
Alexander pondered for a moment, then tentatively said, "Do not attempt to test my Rogal Dorn-like steadfast mind with such methods again."
"I will not be moved by your petty favors—"
Slap!!!
To Alexander's surprise, Kania Danda actually knelt directly before him.
Her knees hit the ground heavily, her face ashen white as snow.
Alexander couldn't help but be stunned. Was his speech just now so intimidating? Or was Kania Danda so unwilling to give up her High Lord position?
"Your mercy, your forgiveness, please spare me."
Kania Danda knelt on the ground, crying out hysterically:
"You can just kill me! Just don't make me a High Lord!"
"Please, please remove me from office!"
Kania Danda's shocking kneel utterly stunned Alexander.
For a moment, Kania Danda treated Alexander like a church idol, pouring out all her inner bitterness to him.
"You don't know, you don't know how wicked those old geezers are!"
"At that time, the High Lord Council said they would give a position to a Rogue Trader, and the major Rogue Trader families held a meeting to discuss it."
"I had only taken over the family for seven or eight years then, so my qualifications were still shallow."
"Those old geezers said that Rogue Traders hadn't produced a High Lord in two thousand years, and that I had the opportunity just after taking over the family, so it must be the Emperor's will."
"Then, regardless of whether I agreed or not, they forced this position upon me, saying that the High Lord was the most powerful position in the Imperium, and that if I became a High Lord, all the trade around Terra would be given to me."
"Thirty years! These thirty years I've been a High Lord, all I've done is review documents and engage in power struggles with other High Lords. If I get two hours of sleep a day, I have to thank the Emperor's grace."
"As for the trade around Terra, bah! The other High Lords always caused trouble for my merchant ships, making every single transaction a headache. If I didn't lose money by the end of the year, that was considered good."
"Thirty years! In these thirty years, I, a Rogue Trader authorized by the Emperor's own blood, haven't even run a single ship once."
"My Lord, I beg you, I don't want to be a High Lord anymore, I want to run a ship! Please let me run a ship!"
In Kania Danda's tear-filled eyes, Alexander saw not a trace of attachment to power, but only an overwhelming desire to run a ship.
Alexander had originally intended to relieve Kania Danda of her High Lord duties, expecting resistance, but he never thought she would end up begging him to relieve her.
For a moment, Alexander felt fortunate that he had turned down the position Guilliman had tried to force on him.
Look, what a good Rogue Trader, tormented into this state by the High Lord position.
Kania Danda was actually still young, only a little over sixty years old. With rejuvenation technology, her physical condition should be similar to that of a twenty or thirty-year-old.
But in reality, Kania Danda looked older than old Tieron, and her muscles and skin were constantly twitching abnormally, clearly indicating many hidden ailments within her body.
"Just think, that year I was still a young Rogue Trader girl, by the Emperor's will, sailing freely through the galaxy, making money."
"Then, in the blink of an eye, I was trapped in this cage called a High Lord for thirty years, enduring thirty years of arduous torture."
"Who can I complain to about this?! Why?! The Emperor signed a permit with his blood, allowing our family to run ships for a lifetime!"
Kania Danda was a mess of snot and tears, even starting to hug Alexander's leg.
She had the air of someone who would either have her High Lord duties removed so she could go back to running ships, or be killed on the spot.
Watching the weeping Kania Danda, Alexander silently picked up another dorayaki from the table and put it in his mouth.
Then Alexander took out the letter of dismissal signed by Guilliman from his four-dimensional pocket and waved it in front of Kania Danda.
Kania Danda looked up blankly at the letter of dismissal. After seeing what was written on it, Kania Danda's eyes went wide.
Wherever the letter of dismissal in Alexander's hand swayed, Kania Danda's eyeballs followed.
When Alexander handed the letter of dismissal to Kania Danda, she immediately hugged it and burst into tears, her mouth full of words of gratitude to Alexander.
However, after Kania Danda calmed down and carefully read the letter of dismissal, she was struck by lightning.
This letter of dismissal did indeed relieve Kania Danda of her duties as a High Lord, but it did not relieve her of her position as spokesperson for the Rogue Traders.
It also did not allow Kania Danda to leave Terra and return to her family's flagship to freely run ships.
Instead, it ordered Kania Danda to immediately proceed to the Rogue Trader headquarters, the Axiom Core Fortress, on Terra, to begin overseeing the reconstruction of the Imperium's currently fragmented trade routes.
One could only say that Kania Danda had not thoroughly studied history and did not know what kind of person Guilliman truly was.
Guilliman might relieve her of her power, but he would never let her do nothing.
Kania Danda looked at Alexander with pleading eyes once more.
"You are so merciful," Kania Danda said, almost wailing, "Please do not be stingy with this mercy."
"..This is the best treatment Guilliman can give you."
"My mercy must also yield to the needs of reality."
Alexander's expression twitched imperceptibly, then he said:
"Or do you not even want this, and still wish to remain a High Lord?"
As he spoke, Alexander reached out to take back the letter of dismissal from Kania Danda's hand.
Kania Danda froze in place. She suspected Alexander might be bluffing, that Saint Doraemon might have been aiming to dismiss her from the start.
But she didn't dare to move. She had been trapped in the High Lord's cage for too long, and any way to escape the High Lord position was something she was unwilling to abandon.
To escape her High Lord duties, Kania Danda had even attempted suicide.
But being a High Lord was not an individual matter; neither the Rogue Traders nor the High Lords who considered Kania Danda an ally, or even the hostile High Lords, were willing for her to die in order to maintain stability.
Her bodyguards were constantly on alert, protecting Kania Danda's safety, and the best doctors, apothecaries, and Adeptus Mechanicus magi on all of Terra ensured she would not die before collapsing from exhaustion.
Compared to the High Lord's cage, being able to retreat to the Axiom Core to manage trade routes was already very good.
Kania Danda clutched the letter of dismissal, accepting Guilliman's order with both joy and a touch of bitterness.
"Don't be afraid, work hard, the galaxy will soon be at peace." Alexander patted Kania Danda's shoulder, his finger subtly tracing over the hot clapperboard & robot director, imbuing his words with strong persuasiveness: "Then you can freely run ships."
Alexander had heard Guilliman talk about Kania Danda's political achievements; among the twelve High Lords, she was among the least corrupt, and her understanding of trade and shipping routes far exceeded what a normal person should possess.
But Alexander had just noticed that Kania Danda had strong self-destructive tendencies—this was an emotion belonging to the realm of erosion and destruction, and Alexander was very sensitive to it—which was very bad. Such a good workhorse, he couldn't let her commit suicide.
So Alexander encouraged her, gave her a little hope, and made her work hard and not die.
After comforting Kania Danda for a few more moments, Alexander took another dorayaki from the dwindling supply and left Kania Danda's palace in the Imperial Palace.
Kania Danda looked with some surprise at the almost empty dorayaki plate.
It seemed Saint Doraemon really did like to eat dorayaki.
However, what puzzled Kania Danda was that if Saint Doraemon wanted to take a few more, he only needed to put them into his four-dimensional pocket.
Why would he control his avatar, Nobita, to take another one, and Nobita even ate the dorayaki himself?
The sounds of steel, iron, steam, and promethium burning echoed ceaselessly in the room, making Irthu's ears ache and his nerves twitch uncontrollably.
His assistant minister, Nessus, helped Irthu navigate the intricate, thick, and untidy cables.
Every time he came to Terra, it would cost hundreds of Adeptus Administratum officials their lifetime's wages, Irthu thought with some resentment.
One was the transportation cost; moving him required eight giant cranes. This steel behemoth was almost incapable of moving on its own.
Another was the energy cost; the energy he consumed in a single day was enough for a land raider gunship to circle all of Terra for a hundred years.
It was annoying, but Irthu had to endure it.
The other High Lords were unreliable.
The Ministry of Justice and the Adeptus Ministorum still stood firmly by his side.
But the Battle Sisters had clearly surrendered to that Chaos God.
The Officio Assassinorum was still strictly neutral.
And the Custodes' Trajan Valoris, while wary of the Primarch and that Chaos God, was hesitant, and would sooner or later let the entire Custodes become the Chaos God's toiling slaves.
Irthu's only reliance now was this fellow from Mars.
"Click—"
The sound of machinery twisting echoed in the darkness. The construction for this fellow High Lord was not yet complete, but what Irthu sought was the secrecy of this moment.
"Archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Mainframe of the Omnissiah's Faithful, Mars Forging General, Oud Oudia Raskian, my Lord."
The mechanical and dry voices of the servitors rang out, introducing the High Lord's title.
"Irthu, you would deign to visit my construction site?" The voice of the Mars Forging General echoed from the darkness.
Compared to the servitors, the Fabricator-General General's voice was clearly closer to human. This was not because he had undergone fewer modifications; on the contrary, it was because he had undergone more, more luxurious, and more terrifying modifications to achieve this effect.
Irthu never ventured into other people's territory; he valued the first-strike advantage.
But there was no time to consider such things now. Irthu had to protect all existing aspects of the Imperium from destruction.
And the Fabricator-General General was an object he had to win over. The Fabricator-General General's control over the Skitarii and Titan Legions would be crucial.
After all, even a Primarch couldn't stand against a Titan, could he?
Irthu never believed the Adeptus Ministorum's stories full of lies, such as "The Great Archangel Sanguinius Shot Down an Emperor-Class Titan with the Spear of Accomplishment."
Even a three-year-old child wouldn't believe such a bizarre story!
Irthu looked coldly into the darkness, his voice almost sharp as he questioned:
"Tell me, Oud Oudia Raskian."
"Will you, like those petty men, surrender to the Primarch and the Chaos God?"
Irthu's questioning voice echoed in the darkness.
Oud Oudia Raskian's cold, crisp, dry laughter responded,
"Do you think I am Belisarius Cawl? No, the ridiculous Belisarius Cawl?"
"Listen, he carries that ridiculous name, yet he's smug about it, saying it's the imperial surname bestowed upon him by original power?"
The Mars Forging General spoke with a voice filled with clear anger and disdain:
"And you, Irthu, you are also ridiculous, to think I would be like Belisarius."
"Do you think I would flatter Roboute Guilliman like Belisarius?"
"Do you think I would grovel before a false god who defiles the name of 'original power'?"
"Do you think I would abandon the sacred olympia protocol?"
"No, never!"
Deafening roars erupted from the darkness on all sides, as if all the walls of the room were collapsing at once.
At the same time, the sounds of mechanical tremors, oil flowing, and coils humming arose; for a few moments, Irthu even suspected that Oud Oudia Raskian intended to run him over with a Rhino APC.
"Unless the Omnissiah personally descends, I will never grovel."
"Unless the Omnissiah wills it, I will never abandon the olympia protocol!"
"In the name of the Omnissiah's triple power, I absolutely do not believe in the false god Saint Doraemon!"
Irthu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
From the Fabricator-General General's words, it seemed that Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, who groveled before Saint Doraemon, had begun proselytizing on Mars.
Archmagos Belisarius Cawl had a great reputation, and doing so undoubtedly shook Oud Oudia Raskian's position.
And on a deeper level, the doctrines of the Chaos God Saint Doraemon directly conflicted with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and his and the Primarch's interference in Mars' politics undoubtedly shook the olympia protocol.
The Mars Adeptus Mechanicus had a natural conflict with Saint Doraemon; they could not possibly side with Saint Doraemon.
What? Could that Chaos God truly be the Lord of Machines? Able to make all machines submit? Don't make such a joke.
Irthu looked into the darkness again, at the flickering lights within the darkness, and asked with a smile:
"If they visit you, how will you respond to them?"
The array of cogitators around Oud Oudia Raskian hummed, his thoughts flowing through the conduits.
He didn't care about the political struggles on Terra, but he cared about his own position; he would never allow the olympia protocol, personally signed by the Omnissiah, to be shaken, nor would he allow himself to lose his position as Mars Forging General.
This was not because he coveted the power that came with the position, but because he still needed this position to provide resources for his work.
He had a task that must be completed; he had to repair that damaged machine; he had to postpone the coming of the End Times.
Oud Oudia Raskian still remembered the fear he felt hundreds of years ago when he took over the Fabricator-General General position and learned that the sacred machine was gradually failing.
Before repairing that machine, he absolutely could not lose the Fabricator-General General position, absolutely not.
"Anger."
Thus, a voice laced with fury arose from the darkness:
"The anger of the Mars Forging General."
"The anger of a devout follower of the Omnissiah."
The burning pain in her body was still there, but it was very slight, lighter than she deserved.
She was born in the garbage heaps of a hive city, a dark and lightless place.
She didn't know who her parents were, why she was abandoned, where she was, and no one even taught her how to speak.
Since she could remember, she had wandered in the garbage heaps; she didn't even know why her fragile self survived in the dark and dangerous garbage heaps.
Perhaps the precognitive ability bestowed upon her was already at work when her consciousness was still nascent?
She couldn't say, she didn't know; she crawled ignorantly in the dark, cold garbage heaps like a beast.
Until light burned through her nerves, and His will descended before her.
Her soul established a connection with Him, and she knew His condition intimately.
Mad, fragmented, chaotic, hovering on the brink of self-destruction.
And she also learned of His arrangement for her.
His will was so magnificent that most humans could not bear it.
He needed an absolutely pure, absolutely empty vessel.
She met this requirement.
No one had ever taught her anything.
She understood no knowledge, craved no change.
She had no murderous impulses, not an ounce of courage.
She had no connection with anyone, had never loved others.
She didn't even crave life, merely existing emptily.
She was the perfect vessel, she was His tool.
A single burning, then turning to ashes; this was His arrangement for her.
But she agreed, for she had never had anything, nor anything to lose.
Moreover, His appearance was so bright; even if mad, grotesque, and terrifying, He was still light.
She liked light, it was very bright, completely different from the darkness and filth of the garbage heaps.
Then she became Zealous Thief, acting according to the prophetic ability He bestowed.
Alone, without connecting with anyone, drawing knowledge only from Him, not craving any change in fate, lacking the courage to change fate, feeling no emotion for anyone, and not craving to live.
Until fate itself changed, a metallic blue slipped into the prophecy, and everything changed.
Alexander, Doraemon, Leman Russ — she used many.
Following the prophecy and His guidance, she and he entered the Bottom Hive \.
In the original prophecy, in the original arrangement, she was to burn herself out alone in the Bottom Hive, preventing Nurgle daemons from entering reality.
She had nothing, born without connecting to anyone, and should have died without connecting to anyone.
But she established a shallow connection with him.
For the first time, she learned that between the cold, damp darkness and the scorching, blinding light, there was a strange, interesting metallic blue.
Again and again, she immersed herself in the prophecy; in the prophecy, she might have eaten the melon seeds he offered hundreds of times, perhaps eaten roasted mushrooms and worm jelly hundreds of times, and heard him tell jokes hundreds of times.
But when she actually ate the melon seeds, roasted mushrooms, and worm jelly, she still found them delicious; when she actually heard him tell jokes, she still almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.
When she truly stood at the destined moment, at the moment of impending self-immolation, she was surprised to discover that:
For the first time, she gained a little novel and strange knowledge, and began to crave a slight change in her fate.
For the first time, she mustered a little emotion called courage, and walked towards her sacrificial destiny with that courage.
For the first time, she felt a little emotion and concern for another, and found a little joy in being with someone.
For the first time, she became attached to life, longing to live just a little longer.
She had been corrupted by him.
She couldn't help but pray to Him, and to him, praying that someone could save her.
Finally, he answered her prayer, preventing her from reaching her destined end.
"Lady Joan." A voice with an Ashford low gothic accent sounded beside her.
The girl beside Joan was Ereite, discovered by the Sisters in the Lower Hive, possessing some Psyker talent and skilled in using the emperor tarot.
High Sister Magda had her care for Joan, who was often in a coma or asleep, and also act as Joan's substitute during daily routines.
"You're waking up more and more often lately, Lady Joan." Ereite said to Joan with joy.
Joan merely nodded gently; she wasn't very good at speaking.
In fact, throughout her life, besides Him and Alexander, she had hardly spoken to any other human.
As for waking up, His power was transforming Joan's body, allowing Joan to bear more of His power and will, but this transformation had gradually stalled recently.
It was around the time the battle at Lion's Gate erupted... did He no longer need her body to house His will?
However, Joan was indeed no longer the perfect vessel she once was; she had been corrupted by Alexander, no longer a pure vessel, but one with additional thoughts.
"He." Joan moved her unused throat, asking Ereite beside her in a dry voice.
Ereite was accustomed to Joan's unpolished way of speaking: "Lady Morven Vahl has submitted various forms to Lord Guilliman, and Lord Saint Doraemon should be visiting soon."
"Mm." Joan nodded gently, blinking.
For safety, she almost never left this room in the convent; sometimes Joan felt like she was back in the dark garbage heaps of the Bottom Hive.
But fortunately, the Battle Sisters were always willing to indulge Joan's childish, simple, ordinary little hobby.
Joanclimbed out of bed, fumbled in the dark for a welding mask, and handed it to Ereite, who skillfully put it on her face.
Joan herself also held a welding mask to her face and walked to a workbench in a corner of her room.
On the workbench lay a thick steel plate, and next to it was a promethium flame cutter specially made for Joan by the Battle Sisters.
Joan raised the promethium flame cutter with her arms, which were covered in shallow burn marks; a scorching fire roared in the dark room.
The pillar of fire collided with the thick steel plate, splattering dazzling sparks.
Joan liked light, the brighter the light, the more she liked it.
This was also why she liked the intensity; the sparks that flew when it was intense were so dazzling.
Especially when she saw the steel plate melting and a metallic blue flash in the fire, Joanwould be in an exceptionally good mood.
Deep in the Inquisition's dungeons, in the darkest, coldest, most confined cage,
Iskandar Khayon, with his limbs broken, eyes gouged out, Psyker powers drained, and bound by shackles, stirred slightly.
He was once Abaddon's second-in-command, one of the Black Legion's top leaders, a powerful Thousand Sons sorcerer.
But he voluntarily surrendered to the Inquisition, confined in this dark cell.
The sole purpose of all this was to declare their destined end to the Inquisition, to the Imperium, to the Emperor.
Warmaster Abaddon of the Black Legion would come by the Crimson Path, kill his way to Terra, slay the False Emperor, and destroy the Imperium.
This was the destined end, the unchangeable end for the Imperium, and he would be Abaddon's messenger and the harbinger of the Crimson Path.
Declaring this fate to the Imperium was the task Abaddon had given Khayon.
The End Times were unchangeable, and he was the harbinger who would declare this fate to the Emperor.
So Khayon did not despair over his current situation; he knew Abaddon would soon come to rescue him.
They could together mock the False Emperor on the ruins of the Terra Imperial Palace, celebrate their great achievements, and toast to their brotherhood.
Damn, hah... my butt is so itchy...
Khayon shifted his butt.
When would Abaddon reach Terra? It must be soon, right? Perhaps the Vengeful Spirit was already bombarding the Palace.
After all, Abaddon would not lie to his men! And the age of the Primarchs was over, and nothing could stop Abaddon's advance.
Thinking these thoughts, even Khayon, with his limbs shattered, eyes gouged out, Psyker powers drained, and confined in darkness, couldn't help but puff out his chest.
A silent, passing Inquisitor, patrolling the cells, noticed Khayon's movement.
Without a word, he picked up a heavy iron hammer from a nearby wall, walked over to Khayon, and slammed it down hard on his puffed-out chest.
CRACK!