Apparently Malcador had accomplished his mission, and he began to expel Hades from the solar system.
Hades blinked and looked at Malcador who seemed a little weak. They were heading for the Black Ship. Charon, Heifa, Jin and others were following them. This team looked very strange.
"… Malcador, have you… forgotten something?"
The old man glanced at Hades impatiently from under his hood.
"When did you become so tactful, Hades?"
Hades thought for a moment and spoke in a low voice,
"Last time you came to Mars, didn't you take me to..."
Malcador slammed his scepter on the ground, and the regent spoke calmly but with a hint of anger, seemingly not shying away from the people behind them.
"You have obtained the scattered shallow treasures. If you want to continue digging... then you will be completely trapped in a world that you cannot understand, its huge memory in slumber - or, we can unlock its seal, let it wake up, and then you can subdue it."
Hades laughed and said, "It's okay, nothing happened just now."
So they continued walking in silence.
The huge hull of the black ship appeared as a black line covering the sky in the distance, and the wind on Mars was dry and cold.
Hades took a breath. He was still not used to so many smells in the wind. He smelled the slight burning sound of the golden engine working.
Hades spoke, and what he said made him feel a little funny.
"Malcador, what do you think of me? Are you going to promote me on Mars?"
“Obviously.”
The old man said calmly,
"If you need it, Hades, if the timing is right, I can make it rain on Mars again - provided that you are at least 20 kilometers away from me. I personally think you can just find the tallest factory spire and shout some incomprehensible but allusive words."
Hades hissed and spoke carefully.
"Back then... Did the Emperor do the same thing?"
"No," said Malcador. "He found two Martians who were hunting in the wilderness and had them witness a miracle: a god in golden armor descended from the sky, accompanied by the predicted rain..."
"… and I was on the ship, responsible for the rainfall."
Hades swallowed and looked at the hunched figure in front of him. He seemed to hear a faint... He couldn't say it.
"I already have faith in the Mechanicus, why did the Empire choose me?"
Hades chose his words carefully.
"Personally, I think the Mechanicus's faith in the Emperor is obvious... and it makes more sense to maintain their current faith."
Malcador turned around and glanced at Hades. The old man's eyes flickered with reason.
"To this day,"
Malcador spoke slowly.
"There are still many Mechanicus worlds that are dissatisfied with the Emperor and the Empire. And as the Empire puts pressure on the Forge Worlds in the future, reduces their power, and requires them to give priority to supplying the Legion's logistics... there will be more and more dissatisfied sages. Pure faith is obviously unable to resist the wear and tear of real life."
Hades spoke slowly.
"But you are trying to support another god image. Does this fact itself... still fail to resolve these conflicts? I don't think that changing an image... well, for example, me, can calm the dissatisfaction of these forge worlds."
"You are still running from your essence, Hades."
Macador spoke bluntly, and Hades' actions froze. The atmosphere of the team seemed to become weird, but except for Hades, Jin and others continued to follow Hades obediently as if they had heard nothing.
"Even he, at this stage, cannot cross the vast star region and directly bestow his power on those who call on him. He still needs a medium, or strong enough faith."
"Every time he is given a gift, it will cause a loss of his power."
"And you are different, Hades."
"Your [Gift] will even make your influence in the warp more far-reaching... Or rather, this is not a [Gift], but a [Plunder]."
"People resonate with you through faith. Their belief, respect, fear, and love for you will bring the flame of their souls closer to you—and then be [swallowed] by you."
"I don't think people are masochists who like to believe in a god who makes them feel pain or even shortens their lifespan... Or, will I be considered an evil god?"
“That is a real possibility now.”
Malcador spoke nonchalantly.
"So now I ask Jin to manage a small sect."
The gold-rimmed figure behind them bowed his head deeply as he walked, as if responding to Malcador's words, and the black stone on his body made a crisp knocking sound.
"But what if..."
Malcador paused for a moment.
"If the veil is lifted and the waves of the warp surge into the physical world, Hades, you will quickly harvest your followers. The distortion of the warp will be more devastating than the pain you will inflict on them."
"Then you will face the power of faith."
Makado said softly,
"There is no weapon in this world more powerful than thought and belief."
The roar of the approaching black ship reminded Hades of the cry of the ancient giant whale.
Malcador turned and stared at Hades, his eyes burning with endless flames.
"Believe me, Hades, I don't want to see the day when you are truly called a god by humans."
The old man then pulled his hood down to block his vision, and Malcador sneered, his tone becoming lighter.
"After all, I can't imagine a scenario where someone like you can still be believed by humans, even Russ?"
Hades felt an arrow hit his knee, and he stretched out his hand.
"Wait! Then I will be forced to die on the altar. What if my Black Domain can no longer suppress me? You won't throw me into some deserted place, right?"
"You shouldn't have so many questions. If you keep going like this, do you expect me to explain the nature of Mortarion's warp to you?"
The old man waved his hand, signaling Hades to get on board.
"This time you will go to the Perfect City. When you find the Emperor, you will know his plan—"
Malcador is indeed Malcador. In the end, Hades still didn't get any information...
So... Wait! What is the nature of Mortarion's warp?!
——————
[Calling the 19th Company, prepare for subspace jump.]
Guilliman sat at his desk, and the Primarch stared intently at the pages of the book hanging on the wall in front of his desk.
My father gave the Empire a vision and endowed it with unbreakable strength. Once this vision is applied to all social, cultural, and military organizations, it will surely inspire a cohesion that transcends individual ambitions.
[—Guilliman, On Loyalty, 45.22.xiv]
Guilliman felt the nervous sweat running down his hair, he felt suffocated, he felt... unreal.
The Emperor, his father, asked him to destroy the Perfect City.
Yes, code
(End of this chapter)