If Hades could see other people's favorability towards him, he would now be confused as to why the favorability of Fenugreek, Lord of Medusa, would increase by ten from time to time.
But even though he couldn't see how others liked him, Hades could tell that Malcador's patience with him had reached its limit, so he wisely chose to speak faster.
"Old Ma, you must remember this. Fulgrim's piercing sword, Perturabo's psychological problems, Curze's prophecy, Angron's nails - ah, I am going to deal with this matter, then it's okay, Magnus, don't let him play with psychic powers, Horus should be careful after becoming the Warmaster, Lorgar... Lorgar should also pay attention to his mental health, and Alpha and Omega - don't let the nine heads bite each other."
Hades bowed, put his hands on Malcador's shoulders, and quickly said what he wanted to say, but what responded to him was Malcador's slightly impatient and helpless expression.
"Hades,"
The old man said slowly,
"What's that on your back?"
Hades was stunned.
"Sword of the Enemy."
"To make it easier for you to understand, Hades, let me give you the simplest example."
Malcador whispered,
"Since the Sword of the Enemy is no longer on its intended trajectory, how can you expect the Sword of the Thorn to still reach its former location?"
Hades got stuck.
"But at least the Primarchs I just mentioned all have some psychological problems... If guided..."
Malcador waved his hand, interrupting Hades.
"Hades, can you name a Primarch who was mentally healthy - or in other words, difficult to corrupt?"
Hades was silent for a long time, then he squeezed out a name from between his teeth.
“…Khan.”
Malcador nodded, then shook his head.
"The Khan trusts neither the Imperium nor the Emperor, and that is his problem."
Hades stared at Malcador.
"This should not be a matter for the Empire and the Emperor—"
Malcador raised his hand, and crackling flashes of psychic energy gathered on his hand. It was a threat, like a warning light coming on, and Hades tactfully changed his words in time.
"I still hope that you can establish a management and supervision mechanism for Terra and the Legion, Malcador, although this is not realistic."
Malcador shook his head, the old man's wise but weary eyes shone from beneath his hood.
"Hades, the fastest time for an order to be sent from Terra to be received by the nearest legion is one week, and the order is transmitted through the Astronomican, which means that the waves of the Warp can easily interfere with it."
"And the largest military organization in the empire is the Legion. How do you restrict the largest violent organization in the empire?"
Hades took a deep breath, then he sighed,
"I know... I just... hope I can do something more before the storm comes."
"At least I can yell to the people sailing on the sea to run?"
Hades' few words touched Malcador for less than 0.1 second. Then, Hades smiled and patted Malcador in a friendly manner.
"Old Ma, although the reality is bleak, as long as we work hard, greater blessings are waiting for us—"
"Go away," Malcador said softly. "Go away, Hades, and don't make me repeat myself a second time."
Malcador struck the ground with his staff.
"I will go to the legion you asked me to inspect and emphasize to my lord again that if necessary, I will suggest that my lord talk to the primarchs, but don't expect this to change too much, Hades."
Moreover, Malcador thought silently in his heart, there are more than one difficult place. Some Primarchs are used to interpreting the actions of the Emperor and the Empire from a purely profit and political perspective, while others analyze purely from a personal perspective.
This means that every move made by the Emperor and Terra will have different consequences, and none of them are destined to be good.
The situation was critical. If it were Malcador, he would definitely not be able to laugh and still have the leisure to make jokes.
Malcador stared at Hades before him.
"You can go now."
Hades winked.
"I will miss the wonderful memories aboard Macragge's Glory, with Neos, with Guilliman, and with you, old horse."
"My name is not Lao Ma."
"Yes, old Malcador."
But suddenly, a dizzying golden light flashed on the spacious deck, and the Emperor slowly walked out from there.
"I'm late."
He said, and raised his hand, the Emperor holding a black braided rope.
"Change that wire, Hades, I told you I had a rope."
Hades turned around quickly, a smile on his face.
"I thought I was leaving. When can we meet again, Neos?"
Hades reached out and pulled the rope away, then naturally began to replace it.
"See you later."
The Emperor said,
"It will be a surprise for you."
Hades raised his eyebrows.
"Then I'll start looking forward to it. I hope it won't be a shock."
The Emperor shook his head and spoke:
"You should go now. The Legion of No. 12 awaits you."
Hades was silent.
"Perhaps you should call him something else, Neos. After all, he is your child."
"It makes no difference, but if you insist, then Angron's legions await you."
Hades sighed.
"Talk more with the Primarchs, Neos. Maybe this can save hundreds of millions of lives."
"I will. It's you you should worry about, Hades."
Hades looked sideways.
"Don't worry, I'm really afraid of death."
Malcador snorted coldly, and it was unclear whether he was expressing his agreement or disagreement, or whether he simply wanted to despise Hades.
They chatted briefly for a while longer, but there wasn't much to talk about, and then Hades got on the boat and got out.
The long distance gave him courage. Hades stuck to the window, shouting "Lao Ma, Lao Ma" and something else.
After Hades left, the Emperor turned his head and stared at Malcador.
"Why does he call you Old Horse, Malcador?"
Makado felt like he was about to break his teeth.
"That's... Hades's bit of damned bad taste."
The Emperor seemed to be thinking about something.
——————
Except for the two Primarchs Mortarion and Fenus, no one knew what the Lord of Death and the Lord of Medusa talked about that day and what agreement they reached, but when Fenus left Endurance, he left with a faint pungent smell and an even harder and colder mask.
The Lord of Death, who was sitting comfortably in his seat, was obviously satisfied with the conversation.
The three legions stayed on the charred land of Ipzen for some time, Vulkan to commemorate the innocent dead, and Fenus accompanied Vulkan. Both Primarchs had a profound conversation with their souls on this planet.
The Death Guard seemed to have returned to the place where the three primarchs were trapped. No one knew what Mortarion was doing. He was accompanied by the crazy sage of the Death Guard.
The Primarchs gathered again after this, and Vulkan, who liked to give weapons to his brothers, gave Mortarion a scythe. Perhaps he really listened to Mortarion's so-called "dream".
Unlike the sickle Silence that Mortarion snatched from his adoptive father, which was full of ominous and deathly aura, the [Mistletoe] forged by the Lord of Fire Dragon seemed to have infinite vitality. The patterns on it were like new leaves gathered around the sickle blade, reminding people of the mottled green on the branches.
Interestingly, perhaps because of the Fire Dragon Lord's sensitivity to forging, Vulkan coincidentally chose black stone as the main material and doped it with lead to increase the material's ductility.
Although Mortarion does not use this weapon often, the Lord of Death is more familiar with his scythe, Annihilation. Mistletoe will lie quietly in the Death Guard's collection room until the day it is truly needed.
After submitting their report of the battle to the Imperium and proving that the planet could not be taxed for the next fifty years, the Death Guard, Iron Hands, and Salamanders departed.
The Death Guard and Salamanders rushed to the next battlefield, while the Iron Hands, led by their Primarch, went to the Emperor's Children. However, Fenus, who had always known Fulgrim everything, did not mention his conversation with Mortarion.
It would be a secret, a promise, an agreement, a... accidentally seeing the heartfelt talks between people from the same world.
Although Finus hoped that day would never come, he hoped it was an illusion, he hoped Mortarion was a madman, and he hoped that perhaps he was just a madman who believed the madman's nonsense.
But when facing Fulgrim, Fenus did not mention a word about that drunken incident.
2.6k, don't wait, maybe there is
(End of this chapter)