[…]
Mortarion took a deep breath and first cleared the most common image from his mind—
Hearing a rustling sound, he opened the door of his office and saw a figure in the dim corridor struggling with the robot that brought him food.
Mortarion knocked on the door expressionlessly, and the dull echo spread along the corridor.
Hades turned his head sharply while biting the rice spoon, gave him a crooked smile, then swaggered and gave the servitor one last blow, then rushed back to his office with two lunches.
Because some inhuman existence ate Mortarion's lunch, Mortarion took back the two portions of food from Garro and Vorcus.
Then he threw out Hades, who was standing in the office and loudly declaring a holiday uprising, and also threw out Hades, who was howling and saying that the foundry department had no money and needed funding.
There was also Hades who was chewing on a piece of metal while berating Macador, Hades who was doing what he called a "after-get off work victory summary" dance in front of Gala who was working overtime, and Hades who was clinging to the bed in the medical department and didn't want to go back to work.
Finally, Mortarion thought of the being who stood before thousands of psionic species and created the world alone.
He silently superimposed this image onto Luo Jia's words, and the two figures began to overlap...
He should have thought of this earlier, instead of just thinking about not letting Hades steal his lunch today.
Mortarion took the wine glass sullenly and took a sip, but in a moment he smashed the glass down in anger. He let go of the glass, took out a flat tin wine bottle from the many glass bottles and jars on his waist, opened it and took a sip.
[…It’s him.]
Mortarion said,
[The mysterious being you mentioned, I think that is the commander of the Death Guard—perhaps he should be called the Master of the Order of Silence now.]
The angel in the distance quietly sipped the wine, and the Khan silently looked at the army below the stage.
[Playing tricks?]
Lorgar turned his head and stared at Mortarion without blinking, his violet eyes fixed on him.
[With all due respect, Mortarion, you seem allergic to any ritual or pursuit that carries spiritual value.]
He glanced at the dirty wine bottle in Mortarion's hand. The oil used to lubricate the gun was stuck on it, and there were some unknown black lumps, like some kind of medicine residue.
Lorgar softened his tone and spoke before Mortarion could sneer.
[But I have no intention of arguing with you about this, brother, how did you determine that the person I mentioned is someone you know?]
He watched Mortarion drumming his fingers on the jug in silence for a long moment before he spoke again.
Only he can create this feeling on a large scale.
Mortarion took another sip, and he hit the nail on the head.
[Weakness, dislocation, panic, nausea, you want to subconsciously stay away from him - this is a natural instinct, to escape from his territory before you can no longer control your limbs. ]
Mortarion gave a sarcastic smile, his dry mouth exuding a venomous breath, and he said briskly,
I am all too familiar with this.
Luo Jia was silent for a moment.
[But you cannot be sure that other beings also have this power. It may or may not be the case.]
Mortarion laughed and coughed.
[Yes, other soulless beings may have similar powers, but - I mean, how many beings can make the Primarch feel oppressed? ]
That feeling of powerlessness on the verge of death.
But on the other hand, there is Hades in the Death Guard who can suppress at least two Primarchs with anti-psychic power.
He took all this for granted. Which step was overlooked
Does it start from when Hades told him about the Warp, or does it start from when Hades began to gradually build the Zeroth Company
To make an inappropriate analogy, it's like you suddenly discover that your sloppy upper bunk buddy is actually the top manager of a special national agency. Obviously, he usually shows a side that is more than ordinary, but because his expression when he asks you to bring food to him and call him "big daddy" every day is so frivolous and natural, you can't connect the two at all.
Mortarion suddenly realized that the Hades he knew was actually very divided - his character... no, his virtue, was not worthy of his ability.
Hades is very reliable, but at the same time, he is also very unreliable.
But Mortarion trusted Hades, not because Hades was reliable or not, but purely because they had fought together from Barbarus, and Hades had already proved that he was trustworthy.
Mortarion was deceived by the past.
He realized that it was not Barbarus's experience that shaped his trust in Hades, but that Hades himself would inspire trust in others.
Mortarion's thoughts were swirling in confusion.
So, the experience on Barbarus was actually a process of Hades building trust in him
Mortarion thought of Guilliman's high opinion of Hades, and thought of... He looked at Lorgar in front of him.
He thought of Malcador, the damned one, and the Emperor.
According to what Lorgar said just now, his descendants did not see the white helmets with the symbol of the Death Guard, but instead black helmets as dark as night.
Mortarion's eyes were empty. He raised his glass and took another big sip. His own wine flask was already half empty.
Mortarion unconsciously pulled out another glass bottle from his waist, and naturally poured the sticky fermented material inside into the wine jug, and then poured the red wine in the glass, which he just thought was bland, into it to dilute the fermented material.
He didn't realize that Fulgrim behind him was about to scream like an alarm. The angel smiled gracefully and held Fulgrim tightly with one hand to make him think rationally.
Compared to Fulgrim's scream, Sanguinius still believed that Lorgar's conversation with Mortarion would be more valuable.
Mortarion took another sip, this time the wine was spicier.
He thought gloomily that Hades was a Barbarus and could only be a Barbarus. He was neither a Terran nor a Macragge.
Mortarion suddenly wondered if he should be thankful that Hades was wearing a black helmet instead of a blue one.
At least... it's not a golden helmet.
Mortarion was silent. He thought of the blue and white letter that had been hanging in his office. Hadn't he figured it out a long time ago
Yes, he had figured it out a long time ago.
Mortarion shook his wine flask silently, looking at the grand army parading in the distance.
[…It’s him. It’s definitely him.]
Mortarion spoke softly, the alcohol and poison eating away at his sanity.
[But he is definitely not who you claim he is, Lorga. Why do you insist on distorting the nature of things? ]
Even if Hades pretends to be a decent person in front of other legions, Mortarion is the one who truly knows what kind of person Hades is!
Yes, code
(End of this chapter)