"Come and see Hades, Belinda."
A small appendage stretched out from the huge body of Jin-306, holding a champagne glass, with golden wine glittering in it.
He didn't have to drink any of Barbarus's shit.
The great sage calmly looked at Belinda hiding in the crowd and smiled shyly, but he did not move towards him at all.
"Father~ I may be in a bad state today—"
"impossible."
Kim said, "You are the best one. I am not that crazy guy in Kirkland. It's time for you to take over some of my work."
His words were heard by other people at the banquet, and the chief deacon of the Underworld Cult from some star region whistled at him.
King knew he was agreeing with the statement "Kirkland is a lunatic."
Compared to yesterday, they were now holding a banquet in a magnificent hall. The Dark Church did not have many places suitable for entertainment, so the Archbishop rented a ceremony hall of the State Church.
Therefore, the atmosphere here is not at all like the previous ascetic and repressive style of the Dark Religion (although the people here are definitely not that type).
Instead, it is magnificent, with various details stacked on the dome and hanging down along the silk on the carved angel statues.
The guests invited today are far more than the monotonous ones at the opening ceremony yesterday. They include respected believers, soulless people, space warriors, mechanical sages, wandering merchants, officers of the Astra Militarum, speculators, swindlers, gamblers...
Jin looked at Belinda resolutely, and dots of light flickered calmly on the electronic screen.
The female sage finally let go of the innocent soulless person whom she had grabbed from somewhere, and walked slowly towards Jin.
"You said I was going to take over from you,"
Belinda smiled and said,
"You taught me everything and gave me all the connections - but - you never mentioned Pluto to me before."
"You have to see for yourself,"
“I don’t want to influence your opinion,” King said.
Belinda sighed. She knew that one day she would have to take over the job from Jin.
Before this, she had been assisting Jin in assisting the Hades Corps, but after finally waiting for Hades to return, Jin immediately began to retreat.
In fact, even among a crowd of confused, drunk, or drugged people, Jin's size was an absolute advantage. The Great Sage broke through the crowd like a battering ram.
They walked past the long tables filled with food, ignored the opportunists who were making impassioned speeches, and headed for the longest and most conspicuous line in the center of the auditorium.
Jin walked indifferently from the end of the line. Everyone in the queue saluted him when they saw him, but the sage ignored them and just kept walking forward.
The huge auditorium was connected to another side hall. The tassels made of jewels half-obscured the gazes looking inside. The highest-ranking person at the banquet was in there.
The further forward the line went, the higher the level of the people in line. Finally, Jin and his team walked up to the second person, a cardinal.
The bearded man looked at them, and the light in his eyes was not kind.
"What do you want?"
Jin spoke straight out.
The bearded man was not annoyed. He smiled and said, "I heard that the Academy of Athens is a good thing..."
"Want the right to build a regional hub?" Jin said, "Next time, I'll include you in the proposal for measuring the slingshot."
The bearded man showed a satisfied smile, and the cardinal took a step back, but deliberately looked at Jin.
The first person in line is a mechanical sage.
“I’ve allowed you to cut in line, but the person in front of me… looks more difficult to deal with.”
As soon as the bearded man finished speaking, the sage in front of him automatically saluted Jin and made way for him.
"Good day, mentor."
The sage said, and Jin glanced at the cardinal indifferently.
"My apprentice."
He said, then bent down and walked directly into the side hall.
Jin felt that Belina's tension behind him increased by 0.34%, but the sage ignored this and looked into the hall.
As expected, Hades was sitting on the main seat. Since he was receiving many guests, the king was not wearing armor, but a black suit specially made for the Hades Cult, which looked like mourning clothes at first glance.
Pluto was eating while talking to a visitor, a wolf herder from a wolf pack, someone who surprised Jin.
Magnus on Hades' right hand side seemed to want to interrupt, while on Hades' left hand side... a pitch-black coffin lay there quietly. It seemed that the Pale Lord had lost all patience after yesterday's farce. The coffin lid was tightly closed and unwilling to show it to others.
"Hey, Jin."
The wolf priest who was talking to Hades nodded, and left with a serious look on his face, following the Grey Knight behind Magnus. Hades raised his head and looked at Jin.
"I was wondering why you hadn't come yet,"
Hades finished his plate and picked up a new one, looking like he was planning to give Kim a plate.
"Kirkland grabbed the first one today. I told him it was unnecessary. He could see me every day if he wanted."
Hades bit his fork and watched the sage that Jin Tong brought with him sit down.
"Guess what happened," Hades laughed as if remembering something funny, "Kirkland said he just came to show his attitude, and then he left after staying for seven minutes."
Jin nodded, then shook his head.
"madman."
He muttered softly, Kirkland is too crazy, his enthusiasm remains unchanged for ten thousand years.
"I'm still waiting for you. I thought you weren't coming today."
Hades said, he looked up at his watch and handed a snack to Kim and Belinda, "It's almost late."
Jin recalled the long queue.
"You look like you'll be busy until the early hours of tomorrow morning."
Hades curled his lips indifferently.
"It's not bad. They spend several months or even a year to come and see me, but it only takes a few days for me. Besides, I specially applied for a day and a half of vacation."
Hades raised his fork proudly.
"It looks like the application of the Nirvana system has gone smoothly. Will it be fully implemented next?"
Jin asked casually, and Hades smiled, "Yes, you know what, the Lord of Mankind sent the Imperial Guards to surround the mainframe and chant some spells and sprinkle some water, which really can improve the efficiency of the system."
"You can ask Kirkland about this,"
Jin said, "As Nirvana's simulated secondary personality, Kirkland may be able to describe and supervise Nirvana to you."
The smile on Hades' face widened.
"I thought so too, Jin. The good news is that there are no major problems so far. I can't believe how smooth it is."
Jin nodded. There was silence between them for a moment, with only the sound of Magnus flipping through the pages of a book. Then Hades spoke hesitantly,
"Jin...are you okay?"
"Generally," Jin said, and used his appendages to push Belinda, who was hiding behind him, out. "I plan to put my work aside recently and go see my students."
"This is Belinda, Pluto, my most proud student - maybe you don't remember, but your dark halo was once put on by her."
Hades was stunned, it seemed that this thing did happen, but... it seemed to have happened ten thousand years ago? !
His eyes moved to Belinda. Belinda was like a child who was pushed out by relatives and forced to call gossip girls during the New Year. She politely called him Pluto.
Hades' gaze shifted back to Jin, who suddenly found himself standing on an isolated island, with a black tide surging up and lapping at his feet.
Pluto is using the Black Domain to confirm his soul.
Jin swallowed the nausea and continued,
"I wonder if you will allow me to gradually leave. In the past ten thousand years, apart from teaching and temporarily taking over as the son of Hades for you, I have nothing else to boast about. These jobs can be replaced at any time."
What has kept him going for thousands of years, what has kept him hanging on for a breath, is waiting for the return of Hades.
After Hades returned, Jin began to worry about his fall... But now Hades has been in Terra for more than a year, and Jin has long since let go of his worries.
":) I want to retire, sir, please approve it."
The expression on Hades' face turned into one of deep sorrow.
"Jin, the revolution has not yet succeeded, and it's still dark—" Hades gritted his teeth. Jin had already shown a sense of alienation before. After ten thousand years of work, Hades might understand Jin. "But if you really feel too tired, then I approve."
Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm grateful to hear that,"
He reached out and took the wine glass handed to him by Hades. Inside was pure Barbarus wine. Jin poured it into his own feeding mouth and heard the sound of metal pipes being corroded.
The sage casually turned off the damage alarm of the feeding pipe.
"I don't have much ambition,"
Jin said, listening to the hissing sound coming from his body,
"Back then on Mars, I just wanted to survive. It was you who put aside our past grudges and promoted me," Jin paused, "and Kirkland."
"After you left, I thought about leaving several times, probably more than 40,000 times, but in the end I gritted my teeth and held on. Don't worry if you laugh at me. First, Kirkland's provocation brought me back, and second, I also wanted to do something. I agree with your point of view and hope that all humans will do the same."
Jin was silent for a while, he looked at Hades, the sage might know that this was not right, leaving when Pluto was in desperate need of talents, but like he said, he was a little tired, Jin was not like Kirkland, he was not a madman.
For Jin, the timing now is not that Pluto needs talents, but that he confirms that Pluto is still the technical sergeant on Mars.
He was sure that he, a tiny sage, was not needed to stop the out-of-control Hades.
The atmosphere was a bit depressing, even Magnus sensed that something was wrong, and he just kept reading a book without moving at all.
"… You've worked hard, Jin," Hades said, "Then you can retire without worry. At least I can hold on for a while."
"You can lead the revival of mankind," Jin said, turning his head to look at the noise in the hall, "Countless talented people have come for you. I don't have any talent, unlike Kirkland who led the research and development of the slingshot. I just took advantage of the opportunity to arrive early."
"Put it this way—" Hades drew out the tone, with the ending rising, "The son of Pluto that you brought up is going to take care of you, Jin."
"It was just developed early,"
Jin nodded, and patted Belinda, who had shrunk back behind him, with his appendage.
“And she assisted me a lot, you know, I’m a natural and was initially judged by Kirkland to be genetically unfit.”
Hades looked at Belinda. The way to respect King now was to take his chosen successor seriously. He looked past King's modesty.
"I remember her, but... it's been ten thousand years?"
"She had a genetic problem," Jin said, "so she spent most of her time in refrigerated hibernation. She was only recently cured. You may know the sage who cured her, Belisarius Cawl."
"I recommend him to you, too."
Hades blinked, "Cawl... I may not be able to mobilize him directly now. His loyalty to Guilliman is beyond imagination." Hades paused for a moment, "Maybe Guilliman himself may be needed."
Hades once indirectly asked Cawl's Primaris warriors, and Cawl's answer to him was very simple. He only built the army for that one person, and only waited for that one person to return.
Robert Guilliman.
The regent back then might have had more tricks up his sleeve than Hades imagined.
"He really has some real talent," King said. "He has a long-term ambition. Maybe that's why Kaul succeeded."
"You have some real tricks," Hades smiled, "Jin, if you keep being modest, you'll make us look stupid."
"Please forgive me," Jin bowed his head and drank again. Hades also drank a glass and shook the glass thoughtfully. "So what are you going to do after retirement, Jin? Tell me, let me also imagine my life after retirement."
"I plan to travel and meet my students over the past thousands of years," Jin said truthfully, "visit their graves, or meet the living ones."
The wine glass that Hades was shaking got stuck.
"... So," Hades whispered, "I have also wronged a lot of old friends," he smiled awkwardly, "but I have to wait until I'm done before I can go see them."
"They will understand you," Jin said, "The living are always more important than the dead. Although you are the King of Hell, you don't miss the dead."
Hades waved his hand and sighed, "Drink, drink, I'll give you a few drinks before you leave."
Jin raised his glass, and the crisp clinking sound rang out. The bubbles of the Barbarus wine made a sound like a curse.
After three cups, Jin spoke again slowly and methodically.
"Actually, Pluto, I would like to make a small request,"
"You mention it, just mention it," said Hades.
"I heard a little bit of news that you were planning to form an archaeological team. I met with Sage α3 Alina privately for this purpose. I found that her tentative itinerary overlaps with mine a lot, so I would like to ask if you would be willing to let this archaeological team give me a ride?"
Hades smiled brightly. Although Jin said so, he still wanted to follow the team. It didn't mean he really didn't want to work for the empire.
"Yes, of course," Hades said with a smile, "Then it looks like I can still give you a ride. α3 Alina plans to select a world to simulate first, and I will participate in person."
… … … …
Hades shook the cup and stared at Jin's departing back, feeling a mixture of emotions, but he also felt that this was the fact. He couldn't expect a person to remain unchanged for ten thousand years.
For example, Malcador... Hades' thoughts slipped. Since he temporarily agreed to Malcador's plan, Malcador immediately applied for an external transfer and transferred part of the army with the approval of Hades and the Emperor. According to the old man, he wanted to teach the Eldar a lesson.
There have been no major wars recently, so the Emperor and Hades allowed it. This was more like some kind of tacit understanding of replacement. As soon as Malcador left, the proposal to expand the Nirvana system was put forward.
[… It’s touching,] Magnus, who had been silent just now, spoke up, [Negative Psychic Ogryn, are all your former friends and subordinates like this?]
Hades was silent for a moment, then sighed.
"I don't know," he said, "but at least Jin has helped me a lot... I... I am not as cruel as the Lord of Mankind."
The fate of over-hard work might be to become a person like Malcador today.
Before Hades finished speaking, a resentful voice sounded from the farthest corner in the side hall.
Karas Typhon sat there with his back to Hades, holding documents in his hands, reviewing them with his face facing the wall. His resentment was greater than that of someone who had been dead for seven years.
"I completely understand him," said Karas. "I resign as well, Mortarion."
Silence. A calm but tired voice suddenly sounded from the coffin on Hades' left hand side.
[Not approved,] Mortarion said calmly, he lay peacefully in the narrow coffin, cushioned under his body, the quilt pattern on the side of the coffin was disturbing his eyes, [I also completely understand him, Soulless Ogryn, I want to resign.]
"… "
"Aren't you lying down now?!"
—————
[Glory of the Expedition]
Malcador walked calmly on the deck, holding a scepter. His figure gradually rose taller. He took off his hood disdainfully, and a hint of golden light appeared in his chaotic eyes.
Golden flames ignited along the scepter, and the empty and deserted deck instantly sank into a golden ocean. The barrier between the subspace and reality distorted, and the emperor walked on his heroic road. High platforms rose up, and countless shadowy figures appeared on the platforms.
The person standing on the nearest platform was none other than the old Commissar Yarick, who was marked as deceased by the Empire.
The emperor held the scepter with his slender and clean knuckles, the dragon liked jewels, the king was in love with beautiful women, he just had a little collecting habit.
He walked gracefully on the Hero Avenue. Who should he choose? There was a sound of breathing, and then the sound of landing. The emperor tilted his head and looked at the person kneeling in front of him to pledge his allegiance.
+Macharius,+ the emperor said, his eyes burning with lust and anger,+ I'll give you one chance, are you willing to go out again? Not for the title of God Emperor, but to satisfy yourself, to satisfy your ambition to gallop on the battlefield, to fill your insatiable desire to conquer. +
+… I do. +
The former Sun Lord said.
(End of this chapter)