"Who?" Valano turned his head to look at the place where the voice came from, tightly gripping the weapon in his hand, observing the surroundings inch by inch with hawk-like eyes, in case of any emergency.
A hooded figure stepped out of the darkness and approached the Custodian Marshal.
The scarlet robe dragged on the muddy ground, but it was not stained with any dirt.
The other person's physique was thin, like an elderly man wearing a loose robe.
Under the robes were ordinary clothes.
A shining silver ring was worn on the finger of his right hand.
It is engraved with delicate protective symbols.
Valano looked at the old man warily. Although he did not feel any threat from the other party, he was still nervous.
This is by no means a simple dream.
Any slackness may lead to death.
"Who are you?" Valano frowned and asked, "Minions of the gods? Or those aliens who claim to have obtained the truth? What do you want to say for them? Are you trying to seduce me? Give up such a stupid decision. I will never compromise."
"You serve me, but you don't know my name?" There was a hint of sarcasm in the other person's tone.
"Impossible," Valano said, "She hasn't given us any orders in ten thousand years."
The visitor slowly reached out and pulled down his hood, revealing a face full of frost and the marks of time.
The face looked ordinary at first glance, but there were no childish eyes in his eyes. Instead, they radiated a golden light, making his identity self-evident.
"Isn't it sad that you serve me but cannot recognize my identity, Valano?" said the old man.
The old man's words shocked Valano, and then, realizing what a mistake he had made, Valano began to sob.
"No, my Lord, forgive my sins."
The Imperial Guards Marshal knelt on one knee in front of the old man, begging for forgiveness.
How stupid he is.
If the power of the evil god could seduce her loyal guards in the sacred palace, how could the entire empire stand for ten thousand years
There is only One who can manifest His holiness in the throne room.
"Get up. I haven't conveyed my will to the Ten Thousand Men for a long time." The old man said, "It's normal for you to forget me."
"No, my lord, no one has forgotten you. Every citizen of the empire is waiting for your return, and they are looking forward to you leading the empire again." Valano said with a sincere tone.
"What you remember is a symbol of faith called the Emperor, not the real me." The old man looked at the place where the body was buried, his tone was flat, without any sadness or joy.
"My Lord." Valanor did not stand up, but still knelt on one knee in front of the old man, his eyes devout and full of hope. "Why, in the past ten thousand years, you have never responded to us directly?"
"Stand up, Valano." The old man asked Valano to stand up, and then continued, "In the past ten thousand years, I have conveyed my will to you. The harm caused by Horus is too deep. I almost died. Valano. The curtain of reality blocked the gods and me, and the faith of all living beings almost crushed me. If I had communicated with you at that time, it would only take a moment for any member of the Ten Thousand to have their souls burned.
”
"What about you now?" Valano asked with confusion.
"The Great Rift has allowed the gods to expand their influence, and I have been able to gain more freedom. The success of Thirteen has also shared some of the pressure, allowing me to communicate in a way that is less hurtful to you."
The old man's words cheered up Valano.
If they can communicate normally, doesn't it mean that the Emperor may return to the Empire soon
"The Ten Thousands are waiting for your return, my Lord." Valano said with joy, "We have been looking forward to fighting alongside you again for ten thousand years. The Ten Thousands will be the strongest blade in your hands."
The old man smiled, but it quickly disappeared.
He walked towards the place where the bodies were buried, bent down and grabbed a handful of wet soil, and fell into memories of the past.
After a moment, the old man looked at Valano again.
"As the leader of the Ten Thousand, you need to know some things. Valano, only in this way can you make the right choice in the future."
"The Ten Thousand are always loyal to the Emperor." Valano said firmly: "Our loyalty is known to the sun and the moon. We will never betray our oath. We will eventually..."
"No, you should be loyal to the emperor of the empire." The old man interrupted Valano.
"Different statements point to the same person. Aren't you the emperor of the empire?" Valano said, "This point will not change."
"No, Valanor, everything will change." The old man said, "Humanity needs a new emperor, and I have reached the end of my time. If you hold on to the past, you will only endure the poison of the past. Only by letting go can you embrace the future. This is true for the Empire, and it is also true for you. The era of the Emperor has ended, and a new era is about to come. The Ten Thousand will find its place in that era."
"No!" Valano said, with doubt in his eyes. He looked at the old man and even doubted his identity: "It shouldn't be like this. The empire should be led by you, the great emperor?"
"I see doubt in your eyes, Valanor," the old man said, "and that's why you came here!
The supreme ruler of the human empire represents power in the eyes of those pedantic mortals. Only those who know the truth know that this position never represents power and wealth. Whoever sits in this position will face the crisis brought by the gods. "
The old man stretched out his hand holding the soil and showed it to Valano. There was a faint smell of blood on the soil. "Do you know what happened just now?"
"A murder?" Valano tried to answer.
"Yes, a murder." The old man's tone was filled with sadness. "Brother murdered brother. It was the beginning of betrayal and a journey of despair. The curse of mankind, the wail of mankind, and the end of mankind were also born in this murder. If mankind wants to transcend, it must first break free from its curse."
"Its name is the First Murder. All of humanity is bound to it. I was born to fight it. On the day my father was murdered by my uncle, I woke up. And became the one who fought against the First Murder.
"I do not understand, my lord, what do you mean by this?" said Valanor. "I know of the first murder, but it has been long gone."
"Do you think it no longer poses a threat?" The old man looked at Valanor, his golden eyes full of inquiry.
"No one can resist your power, my lord. The Ten Thousand is willing to fight according to your will." Valano said, "We will not refuse death, even in the face of the gods."
"It's meaningless. I lost. Ten thousand years of planning, but failed in one fell swoop. Horus's ignorance ruined everything. The bright path I once believed in no longer exists." The old man said, "The first murder was during the Webway War, and it hurt me badly. To kill it, you need to sacrifice yourself."
"That was only a temporary defeat." Valano said, "You are the Lord of Humanity. What can resist your power? As long as you return again, the Ten Thousand will unite around you. We can wipe out all enemies and reintegrate humanity."
"Nothing lasts forever. My mission has come to an end, Valanor." The old man said, "Humanity cannot live under my protection. Otherwise, this race will be destroyed. The young eagle will spread its wings and fly high. This is fate. The old must die to make room for the new."
"My Lord," Valanor shouted, "If humans don't have your guidance, where will those lost people go?"
"I understand your loyalty, Valano. Follow me." The old man said, "If you see the truth of everything, you will understand that in the face of a real crisis, foolish loyalty will only bring unimaginable disasters to this race, and will be used by those with ulterior motives to subvert the entire empire."
"Look to the future, Valanor, and see how difficult the road ahead will be for mankind. Then you will understand what choice you should make."
Darkness covered Valano, starlight emerged, and thousands of planets appeared before him.
A terrible war that he had never imagined unfolded before him.
Countless magnificent warships appeared across the sky, and the smallest one was as big as a planet.
Densely packed together, they are arranged in the starry sky, releasing deadly beams of light.
The galaxy is shattered and everything is destroyed.
Time and space were changed, and countless time streams formed a closed loop independent of the universe, causing chaotic conflicts of laws.
Countless lives died in the war.
Desperate souls screamed in the warp, causing a storm powerful enough to overturn an entire universe.
Countless worlds were laid waste in the mad battle and cast into the Warp.
Valanor watched the battles in horror.
Every civilization involved in the war is extremely powerful, controlling the stars and manipulating the laws of physics. They are like gods in mythology, omnipotent.
They attacked each other frantically, like mad wolves trying to kill their enemies.
Compared with these ancient civilizations, today's human empire is like a newborn child.
Hiding aimlessly in the Milky Way, holding a wooden stick, he fought against the threat of those man-eating jackals.
"What is this?" Valano's hands were shaking, and he could only hold the halberd tightly in his hand to relieve the tension in his heart.
"It was the first civilization war in our universe. That battle changed the universe forever and cursed all the lives born thereafter. We were one of them. The first murder was our curse." The old man's voice sounded, "Whether it was the subsequent War in Heaven or the Iron Man Rebellion, they were just the aftermath of that magnificent battle."
"How tragic it is for our race to be trapped in such a small star field, unable to escape, and to be trapped in the struggle with those evil gods day after day. We must defeat them, get rid of the shackles of the warp, and move towards the true future."
"If that's the case, shouldn't you be in control of the empire? Only you can free humans from the warp and defeat the gods." said Valano.
"Any victory requires a price. Someone must solve the first murder and the evil god. Each generation can only do its own thing." The old man said, "Valano, the Ten Thousand Men have faithfully fulfilled their mission. Now, you have a new mission."
"My Lord."
"The palace needs a new master. Thirteen will take over my duties in the real universe. Protect him, Valano. Be loyal to him as you are to me." The old man looked at Valano. His thin body radiated golden light, burning his mortal body to ashes. Only the golden sun stood in front of Valano, making him feel incomparable pressure. "Don't let him down. If you do, you will let down the entire human race and me."
"My lord," Valano shouted.
The darkness faded, and the Grand Marshal of the Custodes stood in the webway with the humming of machinery.
Looking up at the throne, it was shrouded in golden light.
Under the golden helmet, tears flowed down the resolute face.
He understood that this was her will and her command.
Number Thirteen will become the new emperor of the empire.
The Ten Thousand obey the Emperor, as always.
This is true regardless of the command.
There were footsteps and a guard walked in from outside.
"Sir, Prime Minister Penny wants to see you." The guard said, "Do you want to refuse her?"
"No." The Imperial Guards Marshal shook his head and said, "We have rejected her many times. Now we have to meet her."
... ... ... ... ... ... .
... ... ... ... ... ...
In the palace.
In the reception room exclusively for the Imperial Guards.
Penny looked uneasy and was pacing back and forth.
The Custodians are the Emperor's loyal guards.
Ever since the fight between the two factions on Terra, the Grand Marshal of the Guards has refused to meet with Penny.
This is not a good sign and will give the outside world bad speculation.
What does it mean that the Grand Marshal of the Imperial Guard, who is a loyal guard of the Emperor, refuses to be appointed as the Imperial Chancellor by the Imperial Regent
Politics is such a delicate thing.
The statement made by any important figure will determine the changes in the situation in the empire.
The attitude of the Marshal of the Imperial Guards became a source of confidence for some royalists, who believed that the Marshal of the Imperial Guards was on their side.
This time, Penny had no choice but to ask for a meeting.
The Imperial Regent is about to return to Terra.
If the struggle between the two factions cannot be bridged in time, it will inevitably lead to an unimaginable terrorist crisis.
The Imperial Regent was in an extremely awkward position.
If repressive measures were taken to suppress the royalists, it would inevitably lead to strong opposition.
The original neutral faction would also believe that the Imperial Regent wanted to seize the Emperor's throne from the beginning to the end, and saved humanity just to make up for his own reputation of seizing the throne.
From ancient times to the present, rulers who have come to power illegitimately have always tried to make some achievements to cover up their mistakes.
If no repressive measures are taken, the royalists will inevitably become more aggressive and demand that the Imperial Regent explain why he did not provide timely support to Terra ten thousand years ago.
At that point, no matter what explanation the Imperial Regent gave, it no longer mattered.
Any explanation would be seen as the Imperial Regent concealing the truth and his own evil ambitions.
That's how human hearts are.
People never care about the explanation of the parties involved, they only accept the version they think is most reasonable.
Penny paced back and forth, she was ready.
An army absolutely loyal to Guilliman is on standby.
If the Marshal of the Imperial Guards still doesn't want to see her this time, don't blame her for being radical.
The faction supporting Guilliman controls the military, economy, industry, etc.
As long as she ordered a crackdown, Terra's royalists would be immediately crippled and completely suppressed.
At that time, as long as the imperial regent announced that this matter was his own decision, executed himself, and then publicly appeased the people, and cooperated with the propaganda machine, the influence of this matter could be suppressed to the minimum.
The last thing Penny could do was to bear the infamy and become an executioner despised by the world, so that the Imperial Regent could get rid of the negative impact of this incident.
A servant of the Imperial Guards came in and saluted the Imperial Chancellor - Penny.
The other person's appearance made Penny's heart tighten suddenly.
This is how the other party sent a servant to get rid of her the previous few times.
"I understand." Penny took a deep breath and tried to maintain her composure. Before the other party could speak, she spoke. "Please tell the Marshal of the Guards that since he is unwilling to meet, I will solve the problem in my own way. I hope that the Guards will not be involved."
The imperial guard servant was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly explained.
"No, no, Prime Minister, Lord Valano wishes you to meet him in his private reception room."