The Lion Imitates the East (Part 2)

Even as a rival for the position of Warmaster, the Lion had to admit that Horus was far more important to everyone than he, Lion Eljonsson.

As Horus stepped into the still somber atmosphere of the meeting, the atmosphere instantly underwent a dramatic change.

Great, it's Horus!

We're saved!

Dorn will only ever offer what he believes to be the most correct viewpoint, regardless of whether others can accept it.

Fulgrim might be able to mediate the atmosphere among all parties, but she is still too mild-mannered and unable to garner enough public trust.

As for Lion, it's already a blessing that he didn't cause any trouble.

"What a warm welcome, my friends."

"The wise Emperor believes that the Night Haunter Sector is of great importance, and has therefore dispatched me and Lunar Wolves to join you all in unveiling the mysteries of this sector."

Amidst cheers and inquiries from the crowd, Horus smiled and waved to people from all directions.

The entire conference room was immediately filled with a joyful and happy atmosphere.

The great Horus, who can coordinate all tactical plans and harmonize the personalities of all Primarch Horus, has arrived here!

Unfortunately, this atmosphere didn't last long.

Etc!

Horus wasn't the only one to enter; The Lion following behind him was also clearly not in a good mood.

Lion Al-Jonson!

The Lion El'Jonson followed Horus; he had returned!

The attendees, realizing they had been celebrating too soon, lowered their cheers slightly.

The room fell silent once again.

The Lion: "."

That's really embarrassing.

This was especially true for the Lion had just stepped into the meeting room, which greatly diminished his confidence in his prestige.

"Ahem, I just went out to greet Horus and his Lunar Wolves brothers."

He wasn't so angry that he left his seat, but rather he wanted to give everyone present a surprise.

Clearly, those who thought the Lion El'Jonson left because he was intolerant of others were judging a gentleman by their own petty standards.

This is very wrong behavior.

"Haha, brother, you're right. It seems everyone's a bit afraid of my brother."

Horus, with heavy steps, turned back and led the Lion forward.

"But to be honest, I do wish I could have your intimidating aura."

Horus also envied the opponent's combat strength and the Emperor's favoritism towards the First Legion —something that made him extremely jealous.

In front of almost everyone, Horus revealed his true feelings.

This made the Lion El'Jonson feel somewhat flattered— Horus was jealous of the Lion's treatment in the eyes of the Emperor.

"Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but I have indeed thought about it."

Although Horus himself always claimed to be the First Returned Son, he knew in his heart that the "First" was not a very significant achievement, nor was it a title that others could not attain.

He really was just one of the more fortunate of his twenty-eight brothers and sisters.

Yes, there are eighteen.

His status as the First Returned Son would allow him to monopolize the Emperor's reign for thirty years while the other Primarch were scattered across the world.

But that's all.

Looking at the Dark Angels' three Gloriana-class Battleship and countless technological creations of the Dark Age; and then at the Imperial Fists's massive and invincible [Mount Array].

Lunar Wolves only had one Gloriana-class Battleship, which was almost the Primarch, and no other Emperor favorites.

His sole responsibility is to teach other Primarch how to adapt to space combat as the First Returned Son.

It has to be said that Lion's excellent conditions did make him somewhat envious.

"I never deny that, brother."

"You can't imagine what it was like to see the two of you, with your invincible and massive fleets."

The "1" symbolizing the Firstborn Son of the Emperor, the Dark Angels, is always engraved on the Dark Angels's shoulder armor, glyphs, and banner.

Horus was clearly the first to arrive.

But the one marked on the other side is the true Firstborn Son of the Emperor, while he himself is just a pitiful number sixteen.

"Brother, it's me."

The Lion realized that his mouth was a bit clumsy and he couldn't utter any complete words.

But I was secretly thrilled the whole time.

Horus was such a master at flattery that he made the Lion feel so good it felt like it was flying.

"I was just lucky to obtain a relic from the Dark Age."

Dorn nodded gently to Horus: "This is a gift from the Emperor, and it is also my responsibility to the Imperium. I bear both of these burdens."

"This is indeed an enviable favor—but Horus brothers, have you considered that there is another Primarch in this room?"

Fulgrim's smile seemed somewhat forced.

They praised Lion and Rogue, so why skip over Fulgrim?

What does this mean?

So you can say she has no redeeming qualities?

Back when I was aboard the Chemos, I was quite pleased with myself for owning a Gloriana-class Battleship.

As a result, the battleship Gloriana-class Battleship was guaranteed to be one for every member of the Primarch's Expeditionary Fleet!

What happened?

"Of course, my sister Fulgrim. I certainly envy you as the only one among us brothers and sisters who has been married, and I certainly envy the perfect love you have."

"But you know—if I told the story of the Centaur gold ring like you did, everyone would fall asleep on the spot!"

Horus's honest face twisted into a comical expression as he looked around, instantly eliciting another burst of lighthearted laughter.

Horus, you bastard.

"That's not wrong."

Fulgrim was pleased with Horus's words.

Horus certainly knew how to communicate with his brothers and sisters.

In just a few words, the tense atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

Just like the backbone of the many helpless members of the Expeditionary Fleet, Horus only needed to appear in the meeting room to gain everyone's trust.

Even the stubborn Dorn gave Horus a slightly more conciliatory smile when he looked at him.

This greatly displeased the Lion El'Jonson, but it seemed that this was indeed the reality—

Even when the Emperor assigned the three Expeditionary Fleet together, he took into account the possibility of discord among the three Primarch.

"Compared to the Lion brothers' deterrent power, I also have my own troubles."

"Even when I'm angry and giving a lecture, my men still dare to stand up to me and fight back."

As he spoke, Horus glanced jokingly at Abaddon beside him.

The latter seemed somewhat unconvinced by the description of Horus and was eager to argue about it.

Although Horus did not name names, it seems that Abaddon had fully grasped his implied meaning.

"You see. That's exactly it."

"It seems that each of us has our own problems to face."

"You have yours, and I have mine."

The Lion El'Jonson's tense expression eased somewhat, and his well-trimmed golden mane finally seemed to flow down normally.

He seemed to glance at the Caliban Knight beside him without making a sound.

There stood the biggest troublemaker in the entire legion.

That is, the Legionary Chaplain who dared to refute the Lion on the spot when he met Horus.

This person's Nemiel, and he serves as a priest in the Dark Angels.

If the name isn't familiar, you've definitely heard of the powerful move, "Lion's Head-Shattering Fist."

He was the head that got blown away.

As a model Space Marine of the Dark Angels, he performed exceptionally well in all the battles, large and small, that the Dark Angels experienced.

He was an upright and honest man. After being selected as the Legionary Chaplain, he was responsible for overseeing the Legion's logistics and personnel deployment work, and he was meticulous in every detail.

He never slacked off in fulfilling his duties.

But the problem is—he really didn't slack off in the slightest, and he even supervised the Primarch.

As a legion with the most secrets, how could the Dark Angels possibly be as open and transparent as the Emperor demands?

The Lion El'Jonson himself had a multitude of secrets.

This means that Nemiel, as an upright and incorruptible Legionary Chaplain, would not show even the slightest leniency regarding the Primarch's own circumstances.

This guy is different from Abaddon.

He seemed to thoroughly enjoy arguing with the Primarch.

It's not just about correcting the Primarch's behavior, but also about enjoying the process of refuting the Primarch.

Nemiel, the true advocate of the Primarch.

"Please apologize for my rash departure earlier."

Facing the crowd who were still awkwardly unsure how to welcome the Lion El'Jonson back, Lion slowly bowed and apologized.

Before anyone could react, Horus quickly stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over.

"Alright, since everyone has had a thorough exchange of opinions while I was away—"

He quickly put the previous unpleasantness behind him, and now it was time to discuss the issues without letting his emotions get the better of him.

This shifted the focus of everyone's attention back from the Lion El'Jonson's personal departure to the issue at hand.

Although the Lion El'Jonson was unwilling to admit it, he knew in his heart that Horus's ability to deal with people was many times greater than his own.

This level of capability gap is difficult to bridge in a short time.

Lion thought to himself, somewhat disheartened.

"Dorn, what was the outcome of our previous discussion?"

Dorn recounted to Horus the results of the previous discussion among the three Primarch.

The entire Night Haunter Sector is shrouded in a massive Warp cloud, and entering it would inevitably involve unimaginable risks.

The speed and direction of their actions were the main focus of their discussion at the meeting.

"It sounds like you really need an external point to break the current deadlock."

Horus concluded, his massive, armored body beginning to wander around the round table before him.

The Primarch could not reach a consensus, let alone a strategic agreement.

"My father, when he was in Terra, taught me to discern the thoughts of those who offered suggestions, and to formulate strategies based on that, through their most..."

This is not merely a reflection of differences in command philosophy; it also involves some personal factors.

Horus then interrupted.

"Regarding this situation, my father—"

As Horus delivered his proud speech, Kasgar closed his eyes.

They've arrived.

To be precise, it's happening again.

Next, please enjoy the essay recitation by Lunar Wolves Horus the Sixteenth Legion Primarch, titled "My Emperor Father"!

(Winner of the first prize in the Terra Gold Centaur Cup Essay Competition)

He exchanged glances with Sigismund, and even with Torgaddon and Sanguinius standing behind Horus.

Now, there is no need for any further communication to understand what they are thinking.

I understand what you mean.

Finally, Horus began his long discourse with a fable about his childhood encounter with Emperor, using this as a springboard to recount countless stories that had taught him...

In short, under the Emperor's guidance, Horus chose a new approach—unlike the Primarch's strategies, which were either radical or conservative, Horus chose to incorporate their ideas and improve upon them.

According to his plan, the joint Expeditionary Fleet, spearheaded by the Mount Array of Rogal Dorn and the Seventh Legion, would penetrate from one side of the Night Haunter Sector and advance towards the main central area.

The remaining three Expeditionary Fleet were tasked with expanding outwards around the outer star systems that served as lifelines, ensuring that the Seventh Legion's supply lines would not be severed and thus lost contact.

Based on the results of the previous missing Expeditionary Fleet, the most crucial thing after entering the Night Haunter Sector is to preserve the link channels and supply lines.

Only in this way can we ensure that we do not get lost in the environment where the Astronomican is isolated by thick fog.

It takes into account both the current situation and troop deployment of each legion, and also fully considers the ideas of each Primarch.

Unlike Rogal Dorn, he directly humiliated others.

Horus's plan quickly became the tactical plan unanimously agreed upon by all legion members.

It will be implemented in the Night Haunter Sector in the near future.

Although there were some minor hiccups during the meeting, Horus's influence quickly led everyone to reach a consensus.

This is quite rare, considering that when the Lion El'Jonson left earlier, everyone was lamenting that the arguments between the Primarch would greatly increase the time consumed by the expedition, thus wasting precious time on meaningless bickering.

"Only when Lord Horus arrives can this dispute between Primarch be resolved."

People were talking in hushed tones.

"Indeed, if the Imperium were to Warmaster again, I would definitely support Lord Horus. There is no one more suitable to lead all the Expeditionary Fleet than him."

"Shh! Watch out! The great the Lion is still here!"

"Isn't that unnecessary? Lion Ryan wouldn't be so petty."

"Wait a minute, let's put Lion's matter aside for now. When you were talking about Warmaster, why did you say 'again'?"

"!"

"!"

"!"

Silence fell upon everyone once again.

Let's close this up; this is a slide that you shouldn't touch.

Of course, this does not mean that Horus was infallible and perfect.

His almost fanatical love for the Emperor also earned him some criticism within the Expeditionary Fleet and the Terra War Council.

Horus expressed his affection for the Emperor so frequently that I felt, in a way, that I had become an unnecessary presence in the Expeditionary Fleet.

Even when it comes to proclaiming the greatness of the Emperor, Lord Horus has to do far more than I have.

He truly loves the Emperor from the bottom of his heart. I'm ashamed to say that I can't even compare to one-tenth of his passion.

— Written by an Imperial Truth -telling official who originally had a fanatical love for the Emperor.

Shortly after being assigned to the Vengeful Spirit as the Chief Orator of the Lunar Wolves, he chose to submit his resignation.

I can't bring myself to criticize this; it's genuine love for Emperor.

But being too passionate about something isn't necessarily a good thing.

There is no clear line between tradition and superstition or even fanaticism—some extremists may believe that Horus's teachings seriously violate Imperial Truth and are extremely heretical, requiring correction by Imperial Truth Propagandists.

Of course, many people still feel that Horus, as the Primarch of Lunar Wolves, is just a little strange with a quirk, which does not affect his Primarch as the most popular Primarch in the Great Crusade.

Just like believing that a four-leaf clover brings good luck.

This is at most a form of self-suggestion, and it is clearly far removed from the religion that the Emperor swore to destroy.

It's not reasonable to burn everyone in the world who believes that four-leaf clovers bring good luck.

This is abnormal, at least for someone earning 30K.

The meeting has come to the Veil.

Accompanied by the narrators, their photographic and video equipment, and their Servitor, the four Primarch began to walk toward their respective helipads.

The logistics forces from the Joint Expeditionary Fleet will soon complete the occupation of the Scathian Planet.

This location will serve as a base for supplying the Expeditionary Fleet, providing a continuous supply for the Expeditionary Fleet that will venture deeper into the Night Haunter Sector.

Horus and Dorn jointly served as the commanders-in-chief of this battle.

Horus's meaning is not hard to understand—although he is in charge of all of this, as the Imperial Fists and the Mount Array are operating in isolation, there are many situations that require the other side to make their own decisions.

Everyone agreed with this viewpoint, and after the meeting, they all walked towards their respective helipads.

"Etc!"

Just as the Lion El'Jonson was about to leave again, he noticed someone calling to him from behind.

He was the Sons of the Emperor.

Their flamboyant purple-gold armor made them easily identifiable. If Lion remembered correctly, this was the Phoenix Guard who had stood beside Fulgrim during the previous meeting.

—Of course, Kasgar seems to be a little "closer" than the other Primarch Guards.

As the consort of female Primarch Fulgrim, the Lion had heard of such a being, though he had never actually seen her.

Especially after hearing the rumors that he possessed powerful Psychic Power Prophecy, enabling him to converse amiably with Magnus, get along well with Philus, and rescue the Angron brothers from the Xenos rulers.

Don't underestimate the Lion's intelligence network.

"Sons of the Emperor, what business do you have with the Lion?"

He frowned and asked.

Immediately afterwards, he saw the other person take out a small ornament from his person.

"Psychic Warding Amulet".

Kasgar explained to the Lion El'Jonson, "This necklace's ability is similar to the Iron Halo —it can deploy a shield when the wearer is about to be subjected to a large impact, thus protecting them from some unexpected damage."

"Nice little trinket," The Lion nodded gently, looking at the ornament in his hand, "But you brought it to me not just to show it off."

This thing is indeed good, but unfortunately, Dark Angels has everything.

"Of course, great the Lion. This is a vision I saw in a prophecy—it revealed the death of a Dark Angels Battle Brother, and I am prepared to give it to him to avert the inevitable fate that is to come."

As Kasgar spoke, he stepped forward and looked at Nemiel: "I hope you will accept it, brother Nemiel."

"Oh?"

The Lion became intrigued. "You foresaw his death in the prophecy? How did he die? I'd love to know the details."

—The details are what you punched away.

Of course, Kasgar couldn't say that, otherwise the head that flew off would have been his own.

"This may be a bit complicated to explain. It was an unexpected enemy who was among us and killed Nemiel."

"Alright then, thank you for the reminder, Commander of the Sons of the Emperor."

The Lion El'Jonson originally kept a certain distance from such mysterious and enigmatic things.

After all, he had seen too many illogical and unconventional things on the planet Caliban, which made him quite receptive to Librarian and Psychic Power.

As long as it works.

Since Kasgar has been Librarian within the Imperium that has given correct instructions on many occasions, and since he has predicted that problems might arise in the future, he would be better off believing this statement now.

—At worst, we can go back and have the other Dark Angels Librarian and Tech Sergeant check whether there are any contamination or eavesdropping devices in this necklace.

The Lion El'Jonson has a strong sense of counter-surveillance.

But what he doesn't know is that in front of him is someone who knows all his little secrets.

"You're welcome, for the sake of the Imperium of Man and the Emperor."

After answering, Kasgar practically fled towards the Sons of the Emperor's landing craft.

Whee.

Hehehehehehe.

Hold it in, you absolutely must hold it in and not laugh!

The thought of the future Lion's Flying Headbutt hitting the Psychic Shield filled Kasgar with a heartfelt joy.

The plan is in place.

[Invincible Reason]

Sitting alone in his room, the Lion fell into deep thought.

As a strong contender for the title of Warmaster, Horus seems to be far more favored than he is.

Both the discussion of the Primarch and the outcome of the discussion demonstrate this point.

He didn't understand why both he and Horus were putting forward opinions that hadn't been verified before being tested, yet Dorn would always oppose him and choose to trust Horus.

He may not be the most eloquent person, but solutions have nothing to do with a person's personality.

But the Lion needs a reason to be rejected.

Could it be because the other Primarch think they are not loyal enough?

This kind of speculation is really ridiculous.

Loyalty or disloyalty?

Loyalty or disloyalty?

So loyal!!

Within the Primarch, could there be anyone more loyal than the Lion El'Jonson?

Only he, and only he would carry out everything the Emperor needed without expecting anything in return, and only he could maintain a steadfast Lion's heart amidst endless whispers of evil and illusions.

The Emperor said that the biggest shortage in the Great Crusade was time.

So he loaded so many Exterminatus.

This was all to better fulfill the Emperor's requirement: to conquer as quickly as possible.

The Emperor only said that he needed to conquer.

As for whether the conquered land was actually a lifeless, desolate wasteland, the Emperor did not say.

That would obviously be faster by issuing Exterminatus!

Isn't this a perfectly reasonable thing to do?

Furthermore, the Lion will naturally reflect on its behavior after being criticized.

Exterminatus is indeed inhumane.

While bombing can certainly reduce those damned guys to smithereens, it will also destroy all industrial facilities on the planet's surface, requiring everything to be rebuilt from scratch.

Their expedition needed a planet that could provide a continuous source of power, not a scorched wasteland in need of rebuilding.

The Emperor offered this advice.

After much reflection, the Lion El'Jonson underwent a significant transformation.

—Now he's more likely to just drop Virus Bomb.

This way, the various industrial facilities and machinery on the ground will not be destroyed at all.

He rarely uses the Cyclone Torpedo anymore!

Isn't this an extremely kind and efficient approach?

Your Emperor, can you sense that I have become more merciful?

The Lion raised its head and looked at the huge bust of the Emperor hanging in its study.

Emperor "."

He kept looking ahead without saying a word.

It's obvious.

The Lion has done so much for the Imperium, yet it has never received a fair return from the Imperium.

Those guys will always slander the Lion's cruelty, but they have never trusted everything the Lion has done for the Imperium Expedition!

Horus.

The Lion grasped the crux of the problem.

He was now extremely eager to figure out the key difference between himself and his Primarch brother: what caused the Lion to be unable to gain the people's trust despite their mutual loyalty to the Emperor?

He must learn from his Primarch brother Horus —who garnered such popularity during the expedition; if Lion wants to become Warmaster, he must learn from him.

"Bring me the book on that shelf that records Horus's words and deeds during his expedition."

The Lion spoke to the creatures around him.

It was a tiny figure dressed in a long robe, whose form was hidden beneath the enormous robe, and no one could discern their exact appearance.

That was the Black Watchers, also known as the Little Robe Man.

(The second from the left is Lion Aljonsen)

As non-human beings, they are usually taciturn and short in stature, yet they are also very intelligent and can communicate with each other through telepathy.

Their existence is even more unique—these beings can resist the abilities of Chaos entities, like the Untouchables, and nullify the Warp energy around them.

At the same time, they can also carry the weapons of the Dark Angels to participate in the battle. Although it is unknown why they can only act as a buff machine in the battle, it seems that their existence will not be attacked by other artillery fire.

There are also rumors that they are creations of the Old Ones, possessing power far greater than they appear, and frequently appearing in various major events.

These things, no matter how you look at them, are strange—

Xenos? What Xenos?

Hi!

These are our Dark Angels' allies. On Caliban, a planet teeming with talent, they are a kind of Abhumans that helps us fight against the behemoths and the invasion of Chaos!

How can such a human-like ally be accused of having an affair with Xenos?

Holding the book handed to him by the little green man, the Lion El'Jonson thought to himself.

"Let me see what Horus usually does inside and outside the legion—"

He opened the book in his hand, written by the narrator of the Lunar Wolves army.

"Emmmmm"

Ten minutes later.

"Notify the entire Expeditionary Fleet to load the Cyclone Torpedo."

"Destination, Khorosnia."

—Of course, I wouldn't actually do that.

The thought flashed through his mind, but it only lasted for a fleeting moment.

For a fleeting moment, he genuinely wanted to blow up Khorosnia.

Having read about half of the book, especially the part where Horus tries to enhance the emotional connection within the Lunar Wolves legion and thus deepen their shared Great Learning of the Lunar Wolves.

The book was thrown aside by the panicked Lion El'Jonson.

"Oh my god, this is terrifying!!!"

What is this?!

That's terrifying!

This book had a profound psychological impact on a child growing up in the jungles of Caliban.

Horus, he actually did.

This.!

This is

My thirty-year-old Centaur gold ring Constellation Book!

Ah!!!

The Lion dared not think any further!

"Quickly! Burn it!"

"Burn that stuff!!!"

The Lion raised its head and glanced once more at the portrait of the Emperor in its study.

Emperor: "."

The portrait, of course, did not speak, nor did it offer any response.

But the other party also seemed to be becoming increasingly helpless.

No. No!!!

He doesn't want to!

Brain, I command you, stop working!

This is blasphemous! This is blasphemous!

How will he face Horus and the Emperor in the future?

While reading this book, I felt as if my Power Armour boots had been dug out like a Caliban Knight's monastery.

"But why is it that even so, Horus is still loved by so many people?"

After the initial shock, the Lion asked himself this question.

No, why should I?

If Lion were to encounter Horus now and shake hands with him as before, he would immediately pull his hand back!

That's terrifying!

However, the other citizens of the Imperium, whether Imperium or bureaucrats, all believed that Horus was the best candidate for Warmaster.

Could it be that they all harbored this same feeling towards the Emperor?

They're all abnormal!

The Lion seemed to have come to a very frightening conclusion.

"This world has gone mad!!!"

Can.

That's why Horus has everyone's support, isn't it?

"Could this be the only way to become Warmaster through competition?"

The Lion looked at the book of the chronicler that he had tossed aside in the distance, and thought with a tremor in his heart.