Then, He Closed His Eyes (4)

"Hell yeah!"

Yulia pumped her fist and cheered with unrestrained excitement, completely lacking the decorum expected of a Third Legion Space Marine.

Sexdu watched her and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

He finally understood why looking at the Primarch always gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.

Yulia's personality seemed almost identical to Fulgrim's.

Both were incredibly rowdy characters.

Still, a rare moment of rest—

He didn't exactly dislike it.

"Everyone from the Third Legion, please follow me."

Stepping slowly out from beside Fulgrim, an exceptionally handsome young man smiled and gestured to the group.

"Look, look! That's him!"

Yulia, trailing behind him, suddenly rushed forward and slapped his shoulder hard. "That's him! Our Primarch's husband!"

"I think... I think his name is Kasgar!"

He's this young?

At this age, he could even undergo gene-modification to become a Space Marine, and he's Fulgrim's husband?

Fulgrim even argued with the Emperor over him?

But the good news was that he was still alive.

That meant despite the quarrel, in the end, the merciful Emperor hadn't actually done anything to him.

Then he looked at the height difference between the two.

At that thought, Sexdu's expression turned a bit odd.

The Third Legion were all descendants of the Primarch. Since the Primarch was already married, did that mean they should call him—

Father?

Of course, he'd never actually say that.

Silently following Kasgar aboard a specially modified low-altitude transport, Sexdu sat inside the cabin and gazed out at the bustling scenery outside.

Lush greenery dotted the thriving steel city named Karax, with vehicles flowing endlessly in both directions. The steel-supported buildings each had their own unique style, yet none disrupted the overall harmony.

Chemos—truly a beautiful and prosperous planet.

As a former member of the Emperor's honor guard, he had accompanied the Emperor to several splendid human Pocket Imperiums.

But few had developed into something as peaceful and serene as Chemos.

Especially considering that this planet had been a barren wasteland thirty years ago.

Not long after getting off the transport, Fulgrim had vanished.

Kasgar led everyone to a grand theater hall.

Marble pillars and walls were carved with intricate, ornate designs. Countless paintings by famous artists hung high on the walls, and the lighting equipment was fully installed.

It seemed they had even booked the entire venue just for them.

"This... this is a performance Fulgrim specifically requested."

Kasgar gritted his teeth as he recited the line.

"Now, please take your seats and enjoy her solo performance:"

"Thirty Years of Chemos's Centaur Gold Ring"

"...Fulgrim!"

"You! Are forever↑, my↓—Centaur↓↑ Seat↓!"

"No matter where you gallop in the future, I will always be by your side!!"

The End.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

After the performance ended, Sexdu stood up and applauded.

The entire play was well done—it depicted the thirty years of emotional journey between the Primarch and Kasgar on Chemos.

The acting was exquisite, the script was eloquent, and the performance was magnificent.

The actor also performed with tremendous passion.

Well.

Rather, the actor was a bit too passionate.

Fulgrim, alone on stage, had managed to project the momentum of an entire army.

She was just short of crawling on the ground, shouting and scrambling around wildly.

Such an emotionally charged performance made Sexdu feel like his toes were curling through his Adamantium boots.

It only eased up when he saw Kasgar beside him, forehead in hand, unable to look up.

Brother, I feel you.

"Wah wah wah..."

"It's really—really a tearjerker!"

"A masterpiece, an absolute masterpiece!"

Then, standing up, Sexdu saw Yulia sobbing uncontrollably inside her helmet.

What kind of reaction was that?

As a warrior of the Third Legion, a Space Marine forged through multiple augmentations, how could he be bogged down by trivial romantic sentiments?

"What's wrong with that?!"

"Sexdu! Don't you have anyone you like?!"

"...No."

Yeah.

Not a single one.

After being steeped in a performance personally delivered by their Primarch, the members of the Third Legion were quickly led out of the theater by Kasgar, who couldn't bear to stay a moment longer, head down and stride brisk.

Though it was a bit ridiculous, Sexdu still felt a long-lost joy.

Like he'd sipped a hint of amusement from the previously meaningless mechanical grind.

He hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Especially after he could no longer even serve on the honor guard.

Sexdu remembered it happened after they burned the last batch of Gene-seed.

Not long after that, he fell ill.

Many in the Third Legion fell ill.

Especially the survivors who had fought against the Lunar Gene Cult.

Investigation revealed that a Gene Weapon Virus used by the enemy could corrupt a Space Marine's genetic sequence.

It was like a progressive cancer—the patient's organs would gradually fail and become riddled with tumors, until they withered, festered, and died.

Even the Gene-seed they came into contact with would become infected and mutate.

The Withering Sickness, the Apothecaries called it.

And so it became the nightmare of their Third Legion.

Even the legion's genius Apothecary was helpless against a virus rooted in the genetic level.

Though a series of preventive measures later successfully curbed the spread, for those already afflicted with the Withering Sickness, there was currently no effective treatment.

In other words, the only thing to do was watch them wither and die, bit by bit.

"Are we going to die?"

"...Melusine?"

That spider-like Apothecary turned her head, and for the first time, Sexdu saw a glimmer of pity in her cold eyes.

"No. It'll be worse."

"We'll be... worse than dead."

They toured many places on Chemos.

The bustling streets of Karax's city center, street performances teeming with prodigies, the local gourmet food avenues.

They tried them all.

They were experiencing Chemos, and the people of Chemos were experiencing them in turn.

The locals were exceptionally warm and curious toward these violet-armored outsiders from beyond the stars, asking them about tales from the void.

Some bold children even dared to step forward and touch their Adamantium armor.

Sexdu felt a bit at a loss.

Usually, the civilians they Space Marines encountered fled in fear and unease.

Even under the Third Legion's strict discipline, it was the same.

Sexdu wasn't surprised by that.

They were symbols of war, emblems of conflict, the Emperor's blade.

Never beings that brought joy.

Still, if someone truly wanted to get close to him, Sexdu didn't dislike it.

But that would have to wait until he could shed his identity as a War Machine.

Perhaps it really will be until the day the Great Crusade ends.

Maybe then, he would come to this lively and peaceful city, quietly spending the rest of his life—

"Pfft, what am I even daydreaming about."

Sexdu laughed at himself.

"This is the resting place of Chemos's heroes."

The white marble paving stones laid the roads flat and clean, and the trees planted across the mountains and fields stood in orderly rows.

A tranquil and harmonious Manor.

Sexdu had seen plenty of green spaces like this before, but they usually belonged to nobles on various planets.

Here, before every tree, a marble tombstone stood silently.

Originally, this was nothing but a barren mountain in the desert.

Now, the ownership of this beautiful land belonged to no noble, but to every hero who had given themselves to Chemos, turning desolation into paradise.

Countless heroes who had sacrificed for Chemos's brighter tomorrow were buried here.

"Chemos belongs to the people of Chemos."

The reason for such brilliant achievements came from the joint efforts of every Chemosian, not from the Primarch alone.

That was what Fulgrim said as she stood at the entrance.

And as heroes, they naturally enjoyed the most serene stillness Chemos had to offer.

Until the end of time.

Birds sang melodiously. Before every tree, a name was engraved; within every ring of growth, a story was recorded.

A long-lost sense of peace filled Sexdu's heart.

"I really like this place."

"What about you, Sexdu?"

Yulia stood before a small hill, gazing down at the endless green mountains stretching below.

She lifted her head and spoke.

"I..."

Sexdu looked around, as if sizing up his own home.

"I think it suits me too."

A fulfilling day.

In Chemos's newborn city, the Third Legion enjoyed a rare, wonderful day of rest.

But the sky never changed.

Chemos's light came from two stars far apart.

Even though the hour was late, the eternal twilight still shrouded the land, unchanging.

Yet people still needed to rest.

At this moment, most of Karax's people had returned home, while some had begun a new "night" life.

Karax's bustle continued, but their day of touring Chemos was nearing its end.

Only one last scenic spot awaited them.

The sea.

The sea of Chemos.