The Primarch Arrives

Yashiri's attitude was exceptionally respectful. It was not merely because Guilliman was the Emperor's son, but because she herself had been saved through him.

She was one of the many "heretics" the Primarch had liberated from the missionary world of Espandor.

Yashiri's alleged crime was absurd. She had been seized by the Ecclesiarchy's Frateris Militia for disrespecting the Emperor, spreading heretical teachings, and being a faithless heretic. She should have been sentenced to the stake.

Her only stroke of luck was that Guilliman had arrived several days before her execution.

After an investigation, she was released and recruited into the Primarch's retinue because of her knowledge.

Yashiri came from a Rogue Trader House. She had spent years operating along the Imperium's frontier, even venturing into dark star regions beyond the Emperor's Astronomican in search of wealth and lost knowledge.

Later, due to certain matters involving her family, she entered the Imperium's inner regions. Compared to the relatively open frontier, the rigidity and ignorance of the inner Imperium had reached an appalling degree.

People rejected all reason, rejected science, and rejected new knowledge even more fiercely.

In the eyes of the Ecclesiarchy, people like Yashiri, who still believed in science and truth, were undoubtedly heretics.

Unsurprisingly, she was arrested.

The Xenos Atlas she had collected and compiled was also treated as evidence of her crimes by the Ecclesiarchy, used to condemn her heretical acts.

Yashiri felt utterly wronged. She had only wanted the people of the Imperium to learn a little about those Xenos, yet she had been declared guilty.

But the Ecclesiarchy gave her no chance to defend herself. Those Chaplains stubbornly believed she was guilty, that every word she spoke was heresy unworthy of hearing, and stripped her of the right to appeal.

Had Guilliman not come, Yashiri would have become another victim of the mad Ecclesiarchy.

It was hard to imagine how many people like Yashiri, who had retained their reason and scientific spirit of inquiry over the millennia, had been branded heretics by the Ecclesiarchy.

The mere thought of it made Guilliman want to vomit blood. The Ecclesiarchy was truly disastrous.

In Yashiri's eyes, Guilliman's room was shockingly plain.

The room was furnished simply and practically, with only a few items that could be considered personal belongings.

She had never expected it to be a lavishly decorated palace. It would not be like the residences of those idiotic nobles, who flaunted wealth as taste and treated crystal and gold inlay as art.

Yet when she truly entered the place, she found that its austerity exceeded even her expectations.

It was as though worldly desire had completely faded from Guilliman.

He no longer cared about such worldly possessions at all.

The most numerous things in the Reception Room were old books steeped in history, all bearing signs of having been read. Clearly, these were what the Primarch used to read when relaxing.

Data crystals used to handle governmental affairs lay casually scattered across a desk of exaggerated size.

The machinery for holographic projections was exposed at one end of the desk. By the standards of those nobles, it had no aesthetic appeal whatsoever.

The portable bed placed to one side was extraordinarily large, yet for a Primarch whose frame far surpassed that of ordinary humans, it might only barely have accommodated him.

Yashiri could not help imagining what kind of magnificent Dream Realm a radiant Primarch might possess while asleep.

The idea of a Primarch lying in bed to rest seemed remarkably human.

To be honest, Yashiri had never considered whether someone like Guilliman truly needed rest.

She had assumed that Primarchs were not only ageless, but tireless as well.

Yashiri studied the Reception Room from the corner of her eye, wondering what a Primarch did when he was not fighting. Only when Guilliman spoke again did she awaken from her thoughts.

"They are all defying me, trying to use every vile method to test whether I will choose saving humanity or protecting their interests. Those fools think that without them, the Imperium will be paralyzed and unable to function normally. But I will tell them that is impossible. The Imperium does not need useless trash to continue operating as it always has."

Guilliman looked at Yashiri and said in a low voice, "But these matters are difficult to accomplish through my efforts alone. I can govern a planet, a star system, even a sector very well. Yet the Imperium is vast beyond measure, with countless humans and innumerable colony worlds. I cannot remain in one place for long. I can only rely on people like you, who share the same dream as I do."

"We are all committed to saving humanity, Yashiri. In you, I see reason that has not yet been crushed by this age of Despair. I will grant you a special appointment: after I purge those foolish nobles, you will maintain the Natal System's normal operations until it regains the ability to sustain itself."

"My lord, such an honor..." Yashiri felt a trace of unease. What immense trust it took to entrust someone with such a mission.

"You are suited to it, Yashiri. You possess reason, thirst for knowledge, and have a merchant's eye. You clearly understand a planet's value and what role it can play in my plans. Better than those utterly useless nobles, you understand the terrible trial our people face. In this mad age, such understanding places you above ninety-nine percent of people. Please do not refuse the task I give you."

"If that is your command, then this appointment will be my honor, my lord." Yashiri no longer refused. She gave a simple salute, expressing gratitude for the Primarch's grace and trust.

In her veins flowed the blood of adventure and freedom shared by every Rogue Trader active on the Imperium's frontier.

Only worthless trash used power to amass wealth within the comfortable inner Imperium, displaying their nobility through elaborate ceremonies.

Yashiri could not learn those nobles' complicated etiquette, but that did not diminish her respect for the Imperial Regent in the slightest.

"My lord, I have a question." After saluting, Yashiri looked up, her face filled with confusion.

"Ask. There is still some time. I will answer as much as I can."

"Why make these appointments in such haste? Perhaps suitable candidates could be found within the Natal System. It seems that you have already decided that the nobles of the Natal System are no longer fit to rule?"

Yashiri asked.

"When Terra was still called Earth, a Mr. Lu once said: when you see one cockroach, you must be prepared for the entire house to be full of cockroaches."

"A famous figure from the past?"

"You could say that."

"House Glaus challenged my authority. That means the other houses were either suppressed by them or had already submitted to their rule. Anything short of absolute loyalty to the Emperor is disloyalty. They abandoned their duties. Even if they were innocent, what would that change?"

"They swore loyalty to the Emperor and promised to give everything for humanity's survival. That is why they were permitted to rule Natal. Yet now, they turn a blind eye to a house that openly defies my orders and allow it to sow chaos. That is the conduct of oathbreakers."

"Those oathbreaking bystanders are as unforgivable as the ones causing the unrest. They received authority granted by the Emperor, yet failed to fulfill the responsibilities bestowed upon them by the Emperor. That is their crime."

"I do not have many people at my disposal. In this mad age, religion has seeped into every person's soul. There are too few who, like you, remain willing to preserve science and reason. I have no choice but to carefully select your positions and ensure my plans succeed. The Natal System is important. I will remove the old nobles there, but I must also ensure that the common people live better lives filled with hope. Only then can I more convincingly prove that my path of reform is right."

Guilliman's words carried a heavy weight. The fate of all humanity rested upon his shoulders, and one careless misstep could lead to irreversible ruin.

Yashiri no longer had any doubts. In a firm voice, she said, "I will not disappoint your expectations, my lord."

"Good. We are almost there. Go and prepare. I hate the Ecclesiarchy, but I must admit that it is a very convenient tool. It allows me to bypass certain rules, directly declare those unwilling to obey me as heretics, and dispose of them cleanly." Guilliman smiled.

Accompanied by the ripples of the Warp, the enormous Macragge's Honour burst from the aetheric ocean and entered realspace amid flashes of light.

The relevant information was immediately captured by satellites monitoring the Warp and delivered to every House, announcing the Primarch's arrival.

One more chapter. Excommunicate Traitoris targets individuals and families, while Exterminatus targets entire planets. The common people are innocent.