After leaving the clone Primarch and turning another corner into the corridor, Qin Mo saw someone standing ahead.
A woman.
Her face and figure had remained unchanged for decades, just like the Lord of Tyran himself.
Every time Qin Mo saw her, he would fleetingly feel as if he had returned to the days when he fought in Hive Terra.
That was a historical turning point that stirred many emotions in retrospect. Back then, the wars Qin Mo took part in had been nowhere near as vast as they were now. A few hundred thousand people could wipe out every enemy in a Hive City, whereas now, even the smallest intelligence operation within a military campaign required the involvement of dozens of Inquisitors from the Inquisition.
"Are you Vanessa herself right now, or the person whose name is Emperor?"
Vanessa kept her head lowered. Qin Mo could not see her face or eyes, nor could he see the Human will of the Emperor's perpetually cold, occasionally melancholic expression, or those iconic golden pupils.
Vanessa raised her head.
The golden light in her eyes met Qin Mo's gaze. The two stared at each other.
The one facing Qin Mo was clearly the Emperor's humanity.
"Mm..." The Emperor pondered for a moment, lifting her gaze as if she meant to say something. Yet for some reason, she lowered her head again. She stopped pondering and remained silent, as though she had swallowed the words back down.
"During the meeting, Lion teased you, saying you needed the courage to stand up for humanity and confess what was in your heart. That was the one time I agreed with Lion the most," Qin Mo said.
The Emperor nodded, tacitly admitting it.
"So, do you think the explanation I gave Angron just now was right?"