Pepe embraced his mother.

In low orbit above Olympia, Hogg waited for two full days. According to his calculations, if Emperor were traveling through the depths of the Warp, it would take at least seven days at the fastest; the remaining five days allowed him some room to improvise.

Over these two days, Hogg adjusted his physical form. Thanks to his flesh's ability to undergo high-speed deformation, and with the help of Candice Laza, he quickly sculpted a near-perfect female body.

After simulating the behavioral templates of Emilia and Ginny, a new persona was born. Hogg named this persona Martha—after all, even Batman's mother was named Martha, wasn't she?

At the evening banquet in the royal palace, Dammekos watched the guests who had traveled from afar. The moment Calliphone had brought him the news, he had dismissed it as a lie. But with the arrival of Perturabo's 'mother,' that lie collapsed.

The woman before him, possessing the exact same unique temperament as his son and standing over two meters tall, left Dammekos—who had intended to mock the fraud—speechless.

"Honorable Lord of Olympia, greetings! I am Perturabo's mother." Operating the Martha persona, Hogg offered a graceful bow to the ruler of this land.

"Greetings, Lady Martha Menethil. I hope the banquet's hospitality meets your standards."

Taking a seat beside Perturabo, Martha continued to converse with the guests; the elegant and beautiful Lady Martha was warmly welcomed by all.

"Pepe, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Ah!" The gentle words made Perturabo shudder. "No, I'm just... I'm just having a hard time accepting this." His stumbling voice was soft, yet audible to everyone present.

A sob echoed through the hall, and tears welled up in Martha's eyes.

"Child, I know you hate me, thinking I abandoned you, right? But I had my reasons. And now, you won't even call me Mother." A single tear fell, dampening Perturabo's sleeve and stinging his nerves.

"Mother!!!" As the word left his lips, it was as if something had shattered; Perturabo sat there, frozen.

[Not bad, but it needs a little more fire.]

Squeezing out a few more tears, Martha threw herself onto Perturabo and wept bitterly. Seeing this, the onlookers stopped their gossiping and began to comfort her.

"Ah! My child, I missed you so much! In truth, after you went missing, your father and I searched for you and your brothers for a long time. But your father, he was too busy—always preoccupied with his so-called Imperium. It was only after a massive argument with him that I took my guard and found this place. Ahhhhh!" Tears completely soaked the clothes of the giant in her arms.

With stiff hands that didn't know where to rest, he could only gently comfort his mother, his heart filled with guilt. Perturabo, you are truly damned! And that bastard father of mine, to think he would dare abandon Mother.

After a while, as if she had calmed down, Martha continued to tell everyone about the significance of Imperium. With Dammekos's consent, Stormbird gunships and transport vessels descended from orbit onto the lands of Olympia, while the massive Blacklight hovered above the palace.

The group followed Hogg to the courtyard; thanks to the prior notice, no panic ensued.

Neat rows of black-armored warriors lined the palace, their shoulder pads engraved with dark red triangles outlined in white, the golden double-headed eagle of Imperium gleaming brightly. This left the locals, still living in a feudal society, in deep shock.

Perturabo's gaze followed Martha's figure to the Blackwatch. The Primarch's mind instantly analyzed the strength of the warriors before him. If he possessed such an army, he could conquer the vastness of the universe step by step, and incidentally, solve the problem that had plagued his entire life.

"Pepe! Do you want them? Don't worry, your legion is on the way; you will meet them soon." After overcoming his initial discomfort, Perturabo accepted the nickname and took pride in it. [I am Mother's favorite child.]

Even for a Primarch who was usually composed, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise. I, Perturabo, have a mother.

Having witnessed the power of Imperium, Olympia smoothly fell into its embrace. Dammekos passed the throne to Calliphone; it was the best choice.

Calliphone, who cherished her brother, was the only leader capable of guiding the development of the Olympians. Now, Perturabo, who still held ideals for this place, could also bring progress.

Taking Calliphone and the others, along with his 'good big son,' to tour the Blacklight, everyone marveled at the might of Imperium. Such a massive city could actually sail through the stars, and they would soon have the chance to join it.

The Blackwatch soldiers all saluted Perturabo in a hurry, shouting "Gene-Primarch," as if he were their true father. Arriving at the room redecorated by Emilia, two glasses of newly developed Nuka-Cola were placed on the table.

"Pepe and little Finny, try Alicia's specialty, Nuka-Cola." Continuing to play the role of the gentle mother, Hogg was flawless even at the very last moment.

"Mother, can you tell me about my father?"

"Sigh! Your father... there's nothing good to say. He's a jerk! Child, perhaps you have already felt that you are different. You were born with knowledge and immense strength; even as a newborn, you could wrestle beasts. But I have always believed that, in the end, you are still just a child.

Ever since you were born, you and your brothers were lost. Imperium has enemies, too. As the Great Crusade began, your brothers—my children—were found one by one, but you were always the one I worried about most, my Perturabo."

As if thinking of something heartbreaking, Hogg began to sob again (╥╯^╰╥), and Emilia hurried over to comfort him.

Hugging Emilia, Hogg continued, "Thanks to you and little Finny, Pepe was able to grow up without picking up any bad habits."

Opening the photo album on the table, a flamboyant figure appeared before them.

"Mother, who is this?" Two fingers pinched a photo, and looking at the scantily clad, gaudy woman in the picture, Perturabo's mind was filled with immense confusion.

"Pepe, this is your brother."

"Brother? This is my brother? But Mother, this is a human woman!"

"Yes, my child, this is your brother. You can call him Arsha. It's just that he grew up 'crooked.' He didn't learn well, liked cross-dressing, and later went behind my back to get gender-reassignment surgery. It's all your father's fault for not raising them properly."

"..."

"Mother, I will correct my brothers' flaws. Don't worry, I won't let you cry again, I swear. If Father can't educate them, then I will." Having said this, Perturabo returned to Olympia with his sister.

[Candice Laza, how was my acting?]

[My Primarch, if I choose to return to Mars now, is it too late?]

[Don't even think about it, my Archmagos. You are already bound to me.]