The Blacklight Fleet raced through the Webway at high speed and soon reached the Macragge Sector. There was a reason the future Khan had been joyriding through the Webway instead of going home: it really was a blast.
The Blackwatch fleet slowly approached Macragge, the heart of the sector, escorted by one Ultramarines battleship after another. "I told you our thirteenth brother was a good kid. Look at all these ships escorting us."
On the bridge of the Blacklight, Hogg gazed at the Ultramarines fleet surrounding them, green with envy. Guilliman had only recently returned, yet he already had such a massive fleet at his disposal. Give him time, and who knew what he'd accomplish?
Unlike the clueless Hogg, Lyla Lynn, a former Legion Commander, saw what the Ultramarines were up to. There were too many ships for this to be a simple escort; it looked more like surveillance. The cautious Lynn had noticed something was off.
"Father! Isn't the Ultramarines' escort a bit too large?"
"Too large? It seems fine to me! Don't worry, I understand what you mean. You stay aboard the Blacklight later and keep an eye on things."
"Yes, Father."
The fleet stopped at the spaceport, and the group took a shuttle to the landing pad on Macragge. As the hatch opened, Hogg saw his brother Guilliman waiting across the red carpet. Their eyes met.
[He's loaded.]
[He's not here to cause trouble.]
Without a word, the two left their respective entourages and walked toward each other. Ultramarines in ceremonial armor lined both sides of the red carpet, alongside the onlooking dignitaries and nobles of the 500 Worlds.
This was the first time Guilliman had seen the brother he'd heard so much about.
Just as the rumors said, Hogg seemed so "small" compared to the other Primarchs. He looked to be only 2.2 meters tall, yet a unique quality surrounded him, making him seem so... so pure and guileless.
The two Primarchs, one tall and one short, met face-to-face. Guilliman politely held out his hand, reaching down. "Welcome, brother."
Hogg took his younger brother's hand. "It's good to see you, little brother."
The crowd, which had been waiting for this moment, captured it all. By tomorrow, the footage would probably be front-page news across the 500 Worlds of Macragge.
Amid the crowd's cheers, the two brothers raised their clasped hands high, and the atmosphere reached its peak. The Primarch who had traveled from afar beamed.
Good heavens! He'd even lifted the great Guilliman off the ground. Seeing the Primarchs' show of affection, some human nobles were moved to tears, marveling at the magnificent bond between the brothers.
"Brother, put me down. This is embarrassing." Their low voices passed between them. Hogg realized that if he kept this up, his brother might get angry, so he let go. Then they followed the others back to the Administrative Hall.
Seated in a tearoom, the two giants lifted cups made to fit a Primarch's hands. Unlike Guilliman, Hogg slouched in his chair without a care and said:
"Brother, are you always like this? You work yourself to the bone every day, and still put on political shows for the people."
"I am, brother. As a ruler, I have to cultivate a public image. But all my efforts were for nothing. By the way, I saw Eldar in your entourage earlier. What's going on?"
Hogg, who was busy dumping sugar into his tea, had known Guilliman would ask.
"You mean those Eldar? They made me their boss. I don't have enough people in the territory I govern, so I took them in as soldiers. What, do you like those pointy-eared folk? I can set aside a squad of Eldar for you."
Guilliman seemed to think he'd heard something absurd and immediately denied it. "Of course not. As the Emperor's son, I, Guilliman, have no fondness for Xenos. Be careful, brother. Those Xenos are fickle and might betray your Legion."
Hogg, who had been snickering to himself, finally couldn't hold it in. "Guilliman, let me ask you something. Suppose—just suppose—that one day, a beautiful Eldar woman with a fleet rescued you and offered to help you out. Would you develop a fondness for her?"
"? How could that happen? What you described is completely impossible. Maybe I would develop a fondness for her, but given the way you put it, something like that could never happen."
As soon as Guilliman finished speaking, he saw something strange happen to his brother. Hogg pulled a recording device out of his chest.
"What are you so surprised about? Didn't Old Man Yellow tell you we all have special abilities?"
Hogg was delighted with the recording of Guilliman. He planned to make tens of thousands of copies someday, when Guilliman got involved with an Eldar girl, and play them on repeat.
"Little brother, don't act so surprised. Why do you think we brothers look so different from ordinary people? Old Man Yellow—our father—added all sorts of good stuff when he made the Primarchs."
"But..."
"No buts. As your big brother, I ought to tell you about the Primarchs' little secrets."
Over the next while, Guilliman's whole worldview shifted a little. Perhaps it was Hogg's easygoing manner and some political savvy, but the two got along wonderfully, and before they knew it, the afternoon had passed.
That evening, Lady Euten arranged a family dinner and invited Hogg to join them. Hogg held the woman in great esteem and gladly accepted.
The enormous dining table was laden with exquisite Macragge cuisine. Hogg dug in without ceremony and soon cleared the entire table, leaving only a small dessert in front of Lady Euten.
Euten was delighted. Hogg was tactful enough to praise her, telling her about his experiences and the various policies he had implemented to improve life for the people of Alicia. The two hit it off more and more, and every so often Hogg even got some advice from Euten. The scene almost made it seem as if Hogg were Euten's adopted son.
"Guilliman, I'm so envious that you have such a gentle mother. When I was little, nobody cared about me or loved me. I had to fight the beasts in the wilderness for scraps. I really lived worse than a dog!"
Overcome with emotion, Hogg burst into tears. His streaming tears even splashed Guilliman's face.
Euten's thoughts were in disarray, and her motherly instincts had taken over. She went to Hogg and gently comforted him. "It'll all get better. You still have your brothers, don't you?"
"Waaah! But I don't have a mother!! And the Emperor keeps beating me up (╥╯^╰╥)"
Thanks to his small stature, Hogg threw himself into Euten's arms and gazed at her hopefully. "Ma'am, I wish so much I had a mother like you."
Honestly, a Primarch's charm was something else. Add his handsome face and the effort he put into crying, and Euten felt she could barely withstand it.
"Why don't you just think of me as your mother?"
Hearing Euten's words, Hogg immediately stifled his sobs, wiped his tears, and solemnly called out, "Mom!" Left with no choice, Euten accepted this enormous son of hers.
Watching this, Guilliman felt his fists clench. You bastard. So that's why you came here. You were after my mom.
Before you continue