Chronicles of the Chapter Era (XIV, Macragge)

Karyl silently clasped his hands together and leaned against the wall. → Compared to the giants walking around him, he was still an insignificant mortal.

The Calth's Sons, clad in gunmetal gray armor, had no idea that this man was carrying a last relic of Macragge in his sleeve.

He didn't tell them, so they knew nothing about it and were only focused on rushing to the front lines.

Fortress 6 has been recaptured far faster than they had imagined. Not wanting to fall behind, Roboute Guilliman's descendants immediately decided that they would also take back Seventh Fortress and completely rebuild the material transport routes.

Sevatar subtly expressed some concerns, but Karyl did not agree.

The Astartes have always had a strong sense of pride, and few are willing to relinquish their rightful missions. However, Sevatar's concerns are not unfounded; if there is a statue in Fortress VI, who can guarantee that there won't be one in Seventh Fortress?

In other words, how many such statues are there in the entire Calth, or even in the entire Ultramar?

"Erebus is essentially a schemer who likes to cast a wide net, Instructor. The slightest clue you find means he has already laid a whole web of intrigue."

Roboute Guilliman couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, saying between laughs, "I have a sense of humor too, Karyl. Don't think of me as someone with a deep-seated grudge."

"Yes," Kargio repeated.

"Be careful," Karyl said again. "But don't overwork yourself, Roboute. Your current state is enough to break your father's heart."

Some things can't be delayed, and the sooner Roboute Guilliman learns what's happening inside Fortress Six, the better. He silently passed the patrolling sentries and entered the vast space inscribed with magic circles without being noticed by anyone or anything.

Karyl sighed softly, and whether out of a small sense of revenge or simply because he had to get this off his chest, he said, "Your mother was great, Roboute."

Within seconds, an intense hatred overwhelmed his reason, distorting the face formed by the light.

His understanding of psychic magic came entirely from the books he had read in Malcador's library. Although he wasn't a master in the field, he was at least one of the practitioners.

Karyl looked at him with considerable surprise.

"But you're a master of stealth, Karyl. As long as you don't want to be discovered, who can see you?"

He remained as calm as ice, even when hearing the specific details. Roboute Guilliman did not speak until Karyl had finished.

He understood that the Lord of Macragge had probably now entered his world-renowned multi-threaded thinking mode.

They formed a cloak, sloping down from his shoulders, looking like a knitted, shimmering galaxy, together creating a deep blue silk.

As he looked at it, Karyl heard a voice in his ear—the voice of an old woman on her deathbed.

On his left shoulder armor was engraved a radiant Death Star, shaped like a skull, with the wings of Aquila raised at its ends, conveying a sense of solemnity. This was the emblem of the Calth's Sons, quite serious, clearly bearing the weight of a heavy history.

Dealing with Chaos inevitably involves being schemed against. If we could have a comprehensive view of the situation from the beginning, making these conspiracies and tricks impossible to hide, perhaps we could save more lives.

He needs to find a way to regain the thinking patterns he once had as Karyl Lohars, instead of the crazy escaped prisoner he is now.

No one likes to associate with a madman, especially one who is extremely eager to self-destruct.

"Instructor Karyl."

"Yes." Kargio nodded after less than a second of hesitation, and then laid out all his questions.

"Jago Sevatarion has already explained everything to you. I am an instructor in the Eighth Legion and the adoptive father of Konrad Curze Curze —but I guess you don't really grasp the reality of these identities; after all, ten thousand years ago is still too long ago."

The air was thick with cold. The Calth's Sons Chapter's heating system had no effect on the massive shaft, not even the geothermal system. The unusual cold destroyed everything; people's breath turned into white mist and quietly dissipated into the air.

But he didn't bring it up or show any concern; he simply continued the conversation along his own train of thought. He told Roboute Guilliman everything about Fortress Six, and the latter was shocked and furious, but he didn't let his anger overwhelm his reason.

At the center of a series of very simple patterns, a long name written in cursive script is inscribed: Lord of Macragge, Lord of Ultramar, Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds, the thirteenth loyal son of the Emperor of Mankind, Avenging Son, Primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman.

For ten thousand years, they have fought alongside the Calth's Sons.

"Then I shall accept." Roboute Guilliman said.

In this state, he would go over every detail in his memory again and again, trying to find any clues that might lead to the conspiracy of Erebus.

However, this is exhausting. And now, no one can persuade Roboute Guilliman to stop and take a break; the only person who could probably do so is long gone.

Even the automatic sensor lights couldn't detect his presence; darkness remained, not yet dispelled by the light. Karyl crouched down and gently touched the ground, feeling its surprisingly rough texture.

The elevator platform rumbled behind him. A company of Calth's Sons had just been brought to the surface, and the massive machine was now rapidly descending. Calth's local defense forces sped past them in vehicles, heading towards their assembly platform.

Upon hearing this, Roboute Guilliman paused his thoughts for a moment. He raised his head, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes slowly smoothed out, revealing a hint of joy.

Karyl looked up and saw Hector Kargio, the Chapter Master, standing fully armed before him.

"Do you need help?" Karyl asked. "The Night Lords would be happy to assist you."

He remained frowning, showing no sign of relaxation despite receiving help. His entire being was completely tense, and Karyl could even see Roboute Guilliman's nerves under immense pressure in the image formed by the dots of light.

Roboute Guilliman had already granted him the privilege of using the array to contact him at any time after the last Star Language event, which was precisely Karyl's goal for this trip.

"A nice joke," he remarked, even raising his hand in a gesture towards Roboute Guilliman. "But I can't shake your hand right now, Roboute."

This doesn't mean he's ashamed to be with people; it's just that sometimes he prefers the quiet of solitude. This quiet helps him continue thinking and recall past memories.

→

His Shadow whispered quietly.

Karyl withdrew his right hand, then extended it again, and as if by magic, a small, dusty stone appeared in his palm.

He calmly gathered his collar, smoothed out the wrinkles, and then stood tall and proud in the light.

Gazing at him, Karyl smiled silently.

It should have sounded more like a murmur or a murmur in one's sleep, but the woman, with her boundless tolerance and gentleness, transformed it into a pillar that could sustain someone for thousands of years.

A few seconds later, amidst the soft hum of the magic circle continuing to operate, countless points of light rose into the air, forming the image of a giant with steady steps. As soon as he appeared, he began to walk towards Karyl.

"You can't." Roboute Guilliman withdrew his hand and winked at him. "I mean—is there some kind of limitation to your psionic magic?"

Roboute Guilliman nodded slowly but firmly.

"This is just another stumbling block to deal with, far from enough to make me feel older."

Therefore, he fully understood that this line of text didn't actually need to be written; the real core was hidden in the center of Roboute Guilliman's name, where a small, inconspicuous piece of steel lay quietly within those High Gothic letters.

It comes from the Macragge's Honour.

Karyl lowered his head, extended his hands from his sleeves, and began to examine them closely. He didn't see the calluses from holding a knife before; his hands now looked long and clean, more suited to holding a paintbrush or playing a musical instrument than to carrying out brutal killings.

He smiled and decided to start wielding a knife again from today.

"It seems I need to thoroughly investigate all Five Hundred Worlds." He frowned and said slowly, "A huge rat took advantage of the war to sneak into my home. It must have chewed up something and contaminated something as well."

He curled the corners of his lips into a smile and deliberately asked, "Which one?"

Karyl looked up at the outstretched right hand and smiled involuntarily.

Clearly, he had many questions to ask, but Karyl took a step back and left the center of the array. The light suddenly went out, and Roboute Guilliman's question remained stuck in his throat. In the darkness, Karyl began to walk.

He sighed and walked deeper into the Calth's Sons's encampment.

Karyl stared at him, sensing the resentment and hatred in his heart, and gained a rough understanding of what Roboute Guilliman had experienced over the past ten thousand years.

Roboute Guilliman stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes, hidden beneath his white hair, brimming with laughter.

He didn't utter the name aloud; instead, he kept his lips tightly shut. He'd rather let them become sharp blades cutting his lips and tongue than reveal the name even slightly.

He watched them leave, then quietly walked into the darkness—to this day, Karyl still prefers to be alone.

Behind Kargio, his company waited quietly.

Staring at the words, Karyl briefly felt an urge to laugh.

It had nothing special about it; it looked like just an ordinary stone. Roboute Guilliman, however, slowly frowned, bent down, and began to examine the stone carefully.

"I guessed it." Roboute Guilliman nodded, his smile immediately fading. "What is it?"

"Macragge will stand forever, and so will we, Roboute."

"There are no limitations. I simply find it convenient to live at the size of a normal person. You see, I no longer have to hug my legs when riding in a vehicle, nor do I need to have custom-made clothes, tableware, or a separate bed. Besides, I can become very inconspicuous."

"Yes."

Karyl nodded slightly to him. "But I won't tell you these things, Chapter Master Kargio. The past is the past, and even I have no right to bring it up again. But I can tell you the story of your Gene-Father, if you'd like to hear it."

Karyl quietly chewed on Sevatar's cold words, breaking them down, chewing them, and swallowing them one by one. He had to admit that although being a god had many inconveniences, he still missed the "omniscience" within a certain range.

"You're more interested in how an ordinary person like me has managed to survive until now, aren't you?"

Finally, he found the core of the magic circle.

He's someone who only knows how to communicate with the world through violence, and as things stand, his old methods aren't outdated yet. So, he's going to pick them up again.

"Is there something you need, Chapter Master Kargio?"

"I want to know, who exactly are you?"

"Are you asking this question because Roboute Guilliman seems familiar with me?"

"Standing casually in a crowd without attracting attention is different from using techniques to hide in the dark. Anyway, I have something to tell you."

His words stunned Roboute Guilliman, and then the points of light that made up his face began to fluctuate rapidly.

But he is no longer a god.

"It seems you've already guessed who did this?" Karyl asked, putting the stone away.

He continued to feel with his fingertips, very carefully, but also very greedily, taking in the sensations—the wounds left by that empty prison had not yet healed.

Roboute Guilliman would never have known that the smile wasn't because of his borrowed joke, but because of the undying, dazzling light behind him.

"I wish you a triumphant return," Karyl said with a smile. "I'll have the story ready."

Karyl reached out and gently tapped it, and the steel immediately began to shine.

Centered on it, simple patterns began to light up one by one, quickly illuminating the dark hall as if it were daytime. Karyl stood up and began to tidy his appearance.

Kargio expressed his desire with his eyes.

"If he has the ability to preach to these languageless mutants, then what about the other worlds within Ultramar? What about those who truly believe in Roboute Guilliman, who considers him a savior and the son of God? I don't believe this bastard will let them go."

He'll definitely blame you then.

+And I'll use you as a shield, Konrad Curze.+

What? You want to see us brothers reunited?

Maybe.

Karyl smiled and shook his head, his steps becoming lighter again.

Update complete. More 10,000 words tomorrow.