Useful!

Guilliman fell silent.

But this silence was neither a brewing of anger nor a hesitation.

That extraordinary mind was working at high speed, instantly analyzing, weighing, and evaluating the Huron Blackheart's tearful yet ultimately impassioned speech.

He was very satisfied with this answer.

He was even more satisfied than he had originally expected the situation to unfold.

Huron Blackheart, the former Astral Claws and now the King of the Red Corsairs, just now put on a performance—or rather, a confession that mixed genuine emotions, a thousand years of pent-up resentment, and shrewd calculations...

That's incredibly tactful!

He didn't kneel down and beg for mercy, groveling and pleading, as that would only make Guilliman think he was weak and contemptible.

He didn't forcefully claim that he was entirely without fault, attributing the betrayal entirely to external factors, which would have seemed foolish and lacking in self-reflection.

He didn't even try to excuse his looting and killing, but cleverly placed them in the vague but sympathetic context of "a battle for survival in the face of the Maelstrom" and "a last resort to protect the people in the rear."

He first adopted a posture of "deserving to die," indicating that he pleaded guilty and met the most basic prerequisites for moral judgment.

He then immediately turned his attention to the real target— the High Lords of Terra —with specific and sharp accusations.

He shifted the reason for his "betrayal" from personal ambition and depravity to "being forced to rebel by the system" and "fighting for survival".

Then, with his resolute attitude of "willing to die," he showed that he was not a coward who clung to life, but rather had a distorted and morbid "sense of honor" and personal loyalty to the "Gene-Father."

Finally, he revealed his true intentions and posed the most damaging core question: The Imperium should not be like this!

I am putting into practice some of your and the Emperor's original ideals in my own way!

Look at me, have I truly inherited your will?!

This series of combined moves is progressive, logically consistent, and emotionally resonant!

It not only demonstrated an attitude of "repentance" and stated "excusable" reasons, but also raised the banners of "loyalty at a higher level" and "reflection on the ills of the Imperium."

For a warlord who struggles to survive on the edge of a cruel Milky Way and manages to maintain a certain level of order in a Chaos land, this is remarkable.

This performance can be described as a textbook example of crisis communication and value presentation.

As a competent, even exceptional, ruler.

Guilliman could certainly see through the performance, and the Huron Blackheart's attempt to find a way out and absolve himself and the Red Corsairs of their crimes.

At the same time, he also keenly saw the outstanding qualities in the Huron Blackheart that were hard to ignore and even "rare" under the current Imperium system:

Unafraid of power, daring to speak the truth: He, the Imperial Regent, stood before the Primarch, whose momentum was unstoppable after a fierce battle in the Warp.

Instead of becoming incoherent with fear, the Huron Blackheart was able to articulate his grievances clearly and even passionately denounce the shortcomings of the Imperium's highest ruling group.

Such courage, such a willingness to "risk everything," is almost extinct in today's obsequious and self-preserving Imperium bureaucracy.

Pragmatic and capable, with flexible methods: What is the Maelstrom?

The eyewall of Warp Storm, a playground for Chaos Daemons, a lair for traitors and Xenos.

To be able to raise an army in such a godforsaken place, maintain a relatively "stable" sphere of influence, and even enable the Imperium civilians within its jurisdiction to live "better than on many other planets."

This in itself is a remarkable, even miraculous, management skill and survival wisdom.

It's no wonder he inherited Guilliman's Gene-seed; this trait of finding order in dire situations and pragmatically solving problems does indeed bear some resemblance to his younger self.

And most importantly, like a lighthouse suddenly illuminating the darkness, it instantly illuminated a long-cherished plan in Guilliman's mind—

This guy isn't afraid of the High Lords!

Not only are they not afraid, they absolutely hate them to the bone, wishing they could eat their flesh and sleep on their skin!

Is there anything more perfect than this... "white glove"?!

In Guilliman's mental palace, a clear and ruthless plan instantly took shape.

He was already thinking about how to "deal with" the High Lords of Terra who were incompetent, good at internal strife but bad at external conflicts, and seriously hindering the efficiency of the Imperium's revival.

Take action directly?

He had considered it.

With his current power and prestige, it would be technically effortless for him to twist the heads off those old fogies one by one in front of the Emperor and the Adeptus Custodes.

Although the Adeptus Custodes are loyal and powerful, they are probably not strong enough to stop him in his current state.

But... we can't do that.

The reason is simple: the Adeptus Custodes.

Those golden-armored giants were the Emperor's true and closest creations, the purest extension of the Emperor's will, and strong contenders for the title of "the Emperor's most beloved offspring".

They are absolutely loyal to the Emperor, both in soul and body, and the Emperor has clearly stated the idea of "mortals ruling mortals," which the High Lords of Terra are the institutional embodiment of.

The Adeptus Custodes would unconditionally carry out the Emperor's orders and uphold the system.

Guilliman needs the Adeptus Custodes.

They are not only the most powerful guards of the Imperial Palace, but they also represent the "direct authority of the Emperor" and the pure "human supremacy" ideology.

It is also an indispensable pillar in the future Imperium ruling structure.

He was even already planning how to use the Emperor's authority and existing technology to expand the size of the Adeptus Custodes.

These absolutely loyal and exceptionally capable warriors will be deployed to more critical star sectors as direct agents of Imperium rule to suppress any restless Planetary Governor and warlords.

Therefore, in order to establish a long-term and friendly "cooperative" relationship with the Adeptus Custodes.

He could not personally and openly use violence to overthrow the High Lords of Terra, a symbol of "mortal rule" established by the Emperor and subconsciously upheld by the Adeptus Custodes Guard.

This would cross the line for the Adeptus Custodes, creating a rift that would be difficult to mend.

But the High Lords must be eliminated!

If these parasites are not eliminated, any reforms to the Imperium will be extremely difficult, and the great cause of revival will be hampered at every turn.

So the answer is obvious: an "outsider," a "villain," a "traitor" is needed to do this dirty work.

This "white glove" needs to meet several conditions: have a deep hatred for the High Lords, be ruthless and vicious enough, and have sufficient motive and ability to carry it out!

Most importantly, they can be easily sacrificed afterward, or... given their special status of "redeeming themselves," they can become some kind of "exception" and continue to exist, serving a grander plan.

The Huron Blackheart in front of me is simply the perfect candidate sent from heaven!