Being granted an audience with the demigod left Mathieu both excited and uneasy. He was uneasy because, although his arrangements had saved the demigod, he had made them without seeking his approval, and they had gravely violated his ideals.
The demigod had always insisted on his humanity, while Mathieu needed to guide him, little by little, toward accepting the reality that he was no longer human.
What excited him was that, if the demigod killed him with the Emperor's Sword in a fit of rage, he would come into such close contact with the Emperor's power and the Emperor's son. What an honor, what a glorious honor that would be.
The more Mathieu thought about it, the more his excitement eclipsed his unease. He knocked softly on the ornate door before him. It opened without a reply from within, as though someone had been waiting for him for a long time.
Inside, Guilliman sat in a chair, carefully reading a book he held in his hands: Lorgar's Book (a book Lorgar had written before his betrayal to spread faith in the Emperor. Because it contradicted the Emperor's Imperial Truth, Lorgar had been severely punished. After the Emperor was enthroned upon the Golden Throne, this book had become something akin to a bible for the Ecclesiarchy). Some of its contents seemed to make a certain amount of sense, but ultimately, it still violated the Imperial Truth.
Science and reason were the path humanity should follow. Yet religion, gods...
The doubts in his heart remained unresolved, and Guilliman turned another page of Lorgar's Book.
"My lord, you summoned me?" After entering, Mathieu bowed respectfully to Guilliman and asked with great care.
Guilliman raised his head and looked at Mathieu with disgust. He felt that this fraud had deceived him. He had once