The master con artist

"You're right, you bastard."

Evan kicked the wall apart, and a mass of warriors poured through, opening fire on the Crimson Slaughter Warband.

The first volley from their melta weapons and ion pistols effectively wiped out several enemies standing at the rear.

The enemy leader wielding a crimson chainsword stopped watching Captain Arnos and charged toward Evan instead.

"For the Emperor! Liberate the entire galaxy!"

Evan raised the Pale Green Chainsword high and met the enemy leader head-on.

By then, both the Blackshields and the Crimson Slaughter Warband had suffered heavy losses. Only a dozen or so Blackshields could still move, while the enemy had just over twenty Chaos warriors fit to fight.

A chaotic melee erupted. Explosives flew everywhere, and bolters fired without pause.

The Crimson Tide Chapter occupied the advantageous positions, leaving the enemy caught between attacks from two sides.

But the Iron Warriors were famous for fighting brutal battles. They cared nothing for casualties or pain.

Clad in oversized Cataphractii Terminator armor, Evan stood at the front, locked in fierce combat with the veteran leading the enemy charge.

Few of the Iron Warriors' ten-thousand-year veterans had survived to the present. Their fearless siege tactics inflicted horrific casualties, but they also transformed new recruits very quickly.

Among those present, probably only the leader before Evan, who had already sprouted Khorne's Twin Horns, and the captain of the opposing Blackshields were ten-thousand-year veterans.

Evan was under immense pressure. A ten-thousand-year veteran blessed by Khorne possessed terrifying killing power. The muscle coils inside Evan rumbled, the Hymnody secreted hormones furiously, and he poured everything he had into the fight.

The powerful shield system built into his Cataphractii Terminator armor allowed Evan to largely disregard enemy bolter fire, but he could not ignore the melee attacks of an enemy blessed by Khorne.

Since Primaris Space Marines had entered the war, the Imperium's disadvantage on battlefields against Chaos had gradually diminished, and casualties among the ancient Legion veterans who had turned to the Dark Gods had steadily risen.

This Iron Warriors warband served Huron Blackheart, an Astartes pirate chief.

Simply put, Huron had originally been a big shot guarding an entire region. He thought a thousand-man Chapter was insufficient to keep things under control, so when the Imperium rejected his request to expand, he expanded anyway. After several clashes, his conflict with the Imperium grew worse and worse. He finally turned to Chaos, gathered the Astartes who had defected over the years, and became the king of the pirates.

Their cargo had been destroyed during their battle with the Blackshields, so they had furiously pursued them, determined to fight to the death.

Now, this warband leader faced not Arnos, but a Primaris Space Marine.

He no longer enjoyed an overwhelming advantage. His exquisite swordsmanship could not penetrate his opponent's defense, while Evan's occasional ferocious blows left the web of his sword hand aching.

"Face me, shameless traitor!"

Evan's swordsmanship grew more polished with every battle against different enemies. Taiji Swordsmanship and Jaghatai Khan's saber techniques were gradually merging into an entirely new style.

The enemy fought much as Evan once had, trading injuries for lives. His ruthlessness extended not only to his foes, but to himself.

Evan attacked with a horizontal slash, which his opponent parried aside. With Evan's guard wide open, the enemy kicked him and sent him stumbling several steps backward.

They separated again. Evan remained perfectly calm. The enemy was under attack from both sides, while his own side had plenty of ammunition. The Crimson Tide Chapter had no reason to hurry before drowning them in firepower.

The Crimson Tide Chapter even used the fortifications outside the bridge to establish temporary defensive positions, looking quite prepared to take its time.

Ever since William had instructed Evan, his fear of insufficient firepower had grown increasingly pronounced. Every few days, he would bombard something to oblivion. If Baneblades had been easier to bring aboard during boarding actions, he probably would have shoved a heavy tank right into the Crimson Slaughter Warband's faces.

The enemy leader attacked again. Evan deftly parried, throwing his opponent's sword aside and nearly wrenching it from his hand.

Evan had been tracing circles with his sword when he suddenly brought it slashing straight down. Caught off guard, his opponent could only raise his sword to block. Evan then lifted his right foot and kicked hard at the man's knee, forcing him down onto one knee.

Behind the enemy, a massive power axe crashed down. Kazhaniv was very pleased with his new weapon.

The enemy leader's skull split open, and he crashed to the ground. Yet his warriors still withdrew in good order, attempting to break through.

Evan and Kazhaniv stood at the very front, fighting the enemies blessed by Khorne alongside the first batch of transformed Astartes.

Most Crimson Tide warriors, however, had been strictly forbidden from entering close combat. Xiao Lan provided timely support with his ion pistol, his marksmanship growing increasingly refined. But their opponents would not fight according to Evan's wishes.

Charging without regard for casualties, more than ten Iron Warriors broke into the ranks.

Under William's command, everyone remained composed, largely ensuring that each enemy had to face three or four Astartes.

Warriors who already had prosthetic limbs were stationed on the front line. They used their mechanical arms to trap their opponents' primary weapons and restrict their movements, then their teammates swarmed in and hacked the enemies into pulp.

"What are you waiting for? Sara, trap his sword with your mechanical arm! Leilo, go chop his head off!"

William called this the sacrifice-a-leg-or-arm tactic.

The battle soon ended. The Crimson Tide Chapter had lost eight men, with thirteen seriously wounded and another eight whose prosthetic limbs had been smashed. Twelve Blackshields remained, lying severely wounded on the ground.

Evan ordered an Apothecary Aspirant to treat them immediately.

"But, Chapter Master, we still haven't confirmed whether they're loyal to the Imperium..."

"Warriors of the Imperium, there is no need to treat us. We can endure. If you trust us enough, please leave us to our fate. The Emperor will not forgive our sins. Only death can..."

"The Emperor believes you should return to the Imperium's ranks. That will allow you to better atone for your sins. Go, Apothecary. Heal them."

Captain Arnos stared in surprise at the towering warrior before him.

Although the Apothecary continued toward the Blackshields, his steps still seemed hesitant.

"Apothecary Philos Keller, what is our core principle of development?"

"Sir! Unite every force that can be united, and liberate the entire galaxy."

"Then get to it."

Through all his years of warfare, Arnos had never encountered a Chapter with such ideals. Even Guilliman back then had never acted like this.

He just... trusted me?

"My apologies. It isn't that our Chapter distrusts you, but we need to establish that you truly wish to fight for the Emperor."

"Of course. If you're willing to accept us back into the Imperium, we would be deeply grateful."

"My name is Evan, Chapter Master of the Crimson Tide. You will temporarily be assigned to the Thirteenth Company, the Penitent Company. Any objections?"

"My name is Arnos, and I lead this force. As long as I can fight for the Emperor again, I am willing to follow your command."

No one knew whether Arnos truly meant it, but with more than thirty Astartes present, his willingness was beside the point.

Never mind the Chapter's warriors—even Evan himself did not trust these men. But he needed strength now, desperately. Since they were willing to fight Chaos, he would send them to the most dangerous battlefields in the future.

They all needed to be isolated and screened. Naturally, no one would know they existed.

As for the mortals aboard the warship... their Chaos corruption was too severe. They could not be saved.

The Iron Warriors were among the Chaos warriors who treated mortals best. They regarded them entirely as spare parts, so to prevent those parts from breaking at critical moments, they still provided the necessary supplies. Unfortunately, after prolonged exposure to the Warp, no mortal could withstand corruption of that magnitude.

The "final battle report" for the encounter at Puchi stated that the Crimson Tide Chapter had annihilated all forty-four enemies.

When the news reached the hive city, everyone celebrated amid deafening gongs and drums. The festivities that had been about to end began all over again.

The families of the hundred children who had joined the Chapter all shared in the glory, as though they themselves had won this victory. While the entire planet descended into revelry, two battle barges and a cruiser quietly departed for the next planet.

It was rather embarrassing, really: during the voyage, they housed the Blackshields right next to the Night Lords prisoners.

Evan came down carrying a book.

"How are your injuries, lads? Feeling any better?"

Captain Arnos stared at Evan in shock. This Primaris Astartes had seemed like a great leader during the earlier battle. Why did he now speak... so much... like a gangster?

"Your Chapter's Apothecaries are... reasonably skilled. Everyone is recovering well." Although Captain Arnos dearly wanted to complain that their Apothecaries were barely better than Ork Painboyz, he had no choice but to bow to circumstance.

"What do you mean, 'your Chapter'? You agreed earlier, didn't you? You're joining us. You're warriors of our Thirteenth Company now."

"..."

"Come on, let me explain our prisoner policy. Ah, no, our policy toward other prisoners. I don't mean you, of course. Our core values are as follows..."

The dozen or so Blackshields experienced Evan's rambling firsthand, and it rivaled the whispers of the Warp.

Who knew how much time passed? In any case, the Blackshields visibly sank into a state of mental exhaustion.

Chef Ferin had prepared a new dish that day and served it to the attendants, only to learn that the Chapter Master was absent. He felt disappointed for a little while.

Before long, word came from the lower decks: Ferin was to prepare food for thirteen and have it brought down to the Chapter Master in the cells.

Ha! Wasn't this his chance to show off?

Ferin hurried to retrieve ingredients from storage. The Chapter Master simply had to try this fragrant roasted Aileqi Deep-Sea Fish, with its marshmallow-like texture, and the fried Kelie Crab Legs.

He quickly finished thirteen portions of delicious food and instructed the attendants to deliver them immediately.

A short while later, word came from below that Chapter Master Evan wanted the chef to come down.

Huh?

Chef Ferin was terrified. Had he done something wrong? Or did his Chapter Master dislike this kind of flavor?

Ferin approached the prison area with an anxious heart. Along the way, he worked out three or four different apologies, his heart pounding fiercely.

But as he neared the Chapter Master's location, Ferin actually relaxed. This Chapter Master, so warm and gentle toward his own people, was among the Astartes who treated mortals best that he had encountered throughout his service-excluding the whispering sessions, of course.

Ferin knocked and entered the room after receiving permission.

Twelve Blackshields immediately focused their eyes on Ferin, subjecting him to indescribable pressure.

"Chapter Master, you called for me?"

"Haha, so you made this, Ferin! This isn't like your usual cooking at all."

Despite the immense pressure from twelve unfamiliar Astartes, what did he have to fear with his own Chapter Master backing him?

"Yes, Chapter Master. While buying ingredients on Puchi, I met an expert at grilling seafood. During the recruit selection, I learned quite a few techniques from that grill shop's owner."

"Then why didn't you invite the owner aboard the battle barge? We definitely offer better conditions than selling grilled food down there."

"The owner has an established business and a family. He wanted a grounded life and wasn't willing to venture into the stars."

Evan expressed his understanding.

"If it's you, though, I'm a little reluctant to let you go."

Captain Arnos hurriedly said, "It's all right, Chapter Master Evan. Simple rations will do for us. We don't need such exquisite food."

"No. Even the Emperor's penitent angels need to eat and drink well. How can you have the strength to fight on an empty stomach?"

Evan explained the situation to Ferin. Several Blackshields had found the food particularly delicious, so Evan had grandly declared that this chef would cook exclusively for them from now on.

Ferin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Chapter Master Evan, forgive my bluntness, but does your Chapter always speak to mortals this way?"

Wasn't the mortal normally supposed to kneel while the Astartes sat? Why was their mortal standing while he sat? And the man didn't even use honorifics when speaking.

Ferin was sturdily built. When Evan sat down, there was barely any difference in their height. That seemed rather presumptuous.

"Oh, right, right. I forgot. Ferin, sit down."

Captain Arnos felt dizzy. Was that what he had meant?

"Chapter Master Evan, what I meant was, are mortals qualified to..." Before he could finish, Evan interrupted him.

"Ah, Captain Arnos, it seems you still haven't understood the concept of equality I just explained. Look, he hasn't done anything wrong. He's performed his duties well and contributed to the Imperium. Why should we look down on him? You can't deny his efforts and personal dignity simply because someone else could do his job..."

Oh no, he'd entered whispering mode again. Ferin felt he could neither leave nor stay. What agony.

A long while passed, until even several Blackshields looked dazed, before Evan finally stopped.

"Ferin! Ferin!" The old chef finally snapped out of his vacant lecture-listening state.

"Yes, Chapter Master?"

"Remember, these men's existence is top secret. They are our secret weapon, the key to defeating the enemy. You must keep this confidential and look after them well. Starting today, you'll live and cook on this deck. Someone will bring your cookware and personal belongings shortly. Understood? Absolute secrecy."

"Yes, Chapter Master. I'll carry out the mission without fail."

Evan left the prison area. Next, he would have to face Chief Apothecary Situval's wrath.

Eight men! Eight men dead! Have you lost your mind, Evan? You could have simply bombarded them! Did you have to throw lives away? Do you know how short-handed our Chapter is? Do you know how many operations I have to perform, how much effort and material I have to expend, to produce eight new recruits?

That was probably how the scolding would go.

Atris now looked prosperous. After thirty-five years of recuperation, the hive city had essentially stabilized-in the physical sense, meaning it was no longer likely to suddenly collapse.

All that remained was to slowly clear and repair the chaotic ruins.

Atris's population was still very small. Although its postwar population of roughly 150 million had surged to 200 million under "appropriate" policies, that was still far too few for a hive world.

It was not even one-fiftieth of its former population.

The Crimson Tide's battle barges arrived, and the spaceport naturally welcomed the Chapter warmly.

Evan issued just one order upon landing: arrest all Ecclesiarchy personnel and bring them here. They were in charge now.

Everyone on Atris was bewildered. Tristy was equally stunned when he heard the order. What was going on? Had they been corrupted by Chaos?

Acting as though none of them were entitled to know such secrets, Evan firmly demanded that they all be arrested and brought in.

Whose orders were they supposed to follow? Chapter Master Evan's, naturally. He was an Astartes Chapter Master! Were they joking? These Ecclesiarchy personnel were nobodies who had to kneel and bow their heads before him.

Soon, hundreds of thousands of Ecclesiarchy professionals had been arrested.

Evan said there were more and ordered a thorough search. A month later, another several tens of thousands were brought in.

Only then did Evan stroll toward the cells to meet the local Ecclesiarchy leader.

The Ecclesiarchy leader now felt grievously wronged. He had followed every standard, so why had he been imprisoned for months?

Before Evan even approached, he began shouting. "Chapter Master Evan, we have committed no violations! Why have you arrested us? You owe me a reasonable explanation, or the Imperial Inquisition..."

"Please remain calm, honored Ecclesiarchy leader. This operation was merely a cover. You have a more important secret mission to carry out."

"A secret mission? One requiring you to arrest all of us as a cover?" Clearly, the leader did not quite believe him.

"I'll let you in on a secret. While exploring the region between Segmentum Pacificus and Segmentum Obscurus with the Adeptus Mechanicus, we discovered a space hulk. Guess what was aboard?"

"A space hulk? One of our Ecclesiarchy ships?"

"Exactly. Your pilgrim ship that disappeared in Ultima Segmentum. It carried a scepter used by Saint Katherine and an iron chain she had used."

"Those relics... could it be the Most Holy Faith?"

"I think that was its name."

"What about the Ecclesiarchy relics aboard? Were they still there? Did you find them?" The leader's face was now flushed, as though a child who had run away years ago had suddenly been found.

"Of course. The enemies were Genestealers. They wouldn't use those things. We brought back practically everything intact."

"Wonderful! The Emperor watches over us! Where are they now?"

"It's rather embarrassing," Evan said, looking thoroughly ashamed. "Our agreement with the Adeptus Mechanicus was that they would hire us in exchange for military supplies, so those Ecclesiarchy treasures are now on the forge world Stolov."

"What? Those are sacred Ecclesiarchy treasures! How could you leave them with those Tech-priests?" By then, the Ecclesiarchy leader was so worked up that he failed to realize how offensive his behavior was to the Astartes Chapter Master before him.

"Exactly. Those sacred treasures shouldn't be left there. When I departed, I even heard them say the scepter seemed to contain tremendous power, and they were considering taking it apart to study it."

"They wouldn't dare!" The Ecclesiarchy official had now gone completely mad, as though someone had defiled his sacred faith.

"If they dare do that, I'll rally every force in the Ecclesiarchy and fight them to the death!"

Evan decided the time was about right.

"May I ask your name?"

"I am Father Fuloemang. Chapter Master Evan, we absolutely cannot leave those holy relics there to suffer such humiliation."

"You're right, Father Fuloemang. But we were their partners in the exploration, so it would be inappropriate for our Chapter to intervene. I need you to represent the Ecclesiarchy and negotiate with them. Father Fuloemang, will you shoulder this great responsibility and bring the holy relics back to the Ecclesiarchy?"

"Of course. It is my duty." Fuloemang now wore the resolute expression of a man entrusted with a great mission by heaven, determined to repay the Emperor even with his life.

"That is why I gathered you here. Father Fuloemang, leave the task of fostering faith on Atris to us. Travel secretly to the forge world Stolov and negotiate with them. Once you succeed, proceed immediately to the Ecclesiarchy's base in Segmentum Obscurus and organize a force to bring those holy relics back."

"I understand, Chapter Master Evan. I will not betray your trust, nor fail this great responsibility entrusted to me by the Ecclesiarchy."

Evan deliberately crammed a large number of people into a single cell, and the soundproofing was terrible. Just one day later, all the Ecclesiarchy Personnel knew about the sacred mission they were about to undertake.

Fuloemang and his hundreds of thousands of Ecclesiarchy Personnel borrowed a heavy cruiser from Atris to serve as an Ecclesiarchy vessel and set off for the Forge World.

Evan saw that everything was going smoothly for Fuloemang. (Now hurry up and get lost. Here's hoping you get promoted, get a raise, and become some big shot running your own territory after you bring that stuff back, so you never have to return to this dump.)

There was no need to worry about him failing. From the outset, Evan and the people from the Adeptus Mechanicus had agreed to turn the goods into cash. We don't have any use for them anyway.

An Astropathic Call went straight through to the Adeptus Mechanicus on Stolov.

"Hello, is this Stolov World? Yeah, that's right, it's Evan. No, I'm not calling to look for work! Just letting you know, I've already conned the Ecclesiarchy people into coming over to buy their precious treasures. Don't hold back—charge them extra, okay? That's all. Long-distance calls really wear out the psykers, so I'm hanging up."

Done. Boys, get that Reddening going on Atris. We call the shots now.