There are some words that are destined to be forgotten by history.

Destined to be misinterpreted, hated, targeted, deliberately buried and smeared, transformed by the sword-wielding with new lies and curses to what the world wants to see, blood and tears to be covered up, leaving behind a fairy tale-like legend.

And the Thunder Warriors, that's the case.

A long time ago, Horus, like thousands of ordinary people in the Empire, believed in the pioneers of these empires, the first warriors loyal to the emperor, and shed his last drop of blood for the cause of mankind and the dream of unification in that great war of unification of Terra, and the hymn of loyalty composed of lightning, eagles and thunderous hands finally laid the foundation of the human empire and the great expedition, and became a glorious page in human history that can never be erased.

Horus believed so much once that one day he saw something different in the deepest part of Terra's palace.

At the time, he was guiding Motarian, who had just returned to the Empire, to visit the absolute core of the Human Empire, and while Mortarian searched for interesting things in the rooms and corridors of the palace as he wished, Horus's eyes were drawn to the mysterious books in an obscure room.

It was a record of a bloody counterinsurgency that took place before the Great Expedition and after the War of Unification, and among the rebels that were suppressed, Horus saw some names that he once knew so well.

Usotan, he had heard of the mighty warrior who had left his mark of strength and loyalty in the countless records of the War of Terra's Unification, and that they had won far more victories and honors than any of their comrades.

And when Horus knew when, where, and for what reason he was executed, at that moment some fairytale fantasy was shattered, as if an immaculate jewel had appeared in an indiscretable crack.

Some things are no longer priceless.

Usotan, Lord of the Fourth Legion of the Thunder Warriors, was executed by the Forbidden Army's Chief Waldo himself for his involvement in a rebellion organized by the Ministry of Justice Arbitrator Uwoma Kandaville(1) at the foot of the stairs of the Terra Palace.

In the time that followed, Horus urged himself to forget all this, and he had good reason to believe that Usotan was to blame, after all, betrayal was unforgivable.

No matter how much merit there has been before, no matter how loyal he has been, the betrayer is not worthy of forgiveness.

But despite this, in the darkness of his heart, Horus had some different thoughts: some worries, some complaints, some of his own selective oblivion, fear of some possibility in the future.

Relatively speaking, Horus didn't really care about the bloodstained end of the Thunder Warriors, or if they were just dismissed and hidden, and the wolf god who grew up in Ksunia was not a pure and unsullied snow lotus, he knew how much dirty it took to rule an empire, and he understood the necessity of such a stealing day.

He cared about something else.

Why didn't anyone tell him the truth?

He didn't care how bloody the real reality was, he didn't care what the dark connection these truths had with himself and his children, he was confident in his loyalty to the Emperor, confident that his legions would never end up like that.

He just had one of the most sincere questions in his heart.

Why didn't you tell him the truth?

Isn't he the emperor's most trusted heir and relative?

Isn't he the emperor's greatest commander and deputy?

Shouldn't he be the most trustworthy person to stand with the emperor and share these secrets and dimness?

He and the Emperor, the father of his genes, fought side by side, close to each other, for thirty years! That's half of his life so far!

Even after the other brothers returned one after another, he was confident that he was the emperor's most important heir, and he would do everything to fulfill any orders of the emperor.

Just like now, even if he knew very well that Ran Dan was strong, even if he knew very well how many casualties the Shadow Moon Blue Wolf would suffer if he entered this war: this was also the reason why he was unwilling to join this war.

But as soon as the Emperor gives the order, as long as his father sends even a word from Divine Terra, he will lead his legions to the hell of the northern galaxy, and never die.

Only he, Horus, is the confidant, best friend, most trusted, and most favored subordinate of the Lord of Mankind.

What is he inferior to Machado, or is he one of those arrogant golden-colored corn men whose hearts are higher than the sky?

Whether it is the Palm Seal or Waldo, after all, they are only mortal beings, their lives are as fragile as sand, and he is the one who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the emperor and watch over these great causes for eternity.

Horus believed this, and he believed that the emperor thought the same way.

So why can't he get the truth? Why should he be treated the same as everyone else?

He's Horus, he's the Emperor's favorite.

You can't go wrong with that.

So...... What went wrong?

First of all, the Emperor of Mankind, the father of his genes, has absolutely no problem, the Lord of Terra loves him, and Horus has absolute confidence in this.

Then the problem should be ......

——————

The tiniest blade, without anyone noticing, pierced into the heart of the wolf herder: not even the wolf herding god himself felt him.

After all, Horus's complaints only stayed in his heart, and Horus's thoughts only stayed on his lips, and no one knew all this yet, even Horus himself, who often chose to forget them.

The great expedition continues, Terra and the Emperor continue to be rewarded, there are always worlds to conquer, there is always honor to be gained, there are always relationships with other brothers, with mortals, with more interest groups, and he needs to take care of them one by one.

Horus always had more things to do, and in the face of these more realistic things, even the wolf shepherd himself was convinced that the little complaints in his heart were harmless.

After all, his father loved him.

As long as this existed, Horus believed that he would always be invincible.

——————

When Horus left the battlefield that had been reduced to ruins and returned to the ground, he also heard from the mouth of James Sey, the terrifying storm unleashed by the Soul Drinker on the other side of the world.

Horus didn't say much, deep down in the heart of the wolf herder, he was also constantly thinking about whether and how to win over this strong-looking and somewhat scary lady, and at the same time, he was also thinking about what her identity was.

A female origin seems like a somewhat ridiculous but plausible answer, but Horus remembers clearly that his genetic father never told him that he had a blood sister.

On the other hand, the wolf shepherd also knows very well that he can't seem to have more chips to put this lady on his side.

So, he kept the matter to heart for the time being, along with other important but not urgent matters, and Horus was not worried, after all, there was still a long way to go, and he believed that if his Caliban brother had insisted on some almost harsh demands, not many would be willing to stay with him.

Thinking of this, Horus actually had some pleasant thoughts.

But soon, he was ashamed of this schadenfreude towards his brother.

In this humiliation, Horus ends his war in the Drun Sector.

——————

"We have lost three warriors on the surface and in the fortress of Druen, and twelve others have been injured to varying degrees, the casualties of the White Scar Legion are preliminarily confirmed to be within eight hundred, and the casualties of the Death Guard Legion are still being counted."

In the depths of the Fortitude, Horus sat on the throne that his Barbaros brothers had prepared for him, and listened to Sejames' report on the trivialities of the war.

"Initially, the victory in this war has begun to have an impact, and the remnant storms around this sector are just beginning to show signs of dissipating, and soon, the Empire's fleet will be able to move here unimpeded, and we can look for the next target in the galaxy to conquer the Empire, my lord."

【Next ......】

Horus just chewed on these words slowly, as if he had put a thousand bloody worlds between his lips and teeth.

[Ran Dan, is there any news? ] 】

"The latest batch of front-line news hasn't been delivered yet, my lord, but there's one thing I want to warn you of."

"Madam Morgan and His Excellency Zaharel contacted me as soon as this war ended, and they wanted us to keep our promise, and they longed for a new warship to carry them back to the front line against Randan, whose own warship had suffered severe damage while navigating the subspace storm."

The wolf god waved his hand and motioned for his heir to be quiet.

He grimaced, as if he had been caught up in some kind of long thought, and after a long time, the wolf shepherd god almost muttered to himself and asked his most trusted heir.

[She's strong, isn't she?] 】

[James, my child, that Ms. Morgan, she seems to be stronger and more ...... than rumored Be faithful, my brother. 】

[And that's just the tip of the iceberg we've seen by chance, but there's also the First Legion, and the things we don't know, my brother, who is so highly valued, so many secrets, so many exclusive peculiarities...... I didn't. 】

Horus tilted his head, his tone very slow, and Sejames could not see his expression, nor could he figure out what his genetic father was trying to express in the first place.

He even heard a hint of sourness?

Maybe it's a hallucination.

[Sometimes, James, I even doubt that Chagatai is right, that this Ms. Morgan is indeed a creature of my genetic father, a gift from him to my brother Johnson.] 】

[A machado that belongs only to him.] 】

[How important......]

And Horus's words continued.

What do you think, James? 】

[When she returns to the First Legion, when such a powerful psyker stands by my brother's side, as long as she is not a fool, she will definitely win this war, he will become a victor, a winner, a rising war star, and a more worthy character......]

Horus muttered to himself, and by the end, his voice grew quieter, and Sejames, with his head down, was silent: he knew very well that his genetic father was thinking, and that what Horus needed at this time was not advice, but a silent environment.

The wolf god narrowed his eyes.

He still remembered that he actually had the opportunity to participate in this Randan War.

At the very beginning of this war, the emperor was hesitant to send which legion to carry the banner against Randan

At the time, Horus offered himself, but the Emperor refused his request, and he ordered the Shadowmoon Wolves to continue their war in the western part of the galaxy in preparation for the next round of the Empire's expansion.

Horus was sure that if he insisted at that time, maybe he would be the commander-in-chief against Randan.

But he didn't.

Horus knew very well how much it would cost to fight against such a strong opponent, and he would not voluntarily put his legion in such a desperate situation without the emperor's orders: of course, if the emperor gave the order, Horus would not mind facing any opponent with his own legion.

On the other hand, the wolf shepherd god at that time was also conceited, and no one could carry this banner except him.

Until the Emperor brought back a knight who did not smile in the deep woods of Caliban.

Despite the thousands of stars, Horus still clearly knew everything that was happening on the front line through various intelligence and personal connections, and he almost witnessed how Johnson led his legions, blocked the unstoppable wave, stabilized the battle line, and even began to push back step by step.

From the bottom of his heart, he was proud of his brother and rejoiced in the victory of the Empire.

But when this pride and joy gradually cooled, he fell into a certain uneasiness and anxiety.

It turns out that he is not irreplaceable.

It turns out that apart from him, there are indeed brothers who can do all this.

Horus even felt a little jealous, and he even had a slight desire that Johnson's progress would not be smooth sailing, that his brother would suffer a little.

But this longing is like an incomparably short and absurd dream, and he will wake up in the next moment and spit on his thoughts.

In this way, when the beacon fire against Ran Dan was ignited in the northern part of the galaxy, the wolf shepherd god and his legion stayed in the western part of the galaxy safely, fighting against the countless tangled emotions in their hearts.

He wants to join this war and shed his blood for the cause of humanity.

But he didn't want to join the war and cause his legion to suffer unimaginable damage, or even collapse.

He rejoiced in the victory of the empire and his brother, and felt the most simple pride of being a brother, a human being.

But he was not so happy, and the thought that a role would be replaced and his status would be threatened tormented all the time.

He had dark thoughts about his brother, an idea of status and power.

He knew it was wrong, but he just couldn't stop it.

Horus was thinking.

Horus was struggling.

Horus is in pain.

The wolf shepherd even conceived a scene in private that he could most accept:

His brother fought valiantly and won numerous brilliant victories, but he still could not achieve a complete victory over Ran Dan.

The father of his genes, he still needs the most powerful legion, an irreplaceable and greatest commander, to put an end to this powerful and filthy opponent.

He will fight side by side with his brothers, supporting each other in the most difficult situations, but in the same way, he will be the greatest of them all, the most trusted one, and of course he will be the greatest and most trusted of them.

It was a matter of course, he just wanted to prove it, prove a fact.

Horus always thought so, and Horus knew very well that such thoughts should not be told to anyone, not even his heir, the one he trusted the most.

So, once again, he was entangled.

This struggle was until a silent Saijames sent him a new message from the front: it was not an official document, it was the result of some of the personal relationships Horus had cultivated before.

So what it says on it is exactly what Horus needs.

——————

[Three Terra Standard Days ago, the last fortress world north of the Solar Star Field had fallen, and the garrisons and fleets stationed in the system had not fired a single shot. 】

[Surrender without a fight]

——————

⑴：

The idealistic Marshal of the Ministry of Justice believed that the Empire had violated the Empire's own laws in dealing with the Thunder Warriors and other issues, and because she did not know much information, she finally deduced that the Emperor had been deceived, so she questioned the Forbidden Army and decided to plead on behalf of the Thunder Warriors, but because of the actions of the Emperor, Lady Astarte, and the Thunder Warriors themselves, things eventually got out of control and became a rebellion.

(End of chapter)