It wasn't until their conversation lasted until a certain moment that the Lord of Humanity really realized a problem:

Morgan, his daughter, his second creation, was perhaps a little trickier than all her blood relatives.

She may not be a character who can please and appease by a single means.

It seemed like a very difficult task to crack open the thick shell of caution and hostility within her: more difficult than the Lord of Humanity had imagined, planned, and expected until then.

And when the Lord of Mankind wants to understand this simple truth, he will discover another reality at about the same time:

It was too late for him to figure it out.

He had stood in front of his only Genetic Daughter, looking down on the lonely Primordial in the darkness and colder light, like a god without sorrow or joy, refracting the harsh light from the winter day on the face of a mournful believer without emotion.

He had seen in that beautiful, pale countenance and fear: it was not a human emotion, but the most instinctive retreat of a small carnivore in the forest, in the face of a more terrible, more powerful beast.

It wasn't something that could be resolved in a word or two: apparently, his daughter had seen a few rays of truth before his empire found her, and was tormented by it.

The torment produces powerlessness, powerlessness to urge pain, and the pain, as time slowly passes, bears a vicious fruit in her heart, making her indifferent and selfish, allowing her to look at the cage of civilization with the mind of a beast.

Emotions used to be the flail on her body, but now, she held a part of the flail that bound her in her hands, and endured the pain of the rough steel grinding the flesh, giving herself the ability to protect herself in the darkest void.

Emotions were her natural talent.

But it became her bondage.

And now, emotions are her most trusted and relied on weapons, and she holds on to this few sense of security in her heart, watching the silent Lord of Humanity from afar.

The Emperor didn't act immediately, he just looked at Morgan, at her uneasy eyes, hidden beneath the silver hair.

He might be able to erase these false emotions and let his light and heat slowly melt the ice of wariness, fear, and distrust: it is not difficult.

But it will take time.

It will take a long time.

To accompany, to give, to prove his sincerity, integrity and original intention with countless practical actions, to shoot down the vicious fruit with measures more profound than blood and steel.

For the emperor.

It's not that difficult.

……

But he couldn't.

——————

He ran out of time.

He never had time.

The patchwork of hegemony, patchwork planning, and contradictory empires were the best answers he could have done in his hundred-year history, and he didn't have the time to accompany each of his children to become a father in the true sense of the word.

Only a few people could wait for his kindness and time: Horus was the luckiest one, Vulcan received another favor because of his peculiarity, and the rest of the primordials would only be a night of long talk, a box of gifts, or a month of tolerance.

And for Morgan, and for the importance of his only daughter in the heart of the Lord of Mankind, even one night was a ridiculous waste, he was not destined to stay by Morgan's side for long, and he did not need a Lord of the Second Legion who was grateful to him.

Even if it's a little more utilitarian: what if Morgan resents him?

His daughter knows the cruel truth of the world, and knows the unbridgeable gap of power between them: as long as this chasm of strength remains, Morgan will not have the heart and courage to challenge him.

Resentment is terrible, but resentment without power is nothing more than that.

As long as his strength is still strong enough to make Morgan feel the horror of annihilation, then the Lord of the Second Legion will be a smart man who can give him peace of mind.

Such...... Seems pretty good too?

Such a cold and ruthless thought crossed a black trajectory in the heart of the Lord of Mankind, and it was suppressed to the bottom, and when the Emperor looked at his daughter's silver hair, he only sighed softly.

If he had discovered Morgan earlier, or if he had foreseen all of this, there might have been some room for redemption:

But there are no ifs, and the real truth is that he found out too late.

This is not because the Lord of Men is slow and slow in his thinking: he is certainly not such a fool.

This is simply because the Lord of Mankind has fallen into some kind of trap, some kind of wonderful cage called empiricism, in which countless great miracle makers have fallen through the ages, including the former identity and face of the emperor.

The Lord of Mankind also has experience in welcoming back the original body: on the surface, he has already recovered fifteen heirs, and except for those who are more special, the process of his encounter with most of them is similar.

Maybe it will be a challenge from a stranger, maybe it will be a deliverance from heaven, but more often than not, his children will feel his coming, and they will know the encounter: in the dry desert, in the noisy royal court, in the steep cliffs, he will descend before them, he will reveal his true body in the golden light, and then introduce himself.

After he introduced himself, and even before that, his children would bend down deeply, even on their knees, and let go of their pride and call him "Father".

Then there will be a brisk conversation between them: in most cases, the first thing in the conversation will be the primordial mother, who will admire the lovely little business that his child has built, and rightfully extend the conversation to another place: the endless galaxy, and the truly great thing he has done in it.

When the conversation stretches to this point, it won't be long before the Human Empire has a new Primordial, the Emperor has a new Heir, and an Astarte Legion will be called up for a touching or daring reunion with their Father of Genes.

This has always been the case, and this has even led to a certain path dependence on the emperor.

It wasn't until he didn't hear the words of "Father" that he took for granted that the Lord of Mankind really realized:

This time, things don't seem quite right.

——————

[You look a little uneasy, my daughter, the master of my Second Legion. 】

When Morgan's pupils flashed with unknown colors, the emperor captured this moment as a matter of course: in the perception of the Lord of Mankind, even if it was a genetic prototype, their every move, their demeanor and thoughts, were too slow and obvious.

And the emperor's movements and words did not stop because of these emotions of resistance, he slowly withdrew his hand, in this simple action, his mind flashed with countless emotions and tones, which were used to brew the next sentence he was about to say.

He stepped back, almost slowly, and between him and his daughter, a symbol of security, which he knew was what Morgan needed most now: security.

The emperor knows all this, he knows how to take the next step, and for him, it's an ancient knowledge.

No need to be disturbed, no need to fear, my child, my power will only unleash its wrath on the enemies of mankind, and you are my son, my creation. 】

The words of the Lord of Men oscillated back and forth between the softness of his father and the strength of his monarch, and he took great pains to grasp the attitude required for each sentence, and finally stopped at a point where he was satisfied, and he used the hard-won words as bait and threw them at his daughter who was hiding in the shadows.

It works well.

When she realized that the situation could not remain so deadlocked, Morgan silently ate the emperor's kindness, and after the emperor took a step back, she leaned forward and carefully counted her steps so that her body could appear in the light of the Lord of Mankind.

[Father.] 】

She said.

This sentence is so serious that it can be seen as a real obedience.

Morgan didn't kneel, she didn't bend too exaggeratedly, she practiced a standard etiquette that no one could pick out more problems, and when she straightened up again, her eyebrows were still lowered, without the coldness and majesty of the past, only a gaze that symbolized submission and respect, emanating from her blue pupils, captured by the emperor.

The Lord of Humanity nodded.

When he saw his daughter's breath of peace at the compromise of retreat, letting the silver strands fall behind her ears, revealing her full pale face in the cold light of the Lord of Humanity, he remembered something, something from 10,000 years ago, ancient fragments returning to his mind with long-lost memories, gradually overlapping with the darkness and scene in front of him.

The Emperor remembered: in an age that would not be recorded in the oldest history books, when he was a rude mortal, he had walked through a dense forest in the middle of a night, and in the faint moonlight, he had met an uninvited guest.

It was a big cat, a lynx, or some long-extinct feline.

But it didn't matter: he had met the creature in the moonlight, wounded, and screaming defiantly at him, and it had hidden itself in a shadow, revealing only its furry face, full of beastly wariness and unease.

The more it barks, the more manic it becomes, the more restless it becomes, and the less courage it has to attack: only a quiet big cat is a dangerous big cat.

He tamed it, and after saying goodbye again, he lost it, the details of which the Lord of Men did not remember for a long time, but he did remember the incident itself clearly.

When this ancient memory was combined with the reality in the shadows, the Lord of Humanity only smiled lightly.

He waited patiently, for Morgan to finally stand in the light, and he pondered how to take the next step: Perhaps, he should have behaved more gently? Let the atmosphere that has been so hard to ease continue.

This is a step in the right direction.

The Lord of Humanity thought that he might never make his daughter a perfect heir like Horus, but he could let her know from the bottom of his heart that he was different from the gods of the subspace.

He can be trusted: at least a part of the trust can be trusted.

Thinking of this, the Emperor smiled, and his smile even caused the palm sealers on the side to have the illusion for a moment: the Lord of Mankind may have found the right way to carry out this conversation.

Sure enough, when the emperor stretched out his hand again, palm upward, spread out, indicating a friendly attitude, he adjusted the light around him at the right time, so that the dazzling golden light dimmed, so that his true image appeared in front of Morgan.

He spoke.

[Morgan, my daughter. 】

You don't need to worry. 】

I am not a monster, nor am I a malevolent will of those who call themselves gods, I am your father, your protector, an ordinary person who brought you into this world and will do my duty for it. 】

[I am not fundamentally different from you, your blood relatives, and any mortal you have seen, the power brings only the most superficial difference, in essence, whether it is you or me, we are all the same, we are all part of the mortals. 】

[No need to fear, no need to worry, my daughter, I am your father: this is my identity and responsibility, my desire and shackles, my past and future, I have brought you into the world as a father, and I am looking forward to my future with you as a father. 】

He spoke, his words full of sincerity.

The Lord of Humanity waved his hand lightly, brushing away the psionic light that was obscuring him, and his image appeared clearly in Morgan's eyes.

[Look, my child. 】

"Look with your eyes. 】

[Under this light, under this illusion of spiritual energy, is my true appearance, and the shadow that has always existed in your heart. 】

[It is not special, nor is it dark, maybe there are some differences between you and me, but in this crazy galaxy, the slight differences between us are negligible hairs, and the close connection in front of our common adversary. 】

[My daughter, you can not regard me as your father, I know that I am worthy of you and unworthy of being a truly qualified father. 】

[You don't see me as your friend, after all, friendship is the most precious wine in the galaxy, and it is a blessing to have a true friend in your life. 】

[You can also not see me as your king, I never expected to get anyone's allegiance and follower, the worship of kings and gods is the stupidest thing in the galaxy, I always think so. 】

You just have to remember. 】

[Morgan, my daughter. 】

In the midst of this galaxy of madness, in the midst of the malice and depravity that pervades every world and kingdom, in the presence of the most vicious wills that no longer desire to destroy us and enslave us at all times. 】

You, me, your blood relatives, and every real human being you have ever seen. 】

We are the same kind. 】

We can hate each other, we can be enemies of each other, and we can fight in the same room in those comfortable times. 】

But I only hope that when you face the real evil and tribulation, you will remember my words and you will make a real choice. 】

I look forward to your choice. 】

[But I expect ...... more]

It was a sigh.

[None of this is going to happen. 】

——————

When the words of the Lord of Mankind are like sonorous iron, it leaves only the quietest breath.

In the silence of this unprecedented, triumphant one, Macado lowered his dry palms: smiled, and returned to his face.

Facts have proved that in many cases, the Lord of Mankind is indeed worthy of trust and expectation.

At the very least, at this moment, Machado believed that he could look forward to it: when he raised his head and looked at Morgan, the palm seal holder saw with satisfaction that the restrained silence was pryed by the words of the Lord of Mankind, and that the unshakable flesh-and-blood affection between the emperor and the genetic prototype gave the simple words an infinite power and miracle.

The emperor's daughter was still suspicious, worried, trapped in pain and selfishness, but under the flesh and blood, even the most indifferent Morgan involuntarily raised her head and tentatively stretched out the tentacles of trust.

In any case, Morgan is also a genetic agent: no original can resist the sincere words of the emperor, and perhaps in the future, they will revert to dismissiveness, but when they are confronted with these words, they are the emperor's children.

Flattered child.

Machado thought so, and then he continued to observe Morgan's reaction.

The Spider Queen's pupils flashed with something they had never seen before: it was a suppressed curiosity that urged Morgan to muster all the courage to truly confront her sincere Father of Genes and take the first step.

She looked up, and she watched.

Machado was also watching, and smiled reassuringly.

——————

But, the next moment.

The smile froze on his face.

——————

In the eyes of a thousand people, there are a thousand kinds of human lords.

Morgan had heard this for a long time.

She had heard the truth from Johnson, and the Dark Angel's genetic protogenone had not forgotten to show off to his blood relatives: the emperor he saw was the real emperor, a secret man hidden under a hood and black robes.

From that day on, Morgan actually had some small expectations: what would the emperor look like in her eyes?

And the combination of the sincere words, the faint reassuring light, and the friendly hand that reached out to her, this anticipation welled up in her heart.

Maybe that's a lie.

Morgan thought, but she slowly lifted her head, her fingers trembling forward, trying to touch the kindness and light from the Father of Genes.

And at the moment when she was about to meet, Morgan finally saw it: in her eyes, the appearance of the emperor.

……

……

……

Fear.

Fear took over her in the shortest moment.

That......

That......

What the hell is that?!

——————

The Lord of Humanity in Morgan's eyes is actually normal at first glance.

He stood in the shadows, not overly tall, but muscular in figure, handsome in appearance, but within the realm of common sense, he seemed to be in high spirits, a great man who could be recognized by just an ordinary glance.

But if you take a second look, you'll find something creepy.

His healthy skin wasn't perfect on the outside: under his earlobes, between his eyebrows, and even beside his neck, there were countless tiniest cracks, and all sorts of disgusting things: corpse spots, like some other terrible thing.

His appearance was perfect, but there was a sense of incongruity, a little too false and distorted, like something in a human skin, swaggering and lurking in the crowd......

No......

It's not like that.

It's better to say...... It was as if something lurked within him: perhaps a malevolent seed, or perhaps the embryo and egg of some monster, no doubt growing within his body, growing in uncontrolled savagery, waiting for the day when it would burst out of its shell.

She saw the monster, but she couldn't tell what it was: it was a terrible mass that could not be described in words, and it had the same aura as the blue and purple gods in her mind...... Stuff.

It existed in the Emperor's body, and the Lord of Humanity seemed to be unaware: if one looked closely, there seemed to be some painful marks on his countenance, which seemed to prove that he was suppressing something in his body.

But Morgan didn't have time to think about it, because just as she took another look at the monster that existed in the emperor's body, she found ......

The monster was watching her, too.

It laughed.

That smile made Morgan feel ......

Cordial.

——————

Like a little beast being chased by a beast, Morgan panicked and retreated into the endless darkness.

There was a genuine fear on her face, and it even made the Lord of Humanity and the Palm Seals feel real confusion, and in the midst of this confusion, they heard the voice of Morgan.

The voice was weak, and in an almost pleading manner, it begged for the Emperor's light to flicker again.

The Lord of Humanity didn't do this immediately, but when he found that his daughter had actually returned to that bowed state again, he could only helplessly let the dazzling golden light envelop Morgan again.

This time, Morgan squinted his eyes and actually showed a peaceful attitude.

The emperor was a little hesitant, he really didn't expect that there would be a problem at this step.

What do you see, my daughter? 】

【…… Nothing, father. 】

It was a long time before Morgan slowly emerged from the shadows.

[I saw something that I couldn't understand, and it scared me. 】

Fear?

The Emperor frowned, even the Lord of Humanity could not guess what this so-called fear was, and Morgan clearly did not have the courage to continue.

The conversation seemed to be caught in a dilemma, a dilemma that the emperor could not easily solve: then what the Lord of Mankind needed was the simplest solution.

——————

Machado felt the gaze of the Lord of Humanity with a helpless, even resentful, anticipation.

He sighed: a third sigh.

But in the end, he clutched his scepter and stepped out of the shadows.

"Fear?"

"No need to be afraid, Primordial."

As he spoke, he walked away, and soon came to Morgan's side, and when the Spider Queen's gaze shifted to Machado, she felt relieved: at least more than looking at the Emperor.

This made the Lord of Humanity frown slightly.

[Palm Printer.] 】

Morgan remained polite.

Machado nodded and made a simple greeting to Morgan.

"Why should you be afraid, Lord of the Second Legion? What you see is what you expect and think. ”

【……】

That's what scares me, Palm Printer. 】

Machado blinked, and in the ocean of will, he turned his head to look at the emperor, confused and questioning.

And the Lord of Humanity is watching him.

Innocent face.

“……”

Fourth sigh.

The palm printer stepped forward and patted Morgan on the shoulder.

"Morgan—allow me to call you that, you don't have to be afraid."

"Fear is not something that cannot be solved, the root cause of any fear is anxiety caused by the lack of strength, I know that you are facing some truths in the galaxy, it is not easy to face them, even for a genetic protogen, it is normal to feel that the strength is not good."

He whispered that in the old words, there was a more reassuring steadiness and firmness than the emperor's voice.

"But you don't need to worry, Morgan."

"Your genetic father, your lord and father, has brought you gifts, gifts that he has personally chosen to represent the importance and affection he attaches to you."

"It's a gift to the primordial, it's enough power to make you feel at ease."

"Look forward to them, and you will soon not be afraid: because of his love for you."

The Palm Seal Holder whispered, like the most patient elder, slowly waiting for Morgan's gaze to resurface: that gaze avoided the Emperor himself, wandering between the Palm Seal and the light.

【……】

【…… Gift? 】

"Yes, gifts."

"A father's gift to his daughter."

"You may be a little unfamiliar with the term, but that's okay."

He spoke, laughing, and then slowly looked at the Lord of Humanity.

Machado suddenly remembered something.

He didn't really know what the Lord of Humanity had in store for his daughter: the Palm Seal was too busy to care about it.

But presumably......

Should......

There won't be any problems, right?

Greeting the gaze of the Palm Sealer, the Lord of Humanity looked at his best friend and smiled in an attempt to reassure him.

……

Uneasiness came to Machado's heart.

(End of chapter)