[Vulcan, my child. 】

[Come here.] 】

[I have a task for you. 】

"It's about your sister, your blood relative, which is my daughter. 】

My lynx. 】

[My Eros. 】

[My Queen of the Dawn.] 】

[My Greedy Vanguard. 】

[Master of my Second Legion.] 】

——————

All the while, the Lord of the Dragons had a sense of unease: an anxiety, an impatience, a chagrin and hatred for his own incompetence.

Whenever he detached from the time of war and forging, and meditated beside the cooling iron iron, the genetic prototype of the XVIII Legion felt a sense of loss, a kind of dereliction of duty, a panic from flattery.

He always remembered something, always remembered memories that could not be forgotten: Lankana, Vinikov, his blood brother Ferrus, and ...... Emperor.

His Emperor, his Sovereign, the father of his genes.

Lord of Mankind.

The leader of the empire and all of humanity had given Vulcanim: a giant with onyx skin from the star of the Nocturne, a simple task, a task that Vulcan had not yet completed.

In fact, whenever the Lord of the Fire Dragon remembered that mission, he would only feel at a loss and an inexplicable powerlessness.

It all started on that day: a day that Vulcan will never forget, in the world called Lanka, in the midst of the recalcitrant fortress of Vinikov, Volcan made the most ordinary choice: he saved a child, a quiet, breathing and smiling baby, in an explosion that was enough to kill the original body.

The child belonged to Langcana, to the enemy with whom they were still fighting: but in the mind of the Lord of the Dragon, this was not a reason for him to die without help.

In fact, until the day of Morgan's return, the Lord of the Fire Dragon did not know that he was actually a person who could not die: he was in the mindset of dying to save the baby.

He was willing to shed his blood for them, it was about life and innocence, about the end of the war: on that day, everything went for the better, and the Lancana, who had witnessed what he had done, finally laid down their arms and blood no longer flowed.

They saw the dragon's mercy and chose to believe in the merciful dragon.

On that day, the Genomorphs of the Lord of Humanity and the Iron Hand waited on the hillside at the edge of the battlefield, witnessing Vulcan's deliverance and mercy.

Somewhat enraged, Ferus dashed to the battlefield risking his life to find his brother, who had temporarily disappeared in the explosion, and questioned why the Lord of the Fire Dragon had so little regard for his own life.

But the Lord of Humanity had another attitude: although the Emperor's tone was only a coldness that revealed the truth, he did not mean to condemn Vulcan at all, on the contrary, the Emperor looked at his Lord of the Fire Dragon and gave him a concise task.

——————

[Teach your brother.] 】

Teach them...... Human nature. 】

——————

That's what this mission is all about.

This was everything that had made Vulcan anxious for decades: he had dreamed of accomplishing this task, and he wanted to repay the emperor for his kindness to him a little.

The Lord of the Dragons was ashamed: whether it was at Nocturne, when his Father of Genes risked his life to save him, or whether it was after that, when the Emperor took Vulcan with him and taught him carefully for ten years, it made the Lord of the Dragons feel grateful to his father and guilty to his brother.

The Lord of the Fire Dragon had always believed that his long time by the Emperor's side had crowded out the affection that the other brothers had: for a whole decade, no one but Horus had this treatment.

But when he was feeling guilty and preparing to complete the emperor's mission, Vulcan was saddened to find that communicating with his brother was not his forte.

Many years had passed, and he did have a cordial impression with all his brothers, and he did have a few words with Horus and Ferus, and could be called friends: but nothing more.

There is no way to talk about the so-called teaching, and even the Lord of the Fire Dragon himself has always had a looming sense of loneliness.

Until this day, until the scars of the Battle of Taks gradually cooled on the hard skin of the salamander, a psionic communication from the Lord of Humanity knocked on the door of the Dragon Lord's mind.

The emperor's mission seems to have taken a turn for the better.

——————

[Vulcan. 】

[My child. 】

【Lord of my Fire Dragon.】 】

[My Forging Hand.] 】

[I need your help. 】

Before the Emperor traveled to the world where Old Eleven's rotten body was stored, a piece of his will had already reached the mind of the Fire Dragon Lord without anyone noticing.

At that time, Vulcan was lying in a special infirmary, and he was the most seriously injured of the three genetic protoplasms, so he remained unconscious, both Morgan and Johnson had come to visit their brothers, and at this time, only a few of the best salamanders were with their genetic father.

Naturally, they couldn't see the golden light that belonged to the Lord of Mankind.

The Lord of Humanity looked silently at his son, who had fallen into a deep sleep due to his injuries, and then, with a sigh, unimaginable power flowed through the Emperor's fingertips, and almost in the blink of an eye, all the wounds on the Lord of the Fire Dragon quietly dissipated.

When Vulcan's mind opened his eyes in the next second, the father of his genes was already standing in his mind, and the emperor's feet were bare deposits of ore and flowing magma: it was the sight of the nocturne, the hometown that Vulcan missed in the galaxy.

The appearance of the Lord of Men was the same as when he first met Vulcan: he was lanky, wearing a long tan cloak pinned to his chest with a round bronze stud, and he wore a golden cuirass, and instead of a helmet, he held his long black jade hair in place with a silver headband.

The Emperor looked at his child: in his eyes was the most essential love and mercy that belonged to a father, something that some poor primordial would never be blessed to see in his life.

Vulcan stood up and wanted to salute his father, but before he could make a move, the Emperor had already held his most merciful son, and they walked side by side in the apparition of the nocturne, talking about what the Lord of the Fire Dragon had seen and thought all these years, like the most ordinary father and son who had been reunited after a long absence.

Soon, the emperor mentioned the purpose of his trip.

[I have a mission and need your help, Vulcan. 】

The tone of the Lord of Mankind was gentle and unquestionable, and as he pondered how to tell the story, the sensitive Vulcan noticed that a trace of instinctive guilt seemed to flash through the golden eyes of his genetic father.

[I will soon travel to a nameless planet, where I will welcome back one of your blood relatives, my daughter: Morgan. 】

[I will recognize her, give her responsibility and strength, give her a legion, give her the gift and will from me, so that she can fight against humanity for the Great Expedition. 】

[In that world, in that nameless heap of ashes, I will welcome back my only daughter, your blood relative, and we will have a meeting, and a father's gift to his daughter, which may not be very pleasant. 】

[Vulcan, I don't want to deceive you. 】

[I will give your sister a gift that is not beautiful, a gift that will make people dissatisfied and even repulsed. 】

[Hmm...... Maybe more than one. 】

[They will be semi-finished products, they will be confusing, adding oil and vinegar or congenital deficiencies, but they all have their own roles, and they all contain my deep meaning and some planning. 】

A glint flashed in the eyes of the Lord of Humanity, which made him seem a little overly cold and unforgiving.

Therefore, I need your help, Vulcan, and I need your help to complete the perfection of one of these gifts. 】

"What could that be, father?"

[A weapon, Vulcan, a weapon that has not yet been completed, and it is still a few steps away from being completed. 】

"Could that be a sword?"

[No, it would be a spear, one of my countless unfinished works, and the deadliest one, whose birth required more than just fire and forges, but countless wars and plunder. 】

Of course, you don't need to be responsible for that part, that's your sister's business. 】

Vulcan nodded.

A spear......

He imagined Morgan holding a spear, but it always seemed funny.

"What do I need to do? Father? ”

"Trimming? Quench? Or grinding? ”

The forging of cold weapons is a big project that requires more than a dozen or even dozens of steps, and looking at the emperor's face, Vulcan felt that he might be responsible for about a third of it.

The Emperor didn't answer, he just was silent for a rare moment, and then slowly took out the gift he was going to give Morgan.

[The Spear of Eros, you can also call it the Spear of Eros.] 】

[In my expectation, it will be a more terrible weapon than Bacchus and the Sun God, and its upper limit is a power that even I cannot accurately predict, but I am sure that when it is truly forged, it will be enough to threaten everything in the real universe. 】

[Including, me.] 】

The Emperor's words were cold and rational, and Vulcan's brow furrowed slightly.

Although I thought it would be an unfinished blank, it ......

Isn't this unfinished place a little too much?

Such doubts were fleeting in Vulcan's mind, for his heart was soon occupied by another emotion.

It is an emotion that belongs to blacksmiths and forgers, and it is the admiration and passion that comes from the depths of the heart when a skilled person sees a unique treasure in the world.

The Lord of the Fire Dragon involuntarily stretched out his hand: even though it was only a flashy projection in the Emperor's hand, it was enough for Vulcan to be sure of one thing: this piece of hardly carved metal, this piece of jade that Vulcan had never seen, was a priceless treasure, a legend that would make any forger do anything to do it.

"What is it? Father? ”

"How did you get it?"

Vulcan caressed the metallic projection as if he were caressing his most trusted and valued child, and the Lord of the Fire Dragons raised his head and looked at his father with the purest desire to learn.

Beneath their feet, the magma on the nocturne continued to flow, eroding the already bleak surface of the earth, leaving a trail of hideous flowing water.

It has no name, Vulcan, because it is unique. 】

[I didn't name it, because I wasn't even going to do anything with it in my initial expectations, and to some extent, I was afraid of its power.] 】

[It is not mined, my child, it is the spoils of a battle, a treasure that I have obtained since ancient times, full of memories of blood and tears. 】

It was a battle to be remembered and forgotten, Vulcan, in which I almost died, but I survived and slew this treasure from the opponent I defeated. 】

[I possessed it in the days when humanity had not even left Sacred Terra, and though I lost it a few times after that, briefly, it was eventually returned to me. 】

And each loss makes it stronger, and it has some unique powers and properties, the most recent one is because of one of my companions, a companion who has been with me for a long time, but chose to part ways on the eve of the Great Expedition. 】

[She took it and returned it after a while, and since then, the metal has possessed some very peculiar powers: powers that are similar to those of subspace, but distinctly different from them. 】

[Until I was going to bring you to reality, I decided to prepare a weapon for each of my children, and I started an ambitious plan, but this plan, like many of my previous dreams, died halfway through. 】

[The god of the sun and the god of wine are only the only shadows left of this plan. 】

And now. 】

The hand of the Lord of Mankind slowly rested on the cold metal, and he looked at this unique blood treasure, his eyes flashing with memories of ten thousand years.

[I'm going to restart it.] 】

[Restart part of it.] 】

【Passed...... Another way. 】

With the touch of the Lord of Mankind, this piece of metal came to life in an instant.

In the astonished gaze of the Lord of the Fire Dragon, the Emperor whispered a few words and phrases, and with his voice, the indestructible metal was like flowing water, constantly changing shape.

Swords, scepters, crowns, tools, shields, lenses, hairpins, daggers......

Vulcan even saw it, and in a moment it became a book, densely packed with something, in a language unknown to the original genome.

At another moment, it became a ring, large enough to be worn on the thinnest finger, and where the gem should have been placed lay a flowing mass of metal: it looked like a white eyeball.

In the next few moments, it became something incomprehensible: an open door with no view of the opposite door; a magnificent, high throne; Even a falcon with sharp eyebrows and eyes let out a short screech.

But such a spectacle came and went as fast as it came, but in a few breaths, the metal changed back to its original form, ignoring the rest of the emperor's words.

[You see, just like this, my Vulcan, it did not acknowledge me, it waited for the one who was strong enough to harness it. 】

"So...... You chose Morgan? ”

[Yes.] 】

She knows how to use it, although she doesn't know it now, but I have carved the relevant power and thinking into her veins, which are things that I can do, but do not have the time and energy to do. 】

Soon, my daughter will realize all this, and she will begin to look for a way to finish forging it, and at that time, she may find you, and she may find her other brothers. 】

"Did you tell them all?"

[Yes.] 】

[I have greeted every genetic prototype that will involve the forging of this weapon, they know what they should do, and now, it is your turn, Lord of the Fire Dragon. 】

[At some point in the future, Morgan may come to you, and she will ask you to teach her the knowledge of forging and tempering, do not doubt, my child, teach as best you can. 】

[And ......]

The Lord of Humanity even smiled and winked at his heir.

[When that time comes, don't forget my mission.] 】

[Do what you can, teach her the true meaning of humanity: she needs this more than anyone else.] 】

Vulcan nodded: even if the emperor didn't tell him in advance, as long as any of his brothers made a request, the Lord of the Fire Dragon would not hesitate to give it to him.

"When will that be, father?"

[Frankly, I don't know. 】

The emperor sighed softly, and with a casual wave of his hand, the wanton flow of magma disappeared in an instant, and the scene that appeared in front of them was already a magnificent desert: the red mist was boiling, the sun was setting, and the sand dunes that were constantly blown by the wind reflected the blood-like scarlet.

[I'm not even sure if she'll come to you, Vulcan, I'm just telling you in advance: and the truth is that Morgan may never find the right way and direction to forge this weapon, and she can, she'll do it all on her own.] 】

[Every small change will bring different possibilities, and all I can do is to make every plan and preparation on the premise of speculating on all the possibilities. 】

The Lord of Humanity watched silently at the false sunset, his face hidden in a somewhat blurry light and shadow, making it impossible to see.

"Future ......"

Vulcan whispered the word.

"Will I help you and humanity in the future? Father? ”

[Of course, my child.] 】

The emperor smiled, but he didn't look back.

[You, Riemanrus, and your brother whom you have not yet met. 】

You are indispensable in whatever kind of future I have projected. 】

The Lord of the Fire Dragon didn't speak, he just looked down at the supreme treasure and thought of the hero of this conversation.

"That'...... What about Morgan? ”

【……】

The Emperor was silent for a long time, and then, laughing.

[I don't know, kid. 】

[I don't know. 】

[The only thing I know for sure is that Morgan's future won't be the worst, and she's made it through that stage: I have a future for my daughter, but it's not the one she wants. 】

[She may rebel, she may make things worse, after all, I didn't confide more in her. 】

"She'll hate me. 】

[And rightfully so. 】

And when she starts to hate me, she thinks of this weapon and the power she has to fight back. 】

The words furrowed Vulcan's brow, and he fell into a deep uneasiness.

"Father, maybe ......"

[Well, don't worry, my Lord of the Fire Dragon, that's just a bad possibility about the future, maybe the situation won't be so serious.] 】

The Emperor turned, and he patted the Lord of the Fire Dragon on the shoulder.

[My gift to Morgan is the most ruthless one. 】

[But it is also the most precious one.] 】

[And no matter what, when she starts using this weapon, she'll do things in my favor.] 】

"She's my child, that's what I expected. 】

The Dragon Lord's frown did not dissipate because of this, and he was even thinking about taking the initiative to find his blood relatives to resolve the misunderstanding between Morgan and the Emperor: that would take a long time.

"Will that be a long time later?"

【…… Of course. 】

The Emperor smiled.

[That would be ......]

[After the Great Expedition, but it's not too late.] 】

[After all, at that time, the real thing was just beginning.] 】

(End of chapter)