"A war about killing, about thunder, about bloodshed and revenge, about the endless expansion of imperial hegemony, about the end of generations of ancient hatreds."

"There's about Luther."

"Mighty Luther, Great Luther."

"Now the soldiers are talking about you like to put this or similar title on you, because of the things you bring to them: victory, honor, and life."

These somewhat fancy flattering words come from an Iron Warrior, the son of Perturabo from Olympia.

Standing in the shadow cast by the Iron Heart, a brand new battle barge that was born from the Void Dockyard closest to Olympia less than five Terra standard years ago, and was then casually handed over to Dantiok as a prop and an unintentional gift from the Genetic Prototype.

While this doesn't mean how much the Genogen values his offspring, the young Iron Warrior is still accustomed to taking care of the ship to the highest specifications, and keeping in touch with it as much as possible: whether it's on its bridges or standing in the shadows it casts.

He saw the ship as a gift from the Father of Genes, the affection that every Iron Warrior had hoped for, but had never received a true answer, and he saw in the Void Engine, which he had never met before, what the sons of Perturab longed for, and he carefully cared for it until this not-so-hidden secret was known to the upper and middle echelons of the entire expeditionary fleet.

Everyone knows that Lord Danteok from the Fourth Legion is a very rational and humble warrior, and as long as you don't intentionally destroy the battle barge that his genetic father has given you, he won't really get angry.

In the beginning, it was a small secret between the Mechanical Priest and the Iron Warrior, and the Navy crew only knew about it unintentionally, until a terrible routine maintenance caused Perturabo's heir to a rare outrage, and the secret became a fact that everyone dared not try.

Of course, not everyone is afraid to try it, and use this secret to make a verbal joke: such a person is either particularly reckless, or has a particularly good relationship with the son of Perturabo.

Luthor falls into the latter category, in fact, he is the first friend Dantioch made during this trip.

Although the Lord of the Second Legion had caused concern among countless people, including the two involved, when he placed Dantiok, an Astarte warrior, as Luther's lieutenant, the two quickly proved to be good matches.

Luthor's sophistication and poise are enough to make any true warrior respect from the heart, and Dantiok showed his uncanny composure and talent as quickly as he could.

After one battle side by side, they became friends, and after three more battles, they became inseparable confidants, and now, they have lived side by side......

"This is the thirtieth time? Or the thirty-first? ”

"Who remembers that this was the first time that old Luther had triumphed and conquered honors?"

A playful rhetorical question came from the mouth of the son of Pertulabo, causing both men on the platform to laugh: the Olympians were safe in the shadow of the battle barge, while the old knight of Caliban touched his head, a humble smile that could not hide the pride that radiated from his pupils.

"This is the thirty-third battle, my trusty Dantioc, the thirty-third battle we've fought since Lord Morgan handed over this expeditionary fleet to us, and the twenty-seventh planet we've recovered by force."

"Yes, you've done it all in less than three years: you've penetrated two sectors, recovered twenty-seven worlds, wiped out dozens of green-skinned rogues and alien pirates, and even had a few beautiful surrender campaigns."

"Now, Avalon's banner covers more than just the one sector it is in, and in the two sectors apart, most of the galaxy has fallen to its knees under the two-headed eagle banner of Holy Terra, and the Lord of the Second Legion can proudly claim that she has more than fifty core worlds: you have a lot to do with it, no doubt about it, isn't it?"

"Perhaps only the 23rd Expeditionary Fleet led by Lord Morgan himself will be able to overwhelm you in merit, Luther, you are now a well-known man, and even Otlama has heard of your reputation."

"It's just a name, some of my victories are also due to luck and everyone's support, and this part is obviously blurred by false rumors, it doesn't mean anything."

Luthor was still smiling, smiling humbly, but Dantioc could see the glint in the Caliban's pupils, and he knew that it was not arrogance, nor vanity, but the sincere joy of a sense of fulfillment of duty and a sense of honor.

In a sense, Luthor was a very simple character, so simple that Dantioc had seen him clearly in the morning, and he had known what he had done: he knew that the Caliban in front of him had been rejuvenated by the sands of war and the frequent surgeries of rejuvenation, he knew that Luthor's shiny black hair was inevitably pale due to age, he knew that his body was no longer vigorous, his strength was no longer majestic, he was like any commander who had been in war for decades or more.

He was old, but he did not want to admit it, so he redoubled his devotion to every war, more fanatical and fearless than any conqueror, and he often even charged forward, for both the glory of victory and the glorious death were in the eyes of the Caliban, a wonderful gift of war.

Dantyok saw this clearly, so he respected the mortal in front of him more and more, and also found his own meaning and value in the position of deputy of the fleet.

"False fame can't be exchanged for something, it may be exchanged for temporary rampant, or deceptive name theft, but it can't be exchanged for more things: such as true glory, such as the support of soldiers, such as this scene that happened in front of your eyes, Luther."

"If the soldiers did not love you, if they did not see you as a hero of victory and a great commander, they would not do it, look at the cheers before your eyes, Luther."

"You deserve it."

Luthor blinked, and the words of the son of Perturabo were like the most precious drop in the silent spring rain that melted the cold winter: although he had known and accepted it, his heart still felt a certain nourishment, the rain that had wiped away the dryness, called friendship and bondage, called honor and mission.

He has it all, doesn't he?

Looking at the scene in front of him, looking at the grandeur under the high platform, Luthor couldn't deny this.

He took a step forward, trying to see a little more clearly.

Luther stood on a high platform.

And under the high platform, there was a grand military parade, a majestic display, and a hearty applause for another great victory.

This newly subjugated world already has a glorious human civilization, they have an ancient road that crosses the world, its history is no different from the foundation of the heavy and nest capital, and there is nothing more suitable for a show of force than this place.

A noble platform of black marble and heavy granite sits on one side of the avenue, facing the highest peak of the world, and at the other end of it is the capital of the world.

Hordes of legions were marching along the avenue, the airport, passing in a steady stream of shouts and respects in front of the high platform where Luthor himself was, and the columns adorned with the bones of the vanquished engines of war were scattered along the avenue, followed by braziers containing smokeless promethium, which endlessly lit the whole road with its blue-white flames.

The first to pass through was the small phalanx of Iron Warriors, who came from a company brought by Dantiok, and although this company had suffered some losses in the past few years, they shed far less blood than they had shed under the command of the Father of Genes, and they had probably received more honor and praise than the entire Iron Warrior Legion.

Then there was the succession of the Katachan Auxiliaries, the unruly barbarians who were accustomed to wearing oil paint and were unruly, who had conquered all their commanders in just a few battles, and all their maverick deeds were seen as an overflow of pride and ability, and the material resources from Avalon were constantly pouring into the emerald green world of the dead, while more than 150,000 Catachans were now fighting under the banner of the Second Legion, and they had already earned themselves the same status as the Astarte warriors.

When the Approach from the Dead World passed in front of Luther, their cheers and cheers could even turn the sky upside down: perhaps the Calibans and the Catachans did not get along well at first, but they soon found the heart and soul that also came from the jungle, and after Luthor showed his trust, respect, and even indulgence, he received the same from the Catachans.

"I've heard that Lord Morgan is making further treaties with the Katakchans."

"Yes, but it didn't go well, you know, Luther, how casual this group of warriors from the Dead World is, they won't even succumb to the light of a genetic proto, but the treaty from Avalon is completely equal, so it should only be a matter of time before it passes."

"It's a pity that the world of the dead is too far away, otherwise it might be able to join the Federation of Avalons, just like the Forge World of Tigrus, whose pact with the Primordial is said to have finally been finalized?"

"Luther, sometimes your words make me suspect that you are an Avalon."

"This galaxy has never stipulated that there can only be one hometown, has it?"

The Calibans raised their hands in response to the cheers of the phalanx below.

"Then this hometown is a little too big."

The son of Perturabo smiled without the slightest malice.

"Let me think about how many years have passed since that Lord returned from the Five Hundred Worlds, or rather, since she reigned in Avalon?"

"If it's from her reign in Avalon, it's more than three Terra standard years, and if she visits five hundred worlds and brings back hundreds of professional administrators, it's about two and a half years."

"But our expedition did start three years ago."

"Yes, in the past three years, the rule of the empire has taken root in this remote and remote eastern frontier of the galaxy, including us, the four expeditionary fleets under the command of Lord Morgan have conquered more than sixty galaxies, hundreds of worlds, although most of them are desolate wastelands without civilization, but they still have enough resources to mine, or enough valuable value for colonization activities."

"From an economic point of view, the Avalon Star Region and the star sectors around it are rare fertile ground, and even the chaos of the Age of Strife rarely affects here, but unfortunately this place is too remote, and the light of the Holy Terra is really difficult to shine."

"But it's a lot of potential, isn't it? To the east of it there is still a large unexplored star field, and trade with the Five Hundred Worlds has built a lifeline from the south, and the Resza of the West is said to be satisfied with the agreement with His Excellency Morgan, and we have even become accustomed to fighting alongside the Titan Legion of the Militants. ”

"They are really great, unforgettable comrades-in-arms."

Luthor's eyes narrowed, and he saw that in the layers of fog in the distance, in the gray-white curtain of the world's industrial exhaust, several magnificent divine machines were wandering in the fog. They were also on the return journey, they were very few in number, but they looked more spectacular than an entire army, and in the past few years, they had been Luther's most relied on and respected comrades, even the old knight of Cariban had never fought alongside the mighty Titans before, let alone imagined that he would one day have the power to command the most powerful of the Iron Knights.

But the truth is always unpredictable: the female tyrant of Avalon, a ruthless performance machine, takes for granted that the reality is more important than the illusory honor, when Luther demonstrates her ability and worth with clean victories one after another. He naturally became the second person in the entire Avalon Federation to be able to command the Titan Legion, after Morgen himself.

Even the Dawnbreakers, who are Morgan's heirs, have never received this honor and responsibility.

Before that, Luthor's army already had Dark Angels, Iron Warriors, Reza's Cathars, the Katachans' auxiliaries, and various mortal legions from Avalon, as well as some Dawnbreaker and the occasional Shadowmoon Wolves.

Plus the current Titan Legion. As a mortal commander. His current position and power seem unimaginable.

"It's all about the trust of the genetic protogen, isn't it?"

"It's also because of your abilities, Luther."

The son of Perturabo snorted, unabashedly admiring his best friend.

"As those of us who have always stayed away from the main forces of the Second Legion know that the ruler of Avalon is a man who trumps all personal thoughts, and she loves and respects her legion so much, and she will love you as if you were her heir, and she will love you as if you were her heir."

"Yes, Mistress Morgan always knows what kind of person to put and what position she puts in, so she can achieve success and victory at an admirable rate, isn't it?"

"Like Abaddon?"

"It's like Abaddon."

"Lord Morgan did not put this Shadowmoon Wolf in any of the ranged fleets, but allowed him and his men to roam the battle lines at will, picking whatever battle they saw fit: I don't know if she meant anything to do so, but I think Abaddon personally liked it."

"Yes, the son of Horus always seems to like to be at the front."

The Calibans laughed.

Luthor waved his hand constantly, greeting every phalanx that walked in front of him, although his somewhat old body was already overwhelmed, although his muscles and bones were retorting painfully, but he still insisted on returning the salute to every warrior who cheered for him, in his understanding, this is the responsibility of the commander, and it is precisely because he always keeps this in mind that he has won the recognition and respect of everyone under his command.

to get it all.

Luther's eyes narrowed.

He saw, he saw an endless army stretching from one end of his pupil to the other, among them were mortals, Astarte warriors, and even more Titans, who sang his name, who chanted his victory, who praised Luthor's qualifications and greatness as a commander, who gave back in their own ways to make an ode that moved Luther.

The cheers of the warriors echoed through the sky, and the Titan Legion raised their heads and cannons in honor of the great commander, while beside him, Dantiok patted him on the shoulder, laughing, and pointed to the world's highest peak in the distance.

"It's a good place to shoot a fortress, my friend."

"I think I'm going to take people there right now and build a fortress: it's a natural pass, it's enough to suppress an entire nest and a wilderness, and if we hollow out the mountain, we can store survival supplies in it for a decade or more."

Dantioch was always like that, Luthor thought, and he had even become accustomed to similar words and actions from the son of Perturabo.

Whenever the old knights of Caliban commanded armies and reclaimed a world, the sons of Horus occasionally joined in as the hounds of honor who charged into battle, and while Dantiok was not obsessed with honor in war, he was obsessed with shaping a great war bunker in every recovered world, and then engraved the names of his genetic fathers and his legions.

This pattern has happened countless times in the past few years: Luther has gained the authority and glory of commanding battle, the heirs of Horus have been given the pleasure and simplicity of battle, and the warriors of Olympia have sometimes been praised as the backbone of the war, and sometimes in the rare time they have been sparing, they have carved one more and more perfect steel fortress as their mark on Avalon.

Everyone is satisfied with their lives.

At least that's what Luthor is.

The Calibans breathed deeply.

The smoke from the aftermath of the battle seemed a little too strong, and the sun above his head seemed a little too harsh, and Luthor could feel a teardrop slipping out of his eye socket, across his eyes and cheeks, and down his stubble chin.

He couldn't hear what the distant warriors were chanting, he couldn't see what kind of smile Dantiok was showing next to him, and he couldn't even remember how many battles he had experienced, how many honors he had won, and how many times he had achieved what he had dreamed of in the forests of Caliban.

It's like a dream, isn't it?

It was like a dream he had not dared to conceive a few years ago: who would have thought that a sword-wielding knight in the early years in the forests of Caliban could now be the commander of such a large fleet? Take the stars and the galaxy as your own battlefield and slash Fang Xuan.

Even the greatest and most exaggerated fresco in the Order may not be able to paint the thousands of journeys of the Knights.

Even in the dreadmill ancient forests of the Caliban, every year, every decade, or even longer is not comparable to the every second he is experiencing.

The stubborn tear dragged along the gravity, through his mottled armor, all the way to the high platform next to his boots, but Luthor didn't care now, he indulged in a different kind of greatness, he indulged in a life of no regrets written by mission and glory.

……

Perhaps, at this moment.

He is happy.

——————

"Maybe at this moment, you're the happiest person in the galaxy, aren't you?"

Hawthorne had come from Avalon, the home planet of the Second Legion, from the round table of the Mortal Council, which was growing and growing, for the sake of the precious world beneath his feet that would add endless help to his genetic mother in the future.

"The hundred-year-old wish of the ancestors of the past generations has been fulfilled today, and your family, your surname, has once again become the master of this world, and will continue forever under the strong protection of the empire, compared to the price we ask you to promise and pay, is it really insignificant, isn't it?"

The tea in his hand was a rare item in Terra, and the paintings on the walls were pleasing decorations, and even the mortal words that answered his words were enough flattery to make any ruler flutter, but Hawthorne's already black and shiny heart was not shaken by this, he knew what the purpose of his arrival was, and he knew that he would not and should not give in to a single cent.

"Do you want to regret it, Your Excellency?"

Facing the mortal's hesitation, the Dawnbreaker blinked, his pupils emitting a dangerous glow that belonged only to the Terra Veteran, which was enough to make the mortals on the other side of the table stand on end, and immediately swear to the sky that he would never break his promise.

"That's right, Your Excellency."

The warm smile is as if the slight words just now do not exist at all.

"How could I possibly worry that you would break your word? After all, how many promises there are in this galaxy that are as tolerant and compassionate as our Mother of Genes provides.

"You know, Your Excellency, before you met us, you and your followers were nothing more than a rogue in the star field, surviving under the oppression of those alien peers, and the most precious thing in your hands is nothing more than this ancient claim to this world, but that was also centuries ago.

"Since your family has declined and fled in the midst of infighting, all your ancestors have been left to the glory of regret, generation after generation, until you have our help to once again take the throne that belongs to yours."

"From today on, this world, the world's huge industrial area, its precious population resources, its important geographical location, will belong to you, to the empire, and will always belong to our genetic mother."

The embellished words could not erase the sorrowful countenance of the mortal ruler on the other side of the table, and he hesitated for a long time before making a humble request to the figure in front of him who could represent a large army.

"Taxes and the immediate conscription of Astarte warriors among the people, these are all right, I just want to ask for a little. Can all of my children not be requisitioned? ”

"You know, my lord, in the previous long Void career, my family was already in a state of increasing population exhaustion, I only have four sons and three daughters, counting all the collateral blood relatives, it is only less than a hundred, and although Lord Morgan's agreement is indeed very merciful and fair, she requires all her sons to participate in the selection, even the daughters must also participate in the selection, even the best heirs in the collateral lineage, are also one of the candidates."

"A thin bloodline is not conducive to the empire's long-term rule here."

"Look what you're talking about, Your Excellency."

Hawthorne smiled, he slowly tasted the wine in the glass, took out a scroll of drawings from his side, spread it out on the table, and told the new president of the world parliament opposite, the kindness from his own genetic mother.

"First of all, there is a concept here that you need to distinguish clearly, Your Excellency, our selection is not the careless life of the ancient feudal dynasty, our selection is for the noble Emperor Angel, the selection of Astarte warriors, you must know, in Avalon, how many families are willing to fight each other for such an opportunity, and your family will get such glory and luck, under the care, every generation of the heirs of your family will join the selection of the Astarte Legion."

"But I've heard ......"

"But you've heard that the selection of Astarte warriors is very cruel, Your Excellency?"

"Oh, a father like you, who is worried about the lives of his children, is really rare in the galaxy now, but please don't worry, we will use our credibility to guarantee that we will respect the lives of every candidate, after all, their ability to participate in this selection itself shows that they are excellent, and it also shows that they are not objects that will be ignored and squandered at will."

"I can assure you personally, Your Excellency, that among the sons of your selection, the best of them will become the warriors of Lord Morgan, the angels of the Great Emperor, and those who have shown their talents but have not reached the standard of Astarte warriors, they will not be wasted, they will join the Great Academy of Loyal Heirs, and they will be assigned the appropriate education and training according to their abilities and personalities, and they may become a qualified Imperial Governor, or a law enforcement officer of the Ministry of Justice, Or it can only be the mid-level technical officials who are not glamorous enough but important enough. ”

"Of course, your daughters will be treated with the same attention, and Master Morgan is working to create a unique army of mortal women, and she has even designed a power armor specifically for this legion, and if your daughter can pass the test, she will also become a warrior for the Empire, gaining unimaginable glory and life."

"Of course, we will not sit idly by and watch the loyal bloodline like you be cut off, those who are too unfortunate in the selection, or the most old and stable, will return to you again, they will become the heirs of your rights and glory, inherit your family, inherit the status of the Speaker, as long as your bloodline continues in this world, the Speaker of this world parliament will still belong to your family, this is the guarantee from the Empire and Lord Morgan."

"In the same way, in order to reward you for your hard work on the Empire, those that are far away from the stars, in another galaxy or even another sector, those that have been explored, and suitable for colonization, will be prioritized for you, and if you wish, you can send the best children and grandchildren of your family to give them help and support to establish branches beyond the distant star fields."

"Of course, just like the sons you managed to get promoted, it may be difficult for them to meet you again, after all, the stars are so far away, but I think the continuation of the family must be more important than these little cold alienations, isn't it?"

"And the bloodlines that became Astarte warriors aside, if your son were lucky enough to be a governor, magistrate, or technocrat, he wouldn't be operating near his hometown, you know, just a basic avoidance."

"But if their work is good enough, they will be rewarded by the genetic protogen, they will live long enough to reunite with you, and of course, you yourself will have to work hard enough, and if your shrewdness, cunning, and tactfulness can dazzle us all, we will absorb you into the higher Star Council, where there are countless elders of the world ruler families who are just as good as you, and you will discuss the most important proposals of the Avalon Federation, Get adequate life-prolonging surgery and protection. ”

"Think about it, Your Excellency, from now on, your family is so lucky, you yourself have the possibility of ascending to the top, each of your bloodlines will kiss greatness, and your family will always be the president of this world council, and will always be admired, as long as you can maintain your loyalty to Lord Morgan, as long as you can faithfully fulfill every order sent by Avalon, your legacy will continue forever.

"Of course, I know that this will bring some minor troubles, such as the scarcity of bloodlines may lead to a lack of domination, but rest assured, Master Morgan has already thought of all this."

"In this world, we will send the Governor who graduated from the Loyal Heir Academy, and place the Legal Department directly under Avalon, the Governor will bring professional supporting technocrats to solve your administrative troubles, and the Legal Department will ensure that the world operates in fairness, of course, in the past few years, they may be Otramar, but in the following days, they will be replaced by the elites who graduated from the Loyal Heir Academy."

"With them, you don't need to worry about your descendants being troubled by complicated government affairs, you just need to enjoy the benefits and wealth brought to you by the empire as a matter of course, at the same time, the garrison of our auxiliaries is not far from here, and the outpost of our Astarte warriors can also complete the support in a standard month of Terra, and the safety of your family is not a matter of worry."

"Do a good job of the Speaker's seat, you don't need to worry about more, whether it is the day-to-day administrative rule, the selection of new students of the Soldiers and Loyal Heirs Academy, or the execution of justice, we will take care of it."

"Of course, your parliament also has legislative powers, and with the Governor's approval, you can enact laws that apply to the world."

"You must know that Your Excellency, whether it is the supporting governor or the legal department directly under it, is now a benefit that only the core world can enjoy, and the ordinary world cannot enjoy such care from the genetic protogen."

"Finally, let me congratulate you again."

"Welcome to Avalon."

"Welcome to Morgan's land."

(End of chapter)