As a genetic protogen, Morgan has many advantages: and rigor is the one she is most proud of.

Morgan's rigor, like Magnus's curiosity, Donne's conscientiousness, Gilliman's greed, and Conrad's justice, is engraved in her bloodline genes, and its innate attributes are almost impossible to erase.

When she disguises herself as a mortal and plays the role of a bloodless and tearless soul reaper; When she was in the black array of the First Legion, learning the value of emotion; When she took control of her legions and kingdoms, and saw them as precious private possessions that could be guarded by war and betrayal; Her rigorous posture and absolute rationality have always been with her, and they have almost never been absent from judgment, and have even saved Morgan's life countless times.

Now, rigor and rationality have become instincts, dependence, and even breathing necessities of the genetic body, and she is accustomed to planning everything around her in an orderly manner, whether it is the actions of the legions, the construction of her territory, or the so-called kinship between her blood brothers that is so complex that it is comparable to the responsibility system of the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs.

But even though the Spider Queen had prepared for all of her brothers, there were always some skeletal surprise genoplasms that could tear the Lord of Avalon's rigorous planning to shreds with their wondrous actions or worldviews, from angles never imagined, and let a cloud of anger cloud over a flawless smile.

Luckily, there aren't many primordials capable of doing this: a dozen.

But unfortunately, in this regard, a certain knight of the Caliban, is definitely on the list.

Johnson always shocked Morgan, from different angles and with different performances, striking at the fragile heart of the Spider Queen, leaving her in a mess of confusion.

For example: now.

Morgan couldn't even understand why Johnson and Gilliman, the two heirs of the emperor who had never met before, had such deep malice towards each other: in their mouths, the other's reliability was not even as good as that of Riemanrus.

That's a bit of a serious indictment for any genogen.

And if the accusation of the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds is still restrained and full of official statements of statesmanship, then the assessment of Killiman by the Lord of the Caliban is quite ...... Straight to the heart.

"Killiman!"

"I should have realized this: it was my negligence, the long war that distracted me too much, made me not realize the equally important things, and made me make such a serious mistake."

"I should have warned you a long time ago, to warn you to be careful of that guy Killiman!"

Even the Siege of Randan, which had dragged on to the extreme, did not ignite such a fury from the Lord of Caliban: Johnson almost leaped to his feet at the slightest raising of the Spider Empress's eyebrows, and he slapped his table in resentment, the dull sound that made the whole room tremble.

The Caliban was much happier than the Makulag people: when the Lord of the Dark Angels had skirted his desk and paced twice behind Morgan, he had already figured out how to highlight the hostility in his heart.

"Tell me, Morgan."

Johnson patted Morgan on the shoulder.

"After you and your legions arrived on the Far Eastern Frontier, what did our brother of the Otlama vassal do: did he invite you to visit his kingdom, show you the riches and power of the five hundred worlds, coerce his oppression with alms from above, and use all means to spread the influence of the Makulag to the worlds you rule?"

"Diplomacy, trade, or the mutual learning that he's always talked about? Sneak the merits of the Dawnbreaker Legion back into his legion, and carry out the so-called transformation in a mysterious way, so that those traditions and experiences can become the nondescript appearance of the Ultramarine, and then bring the finished product to you, and pretend to thank you for all this dedication? ”

"It's all your credit, Morgan: I guess that's all he could say, right?"

【……】

【……】

[Exactly, Johnson. 】

Morgan blinked.

She did not object to Johnson's words: because in a way, all the accusations of the Calibans seemed to correspond perfectly to the reality of the situation, and even if Morgan wanted to defend Gilliman a little more, she could not find a starting point.

"I knew it!"

The lion of Caliban waved his iron palm in annoyance, making a piercing tearing sound in midair, and a strong wave of air curled up the Spider Queen's high ponytail, disturbing the silver-white hair: like Morgan's still somewhat chaotic heart.

"That's what he's always doing!"

"You fell for him, Morgan: he will greedily take away the lessons of your sons in their sacrifices and efforts, and take them back to feed his legions, like blood-sucking mosquitoes clinging to those behemoths, and many brothers have suffered from this, and behind Killiman's friendly mask is his never-ending greed and ever-expanding ambition."

"Tell you: Did he show any unusual interest in the Dawnbreaker Legion, or any aspect of Avalon when you were fighting alongside him?"

[Hmm......]

[I think it's psionic powers, and the cooperation of my sons with the mortal auxiliaries: Killiman has sent people to investigate these two points, and he has even written to me himself on these two points, asking me to answer some of these questions.] 】

"Psionic and mortal armies......

The Lord of the Caliban snorted, full of anger and disdain.

"These two points are indeed not the areas where the Ultramarines excel: it seems that our Otrama brother is no longer satisfied with his dominance in the traditional realm, and his greed and ambition now have a new direction of expansion."

"Be careful, Morgan: maybe your Avalon is one of his targets, and when you and I are fighting at the edge of the galaxy for the fate of all mankind, maybe his claws are taking the opportunity to reach out to your land."

【……】

The Spider Queen blinked.

Johnson, maybe it's not as bad as you think? 】

[In any case, Killiman is also our brother, even the slightest flawed flesh and blood affection is the most precious thing in the galaxy, if he is really greedy, it is impossible not to know the value of his family relationship with us. 】

After thinking about it, Morgan decided to say two words for Killiman: although it was one of Morgan's plans to let the thick and powerful back of the Archon of Macullag carry the darkness of the Five Hundred Worlds and the Far East frontier at the same time, Morgan still felt fleeting guilt when he heard that an innocent Maculag had been so slandered by his brother.

Well, only a little.

"Morgan, I have never denied that Killiman is our brother: and that is why I am so disappointed in him, if he were only one of those stupid mortal rulers, then I would not pour out the slightest emotion in him."

Murmured words swirled between the lips and teeth of the First Legion's protogen, and Johnson paced slowly around his office before making his way to the cupboard on the left side of the room: from here, the Caliban, unexpectedly took out a bottle of wine, or two glasses, and returned it to Morgan.

【……】

When did you have these things in your room? 】

"What you left behind: the visit of the Vulcan brothers, do you remember?"

Johnson gave Morgan a glass, and then filled them both with wine, and he didn't seem to mean to drink, but slowly shook the glass, and watched the crimson swirl in silence, deep in thought.

"Like I said."

"I have never denied that Gilliman is our brother, the heir of the Emperor, nor that he possesses great abilities and skill, even better than most of our brothers: even Horus will feel real pressure in his presence."

"No one can be unwavering in the face of Killiman, who holds the Five Hundred Worlds and the Ultramarines Legion in his hands, not even me: whenever I think of the power he possesses, I feel instinctively restless and powerless."

"Especially, when such a huge force does not offer their loyalty to the emperor at all: Killiman is indeed very talented, but his talent is not for the emperor and the empire, he only has the territory of five hundred worlds in his heart, and he only has the crown of Otrama in his eyes, he does not understand the value of loyalty and dedication, and he does not want to understand, let alone pay for it."

"Under his rule, the whole of Maculag is a divided and greedy land, they do not consider themselves to be the subjects of the empire, they will not shed blood for the great cause of the empire, once there is a riot and war in the center of the galaxy, then the five hundred worlds will definitely not be a force we can count on: they will definitely choose to isolate themselves from the territory of the empire and enclose the territory to protect themselves."

【……】

[Do you think these accusations are too harsh, Johnson: If Killiman hears them, then you will face a duel from Maculag.] 】

Morgan crossed her legs, and she shook the red wine in her glass as well, uninterested in the wines from more than a decade ago: the words of the Calibans were more impactful than the wines in the glasses.

"Harsh?"

The Lord of the Dark Angels let out a short, rough laugh.

"Let me tell you, Morgan, I've met mortals from five hundred worlds, I know what they're thinking, and I can even assure you with certainty that if the Empire does have a crisis that requires us to go all out, the first thing the Makurags will do is to ask Killiman to distance himself from the entire Empire, and ask the Ultramarines to stay in their kingdom within a kingdom."

"I can trust Killiman's fundamental loyalty to the Emperor, but I have nothing to expect from the Makurags: and our brother, he will be held hostage by his people and live up to all of us expectations."

"What can you expect Killeman to do?"

"Even if you give him the clearest task, he will keep saying that he needs to be prepared, lay the groundwork, and be delayed by the slightest surprise: then nine times out of ten he will be late."

"But I can tell you, Morgan, none of these are the most serious: the most serious, our brother Macurag, who has put his five hundred worlds before the whole empire, and in his heart his Maculag is far more important than the Emperor's Holy Terra."

"Don't look at what he says, look at what he does."

"Here, I have a comment for you, and you must listen: when you get along with Killiman, you must be very cautious and rational, carefully discerning every one of his politicians' clichés, and not easily believing any of his promises."

"Believe me: if Killiman had the opportunity to mix sand with your legions, to infiltrate the forces of the Five Hundred Worlds into the Far Eastern Frontier, and to allow your kingdom to be gradually eroded by his smile, then he would do so."

"When you think Killiman has something else in mind: then don't hesitate, he must have something else in mind."

"Don't trust him completely, don't reveal your details to him, and most importantly: if you fight side by side, never put any hope in him, and would rather trust Riemannus than him."

"At the very least, if Riemann Ruth promised to help you, then he would bring everything his space wolf to fight for you, and Killiman would not, there is nothing more precious than his five hundred worlds, even if he made the most solemn promise, he will hesitate because of the safety and prosperity of the five hundred worlds."

【……】

【……】

These words......

How does it sound familiar?

Morgan frowned slightly, and she glanced at Johnson's face: the already serious eyebrows of the Lord of Caliban, because these vicious accusations in his mouth have turned into a kind of daunting coldness, even the most tragic war, it is difficult to make the Dark Angel's genetic prototype show such a face.

【……】

It looks like he really hates Killiman.

The Spider Empress's mind was thus greatly confused: although Killiman's ambition, like Perturabo's beloved soldier, had become a very familiar stereotype in Morgan's eyes, Johnson's jealousy and hostility towards Killiman seemed to be a little stronger than that of his other blood brothers.

It's like ......

If the Lord of Humanity had now issued an order for the Dark Angel and the Space Wolf to destroy the entire Five Hundred Worlds at the same time, then Riemanrus would definitely hesitate for a long time and look for a way to stop the tragedy, while Johnson would not hesitate in the slightest.

Morgan didn't even doubt that the Calibans could fire an extermination order at every world of Otlama without changing their faces: he must have enough reserves to carry out this great project.

【……】

So: why is this happening?

Is this a reason for character, or is it because of a hidden position?

Is the difference between the gendarme and the executioner in this insane ruthlessness?

Morgan stroked her chin, and she thought about these questions for a moment, and then looked at Johnson, who was still in a state of thought: when the Caliban told these ruins with an unchanging face, he did not pause or hesitate in the slightest, nor did he show a sickly breath because of the blood in these [vocations] as Conrad had done before.

It was as if he were saying something for granted, and was therefore rightfully hostile to one of his brothers: though they had never formally met or talked for a long time, all knowledge was through rumors that had long been distorted, and by the very biased reasoning and speculation that had smashed into their hearts.

【……】

Perhaps, this is what makes her genetic brothers have such a strange relationship with each other: arrogant nature, minimal communication, and bizarre rumors combine to create a desperate wall between the emperor's heirs.

When this wall was briefly broken down, even Johnson and Conrad were able to sit down and share barbecues, stories, and wine, and when this wall stood tall, a certain unlucky melon farmer in Macurag began to re-emerge as the top of the list of Galactic Careerists.

In a trance, the Spider Queen figured this out, and she smiled sarcastically: perhaps, even if she shattered the wall, the shining humanoid form of some of the genetic protos would be enough to isolate them from the rest of their brothers, and even gain even uglier fame and evaluation.

But even so......

【……】

If she had the chance, she still wanted to try it: if she gathered her own group of blood relatives, what kind of people would shine.

The corners of Morgan's mouth curled, and she raised the wine glass in her hand to salute Johnson.

[In any case, I still want to thank you for reminding me, brother: although I can't stop trading and communicating with Otlama for practical reasons, I will definitely take your warnings to heart. 】

"It's for the best."

Johnson nodded.

[But I'm still a little confused, Johnson: Is there really nothing to be gained from our brother Killiman?] 】

"Of course not."

The tone of the Caliban was calm.

"As I said before, Killiman is a very capable and skillful man, and these qualities of him are definitely worth learning from: if you can build the Far Eastern frontier into the shape of five hundred worlds, it will definitely be a great thing for the Empire."

[Really? 】

[For Divine Terra, the second five hundred worlds, is it really a good thing? 】

"Don't care what the mediocrities of the Terra government think, Morgan: you and Killiman are different, you will fight for the good of the empire in the Gothic Star Zone, and you will be here, suffering unknown sacrifices, and your Far Eastern frontier has never expanded into the heart of the galaxy, and has always been committed to exploiting the wilderness of those marginal areas."

"I wouldn't have any complaints about Killiman if he could do what you did, instead of expanding his Five Hundred Worlds all the way to the Maelstrom and locking his Ultramarines next to Otlama."

"But the reality is that from all of Killiman's actions, we can all know that in his heart, his kingdom within a kingdom is above everything in the galaxy."

"Well, that's my attitude: I recognize his abilities and merits, but I don't think he's a trustworthy brother, a comrade-in-arms worthy of deep friendship."

"Don't trust him, don't count on him, don't rely on him: that's all."

【……】

[I'll remember, Johnson.] 】

"You have to remember."

The Calibans laughed.

——————

【……】

Really.

These words sound familiar......

——————

About two Terra standard hours after Morgan left, a somewhat tired Luther knocked on Johnson's office door.

"Johnson."

"I have something to report."

“……”

This voice, which had not been heard for a long time, caused the Lord of Caliban to come to a brief standstill, and he immediately let Luthor in, and quickly fell into more stagnation.

No matter how many times he had seen it: when he found that the impression of his adoptive father and his right and left hands, faded from the old rickets, and slowly appeared in front of him with the vigor and vigor of a young man, Johnson had to admit that there would be a certain touch in his steel heart.

Johnson knew why Luthor had become like this: it was no secret that the Lord of the Second Legion had personally done the work to help Luthor regain his youth, whether it was the whispers of the Dawnbreakers or the reports of the Dark Angels, Johnson knew everything in every detail.

The Caliban felt that he should be grateful to his blood relatives for this: he had had this idea for a long time, but he had always forgotten to implement it because he was so busy.

"Sit, Luther."

After a moment's pause, the Lord of the Dark Angels gestured to the seat at his desk: Morgan had been sitting here two hours earlier, and she and Luther were the only two occupants of this chair, after all, Cothwayne could only stand and report.

"I thought you'd come in a moment before the next war began: you'd better bring enough debriefings and work content to make sure I'm not slacking off."

Johnson raised his eyelids, and he stared at Luther's face very seriously: the old knight of Caliban still maintained that weathered countenance, which he had asked Morgan to keep, and for Johnson, it was the only memory he could find in Luther.

"Rest assured, Johnson, I know exactly what my responsibilities are, and I have not neglected them."

Luther spoke his words slowly but firmly, and the somewhat hoarse Caliban voice made Johnson's irritability visibly exhausted.

"Why only now?"

“……”

Luthor was silent for a moment: he didn't tell Johnson, and if Morgan hadn't found him and cheered him up, the Lord of Caliban might have to wait a few days for Luthor to come to his door.

But it's better not to talk about things like this.

"I've brought a debrief, Johnson, and you should take a look at it."

Luthor didn't answer the original body's words, he directly handed the thick stack of documents in his hand to the Lord of Caliban, and Johnson didn't pursue Luther's [arrogance], he just took the summary of the numbers and tables, and frowned without leaving a trace.

"Summarize what it's about, Luther."

"Okay."

Hearing this, the old knight of Caliban just nodded and closed his eyes, he didn't look the slightest surprised.

"This document is my final conclusion, after using all the powers at my disposal, after field visits, personal communication, and review of all relevant materials that I have been allowed to see: Johnson, I say all this just to tell you that my next words are extremely reliable and not groundless."

"Well, let's talk about it."

The genogen nodded.

“……”

"Johnson, do you remember how many soldiers were in the First Legion that greeted you before the Second Randan War, when you returned to the Empire as a genetic prototype?"

"Of course I remember: 60,000 to 80,000, when it was first called, there were almost 60,000, but considering that a large number of left-behind troops did not rush back at that time, and the arrival of the Randan War broke the statistical process, it is estimated that the number of the First Army at that time could be at most 80,000."

"Yes, sixty thousand to eighty thousand, all veterans conscripted from Holy Terra or Granmaye, most of whom have even served in the Emperor's court, you are not an unattainable commander to them."

“……”

"What do you want to say, Luther?"

"I want to say ......"

Luthor sighed.

"Do you know how many of these Terra veterans are left, these Terra veterans who served in the First Legion before you returned?"

“……”

Johnson blinked, he fell into hesitation, because he couldn't find that exact answer in his brain, he hadn't paid attention to the question for a long time.

Luther sighed again.

"One-third, Johnson."

"At most, only a third remains."

"That is to say, there are only twenty or thirty thousand Terra veterans left in the entire Dark Angel Legion, with these people as the core, plus forty or fifty thousand Caliban fighters who have experienced the baptism of the Randan War, as well as thousands of immature recruits, it is already the entire strength of the entire Dark Angel Legion."

"At the height of the Second Randan War, the entire First Army had nearly 200,000 troops, but now, this number has fallen to less than half of what it used to be."

“……”

"But we won, Luther."

"The Empire has won, Ran Dan has been swept away as a loser, and the last remnants of their party will soon disappear under our next offensive: do you have any doubts about that?"

"No, of course not."

Luthor shook his head, but from his countenance Johnson did not see the acknowledgment of his words: it made his mood fall into gloom for a moment.

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"I want to say, Johnson: if the war really ended at this time, then I would not have come to you at all, the losses of the First Army, although very large, but in the face of a complete victory, it is nothing."

"But the problem is that this won't be a complete victory, because the whole Legion is now spreading rumors that we are about to be thrown into a bigger war?"

"It's not a rumor, Luther."

Johnson Tie stiffened his face.

"We're really going to be in the next war, and we're going to leave tomorrow."

"An even more formidable opponent?"

"It won't be easier than Ran Dan."

"With our current legion? A remnant army of less than 100,000 men? ”

"No matter what time it is, the First Legion will not be a remnant: watch your wording!"

“……”

Luthor raised his hand: Despite the looming anger of the Caliban Lion, Luthor looked more calm and confident without the fear he had had been years earlier.

"If you must continue this war, I will not stop you, but I also have to inform you, Johnson: with these forces at your disposal, it will be difficult to face an enemy that is even more difficult than the Randan Empire."

"You think I'm going to lose?"

"It doesn't matter if we win or lose, Johnson: the important thing is that if we go to war without preparation, we will not be able to carry out the emperor's orders in the best possible condition, and this will undoubtedly betray his trust."

“……”

"Isn't it?"

“……”

Johnson's eyes widened, and his countenance turned into [astonishment] for a moment, and it didn't dissipate for a long time: Luthor's words, and his face full of helplessness and persuasion, appeared clearly in front of his eyes, and his right and left hand was using the words of the original body to crush the stubbornness of the original body himself.

He even looked calm, and there was not much fear of the original in his eyebrows: if it had been the former Luther, it would have been absolutely impossible to do this: Johnson was sure.

“……”

Damn, what the hell did Luthor go through with Avalon?

Johnson gritted his teeth, and he could hear his words becoming a little oppressive.

"What do you want to express, Luther?"

"Postpone this war, Johnson, until we have replenished enough troops to make the necessary rest and replenishment: two large-scale wars cannot be fought consecutively, and I think you are well aware of that."

"Impossible!"

The words of the original body are categorical.

“……”

Luthor was silent for a moment, he didn't look more surprised, just as if he saw the face of another genetic protogen in Johnson's face, and let out a long sigh.

"Well, I should know you're not going to agree with that: it's my problem, and I've been in so much of a relaxed environment over the last few years that I've missed it."

What does easy mean?

Before such confusion could be answered in Johnson's mind, Luthor had already proposed his replacement plan.

"At the very least, you should recruit the remaining troops from the Caliban, the new blood who have completed their training, and the number of legions must exceed 100,000, which is necessary for us to continue fighting."

Luthor leaned forward, his tone very sincere: this sincerity was what Johnson valued most.

"Please, Johnson, you can put yourself in the shoes of your warriors, and you can understand that the war cannot continue in this situation: we can't even fill the battle line between the stars, we must have more warriors!"

——————

“……”

Empathy......

Johnson blinked: none of the other words that Luthor had spoken bitterly had been listened to, they had dissipated like phantoms in water, but the words that were new enough to evoke enough memories for him were so clear.

“……”

The Lord of Caliban fell silent, and he was silent for almost a minute, until Luthor's words died down unconsciously, and he looked at the genetic protoplasm with some uneasiness.

“…… Luther. ”

"I'm here."

“……”

"Do you think we should solve the problem of insufficient troops in the Legion?"

"Of course."

“……”

Johnson blinked.

——————

So, from Luthor's point of view, what should he do?

……

Johnson quickly thought of the answer: for the genetic proto, the answer was not complicated.

——————

"Luther!"

The Lord of Caliban stood up sharply, and he looked at his adoptive father and his left and right hands mercilessly, and with absolute majesty and command, he told the people in front of him the results of his thoughts.

"I'm here, Johnson."

"From this day onwards, all your duties on the front are permanently suspended, and I order you to return to Caliban to carry out the task of gathering troops and recruiting new blood, and to complete it as quickly as possible to meet the needs of the legions."

“……”

Johnson paused, then added.

"From your standpoint, this is definitely the best choice."

(End of chapter)