"Terra is the center of everything, it is the beginning and end of empires, and the only throne world of the entire human civilization. Some things are destined to start only in this land, and some things are destined to end only in this land. ”

"That's what they say."

"There are very few people who wouldn't say that."

"They also said that just as a blade that has not been sharpened cannot be used to kill, that it has not returned to Holy Terra, that it has witnessed the genetic prototype of the human home planet, it is not really a return to the Empire: at least when I returned, they said so, that we are like old Viking warriors, and Holy Terra is our Valhalla."

"If you want me to say that...... Ha, these guys have certainly never been to Fenris, they haven't been sharpened to kill, but they are everywhere on my home planet: some weapons are artificially forged, and some weapons are born to kill. ”

"We are the latter, and we can only be the latter."

——————

In its forty-six standard years of Terra's service, the Najrfa has never been more glorious than it has been: three progenitors have chosen to ride it for the final leg of the journey to Holy Terra.

At this moment, almost three months have passed since the Human Empire completely erased the [Lost Original], and the clouds of war in the shadows have disappeared, and hundreds of colonies and merchants who have been impatient for a long time are advancing towards the northern frontier of the galaxy like the tide of the flood season, and in their revelry, there is a huge fleet that has silently completed its self-disintegration, turned into several torrents, and headed to the hinterland of the Human Empire.

The one called Alpha completely dissipated into the gloom, as if no one knew how they came into existence or how they left.

The one named Space Wolf roared and went to his home planet: Fenris was not particularly far from the capital of the Randan Empire and the killing fields of the Lost Original, so Riemanrus did not choose to go with his heirs, he let his most trusted Thirteenth Company Commander ride the Queen of Glory back to his home planet, and he himself went to the capital of the Human Empire with his brothers and sisters.

On the other side, Morgan's choice is not much different from that of Riemanrus, her [Goddess of Dawn] carried the greatly damaged Avalon Auxiliary Army and a considerable part of the Dawnbreaker Expeditionary Force to return to the Far Eastern Frontier first, only the Spider Queen herself carried enough heirs to complete the recruitment task on the Holy Terra, and embarked on a journey to the home planet of mankind: the reason why there is no Glorious Queen with the legion is purely because in the long cooperation between Morgan and the Casting World Rezana for more than ten years, the [Dawning Goddess] It's already impregnated with too much of the secrets that belong to Reza, and it wouldn't be wise to let it appear in the field of view of Mars.

In the end, the only Queen of Glory who could go to Holy Terra was the Dark Angel Legion's Indomitable Truth, and this battleship was so badly damaged in the previous war that none of the other Genogens except for the stubborn Johnson chose it as their ship

Thus, [Najifar], the ship of doom made from the fingernails of the dead in the ancient Norse mythology of Terra, which brought the calamity of Ragnarok, carried a digital genetic prototype and embarked on a journey to the home planet of mankind.

Now, the journey is nearing its end, and as soon as this current subspace voyage is over, the capital of the empire will appear in the pupils of the genetic protogens.

——————

[So, how about the Valhalla, the Holy Terra?] 】

“……”

"Do you want to listen to good words, or do you want to listen to swear words?"

[Listen to the truth.] 】

"That'...... It's a bit difficult. ”

Riemanruth smiled.

"But then again, why do you want to listen to a barbarian's evaluation: it's been decades since I returned to the Empire, and there have never been a few people who want to use my evaluation as the basis for their judgment of things."

[For I am well acquainted with history, my brother Fenris, and I know very well that those who know best about the inner workings of the great empire, and who are most certain of its strength, will not be the emperor of the empire, nor the ruling bureaucrats, nor the generals, soldiers, merchants, or peasants, but the barbarians who wander inside and outside the empire, and whose beastly gaze is more deadly than that of the so-called civilized man. 】

[Just as it was not any Roman emperor who really discovered Rome's dying moments, but the Goths and Vandals: in the end, it was they who killed the Western Roman Empire.] 】

"These words of yours seem to mean something, my dear blood relative, after all, barbarian does not seem to be a very good term for any empire."

[No, I think it's the opposite: there will never really be a so-called barbarian in this world, and only when a group of people rise up first and claim to be empires and civilized people, will they contemptuously call others barbarians: barbarian is never a noun, he is an adjective by analogy. 】

[Therefore, if it were not for the need for certain groups of people to remain ferocious and savage, if it were not for the contempt of the high bureaucrats for the wisdom of some wilderness, how could there be barbarians: no one wants to become barbarians on their own initiative, and those who call themselves barbarians are either forced by force. Or they are bound by some greater responsibilities and have to pay their own sacrifices for the Empire. 】

[After all, there are many kinds of sacrifices: it is not necessarily just the need to shed blood, but for the greater good, it may also be the individual's nature, wisdom, reputation, wishes, and true heart. 】

[From this point of view, the barbarians are also great, aren't they?] 】

“……”

“……”

"I have to say, Morgan, you really don't look like the daughter of a full father."

How so? 】

After all, although the whole father occasionally has patience with others, he is willing to use something more ...... in all the things that really matter A simple and clear way to express your thoughts. ”

"You are more like Lord Makado than your father."

"Yes......"

"You are very similar to Lord Machado."

[Can I understand this sentence as a compliment?] 】

"Absolutely: in fact, it's the highest I can give to others."

"I can't think of a better word."

【……】

[At this point, you are not much like our father, Ruth. 】

"How can a feather compare to an eagle: but maybe you can, Morgan."

[That's really flattering: don't you answer my question, brother.] 】

"Let me think about ...... first"

The Wolf King's eyes narrowed, the waves in the middle of a subspace voyage made him feel a little nervous, but soon, the Fenris gave a definite answer.

"You know, Morgan: my home planet, Fenris, is a world completely controlled by ice and fire, half of the year is ice-free, half of the year is on fire, and all the landmasses of that world exist in the form of archipelagos, accompanied by drastic geographical and climatic changes, sinking or floating, never determined."

"However, in the North Pole of Fenris, there is only one exception: it is a continent called Asaheim, isolated by cliffs thousands of feet high, it is the only stable massif in the entire Fenris world, the origin of countless lives, and the sacred place in the hearts of the Fenris people."

"So, in my opinion, Divine Terra is to this galaxy what Asahim is to Fenris: it may not be our only choice, and we may not necessarily build around it, but it is a stable cornerstone, a kind of destined destination, no matter what hegemony humanity has established in the galaxy, what kind of victory it has reaped, it is also a kingdom on the ice floes, an island that may sink at any time, and only Divine Terra is the strongest core of our race, Even if we lose in the galaxy, as long as there is this great world, we will rise again. ”

"Now, our Father is proof of this: with a small corner of the Holy Terra as a starting point, the empire of humanity can encompass the entire chaotic galaxy."

"Correspondingly, even if we win more victories in the outside world, the final dispute will definitely stay in this world: wherever we are, we will eventually come back and use this place as a battlefield to decide everything."

[Everything? 】

“…… yes......"

Riemanruth touched his head.

"Seriously, Morgan, I can't find any argument for this idea, but in the underworld, that's what I think: it seems like a ridiculous fantasy, but it could also be a fate."

"Terra will be the end of everything, only it is worthy of this great and tragic identity, and one day, we will come back and experience the greatest war here."

【……】

[Hopefully this is just a joke, Ruth.] 】

"Of course, Morgan, I wish it was just my nonsense more than you do."

Who knows......]

The Lord of Avalon replied almost in a whisper to his brother, and for a moment, both of the protogens fell into a kind of silence, immersed in their own thoughts or concerns, and thus the corner of the bridge fell silently into the night.

But this silence did not last long.

"Where's that little henchman next to you?"

【…… Conrad, you say? 】

"yes, he didn't follow you: I haven't seen him in a while."

[Conrad has grown up, and now he has a life of his own: if I'm not mistaken, he should be immersed in his studies right now, after all, after this trip to Terra, he will be joining his Astarte Legion, and now, this kid is filling his knowledge base in every way. 】

"Immerse yourself in the ......"

"Reading?"

"There's a library on my ship? How did I not know? This is a big failure. ”

[He brought his own book: Conrad was even trying to write his own book.] 】

"What does he want to write?"

[I don't know, he is quite private in this regard, and he is hiding it in front of me, and he refuses to say anything when I beat him up. 】

"Well, that's ......"

“……”

Riemannus blinked.

Did he just hear something wrong?

"As for Johnson, I haven't seen that guy much lately."

[He locked himself in the secret room of the Indomitable Truth, and no one entered, not even me, and I hadn't seen him for many days, but he had been handling the Legion's official duties, and Coswayne was in charge of delivering it to the door, and I would pick it up the next day, and I checked it, and the completion was even better than before. 】

"Maybe Johnson is just taking the time to calm down, after all, when we go through the war, we have no choice but to recklessly invest everything at hand, but after the victory, after counting how much we have paid, even the hardest people will have to bleed their hearts because of these painful losses."

[Don't worry about him.] Johnson was never a fragile man. 】

"Of course I'm not worried about him, I know his [hardness] better than you do, Morgan, after all, my face is strong enough to get through his fists, and that guy's temper and heart are as hard as Fenris's glacier."

"I just hope he'll be able to adjust his mindset before we get to the Holy Terra, or at least get back to the way he used to be: after all, unlike the rest of us, Johnson is going to show his head on the Holy Terra."

"As you may have heard, the Emperor has ordered the demolition of the statue of our fallen brother in Qunying Square, and the hundreds of tons of white marble that made it up are to be used to create a new relief on the long staircase in front of the Palace: this relief will be used to boast of the exploits of the First Legion."

"Although we can never say for sure what it was, it is a great honor for any Legion, and it may not be proportional to the actual sacrifice of the First Legion, but it can be regarded as a limited supplement, and in this case, Johnson and his senior officers must be present."

[Yes, you are right, Riemanlus, Johnson must be present on this occasion, and must be dressed up, and he will certainly be present at it: if he has not yet come out of his chamber after we arrive in the solar system, I will go and drag him out.] 】

“……”

"Well, I don't think anyone from the Dark Angels will stop you, at least on this issue: after all, I heard that you got this relief from the Emperor?"

[Just mention it casually.] 】

"Even if it's mentioned casually, it's a great favor, after all, the Lord of the First Legion wouldn't do such a thing: I'm curious at this point, why don't you get a relief for my Legion or the Daybreaker?"

[Do you want relief?] 】

"Of course not: to carve the heads of me and my cubs into the wall, and let the mortals who come and go judge their character until tens of thousands of years from now? Spare me, for the mere thought of the countless mortals surrounding my statues, boasting of feats that I can't even think of myself, makes my scalp tingle. ”

[Me too: If I want a statue, why not erect my statue in Avalon or the entire Far Eastern Frontier, but in Sacred Terra?] 】

The two progenitors looked at each other, and then let out an unspoken laugh.

"From that point of view, those Calibans are really easy to satisfy."

[It's better to say that a few of us are too different. 】

"How many?"

[Not to mention the Alpha Brothers, who disappeared without a trace after that war, it was our Conrad: I asked him if he wanted to place his statue on the steps in front of the palace, and he asked me with a serious face, did he make me angry lately, and let me take revenge on him like this?] 】

"Hahahaha......"

Riemanruth grinned, and he smiled happily.

"I like that kid: at least I don't really hate him."

[Conrad? Tell me what you like about him, Riemanrus? 】

"He saw everything thoroughly, and he saw himself very thoroughly, and the latter was especially valuable: although he could not understand the answers to many questions, he knew not to force himself, and for this alone he was better than many of our brothers."

[This may be another kind of self-defeating, my brother.] 】

"Decadence is not a kind of happiness, and sometimes, chasing too much about what you are not destined to get will only add to your own troubles, and it will also cause trouble to others around you: don't you?"

【……】

Morgan's eyes narrowed, and instead of turning her head, she glanced at Riemanrus with a wisp of her gaze: sure enough, she saw the smiling face of the Fenris, and the wolf-like vision was hidden in the golden hair.

What do you want to say, my brother? 】

"It's nothing, it's just that the topic we just discussed reminds me of something: since the First Legion is about to get its own glory on Holy Terra, and can even make an exception for a large-scale conscription, will special treatment like this kindle the fire in the hearts of one of our brothers again, and about the war commander?"

[Again?] 】

Has it ever been extinguished? 】

"Without you, the casualties of these two wars would have been enough to quench anyone's desire to go further, Morgan: Johnson is just paranoid at times, but he's not a self-aware guy."

【……】

[Until now, he has sincerely thought that his popularity is very good. 】

“……”

"I mean: most of the time, he's pretty self-aware."

Riemanrus raised his eyebrows, and he regretted that he had spoken too much.

"But to tell you the truth, Morgan, don't talk to Johnson: I really think that our Caliban brothers are not very suitable for the position of commander, and I don't think Ferus is suitable for the position of commander."

[Why?] 】

"Although Ferus and Johnson are impeccable in terms of military command, you and I should both know very well that the position of commander is more important than the so-called command, in fact, communication and coordination."

"There has never been a shortage of talented military strategists in the primordial body, and our blood relatives have staged all sorts of military miracles in the galaxy: what we really lack is an intermediary who can unite us all, and mediate the conflicts between brothers, and coordinate cooperation between legions, which is the responsibility of the position of war commander."

"In this regard, if you tie Johnson and Ferus together, and multiply it by ten, it is not as good as a finger of Horus, we don't need to say much about the Caliban, you may not know Ferus very well, he is a figure who doesn't even want to coordinate with his home planet, let him manage these political things, it is better to kill him with a knife."

"Don't look at how much Ferrus cares about the position of commander now, once he realizes what this position is for, then he will definitely give up the competition for the commander."

"And Johnson may realize this, and choose to compete for the commander, but he will never be able to compete with Horus, after all, if I have to rely on my conscience to choose a suitable commander for the empire, Horus is indeed much more suitable than Johnson."

【…… Johnson isn't bad either. 】

"No, that's not what I meant: you haven't been with Horus for too long, Morgan, you don't know him as a man, he's so perfect, so invulnerable, even if the Emperor's commander can only be Horus, I don't think there will be many Primordials who feel more dissatisfaction."

"I even suspect that the Emperor wanted to appoint Horus as the commander."

"Or, if you ask Johnson, he may feel that he is inferior to Horus."

[Even if it were true, I don't think Johnson would admit it: at least not verbally.] 】

"That's because you don't know him well enough."

[I don't know Johnson well enough? 】

[Then who else can understand Johnson?] 】

The Spider Queen's accent even had a very pronounced upturn when he asked, as if a veteran scholar had been questioned about a simple truth in his field, and Morgan's voice showed a certain instinctive sarcasm and confidence.

In the face of this inflated confidence, Riemannus, who was originally just casually fighting back, could only nod unwillingly after remaining silent for a period of time.

"I can't think of an answer, maybe you know Johnson best: but then again, since you know him best, you should know that his personality is not actually suitable for the position of war commander."

【……】

Morgan tilted her head, one strand of her hair caressing her cheek, covering her turquoise pupils, like catkins on a spring day covering a cold pool blown by the breeze.

[I understand what you mean, my brother Ruth: You repented? You don't want to vote for Johnson anymore? 】

“……”

"Does that make you angry?"

Ruth asked tentatively.

Morgan shook his head.

[No, of course not, it's just perfectly normal. 】

[Frankly speaking, if you insist on supporting Johnson and voting for him, I will feel that something is wrong with your brain. 】

"Maybe."

The wolf king scratched the back of his head and laughed a little embarrassedly.

[Compared to this, I'm actually more curious about another question: If you don't vote for Johnson, considering that you and Ferus don't seem to have any friendship, then you plan to vote for Horus? Or remain neutral? 】

"I don't know, Morgan."

"I respect Horus, and I consider him my good brother, but for some reason you don't know, the two of us are not destined to get too close: I wanted to be neutral on this matter, or to support Horus in favor of him."

"But now, I have some new ideas: to dismiss Johnson's feelings directly is a bit too cold, and to continue to support him is a bit inconsistent with some wild philosophy in my heart."

"I always thought that philosophy occupies very little in your heart. 】

"It's really rare, that's why it's all the more worth cherishing, isn't it?"

The Wolf King smiled open-mindedly.

[Well, my brother, then please tell me, what kind of solution have you come up with? 】

"To put it simply, there are two ways."

"The first one is."

Riemanrus blinked, and his pupils burned with a blazing flame belonging to Fenris, which was projected directly on Morgan's body, which made the Lord of Avalon feel a little uneasy: it was like a socially phobic audience member watching a play and suddenly found himself invited to the stage to participate in the performance.

"Morgan."

【…… Well? 】

"Are you interested in running for Commander?"

【……】

[Huh?! 】

Morgan's eyes widened.

What do you say? 】

The Wolf King seemed calm, even very patient.

"I said: Are you interested in running for the commander, I'd be happy to vote for you, and I'm pretty sure you'll have at least two or three votes: that's a pretty big number."

【……】

[Two or three votes? 】

"You wouldn't think Conrad voted for Johnson in support of him, would you?"

"If you want to be a commander, I don't think Conrad would mind being your hardcore vote, and on the other hand, I've heard that Killiman, Magnus, and Perturab don't have a bad relationship with you, and these Primordials don't have a close relationship with Horus, so maybe you can win them over."

【……】

How do you know this? 】

Morgan's voice became serious, and Riemanrus grinned wildly.

"The instinct of the gendarme, or the dog's nose that the Emperor's hounds need: whatever you may think, Morgan, this proposal of mine carries no malice, and you should be taken as another nonsense of mine."

"Tell me, Morgan."

"Do you want to be a war commander?"

【……】

What if I say no. 】

"Then you need to answer my other question, which is the second proposal."

【…… Go ahead. 】

"Well, Morgan......"

"Tell me."

"Do you want to rule over the Commander?"

【…… What do you mean? 】

"Literally: just as a hound needs a collar, just as a horse needs a rein, and a dangerous position like a war commander naturally needs his overseers and gendarmes."

"You're interested, or rather, you have the guts and the responsibility."

"Do you want to be [the collar of the war commander]?"

(End of chapter)