+ My daughter, do you remember how many years this great expedition has been going on? ＋

[Of course I remember, father.] 】

[Based on the subspace-driven timer and the Imperial Historical Records at my disposal, it has now been almost ninety-five Terra standard years since you embarked on this great expedition on the Holy Terra. 】

+ Do you remember, when did you return to the Empire? ＋

[If you mean the time that would be recognized by the official archives of the Empire: I met you twenty years ago, in the seventy-seventh year of the Great Expedition of Terra, on an unnamed planet, and then I swore allegiance to you, and with your permission, reunited with my Dawnbreaker Legion.] 】

[And if you are referring to the first time I participated in the internal affairs of the Empire, then the Dawn Star Incident was about forty-three years ago, that is, the fifty-second year of the Great Expedition: it was the first time I participated in a major event of the Empire, and of course, about two years before the Dawn Star Incident, I had already left my homeland world and joined the expeditionary fleet of the Thousand Sons Legion as a mortal officer. 】

As the sun slowly descended its noonday throne and gradually slid down the mountains to the west, the emperor and his daughter continued to walk in the deep garden.

At this moment, Morgan showed extraordinary well-behaved, she lowered her head slightly, quietly followed behind the emperor, and answered the questions of her genetic father in concise language.

And after giving his own answer, the natural cautious mentality also made the Lord of Avalon turn his head sideways, frowning because of the slight lack of rigor in the answer.

So, Morgan added.

[Of course, considering that the Empire has not had a completely uniform calendar until now, and even the methods of calculating time vary from one expeditionary fleet to another, plus the influence of subspace navigation itself: in the records of some regions, there may be a more or less discrepancy in the numbers I have just answered, in the range of about ten years.] 】

The emperor didn't look back, he just listened quietly to Morgan's words, and bowed his head.

+ Indeed, in some of the documents and archives of the Terra Ministry of the Interior, the Great Expedition has been more than a hundred years old, and it is true that they have spent at least a decade longer in some of the remote star fields under the Empire's rule than the rest of the Empire. ＋

+ These temporal errors are not particularly serious of the countless problems that must be encountered in managing the vast system of empires, after all, after all, we can still have a general understanding of the passage of time. ＋

+ For example, while there are still many contradictions over the details, there is one thing that the entire human empire agrees on from top to bottom: the Great Expedition has been going on for a century since I started my army in Terra. ＋

As he spoke, the emperor stopped.

He stood at a fork in the road, lined with high walls of shrubs and all sorts of ancient plants, and through these dense but unwindswept guards, he could faintly hear the murmuring of water on the other side of the wall, and the muffled murmur of some midnight ghost: they didn't seem to be far from the square, but the cold air was very different from the warmth of the public.

The emotion of the Lord of Mankind condensed into a frost-colored mist in the cold air.

+ A century, for the commoners of the empire, this is two to three generations, or even four or five generations, long enough for them to forget the history of their ancestors. Or it can make a powerful country under the stars disappear into smoke and no one will remember it. ＋

+ A century: For those of the first worlds to be conquered by the Empire in the early days of the Great Expedition, their new generations may have long been accustomed to the days of peace and military protection under the banner of the Double-headed Eagle. ＋

+ Their ancestors may have fought side by side with the expeditionary forces of the Empire to overthrow the warlords or alien slave owners who had oppressed them for generations, their fathers may have witnessed the majesty of the Astarte Legions, the shadows of the Empire's warships across the sky, and in their generation, in the generation of their sons or grandchildren, the innate peace will be the theme, they will forget the war between the stars, and they will take the Great Expedition as a distant legend, As an antique that existed in the last century with jokes. ＋

+ They will forget the sufferings of the past, they will laugh at the sacrifices of the past, they will be frenzied by the small frustrations and rebellions of peaceful life, or they will question why they should give their labor and wealth for an expedition that will take place countless light years away. ＋

Why die for Poland. 】

Morgan whispered, but that didn't soften the seriousness on the face of the Lord of Humanity.

+ It's inevitable. ＋

The Emperor sighed, and behind him, his own daughter, apparently untouched by his sadness: Morgan's voice was still cold when she spoke.

But isn't that what you've been looking forward to since the beginning, father? 】

Morgan grinned.

[Drag the entire galaxy out of the reign of war and aliens, so that the newborns of the empire born a century later can enjoy a luxurious and peaceful life: isn't it because of this that you started this great expedition?] 】

[It's just that this situation has happened prematurely to a group of lucky people: so much so that the onset of human inertia has had a negative impact on the entire Great Expedition.] 】

[Because of the advent of the Great Expedition, the galaxy now has such a scene: there are always people who are going through suffering and need to be saved from the flames of war, and there is always another group of people who will think that peace is cheap, innate, and what they deserve. 】

[It is almost impossible for these two groups of people to have any contact and empathy, but we have to get more materials and supplies from the latter group to save the previous group. 】

[Therefore, it is also very reasonable for the latter group to have dissatisfaction: not all people are noble saints, and human selfishness is our innate original sin. 】

After deftly spitting out this uncomplicated truth, the Lord of Avalon frowned, and she deliberately made the confusion in her mind appear clear in front of the emperor, and appeared sincere.

[I don't think you don't understand what I just said, father, after all, you have spent almost 30,000 years as a mortal, and you should understand the darkness better than I do. 】

+ Of course, my daughter. ＋

The Emperor nodded, and he walked slowly to the statue that had been standing at the fork in the road: a two-headed eagle carved out of marble, its two heads each pointing to a passage.

On one side, there was a wide exit glowing with an afternoon glow, leading to the square where the Emperor and Morgan had come, with a fountain of breezes and jewels that originated outside the palace, with the Praetorian Army, the Primordial Body, and everything in the sun.

On the other side, there is a somewhat dimly lit entrance that leads to a complex labyrinth hidden in shadow in the depths of the garden, a realm that almost no one has ever visited, a natural place to pour out any secrets.

+ Of course I understand all that you have just said, Morgan, and I am only here to explain to you some of the things I have heard before. ＋

As he spoke, the Emperor laughed, a somewhat gloating smile.

+ After all, the Sealbearers have complained to me more than once that the Empire's tax-collecting teams have encountered subtle resistance in those worlds that have been at peace for a long time, and that too many of the worlds that had been rescued by the Empire a few decades or a hundred years ago were no longer willing to contribute their taxes for a great expedition they did not understand: they took the protection and quiet life of the Empire as their rightful right. ＋

+ Machado has complained in my ear many times about this issue, so I can only come to you to confide in you: of course, if you want, this confiding can also lead to another secret staircase. ＋

The voice of the Lord of Humanity slowed, and the last hint of banter between his words gradually faded away.

+ After all, most of the world's secrets begin with a story, a little joke, or an inconsequential small talk, don't they? ＋

The Lord of Humanity, who was standing in front of the Double-Headed Eagle, turned to his daughter and smiled mysteriously, a smile that stunned the Lord of Avalon, and lowered his eyebrows, waiting for the Emperor's next words.

+ Which way do you want to go, Morgan? ＋

The emperor stood there, impartial, right in the middle of the two paths, giving the power of choice to his daughter.

+ Which path are you going to take: do you want to leave here or do you want to keep going? ＋

【……】

Morgan was silent.

【……】

She wasn't silent for long.

[Is this my choice, father?] 】

+ When have I forced you? ＋

A rhetorical question from the Emperor silenced the Lord of Avalon for even longer, and when she poked her head out of the confusion in her heart, she heard only a long sigh of her own.

Then, perhaps just a few seconds of pretending to struggle, Morgan stepped forward and stood silently at the intersection of the obscure path, like a waiter, respectfully waiting for her genetic father.

"Please first, father. 】

+ Of course. ＋

The Emperor smiled.

He didn't seem surprised by that.

In this way, the Lord of Mankind strode towards the passage, and as he passed his daughter, the Emperor did not forget to pat Morgan on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow.

They walked about a hundred meters before the Emperor spoke again.

+ What do you think we should do if we are to deal with the question I just raised, and if we want to deal with the tax dilemma that palm printmakers face in so many worlds? ＋

Morgan looked up slightly, glanced at the emperor's back, and replied fluently.

[The Far Eastern Frontier has been less than a generation since its founding, and I have yet to encounter a problem similar to this, but judging by my experience alone, we can solve this problem through propaganda, education, and other gray means. 】

[In essence, this is actually the world that has been subdued, and there is not enough sense of identity with the large collective of the human empire: they are not proud to be the subjects of the human empire, and the concept of the empire is too ethereal in their hearts. 】

[A salvation a hundred years ago, how can we expect allegiance a hundred years later: mortals are always good at forgetting, they will not tell this kindness to the next generation in its entirety, and the next generation may not have enough sympathy. 】

[If we want to solve this problem fundamentally, we need to let the concept of empire take root in the hearts of the people, but this is bound to be an unusually large project. Neither the time nor the resources required, nor even the personnel required to carry out this activity were destined to be enormous: I could not imagine how difficult it would be to carry it out even in the demarcated region of the Far Eastern Frontier. 】

[It may be more difficult than the Great Expedition.] 】

+ Not perhaps, but definitely. ＋

The emperor did not look back.

+ The Great Expedition is not the end: The Great Expedition is just our ticket to the real challenges, and when we have achieved the victory of the Great Expedition, we can really do those meaningful things. ＋

[That's true.] 】

Morgan nodded.

[But it's too far away to say all of this now, isn't it?] 】

＋…… ＋

The emperor didn't retort his daughter's chuckle, and Morgan's pupils swirled, reflecting a hint of cunning.

[Of course: if you want to, it's not like there's no way to cheat.] 】

[At least in Luo Jia's hands, there is the current solution: religion is undoubtedly a powerful weapon to shape a sense of identity, as long as it is played well, it is enough to cross the sea of stars and unite the entire human empire into one force. 】

[It's just that you don't like this solution very much.] 】

+ That's the ultimate solution. ＋

The Lord of Mankind only paused, and it was extremely rare for him not to completely reject the question of religion in Morgan's mouth.

+ If everything is worse than I thought, maybe I'll have to choose that solution: but for now, it's not that bad, let's put it on hold. ＋

+ I really don't want to pick it. ＋

The Emperor sighed.

+ In addition, as you said, the problem of identity in the various worlds is indeed a very serious problem, but we do not have time to deal with it now: just to maintain the daily operation of the entire empire and to promote the conduct of the great expedition has already consumed almost all of the empire's resources and administrative capacity. ＋

+ Only when we have come to the end of this Great Crusade, or when the main phase of the Great Crusade has come to an end, will we be able to devote more energy to these issues of people's livelihood: and at that time, I will leave the front line of the Great Crusade and return to Terra, and reorganize the War Council into the Council of Terra, and let the mortal lords come to power. ＋

[Will this change be a little too abrupt? 】

+ It was abrupt: but we didn't have time to come to ease. ＋

The emperor seemed to know everything, and he knew well the problems on Morgan's mind.

+ Just as we don't care about these issues of identity now, at that time, I can't care about making the process seem amiable: it will take me more than a decade or more. ＋

The figure of the Lord of Humanity was gradually engulfed by the haze ahead, and just as they were about to walk into the labyrinth, the Emperor suddenly stopped and turned to look at his daughter.

+ How long do you think the Great Expedition will last? ＋

【……】

[I don't know. 】

Morgan shook his head honestly.

[I can only estimate: judging from the current progress and time of the Great Expedition, it may take us another hundred Terra standard years to bring the main parts of the galaxy under the control of the Empire: if we want to take those fringe areas of the Star Torch or even the extraterritorial dark regions, it will take at least another 30~50 years. 】

+ Yes. ＋

The Lord of Humanity nodded.

+ Two hundred years, this is the approximate estimate of the time it took me and the Palm Seals before we embarked on the Great Expedition, and so far, this estimate is basically accurate. ＋

+ As for the periphery, it doesn't matter: from the beginning, I intended to keep the empire in the space where the Torch could shine, and if humanity was able to break through the Torch's protection in the future, let them explore the darker periphery. ＋

[So, in a hundred years at most, the main process of the Great Expedition will come to an end.] And you'll elect a Warlord and return to Terra to hand over power to the Sealers and his Council of Terra? 】

Morgan frowned slightly

The Emperor only nodded in agreement: but quickly shook his head again.

+ Originally, I was going to do this, but now, your previous actions have changed this plan a little. ＋

【…… I? 】

Morgan's voice trembled.

She didn't want to hear this: Morgan didn't want to be more involved with any of the emperor's big plans, as a genogen who valued low-key and cautiousness.

After all, God knows if this genetic father of hers would leave her with another task like killing the original body, and then carefully select a new big iron lump for her from his treasure trove.

+ Yes. ＋

The Emperor stretched out his hand and stroked the greenery around him.

+ Let me tell you, Morgan. ＋

+ Sometime before, I took Machado to inspect the Tunnel Shield you brought back: my most trusted scientists are working on this instrument, and although they still don't know how it works, based on their analysis of various data on this instrument, it is indeed feasible and will definitely bring a qualitative leap from the one I originally planned. ＋

【……】

[I'm just curious, can you tell me how you plan to complete your initial network plan?] 】

＋…… ＋

The Emperor looked in the other direction.

+ However, after we established this, Machado and I fell into a long disagreement: our disagreement was not resolved until not long ago, ending with us each taking a step back. ＋

+ I was going to dig new tunnels from scratch, but now, I've given up on that idea and plan to borrow some of the Xenomorph's wisdom at this point. ＋

+ The Palm Printer had estimated the performance of the Tunnel Shield and readjusted his calculations accordingly, and he found that the cost of the new Tunnel Project was not unacceptable to the Empire: it was a little expensive, but it was still achievable. ＋

【…… Slightly? 】

＋…… Yes, slightly. ＋

+ The only problem is that I need to take a crucial step in my network plan: I have to spend a long time studying the network shield thoroughly, which is not an easy task, and even if I put all my energy into it, it may take more than a decade, if not more. ＋

+ So...... ＋

The Emperor's gaze was like a torch on his heir.

+ I have a new idea. ＋

+ I will leave the front lines of the Great Expedition sooner and return to Terra. ＋

+ Originally, I had planned to leave in a century, but now, I plan to leave in sixty or seventy years: when the main operation of the Great Expedition has been largely declared successful, and there are no enemies to be taken care of, and all the original bodies have returned, I will appoint Horus as commander and return to Terra to conduct thorough research and operational experiments on the Webshield. ＋

+ That is to say, you and your brothers will have to be self-reliant for about half a century compared to what I originally planned: in this half century, you will have to get used to the absence of my leadership, to the gradual acceptance of the expansion of mortal power, to the acceptance of a human empire that has begun to transform into the people's livelihood. ＋

【……】

[At least three-fifths of the primordial bodies are destined to be unable to get used to this transformation, father.] 】

+ Optimistic estimates. ＋

The Lord of Humanity snorted.

+ That's why I found you, Morgan: Now, let's talk about it. How can we help your brothers to spend this half century? ＋

【……】

[You mean: You and I, to discuss how to arrange the layout of the Great Expedition front after you return to Terra?] 】

+ You can understand it that way. ＋

The Emperor grinned.

Morgan, on the other hand, was only silent for much longer.

【……】

Why me? 】

+ It's simple. ＋

The Emperor waved his hand.

+ Just as I am the nominal leader of the entire Human Empire, it is Machado who is actually behind the Great Expedition: he is the actual operator of the Human Empire and the entire Great Expedition, and even the person in charge. ＋

+ And when I leave the front, I will leave Horus as my replacement, but Machado will also take most of his energy away from the Great Expedition with my departure: he will still deal with the Primordial and the Great Expedition, but he will not be as focused as he is now. ＋

+ At that point, the entire Great Expedition will need a new trader. ＋

The Lord of Humanity bent down and patted his daughter on the shoulder: the difference in size between Morgan and the Emperor was like that of a mortal father and his daughter, who had just entered the fourth grade of elementary school.

+ I can give Horus honor, status, fame, and favor, because he is worthy of these things: just as the honor, status, fame, and adoration of the entire empire of mankind belong to me as emperor. ＋

+ But on the other hand, I cannot entrust the whole expedition to Horus. ＋

+ Rather, it should be entrusted to ...... ＋

The Emperor paused, and patted Morgan heavily on the shoulder.

+ Someone who plans for the future with me. ＋

【……】

Do you know what you are saying now? 】

Morgan frowned, and among the undeniable accolades she perceived, it was not the breath of the emperor.

And her genetic father returned with a smug smile.

+ Guess what, my daughter. ＋

+ Who taught me these words? ＋

【……】

6

+ If you don't have any objections, then let's start the discussion as soon as possible. ＋

The Lord of Humanity patted his daughter on the shoulder again: this time on the other.

+ After the discussion, I'm going to introduce you to Machado. ＋

+ Believe me, he's always wanted to have a good chat with you. ＋

+ You'd better be friends, after all, this empire will be entrusted to you both in the future. ＋

【……】

+ At least, for more than 100 years to come, it will be. ＋

(End of chapter)