"Alright, don't make a fuss."

"It's time for us to get down to business."

Machado apparently didn't detect Morgan's uneasiness: even if he did, he would probably only smile contemptuously.

That's the calmness that comes from the waves ahead.

"We don't need to worry about small things like the commander or the perfect city, because the final decision on these things is not in our hands: in other words, the decision on any major matter is not in our hands."

The Palm Printmaker let out a long sigh, his back bent a little, like a tree root, and he stretched out his equally dry fingers from the wide sleeve robe, and with a wave, a refined tea set appeared between the two, without the need to hold up the teapot, for the porcelain cup was already steaming dark tea.

"You know, characters like you and me, in the final analysis, are just the executors of the project, our power comes from a higher level of delegation, and the upper limit of these powers in our hands comes from the jurisdiction of the power grantor."

"For example, my power in the human empire comes from the emperor, and the limit of power in my hands comes from the emperor's attitude: when he devotes all his energy to the great expedition as he is now, I am the actual ruler of the imperial government, and I am what they call the [vice-emperor], [co-governing Augustus], and if one day, the emperor wants to take back my power, then according to the laws of the empire, I am just a member of the war council."

"Yes, I am second only to the Emperor in the War Council, but let's not forget that Horus is also second to the Emperor: and according to Imperial law, apart from the Emperor, the chief of the War Council, there is only a distinction of position, not the dignity of power."

"Of course, if it's actually implemented, then it's a different story entirely."

The palm printmaker picked up the cup in front of him, and inside the cup was tea completely brewed with boiling water, and he drank it in small sips, without any discomfort or sluggishness, but also without any enjoyment: as if he was just completing the task of drinking water.

Opposite him, the genogen didn't touch her cup of tea, she still sat with her legs crossed, leaning back in her chair, blinking her eyes from time to time, changing the color in her pupils: from stunned to calm, to a little inevitable anticipation.

Morgan wasn't surprised that Machado would talk to her about these things, and she knew what the words of the Palm Seal meant: after all, a few hours earlier, when she and the Emperor sat on either side of the stone table in the garden labyrinth, using fruit and dew to push the stars of the Human Empire, the Lord of Avalon had already shown her desire to meddle in the political system of the Empire for some time in the future.

After all, anyone with a modicum of political common sense knows what it means to serve as a bridge between the Holy Terra and the Gene Prototype under the premise that the Emperor is leaving the front line of the Great Expedition: if done well, the candidate for this position can become the existence of the current Palm Seal.

Of course, Morgan is well aware of her genetic father's view of the progenitor meddling in mortal politics: although the human lord is definitely an existence with an extraordinary IQ in any way, it can even be said that the emperor is very good at everything except not being a father.

But such a person is the only one who remains unusually naïve when it comes to politics and governance: for example, he is in front of Morgan and highly admires the idea of "returning power to mortals".

Morgan certainly doesn't support the idea, in fact, she even suspects that there are a few out of twenty genetic prototypes that can support this whimsical original, but she doesn't oppose the idea on the surface: it doesn't work.

It can only be said that fortunately, the current emperor buried this idea of his deep in his heart, except for a few people, the entire galaxy knows nothing about it, otherwise, I am afraid that the front line of the entire Great Expedition will usher in a great earthquake that will happen in people's hearts.

After all, when power is not put in front of the stage, it can rely on the ethereal existence of inertia, fetters, and even friendship and family affection to maintain, but once it is put in front of the stage, and even contaminated with the genuine interests of all parties and even their own security issues, then even if father and son kill each other, brothers fight, and blood flow in the same room, it is just the most basic fragment of the game of thrones.

The Lord of Avalon did not think that the Emperor and his descendants could escape this law: as Machado said, the Lord of Humanity had made his creation too human, and he himself was too human, so what qualifications did they have to escape the sins of humanity?

And under this premise, Morgan of course knows how low the success rate of Morgan is to actively seek those [powers that should belong to mortals] as a genetic prototype, and she just has the mentality of giving it a try.

What if? What if the emperor wasn't so stubborn in this matter?

You know, even stubbornness, there are many kinds: Dorne-style stubbornness, Motarian-style stubbornness, and Perturabo-like stubbornness, which are completely different things.

After all, one of them is aliased as firm, the other is a double standard, and the rest of them are aliases for suicide.

In this way, Morgan waited for an answer from the emperor in anticipation of this possibility, and at the same time pondered whether it was safe for him to do so.

Although this idea was the same as the [political system of the late Great Expedition] that she proposed in front of the emperor, it was purely a whim, but when Morgan thought about it in hindsight, she felt more and more that it was necessary for her to participate in or approach the mortal realm as a genetic prototype.

Privately, this can effectively expand her influence within the empire, thus ensuring that the entire Dawnbreaker Legion, and even the entire Far Eastern Frontier, can maintain a relatively advantageous position in the future storm: Morgan still understands the truth that there are people in the palace who are easy to talk to, after all, she has helped Johnson with housekeeping for nearly twenty years, and she knows very well that although the Caliban have a ridiculous understanding of his [friends on Terra], these people are indeed able to play a necessary role in many times. Even more than the original expected power.

Don't underestimate mortals, especially those on Holy Terra: this is one of the most important things Morgan has learned since his return to the Human Empire.

As far as the public is concerned, if the emperor, who is the strongest common bond between the genetic prototype and the mortals, will leave the genetic prototype and return to the mortals in the later stage of the Great Expedition, then for the long-term stability of the human empire, to build a bridge of communication between the two largest imperial powers, the genetic prototype and the mortals, so as to form a new common bond, is almost a must to do: Morgan is just volunteering to become this bridge.

At the very least, that's what Morgan said when she confronted the Palm Seal, and it was through Machado that she expressed her thoughts to the emperor behind her.

Now it seems that the Palm Seal Holder must have come with the response of the Lord of Mankind: as for whether the answer is full of imperial orders or Makado-style negotiations, it depends on the words that come out of the mouth of the Palm Sealer.

The Palm Printmaker simply stroked the teacup in his palm with his withered fingers, and continued to speak slowly and logically about his so-called powers, which were in practice endless, but still theoretically firmly constrained by the laws of the Empire: when the story came to an end, he even looked directly at the slightly thoughtful face of the original gene with an almost arrogant gaze.

The coldness in Machado's tone made Visenya, who was standing on Morgan's side, almost instinctively call out the psionic energy of her fingertips.

"Like I said, in this system. If you can't get used to this, you'd better get used to it from now on: Lord of Avalon, you need to be familiar with and accept this way, because that's the rules of the political game that belong to Holy Terra. ”

"You can look down on it, but you have to abide by it and respect it."

Obscured by the hood that almost covered his entire face, Machado's pupils were like sleeping stones at the bottom of a lake, reflecting the silent countenance of the Lord of Avalon opposite: the Palm Printer didn't see any obvious resistance or disgust on Morgan's face, which made him nod his head secretly.

Although he was well aware that Morgan, like her original brothers, had arrogance in his bones, it was clear that the Dawnbreaker's genetic protoplasm knew how to repress, and when and how to be a humble person: for that alone, Machado was not surprised that the Emperor would tolerate Morgan's ideas.

So, he continued.

"Don't think of this as a provocation, Lord of Avalon, this is an exchange, a condition from the Emperor: if you want to meddle in the mortal political game, as you planned, then you must abide by the rules of the mortal game."

"At the very least, in this field, you have to cut down on your arrogance and fangs as a genetic protogen, and sit at the same table as me: this is the emperor's condition, and if you can't stand it, then you can quit at any time."

At this point, the Palm Seal seemed to pause, he pursed his lips, and when he spoke again, there was already a hint of sincerity in his tone.

"Of course, personally, I hope you will agree to this condition."

It was clearly Machado who said this, not the palm print.

"After all, I've always believed that isolating all the genetic protogens from the authority of Holy Terra is not a very safe solution: for the sake of peace in the later stages of the Great Expedition, we still need a bridge between Terra and the protos."

"Until then, it was not so much that we were unwilling to prepare this bridge, but that we simply did not have the right person: and now, now that we have you, I still hope that you will be able to shoulder this part of the responsibility."

Machado paused again, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Besides, no one says that a clover can't be turned into a four-leaf clover: who wouldn't want a lucky four-leaf clover: luck is never a gift to be turned down."

【……】

Morgan responded to Machado's smile with silence as she picked up her teacup. He took a slight sip, lowered his eyelids, and carefully measured every word that the palm printer spoke.

Morgan had heard rumors about the Clover Legion: the Space Wolf, the Salamander, and the mysterious legion led by a Primordial that had not yet returned, and it was said that the three special legions under the Emperor's command, although most people thought that this rumor was just a joke, but Morgan did not think so.

As for becoming the fourth clover......

The light flickered between the eyes of the Lord of Avalon, and she weighed the pros and cons.

Eventually, the trade-off in the heart of the genoplasm became a simple phrase.

[Listen up.] 】

This answer perpetuates the smile on the palm printmaker's face.

"Okay, then let's move on."

——————

"Now, I can tell you that the Emperor and I have carefully thought through and discussed the system you proposed, and in the game of each other, we have finalized its feasibility and sustainability, as well as the worst possible outcome of such a system."

"And the good news is: for now, the Emperor agrees with your system."

[What about the bad news?] 】

Morgan grimaced, his face was flat, even a little lost.

It turned out that her genetic father really didn't anticipate the structure of the late stage of the Great Expedition, and planned to return to Terra like this?

【……】

How to put it: worthy of the emperor, he did what Morgan couldn't even think of so easily.

"No bad news: No news can be called bad in the face of this good news."

The Palm Printer shook his head, his words sounding sarcastic, as he poured himself another cup of tea, gently blowing away the vapors that had become a little distorted by the hot temperature.

"After finalizing this system, I also discussed with the emperor some specific details of this system: first, after the emperor returned to Holy Terra, he planned to hand over the power of the Great Expedition front to you and Horus in some way, of course, on the surface, he would only hand it over to Horus."

[Two marshals? 】

"You can understand it that way."

Makado nodded.

"In terms of power, your power will not be much worse than that of the commander."

[Communication with Holy Terra, and coordination of relations with the Primordial: I don't think this kind of responsibility is much worse than the commander's coordination of front-line military affairs.] 】

Faced with Morgan's smile, Machado simply responded with the same mockery.

"Do you want to talk to Horus about what you just said: believe me, even Horus will be sensitively aware of what kind of power these two seemingly humble duties actually have."

"Although there is a slight unpleasantness between me and the wolf shepherd, I know very well that Horus may be a rough man, or he may be a miserly man, but he is definitely not a stupid man."

"What's more, isn't there a position in your Astarte Legion called the Primordial Squire Attaché: theoretically, this position is far less powerful than the company commander, but in practice, how many company commanders don't aspire to become the Genoplasm's Acolyte Attaché?"

[Because the attendant military attache of the original body is closer to the original body.] 】

Morgan smiled indifferently.

It occurred to her that for a long time, her acolyte, the military attaché, had been held by the Praetorian Guard, Ranner, and considering that Rana had many duties besides the Attendant and the Praetorian Guard......

Perhaps, after returning to Avalon, she will need to appoint a few new attendants: after all, she is not an emperor, and it is not good to always squeeze Rana like this.

For a moment, Morgan was already a little out of the woods, but her ears were still faithfully catching Machado's words.

"It's not just because of the kinship between the original and Astarte, but even in the mortal political system, positions such as adjutant and secretary general have always been synonymous with lowliness and power."

"When the noble company commander is fighting bloody battles on the front line, his heart will only long for the original body to come to his battlefield to command him, and the attendant military attache only needs to adjust his thoughts and words, and he can use a few words to influence the strategic deployment of the original body, thus affecting countless company commanders and more soldiers."

The Palm Printmaker sipped the drink from his teacup and slowly retorted to Morgan's words.

"So, we intend to make you the Chamberlain Military Attache to the Battle Commander: of course, on the surface, this position is called the General Secretariat of the Provisional Council of the Great Expeditionary Front, and you are the General Secretary General of this General Secretariat."

[General Secretariat?] 】

Morgan said the title almost with a contemptuous smile.

[Who gave you a bad name?] 】

"The Emperor."

Maca is cloudy and light and breezy.

"Both the Provisional Council and the General Secretariat are the names proposed by the Emperor: if you want a better one, then I advise you to give it up."

"It's harder for our Lord of Humanity to come up with a good name than it is for him to hold you in his arms and sing a lullaby, and by the way admit that he is a god."

"I really don't know who inherited this unfortunate ability of his."

【……】

Machado managed to contain the ridicule on Morgan's face: because he caused a chill to run through the heart of the genotype, he continued to explain the most specific contents of the system.

"According to the current deduction, you and Horus will take on the coordination of the front line of the Great Expedition after the emperor leaves: it's just that the commander will be the one who sits, and you will be standing, but considering Horus's character, he will most likely still give you a chair."

"As for the division of labor between the two of you: in matters concerning Terra, it is first through your hands, then through the hands of the commanders, and finally to the council of the primordials: and those military questions on the front lines of the Great Expedition go through the hands of the commanders, then through your hands, and then on the table of the council of the primordials."

"It's not complicated, right: that's what you and Johnson did."

[Pretty much, but we don't have a council.] 】

"The council cannot be canceled."

Machado shook his head.

"However, you don't need to worry, the so-called meeting can't be held a few times at all, and even you and Horus can't stay together for a long time, this is just a more figurative way to describe the distribution of power between you."

[I'm fine: but will Horus be satisfied with this distribution?] 】

"Who knows."

The Palm Printmaker smiled.

"Anyway, the title of Warlord is his, and he should be content, and since the Emperor is going to return to Terra, leaving him and his Shadowmoon Wolf, Horus will be dissatisfied no matter how it is distributed: in the end, I believe that you can appease Horus, after all, the Wolf Shepherd is not a more difficult problem than Johnson or Perturabo."

【……】

Morgan thought for a moment, and then, a strange smile crept up her face, only to see him squint his eyes and lean forward, approaching the palm print on the other side of the table.

[One more thing.] 】

[Surrender so much power to me and Horus: Aren't you afraid that the two of us will join forces when the time comes, Palm Sealer?] 】

“……”

Makado crossed his eyebrows.

"I'm scared, but is there anything I can do?"

The palm sealer's hand was spread out, and his attitude looked a bit of a scoundrel.

"You must know, Morgan, in the emperor's original plan, even you, the [squire military attaché], did not exist, and all the powers of the Great Expedition, including communication with Holy Terra and the coordination of relations between the original body, would be in Horus's pocket: he didn't even need to find someone to cooperate, he only needed to rely on himself to break through the catastrophe."

"And now: at least you won't choose the worst option."

【……】

[Haven't you considered adding another person besides me and Horus: after all, triangles are always stable. 】

[Look at the combination of you and the Emperor, next to you, there is also a Forbidden Army Chief Val: although everyone knows that he doesn't do anything serious, this does not prevent him from being called the Emperor's right and left hand with you, so that you end up as a trio. 】

"Do you think you and Horus's power structure needs to be a triangle as well?"

[There must always be a coordinator: Since I am responsible for coordinating the relationship between the original and Terra, and between the original and the original body, then there must be a conflict of interest between me and Horus: someone is needed to coordinate me and Horus. 】

"Good idea."

Machado nodded, then spread his hands bluntly.

"Then who do you think should be chosen for the third chief of this provisional council?"

"Let me tell you in advance, Morgan: before you, we never elected Horus's assistant and counterbalance, let alone a third seat between Horus and his counterbalance."

"After all, this position requires not only ability, but also attitude, trust that allows us to know the roots, and even a little ambition: ambition is even the hardest choice."

"Now, you can provide your favorite person: there are only a dozen genetic protogens anyway."

【……】

Morgan began to think.

Sandwiched between her and Horus......

The Lord of Avalon blinked, almost instinctively, thinking of her politically gifted brother: in Morgan's eyes, the Otlamar man was definitely able to be an important figure in the Provisional Council, and his ability to even make him Horus's [Squire Attaché].

How's it going? 】

Machado shook his head.

"Too ambitious."

【……】

Morgan's eyes narrowed.

[I think that as a palm print, you shouldn't listen to rumors......]

"His ambition is reflected in his morbid protection of Otlama, and in his desire for an alternative future between Astarte and humanity, which contradicts Horus's ideas, and I don't think he will suppress his views as you do, and he will definitely clash with Horus."

[It is also possible to become allies: after all, there is not much gap between them?] 】

"That's worse, isn't it?"

【……】

Morgan had nothing to say, she could only continue to think about the right person.

[Hmm......]

[St. Giles? 】

"Too unambitious."

【……】

Morgan, however, couldn't think of a claim that could defend the archangel.

[As for Chagatai, I believe he is a rational and objective person. 】

"Too little ambition."

[Dorne? 】

"Less ambitious: and Dorne's position is that of the Terra Praetorian Guard, there's no doubt about it."

[Fogham? 】

“……”

"The ambition is just right: but crooked."

【……】

Morgan took a deep breath, and she automatically ruled out options such as Ferrus or Vulcan, which might have enough ability and attitude, but were indeed inappropriate, as well as those that were worse: and so, naturally, she had a final option in her mind.

A guy who can always be useful.

[Riemannus?] 】

“……”

Machado jerked his head up and looked at Morgan.

His countenance was horrible.

"Riemanrus?!"

【……】

"Are you serious?"

【……】

Morgan was stared directly at by this terrifying and absurd gaze, and anger naturally ignited in her heart, but the Lord of Avalon immediately took a deep breath, suppressed this anger, and tried to maintain the smile on the surface.

She spread out her hands and threw her question at Machado with as much etiquette as possible.

[Then, if I can't even do Riemanrus, I can't think of a more suitable candidate.] 】

[Do you have anyone in mind, Your Excellency the Palm Seal. 】

“……”

Machado was silent for a moment, and he quickly came up with an answer.

"Johnson, how."

【……】

This time, it was Morgan's turn to be thrilled.

[Johnson?! 】

“……”

[Are you serious?] 】

(End of chapter)