"Do you feel that life is really not as good as it used to be?"

"Compared to before, our current glory and record are really terrible."

The broad lips were raised, showing an uninhibited arc, but the dignified face was revealing words of usurpation, which made the two knights around him frown in unison.

"You've said that before, Astrand, when the lion returns."

"yes: because that's what I thought back then."

With a wide smile, Astran was one of the oldest fighters in the Dark Angels and the most well-known Primordial Opposition in the Legion, and he was never bothered to hide his grievances against the Caliban.

He just didn't find the right moment......

"Be careful!"

The rebuke of the well-known rebel was the Lion King's Governor Coswayne, who and his old comrade-in-arms Arachos were separated from the left and right, sandwiching the notoriously restless man's desk between them: the brows of the two champion swordsmen were tightly locked at the sinister words.

"Don't forget, Astrand, the lion forgave you back then, and he's been forgiving you for your offense and disrespect all along: you'd better keep your mouth shut and do what you have to do."

"I've always done good things that I should do, haven't I?"

The Terra-descendant veteran smiled defiantly at the Caliban in front of him, but Coswayne couldn't refute it: although the only bit of brotherhood that the Lion King had with Astra was based on the least respect for a meritorious veteran who had participated in the war for the unification of Terra, and he had no good feelings for Astra itself, there was one thing that Coswayne had to admit.

The Terra-Terran veteran is truly remarkable, and aside from his unruly attitude, Astran is the perfect warrior, able to sweep the battlefield with a sword, able to govern a side with a pen, and capable of making people feel like a spring breeze in interpersonal interactions, and is the fighting brother that all Astarte warriors would expect to have: if it weren't for his blatant rebellious stance and disgusting true face, Coswayne would even consider him his idol.

This great ability to do things, and the hard work of turning the tide in many important moments, was the only reason why Johnson was able to tolerate this rebellious son: the head of the Caliban was surprisingly magnanimous on the matter.

"Look at this, Coswayne."

After discovering that the Caliban rookie in front of him was dumbfounded by himself, Astran grabbed the document he had just finished and patted it triumphantly: he even dared to sit with his back to the other side, and the champion swordsman Arachos, who was clearly unhappy.

"As I said earlier, I've done all the things I have to do, and I've done the best, and I'm even faster than the two of you combined: but other things are not so pleasant."

"For example: this document."

The Terra-Terran veteran glanced at the words he had written by hand, and made a gesture of vomiting, as if he were holding a bloody alien skull in his hand.

"The re-expansion of the Psionic Order and the various think tank detachments? Does this have anything to do with a few of us? Why do we need to approve and give advice? None of us are think tanks: aren't we simply wasting all of our time? ”

"Say ...... again"

Astran sneered.

"If we really want to find someone to give these think tank advice, wouldn't our great Father of Genes be a better candidate: everyone knows how beautiful his flame psionic energy is right now, although it is not as good as that Magnus and the venerable Lady Morgan, but looking at the entire First Legion, who can go further down the dangerous road of subspace than our genetic protoplasms?"

"Sounds like you're unhappy with the research of adults, Astrand?"

Coswayne's tone was serious, his fingers tentatively stroking the hilt of his sword, his eyes instinctively searching for possible flaws and weaknesses in Astraan: the Lion King had to admit that it was an almost impossible job.

"Are you here again to preach your rebellious ideas to us, brother?"

Behind Astran, Arachos's voice was as cold as ice, and the veteran of Terra just turned his head and looked at his fighting brother, still unconcerned.

"When the Emperor made Johnson our superior, he obviously didn't give this Primordial the power to explore subspace, but Johnson did it anyway, and did it more deeply than most of his brothers: then, can this also be seen as Johnson's rebellion against the Emperor's orders?"

“！！！”

Before the words fell, even the temperature in the room was a little colder, and the two champion swordsmen put their hands on the hilt of their swords almost simultaneously, their breathing became rapid, and the only reason to prevent them from drawing their swords was that they were in a sacred place where they could not move.

"Rest assured, both: I don't mean anything else at the moment."

Astraan grinned, and he decided not to irritate his two brothers anymore, but instead changed the subject: he put down the paper he hated, and then carefully lifted another document from the other side, and presented it to his brothers as if it were a treasure.

"Look at this, two, compared to the psychic opinions that don't know what to do, this is something that deserves our attention: from Caliban's reports and management summaries, and I know that the most precious ones are on Johnson's desk. But even the second-rate goods in my hands are enough for me to cherish. ”

The Terra Veteran stroked the papers as if he were a beloved sword.

"To rule, to govern, to move the whole world with our words and wills, to influence tens of millions of mortals: this is our right and duty as Astarte warriors, and the reward and glory we deserve from the Emperor after the Great Expedition is over."

"What a wonderful future......"

"As the Emperor's sword, as the Emperor's blade, to oversee this great kingdom that spans the universe, to be an extension of his hands: just as the kings of ancient times would bestow their lands and people on the knights who fought for him, so too will we be able to gain a better place in the galaxy after the end of the Great Expedition with our present military exploits and glory."

"A position worthy of us."

The Terra veteran whispered, his voice so piercing in the silence of the two brothers.

"Therefore, I would rather correct some of the documents from Caliban and learn how to manage the wisdom of mortals, so that I can be more comfortable with the feeling of ruling countless worlds in the future: after all, mortals are also precious assets of the empire, coins that cannot be wasted at will, and we need to govern them very carefully, just as a shepherd raises his sheep on the hillside."

Astran smiled reassuringly at his two fighting brothers, but neither of them apparently accepted the Terra veteran's kindness: Arachos turned his head away, closing his eyes, and Coswayne put down the papers, his words full of sarcasm for Astraan.

"Don't be foolish here, Astrand, your words are all in the air: when did the Emperor say that he would assign the territory of the Great Expedition to us to govern? All along, it was the mortals on Terra who were in charge of the work. ”

"That's your loneliness."

The Terra veteran chuckled.

"I'm not fighting alone, brother, there are many heroes in the other legions who share my thoughts: from Colchis to the Five Hundred Worlds, from Ksonia to the Far Eastern Frontier, there are a great number of fighting brothers who are waiting for the end of the Great Expedition to enjoy the glory and status we deserve."

"Or do you think the Great Expedition is the end of our obligations?"

Astram laughed dangerously.

“…… I don't want to discuss this. ”

The Lion King's ruler modeled his brother and turned his head away, no longer bothering the obnoxious fellow, and a moment later, like Arachows, Coswayne rightfully began to close his eyes, ignoring the unfinished paperwork on his desk: the father of their genes was not there anyway.

And Arachos on the side had already done this just now, plus Astrand, who was obviously absent from work: after the argument was over, the atmosphere of the three champion swordsmen actually became somewhat harmonious, and they quietly seized the moment when the original body left, detached from the heavy work in front of them, and did not even bother to continue their debate.

Perhaps, on countless issues related to the original body, the Great Expedition, and so on, these three battle brothers, who represent different groups and have diametrically opposed personalities and worldviews, can never reach a true consensus, but in other more popular and miserable trenches, they have quietly become tacit comrades-in-arms, and can even advance and retreat together.

Putting down the paper, closing the pen, spreading his shoulders, and then leaning back in his chair, his eyes closed, ignoring each other, only a pleasant sigh and all the cranky thoughts that followed in his mind, filling the void of the original body leaving in this instant.

That's it, in the moment when this strict top boss has something to leave.

How beautiful life is.

——————

But Morgan, how irritable.

【……】

The Lord of Avalon realized, and she seemed to have made a big mistake.

When she was frustrated, she delusionally sought comfort from Johnson: this genius thought showed that the Spider Queen had apparently forgotten how natural Johnson was when it came to interpersonal communication.

The Caliban's wisdom in this regard is as great as Horus's hair: it may be there, it may not be, it may appear and disappear occasionally, in a Schrödinger state that everyone is scratching their heads.

Morgan rubbed the corners of her brow in annoyance, and didn't forget to glance at Johnson, who made her even more tired: the Dark Angel's genetic protoplasm apparently realized that there was some mistake in his words that he couldn't figure out, so when facing Morgan's [provocation], the lion wisely did not respond positively, but turned his head and carefully examined the artistic atmosphere on the bare steel walls.

After all, the experience of the past had taught the beast a truth: although his Avalon blood relatives had always been moody and did not have the broad-mindedness of his Johnson, her psychological adjustment skills were always good.

No matter how bad things get, if Morgan is allowed to shrink into her corner for a moment, she will magically adjust to the state of mind of the breakdown: like a rabbit that has slept well in a stone cave.

As for the principle, Johnson didn't quite understand it: that's the case anyway.

And this time, it's no exception.

Johnson held his breath and quietly waited for the moment when his blood relatives of Avalon shook their heads and sighed: as far as experience goes, when Morgan finally shook his head and sighed, it was a sign that she had to compromise and had figured out what to do.

Johnson didn't wait long.

Because on the other side, the Spider Queen, who forced herself to calm down completely, finally figured everything out after meditating, and Morgan realized what kind of mistake she had made.

The long separation, and the biodiversity-like blood relatives, made Morgan unconsciously have an unrealistic fantasy about her Caliban lion, and forgot that when the stars of this group of people shine, Johnson is more or less a Sirius, if not the North Star.

It's ridiculous......

The original condemned himself in his heart.

What is the reason why her judgment has been able to slip to such a pathetic level: after carefully thinking about the hundreds of bad habits that have been cultivated in the past twenty years, the Lord of Avalon has come to the precise conclusion that it must be overeating and unhealthy routines that have made the brain's thinking no longer clear.

Unexpectedly, she was dragged down by sweets and lazy sleep to such an extent!

…… Well, it's decided!

From tomorrow: go to bed early and wake up early!

The Lord of Avalon clenched his fists.

Then she looked at the lion, only to find that Johnson's gaze had long since drifted back from the bare walls, cautiously testing the expression on Morgan's face: the Caliban cleared his throat in solemnity as his gaze met the Spider Queen.

"So, do you have any opinion about our brother Peturabo?"

【…… Not really. 】

Morgan was silent for a moment.

Yes, she figured it out, just like the conclusion she had come to before: unlike what the world imagined, Perturabo actually had a pretty good popularity in the original body, such as Johnson, a relatively [ignorant of the world] genetic proto, and generally had a high evaluation of the Lord of Olympia.

After all, who doesn't like a brother who is capable, industrious, and uncontentious, who silently takes all the dirty, tiring, and chores away: and judging only by the results of his work, Perturabo did a great job in every job, and his legion, though relatively marginalized, was no less meritorious than any of his allies.

As for the huge casualties of those, and the attrition within the Iron Warriors?

What does that have to do with them: the Iron Warriors are not their legion, but Perturabo's own legion, so what reason do the Primordials have to worry about it? And who is in a position to dictate these issues?

At least, that's what Johnson thought.

And considering that the Calibans had some unpleasant encounters with Dorne during the Midnight Expedition, and although these unpleasantness were eventually settled, the mustard remained: in contrast, Johnson's mind of "either go to Peturabo" was indeed a sincere thought from his heart.

…… It's still annoying......

Morgan licked her lips, she was looking for Johnson to vent her emotions, but she was so disturbed by the Caliban. But he had to suppress the emotions in his heart of his own accord: but even so, it was absolutely unbearable for the Lord of Avalon to leave like this.

And it just so happened that she had a sufficiently heavy piece of news in her hands.

So, Morgan laughed.

[Johnson, do you think that Perturabo is the better of our brothers: you prefer to trust him even compared to Dorne?] 】

"In some ways, yes."

Johnson pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Our Invet brother is a little level, but he is a cold, proud, and stubborn stone, and his favorite thing to do is to wield his so-called "duty" and "loyalty" stick, and beat everyone around him indiscriminately, interpreting loyalty to the emperor in his own way: as if we were all selfish warlords except him."

"But his ability is really good, and many battles are commanded beautifully, the only problem is that he lacks the bearing and necessary means as a superior: it is still feasible to let him stick to a dangerous place, but if he is allowed to coordinate multiple legions and take the initiative to fight, he will definitely fall off the chain."

"He can't rule the eight directions."

"At this point, he's not as good as me, and he shouldn't be as good as Perturabo."

Speaking of this, the Lion King sneered.

"As for Perturabo, although I have not cooperated much with our Olympian brothers on the military level, I have no doubts about his attitude and military ability: the most valuable thing about Perturabo is his silent dedication, his genius mind, and his eyes that can see through the laws of the world."

"I have seen the war plan that Perturabo has drawn up, it is almost like a work of art, and I have reason to believe that Perturabo can make the right choice in the galaxy, and can choose the greatest man......"

[For example: He told me that he would support him as a war commander?] 】

Morgan chuckled, and she saw with satisfaction a momentary distortion in the Caliban's countenance: Johnson opened his mouth, and the next sentence was completely unflavored.

"If he could really use his wits, he would definitely be able to choose the right options, but judging from the current obscurity of him and the entire Iron Warrior Legion, it is clear that he does not have such wisdom......"

[But under my persuasion, he decided to support you again, Johnson.] 】

“！”

The lion coughed, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, rolling out the last word.

"But I still believe that Peturabo has a discerning eye, and that his current obscurity is only due to his noble attitude and not to actively pursue those glory: he has a spiritual resonance with me."

"I'm not surprised: he made the right choice."

【…… Me too, Johnson. 】

Morgan replied with a smile, looking at the somewhat distorted smile on Johnson's face, and felt as if time had returned to a familiar past, to some precious time: at this moment, the Lord of Avalon was in a much better mood.

【……】

Johnson, my brother. 】

[Your art of speaking is really advancing with each passing day, and it makes me envious: if one day I can be as clever as you, instead of being clumsy like now, how nice it would be......]

“…… Peace of mind, Morgan. ”

Johnson cleared his throat, and his countenance quickly returned to that confident attitude: in front of his Avalon blood relatives, Johnson always wanted to show his confident side, or show his confident posture.

It's like some kind of instinct.

"I believe that one day, you will grasp the mystery of human communication as much as I do."

[I hope so......]

"So, do you need me to give you a tip: to reconcile Dorne and Perturabo?"

"I have a couple of good ideas......"

【…… No, not anymore. 】

Morgan's voice trembled a little.

[Next time, next time, by all means.] 】

"That's ......"

The Lord of Caliban could only nod his head with a slight regret, and for some time he talked to Morgan about something else, about the cooperation between their legions, and other things in the Great Expedition: it wasn't until the Lord of Avalon felt that the time was almost up, and his figure slowly dissipated into the room.

Johnson then got up and pushed open the door of the chamber without hesitation: but the moment he opened it, he heard the hurried movement of tables and chairs in the office outside the door, and the frantic crushing of papers, the crackling of bones, and the strange whispers that resembled swearing.

“……”

Slightly confused, the original pushed the door open.

I only saw his three children sitting in their respective office posts, writing hard, and not forgetting to discuss something loudly: everyone was expressing a completely different opinion, it sounded like they were discussing different issues, but the atmosphere was so harmonious.

In a word......

It looks like it's fun.

“……”

Johnson nodded in satisfaction.

Sure enough: he is still a good ruler.

(End of chapter)