Chapter 456: Ramesses: "Do You Know How the Warmaster Was Resurrected?"
The arrival of the Primarchs was sudden.
After Tigurius received the notification and transmitted it, before the Ultramarines garrisoning Macragge could even prepare a welcome ceremony, a small fleet led by the Invincible Reason entered the Macragge system. The warp ritual on Laphis, the Shrine World of Macragge, unfolded, accompanied by mists blooming in realspace.
Many psykers glimpsed anomalies within the currents of the Empyrean.
They saw a jungle spreading within the Warp, upon which the greedy gazes of the Chaos Gods converged.
The Garden of Nurgle reached out, attempting to swallow the forest with rot, but the cold sun of the Warp would not yield. The blazing sun erupted with blinding fire, scorching the rot away.
Then, shadows enveloped everything.
A roar of fury echoed through the heavens.
Macragge, Fortress of Hera, Hall of the Sepulcher
After complex security checks, the Primarchs convened within the Fortress of Hera.
"This reminds me of the old days."
Aeonid Thiel, Captain of the 2nd Company of the Ultramarines, held his red-marked helmet under one arm. Gazing at the majestic silhouettes of four Gloriana-class battleships in the sky, he spoke to his companion, Sergeant Cerantes.
Cerantes, once a Captain of an Ultramarines Grand Company during the Legion era, was the unfortunate soul historically collected by Trazyn the Infinite during the 13th Black Crusade.
For Thiel, learning ten thousand years later that his missing comrade was still alive was a pleasant surprise.
"It would be even better if the Lords could lead us in battle as they did in the past," Cerantes said, staring intently at the Dark Angels flanking the Lion. The aura of death from the enemies of the Imperium clinging to them filled the captain with envy.
Besides the Ultramarines Chapter, a company of Legion-era Ultramarines was now stationed on Macragge.
To the contemporary Ultramarines, each of them was more precious than themselves, perhaps even more than Calgar, for they were living proof of the Chapter's history.
The Ultramarines never lacked manpower. This company was responsible for the Primarch's security and served as a training cadre within the Ultramarines' system, destined to be far from the front lines.
These were contributions from the Lord of the Solemnace Galleries.
Trazyn not only possessed gene-seed from every Legion but also Astartes from every Legion, ranging from dozens to thousands, and even Custodes.
After entering full cooperation with the Dawnbreakers, this Necron Overlord, who successfully applied for the position of Curator of the Dawnstar Sector's Mega-Art Installation, donated all his human collections, including these 'exhibits'.
This greatly reduced the soul pressure on the Dawnbreakers and further facilitated military reforms.
"Haha, I think that's impossible," Thiel laughed, watching the conversing Primarchs and the strange xenos guarding the stasis field of their gene-father.
"I suppose so."
Cerantes grimaced, processing the list of Ultramarines neophytes who had graduated over the past year.
As control over the Five Hundred Worlds was gradually reclaimed, recruitment for the various returning Successor Chapters was basically unified under the Ultramarines. Cerantes and his men were now responsible for this part.
This included assigning neophytes, resettling those who failed the implantation surgeries, and arranging roles in the auxiliary corps for those who failed the trials...
While it was regrettable for those who couldn't join the Astartes due to various reasons, with the help of a group of specialized Ultramarines, Ultramar could ensure they still contributed value in other positions.
"..."
Looking at the thick stack of documents in Cerantes' hand, Thiel secretly rejoiced that he had run away early. He had returned to Lord Guilliman's side early on to guard him, occupying a pit to avoid the life of a high-quality beast of burden. Occasionally, he could write books or take Sicarius out for a fight.
He wasn't like Drakus who enjoyed this, nor was he someone who could settle down. Fortunately, his decision-making was superb, and he didn't seek attention unnecessarily, avoiding the vortex of administrative hell.
Lord Ramesses' hand, however, was terrifying.
Wherever it reached, the Legion of the Damned there would know no peace.
Seeing the crowd gathering, Thiel stopped talking and quietly played the statue beside Guilliman.
Again, although life is priceless from a human perspective, the existence of the Warp clearly put a price tag on every life.
Named characters simply provided better value. Their inherent traits plus the legendary status endowed by the Warp allowed them to bridge the gap even when facing Chaos Champions.
The nameless ones were miserable—stuck in limbo. If they wanted to resurrect, they could only work for the Legion of the Damned. Even if resurrected, because they couldn't fight well, the Dawnbreakers threw them into administrative posts.
Those who could fight and work were even worse off. No honor guard, working alone until death.
Of course, Ramesses didn't agonize over philosophical questions about the value of human life.
He only agonized over spending money without getting results.
"How dare you die when your KPIs aren't met!"
"Is the work done? Are the administrative tasks handled? How dare you leave the office? Did I dig you out of the Tesseract Labyrinths to watch you die?"
"With stats like yours, you dare go to the front line? Do it again and you can go scrub toilets for the Emperor in the Imperial Palace!"
As Calgar walked along the grand avenue of the Fortress of Hera, asking Azrael about the details of this operation while heading to the Primarchs' office, Ramesses' booming voice echoed through the corridor.
"..."
The two exchanged a silent glance, then lightened their steps. Carefully pushing open the door, they saw a group of Custodes bowing their heads like scolded chicks.
They kept their heads down, silent under Lord Ramesses' wrath.
Only this Lord, who could communicate directly with the Emperor, could make the proud Custodes so quiet.
Thinking this, the two averted their gaze and took their places attending the Primarchs.
Why did this happen?
Simple—
The Custodes abandoned their administrative duties to go fight.
Why were they standing here being scolded now?
Even simpler—
They lost. They were mowed down by Caipha Morarg, one of the seven Plague Lords under Mortarion.
Calgar, having learned the reason from the elders, wore a strained expression, bracing himself to listen to Ramesses' almost blasphemous reprimands.
Why fight the monsters of the Warp? Can the Sisters of Silence hold down these Chaos Champions? Grey Knights could cast psychic powers right through the Sisters' null fields at the Battle of the Lion's Gate, let alone these monsters favored by the Dark Gods.
Now look, people have reported to the Golden Geezer, and who knows who'll take over their administrative work? We'll have to hold our noses and drag them back, or look through the Ultramarines' family tree to order a batch of government workers.
As for why even the Custodes seized the chance to go to the battlefield?
Simple. Imperial administration was not meant for humans.
Look at Tigurius.
Calgar quietly shifted his gaze away from Tigurius, who was currently cosplaying Malcador. He secretly rejoiced that he didn't have superb psychic talent.
The completion of the ritual went smoothly. Due to his psychic strength, plus the grinding training of a day feeling like three years under hundreds of Ultramarines Successor Chapters, Tigurius could complete the ritual across planets without transport.
But since the Primarchs arrived, he had to welcome them out of courtesy.
However, this psyker, who had undergone the full Primaris conversion, could now only sit trembling in a chair. His eyes, besides scrolling information, were filled with thick numbness. He could barely stand for long.
If not for the fact that the affairs of Imperium Secundus had been settled—the Emperor's handwritten decree was placed beside Lord Guilliman—and everyone didn't need to worry about the secrets of Imperium Secundus anymore, Calgar dared not imagine if Tigurius, as 'Chief Librarian' and 'Curator of the Library of Ptolemy fully recording Macragge's history', would die here if he also had to be responsible for sanitizing that history.
Too miserable.
Ramesses couldn't bear to look at Tigurius's state.
"All Custodes participating in this operation, your work contracts are extended by 130 years!"
He dropped a sentence, and all the Custodes present looked desperate.
After scolding the Custodes, he came to the Chief Librarian who shouldered the information processing of the Five Hundred Worlds, the communication tasks of hundreds of Chapters, and was also responsible for Warp security.
"Hard work!"
He reached out and patted the Chief Librarian's shoulder. The teetering body was instantly rejuvenated, restoring youth in the blink of an eye.
"..."
The death wish in Tigurius's eyes became even thicker.
The surrounding gazes also became terrifying instantly. They felt Lord Ramesses was the most terrifying existence among the Primarchs.
Not only are you not allowed to fight, but you are also assigned to the most difficult posts, and you can't even die!
How can there be such torture in the world!
"..."
Wait, you guys made Tigurius carry such a big pot, why are you blaming me now?
Realizing his actions seemed to have caused some misunderstanding, Ramesses quickly spoke.
"I've arranged new staff for you. You won't have to do so much alone in the future."
He handed over a rune full of Eldar characteristics to Tigurius.
"They have all passed the loyalty test. You can safely delegate tasks."
Actually, Ramesses himself, as a human—and a human who liked to enjoy life—didn't want others to live so tiredly. Squeezing daemons and making other alien races sign unequal treaties to create surplus value was for this purpose.
But the human race's stats just weren't average enough.
Freaks like Tigurius, Mephiston, Te Kahurangi, and Ezekiel, whose Warp projections even Great Daemons dared not touch, were ultimately a minority. Other psykers using psychic powers like them would be lucky not to die on the spot. So even as a simple signal relay station, only these special individuals could bear it.
Now it was better. There were enough Eldar. A large batch was introduced from Biel-Tan alone. With the Harlequins and the Laughing God running around contacting a steady stream of Eldar, and the Laughing God establishing the route of racial integration, cooperation standards could be further relaxed. These people could participate in higher-level Imperial decisions.
It would be a waste not to use them as administrative beasts of burden.
Tigurius instantly realized he had misunderstood and quickly took the rune like a life-saving straw.
"Thank you, My Lord."
He said sincerely. It wasn't that the Chief Librarian was overly sensitive; the pressure of a nation's safety truly made him breathless.
Just how does Mephiston live so easily?
The Chief Librarian couldn't help thinking of his rare friend who he could talk to about psychic matters. The situation with the Blood Angels seemed completely opposite to the Ultramarines. Chapter Master Dante bore the vast majority of affairs, while Mephiston himself often had plenty of free time after completing communication tasks.
Ramesses waved his hand indifferently.
Can only say this universe is truly hateful, making life hard for everyone.
Seeing Ramesses finish spraying, Romulus also appropriately looked up from the pile of documents, looking at Calgar who returned with Azrael.
"Handover complete?"
The steady voice finally soothed the agitation in everyone's hearts.
"Completed."
Calgar replied immediately, then spoke.
"My Lord, when do we begin the resurrection ritual for Lord Guilliman?"
He was somewhat anxious.
Then he couldn't help but repent in his heart for his impatience.
This awkward emotion was widespread among the Space Marines. On one hand, they hoped their gene-father would return and walk the earth again. On the other hand, they felt ashamed of this psychology, thinking it made them weak.
This was often unacceptable to Loyalist Space Marines who advertised themselves with resilience. Fortunately, the Primarchs allowed such emotions to exist.
"No rush. Study it first to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Ramesses didn't want to go in directly. After all, the text mastered by the transmigrators didn't describe specific details. What if Ynnead manipulated it? If Guilliman really died, he would have to ask the Golden Geezer to fish him out.
"By the way, you guys can accept letting an Eldar make the cut, right?"
His question made the expressions of the surrounding Ultramarines twist into a ball again. They subconsciously wanted to chop the Eldar who arrived with Lord Ramesses into mincemeat.
The gene-father having a wound that could never heal and needing a Chaos—Warp ritual to resurrect was already déjà vu enough. Now aliens had to intervene.
If not for the high credibility of the Dawnbreakers, the Ultramarines would never accept such a proposal.
"..."
Facing a bunch of Ultramarines looking at her like she was Erebus, Yvraine tried hard to maintain composure.
This chosen of the God of Death, who hadn't experienced the baptism of Commorragh yet, was slightly immature but lacked no courage.
She knew clearly what this meant for the future of her race. The Dawnbreakers valued the Laughing God and were willing to facilitate things. She always prided herself on Eldar pride; as an Eldar, she couldn't drop the ball.
"Actually, to put it bluntly, it's equivalent to me cutting him. It's just that the Eldar are now integration targets, and we also need the support of Imperial public opinion. By the way, you saw the list, right?"
Ramesses explained.
Everyone in the Dawnbreakers had a good habit: they didn't use riddles to fool people when doing business. Before this, Ramesses had already informed them of the ritual principle and the purpose of doing so.
"I've seen it."
Calgar nodded. With his political acuity, he naturally knew the reason.
The Eldar, especially the heavyweight Laughing God, had bet everything. The Imperium was about to get the usage rights of the Webway, the most efficient Warp navigation method, and everything connected to the Craftworld Eldar.
But for the Imperial citizens, promoting this was useless. Many Imperial citizens wouldn't enjoy the convenience of the Webway in their lifetime. The High Lords, especially the Astra Telepathica and the Navis Nobilite, would probably find it hard to accept the impact of a new navigation method on them.
For Primarchs, settling the High Lords wasn't a problem. But for further social stability, necessary political shows were still needed.
What could make Eldar integrate into human political ecology better than awakening a Primarch representing humanity?
Calgar struggled for a moment.
Since it was said to this extent, the feasibility was basically certain, probably one hundred percent. If Lord Ramesses did it himself, the Ultramarines could accept the act of slitting Guilliman's throat. It was just that everyone couldn't let go of the stereotype against Eldar, hence the hesitation.
Right.
Calgar suddenly discovered the main point of the problem.
Yes, if we Astartes who trust the Primarchs so much are like this, then let alone the residents far away from the Primarchs. The consequences would be unimaginable if they were incited.
This was Eldar technology. Although he didn't know how to pass the intermarriage hurdle, Calgar also knew what improvement it would bring to humanity's overall level if Eldar technology could be safely used by the Imperium.
Provided the Eldar could truly integrate into humanity and become human.
"I personally have no objection. I will also actively promote internal work. The Ultramarines will not refuse this action."
Thinking this far, Calgar finally chose to take a stand.
"But I also request Lord Ramesses to ensure Lord Guilliman's safety as much as possible."
His nose twitched as he pleaded with Romulus, looking like he was about to kneel and beg.
"Of course. Human life is at stake; we naturally treat it seriously."
Romulus smiled.
You know, Guilliman's awakening truly concerned the changes in the galactic situation. No matter from what aspect, everyone had no reason not to pull him up to taste the 'delicious' galaxy together.
"I understand."
This heartfelt smile soothed the panic in Calgar's heart very well.
He took a deep breath, looked at the Legion-era elders present one by one, seeking strength from their still calm eyes, and then chose to leave directly.
"I will continue to devote myself to my duties, my Lords. If there are any orders, please summon me."
"Good."
Rustle~
Romulus closed a document and looked at the Lion, who hadn't said a word since the beginning of the meeting because of Ramesses' face.
"Lion, I've read your resume and suggestions. Facts prove that none of us can compare with you in military talent."
Heartfelt praise came from the Lord of Command. Romulus's bright eyes met the Lion's.
"Therefore, the defense of Greater Ultramar will be fully entrusted to your hands."
"Make Guilliman witness your triumphal ceremony when he wakes up. Do you have confidence?"
Communicating with Romulus for the first time, subconsciously substituting him for Guilliman, the slightly apprehensive Lion was stunned.
Unprecedented strength burst from his heart.
"Can I command you?"
The Lion turned and asked Azrael, the deputy whom Arthur praised endlessly and assigned to him.
Just now, Azrael had fully taken over the defense affairs of Greater Ultramar from Calgar. The Chapter Master of the Ultramarines would now fully focus on Macragge's defense.
Compared to Corswain who was far from Legion needs, Redloss who hadn't adapted to modern warfare, and Kay who stayed by Arthur's side all day, this was the first choice to assist the Lion in quickly adapting to the 40k era Legion.
"Of course."
Azrael nodded, not rejecting the Lion's command like Redloss rejected Arthur's.
He had long passed the stage of proving his loyalty by listening to a specific person's command in a war against the same enemy.
"I shall obey your command."
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you