For Tieron, these past few days had been the most meaningful in his century-long life. Even for a high-ranking Chancellor of the Imperium, the return of a Primarch was so unbelievable that he thanked the Emperor from the bottom of his heart for this blessing upon humanity.
At this moment, Tieron was well aware that news of the Primarch's return to Terra was already being transmitted through the stars by the psychic astropaths of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, informing every Imperial department capable of receiving the message. Every human who learned of this fact would inevitably suffer a shock to their reason.
Including himself.
Although Tieron had already witnessed the Primarch in person and even held a position within the newly formed Logistics Department... he still felt as though he were in a dream.
"...Tieron?"
The scion of the Emperor, the Avenging Son, the Lord Regent of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, frowned slightly and called out softly.
"Apologies, my Lord. I was distracted," Tieron replied, quickly gathering his thoughts and nodding in response.
Since the conclusion of the Council of High Lords, the reform-minded Chancellor had become one of Roboute Guilliman's personal secretaries, reporting directly to him. The charisma of a Primarch, combined with his staggering efficiency in statecraft, had instantly and completely won Tieron over.
"Your work report is excellent, very thorough, and exactly the kind of report I want," Guilliman said, flipping through the documents in his hand. "Our Imperium needs energetic young men like you."
Even though Tieron was over a hundred years old, the Chancellor found nothing odd about this statement. Instead, receiving the recognition of the Emperor's son instilled in him a unique sense of mission and fulfillment.
Just then, a flash of light flickered in the air, and a figure appeared silently in the room. Tieron was slightly startled and turned his head quickly to look.
Is this Lord Adam?
On the other side, seeing the newcomer, Guilliman's expression turned solemn as he prepared himself for the meeting.
Almost every High Lord was filled with curiosity regarding this Living Saint. Living Saints typically represented the Emperor's will and traveled to the most dangerous battlefields in the galaxy. However, this mortal, who had rarely been granted an audience at the Throne to receive divine grace in ten thousand years, was now lingering in the material world, which defied the expectations of many.
Even Tieron found him inscrutable. Moreover, based on the Chancellor's observations, this Living Saint shared deep connections with various departments—including but not limited to the Inquisition, the Adeptus Custodes, and even the Adeptus Mechanicus—yet maintained a distance from the Ecclesiarchy. This was something a career Imperial bureaucrat like Tieron simply couldn't comprehend.
Of course, Tieron knew what he could and could not ask. At a silent signal from Guilliman's eyes, Tieron bowed politely and immediately left the room.
"So, what wind blew you here?" Guilliman asked bluntly once they were alone.
Adam did not answer immediately. His gaze swept around the room with interest. It was paper—nothing but paper. Everywhere he looked, mountains of parchment, standard paper, papyrus, and various data-slates were piled high. Visually, they almost completely submerged Guilliman's massive frame.
Adam couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had the foresight to pull this "Big Blueberry" up to take over the shift. Otherwise, he would have been the one forced to deal with this massive pile of work.
"I'm here because I have a new idea," Adam finally spoke, his tone serious. "But first, how do you see the potential impact on Terra from the Chaos Powers? Do you have the confidence to handle it?"
A flicker of suspicion flashed in Guilliman's eyes. He had already sensed something was amiss. A Primarch's premonition began to surface, like an intuition blinking in his mind. However, he set aside his biases and explained seriously.
"Rest assured, I have already formulated comprehensive contingency plans and made sufficient preparations."
"And, if I must speak to the degree of preparation..." Guilliman paused for a moment before speaking decisively. "Ten parts. I am one hundred percent certain."
"That much confidence?" Adam raised an eyebrow slightly.
Guilliman was somewhat speechless and simply looked at him without saying a word. What? Are those not the trump cards you prepared for me? Do you not know yourself?
In all fairness, after taking stock of the chips in his hand, Guilliman only wanted to shout: I have never had such a magnificent starting position!
Prometheus Labs had expanded with extreme speed within the Adeptus Mechanicus. Even the Fabricator-General of Mars had been drawn in, and it had now become a force that could not be ignored. Had they not been worried about moving too fast and triggering a second civil war on Mars, they could have already announced their belief system. They remained in secret construction, possessing the authority to deploy a vast number of Skitarii and Titan Legions.
The number of Custodes had fully recovered to the ten-thousand-strong Legion strength, and even surpassed it, reaching a staggering scale. The Sisters of Silence were being summoned from across the galaxy, unified and equipped with xenos-tech combat suits personally endorsed by Mechanicus Magos and disguised with Imperial aesthetics. Their strength had surged.
What increased Guilliman's confidence even further was that, at his suggestion, those Primaris Space Marines on Mars who had been initially awakened had already formed ten full Chapters. They numbered ten thousand, were fully armed, and stood ready for deployment. They could be transported to the Imperial Palace for defense via the "Eternity Gate" teleportation nodes at any time.
How could he lose? Guilliman had never fought a war with such abundant resources!
He was confident that even if the Chaos Powers lurking behind the veil made a major move within Terra, he had the certainty to crush it directly. Even if his traitorous brothers personally led the charge, they could not possibly defeat such a terrifying military force.
Do you truly have the ability to stage another Siege of Terra?
Perhaps knowing exactly how ridiculous the things he left behind were, Adam remained silent for a moment before a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He spoke up.
"Then, if I add a little bit more to your burden, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"What did you say?" Guilliman was suddenly on high alert. Dead memories began to assault him. This feeling seemed similar to something he had experienced during the Horus Heresy.
That's it. Back then, Lion El'Jonson had given him this exact same feeling!
"My meaning is simple. Those Warp-spawn might not be very clear about the strength we possess," Adam explained confidently. "So, in their eyes, a Terra facing its greatest crisis in a millennium is likely unable to spare any resources in the short term..."
"At a time like this, the Solar System becomes a very sweet and delicious bait—low risk, high reward. For certain minor gods, there might truly be a possibility of them taking a desperate risk."
"In short," Adam summarized, meeting Guilliman's somewhat horrified gaze.
"I want to conduct an entrapment operation."