Chapter 33: The God-Emperor — I Am Curious Too
"I was wrong! Great Lord Magnus, I was wrong! Truly wrong! Even if it was only a spar, I offended you. Please kill me! Let me atone in death as a loyal servant of the Emperor!"
Erebus knelt on the stone floor, his posture utterly sincere—at least on the surface.
Standing before him was Magnus the Red, towering and silent, with Lorgar Aurelian at his side.
Magnus accepted the apology.
He had no choice but to.
Even after everything Erebus had said—every insult, every absurd provocation—Magnus still maintained the dignity expected of a Primarch. Though, in truth, there had been a moment where he genuinely considered having Ahzek Ahriman reduce Erebus to ash on the spot.
But he restrained himself.
With a quiet sigh, Magnus gave a slow nod.
"My brother… I accept your apology."
No, no, no… just stay away from me, Magnus thought.
But he said nothing more.
Lorgar watched the exchange, then turned his gaze toward his Legion.
The warriors formerly known as the XVII Legion (17th Legion), now styling themselves as Imperial Evangelists, remained kneeling, heads bowed in reverence.
They had not moved since Erebus began speaking.
"…What is all this?" Lorgar asked slowly.
His eyes narrowed as he noticed the inscriptions carved across their armor—scriptures, praises, devotionals etched into ceramite.
For a moment, displeasure flickered across his face.
Erebus had said it before:
"Look at the Emperor. Does He carve His own name upon Himself?"
He does not.
Therefore, neither should they.
From Lorgar… to Kor Phaeron… none of them bore such markings.
This?
This was excessive.
Almost… heretical.
The kneeling Astartes remained silent, confused by their Primarch's reaction.
They had done this in devotion.
Why was it wrong?
Sensing the tension, Erebus stepped forward smoothly.
"Brothers! I am Erebus!"
"I hope we can work together moving forward to bring prosperity to the Imperium! To make it greater, stronger, and more glorious for the Emperor!"
He raised a hand dramatically.
"Clap if you understand!"
Lorgar's eyes lit up immediately.
He began clapping with genuine enthusiasm.
The Space Marines?
They hesitated.
Then glanced at each other.
…Who exactly is in charge here?
That Night
Deep beneath the city.
Inside a sealed chamber once used to imprison warp-tainted heretics.
Lorgar stood with a solemn expression. Erebus looked exhausted. Kor Phaeron yawned openly.
"What do you think of my brother, Magnus?" Lorgar asked.
He had learned much in recent years.
He knew what psykers represented in the Warp—beacons, lures, and prey.
And when Magnus had casually mentioned "kind and gentle beings" beyond humanity…
Something had felt very wrong.
"I didn't sense anything unusual," Kor Phaeron replied. "Not from Magnus… nor from that Ahriman."
"That's Ahzek Ahriman," Erebus corrected immediately. "How are you leading anything with a memory like that? You should retire."
Kor Phaeron glared at him.
Lorgar raised a hand.
"No… that's exactly the problem."
"No flaw is the greatest flaw."
His voice was firm.
Suspicious.
Erebus tilted his head.
"Then why not ask the Warp itself?"
"…What?"
"The daemons."
Silence fell.
Lorgar hesitated.
"Erebus… the Emperor"
"I'll take responsibility," Erebus cut in immediately, waving a hand. "If anything goes wrong, it's on me."
Kor Phaeron considered this… then slowly nodded.
"Very well."
They moved quickly.
A half-dead heretic was dragged forward little more than skin and bone.
Kor Phaeron began inscribing a summoning circle, chanting in a low, practiced voice.
The air grew cold.
Warp pressure gathered.
Resistance.
Reluctance.
Even… fear.
Purple mist seeped into the chamber but remained trapped within the circle.
Then
A form took shape.
A familiar one.
Shaeluna.
The Slaaneshi daemon trembled the moment she appeared.
"Please! I beg you! Not again! Summon someone else! I have contacts—I know others! I'll give you everything!"
She frantically produced strips of flayed skin etched with summoning rites.
Kor Phaeron's eyes lit up.
Valuable.
Very valuable.
Erebus stepped forward and casually pointed at a nearby statue of the Emperor.
Shaeluna froze.
Then dropped to her knees instantly.
"Great God-Emperor! I am your most loyal servant!"
Moments later
Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Warp corruption reacted violently to the contradiction.
"Ah no! No more! Stop-stop praying! Something's coming!"
The scene quickly descended into something… deeply uncomfortable.
But the three men had seen this before.
Warp entities reacting to enforced devotion was… not unusual.
Lorgar stepped forward, voice cold.
"Answer me, daemon. Has Magnus had contact with the Warp?"
Shaeluna blinked.
"…You're asking me?"
"I'm a lesser daemon! I don't track Primarchs! But"
She pointed frantically at the skin scrolls.
"Those belong to servants of the Changer of Ways! They know more! Ask them!"
Lorgar hesitated.
Erebus did not.
"Good. Hand it over."
Shaeluna threw the parchment immediately.
—and vanished without waiting another second.
Erebus examined the skin-scroll, grinning.
"So… shall we try it?"
"What exactly are you trying?"
A calm voice spoke from behind him.
Everything froze.
A hand—heavy, immovable—rested on Erebus's shoulder.
Another presence filled the room.
Cold.
Absolute.
Unavoidable.
The Emperor of Mankind stepped from the shadows.
Kor Phaeron's heart nearly stopped.
Lorgar's mind went blank.
Erebus… didn't even dare turn around.
"Do you truly believe?" the Emperor said quietly."That I cannot see or hear what happens in this world?"
Silence.
Total silence.
"My father! We-we were," Lorgar stammered.
"I am curious as well."
The Emperor's grip tightened slightly on Erebus's shoulder.
"Curious… whether Magnus has dealings with the Warp."
A pause.
Then
"Isn't that right… Erebus?"
Crack.
Erebus felt his bones begin to creak under the pressure.
And for the first time in a long while
He seriously reconsidered all his life choices.