Chapter 380 The Emperor's Children·In the Prison of Lycaeus
"Okay, Corvus, I admit that I get some things wrong from time to time...I admit that I shouldn't ask your people that kind of question Stupid questions, such as why you didn’t break up with the people from the technical guild and go on strike or something like that - Emperor, there has never been such a slave organization in my Tizca, although this does not prevent us from being attacked by the Soul Devouring Bees! It’s been tortured enough...”
Magnus chattered in frustration as he walked with Corvus Corax in the dark and long tunnel. The latter said nothing, and his long black hair blocked most of his pale face, making the red original body unable to figure out what was going on in his little brother's mind.
Normally, Magnus doesn't like to use telepathy to spy. This is not only a matter of disrespect for people. This left the Red Primarch to use his poor social knowledge to bet that the well-meaning Corvos was not angry.
"Well, I mean, I apologize for what I said before, Dark Crow. You did a great job of freeing your Lycaeus from the clutches of the Chiaval Guild. I didn't help much, your own guerrilla tactics are so beautiful, I don't even know what I'm here for..."
Judging only from appearance and marching style, sometimes Magnus would feel that Corvos and Conrad have some similarities, but when he thinks of how many times the troublesome Night Ghost Blood Marquis has publicly ridiculed everyone except Everyone except Perturabo, and how many scares he caused with his elusive and silent ability, Magnus felt that it was too much to compare the friendly Corax Corax with Konrad. Make the former feel wronged.
The long corridor that smelled of oil flickered reluctantly in the dim light of the lumen lamp, intermittently illuminating the dirty dripping walls.
Not long ago, this was a gloomy prison where many prisoners were held. Some shackles and instruments of torture were still placed in the shadow of the prison. It seemed that there were still faint wails and high-pitched screams compressed to the extreme. Echoes in memory.
The division and ignorance of the old night have created too many misfortunes, and institutional chains are the most common one.
Magnus did not like this environment. His sensitive mind would over-receive the emotional residue around him, but he followed closely behind the nineteenth Primarch and refused to show any His discomfort.
"But this thing, I think I can say something, or, I don't understand why you are doing this, it makes me really confused..."
"Which thing?" Kovo S. Corax spoke. His voice was very soft, like a whisper in the shadows, floating into Magnus's ears.
“You know what I’m referring to, brother, so many of your old comrades have strong opinions on the guild that has now gained dominance. After all, they were the former slave owners of your home planet. Although ...Oh my God, my old friends make me feel uncomfortable saying these things, but your heart is the same as theirs, right?”
“They are attacking the guild, and no one wants to. Kill the guild members with your own hands, Magnus, but the Adeptus Mechanicus will cooperate with the Technological Guild. They have made an agreement."
Corvos Corax said, turning around and raising his head slightly. , facing Magnus, under the cold light, his face was even paler than usual, like an afterimage that only existed in the light and would disappear immediately when the lumen lamp dimmed.
"Magnus, for the benefit of the Empire. You told me personally that the Empire's truth will help humanity enter a new era, and there are still trillions of people in the galaxy waiting for me to liberate them one by one."
Magnus was relieved when Corax was willing to stop and listen.
"Do you really think so, Cobos? To be precise, I mean, this is indeed the official statement of the empire, but are you willing to endorse it? No...be clearer, Do you accept all the literal and hidden meanings of this sentence? "
Covos avoided Magnus's eyes, and Magnus hoped that the sudden change of color in his own eyes did not scare him. The expression of the Nineteenth Primarch became a little gloomy.
"Did you come here specifically to accuse me, brother?" he said in a low voice. "Why did you make this decision?"
"Hey, Corax, do you think where your Lycaeus and Chiaval will go in the future has anything to do with my Prospero?" Magnus said angrily.
Of course he could hear that Covos was testing his attitude, and at the same time, he was testing the attitude of the entire human empire.
I really don’t know what those officials from the Ministry of Interior said to Cobos! It's really bad.
Follow Conrad's advice in Magnus, and actually find Corax in Lycaeus - which will soon be renamed the Savior - and prepare for the administration of the empire that will follow. After guiding the way with the Adeptus Mechanicus, Magnus had already left with the fleet. He was delighted to leave the transformation of Lycaeus to the Nineteenth Primarch himself.
Except for the various theories related to autonomy and independence, Magnus himself is not confident that he can play a guiding role in the transformation of a planet's system and economy.
Maybe what Cobos really needs is a Robert.
Since his birth, Magnus has been the top scholar in the entire human empire, and Tizca, which he governs, has always been the ideal capital of the empire. Although it is not as good as Perturabo's Olympia, it is The differences between people in Tizca even mainly exist in intellectual and theoretical debates, rather than more specific life trivial matters and institutional disputes.
He knew that his talent in governance was far from Robert Guilliman, just as their depth of knowledge in non-realistic matters was exactly the opposite; they had also read through many classics on statecraft, but they did not When it comes to practical application, it's a completely different story.
"No." Corax answered Magnus's question, "I did not imprison the Prosperos, Magnus."
" But those who live in this prison now are your old friends, Cobos. They fight alongside you. You gave them a promise about the future of the Savior. They assassinate, lurk, and guerrilla under your command again and again. Having achieved today’s results, you should be the closest comrades, not each other’s enemies.”
Magnus said, a sadness wrapping around his heart. His Tizcan scholars had gone awry decades earlier, though he undoubtedly had a share in Prospero's disaster at the time. Except for a few people who followed Amon's advice and left early, they all died.
No matter what, Magnus did not want to see a second Primarch turn against his old friends on his home planet.
"Magnus," Corax said, "They assassinated a dozen members of the guild. Once, that meant they rebelled against tyranny. Now, it means they rebelled against subordinates of the Imperium of Man The officials took action. What position should I take to protect them?"
"I..." Magnus was stunned for a moment.
"In addition, it was not me who put them in this prison, but them who were voluntarily arrested on the condition of assassination, entered here on their own initiative, and asked to talk to me." He paused, "They want to Find me.”
They entered the elevator, and the iron frame carried the two Primarchs rapidly down through the prison until they were stopped by magnetic brakes. They were close to the most cruel and terrifying area in the entire prison, but they had never really gone that deep.
This reminded Magnus of the scene when he first arrived in Lycaeus. Konrad Curze only told him that his brother was in prison, which made him think that Covos had been captured by the locals and imprisoned. He anxiously personally navigated the fleet and rushed through the subspace.
The first thing he did when he arrived here was to sweep every corner of the prison with curses. He was confused to find that he found nothing until Corvus Corax suddenly appeared in front of him at night. Outside the window of the landing craft, dark eyes lurked in the pale face, staring straight at him.
This is my prison, Covos once said, it is also our battle base, our tower, our fortress, our home.
"Corvos," Magnus said slowly, "I...I don't know. But what do you think of your old friends?"
“Part of them supports my decision,” Corax said, the changing light shining on his long black hair, like the light that emerges after the clouds and smoke leave on dripping steel at night, “They say, I save Having left this planet behind, I know best where it will go in the future, and they will not use their limited wisdom to speculate on me. ""What about the other part?"
"They think I am a traitor. Corax said, his voice a little erratic.
Magnus took a breath, "Did they really say that?"
"No, no one said that to me..."
"You think you are."
Corax pursed his lips.
"Magnus..." he called out the scholar's name and stopped, "I cannot stay in Lycaeus and serve my people. I cannot serve the people according to their wishes. Provide them with the means of rule they desire. They will suffer, but not as much as those who are more in need of relief, and the Empire will..."
Corvos Korak. Si suddenly stopped talking, his shoulders trembling, unable to continue. His self-persuasion never really succeeds.
In the ensuing conversation with his old friend, Corax anticipated every accusation he would receive. The Lycaean thinkers taught them all that they belonged to the same branch of thought regarding tyranny.
The moment the Mechanicus signed the agreement with Kiaval's former ruler, he had already endured all the self-questioning in his mind. In subsequent meetings, he will be accused of abandoning the road to liberation, committing himself to greater tyranny, prevaricating the delay of justice, and forcing the people to give up their freedom.
And all he can grasp is one sentence: for the greater benefit of all mankind.
Magnus gave up trying to look into Murkrow's face. He clumsily grabbed Corax's hand to stop the trembling of the other's fingers.
“You see, I don’t really understand these political and theoretical things, my brother. People always think that I am just a scholar, and I am. In this regard, I only have some very simple ideas , and it was they who urged me to return to Lycaeus, because I was worried that the astropath's narration and the words on the document would make you misunderstand me."
"What I want to say is, although. This may sound disrespectful to the Emperor, but he would support it - you can tear the tentacles of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Mechanicus away from your planet, Corax said Magnus seriously. Suffering is an excuse, and they do not implement the Imperial Truth like the Imperial Truth, but you can reject them.”
Corax listened quietly, always a good listener.
“Are they telling you that human society will move toward light in the future, but before that, we have to have a long dark age?” Magnus let go of Corax’s hand and turned And put her arm around his shoulders.
His height allows him to do this with ease, while his narrow social circle usually does not give him the opportunity to actively embrace others - not Mortarion. To be fair, it feels good.
"Yes." Corax nodded.
"You must have never seen how others do it, Cobos." Magnus shook his head in disapproval, "That's why you were deceived by them. Well, just relax and I'll give it to you. Show part of the screen.”
He carefully used his psychic powers to find the scenes he needed, and took Corax with him to review the images.
“Look, this is my Tizca, the City of Light,” from the turquoise-clear Valperin Sea in the orbital transition area to the old Tizca district, Secret Eye Square and Pyramids of various styles, Magnus looked at his home with pride, "There are also these areas that are being built and reclaimed. Perturabo has helped me a lot. You see, I don't care what the Ministry of the Interior thinks." , because I know my people won't like it. Prospero pays taxes to the empire anyway!"
"Also, I'm looking for pictures... Yes, let's see Perturabo's Olympia. He attaches great importance to the independence of Olympia and even the entire star cluster. Every political decree here goes through his sister Carifon - well, actually he didn't say that she was his sister, I just thought of your Avery Nia, forget it... I mean, he didn't listen to the command of the civil service system. The ability of the civil service is to make the entire empire machine run quickly, but in which direction to start the engine is always controversial."
"Invite and Nuceria are not very intuitive, and Macragge, Robert Guilliman manages his own place very well, who would bother him? He doesn't even want to Pay taxes."
"Fenris is a typical example of maintaining the original ecological environment. Russ, the dirty barbarian, likes this, even Mortarion and Mortarion stayed. The Death Watch Mechanical Guard is here to protect Barbarus. And damn Konrad Curze, he... Speaking of him, pay attention to the price of his adamantine exports. I suspect that he has been targeting the empire's adamantium market recently. .”
At the end, Magnus let go of Corax and said helplessly: "Although it is strange to say this, you are too obedient, Corvus."
Corax observed a picture in silence A picture flashed before his eyes. Magnus was right. This was different from the empire he knew. The decision he had gained through repeated self-questioning was instantly washed away by the other possibility provided by Magnus, like a dam bursting.
"...There is also a sports meeting. They saved Califon's speech as a recording. I thought maybe you would like to listen to it."
Corax came back to his senses: "But these planets... are still exceptions within the territory of the Human Empire."
"Shouldn't such instances exist?" Magnus said, "Shouldn't there be more? Okay... okay! I mean, you have the right to tell the tech guild to leave," he tried to find the most unsparing word in his vocabulary, "to tell them to go away! Right, but you have more than enough power. You are the only one who can save your savior. I... forget it, no matter what, you will be the Emperor's child."
They talked and walked until the target's cell was near. Corax doesn't like prisons, so this is the only functioning prison in the entire prison tower.
Except for some deep breathing sounds, there was no clinking of shackles or anxious yelling. The soldiers who had escaped from prison and returned here on their own initiative by assassinating guild members were quietly waiting for their end.
Magnus's voice dropped. "Will you kill them, Corax?" he asked sadly.
Corax took a deep breath, and a touch of gentle emotion that was difficult to identify was added to his pale face.
“Thank you, Magnus,” he said, “for showing me the options.”
"Hey, are you okay or not?"
Corvos Corax stared at him for a few seconds, then walked into the cell.
(End of this chapter)