No matter how one looked at it, the banquet had been a great success. Not only had it helped the two primarchs set aside their prejudice, it had also allowed them to establish a temporary strategic alliance.
A tsundere Curze and a straightforward Lion...
In a certain sense, that combination really was pushing both Legions in a better direction.
Truly, cause for celebration.
As the witness to it all, Bruce was so moved he nearly cried himself into a mess. Could something this dreamlike really happen in the Warhammer universe?
Maybe this was the benefit of being a transmigrator. So long as you traveled through enough worlds, enough times, in theory... you could witness anything.
"Acting Commander."
Camilla's voice drifted eerily out of the darkness.
"Huh?!" Bruce nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned his head and found a whole cluster of little bat-brats lurking in the shadows, all staring straight at him.
Those glowing crimson helmet lenses were terrifying.
Wh-What now? Are you planning a mutiny? Here, in the Scarlet Devil Mansion of all places?!
"May we trouble you for a moment?" Camilla asked sincerely. "Just a little of your time."
"You can, I guess, but... what exactly are you trying to do? Why are you being so mysterious about it?" Bruce felt a growing sense of dread.
Since Shawock's death, a power vacuum had opened up within the Night Haunter Council, and everyone wanted a bite out of the cake called authority.
Bruce had heard the rumors over the last few days. Several council members wanted to expand their own power and divide up Shawock's territory among themselves.
What Bruce had never expected was that the rumor was not only true, but that it would come looking for him personally.
"There are a few matters we'd like to discuss with you. Acting Commander, we hope you'll do us the honor."
Camilla kept her posture extremely humble and added, "If you're unwilling, we can arrange another time."
"Well..." Bruce looked at the eager bat-brats around him and realized he could only grit his teeth and agree.
"All right."
What else could he do? I'm just a tiny little acting commander. How am I supposed to outplay these old veterans?
"Thank you!" Camilla finally relaxed when Bruce agreed.
It was a risky move, but there was no other choice. Sevatar controlled the majority of the council members. Only by winning over this acting commander did they have any real chance of succeeding.
This is our only shot at a comeback!
Under Camilla's lead, Bruce was brought into an extremely well-hidden chamber. He had no idea how they had managed to secure a room like this inside the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but one thing was certain.
The moment he entered, every communication method stopped working. If Bruce had possessed psychic talent, he would probably have realized that even psychic abilities had been blocked.
It was the perfect place for a secret meeting: safe, sealed, and isolated.
The number of Night Lords captains gathered inside was not small, either. More than ten of them.
Seeing that many people in one room made Bruce's heart leap into his throat.
If you people are planning a rebellion, I'll surrender first, all right? Just don't drape a bat-cape over me. I really don't deserve to be Night King.
"Acting Commander!"
The assembled captains all rose and saluted Bruce. Judging from their eyes and the solemnity of their movements, they genuinely respected him.
"Hello, everyone..." Bruce raised a hand awkwardly in greeting, then sat in the main seat as Camilla indicated.
"Acting Commander, we need your help. Please, help us!"
Camilla opened with a bombshell.
No preamble. No explanation. Just a direct plea for support.
"Huh?" Bruce stared blankly, not daring to move too much, let alone gesture carelessly, afraid they'd misunderstand.
So you really are plotting some unspeakable secret thing in here?!
Can I still leave if I move fast enough?
"Acting Commander, the Legion can't go on like this!"
One captain slammed his fist against the table and gritted his teeth.
"Captain Sevatar has clearly been corrupted, along with all the ones supporting him!"
"If this continues, they won't just ruin the Night Lords. They'll ruin the primarch too!"
"Is that what you want to see?"
"That's right, Acting Commander!"
"Give the order! Let the brothers try!"
"For the Night Lords!"
"For Curze!"
"For the Eighth Legion!"
"Acting Commander, you are our last hope!"
...
Listening to the captains suddenly grow more and more impassioned, Bruce tried to process what he was hearing while simultaneously wondering what the best escape route might be.
This has nothing to do with me! No political discussions, please! I will always support Konrad Curze!
"Acting Commander, we need your support," Camilla said seriously.
"Support for what? What exactly are you trying to do?" Bruce asked, sweat already starting to bead on his back.
"Well, naturally..." Camilla's eyes flashed with a trace of helplessness. "We want to figure out how to make the primarch grow up."
"Huh?!" Bruce's heart dropped straight through the floor, and he froze on the spot.
Wait.
What kind of information overload is this? Can we please speak plain Gothic here?
"Acting Commander, the primarch's current appearance is damaging the Legion's dignity! She's too small! She has to grow!"
"Exactly. Though Lady Curze in her current form is perfect in her own way... if I had the choice, I'd rather have a mother with a mature body and the charm of a grown woman."
"What kind of appeal does a child even have? I truly can't understand what Captain Sevatar is thinking!"
"The primarch must grow up! She absolutely cannot remain a little girl forever!"
...
As Bruce listened to them ramble on, he finally pieced it together.
The Legion had split because of Curze.
The Night Lords had divided into two factions: the Little Mother faction and the Mature Mother faction. The former held the majority and believed Curze as she was now was already perfect. The latter believed that such a primarch was nowhere near good enough.
Damn it! So you people formed a secret faction over something this stupid?!
"Acting Commander, speak! The moment you nod, we will swear our lives to your cause!" Camilla looked at Bruce with blazing enthusiasm.
Bruce's brain had completely short-circuited and was effectively roasting itself, but to everyone else, he just seemed to be thinking deeply.
Yes! Our Acting Commander is considering it seriously! He must be on our side!
We can't let the Little Mother faction dominate any longer! What we need is a great, mature mother!
"As for this matter..."
Bruce finally rose. Under the expectant gaze of the entire room, he walked toward the door. Just as hope began shifting into confusion, he stopped.
"I believe the choice should be left to the primarch herself."
"Whether it's a little mother or a mature mother, the primarch is still the primarch. That is not something anyone can change."
"That is my answer."
With that, Bruce opened the door and strode out with all the upright conviction his speech had implied.
Only after he had gone did the people in the room slowly fall into reflection. Before long, a tide of regret began to spread.
"S-So this is the Acting Commander's resolve...?"
"Damn it! I actually tried to force my own selfish preferences onto the primarch!"
"The Acting Commander is right. No matter what, Curze is still my mother! Whether youthful or mature!"
"But... are we really supposed to give up just like that?"
"No! What the Acting Commander meant was that we cannot change the primarch ourselves... but we can make the primarch change for our sake!"
"If we become the pride of the primarch, then her greatness will surely lead her to become the mother we long for!"
"Yes! That's it exactly!"
"Acting Commander... I truly revere you!"
...
Idiots!
Once outside the chamber, Bruce broke into a jog, silently cursing those lunatics obsessed with what kind of mother the primarch ought to be. In his opinion, they would have been better off scheming over power and territory.
At least then I could have secretly reported them to Sevatar and had them all purged.
But with it being this nonsense, I don't even know how I'd bring it up. Even if I explained it plainly, Sevatar would probably think I'd lost my mind.
At that moment, Bruce suddenly understood Curze a lot better. He now knew why, when Curze had once spoken of rebellion, Fulgrim had chosen to report it while Dorn had reacted with outright fury.
Smack!
Because he had been distracted thinking and not paying attention to where he was going, Bruce slammed straight into someone as he rounded the next corner.
The one who fell was not the other person.
It was him.
"What the hell?!" Bruce felt as though he had just run face-first into a steel wall.
But that made no sense! I'm an Astartes! Even if it were a steel wall, shouldn't the other side be the one going down?
"Are you all right?" Lion asked, concern in her voice.
"Huh?!" Bruce blinked dumbly as he looked up at Lion, who was reaching down to help him up.
Well, that explains it. If the person I hit was a primarch and I'm the one who went flying, then yes, that makes perfect sense.
"I'm fine... Sorry, I was thinking about something, so I didn't see you. My apologies, Lady Lion." Bruce took her hand and used it to pull himself back to his feet.
"It's all right. Actually..." Lion didn't let go of Bruce's hand afterward. Her expression was hesitant, conflicted, as though she were wrestling with something extremely difficult to say aloud.
"Hm?" Bruce immediately felt another wave of foreboding. But with his hand still caught in hers, there was no chance of making a lightning-fast escape.
"Actually, I came to find you. Do you have time right now?"
"I do, but..."
"That's enough, then." Lion nodded and finally said what she had come for.
"Bruce, would you be willing to become one of my sons? I need your help!"
"Hah?!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( Ending )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
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