Even after Bruce and Curze had shared everything they knew from the "prophecies" with Horus and urged her to make preparations in advance—最好一次把叛徒军团一锅端,最好能 wipe them all out in a single stroke—Horus's kindness and hesitancy still kept her from making the final call.
After all, this was not the cleansing of one or two wayward brothers. At minimum, it meant moving against five entire Legions.
Horus could neither accept nor approve of the cold-blooded solution Bruce and Curze were proposing.
"I think it's enough if we first deal with the Legions that are already confirmed to have rebelled," Horus said at last, her face full of conflict as she forced herself into a decision. "As for the rest... I'll think of another way to handle them slowly, one step at a time. How about that?"
"If we wipe out that many Legions all at once, the impact on Father's Great Crusade will be enormous. And what if... what if some of them can still be saved?"
"Or give me a little more time. I'll come up with a better plan. A more perfect one."
The disappearance of the Second and the Eleventh still weighed on Horus's heart. Even deep down, she knew those two likely hadn't been innocent either.
But the problem was simple.
They had still been brothers.
Unless someone was truly beyond saving, Horus simply could not make up her mind to slaughter family with her own hands.
How could anyone make that decision so casually?
Bruce and Curze exchanged a look with perfect synchronization. Their expressions—and even their eyes—were filled with the same complicated, exhausted disbelief.
"Has she always been this wishy-washy?" Bruce asked his father in bafflement.
The Horus from history had never been like this. When it came to laying traps for the loyalists, she'd been decisive, even excited. But now, when it was her own Istvaan plan on the table, she was dragging her feet at the stage of actual execution.
Even if being "redeemed" had weakened her by three degrees, this was still a bit much.
"Who knows." Curze shrugged, then turned toward Horus and issued a grave warning. "Horus, let me make one thing clear. When there are matters that require ruthlessness, if you can't bring yourself to act, then later it'll only become harder to clean up."
"And the Legions Newblood pointed out? They're already dangerous enough as they are. If we don't deal with them, they'll bring trouble to you, to me, and to Father."
"I need to think about it a little longer..." Horus understood her sister's warning, but understanding something and being able to do it were two very different things.
According to Bruce's selection, the targets who absolutely had to be dealt with numbered four Legions—or rather, four Primarch groups:
The Third Legion, the Emperor's Children.
The Twelfth Legion, the World Eaters.
The Seventeenth Legion, the Word Bearers.
And the Twentieth Legion, the Alpha Legion.
Of these, the Third and the Twelfth only really required eliminating their Primarchs. Their sons could still be spared.
But the Seventeenth and the Twentieth? Those two had to be burned root and branch—from Primarch to last line soldier.
There were also a few more on the observation list, though Bruce felt it was worth trying to salvage them first. If that failed, then they could be exterminated too.
Take the Iron Warriors, for instance. Perturabo joining Horus in the original history had essentially been a case of being talked into it while already emotionally broken. In truth, he had always been deeply resistant to Chaos. He had even come into contact with the Eye of Terror early on and still kept his distance. He was, in Bruce's eyes, still recoverable.
Then there was Mortarion and the Death Guard. They had been under Nurgle's gaze from the very beginning. If not for being trapped and betrayed by their Navigator, things might never have ended the way they did. Mortarion hated the Emperor, yes—but he too might still be pulled back from the brink.
Originally, they had been discussing eliminating half the Primarchs and half the Legions.
Now the list had already been cut down to two and a half.
Bruce felt he was being downright conservative.
If someone more hardline had been sitting here, then forget nuance—they would have torched all six without hesitation, just to be safe. Hell, taken to the extreme, even Guilliman—who once flirted with the idea of a separate empire—might have been added to the list.
"Horus, what's your take?" Magnus asked. She had expected the question. After all, now that she was one of the informed parties—one of the planners, even—what else could she do? Offer a few suggestions, of course. Remaining silent wasn't an option.
"Let's separate the matter into two issues."
"First: Bruce's purge plan itself. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with it. Since you've already designed a killing trap, why not go all the way and crush the traitors in their cradle?"
"But the second issue is the more practical one—how do you convince the Legions and Primarchs participating in the plan to go along with it? Ferrus and Fulgrim are close. Extremely close. If Ferrus learns of the plan too early, there's a real risk it leaks."
"And finally, this is just my own view... but what if the whole thing spirals into a full-scale internal civil war within the Imperium? Have you considered a backup plan for that?"
From a purely rational standpoint, Magnus supported Bruce and Curze.
The problem was that not everything could be handled rationally.
The plan was good. The psychic visions Bruce described were persuasive. But plans like this could just as easily lurch off in a disastrous direction—toward Imperial civil war.
If it really came to that, how would they clean it up afterward?
"You're right..." Horus muttered. She thought seriously through Magnus's point.
Then, inevitably, the largest question in her mind surfaced.
"By the way... why have you two never once brought up the Ultramarines? Is Guilliman truly that worthy of trust?"
Bruce had evaluated every Legion. Even the White Scars, who operated on the edges of Imperial society, and the Raven Guard, who had come late to the fold—he had judged both and given them the label of absolute loyalty.
But the Ultramarines?
Did they really have no issues at all?
"Guilliman is the kind who looks like a rebel, but in reality knows exactly what he's doing. The chances of him actually turning are tiny," Bruce replied with complete confidence.
"What if?" Magnus countered. "He and his Five Hundred Worlds possess the strongest foundations for civil war of anyone."
"If we finish purging the corrupted Legions and emerge heavily weakened, we won't be able to handle the Ultramarines afterward."
On paper, Ultramar and the Ultramarines were merely a part of the Imperium. In reality, that realm made up close to a quarter of the Empire's territory and economic output. And it was rich beyond measure.
Even at their peak, most other Legions would gain little from clashing with Guilliman and Ultramar.
"I already said it. The odds of Guilliman rebelling are nearly zero. At worst, he'll just use the situation to wring more privileges and autonomy for Ultramar and his Legion." Bruce didn't really know how to explain why he trusted Guilliman this much.
He could hardly come out and say that Games Workshop's invisible hand had practically canonized him as the one man destined to keep the Imperium limping forward in the 41st millennium.
If Guilliman fell too, then the setting itself would be doomed.
"No, Newblood." Curze thought it over, then shook her head. "I think we still need to guard against him."
"It's not that I distrust your information. And it's not that I think Guilliman is definitely a problem. But if we're drawing up a real plan, then we need to account for every possible complication."
"Then how?" Bruce spread his hands helplessly. "If we drag the Ultramarines into the plan too, they're not exactly the type you can control."
Everyone knew Guilliman could act independently if he wanted to. There was no guarantee he would listen to Horus—especially if the order involved marching against one of his own brothers. Unless the Emperor himself gave the command, it would be difficult.
But the Emperor had no time for any of this. Every ounce of his attention was fixed on the Webway Project, which was nearing completion.
"That's easy. Since the Word Bearers are scum and the Ultramarines are wolves with ambition in their hearts, let them bite each other and wear themselves down," Curze said, balling a fist.
"They already have bad blood because of the Perfect City. It won't take much to ignite it again."
"The idea's good," Horus said, "but how do we execute it?"
"That's where the evidence Newblood recovered from the Word Bearers' fleet comes in." Curze snapped her fingers.
Bruce understood at once. He pulled an electronic device out of his pocket, and a projection sprang to life above the table, displaying photo after photo and document after document in sharp clarity.
Horus already knew about the evidence, but this was the first time she had seen the entire chain of proof laid out in one place. It meant the Night Lords had opened everything to her—everything. If they'd had the bodies of the Blessed Sons on hand, they'd probably have laid those out too.
"So... would this really be enough to make Guilliman agree to move against the Word Bearers?" Horus asked gravely.
The evidence certainly proved that the Word Bearers had mutated horribly and ought to be destroyed.
But was it enough to make Guilliman launch a campaign against another Legion?
Something still felt missing.
"Any amount of attrition will do," Curze said, getting straight to the core of it.
Horus's standing alone might not be enough to make Guilliman wholeheartedly commit to exterminating another Legion. But it was absolutely enough to get him to go after the Word Bearers, drag Lorgar back in chains, and demand answers.
And everyone already knew what sort of relationship those two Legions had.
The moment they clashed—whether the clash began large or small—it would escalate into total war.
That was enough.
As long as a war broke out, as long as both sides bled, that alone benefited them.
If the Word Bearers lost, then perfect—they'd be crushed outright.
If the Ultramarines lost, that was also acceptable. While Guilliman reeled, perhaps Ultramar's Five Hundred Worlds could be... reorganized a bit.
And if fortune smiled and both sides came out mauled?
Even better.
Two wishes fulfilled at once.
"I can try contacting Guilliman," Horus said at last. There was nothing wrong with the proposal.
To her, the true long-term threat to the Imperium was Ultramar. Of all the Primarchs, Guilliman was the one who controlled the largest and richest territory. His military strength exceeded the combined power of multiple Legions.
The others were regional warlords.
Guilliman, if he grew more daring, could practically crown himself and rule as an equal to the Emperor.
How could Horus not be wary?
"Bruce..." Magnus suddenly spoke up.
Now that the other two had reached a rough consensus and the major disagreements had been aired, she found herself wanting to ask him something.
"What is it?" Bruce was still staring at the star map and the broad beans arranged on it, trying to estimate how bad Istvaan could get for both loyalists and traitors if things truly came to blows there.
"Do you remember the prophecy I told you about before?"
"Uh... which one?" Bruce frowned. He vaguely remembered it, but Magnus had rattled off a whole lot of bizarre, half-coherent nonsense back then. Who knew which parts had been true?
"The one where I foresaw the Imperium becoming like a walking corpse. Humanity dull, numb, unable to see hope. The entire Empire swallowed by darkness, without a spark of life left in it."
"And you would become a ruler feared by all."
Bruce blinked.
"Honestly... if it really comes to that, then whatever. Right now the Warmaster is alive and well, and my father here is mighty as ever. If I ever really turn into something like that, I'm sure the two of them will stop me."
"What if it's true?" Magnus pressed. "I don't understand why the nobles and rulers in that future fear you so much. Or rather... why you seem to bear such deep hostility toward them."
"Oh."
Bruce suddenly understood.
"So it's those nobles who said all that? Then let me ask you something: what did ordinary people think of me in that prophecy? Did you see that?"
"No," Magnus admitted.
"Then I'll just say it straight. In my opinion, apart from their one redeeming quality—that they're loyal to the Emperor—most of those nobles are flaws piled on flaws."
Bruce's opinion of the High Lords and hereditary aristocrats of the far future had always been simple:
They weren't even as useful as old feudal landlords.
If the Imperium in the 41st millennium was permanently stuck in the ICU, then those bastards bore at least a third of the blame.
"Flaws? But they govern the Empire for the Emperor. They maintain order and keep humanity safe from xenos across Imperial space. Without them, how would the Empire function?" Magnus frowned.
"Sigh. That's scholars for you. Why do you always end up sympathizing with those at the top?" Curze commented lazily. "What Newblood means is very simple: most of them aren't fit to govern the Imperium."
"If even they aren't qualified, then who is?" Magnus asked.
"Anyone but them," Bruce said flatly. "Most of them are just careerists. Why would they care whether the Imperium lives or dies? What matters to them is power."
"And besides—why is it called the Imperium of Man? Is it the Empire of these nobles? No. It belongs to mankind. That means ordinary people. The ones you hardly ever mention, the ones you look down on."
"So in your view, those commoners are more worthy than nobles with generations of learning and experience behind them?" Magnus stared at Bruce as if he were some kind of alien species.
"There are a lot of ordinary people. You can always pick out a few capable administrators from among them. Nobles? Sure, some are competent. But if they cling to their positions and refuse to give way, then better to kill them and replace them with someone who can actually do the job."
Magnus could not comprehend this line of thinking.
"No matter. Time will verify everything." Bruce shrugged. "And don't underestimate the power of ordinary people."
He did not find Magnus's viewpoint strange. She was, after all, a ruler. A scholar. Someone who had spent little time with common people except at a distance. Of course she would think commoners ignorant and in need of enlightened superiors like herself.
By contrast, Curze and Horus had both clawed their way upward from the ground level. They understood perfectly well what Bruce meant. Some of what he said might be extreme—but the core of it was not wrong.
"You remind me of someone," Magnus said at last.
"Who?"
"Corvus Corax."
Bruce froze.
The next instant, Curze launched herself at Magnus and slammed her to the ground, unleashing a torrent of Nostraman profanity so filthy Bruce could not even follow half of it.
"Magnus! Who are you comparing him to? Newblood is my son!"
"Wait, wait, wait—Curze, that's not what I meant—aaagh!"
But Curze was already pummeling her mercilessly, while Horus hovered nearby wanting to break up the fight but not quite sure how to intervene.
Bruce watched the chaos and felt, more than anything else, tired.
A perfectly good afternoon tea gathering.
And somehow, it had still turned into a brawl.
Sigh.
Magnus's emotional intelligence really was hopeless.
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 150)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter190)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter225)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 195
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 225
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 210
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 115
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 130
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 85
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 90
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 100
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 75
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 60
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 71
Checking In in Demon Slayer 75
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 80
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 66
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 58
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 65
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 63
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 59
Why did they assign me to Uma 55
MYGO Beauties 56
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 45
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 49
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 36
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 35
The Uma Musume Who Became 30
I'm Definitely Not the King of 35
After Maxing Out Every Class 35
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