Lev, the Chief of the Supreme Council, was sitting in this conference room, listening to the conversation between the two primarchs. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to admit that his mentality had improved a lot since swearing allegiance to Dukel. , The heart that used to be tense all the time in the power struggle is now completely numb.

As a mortal with no special abilities and a non-Terra native ethnic group, he was able to enter the Terran power system and become the head of the Supreme Council through a series of political games. Lev never felt that he was an incompetent person.

It wasn't until he met Duke that his eyes really opened.

He played political games within Terra just to maintain the balance of power.

But here in Duker, there is no balance at all. Those who are obedient are loyal servants of the Emperor, and those who are disobedient? Find out about the Chaos Evil God.

Whether it was the Grand Instructor of the Inquisition or the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of Justice, he didn't care about the identity of the other party, he just used his sword to strike.

Before the First Legion kills someone, they have to collect evidence and dig deep into the secrets. Good guy, the Second Legion will kill people first and investigate later.

In Lev's view, shouldn't politics be a game of checks and balances and compromise? How come it has become a game of entertainment?

When he heard that Duker was going to unilaterally declare that the Mechanicum of Mars was a heresy, he couldn't hold back at all.

Lev carefully reminded: "My lord, if the mechanical priests are all heretics, isn't this number a bit too much? The entire galaxy will not believe that the God of All Machines has so many heretical believers."

One or two, everyone can still accept it, after all, the corrosion of chaos is difficult to guard against.

But if the Cult of Mechanicus were heretics from bottom to top, the empire would have been doomed long ago.

The state religion no longer needs to believe in the Emperor, just convert them all to Chaos.

In this regard, Duker acted as calmly as ever, "The invasion of Chaos is like a scourge. The people of the empire will believe it. If I say they are heretics, they must be heretics. If not, they must be. Don't worry, I also understand the law. Everything Everything is done in accordance with the procedures, and the evidence is conclusive, and the people will believe it.”

Lev: "."

Reasonable and convincing.

What else could he say?

However, Guilliman couldn't bear it, "Brother, those who steal the country really deserve what they deserve."

First of all, the regent made his position clear. In principle, he still supported Dukel, but he still reminded,

"But the number is indeed too much. Tech-priests are different from nobles. They are the indispensable pillars of the empire. If we clean them all out, how the empire can maintain normal operation will be our next problem."

If it is said that when cleaning up the nobles, Duker can still maintain the mentality that the empire has no shortage of talents. But it’s really not possible to clean up the Mechanic Priests with this kind of mentality.

Mechanicus priests are really scarce.

Even the lowest priest has to go through thirty years of simulation and eighty years of assessment before he has even the slightest chance of becoming a formal member of the Mechanicus.

This difficulty is 10,000 times more difficult than the first prize in the ancient Terra examination.

Duker also knew this situation, otherwise he would not have taken out the stc template he had collected from the Endless One and asked Doron to go to Mars first to bribe the great sages of the neutral faction.

Although those templates are of no use, and they were all stolen.

But when Duker woke up alone from Ophelia 7, and until he pulled up such a huge expedition fleet, didn't he just rely on being diligent in running the house, only getting in and not getting out (crossed out)?

Although he already had a plan in mind,

But Duker still had a pensive attitude, as if he had really gone through a difficult ideological struggle before he continued to speak,

"Brother, judging from your kindness, if someone else comes to persuade me, I will never listen. But since you have said so, let's clean up the leaders first. Guilliman, Lev , in your opinion, who is the pillar of the opposition to the Mechanicum?"

Dukel's words made Guilliman feel warm in his heart, so he said something straightforward:

"Mars Casting General, all the instructions within the Mechanicus cannot circumvent his will. In my opinion, it is his inaction that makes the entire Mechanicus take effect, causing the great sages to have a perfunctory attitude. If you want to solve the problem of the Mechanicus, it is best to start with the Martian Forge General."

"Bang bang——"

While Lev was writing a record, the tip of his pen broke instantly.

He suddenly realized that his mentality was actually not that good.

You two adults, can you please let me go away while you discuss this matter?

Mortals really can't accept high-end conversations between demigods.

The Forging General of Mars is also known as the "Chief Forger" within the Cult of the Mechanicus.

The Adeptus Mechanicus are allies deeply bound to the Imperium, the other head of the Imperial double-headed eagle.

Let’s put it this way, even if the Emperor steps down from the Golden Throne today, he must ask the ‘Chief Forger’ for his opinion on what he wants to do tomorrow.

Why were the two Primarchs suddenly targeting the Forged General of Mars while they were chatting and laughing?

Lev quickly said, "Two adults, I think the Chief Forger is loyal, but he was blinded by the heresy within the Mechanicus."

Lev hopes that the empire will get rid of darkness and move towards light. For the sake of the overall health of the empire, he also supports an operation on the empire.

But how can anyone perform surgery and cut out the aorta first?

Duker looked at him and said, "Lev, don't worry. If this foundry general steps down, the next general will naturally take his place. We can support more knowledgeable great sages to participate in the election. The Mechanicus will not If you are divided because of this, you will become more cohesive. I think Kaur is very good. He has spent ten thousand years to accumulate it, and it is difficult to find a more knowledgeable wise man than him today."

When Guilliman heard these words, he quickly said, "Brother, Caul is not suitable to be the Chief Forger, and he has never expressed that he wants this position. There seems to be something wrong with his copy of consciousness. Many times , I can’t even tell which one is the real Kaul.”

"Then it'll be Gris." Dukel didn't care who became the Chief Forger, as long as he could remain loyal to the original body.

"Grice is sober enough and loyal enough."

The two Primarchs had already started talking about the ownership of the Forge.

"But my lord."

Lev opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.

But at this moment, the voice of the original body sounded again,

"By the way, nearly half of the great sages within the Mechanicus have already sworn allegiance to me."

Lev blinked,

He changed the topic, "I am just an old man, and my vision is far less clear than the two adults. If both His Highness and the Regent think that there is something wrong with the chief caster, then he may really be a heretic."

Lev's situation opened up instantly.

He's not a fool.

If nearly half of the Archmagos within the Adeptus Mechanicus pledge their loyalty, the resistance to the Warmaster's expedition will be greatly reduced.

If more than half of the Great Sages swear loyalty, the Warmaster's will will be unimpeded.

What if 90% of the great sages swore loyalty to the Adeptus Mechanicus? May I ask what you are doing with our Warmaster's Adeptus Mechanicus?

When he knew that nearly half of the great sages supported the original body, Lev, as a follower of the original body, felt that a 90% support rate was not impossible.

At that time, the power of the Supreme Council will also be brought to unprecedented heights.

Lev recalled that during the past eighty years of his rule, every time the Supreme Council was held, those representatives did not give him face.

He said he could no longer bear the hardship.

Efilar stood behind the original body. In this meeting, she assumed the duties of a secretary as usual, so she just watched Lev's polar reversal calmly and did not express any opinions.

However, as a secretary, she still reminded Duker,

"Your Highness, according to our information, although the current Chief Forger is not the most knowledgeable person within the Mechanicus, behind him, there is the support of the Titan Order and the Knight Family. If you want to replace him, the Titan Order and the Knights The family will definitely stand up and oppose it.”

Dukel raised his eyebrows, "The support of the Titan Order and the Knight Family? I also have the support of the Emperor behind me. Are they more holy than the Emperor?"

Efilar: "My lord, your father is the co-owner of mankind."

Duker continued to ask, "Can their strength be able to resist my and my brother's legions?"

Efilar: "My lords are the gods of war in the empire."

Dukel nodded, "I think the Titan Order and the Knight Family are also heretics."

Efilar was not surprised by this answer.

Yes, in front of her master, the heretic is really the busiest person in the empire.

"But Your Highness, there is one more question."

Although Efilar believed that Dukel should know, as the secretary of the original body, he still fulfilled his duties, "The Emperor made a covenant with the Mechanicus back then, and the Empire would not interfere in the internal affairs of the Mechanicus. If we violate A covenant is tantamount to betraying the emperor's will."

Dukel nodded. It was obvious that he had his own understanding of this covenant. "Not interfering in internal affairs does not mean that heretics cannot be killed. If anyone feels that our actions are contrary to justice, you are welcome to report to the Supreme Council, the Tribunal, and Real-name reports to the Ministry of Justice and other agencies, remember, only real-name reports are accepted.”

He wanted to see how the heretics in the hall sued the original body.

If you want to know about the final right of interpretation in the empire, it is better to consult Dukel himself directly.

The benevolent Lord of the Second Legion will kindly tell the heretics——

"My Father, Lord of Mankind"

"My Brothers the God of Earth"

"My Loyal Manchu Civil and Military Affairs"

Do you want to report me? Are you even going to be my enemy?

You are not a heretic, then,

Who are the heretics?

Efilar nodded, she had said everything she should say as a secretary.

Now she has returned to her role as Sister of the Lord of Destruction, gazing with adoration at the master she serves.

"In all battles, victory is your due, my lord."

She had already expected that the Lord of Destruction would not be afraid of any obstruction.

But this does not prevent her from admiring the other party's calmness when facing powerful enemies.

Guilliman, on the other hand, had never thought about what Dulquer would be afraid of from the very beginning.

Although the memories from ten thousand years ago have been forgotten by him, in his mind, his second brother is truly the number one hunk in the galaxy just from the time they spent together in the past few years.

To be honest, Guilliman was not a man who would belittle himself. But in terms of bravery, he felt that there was a big gap between himself and his opponent.

He was a primarch who was good at learning. He couldn't learn the side of Dukel's scholar, but he felt that he could still learn the side of charging into battle. He was trying to catch up with the gap in this area, so as soon as he opened his mouth, he set his target on the Chief Forger.

If it were in the past, he would never be so bold.

Guilliman felt that he was not stupid. He was also well aware of the root causes of the problems within the empire and even the Mechanicum. But in the past, he usually considered issues from the perspective of politicians and the law. He had always expressed his inability to deal with those people who could not be given justice by the law.

Duker made him realize that loyalty must not be limited to rigid rules.

His situation suddenly opened up. Like his opponent, he should regard politics as a war, not just a game of power.

How can there be any compromise or rules in war?

If beheading the opponent's leader can serve as a deterrent, it is also a strategic victory.

Guilliman's eyes were firm, "Brother, if we change to a chief forger, the Mechanicus can remain loyal enough to us and unite their power. Then many of the problems faced by the empire today will be easily solved." It will reduce the casualties of many soldiers in our next war. For the sake of the empire, for those soldiers who should not have died, he should be executed! If he violates the emperor's old covenant, I will stand in front of you and accept the punishment of the people. sanctions.”

"As long as we can achieve the final victory, even if we are condemned by all the people for it, everything will be worth it!"

Dukel smiled with some relief and said, "Guilliman, it seems that suffering has indeed made you grow a lot, but there is one thing you said is wrong."

"What's the mistake?" Guilliman asked sincerely.

Dukel also pointed out to him carefully, "The chief architect of the Mechanicus is a heretic."

Even if the Emperor stepped down from his throne, he would not be able to clear the Master Forger's name.

They are just killing heretics.

"If we want to usher in the final victory, the name of righteousness must not be lost. At least in the eyes of the people of the empire, every loyalist primarch must not have any stain on him."

Dukel said firmly, "By killing heretics, we are definitely not betraying the empire's past alliance. We represent the justice of the empire and have the credibility given to us by the Holy Emperor. Whoever is our enemy is the enemy of the empire. It must be an evil heresy.”

Guilliman: "."

He instantly realized the gap between himself and his brother again.

This may be disingenuous.

But,

In order to fight against the enemies of the Empire, every Loyalist Primarch needs this disguise. They should learn to protect themselves in order to lead the Empire to realize their shared ideals.

How can you easily bear the stigma?

Even if the Chief Forger died suddenly at home, if anyone was to say who the assassin was, it would be Curze.

As the heirs who walk in the world on behalf of the Emperor in the light of stars, they must be free from any pollution and represent the justice of the Empire forever.

Guilliman was convinced, "Dulquer, you are right, we are walking on the right path, and anyone who blocks us is a heretic!"

Efilar looked at the upright regent and nodded silently.

Very good, the regent has been completely led astray by His Highness.

Maybe Guilliman himself didn't realize it, but he was really gullible.

In the early days of the Horus Heresy, Lorgar led the Word Bearers to stop Guilliman and faced more than 200,000 Ultramarines on Macragge at the time.

Luo Jia naturally chose deception and sneak attack.

Guilliman naturally believed it.

He even felt that Luo Jia had forgiven him for the incident in the Perfect City.

Until the Word Bearers opened fire on the Ultramarines, and a salvo damaged nearly a third of Guilliman's fleet, he was still wondering if the other party had fired by mistake.

Also during the Plague War not long ago, the demon Tzeentch gave nine answers in succession.

If it were any other original body, even Russ would not be able to believe any of them.

But our regent accepted everything without hesitation.

He dared to believe what Tzeentch said!

Maybe Tzeentch also anticipated Guilliman's trust in him, so in order to achieve his goal, he didn't even dare to tell a lie.

For fear of misleading Guilliman.

"Your Highness, should we kill directly, or should we prepare a gift for the Mechanicum first and then start killing?" the nun of the Lord of Destruction asked him.

This time, before Duker could speak, Lev, the head of the Supreme Council, spoke first:

"Your Highness, preparing gifts is a waste of time. I have sent people to find the chief caster several times before. He claimed that his machine had malfunctioned and was under repair. Let's take action directly."

Efilar: "."

Even the weakest wanderer in the empire will have courage filling his bony chest as he follows the Lord of Destruction.

At this moment, Efilar realized that this sentence was true.

She felt that Lev had great potential and integrated quickly.

No wonder he was able to work his way up in the imperial political arena and finally hold the supreme power. He was indeed a ruthless master.

Duker felt relieved again.

No matter what kind of general leads what kind of soldiers, only such a leader of the Supreme Council is qualified to follow him.

Despite this, Duker still adheres to his conscience as the son of the Emperor, "Let's prepare gifts first. If the Chief Forger can understand our ideals, I am still willing to keep his life."

Guilliman agreed, "Brother, your kindness shines brighter than the stars."

Efilar and Lev also agreed that kindness is indeed one of the many noble qualities of the Lord of Destruction.

And the kind-hearted Dukel is also practicing his character,

"The Chief Forger's machine malfunctioned?"

Lev nodded, "Yes, and he named the envoys who have not seen Terra, especially you, Your Highness. He is deliberately avoiding contact with you."

After a pause, Lev said again, "The Chief Founder, the Inquisition and the Ministry of Justice were political allies before, and they were tightly bound together by their interests. He should have stopped you from purging the criminals, but you killed them It was too fast. Before he boarded the spaceship to Terra on Mars, you had already executed all the sinners. The interests of the Chief Forger were seriously harmed, so he was furious, for fear that he would really see you. I can’t control my attitude towards you.”

Dukel nodded.

He actually colluded with the Tribunal and the Ministry of Justice, and he indeed had a plan to kill him.

However, in his bones, the Lord of Destruction carries the kindness he inherited from the Holy Emperor.

"Take me to him. I will visit him personally. He will not refuse again, will he?" continued the Primarch. "I hope this will be a cordial and friendly meeting."

It is absolutely impossible for the chief caster to avoid him forever.

The Primarch personally came to visit, and no matter from any perspective, the current Mechanicus did not dare to turn them away.

"Your Highness." Lev asked a question cautiously,

"Do I need to inform the Adeptus Mechanicus in advance?"

"Yes, follow the formal procedures." Dukel nodded.

Only by doing this can the chief caster let down some of his guard.

Lev reminded, "But if you act like this, you won't be able to clear your suspicions if you execute him."

If the Chief Forger commits suicide at home, or dies suddenly and inexplicably, it can be said to be Curz's doing. After all, it is reasonable for Terra's murderous ghost to go to Mars.

Duker looked at him: "First of all, I don't want to kill the Chief Forger. I hope to reach an agreement with the Mechanicus. Secondly, even if all the people of the empire know that I executed him personally, what's the point? What’s the relationship? Killing heretics is the duty of everyone in the empire.”

He wanted to use the death of the Chief Forger to shock the voices within the Mechanicus and make them consciously cooperate with his actions.

Assassinating the Chief Founder secretly will completely fail to achieve the strategic purpose of deterrence.

However, considering that he went alone and killed someone directly, it was indeed a bit less convincing.

Thinking of this, he looked at Guilliman,

"Brother, go with me and help me witness the heretic side of the Chief Forger."

There is a witness, at least there is clear evidence.

Guilliman nodded, "I will testify against the heresy of the Chief Forger in front of all the people of the Empire."

"Lev, if I break up with the Chief Founder on bad terms and find out by chance that he is a heretic. After I kill the heretic, can you control the empire's public opinion in the shortest possible time?"

Lev took a deep breath and did not immediately answer the original body's question. Instead, he thought seriously about the energy in his hands.

After a moment, he nodded.

"After the various institutions on Terra were purged, the Supreme Council has fully grasped the actual power. After the death of the Grand Master of the Tribunal and others, there are no different voices within the Council. Now the energy that the Supreme Council can control will definitely exceed Everyone’s imagination.”

Duker was very pleased with this.

He arranged affairs against Mars just like arranging a war.

"Efilar, you stay on the Fire of the Heart. If the voice of rebellion within the Mechanicus exceeds our expectations, you will directly launch a fire bombing on Mars."

Maybe there are some unknown black technologies hidden inside Mars.

But the problem is not big. Their war potential will never exceed that of the original body's expeditionary legion. What's more, there are three other legions of the original body stationed here in Mars.

If they remain stubborn, destruction will be their only outcome.

Duker wanted a loyal Mechanicus, but if they were rotten to the core, he would be willing to let Mars turn into the dust of history.

There is no sacrifice too big to accept, and no betrayal too small to tolerate.

"Follow your will, Your Highness. If there is any sign of rebellion, I will ensure that the sparks turn into dust."

Dukel smiled,

"Very well, Lev, send our itinerary to the Adeptus Mechanicus."

"Your Highness, what is the date of your visit?"

"Just tomorrow, the sooner the better."

Duker has always put efficiency first.

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