Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

Graston has surrendered, countless alien nations are burning in destruction, and the great journey for the Emperor and Humanity has also entered a brief moment of rest.

The turtle, the leader of the second legion, retreated into his soft couch and laboratory and lived peacefully.

The knights of Caliban called to the frenzy of thousands of armies, enjoying victory and honor.

The guests from Prospero were dragged back to the Colosseum again.

Everyone has a bright future.

"Bright Future? There's not a lot of demand for that name."

"Many people prefer names like Dawn or Dawn. Of course, Goddess of the Dark Moon also has a certain degree of popularity. After all, this name seems to be closely related to the mother of our genes, which is enough for it to gain the most basic favor."

Hawthorne, who came to report his work, met Lana, who was responsible for guarding the original body's residence, at the end of the battleship's corridor. The chief commander of the Old Guard looked particularly cheerful, next to the statue of the goddess on which the carved door leaf rested. , the two people who had finished their work started to communicate, and their topics jumped around, extending all the way to the most popular thing in the Legion.

After the successful conclusion of the reconquest of Graston, in order to reward all those who participated in the battle for their efficiency and devotion to duty, the Primarch decided to temporarily hand over a short-lived privilege to her descendants: the new name of the Glory Queen-class battleship, A vote will be held by all Dawnbreakers to decide.

According to convention, the Glory Queen-class battleship of the Second Legion should be renamed after the return of the Primarch. Although the name "North Star" is very good and carries the past glory and suffering of the Legion, everyone believes that the Legion's The flagship deserves a new name worthy of their Primarch.

However, although Morgan also acquiesced to this tradition among the legions, she has yet to take action. For nearly a year, the person in charge of the entire 23rd Expeditionary Fleet is still the [North Star].

Only those Daybreakers who are closest to their genetic mother, or those smart people with advanced minds, can make guesses about this strange phenomenon.

"Our genetic mothers were not perfect beings."

Leaning against the wall, Hawthorne uttered these words with a smile, and almost immediately received a solemn look of disapproval from the Chief Old Guard.

"Don't be so serious, Lana. No one is perfect. Even the Master of Mankind cannot be perfect and flawless. This is not an offensive word, but a simple reality worth acknowledging."

"The King of Knights of Caliban is too harsh, and the Overlord of Fenris is too rough. As for the archangel flying around from Baal, it's hard to find too many faults. , but he is not a warm-hearted person at heart, is he?"

"Looking at other Primarchs, even the great Wolf Shepherd, we have personally experienced all kinds of misfortunes caused by his little thoughts: everyone is like this, they are all imperfect, this It’s a matter of course, and we don’t need to be harsh on our Primarchs on this matter.”

"Our Gene Mother is certainly an exceptionally compassionate and intelligent person. With her, we no longer have to envy and envy any of the legion's battle brothers: but this does not mean that our original body is... very capable in any aspect. .”

"You should have noticed this, Lord Lana: whenever our Primarch needs to give something a name, or choose the one she favors among several suitable names, she will abnormal……"

"Tangled."

"Or it's difficult to choose."

Lana spoke, gently filling in the delay and legacy in Hawthorne's words.

"Yes, I'm glad we agree on this. I thought I was the only one who would have such detailed observation. After all, our primarch likes to maintain a sense of mystery."

"Because I have been guarding the primarch, Hawthorne, and I have never left him."

"..."

Rarely, there were a few uncontrollable collapses and cracks in Hawthorne's smile that had remained unchanged for almost ten thousand years.

"Yeah, I'm glad to see you taking this position like a fish in water. After all, this is not an easy position. As far as I know, for every guard of the original body, the threats within the legion are actually greater than those from outside. Even bigger, the challenges from other battle brothers are higher than the frequency of battles, but you don’t seem to have such extra worries.”

"It's nothing more than the primarch's trust."

"..."

Hawthorne was silent for a while, and then he pretended to cough a few times. The veteran warrior who had long since lost all care and desire pursed his lips and thought for a while before helplessly patting Lana on the shoulder.

"You can do this in front of me, Rana. After all, we can be considered friends, but in front of other battle brothers, you'd better not say these words, otherwise you will be neighbors with Lord Ahriman."

"He went in again?"

"There's nothing we can do about it."

A few smiles without mercy crossed the corners of Hawthorne's mouth.

"The Council has previously tried to use the opportunity to fight Ahriman as a reward for those who have outstanding achievements, and the response was more enthusiastic than we imagined."

"...How many did you award?"

"Not much. Lord Ahriman only needs to stay in the arena for a total of more than 8,000 Terran standards. To be specific, I remember more than 8,800..."

"...Would this be too cruel?"

"Do you think so too? In fact, the Legion Council had a special discussion and study. We fully listened to the opinions of the grassroots and actively responded to the actual situation. In the end, we found..."

"Need to cut down on time?"

"We should add more than a thousand Terran standards to make up the whole number of ten thousand."

"..."

"After all, in the Battle of Graston and the subsequent series of alien annihilation operations, many soldiers who made meritorious service did not meet the standards for promotion, but we always have to make some compensation."

"What about Ahriman? Aren't you afraid that he will complain in the future? After all, he can be regarded as a friend of the original body."

"We're well aware of that."

"So we have a secret ballot system and it's not unanimous."

"……pretty."

Lana nodded, sincerely admiring.

"Do so many people really want to communicate with Ahriman?"

"More than you think. The arena is always full. When it's not your turn, you can still have daily exchanges in the rest area. Just like the discussion on the new name of the Glory Queen-class battleship, it is the hottest topic these days. .”

"Our Lord Primarch chose a very smart approach: this is not a very important topic, it can even be said to be an insignificant matter. It is related to honor, but there is no more necessity."

"But the original body threw it out and handed over temporary power to everyone, so that everyone had a real sense of participation, so that they could truly feel: they are now the Dawnbreakers, a legion, and Not the xx fleet that should have been forgotten long ago."

"Unity?"

"Yes, you can also see that the original body is most interested in this, so she temporarily handed over democracy to everyone, allowing them to become the fleeting masters of the legion. This is enough for them to talk about it for a while. Days have passed, and since they were once the [masters] of the legion, they will naturally start to maintain a unified legion."

"Then why don't we just keep going, keep [democracy] going."

"I regret to tell you that this is not feasible, Lord Rana."

"Why?"

“Because the essence of democracy is veto, not adoption.”

"But there's no veto this time?"

"Because no one can veto an issue, right?"

Unspoken laughter echoed quietly at the end of the corridor. Lana stretched his muscles lazily. He looked at the clock on the wall and lamented the passage of time.

"My break is coming to an end, Lord Hawthorne."

"Yes, my flight cannot be delayed. After all, the route from Avalon to the 23rd Fleet is still a castle in the air. I have to use other people's branch fleets."

"Then see you next time."

A sinister smile formed on the lips of the Chief Old Guard, and he took the initiative to reach out to Hawthorne. With exquisite control of the angle and surrounding light, the smiling Dawnbreaker found himself struck by an unexpected The light outside flickered.

He looked down at the place where the light originated.

"What's this on your wrist armor? Some kind of special bracelet?"

"Yeah, doesn't it look good?"

"It's very beautiful. You can tell it's a work of art at a glance. I even felt a few rays of psychic energy? Where did you get such a good thing?"

"The first creation made by the primarch's own hands, she gave it to me with her own hands."

"..."

"To reward me for my loyalty."

"..."

"..."

"Okay, I changed my mind. Dear Lord Rana, I think the original body's personal guard is such an important position and should go through sufficient tests and competitive trials. Maybe you are missing this link?"

"Whatever you say, Hawthorne, I won't be afraid."

"It's nice to see you so confident in your abilities."

"After all, the original master has personally affirmed my strength."

"..."

"..."

Faintly, at the end of the quiet battleship corridor, a few low-pitched dirty words seemed to be heard.

——————

"Speaking of which, what is our primarch doing now?"

"She is preparing for the meeting with Lord Guilliman. Specifically, she is thinking about what costume she is going to wear. She has been thinking about it for a long time, you know..."

"Well, I understand, the choice is difficult."

"Yes, it has been difficult for almost a whole Terran standard day. Our original body has just spent more than a month in her private laboratory. All food and items were transported by her personal maid. , if she is not arriving in Macragge soon, I think she can stay for a while longer."

"At least we don't have to worry about her wearing a white coat to carry out such diplomatic matters."

"Who knows, anyway, I personally think that no matter what you wear, the ambitious Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds will not care. He only has his eyes on his country within a country."

"It can't be said that the necessary costumes still need to be prepared. Unfortunately, we can't seem to be of much help in this regard. Maybe we need to specially recruit a group of mortals to send an official document to the Emperor's Children or the Blood Angels. A letter asking for help?”

"You mean: arrange a..."

"Image director?"

Lana touched his chin.

"An unfamiliar word."

"After all, it's hard to focus on something that's always on the lips, right?"

"Okay, then I will find time to find such a mortal. Are there any standards?"

"Objective vision, rich knowledge, sophistication and calmness, open to all rivers, calm in the face of battle, pure in heart, with sufficient coping methods for various cultures and different environments, or personal experience, and it is best to be a person who dares to communicate with the original A person who fights in the ring."

"……what are you saying?"

"Image director."

"I think you're talking about the Emperor's Custodes."

"This is a bit exaggerated, Rana, but to be honest, I don't know if such a person exists."

"I think there is, Hawthorne."

"How can I see it?"

"Because our Primarch does now have an... image director."

"……who?"

——————

"No problem, Ms. Morgan."

"My dear, Trazin, I am happy to be your image director."

"It just so happens that I have a little knowledge of the art and aesthetics of various races."

The Lord of the Second Legion crossed his legs and sat on his throne, looking up and down at the metal skeleton not far away that exuded green light in her eyes, and gently suppressed the instinct to tear this alien into pieces in her heart. impulse.

Objective vision, rich knowledge, sophisticated and steady, tolerant of all rivers, calm in battle, pure in heart and few desires...

That's totally true, isn't it?

It's a pity, it's an alien.

Morgan sighed silently.

She was a little confused.

After forcing Graston to surrender, the Dawnbreaker fleet immediately swept through most of the galaxies in the Avalon sector. Those large and small alien nations are not worth the effort of human colonies. Their pitiful voids The power has been completely destroyed in the naval battle in the Cornwall system. The Imperial fleet loyal to the Queen of the Dawn remains in the low-Earth orbit of alien worlds, carrying out massacres wantonly.

For those recalcitrants with extremely fierce anti-aircraft firepower, the landing operation personally led by the Lord of the Second Legion was torture enough to make them regret it: the presence of the Primarch in person made the Legion of Astartes a desire The violent behemoth that crushed everything, hundreds of war deductions and the information processing center that always grasped the situation turned the originally anxious battle situation into the art of describing unilateral massacres, and the Primarch even fell into a kind of distress for this.

Although the cooperation between the various forces is far from perfect, the enemy they face is too weak in the face of the Legion's three-dimensional strikes and information-based tactics. It is so weak that the Primarch can't even find a suitable reason. With the opportunity, she dispatched her Praetorian Guards to those most dangerous areas.

Because these alien wastes did not create any crisis moment at all.

Thinking of this, gloom gathered in the eyes of the Second Legion.

The strangulation of those greenskins might have been a good opportunity: if not for the powerful blow Morgan used to start the war, which unfortunately tore WARBOSS's ship and himself into pieces.

Beyond that, [the right opportunity] is like the moon in the pool, becoming an existence that the Primarch cannot grasp. Many weak opponents were wiped out in front of the fanatical Astartes Legion, and The personal arrival of the Primarch will only make each army burst out with more fanatical power, turning any factors that may worsen the war situation into a clarion call for victory.

In this way, when the last independent world was planted with the flag of the Human Empire, and the entire Avalon sector became the servant of the Primarch in the cry of the Legion, Morgan still stayed in a somewhat A confused emotion.

Is this done?

Is this a success?

A star region, more than a dozen galaxies, just didn't give her even a barely suitable reason and opportunity?

Compared to Ran Dan...

Well, okay, we can’t talk about Ran Dan anymore.

In her confusion, the high-spirited Luther led an army and began to march towards another star region. This originally old Caliban knight, after several months of continuous battles and victories, actually had an incident. An unmitigated medical miracle.

His originally severely declining spirit and will had disappeared without a trace when he saw Morgan again. Standing in front of the Lord of the Second Legion was a Luther who didn't know how many years younger: high-spirited, full of energy, It speaks of endless vitality and determination.

【……】

The number of confusing things has increased...

The Primarch tilted her face and looked at the metallic alien talking in front of her. She just wanted to sigh a few words or throw herself into the laboratory again.

Compared with this world that seemed a bit strange to her, the data and rationality in the laboratory were more attractive: after more than a month of research and study, the original gene had begun to take shape, and on Lana's wrist The bracelet is her first product. This mass-produced creation stores the faintest trace of Morgan's spiritual energy, which is enough to give her descendants a one-time huge means of destruction in times of crisis - —or used to self-destruct.

The leader of the Second Legion was still sighing silently. Suddenly, her ears seemed to catch some unusual words.

【What were you talking about just now? Sergeant Trazin? 】

"Sleeveless half-mail, my lord."

"I heard that one of your brothers once gave you a similar gift. Maybe you can wear it during this visit: wearing a full-length dress that you sewed by yourself, and the upper body with the sleeveless half-length suit. A, the classic goddess of ancient Greece and Rome."

"Athena, Minerva, what a holy name that makes people long to be close."

[I hope what you can give is a sincere and objective suggestion. 】

"This is sincere and objective advice. Dear Sir, I know why you came to me as your image director: I have heard the quarrels among the soldiers under your command. It is obvious that your genetic father gave you a With unique abilities, in the eyes of different characters, you have different appearances worth looking forward to, but only in the eyes of a soulless person like me, you have a real appearance."

"But please believe me, in the eyes of your blood brothers, your appearance cannot change the truth that their vision can detect, so you need to dress accordingly."

"And for a figure like Lord Guilliman who possesses the soul of ancient Rome, what could be more affirming to him than a living Minerva? The goddess of wisdom, war, moon and memory is also The patron saint of craftsmen, students and artists, the combination of long skirt and half armor is enough to explain it all."

"Of course, if you can bring a shield and a spear..."

[Please don't tell me anything about the spear, Sergeant Trazin. 】

"Um, okay."

"But you must believe that sleeveless half armor is a good idea, and if it can be paired with a sleeveless dress, it will be a killer. No Roman can refuse what I say."

“Take my advice and you’ll have a great trip to ancient Rome.”

"Pantheon, Gladiators, Marbles, Augustus and Caesar, oh..."

"Of course there is a large bath."