Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

Ultramar! New empire!

distant! rich! free! hope! Solidarity! Perseverance!

Come to Ultramar, to the new frontier of the galaxy, and come share the future with us.

Build your new life on Calth, settle in Octavia, enjoy the air and forests of Ulysses, and those who contribute the most will be rewarded with a seat on Macragge, alongside the Primarchs and Ashtar Terbylin, and your bloodline will be honored to be a candidate for the Emperor's Angels.

New world, new destiny!

Everything is your choice.

——————

【……】

[Guilliman. 】

[Have you ever thought that as a promotional poster to encourage immigration, it seems a little...inappropriate? 】

"This model of immigration propaganda posters has been distributed throughout the empire for at least thirty Terran standard years. There has been no official feedback from the empire on its evil deeds, so... is there anything that does not comply with the rules?"

[…Forget it, just pretend I didn’t say it. 】

The Spider Queen's eyes swept over those somewhat unfaithful but quite appropriate words, and she saw Macragge printed on immigration posters and leaflets: a green continent, a fertile ocean, and a sweet air. It is worthy of the [New World] imagined by most people.

And under this rather wonderful picture of heaven are simple poems composed by the propaganda spiels supported by the Lord of Macragge: judging from the talent and aesthetics of the Primarch, these hymns that are not gorgeous enough are indeed They can be called simple, but they are definitely specially processed and can accurately capture the soft spots in the hearts of mortals. In front of their targets, vulgar language is precisely more important. Anyway, the destination of these leaflets is not ordinary people. The Great Library of Spero and Macragge.

Morgan curled her lips and opened another leaflet, which clearly showed a few undeveloped worlds with few traces of civilization, but also highlighted recommended places to live. Then, she saw a string of small words.

[Will you distribute such leaflets to the Imperial Auxiliary Army? 】

"Yes, veterans of the Auxiliary Army who are willing to settle in Ultramar, no matter which army he served in, will be accepted as long as they can provide the corresponding documents, honorary ribbons, and official seals in the service record book. Ultramar was welcomed and given a plot of land divided according to his years of service."

【land? 】

"Yes, land. For every eighteen military years with recognition and official seal, you can get twenty acres of land on the colonial world of Cowes. Those lands located by the river have fertile black alluvial soil, which can produce these Veterans enjoy their wealth in old age, and the only thing they need to pay anymore is hard work."

[It’s a good idea, but if my guess is correct: veterans like this are rarely able to adapt to rural life. They would rather exchange land for wealth, and then go to more prosperous civilized worlds, or simply work in wealth management After all, you can't expect a professional soldier who has served for more than ten years or more to become an expert in agriculture before starving himself to death. 】

"...There are indeed many such examples. Morgan, how did you know?"

[Familiar with Roman history, Guilliman, this is not difficult: I think you know the disadvantages of this system, and you should be glad that you are more like Sulla, Caesar and Augustus than Cicero or Pompey With little Cato. 】

"There is something wrong with your words, my dear blood relative: I don't want to be August, nor do I want to be my father sitting in the Temple of Concordia. My idol is Cincinnatus, yes, Cincinnatus in every sense of the word. Tusi.”

"As for this system: of course it has some problems, but what you pointed out is not the main problem. Any system related to land has only one destiny, that is, the land will be divided sooner or later, and all the ideas surrounding the land and advocacy will turn into ridiculous castles in the air."

"The Roman land system was killed by the waves of the Rhine and Tigris, and then transformed into other bad news, but the same fate will not befall me for a while. After so many years, the land I have distributed is not enough. To allow Cowes to be completely reclaimed, I have to think of more ways, such as asking the administration to waive the tolls of Cowes pioneers.”

The Lord of Macragge was talking eloquently. Although he mentioned a sad topic, his face was relaxed and even a little joyful: obviously, discussing these meaningful topics with a blood relative was the best choice for him. The novel experience that I have never had before is enough to dilute the troubles caused by the problem itself.

Morgan paused the topic with a soft hum that symbolized goodwill, and once again turned his attention to those dazzling promotional posters and manuals. The Lord of the Second Legion regarded these things as something that could be learned. Skills, she believed that her Avalon would be useful to them sooner or later.

Opposite her, just across a long table from her, Guilliman was sitting in front of his meditator, dealing with some temporary emergencies: temporary and urgent, these two words are like the same. For lovers who always quarrel, they will appear suddenly but naturally everywhere.

He processed it quickly, more ruthlessly and efficiently than any precision instrument Morgan had ever seen, but yet much more primitive than those darlings of the Mechanicum: the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds stubbornly refused to use it. For those more high-tech items, he was not used to the meditator's crackling keyboard, tape recorder and auxiliary review equipment, and the latest memory pens and thought recorders were placed beside his crumbling book nest. side, but has never been picked up.

He was holding a pen that could always be held tightly by the most ordinary hand. There was nothing special about it. It was an antique-like pen. He used it to record countless information on the electronic board and process anything related to Ultra. He is like a statue, with only his right hand constantly moving, capturing, processing and recording everything he cares about: whether it is the continuous reports on the electronic board or the secondary displays on the left. As thousands of announcements and data updates come in, he observes and records them all.

Information is victory.

Inadvertently, Guilliman used his actions to tell his blood relatives this sentence, and explained its true meaning over and over again. When Morgan blinked, he observed the ruthless and efficient operation of his blood relatives. At that time, she used the shortest time to come to the conclusion: there was a huge gap like a chasm between her and Guilliman in terms of handling government affairs, receiving data, and archiving information.

She can indeed achieve Guilliman's current state, but it requires great seriousness and concentration without impurities. The Lord Macragge's calm demeanor at this time shows that all this is just a small matter to him. He even had time for a normal chat with Morgan and invited her to taste the fine wines displayed in the alcove.

Morgan didn't answer. She just quietly read the last page of posters, chewing up all the art and essence in it. After slowly digesting it, she stood up and walked to the corner where the bronze wine jug was placed: This is terrible. It's not an easy job, because Guilliman's small deputy office is not a neat and tidy place. The crumbling stacks of books and messy notebooks are scattered in every corner as far as you can see. It's a mess. The instruments that collected all kinds of information were locked in this office by the Lord of Macragge as a method for him to extract the corresponding information at any time in the future.

Guilliman is very organized, down to the smallest detail.

Guilliman was a mess, a mess.

Completely contradictory words, but in this room, it is so harmonious and unified, just like the sole owner of this room: the great Lord Macragge specially set up for him in every aspect of all affairs The corresponding office brought his efficiency in handling things and tracing memories to a peak. This is his rigorous attitude.

But looking at any single office, his layout of these places is so bad and chaotic that it can make even the most diligent cleaning staff feel sincere despair. He greedily collects all the information and documents he can. , until they fill every inch of space, turning the entire room into a cluttered storage den: this is his greedy thirst.

Rigorous attitude and greedy curiosity: these two almost incompatible attributes have reached a strange tacit understanding and balance in Guilliman. They are like the rising waves of the primordial body. It manifested itself over time, shaping him into a somewhat contradictory entity. For a moment, he couldn't tell which one was innate instinct and which one was the result of acquired education.

Morgan realized this, just like she realized that under the appearance of the stable and mature Archon Macragge, there was an extremely violent warrior hidden. This was achieved through more than twenty consecutive duels. It is clearly reflected: Guilliman's various performances in the duel are enough to show that his life path may be biased toward being an efficient warrior and warrior at the beginning, but there is no doubt that the education and care he received will last forever. This changed drastically, making him a ruler worthy of respect in every aspect.

His nature was changed by those external factors called family affection and education, suppressing the bad parts while preserving and even carrying forward the good parts.

Thinking of this, even in the Spider Queen's still cold and stubborn vicious heart, a trace of sourness and a trace of visible jealousy could not help but appear.

However, she didn't show it.

Although he felt an inexplicable touch because of one of the few normal people among the Primarchs, this did not mean that the Lord of the Second Legion would show more sincerity to this brother who had only known each other for more than a day. Morgan Always hope that you can hide more and get more from others.

Just like in the tactical duel with Guilliman, she did not hesitate to use the tactics of the Iron Warriors, the ruthlessness of the Mechanicus, and everything she had witnessed in the Dark Angels Legion, but she never In the battle, the truly devastating blow of the Second Legion, efficient annihilation tactics and rapid three-dimensional cooperation were reflected in front of the Lord of Macragge, giving him the opportunity to learn this true heritage.

On the contrary, it was the Archon of Macragge who was so candid that he clearly revealed everything about his legion, including the deployment of firepower, armored unit numbers and preferred tactics, in front of his sisters with almost no information: although he always Morgan's strategy can be quickly countered, but in general, his own strategy is similar.

Morgan can now write down the organization of the entire Ultramarines Legion with her eyes closed, as well as what each of their chapters will be doing in which corner of the battlefield. She can even deduce how all chapter leaders will encounter unexpected events. What kind of reaction and decision-making will be made when the situation arises, because Guilliman has shown her too many times.

At this point, Morgan seemed to have won. If it weren't for her strange preaching habit in front of Guilliman, which made her expose more things that she shouldn't reveal, she thought she might have won more completely. .

Morgan walked in this messy hell of words. For a moment, the impression Guilliman gave her changed from the radiant King of Macragge to a kind of man who lived in his storage cave before winter came. The frantic busyness and screaming furry rodents almost made her want to laugh out loud.

Morgan did not use her psychic powers. She used a tray to lift the tall wine flask and utensils, and stood patiently on the side of the Primarch, waiting for him to process the last bit of information.

Through the bronze shell of the flask, she could clearly smell the fermented grape juice, and a large amount of information was wrapped in this sour and sweet taste: alcohol concentration, color, acidity and other elements, or It’s the soil in which it was grown, the vine’s genetic code and nutrients, and those trace minerals mixed with the water.

This is the information that Morgan can capture from one breath, and it is also her natural ability as a primarch. It is precisely for this reason that she never dares to show off her so-called "classical wine" in front of other blood relatives. ] and [Atalanta Wine], because she knew the risks of doing so.

Generally speaking, the Spider Queen is still a cautious character. When she is not so close to her blood relatives, her thoughts will survive well in the combination of caution and conservatism.

Morgan blinked. She stood on one side of Guilliman, which allowed her to see the secondary displays on the other side of Guilliman and discovered a problem in time.

【Omission. 】

"What?"

[An omission, Guilliman. 】

"where?"

The Primarch sincerely asked his question, and when he followed the guidance of his blood relatives and found out the problem in one of the secondary display screens regarding the transmission of information about the previous second, a look on his face Revealing a genuine joy.

"Thanks, Morgan."

【nothing. 】

The Spider Queen smiled, and in her plain blue eyes, there were tens of thousands of wailing alien souls that Guilliman could never hear, including even the staunch followers of some orc twin gods. By.

Yes, orcs: Although Morgan's attempts and efforts to cook the souls of these strange creatures have failed, in her last desperate attempt, she accidentally discovered that although these souls born for war cannot If they stay in her mind for a long time, they cannot be truly devoured by her, but if they are burned as simple consumables, they can avoid the counterattack launched by their weird twin gods in time. , just remember not to take too much at once.

If there are still some residues that cannot be solved, then she can throw the burned garbage next to the golden sword. Although it will make an unpleasant roar, it will still help the Spider Queen clean up the mess.

[Is this a question about the direct governance of the Astartes? 】

"Yes, the descendant of Ulysses I sent to the forest world was a somewhat immature ruling official. There was a logical loophole in his report that should not exist, and I ignored it out of habit. , thank you for the reminder just now, Morgan."

[Direct rule of the Astartes? 】

"No, it's not that direct. It's more about supervision and indirect management. Ulysses is a world that has just begun to be reclaimed on a large scale. The mortal government is enough to manage it well. There is no noticeable solidification of classes and corruption yet. The Group appeared on this planet, and its mortal governor was also a capable person selected by me personally."

[So when the problems you mentioned arise, do you plan to use more brutal methods? 】

"I would consider it, but I wouldn't jump right in."

Guilliman's answer came after a moment of thought and concern.

"Even the slightest violence should come second to the most serious verbal warning. I had already determined this in my mind when I first started integrating and pushing my Ultramar."

My Ultramar.

The Lord of Macragge's face was so radiant and inviolable. When he said these words, he took it for granted and didn't realize it.

This reminded Morgan of the rather disloyal phrase she had seen on the poster: New Empire.

What’s interesting is that no one had a more extreme reaction to these phrases. Whether within or outside the New Empire, it was as if everyone was silently acknowledging the disguised rationality of this strange situation. Everyone They are all ignoring its strangeness, just like they are ignoring those Martians singing their praises to the metal gods in a place where the imperial truth prevails.

This is like saying that the greatest and most legendary empires always belong to the universal empire, right?

Morgan laughed in her heart because of her idea, but she didn't show any flaws on the surface, but continued her small talk about her blood relatives.

[Ah, I have indeed heard of this. They said that after joining the empire, you used diplomatic means and a community of interests to form a federal group, and gradually reorganized it into today's Five Hundred Worlds. 】

[I guess it’s all about the art of negotiation and politics? 】

"Not entirely."

Guilliman shook his head. He finished processing the last document at hand and took the wine glass handed over by his blood relatives. The appropriate amount of wine in it was enough to satisfy the thirst and anxiety of ten mortals at the same time, but for one For the Primarch, this is only a weight that allows him to get a taste of it.

"Among the five hundred core worlds, some are unwilling to surrender. They cannot accept my propositions and proposals no matter what, and I cannot bypass their existence to implement my next plan, so some violence and The means of coercion, even extermination orders, are also indispensable.”

[I guess there aren’t many places like this? 】

"Not too few, thirty-eight."

Guilliman spit out this number very clearly, as if he was repeating it in his heart all the time. When he spit out this number, his expression became a little gloomy, and the Lord of Macragge rubbed his He frowned, took a sip of wine, and then sighed silently.

"Actually, when I think about all this in the future, several of them can be solved through other methods, rather than having to go to such a serious point. I once regarded efficiency and speed as a bit too important. , while ignoring other more important things, such as vivid life, splendid culture, and the accumulated history."

[I can’t blame you entirely for this kind of thing, can I? 】

Morgan let out a chuckle.

[Even the master of the Ultramarines cannot stop the torrent of the entire galaxy. The Great Crusade is overly stressful. Everyone is crazy and eager to engage in more conquests and expeditions. 】

[When it took me less than a year to conquer a star sector, everyone was praising my efficient killing. But when I stopped for a moment and started on some unimportant things, the army I became suspicious again and had more worries about my next plan. 】

[I don’t know since when, everyone has been eager to embrace the entire galaxy in their arms tomorrow, and then start to build an eternal empire the day after tomorrow. 】

"You are right, Morgan. Ruins and people full of hatred cannot build an empire, but now we have to face more and more situations like this: the weapons of the empire burn the prosperity of the resisters, And then piling more taxes on their heads just to burn another world: that's not a long-term solution."

The Lord of Macragge showed a somewhat weak smile. His noble status and powerful country gave his words innate credibility. After sorting out the last pile of scattered books, he Those golden eyes really turned towards the blood relatives.

"I have studied your conquests near your homeworld of Avalon, and was pleased to see that you would put negotiation and political compromise ahead of actual war, something I recall throughout the Avalon Starsong. There are quite a few human colonial forces, and except for those hopeless pirates, you have shown extreme patience with every regime of our scattered compatriots. The only few remaining war actions are both efficient and effective. With all the mercy you can.”

Morgan blinked: Why didn't she feel the so-called [compassion within her power]?

[If I said this was a helpless move, would you believe it? Guilliman? 】

The Lord of Macragge didn't answer, his kind smile said it all.

"You don't have to be humble, my blood, nor do you have to feel like an alien for this, although most of our brothers are addicted to conquest and glory, as if only the blood on the blade and the submission of all enemies can make them feel You are serving the Emperor, but even so, there are still several noble brothers who follow the same path as you."

"For example, Horus and Sanguinius, no one will deny their nobility and power, and no one will refute that they always put negotiation and political compromise before real battle, and their progress is not the same. Because of this, we have fallen far behind, or even far ahead, which is enough to show that peace is not a ridiculous lie, but a practical means."

"When one world refuses to surrender because of its prejudice against us and arrogance towards itself, there are ten or more worlds that regard our fleet as protection and gospel from the human mother planet. Since all this is true It exists, so why not take advantage of it?”

Morgan smiled.

[I can imagine, Guilliman, you may have said this many times, but it is not always popular. After all, a quick, fierce and successful conquest may not even take a night, but a night. Negotiations could create a legacy that lasts for decades or longer. 】

“Does conquest not bring disaster?”

A strange color flashed across Guilliman's pupils.

"Slaughter and terror may be effective within ten years, and may deter a generation of nerves, but when a new generation grows up, the power brought by this deterrent will be faster than the ice and snow in spring. Pass away, if we cannot think of the rule a generation later on the first day we conquer a world, then the empire we jointly established will be difficult to sustain until that time."

[Do you have a better method than massacre? 】

"Loyal bureaucrats, restoring the organization's production structure and productivity, as well as a certain amount of publicity and military deterrence that can arrive in time: Of course, none of these are more effective than real benefits. For now, this kind of Profit can be a guarantee of security, which is what most of the world desires.”

Morgan nodded.

[It sounds like there is a profound theory behind these words. 】

"Do you need it?"

[If my kingdom stops at one star sector, then I really don’t need it, but just before I visited Ultramar, several of my long-range fleets had already set off. 】

The Lord of Macragge laughed, pride and humility flashing across Guilliman's face.

"It doesn't matter, we have more time to discuss this topic. If you need any help in this regard, Ultramar is always a trustworthy choice."

[Wouldn’t this hinder your progress in the Great Crusade? 】

"No, I haven't encountered any real problems in terms of manpower. I have chosen a more effective and stable way to replace those insignificant military operations. So when our brothers are out of power because of their shortage of troops, When I'm in trouble, I have more children to invest in other important places."

【……】

[It seems like your words will be criticized by many people. 】

"Yes, but they don't have more evidence to criticize me. After all, they are often inferior to me in terms of efficiency that they praise and value. This is one of the few places where I can outperform other brothers."

【Not as good as all? 】

"Mostly, but not entirely. I admit that there are still a few people who are better and more efficient than me, and their names shine in the center of the Great Crusade."

For a moment, a hint of gloom flashed through Morgan's pupils, and she could clearly feel Guilliman's almost uncontrollable arrogance. This arrogance was not malicious, or even acquired, but an innate one. The perfection of his body was clearly displayed with the Lord Macragge's movements.

This innate arrogance may have played no less of a role in his unwelcome gossip than Ultramar itself, though Guilliman may also have been more obtuse in this regard.

In Morgan's silence, Guilliman took care of the last little thing at hand. Then he patted the table, stood up, and looked at his blood relative apologetically.

"Okay, Morgan, let's start our sightseeing plan before it's too late. I'm sorry that this plan has been delayed for a while because of me. I hope you don't feel impatient because of it."

【how could be. 】

Morgan's smile shattered Guilliman's worries for the first time. He saw in that smile a kind of reliability and sincerity that he couldn't doubt or think about.

[I even want to make this longer, Guilliman, I have so many questions for you. 】

"We can walk and talk."

So, the Lord of Macragge led his blood relatives through the magnificent corridors of Hera Castle. They did not immediately go to the city of Macragge, but first entered a quiet palace. There are no more decorations in the hall, only an amazing and perfect work of art placed in the center: it is a full-scale model of Macragge City.

"Thousands of years of history and generations of hard work have shaped this city. I am a blood relative. Compared with those pioneers who had a difficult journey, my rule is only a trivial process."

"Now you see all this, most of which was born before I came, and nothing better illustrates the customs and customs of Macragge than their weathered and hardened exteriors: let me give You point out the most important buildings, Morgan, and together we can plan the best sightseeing route.”

"This is Hera's Crown Mountain, the highest point in Macragge City. From here you can overlook everything in Macragge City."

"This is the Crown Baths, the oldest public bathing place in the entire city of Macragge. It is said that it was built together with it in the first year of the city's founding."

"This is the Ptolemaic Library, the largest knowledge storage place in the entire eastern galaxy, and the center for collecting and distributing books."

"This is the Baths of Caracalla. It is the first attempt in the history of Macragge to combine baths with entertainment facilities. It is only one street away from the Ptolemaic Library."

"This is the Military Square. It is the center of all public activities in Macragge City. It is not too far from the inner court and the Central Guards Barracks. It is very convenient to go to anywhere in the city from here."

"This is the Macragge Central Bath. It is a new type of bath that I built after adopting the suggestions of the Macragge Council. It integrates bathing, entertainment, public activities and sports events. Although it has not yet been filled with water It is not for formal use, but as a temporary place for us to rest and chat, it is still completely sufficient.”

"This is Maxilus Hall..."

"This is the Baths of Maximus..."

"This is the Correctional Temple..."

"This is the Temple Union Baths..."

"This is Trajan's Square..."

"This is the Memorial Baths of Trajan's Square..."

"This is the marble bath built to commemorate the Memorial Baths in Trajan's Square..."

"here……"

——

…

Um.

Rome.

So Roman.