Chapter 18: Reviving Roboute Guilliman
Inside the Hera Fortress, busy figures were everywhere.
In the hangars, Storm Eagle gunships like steel beasts were dragged onto the launch rails, where Tech-Priests performed their benedictions upon them.
Enormous servo-arms constantly hauled massive ammunition crates, loading and unloading missiles.
The Chapter’s serfs operated roaring anti-aircraft cannons, tracking Heldrakes and traitor aircraft in the skies.
Clumsy servitors dragged ammunition carts back and forth, replenishing guns and munitions for the turrets and bastions.
An Ultramarine who introduced himself as Sergeant Cassian received Dutch and his party.
After a brief round of introductions, he asked everyone to follow him. The Lord of Ultramar was already waiting for them.
Dutch hopped and skipped along at the rear of the group.
His abstract behavior made the Macraggians along the way twitch at the corners of their mouths and question their lives.
Walking properly was impossible. If he wasn’t running, he was jumping.
Whenever he saw a crate, he would run over and open it.
Whenever he saw a square, angular place, he had to jump onto it and slide with his knife out, though no one knew what he was trying to do.
At times, he would even switch weapons like mad.
If he spotted anything along the road, he could even start playing with it out of boredom, kicking it along as he walked.
If not for Living Saint Celestine and Inquisitor Greyfax and the others vouching for him,
Dutch would most likely have been thrown out.
They passed through railed walkways hung with banners, and through magnificent rooms adorned with marble statues and gilded ornamentation.
At last, Dutch and his companions arrived at the core monastery of the Ultramarines.
Squads of Ultramarines jogged forward. In the ornamental gardens beside the corridors stood anti-aircraft missile arrays, continuously firing missiles into the sky.
Terminator squads and Dreadnoughts worked together to clear the enemies atop the armored battlements, sweeping fire across traitors using jump packs.
A dozen minutes later, they entered a spacious circular hall.
The walls and ceiling here were painted with murals, while sophisticated control consoles and hololithic map projectors stood on both sides.
The entire map and data of Macragge City were projected into the air, the radiance of the projection shrouding everyone’s faces.
Servitors were embedded in the data matrices in the walls, chattering endlessly in binharic cant.
Dozens of robed scribes, quill-servitors, and commanders were gathered around the hololithic map, discussing the next stage of the battle plan.
Chapter Master Calgar, First Captain Agemman, Chief Librarian Diglas, and Grey Knights Grand Master Voldus.
The arrival of Dutch’s group quickly drew attention.
Everyone in the hall looked toward them, automatically parting to form a path so that Dutch and the others could walk up before the Lord of Ultramar.
When they reached Calgar, the Black Templars such as Amrich and Galen knelt on one knee, standing their swords before them with the points downward, both hands resting on the crossguards, thereby expressing their respect for a hero of the Imperium.
Inquisitor Greyfax, Celestine, and her Sisters bowed.
Archmagos Cawl, Yvraine of the Ynnari, and the Visarch stood in place without any movement.
Dutch hopped and skipped up to Calgar, who had a golden question mark over his head, and opened the other party’s information panel.
[Marneus Augustus Calgar, current Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, Lord of Ultramar, one of the Imperium’s Three Pillar Men, a super-sized blue hulk.]
“Do you have anything you need my help with?” Dutch asked.
“You...” Calgar was enraged by this rude behavior.
Just as he was about to rebuke him loudly, he saw a golden figure flash past behind the other party.
“My lord, mind your words.” Chief Librarian Diglas walked up before Calgar. He, too, had seen that golden figure.
That aura was extremely similar to the radiance of the Astronomican he had observed in the Warp.
“Praise the Emperor.” As a Living Saint, Celestine was also extraordinarily sensitive. She immediately sensed the abnormality about Dutch and began to pray devoutly.
Grey Knights Grand Master Voldus revealed a grave expression, but did not speak.
“Do you have anything you need my help with?” Dutch asked again.
“Assist us in protecting Macragge,” Calgar said, suppressing the anger in his heart. His tone also became gentler.
When one came out to be a Chapter Master, what mattered was not fighting and killing, but the ways of the world.
Rebuke one personally chosen by the Emperor? Did he still want a future or not?
[Quest: Assist Calgar in defending Macragge.
The armies of Chaos are continually attacking Macragge, attempting to stop Archmagos Cawl from reviving Roboute Guilliman. Please assist Calgar in protecting Macragge and repelling the armies of Chaos.
Quest Reward: 1,500 EXP, 1,500 points, Reputation +220, Fallen Empire—Holy Guardians Fleet (3-day trial voucher)]
Hiss...
Dutch sucked in a breath of cold air.
The Holy Guardians Fleet, one of the big bosses of Stellaris.
Only civilizations whose technology and culture had developed to the extreme and completed ascension were qualified to become Fallen Empires.
When Dutch played, he had once seen one of his own save files, which had cleared the game and ascended, become a Fallen Empire in a new campaign.
From that alone, one could imagine how much weight a Fallen Empire carried.
This was a living daddy. Punching through the galaxy was just basic operations!!
Unfortunately, it was only for three days.
“Macragge stands unfallen!”
Dutch raised his arm and shouted, then hopped and skipped as he charged outside to kill the red dots all over the map.
Calgar: “...”
The surrounding Macraggians also had fascinating expressions on their faces.
The last planet that shouted “stands unfallen” was now shattered all over the place.
What exactly did you mean by shouting that??
Calgar withdrew his gaze and looked toward Archmagos Cawl and the others.
“I do not recall ever reaching any agreement with a Tech-Priest of Mars. So why have you come here?”
“I did not reach an agreement with you, but with the true Lord of Ultramar—Roboute Guilliman.”
“In my possession is an extremely important holy relic that must be delivered to the Primarch’s side. Please allow us to proceed to the sanctum.”
Archmagos Cawl’s words were like a stone stirring up a thousand waves.
Aside from Celestine and the Ynnari, everyone was shocked beyond measure.
Amrich, Galen, Greyfax, and the others stared at Cawl in astonishment.
From beginning to end, Cawl had only stated that he was fulfilling an agreement with the Lord of Ultramar.
None of them had expected that the Lord of Ultramar he spoke of was in fact the Emperor’s own son—Roboute Guilliman.
The Ultramarines raised their bolters one after another, aiming at this audacious group.
Though they were known for their rationality, matters related to Guilliman were their bottom line.
Some things were not permitted to be discussed under any circumstances.
The Ultramarines would absolutely not allow anyone to insult their father in any form.
“Lock these people in prison first. As for those two dangerous xenos, execute them at once.”
“Once we have dealt with the Chaos traitors outside, we can interrogate this lot slowly.”
First Captain Agemman stepped forward and made his proposal to Calgar.
“No!” Chief Librarian Diglas stepped out to stop him. He saluted Calgar. “My lord, I spoke to you of the prophecy from some time ago.”
Calgar nodded. “Yes. You prophesied the arrival of the armies of Chaos. It was your prophecy that allowed us to make preparations in advance. Otherwise, Macragge would have been in danger.”
“The prophecy also mentioned the arrival of the Archmagos and the others. Please allow them to go to the sanctum and continue their mission,” Diglas said sincerely. “I am willing to stake my life as surety for them.”
Diglas’s persuasion sent Calgar into deep thought. Only after a long while did he reluctantly nod.
He agreed to let Cawl and his party proceed to the sanctum, but every action of theirs had to be carried out under the close surveillance of the Ultramarines.