Chapter 438: Psychically Specialized Subhuman Emperor

"First, I must emphasize that I came here of my own accord."

"I admit, facing the Jester portraying Slaanesh, the Hungering Lady, and the Emperor all at once placed immense pressure on me."

"But as a seasoned Imperial servant, I still had the chance to take my own life."

Neros was crushed into the palace, into the three-person meeting chamber belonging to Zhou Yun, Saint Guilliman, and Kaelen.

He glared with resentment, pinned to the ground, yet spoke with forced casualness, as if chatting idly:

"I came here solely to express my discontent."

"To express the fierce discontent of an Imperial servant."

Neros took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over Kaelen and Saint Guilliman before settling on Zhou Yun.

"You claiming the Eldar are subhumans was already outrageous! But I endured it, understanding it was for the Empire!"

"But you allowed the Jesters to humiliate the Emperor so thoroughly—I simply cannot tolerate it!"

"Your damned Jesters actually dressed as the Emperor and asked me if I wanted to buy my ass?!"

"Their plays are a pure insult to the Emperor—no, to humanity itself!"

"What kind of nonsense is it that the Emperor and the Eldar's ancient seer were caught cheating at Grom, then became its top performer?!"

"What kind of blasphemy is it that Slaanesh was drawn to the Emperor's sacred ass, and his first cry dispersed the Warp storm, creating opportunity for the Emperor's Great Crusade?!"

"Detailing isn't lying! Adaptation isn't random fabrication! Have the Jesters' plays sunk this low?!"

Neros's accusations rang like a bell, making Zhou Yun involuntarily tilt his head aside.

This had indeed been permitted by Zhou Yun,

for the Jesters possessed a unique talent: by portraying deities in their plays, they resonated with the deities and borrowed their power.

For instance, the Exalted Avatar gained the Laughing God's essence by portraying Slaanesh, while the Unicorne drew power by portraying Slaanesh,

the closer their portrayal matched the deity's true nature, the greater the power they could theoretically borrow,

after arriving on Terra, the Eldar Jester Shadowseer Hylandrii Veilwalker had a brilliant insight:

since the Eldar were now subhumans, logically the Emperor had become their god too,

couldn't they perform a play portraying the Emperor to borrow His power?

Zhou Yun was stunned by Hylandrii Veilwalker's astonishing wisdom,

yet he still permitted the Jesters to begin their attempt,

for if they succeeded, it would effectively create a new Eldar Emperor's Chosen.

Thus the Jesters began attending the Imperial Historical Rationalist Order's lectures, listening to Zhou Yun recount human and Imperial history, ostensibly to gather material for their plays,

and they truly produced a new play about the Emperor, written in High Gothic: "imperatordream! t'mygo," which translates to "The Emperor's Dream! He's Selling His Ass!"

What surprised Zhou Yun even more was

"Fuck your bullshit! You're a mutated gorilla who betrayed the Empire—how dare you criticize us?!"

Hylandrii Veilwalker, still in costume as the Emperor, popped her head out and roared at Neros:

"What do you know about art? What do you know about reasonable, slight exaggeration?"

"Besides, hasn't the Emperor granted me power?!"

"If my portrayal weren't perfect, how would you explain the Emperor's power I've borrowed?!"

"How dare you, traitor, speak to me—the Eldar Emperor's Chosen, specially attuned to psychic power? Show some respect!"

Yes, the Jesters had truly borrowed the Emperor's power through their performance.

Though Zhou Yun believed it was simply because the Emperor didn't care at all about the Jesters' absurd plays,

and since they could reliably create a Chosen—nearly a divine avatar—He was more than happy to oblige.

But Neros had truly broken.

He clenched his jaw, staring fixedly at Hylandrii Veilwalker, now disguised as a brown-haired boy, unable to utter a single word.

When Slaanesh's eerie laughter surged from the Exalted Avatar's body, he could still resist;

when Slaanesh's profane power spilled from the Unicorne's grasp, he could still hold on;

but when the damn Hylandrii Veilwalker burst forth with the Emperor's flame, Neros shattered—psychologically shattered.

"The only question I want answered now is this."

"Who are you?"

Kaelen asked slowly.

"The Jesters have mapped your chain of command. Undoubtedly, you are the commander of the Alphas on Terra."

Neros seemed to have been waiting for this question. He smiled—a bright, radiant smile, like a venomous snake glinting in sunlight.

"I am Alpharius." He spoke softly.

Drip!!!

The Truth-Oracle in Zhou Yun's hand reacted: a blue cross shot into the air, declaring Neros's statement false.

"." Neros's face twitched as he stared at the Truth-Oracle, as if he wanted to smash it right then.

"I am Neros. Since the late Great Crusade, I have served as Painmaster of the Alpha Legion's Terra Theater, equivalent in rank to the Praetors of other Legions during the Great Crusade, commanding all Alphas within Terra and the entire Solar System."

As Neros finished speaking, a silver-blue glow rippled over his body, transforming him into an Astartes form.

The Truth-Oracle confirmed Neros's words as true.

"A curious Warp power," Saint Guilliman murmured, a faintly intrigued smile touching his lips.

"Then what is your purpose—the Alpha Legion's purpose?" Kaelen pressed.

"Of course, to offer loyalty to the Empire!" Neros lifted his head proudly.

The Truth-Oracle gave no response, indicating Neros's statement held no truth or falsehood.

"Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty," Zhou Yun remarked quietly.

Neros's expression grew stiffer.

"I don't know. I don't know what the Alpha Legion's purpose is." Neros realized lies were pointless and sighed helplessly.

The Truth-Oracle confirmed again: Neros spoke the truth.

This made Kaelen raise an eyebrow slightly.

"To be honest, only fifteen years ago did I suddenly remember that I was once a member of the Alpha Legion—that I was an Astartes—and recalled memories from the Great Crusade."

"Along with those memories came the means to communicate with other Alphas on Terra, and two missions assigned to me."

Neros continued, openly confessing:

"My first mission: assist Abaddon of the Black Legion to ensure the success of his Thirteenth Black Crusade, to open and pierce the Great Rift."

"You claim loyalty yet accepted such a mission?" Kaelen asked softly.

"My dear lord, loyalty must be judged by outcome, not action."

"From an action standpoint, Magnus's attempt to warn the Emperor of Horus's betrayal clearly seemed loyal."

"But from an outcome standpoint, Magnus's actions were the worst possible betrayal."

"The opening of the Great Rift enhances our Lord Emperor's power in the material universe—haven't you felt it? Since the Rift opened, the Emperor's authority in both the material and Warp realms has become unparalleled."

Neros explained swiftly:

"Thus, while the Rift's opening appears to aid the Traitors and Chaos, it actually serves the Empire—and the Emperor."

"Moreover, your resurrection was originally tied to the Rift's opening."

The Truth-Oracle judged Neros's words true.

"That leads to my second mission: to assist you."

"I will secretly push the Terra conservatives toward extreme actions, driving them to self-destruction so you may utterly and completely destroy them, removing obstacles from your Unyielding Crusade."

"After completing this mission, I will be killed during your purge of the conservatives, ending my infiltration and duty."

"But the mission went awry—the conservatives were indeed purged, yet..."

Neros looked at Zhou Yun, his expression slightly bizarre:

"But your arrival ruined my plan. You destroyed my retirement."

Zhou Yun's face remained impassive.

Though the Truth-Oracle continued to judge Neros's words as true,

Kaelen still found them unbelievable—Neros's story was too bizarre.

"You're puzzled by my actions? By why I so calmly accept this reality and my mission?"

Neros seemed to read Kaelen's thoughts, as if he knew him intimately:

"Because such situations are common in the Alpha Legion."

"During the Great Crusade, I spent a hundred years believing myself to be a Space Wolf, faithfully serving you."

"I even fought at the Battle of Kaos—I led my squad to repel the Word Bearers' assault, and you rewarded me for it."

"Later, during the Second Empire, I suddenly remembered my true identity and mission, and spent years monitoring your actions, reporting all Second Empire affairs to the Alpha Legion."

"Then I faked my death, left your Legion, returned to the Alpha, and was promoted to Painmaster of the Terra Theater by the Primarch for my complete report on the Second Empire."

"Your Macragge's Glory still bears the inscription I left then: We Came."

Neros spoke fluently, a brilliant smile on his lips.

Kaelen's entire body stiffened.

"You're Oenous?" Kaelen recalled from his transcendent memory the Space Wolf Neros had once portrayed.

The Truth-Oracle in Zhou Yun's hand flared again, declaring both Neros's and Kaelen's statements true.

"Your loyal Space Wolf Oenous salutes you," Neros bowed his head. "Please understand—we infiltrated every Legion except the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels."

Zhou Yun glanced at Kaelen's frozen expression and barely suppressed a laugh.

But he still turned to look at Niesuos, smiling and asking, "Are you Omega?"

(End of Chapter)