Chapter 435 – Submit to the Emperor, Redeem Yourself! Consult with the Mega-Megacorp!
Magnus's body was trembling violently. He could feel the overwhelming majesty radiating from the Emperor, making his lower body stiff as iron.
In that instant, he recalled what Guilliman had told him—now was not the time to defy the Emperor head-on. He had to survive, so that he could one day wash away the Thousand Sons' disgrace.
The Emperor had given him a step down, and he had to take it!
"I plead guilty. I am a criminal of the Imperium."
Magnus let out a long, sorrowful sigh, as though all his strength had been drained. His gaze fell vacantly to the floor as he murmured:
"Tzeentch's schemes deceived me, making me destroy Prospero and the Thousand Sons with my own hands. This was all my own doing—my foolish actions brought about this tragedy."
Under the Emperor's pressure, Magnus completely gave in. Though deep down he did not believe himself guilty, he had to personally admit to his crimes.
The Emperor, for his part, cared nothing for whether Magnus truly believed himself guilty or innocent—he only wanted the man to submit, to admit to wrongdoing.
As for who was actually right or wrong—that was irrelevant. From their respective standpoints, the only guilty party was the other side, never themselves.
At the side, Malcador stole a glance at Magnus. He could tell that Magnus still had the will to live, and the faith sustaining that will was his determination to cleanse Prospero's shame.
This was something only Magnus could accomplish.
The Emperor saw it as well. If he did not help Magnus restore the Thousand Sons' honor, this foolish boy might choose to end his own life at once.
He needed to be given a new goal in life—something to occupy his mind, to leave him no time for self-destructive brooding.
Malcador and the Emperor exchanged a glance, each confirming the plan in the other's eyes.
Magnus had to be kept alive—he was still useful.
His psychic talents were extremely rare. So long as he could find his way back to the right path, he could still be of service. Though he could no longer lead a Space Marine Legion as a Primarch, he could still serve as a pure, deadly blade of the Imperium.
"Magnus," the Emperor said at last, "I now give you a chance to atone for your mistakes. Will you be a coward who runs from responsibility, or will you act like a warrior and do something for the dead of Prospero?"
The Emperor had finally thrown him a lifeline.
But to complete the ritual of repentance and redemption, Magnus put on an act, pretending to ponder for a long while before lifting his head to the Emperor and asking in a hoarse voice:
"What must I do to wash away my sins and atone for what I've done?"
"That's for you to decide," the Emperor replied coldly, looming over him. "You betrayed the Imperium, conspired with a Chaos God, and caused the deaths of over a hundred billion Prospero citizens."
"What do you think you should do to redeem yourself?"
The Emperor was not about to make a one-time trade—do one or two things and have the account settled.
The crimes Magnus had committed would have to be repaid over an entire lifetime.
Hearing this, Magnus couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. As expected, this cunning old man had been waiting for this moment.
He would have to live the rest of his life doing the Emperor's bidding—no longer enjoying the status and privileges of a Primarch, but existing purely as a tool.
Only upon his death might the Thousand Sons and Prospero's honor have a chance of being restored.
"I am willing to accept whatever arrangements the Emperor makes. Whether execution or imprisonment, I have no complaints."
Finally, Magnus lowered his proud head, showing proper submission to the Emperor.
The Emperor studied him for a few seconds. Seeing that, although there was still some defiance in him, he had lost his earlier suicidal, reckless state, the Emperor nodded.
"Malcador, take him away. Show him everything there is to know about the Warp. From now on, he will pay the price for his curiosity by living forever in obscurity."
The Imperium of Man forbade the worship of any religion; its only faith was unwavering materialism.
Since the truth of the Warp could no longer be hidden from Magnus, he might as well be shown the full picture.
"Yes, my lord."
Malcador bowed slightly to the Emperor, then led Magnus away, leaving the vast Imperial Palace with only the Emperor himself.
Thinking of the AI Iron Men fleet that had appeared in the Prospero system, as well as the Chaos God Tzeentch within the Warp, the Emperor felt a deep and growing unease.
If Tzeentch continued plucking at the strings of time, luring fleets of Iron Men from the Dark Age of Technology into the present through Warp misnavigation, could the Imperium withstand such a cataclysm?
The Four Chaos Gods, a powerful fleet of AI Iron Men—and perhaps even ancient, mighty fleets from other civilizations—if unleashed together, the entire galaxy would be set ablaze!
The Imperium had only just clawed its way back from the Age of Strife to its current state. If Tzeentch's schemes succeeded, centuries of the Emperor's work would be wasted.
The FTL travel technology given by the Mega-Megacorp would take years to be fully implemented.
In that time, the Warp Gods could stir up new turmoil at any moment. Civilizations from different times and places, once they began warring across the galaxy, would create a never-ending brawl.
In such chaos, the Imperium would have no hope of progress, struggling instead in the quagmire.
And the death, suffering, and despair born of war would feed the Chaos Gods, making them even stronger.
Perhaps, in truth, the Imperium of Man was nothing more than a fattened pig long coveted by the Four Gods of Chaos—awaiting the day of slaughter.
The Emperor fell into deep thought once more.
The Four Gods of Chaos had always existed across the entire timeline of this universe—their advantage was overwhelming. They could strike first at any time.
It was impossible for the Imperium to completely destroy the Warp Gods, so the Emperor's only recourse was to spread materialist thought and cut off humanity's contact with the Warp.
But such a policy was, in its way, a kind of ostrich logic. The Warp was real, psychic powers were real.
In this universe, materialism was not absolute truth. One lie required more lies to cover it, yet the truth could never be hidden forever.
Before the Iron Men fleet appeared, the Emperor had thought the Chaos Gods could only use petty tricks to sway hearts and minds, subtly influencing the real world.
Now, it was clear—they could summon fleets from other timelines to challenge the Imperium directly!
Could the Imperium truly stand against enemies coming from every direction?
I must contact the Mega-Megacorp.
…
…
In recent days, Paul Atreides had met many high-ranking officials of the Imperium on Terra—various High Lords who oversaw internal affairs, judiciary matters, and the Imperial Navy, as well as inquisitors and others.
Their reasons for meeting him were nothing more than to press their own political agendas.
From the military and technological power the Mega-Megacorp had displayed, it was clear that sooner or later, the Imperium of Man would be absorbed into their dominion.
No one said it aloud, nor did anyone dare to—but for these old foxes of the political arena, there was no way they did not understand it.
---
Paul had already reached out to this top executive of the Empire in advance, paving the way for his future appointment.
After all, the Universal Megacorp was still a human power. What they were doing couldn't really be called "collaborating with the enemy"—they were simply seeking progress, and there was nothing wrong with that.
Paul, for his part, welcomed this outreach. If everyone had such awareness, then the Megacorp's task of unifying the Warhammer universe would be far easier.
At this moment, Malcador arrived bearing the Emperor's command. He sought Paul out in person, urging him to enter the Imperial Palace without delay to discuss important matters with the Emperor.
"Lord Paul," Malcador said, "the Emperor has sent his Custodian Guard to escort you to the palace. I believe our cooperation this time will be even deeper than before!"
Malcador was giving Paul a bit of a heads-up in advance.
With the Chancellor of the Seal personally inviting him and the Emperor's Custodians serving as his escort, it was obvious that whatever the Emperor wanted to discuss with Paul was of great importance.
"Very well, I'll go at once," Paul replied with a smile. At last, the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.
Ever since Magnus had been taken to Terra, Paul had learned almost immediately of everything that had transpired on Prospero, as well as of his own upcoming mission.
Besides quietly reaping the benefits of Imperial technology, the most important goal was to establish a strategic partnership with the Emperor—one that would bring the two sides into closer contact.
Whether for individuals or for nations, the fastest way to deepen a relationship was to become comrades-in-arms.
The "suspension bridge effect" applied not only to people, but also to civilizations.
Now that the AI Ironmen fleets were roaming the galaxy, ready at any time to devastate human colonies, swift action was needed to eliminate this threat.
And when it came to fighting the Ironmen fleets, only the Universal Megacorp could get the job done.
After accepting Malcador's invitation, the Custodians quickly escorted Paul deep into the heart of the Imperial Palace.
On the long steps leading up to the great hall, the Emperor still sat in his posture of contemplation. When he noticed that the Custodians had brought Paul in, he ordered everyone else to leave, leaving only himself and Paul in the hall.
Looking at the Emperor—so sacred and solemn—Paul couldn't help but feel a twinge of awe. The personal charisma of this ruler of mankind was truly extraordinary.
Had he not already met the Megacorp's Chief Executive, Li Ang, Paul might well have knelt to the Emperor, pledging his service to the Imperium.
Once the Custodians had all departed, the Emperor turned to Paul and said slowly, "The Universal Megacorp… your political system appears to be one of private capital ownership."
"Everything belongs to your Chief Executive personally—including the lives of your citizens. That is more absolute than even the strictest authoritarianism."
"Do you not find it oppressive?"
The Emperor's opening question was a pointed one, directly challenging the Megacorp's system.
Although such bluntness could easily lead to misunderstanding or conflict, the Emperor felt it necessary to discuss this matter with Paul before making any formal decision to hand over the reins of Imperial authority.
In his mind, humanity's Golden Age had been a time of freedom and vibrant thought—a state he doubted could flourish in a nation where everything was privatized.
"It is true that everything in the Universal Megacorp belongs to the Chief Executive," Paul replied without hesitation, "but our Chief Executive does not wield such absolute authority for personal gain. Everything he does follows the principle of fair exchange."
No matter the political system, at its core it was still rule by human will. Absolute concentration of power was the most effective way to drive the machinery of state—and a level of concentration even greater than monarchy was what Paul called the "ultimate producer."
An ultimate producer without vision might treat human life as worthless, ignoring the creative value of individuals, and exploit their energy and intellect in a self-destructive way.
But Li Ang's approach was simple: he kept the path of upward mobility open, giving every person who sought improvement a fair chance.
The transcendent AI Europa oversaw the records of all Megacorp executives—their income, professional achievements, and other data.
Corruption? Incompetence? Everything was plain to see.
On the surface, the Universal Megacorp operated under a ruthless capitalist system. In reality, however, Li Ang was the sole oligarch in the entire organization.
He had no wife, no in-laws to share power with, and all resources and authority across the multiverse were concentrated in his hands alone. He was a figure almost godlike in stature.
The Emperor nodded thoughtfully, turning Paul's words over in his mind. Guilliman had already reported to him about life in Ideal City.
From the videos and photographs he had seen, the Universal Megacorp truly did seem to have achieved a form of great societal harmony and civilizational prosperity.
Li Ang had managed to share all of his assets with perfect fairness—even aliens could benefit, receiving their rightful share.
Such ability and vision were indeed admirable.
"What is your view of the Imperium of Man?" the Emperor asked, continuing the discussion. In truth, what he really wanted to know was how the Megacorp viewed him—what their opinion was of the Emperor himself.
Paul understood exactly what the Emperor was fishing for, and went straight to the point, offering praise:
"Since the end of the Golden Age, you have led humanity in rebuilding the Imperium from a galaxy filled with alien powers. Your achievements are there for all to see."
"Even our Chief Executive holds your accomplishments in the highest regard."
What Paul said was no empty flattery. The Warhammer universe was so chaotic that even Li Ang had no immediate plans to colonize it.
First, its major threats had to be eradicated, before human immigrants from other universes could be brought in safely.
Countless alien monstrosities, the Ruinous Powers of the Warp, and the fires of war raging across the galaxy—this chaos was appalling.
For the Emperor to have raised the beacon of hope for human civilization under such dire conditions, safeguarding its development, and singlehandedly turning the tide—that was an extraordinary miracle.
Before his rise, human civilization had already declined to the brink of extinction. Humanity had been reduced to the prey of alien species, their survival hanging by a thread.
If not for the Emperor's centuries-long Great Crusade to sweep the galaxy clear of alien threats, the Imperium of today would never have reached its current scale.
"Within the Megacorp's senior leadership, many hold you in very high esteem," Paul added. "While the Imperium's system has its share of problems, maintaining such a vast empire is itself a monumental challenge."
"To have brought it this far is no small feat."
Paul knew that a ruler like the Emperor would not wish to hear only empty praise. A carefully measured reminder would make his words all the more convincing.
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