As Zhang Ge's words fell, the Magos fell silent for a moment before addressing those present:
"Today, you and I bear witness to the footprints of the Omnissiah in the world; there is no doubt that His existence has once again received validation—when a venerator of the Machine God sits upon that golden throne, another venerator is born here, at this moment, before us, manifesting in the material universe."
Normally, such statements would never be uttered by a Magos. To equate a person with the Emperor in such a manner was, in effect, tantamount to declaring rebellion.
But who was present?
Olivia, Perveti, several maidens, the Eldar pet, and the members of the Adeptus Mechanicus who had witnessed two miracles in succession.
No one expressed any dissent toward this moment's "blasphemous speech."
To speak even more blasphemously, the Adeptus Mechanicus had only acknowledged the Emperor's role as a venerator after being thoroughly beaten by him; theoretically, they should have been unconditionally loyal to their deity. However, during the Great Rebellion, they had been decisively split—ironically, the faction that led the initial occupation of Mars was the rebellious one.
At this moment, whether the Magos truly believed Zhang Ge's position to be equivalent to that of the Emperor's in terms of "veneration" was something only he could know.
Once he finished his statement and surveyed the area, the Magos continued:
"As a Magos of the Mechanicus, I hereby propose the establishment of a secondary order—the Order of Peace—and extend an invitation to every member of the Adeptus Mechanicus present."
After declaring this, the Magos refrained from performing any ceremonial gestures toward Zhang Ge or Olivia.
The reason was straightforward: if his previous statement could be interpreted as a declaration of rebellion, this latest proclamation would, if it failed to gain the Adeptus Mechanicus's approval, essentially constitute a practical act of insurrection.
It would be acceptable if he could gain approval for his proposal; if denied, bowing to either of them would only brand them as the heads of rebellion... Better to wait until the Order of Peace was truly established before offering such gestures; he could not allow the mission afforded to him to be delayed by trivialities.
As expected, none of the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel present declined his invitation. Even though they understood the risks, those who had already heard the truth were imbued with a courage that defied the fear of death.
Having said all this, the Magos finally nodded at Zhang Ge.
This was the extent of courtesy he considered feasible within the current parameters.
Piety did not always need to be expressed by lying prostrate on the ground; it could also be a way of burying one's desire to worship in the heart after catching a glimpse of a divine presence, then resolutely turning away to march in the opposite direction, proclaiming this miracle to the fools yet unknown.
Even if one might burn due to misunderstanding, at least they would emit a glimmer of light during their transformation into a torch.
At this moment, while Zhang Ge understood that the term "venerator" held immense significance for the Magos, he lacked insight into what kind of determination the Magos had conveyed. Thus, Zhang Ge merely returned the nod and watched as the Magos departed with a small contingent of the Honor Guard, teleporting away from the location.
Fortunately, Zhang Ge found himself reasonably satisfied with how this matter concluded.
The moment Olivia knelt, Zhang Ge had already prepared for the worst-case scenario—what if the Magos immediately decided to disregard the situation in the Deadwood Sector and reshuffle the battle plans around Zhang Ge and Olivia?
In that eventuality, on this planet, Zhang Ge would have essentially no chances to connect with matters relating to death; he would merely have to wait for the Vengeful Spirit to return before finding another opportunity.
But luckily, the situation had only added a few thousand Skitarii and five hundred Titan Custodians to the mix. Counting a few Knight Armigers and Knight Scions as well, while that constituted formidable battle power, it wasn't enough to bring about a fundamental change.
As for what the Axe of the Omnissiah symbolized? Zhang Ge certainly wouldn't invoke it, for that weapon currently belonged to Olivia and was rightfully hers to wield, with authority directly associated with her. What did it have to do with him, Zhang Ge?
For perhaps the umpteenth time, Zhang Ge felt pleased with his own extraordinary wisdom.
It was fortunate he had reacted quickly; otherwise, he might have found himself managing a Magos's resources. Later, he would need to discuss with Olivia the significance represented by a Titan, lest she make such a move without understanding the full weight of it.
This was only in the presence of a Magos; if a Fabricator-General rolled around next time, what would happen then? The ramifications could be tied to an entire Forge World—a planet that had been transformed into a super factory.
Just imagining that scenario made Zhang Ge feel a chill.
After avoiding such a terrifying future and wiping his brow, Zhang Ge issued orders to the kneeling Skitarii and Titan Custodians, instructing them to proceed to the rendezvous point of the First Mechanized Regiment and merge with their Titan Guard.
The Titan Guard, having suffered losses during the battle, had already been somewhat short-handed in guarding multiple Titans. Now was the perfect opportunity to bolster their ranks and ensure they could effectively perform their duties on the front lines.
However, an unnoticed detail by Zhang Ge was that while the Magos had already taken steps to avoid bowing to Zhang Ge—to distinguish his future actions from Zhang Ge and mitigate any risks—those personnel affiliated with the "Order of Peace" listened directly to Zhang Ge's commands. Previously, even with a unified command treaty, Zhang Ge had to relay battle orders through high-ranking officers of the Ecclesiarchy, who would then pass them down.
This process was now silently bypassed, meaning the Adeptus Mechanicus members present had effectively accepted Zhang Ge's direct authority over the "Order of Peace," implicitly acknowledging his position as the "head of rebellion"... or rather,
as the future "leader."
Although he was still not even an official member of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
As Zhang Ge continued on his way, initially intending to return to the Valkyrie, thoughts raced through his mind. Just before he turned back, he suddenly sensed that something was amiss.
Squinting slightly, after confirming he hadn't been mistaken, Zhang Ge called out to a few high-ranking High Tech-Priests who were progressing in line with the soldiers.
"Wait a second, where are you going?"
The high-ranking Tech-Priests exchanged puzzled glances. The one closest to Zhang Ge finally spoke up, "We're heading to the rendezvous point as you instructed."
"Aren't you High Tech-Priests? What do you need to do in my forces, fix laser guns?"
"Oh..."
"Ah, oh!"
Got it.
You mean we should not be bound to just one place but utilize our existing resources and influence, spreading the glory of the Order to every corner accessible to us.
The High Tech-Priests shared knowing looks, confirming this unspoken idea.
Fully understanding their mission, they began to disperse, heading toward key nodes of the Adeptus Mechanicus in the Deadwood Sector.
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