"You seem very relaxed lately?"
Philly chewed on her pen cap, frowning at the giant standing in the shadows.
Sevatar said, "Because we have two Primarchs now."
Ever since Corax arrived, Kurze had bothered him much less. He was finally free.
Philly rolled her eyes. "You dislike your father that much?"
"He is my Legion Master, the provider of my gene-seed, but he is not my father."
Those who haven't been tormented wouldn't understand.
The fact that he could still maintain his sanity already made him extraordinary.
Only a Primarch could defeat a Primarch, and only Corax could control Kurze.
Caelan could too, but he wasn't here.
Philly murmured, "Only a few Primarchs are left. He'll be back soon. It won't be long."
"When he returns and sees how we've changed, he'll be very surprised, won't he?"
Philly's eyes curved into crescents, her smile as bright as a young girl's.
Sevatar poured cold water on her. "Give it up. You're a forty-year-old woman now."
Philly glared at him, wishing she could scratch his face. "Sister Dorothy is several years older than me!"
"She's different."
Philly was not discouraged at all. Sister Dorothy was different, but she wasn't mortal either!
"Even if I am just a mortal, my lifespan is five hundred years. The average mortal lifespan is only seventy-five years. By proportion, my forty years is equivalent to being six years old. I am still very young!"
"..." Even Sevatar was speechless.
Philly raised her chin proudly. "When Sister Dorothy took me to visit Nuceria five years ago, Sister Claudia personally told me that she had mastered a unique life-extension technique from the Dark Age of Technology, capable of extending a mortal's life to over a thousand years, while also preserving eternal youth."
"I'm only forty. Proportionally, I'm no more than a three-year-old child!"
"Although Astartes have lifespans far exceeding mortals, they can't live forever, can they?"
Sevatar didn't deny it. "We are no match for the Custodes, ultimately."
Philly said, "No one can compare to them. They are the Emperor's personal guard."
Every Legion had a small Custodes detachment. This was arranged by the Emperor.
Although the Emperor's purpose was unknown, Astartes generally believed it was the Emperor's way of supervising and balancing the Legions.
They were true 'disciple of the Son of Heaven', representing the pinnacle of the Emperor's biological alchemy.
Compared to them, Astartes were just inferior copies, even less powerful than Thunder Warriors.
But Astartes were far cheaper than Custodes and more controllable than Thunder Warriors. Their existence was as irreplaceable as the Custodes.
The Custodes cost too much and were too few in number.
They could lead the Emperor's Great Crusade, but they could not conquer all the worlds within a limited time by themselves.
The Imperium needed a far larger corps of superhuman warriors to fight the enemies of humanity across the galaxy. That was the meaning of the Astartes' existence.
Sevatar had a fairly good relationship with the Custodes attached to the Night Lords Legion.
But he could also keenly feel that the Custodes always carried a hard-to-conceal sense of superiority when facing Astartes.
Their superiority wasn't deliberate; it flowed as naturally as breathing.
That was fine.
Even though the Primarch had repeatedly ordered the Night Lords to respect the mortal followers of the Night Haunter as worthy warriors, and not to show any form of contempt or disdain towards them...
The Night Lords themselves still inadvertently revealed their superiority when dealing with mortals.
When faced with an impossible mission, Sevatar would also tend to send a Astartes squad to complete it, rather than a more experienced mortal kill team.
They respected mortal loyalty and honour, but they couldn't fully trust mortal capabilities.
Because they were indeed superior to mortals, just as the Custodes were superior to them.
This was all fine.
The hierarchy in their genes was obvious.
"It's not fair," Philly murmured.
Sevatar said, "All men are created equal, but equality for all is somewhat impossible."
No matter how hard a mortal factory worker worked, his value could not compare to that of a scientific researcher.
They were only created equal. Their acquired environment would make them unequal.
Between the 'rich second generation' and the 'poor second generation', there was ultimately an insurmountable gap.
Some aren't even born equal.
Some are born in a sterile, temperature-controlled delivery room, with advanced medical equipment and a professional medical team providing meticulous care.
But others are born in a college toilet, or in a trash can in a female dormitory.
Some mothers can only forage for grass roots to eat, while others feast on fine food every day, attended by nannies.
The health conditions of the children after birth will also differ.
The 'all men are created equal' is not about birth, but about the moment of conception.
That equality is fleeting.
Sevatar accepted this inherent inequality. It was precisely because of this inequality that they, Astartes who were superior to mortals, should protect mortals.
The word 'protection' itself is full of superior arrogance.
"That's not the kind of equality I meant!"
She was also a survivor who crawled out of the underhive. Without Caelan, she would have been violated long ago.
Even the most noble of them, Sister Dorothy, would not naively believe in equality for all in this world.
Sevatar asked,"Then what equality do you want?"
Philly answered, "The Emperor has the Custodes, but Brother Caelan doesn't have his own Custodes. That's not fair!"
Sevatar's eyes sharpened. 'At least be discreet, would you? How dare you say such treasonous things out loud?'
But on second thought, he thought so too.
'Never mind.'
Sevatar said, "He doesn't need Custodes. He has us."
Philly looked at him with disgust. "The Custodes are destined to belong among the ruling class of the Imperium. How can you contend with them?"
Astartes are powerful, but not as powerful as Custodes.
The Custodes are the true firstborn of the Emperor.
Long before the Thunder Warriors and Astartes were created, the Custodes were already guarding the Emperor.
They are not only the Emperor's bodyguards but also his think tank.
When creating the Astartes and Primarchs, the Emperor specifically convened the Custodes and asked for their advice.
How can Astartes compare to the Custodes?
Custodes must be trained from infancy. Each candidate receives completely customised gene-surgery. The Emperor meticulously cultivates them like carving a rare treasure, creating incomparable, unique, and immortal warriors.
Astartes have lifespans of several millennia, far exceeding mortals, but still short of the nigh-immortal Custodes.
They were all created for a specific purpose, each with a unique role.
Mortals are producers. Astartes are warriors. Custodes are rulers.
The Custodes possess profound knowledge and immortal life. They are almost unaffected by selfish desires and are naturally immune to Chaos corruption.
They are utterly loyal to the Emperor of Mankind. The Emperor's vision is their vision, and they will defend it with their lives.
The Emperor and the Primarchs are the leaders of humanity, but no one is better suited than the Custodes to be its rulers.
The Great Crusade has only just begun. The Legiones Astartes are still in their ascendant.
But what about after the Great Crusade ends?
Warriors will be eliminated, facing downsizing and unemployment.
The rulers will seize all the honour and ascend the throne in triumph.
What will happen to the Legiones Astartess then? What will happen to the Primarchs? What will happen to Caelan?
Sevatar stared at Philly. "You are truly ambitious!"
Probably even Dorothy hadn't thought this far, had she?
"Shut up. This is called preparing for the future!"
She remembered who had pulled her from the pile of corpses, who had made her a powerful ruler of Nostramo.
The Emperor of Mankind was certainly great. She respected him.
But if one day Caelan and the Emperor had a disagreement, Philly would unwaveringly support Caelan.
Sevatar said, "This is Nostramo. Caelan has more students than just you."
"Even if the Custodes are to rule humanity, their numbers are too small. How can they manage an empire spanning the galaxy?"
"They must rely on a complete administrative system, and grassroots officials will ultimately have to be chosen from mortals."
"Mortal greed, laziness, and lust for power will lead to corruption and inefficiency."
"We are not as good as the Custodes, but we are still far superior to mortals."
"In this system, the Astartes will also have a place in the future."
"Wake up, Sev. You're a Night Lord, not an Ultramarine!"
Sevatar said, "Have you forgotten everything the teacher taught us?"
"Although all Legions are born for war, no one represents war better than the Ultramarines."
"They aren't naturally skilled at governance. Years of diligent study turned them into capable rulers."
"If the Ultramarines can do it, why can't the Night Lords?"
As long as they were willing to put equal effort into studying governance, their performance would be no worse than the Ultramarines'.
This wasn't Sevatar boasting. It was what Caelan had taught them back on Nostramo.
Although Caelan had no such ambition himself, Philly's ambition was partly taught by him.
"Good point." Philly nodded thoughtfully.
The giant in the shadows raised his chin slightly.
"So, Sev, when are you coming to help me with these official documents?" Philly changed her tone abruptly, a brilliant smile blooming on her face.
Sevatar's newly curled lips froze instantly. He stared at Philly in silence.
After all that circling around, this was where she was going?
"Do your own work."
"Then can you get out of here? Why are you bothering me while I'm working?"
"Old habit."
"Kurze tormented you, so now you torment me?"
"You want to be the woman who becomes my mother. And I am the man who wants to become Father's son. Shouldn't a child who has been wronged confide in his mother?"
Philly felt something stuck in her throat. She could have retorted, but in the end, she didn't.
"Then go find Sister Dorothy," she muttered.
"That won't work."
Sevatar wasn't stupid. Philly was still just dreaming, but Dorothy was a done deal.
Going to Dorothy would be like filing a formal complaint. It would be too obvious, and wouldn't escape the Primarch's notice.
Philly was different. If she wanted to be a daughter, her success rate was 100%. The Primarch would acknowledge her right now.
But the position she was aiming for was too high. Her chances of success were extremely low.
He wanted a listening ear, not to actually betray the Primarch.
Last time was an accident. He hadn't actively tattled. Dorothy had figured it out herself.
They weren't fools. Was Dorothy?
She was an idealist, but her IQ was anything but low.
Sevatar said, "Don't worry. What you can think of, wouldn't the Primarch be prepared for?"
"Even if the Custodes are destined to become the rulers of the Imperium, they can only rule half of it."
They had operated on Nostramo for so many years, spent so much money, and trained so many people, not to make a wedding dress for the Imperium.
The Night Lords were certainly loyal to the Imperium, but first and foremost, they were loyal to the Primarch.
The Primarch was also loyal to the Emperor, but first and foremost, he was loyal to Caelan.
Things might not turn out that way, but it was always good to be prepared.
As long as Caelan remained in the Imperium, their pocket empire would not openly secede.
Under the direct rule of the Night Lords, five hundred worlds could achieve far greater efficiency than five thousand Imperial worlds.
The five thousand Imperial worlds only needed to pay a 10% Tithe, but they might tax the people 80%, using 10% to maintain the government and pocketing the remaining 60%.
For the five hundred worlds, even if they only taxed 50%, they could provide 40% to the Great Crusade, and the burden on the people would be lighter.
Even if initial outputs were the same, under the direct rule of the Astartes, with honest governance, the efficiency of the five hundred worlds could at least double.
They would also develop the worlds, rather than simply exploiting them.
After development, the output of those worlds could at least triple or quintuple.
Such was the difference between direct and indirect rule.
The Emperor's vision was too grand. He had no time for meticulous cultivation, nor did he care.
But the Primarchs cared. The Astartes cared.
Besides upholding justice, part of Kurze's original intention was also his unwillingness to lose, wanting to compete with Guilliman's five hundred worlds.
Every Primarch believed they were no worse than their brothers.
With the Legions' meticulous cultivation, even if they seemingly only controlled fifty thousand worlds, their output and efficiency would exceed the Imperium's five hundred thousand worlds.
The Imperium might seem to have half the realm, but that half cannot achieve its full efficiency. How can it compare to the Legions?
They wouldn't even need fifty thousand worlds. Even if each Primarch only had five thousand, they could still contend with the Imperium.
Among mortals...
The Primarchs' reputations were no less than the Emperor's.
Many people would never see the Emperor or his Custodes in their lifetime, but they could often see the Night Lords' Astartes.
Their good fortune was given by the Primarch and the Night Lords. Would they betray the Primarch to remain loyal to the Imperium?
The Imperium propagates Imperial Truth, not the Imperial Cult. The populace is not so ignorant.
The immediate boss is more important than the distant high official. It has always been this way.
Although the possibility of Caelan and the Imperium splitting was extremely remote, if that day ever came, at Caelan's command, Sevatar couldn't speak for others, but Nostramo would surely rise up in rebellion, rallying to his cause!
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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