Having driven Magnus from Luna, we immediately docked at Holy Terra’s capital spaceport, located on Luna.
As befitted the capital spaceport, it held a great abundance of supplies, so we replenished our shortages as thoroughly as possible.
When we had joined the reinforcements bound for the Rosetta Sector, our strategic value had not been particularly high, so we had stocked comparatively few supplies.
Of course, throwing a party for the entire ship required even more supplies, which meant we had to spend more money.
"We will be short on money from now on."
As the Magos was also our treasurer, she managed our funds rigorously.
"We spent far too much purchasing supplies today. Let us have no expenses for the time being. Of course, from now on, we should be able to manage most things aboard the ship ourselves."
Now that we were capable of self-sufficiency, there was no reason to spend money for a while.
"Come to think of it, a message arrived from Holy Terra."
"A message?"
"What did they say?"
"They are looking for the Knights who distinguished themselves in the war on Luna. They said the Imperial Palace itself would grant us a reward."
A reward.
At those two words alone, the Magos’s eyes gleamed.
"A reward from the Imperial Palace? Then they must be paying us handsomely."
Delighted at the prospect of funding her research, she began moving the ship toward Holy Terra. Meanwhile, the members of House Barbab, myself included, began dressing in formal attire before entering the Imperial Palace.
"To think I would ever live to visit the Imperial Palace."
"Indeed. I thought my life would consist entirely of our star system and the battlefield, but that hateful Great Rift has given me this experience as well."
"Hm. But Theo, I wonder whether the Adeptus Administratum has heard that you are a psyker."
"We met an Inquisitor last time, so if they survived, word must have reached them."
"Even so, it would be best to conceal the fact that you are a psyker. If you can conceal it, that is."
"I will hide it as best I can."
Honestly, if my identity were exposed, the Emperor might use me as a battery for the Golden Throne. I had to conceal it as thoroughly as possible.
**
After some time had passed, we arrived in orbit over Holy Terra.
"Have a good trip. And do not forget to bring back plenty of money."
"Even if we receive money, it will not be us bringing it back. They will probably send it directly to the ship... Still, all right."
Seeing us off, the Magos left us to meet the Administratum official who had arrived beforehand. Under his guidance, we boarded a transport and descended to Terra’s surface.
When the transport reached the landing pad and its doors opened, two Custodian Guards were waiting for us.
"It is an honor to meet you, my lords."
"There is no need for formalities. You have earned the right to them."
I was dumbfounded. The Custodes had acknowledged us.
"Understood... then."
Tess was uncomfortable with the situation, but as the House’s representative, he took the initiative.
"Good. Now, you will follow me, while the others will go with him."
"Wait. Where are you taking him?"
"He must go to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor."
An audience with His Majesty the Emperor.
At those words, Tess and every other member of the House nodded and followed the other Custodian Guard.
"Have a safe trip."
"Nothing must happen to you, understood?"
"What could possibly happen?"
"Then let us proceed."
I followed the Custodian into the Imperial Palace.
The inside of the Imperial Palace was a place so magnificent that words like ‘splendid’ and ‘wondrous’ did not begin to do it justice. The Custodes standing tall throughout its halls resembled colossal statues.
"First, before you have your audience with His Majesty the Emperor, I have something to say to you. Let us go to a room I have prepared."
But rather than taking me directly to the Emperor, the Custodian led me into an empty room.
"No one is nearby, so I shall explain my plan to you."
"What plan...?"
"When you have your audience with His Majesty the Emperor, attack Him with this dagger."
With that, he handed me a dagger.
So they intend to use me in a Blood Game.
The Blood Game.
A kind of security inspection and contest conducted by the Custodes—a very real competition in which Custodian Guards killed one another while personally breaching the Palace’s defenses to test whether the Emperor was being protected without flaw.
There had even been those who released Chaos Space Marines into the Imperial Palace, and one who had planned—and nearly succeeded—in transmitting an Exterminatus-grade cyclonic torpedo into the Golden Throne from within the Palace.
And this time, they intended to use me in one of those Blood Games.
"Blasphemous."
Boom!!!
I unleashed a powerful psychic wave and hurled the Custodian Guard away.
Before he could rise and move again, I bore down on him with my psychic power. I intended to crush him to death.
"His Majesty the Emperor summoned me, and yet you..."
Whoosh.
At that moment, my psychic power vanished into thin air.
"...Impressive. Both your loyalty and your psychic power."
When I turned around, Sisters of Silence and Custodian Guards were watching me, though I had no idea when they had entered.
One Sister of Silence made signs at me, but naturally, I could not understand them. Instead, I felt only a rising sense of discomfort.
Realizing that I did not understand, a Custodian Guard spoke to me.
"Forgive us for doing this. But you are an unauthorized psyker. We had to test your loyalty, even in this manner."
"His Majesty the Emperor summoned me in the first place. Why would I be a heretic?"
"More precisely, Roboute Guilliman relayed His Majesty the Emperor’s message on His behalf."
In other words, the Emperor could be trusted, but Roboute Guilliman could not yet be.
"Then I would appreciate it if you took me to His Majesty the Emperor at once. This place is... rather unpleasant."
"Follow me."
Afterward, escorted by the Custodian Guards, I arrived at the entrance to the Golden Throne and walked toward the Emperor, who radiated overwhelming psychic power.
"I heard that You summoned me, Your Majesty the Emperor."
8
9
Outsider
Ruin
Humiliation
Glory
Struggle
Knight
Like in the novels’ descriptions, the Emperor spoke a succession of words formed from flame. Yet every single word contained His psychic power, and bore immense weight.
"May I ask why You summoned me?"
...!!
------
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register