When I emerged from my audience with the Emperor, a Custodian Guard was standing there as though he had been waiting for me.
"Follow me. I shall lead you to your companions."
I followed him, and after spending some time sightseeing through the Imperial Palace, I arrived at the dining hall.
Inside, rows upon rows of exceedingly delicious-looking dishes had been laid out. Erin, Tess, and everyone else were enjoying the food in their own ways.
"It is all free, so eat as much as you wish."
"Then I will not hold back."
I took a seat and began eating the luxurious food.
"It is delicious."
"They say it was prepared by Terra's finest chefs. It truly is exquisite."
It certainly was.
-----
Once I had more or less finished my meal, I gathered everyone together.
"So, you said there was something you needed to tell us?"
"That is right. During my audience with His Majesty the Emperor, I received an order from Him."
An order from the Emperor—in other words, an Imperial edict.
It was an order more valuable and more absolute than anything else. No one could defy it.
Rebuilding the House? The Emperor's edict came first.
Even if it was a dishonorable task, it was something that had to be done. Such was an Imperial edict.
"What... did His Majesty the Emperor command of you?"
"'Go to Imperial Nihilus.' That is the edict I was given."
"The galaxy was split in half by the Great Rift. How are we supposed to head north of the galaxy?"
"There are planets called Vigilus and Sangua Terra. They were not affected by the Great Rift, so they will serve as a passage."
"Did His Majesty the Emperor tell you that?"
"Yes. (No.)"
"But heading to Imperial Nihilus will be quite a long journey. And before you arrived, a messenger came. He said that Roboute Guilliman, Regent of the Imperium, is planning something, and that he would appreciate our assistance with it."
What Roboute Guilliman was planning was probably to eliminate every threat lurking within Terra.
Then, to boldly withdraw every subject suffering because of the Great Rift into the Solar System, gather the strongest military force the Imperium of Man had possessed since the Great Crusade, and formulate plans for supply and deployment.
And to proclaim the Indomitus Crusade.
"It seems we will have no choice but to remain on Terra for a while."
Gathering the forces and cults within Terra would take quite some time. Since Guilliman wanted us with him, we had no choice but to wait on Terra until then.
"Until he calls for us again, there is nothing we can do."
"Well... think of it as leave. Everyone, make the most of this vacation of indefinite length and get some proper rest."
Tess granted us leave with no set end date. As we returned to the ship, each of us began considering how we ought to spend the days ahead.
Some thought of meditation to discipline the mind, others of training to discipline the body, and still others of prayer to strengthen their resolve.
And so, several days passed.
**
Boom!!!
Countless waves of red daemons poured forth from beyond the void.
Only days after the Avenger returned, the daemons that had arrived from the void numbered nearly eighty-eight legions. They were pressing forward in overwhelming numbers, seeking to break through the main entrance of the Imperial Palace.
Facing that dreadful host, we—the only Knightly House on Terra—awakened the Knights that had been undergoing repairs by Terra's artisans and entered battle as one.
"Knights of House Barbab! Purge those foul daemons!"
At Tess's command, we began slaughtering the daemons that had attacked the hangar where the Knights were kept.
The Skitarii and Guardsmen defending the hangar cheered at the appearance of the Knights, while the enemy daemons began to hesitate before the arrival of the colossal war machines.
"BURN THE HERETIC!"
Burn the heretic.
We burned the daemons.
"KILL THE MUTANT!!"
Kill the mutant.
We tore them to pieces with countless rounds.
"PURGE THE UNCLEAN!!!"
Purge the unclean.
And we cleansed them beneath our feet.
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