Warhammer: Saving Humanity Begins with the Resurrection of Horus

Page 46

Unless he completely transforms from a blank sheet of paper into a black sheet, this is his fate, an inevitable fate in the future.

"Casillas Leo".

Leo remained silent and did not respond.

"Casillas Leo!"

Leo snapped out of his thoughts, looked up at Lin Qi who was looking down at him from the high platform, and slowly began to speak.

"Yes, sir."

Lin Qi looked at the company commander below the stage, who was looking up at him. He saw the man's helmet and his face, which looked no different from the others around him. He took a deep breath.

"Take off your helmet, Company Commander Casillas, take off your helmet."

He emphasized his request twice, and Leo seemed to have anticipated it; the bitter smile on his face deepened in an instant. But the next moment, the bitter smile vanished, replaced by a cold, hard mask.

"As you wish, sir."

The sound of the buckle being released rang out, and a little gas leaked out as the helmet was removed. The helmet was slowly taken off, revealing the face behind it—a face that was now expressionless, devoid of emotion, and devoid of spirit.

Oh my goodness.

Leo felt as if his own heart was screaming in agony.

Why me?

“Casillas Leo, I believe many of you know him.”

Lynch's voice was very calm, as if he were describing what he had just eaten.

"He was the company commander of Star Claw, an elite veteran, a soldier who had distinguished himself in battle..."

silence.

With each time Lin Qi spoke, everyone present remained silent.

"His resume was almost irreplaceable in the past. If it weren't for my coup, I believe many of you here would have respected him, or at the very least, given him the respect he deserved."

By the Divine Emperor, I beg you to tell him to stop saying it.

Leo began to pray silently, but he knew it was useless. As Lynch uttered his next sentence, a "crack" seemed to ring out in his heart, as if something had shattered at that moment.

"But right now, many of you are indifferent to him, and some even openly express their disgust and provocation."

"Why? Because he was once loyal to Huron and was considered one of his followers?"

No one answered, but sometimes silence itself is an answer.

Lin Qi sighed, looked at the crowd in front of him, and shrugged.

This was a very unseemly gesture, especially for a leader giving a speech to his subordinates. But Lynch did it anyway, and under the gaze of more than three thousand people, his tone relaxed and his voice became gentle.

"Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty... Leo, do you think you're loyal?"

“I believe… I remain loyal, my lord.”

Leo's answer was not straightforward; he even seemed somewhat hesitant.

"To be honest, it's okay. As I said, we're just going to have a chat and then resolve those historical issues of Star Claw."

"...So my answer is...I don't know."

For some reason, the moment Leo uttered those words, a sense of relief suddenly washed over him.

The others began to riot, and this discussion was far more intense than the last. Some glared angrily at Leo, as if questioning him with their eyes why he had given such an answer.

"Quiet, as I said, we just wanted to chat."

Lynch quelled the disturbance, bringing everyone into silence once more. Then he looked at Leo, his tone calm.

Is it because of Huron?

"……Yes."

"Then let me ask you, disregarding Huron's influence—I know he concealed many truths from you, so that aspect doesn't need to be considered—before the coup, did you consider yourself loyal to humanity and to the Empire?"

Leo didn't hesitate this time; he almost instinctively gave his answer.

"I am loyal, and I firmly believe that everything I did back then was for a better future, to stabilize the situation in the vortex..."

"Then, there are no more problems here."

Leo suddenly looked up and stared at Lin Qi in surprise.

“You are loyal, you were, you are, and you will be. You are no different from your brothers, it’s that simple.”

"but……"

"Oh, you're going to question me? Very well, Leo, go ahead and say it. If no one else questions me, then this conversation isn't really a chat."

Leo gritted his teeth and said everything he had to say.

"But I once followed a traitor and even helped him accomplish many things that violated the holy scriptures, violated..."

"So what?"

Leo was completely stunned this time, and so were everyone else present.

They began to wonder if they had misheard something, leading to auditory hallucinations.

"So what if I said it?"

Lin Qi sighed and repeated what he had just said.

"If we're talking about following traitors, then I was also a servant of the Starclaws Chapter. Didn't I also follow Huron?"

"Sir, this is different..."

"And what about you? Have you ever been under Huron's command? Are you aware that the Chapter's numbers have long exceeded the limit? By standing by and watching everything unfold, aren't you also Huron's followers? Disloyal, yet remaining in the Chapter under the Primarch's leniency?"

Lin Qi had essentially laid bare the internal conflicts within the battle group, and at that moment, no one spoke. But as the first person voluntarily removed their helmet, the others followed suit and made their own choices.

More than three thousand different faces appeared, all of them pursing their lips and wearing the same expression.

They were all waiting, waiting for Lin Qi to say something next.

"The statement 'Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty' is not inherently wrong."

Lin Qi took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"But there is a question of what constitutes absolute loyalty."

Lynch took a step forward; he was no longer standing on the platform. He walked down step by step, the servo skull following behind him, fulfilling its amplification function.

He walked up to Leo and extended his hands.

Leo was slightly stunned, but quickly recovered and slowly extended his hand.

The frozen gauntlets had no warmth whatsoever, but Lin Qi didn't flinch and gripped them directly.

"Sorry, Leo, you were chosen as the example."

Leo shook his head, a bitter smile slowly spreading across his face.

"It's alright, sir."

"No, it does matter. I said I wanted to solve the problem, and that means I want you to stop accepting those incorrect views."

Then, Lin Qi looked around, and at the same time, a strong aura began to slowly emanate from his body.

“I believe some of you already know the true identity of your Father of Genetics, and what kind of existence he is in the current empire.”

"By your standards, he wouldn't be considered absolutely loyal; he's a potential traitor."

"Or, in your view, all those who followed him at that time were potential traitors, not worthy of our trust, not worthy of being regarded as our companions."

Lynch's voice grew louder and louder until it echoed throughout the entire Thorn Court.

But is that really the case?

“I must tell you that ten thousand years ago, in that darkest age, there were many people whose identities were not honorable. In the eyes of most people, they were the same as how you see Leo now.”

"But in the end, it was precisely these people who proved their loyalty and demonstrated that a so-called past cannot bind a person's heart regarding whether they are loyal or not."

“They are the Twilight Raiders, the Hounds of War, the Sons of the Emperor, and even… the Shadowmoon Wolves.”

"They proved through their actions that as long as they do not commit any truly grave mistakes, and as long as they maintain their spirit of dedication to humanity and the Empire, they remain loyal."

"Because true loyalty is never just about looking at a person's past! It's about looking at everything a person does throughout their entire life!"

Leo stared intently at the mortal before him, and suddenly felt as if the shattered parts of his heart were being pieced back together bit by bit.

Yes, he once followed a traitor, a stain on his past life that is undeniable and indisputable.

However, he has not yet made a grave mistake, nor has he betrayed humanity for his own ambitions and selfish desires like Huron and her close confidants.

So from now on, he still has a chance. He can atone for his sins and prove himself once again. In the future, through his actions, he can show others his loyalty.

"I don't know how much of what I'm saying will come to your attention, but I also want to tell you that while loyalty is absolute, it is not narrow-minded. Before truly and completely falling into depravity, everyone has the opportunity to prove their heart through their actions."

"This path is the same, whether in the past, present, or future."

Lynch let out a long sigh of relief. He ended his speech. He didn't know how much effect the speech would have on these people, but something was better than nothing.

After the speech, the next step is naturally institutional change. After all, spiritual protection is one aspect, while institutional protection is another.

"Hey."

Leo suddenly felt someone touch his arm. He looked over and saw Casio, who had somehow appeared beside him.

"sorry."

Casio's tone was somewhat unnatural, but his attitude was very sincere.

Leo lowered his head, remained silent for a long time, and then suddenly laughed.

"Your nose looks great now. I suggest you don't see a pharmacist anymore. Just leave it as it is."

"...Wait, we're at the training ground, don't run around."

Casio looked at Leo, forced out those words from his throat, and then strode back to the Sixth Company.

“…As instructed by your Father of Genetics, starting today, I will also be altering the structure of the Star Claw.”

Leo took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the mortal who had returned to the platform.

"Over the next three days, each combat squad will make its own selection. I will personally meet with the selected individuals and, in the name of the Primarch, bestow upon them a new responsibility."