Warhammer, I promise I am loyal!!

He was quite relieved that, for practical reasons, he carried the holy relic recorded in the Ritual Book. This relic demanded the least emotional fluctuations from living beings to summon heroic spirits.

As for why emotional power was so potent in this universe—

The existence of the Warp made scientific explanations seem laughable!

Though Leon internally shouted about how unreasonable this was, for the sake of his own life, he could only mentally tear up a book of materialist doctrines—the Imperial Truth—to calm himself.

As it turned out, his choice was correct.

Leon looked at the progress bar in the Ritual Book in his mind, which had reached one-third completion since entering the Governor's residence.

Gazing at the Aurellian family elders fiercely arguing beneath the throne in the central hall, Leon thought to himself:

Unlike the conditions required to summon the nameless Space Marine or the rebellious psyker—who needed specific emotions and a complete ritual to summon heroic spirits—the holy relic he carried, said to originate from a legendary human commander during the Beast Wars, had a simple and brutal summoning method. With enough emotion and sacrifice, it didn't even require a formal prayer to descend. This relic would once again return to sweep away xenos and unify the galaxy in service to humanity.

In this universe, no matter how dazzling nameless mortal heroes might be, they were ultimately just pawns in the Emperor's cosmic game against the gods.

The argument in the hall was so heated that when Leon entered the room and casually found a chair at the back, no one noticed him.

Leon, not wanting to create trouble for himself, perked up his ears to gather information instead.

"This is blasphemy! I don't understand how you dare to openly display something like this in the Governor's residence, a symbol of the Emperor's blessings!"

Gulanch Barnett Aurellian angrily waved his fists, gathering the most traditional and devout elders around him.

As the patriarch of the Aurellian family, Gulanch had undergone the rejuvenation surgery offered by the Church. Though over 200 years old, he appeared to be no more than 30 or 40.

Having experienced the Seventh Continental War firsthand, he held considerable prestige within the family.

With his words, many elders nodded, expressing their inability to accept the stone monument recently erected in the central courtyard after the Governor's departure.

"Have you forgotten where our roots lie, Gulanch?"

Of course, with opposition came supporters.

Standing on the right side of the hall, Massai Franchi Aurellian—clad in a brown ancient priestly robe and serving as an Ecclesiarchy priest—smirked coldly.

The mechanical prosthetic on his left shoulder clicked with the sound of gears interlocking. Removing his hood, he revealed three blasphemous circles on his forehead.

"Heretic!"

"Apostate!"

Before he could speak, waves of criticism came crashing down.

He remained unfazed, for behind him, on either side of the throne representing supreme authority, stood the two most powerful individuals on the planet.

When they placed their hands on the shoulders of the cold-faced young man sitting on the throne, their authority could manifest into worldly power, breaking through all shackles, and running rampant in the sea of earthly desires.

"Since the Great Crusade, when the Emperor blessed us, and we were given the name Aurellian, our faith has always been singular—to the divine covenant forged between the High Heavens and mortals. Is that not so?"

His gaze bore directly into the elderly man standing on the far left of the Governor's hall, his eyes flashing with a trace of bloodlust.

Gulanch remained silent because what the man spoke of was a part of family history every core member had seen in the family's secret archives.

When enormous starships descended from the heavens, they brought not only the Emperor's gospel but also the dark faiths from Colchis. These parasitic creeds spread like a plague across the planet, accompanying the Word Bearers' priests.

The ancient faith from the Primarch's homeworld not only brought true divine revelations to this world, ensuring the lost sheep wouldn't be deceived by the foolish faiths of the False Emperor but also selflessly revealed the ultimate truths of this cold and cruel universe deliberately hidden by some.

It even hinted at the true origins of the vast religion dominating the Empire—the Ecclesiarchy, which worshiped the Emperor.

"That's just a myth… After Horus and his traitorous legions were defeated, the rebellious Primarchs fell into the abyss. The High Heavens are neither trustworthy nor tangible. No matter what, they are far inferior to the Empire's warships and the priests' millennia of inherited gospels—"

Gulanch looked at the greedy seekers of hidden truths before him, attempting to use his remaining authority to counsel these misguided descendants to face reality.

Despite the Empire's pervasive corruption, its fleet was still a terrifying force. Destroying this planet would be as effortless as snuffing out a spark.

He did not wish to see the thousand-year-old family destroyed by the foolish ambitions of a few.

But as he looked at the Holy Covenant sect members before him—whose numbers were double his own—an overwhelming sense of powerlessness filled him.

Turning his gaze toward the throne's depths, Gulanch pleaded silently for the figures there to intervene.

The two individuals standing beside the throne controlled the planet's two most powerful military forces—one overseeing the orbital navy, the other the planetary defense army.

The young man seated on the throne, holding the jeweled scepter symbolizing the acting Governor's authority, was even more exalted.

As the Governor's eldest son, born of a noble Joachim family lineage that had intermarried with the Aurellians for generations, he was the undisputed heir to the planetary governorship.

Yet, to Gulanch's dismay, those who should have stood up to restore order chose to align with his opposition.

"You're wrong, Gulanch… The power of the gods of the High Heavens is real."

"Compared to the High Heavens, what do the hypocritical and greedy Ecclesiarchy priests offer? A decrepit skeleton clinging to life on a throne? Gullible and easily deceived believers ripe for exploitation?"

The man to the left of the acting Governor—a middle-aged man in a well-tailored Imperial military uniform, wearing a monocle and exuding an air of scholarly refinement—spoke softly.

Reaching for the skull pendant around his neck, he casually tossed it to the ground, crushing it beneath his foot with a look of contempt and disdain.

Such blasphemy!

Gulanch inwardly wailed. The crisp sound of the pendant hitting the ground signified the planet's 1,000 elite, well-equipped regiments' collective decision to renounce the Empire's path.

"What can they offer you—Eaton?"

Gulanch sorrowfully gazed upon the scene before him, painfully asking.

"Everything."

The man named Eaton replied.

Today, he finally tore away the mask of loyalty and docility he had worn before the Governor, revealing the bloodthirsty fangs gifted by the High Heavens.

"The Governor will never allow this."

Scanning the room, Gulanch noticed the changing atmosphere accompanying Eaton's words.

"Indeed, he won't—if he's still alive to stop it."

In the back row, Leon frowned as he listened. Watching the progress bar in his mind rapidly nearing completion in just a few minutes, he realized that things were far from simple.

.....

📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢

For advance chapters: [email protected]/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

8. Very Well, But I Refuse!

9. Gold Explosion! In Every Sense!

10. Departure.

11. The Nun of San Leor.

12. You Really Take Any Job!