Chapter 141: I Will No Longer Serve You or Your Empire! Father!

Ryan leaned against the wall, exhausted and panting heavily.

"A terrible device, indeed. Anglaron's planet was technologically advanced but took pleasure in gladiator duels," the Emperor said, his eyes flashing with anger. "They found Anglaron, severely injured and in an infantile state, and subjected him to a series of surgeries to turn him into a gladiator."

"His brain was largely removed, replaced with crude electronic components that penetrated his cerebral cortex, neural tissue, and spine. Even with my best physicians, it was impossible to remove The Butcher's Nail without killing Anglaron."

"That is... unforgivable!" Ryan exclaimed through clenched teeth.

"It's worse. The Butcher's Nail destroyed his ability to regulate emotions. Any feeling brought him immense pain, except for anger. Only in rage and frenzy did the device allow his brain to secrete a small amount of chemicals, providing him with brief comfort and pleasure," the Emperor spoke coldly. "Knowing this, I realized Anglaron's fall was only a matter of time. I thought there was still hope for him, so I didn't plan to kill him. I'm not sure if my decision was right. Sometimes it's like this; I always thought the gene-seeds were my finest creations, Anglaron included, Horus too. I've never been able to make that final decision, leading to the subsequent disasters."

"Was Horus, blessed by the four gods, that powerful?" Ryan asked, gasping for breath.

"No, Horus wasn't as strong as you imagine. I could have defeated him," the Emperor approached Ryan, helping him recover while they both looked at Anglaron lying on the slab. "But due to Magnus's folly, I had to expend most of my power to keep the Webway gate closed, sitting on the Golden Throne. This left me weakened in my battle with Horus. Plus, I believed there was still hope for Horus, until Saint Sanguinius and my loyal Custodian brother were killed by him. It was then I truly understood Horus was beyond redemption, but by then it was too late."

"So, it's all Magnus's fault!" the Emperor said with a tone of deep frustration: "Foolish, arrogant, self-righteous."

"Magnus had good intentions..." Ryan tried to explain, but the Emperor firmly interrupted: "No, it was his folly that led to these consequences. He must bear full responsibility."

Ryan, seeing his father's anger, worried about his brother's fate. Now that the Emperor had awakened and become much stronger than before, what terrible fate awaited the already traitorous Magnus?

He dared not think further.

As father and son were discussing, Anglaron on the slab opened his eyes.

"After so many years, Father, you still won't let me go?"

"What more do you want from me? I've lost everything, everything destroyed by you. Now you've resurrected me? But what's the point?"

"You saved the gladiator Anglaron, leaving me as the oath-breaker, the betrayer. Night after night, I recall my dead brothers and sisters. It's all your fault, Father!!!"

It was Anglaron, the gene-seed of the Twelfth Legion, now awakened.

The Emperor, looking at Anglaron's bare body, signaled for the Custodes to clothe him, then slowly said, "Recall, Anglaron, when I found you, I warned you of the overwhelming enemy numbers. You didn't listen. I offered my armies to help, yet you refused, insisting on returning to die with the gladiators. As a father, I had to teleport you to my ship, unwilling to let my son die in a meaningless, doomed battle."

"So what! Father! A little, just a little help from those gleaming Custodes, and my brothers and sisters wouldn't have suffered such a fate!" Anglaron struggled to his feet, roaring at the Emperor: "You knew we stood no chance against the slave masters, how could you do that?"

"But you refused, Anglaron!" the Emperor's patience waned: "I have no time for your riddles, nor will I let you die like that!"

"Hmph!" Anglaron, knowing he was in the wrong, huffed and fell silent.

Ryan understood what had happened.

Simply put, when his brother was found by the Emperor, he was leading a gladiator rebellion against the slave masters. The Emperor warned him of the overwhelming enemy forces, predicting Anglaron's inevitable defeat, yet his brother ignored the warnings and launched the rebellion anyway.

Then the Emperor offered military support, which Anglaron again refused. To save his son from the slave masters, the Emperor had no choice but to teleport Anglaron to his ship directly.

With their leader gone, the gladiators were slaughtered, tarnishing Anglaron's honor.

In truth, although his brother verbally rejected the Emperor's assistance, he had hoped deep down for help. But the Emperor, not inclined to decipher his son's true wishes, naturally didn't send reinforcements.

Thus, the situation unfolded as it did, with both sides believing they were right: Anglaron felt the Emperor had doomed him and his gladiator kin, while the Emperor thought it was his son's choice to refuse help.

"The Butcher's Nail is gone from you, you are whole and free again, no longer under the sway of anger and frenzy," the Emperor said calmly: "Thanks to your new brother, Ryan-Macado."

After the body's reconstruction, the Butcher's Nail naturally disappeared from Anglaron.

"My new brother?" Anglaron looked confused: "Macado?"

The Emperor explained Ryan's story to Anglaron.

"Hello, brother," Ryan approached proactively.

"Regardless, thank you, my brother. You freed me from that madness, and I feel much better now," Anglaron had no particular opinion of Ryan, then sighed, "Father, resurrecting me was a mistake! What do you want from me now?"

"Return, my son," the Emperor sighed slightly: "Sitting on the Golden Throne for endless years, I've thought a lot. I admit my initial vision for your futures was flawed. Now, with the human empire in decline, I need your strength."

"No! Don't even think about it, Father!" Anglaron objected loudly: "My honor has been tarnished by you, my hands stained with the blood of the innocent. I'm no longer the gene-seed of the Twelfth Legion!"

"What do you resurrect me for? You've taken everything from me, and now you want to take my freedom too?"

"My brothers and sisters died because of you. Can you understand how I felt? Alone on your ship, I watched helplessly as the gladiators lost their leader. I broke my oath, the oath of life and death I shared with my siblings!!!"

"Did you send your shining Custodes to help me? Did you send your mighty Titans? Did you, like with Russ, Johnson, and Vulkan, come to my camp and give me a chance to challenge you? Did you rescue my brothers and sisters and grant them glory? No! Nothing! You left me as the oath-breaker, the betrayer!"

"Rogal was right! You're a heartless father! You took away my honorable death, and now you're taking away my peaceful rest. You've played me for your own needs! Now you pretend to take my freedom?!"

"No! No! I will never serve you or your human empire again! Never!" Anglaron, the unyielding warrior, swung a punch at the Emperor's cheek.

Ryan was stunned by the scene.

The newly transformed Anglaron was too weak to harm the Emperor, who calmly pushed his fist aside and asked, "Are you done?"

"Hmph!" Anglaron retreated, sat down beside the slab, and remained silent.

"Tell me, Anglaron, after going through so much to save you, will you serve tyranny again?" the Emperor knew Anglaron wouldn't serve him and asked, sensing his own readiness to kill.

He couldn't allow Anglaron to serve tyranny again and reveal Ryan's secrets. If so, the Emperor would kill his own son.

"No, I won't serve tyranny again. After countless years of endless slaughter, I've become a shadow of my former self, remembering nothing but rage, madness, and kill, kill, kill. This isn't what I want. Now, I just want to find a place to live quietly, without the empire, chaos, or... war." Anglaron laughed at the impossibility of his wish.

"Return to the empire or die here, Anglaron. You have only two choices!" the Emperor held a burning golden sword, waiting for his son's decision.

But the stubborn son refused to respond, just sitting there silently.

The situation was tense until Ryan intervened: "Let's do this, Father. Let my brother stay in this world. I need a helper, and with his strength, he can assist me."

The Emperor's gaze lingered for a moment before lowering the burning golden sword: "Since it's so, Anglaron, stay in this world and help your brother. I won't force you back to the empire. You know what to do."

"Hmph!" Anglaron huffed but didn't object. Both the Emperor and Ryan knew he had agreed.

"Ryan, chaos has sensed my return. For a long time, I won't be able to send you any troops. You'll have to rely on yourself," the Emperor said, touching Ryan's head, "If we capture other fallen gene-seeds, I'll still bring them here to purify with you."

"I will, Father. Leave it to me," Ryan affirmed, dodging his father's hand playfully.

The Emperor laughed, proud of his son: "As a father, I must earn your trust, Ryan, my beloved son. Wait, your brothers will return one by one. Trust me."

The Emperor left, leaving only the Custodes and Anglaron in the cave. Ryan approached Anglaron: "Let's go home, brother."

Anglaron's response was sour and jealous: "He really likes you, huh! It was the same with Horus, and now you. He always favors some of us over others."

Ryan could only smile bitterly: "Let's go, brother. You must be hungry. Let's have a good meal and a drink together."

"He likes you, not me!"

"Brother~!"

"Alright, let's go." Anglaron finally stood up and followed Ryan out of the cave, with the Custodes disappearing into the shadows.

Emerging from the Charlon Forest, Anglaron, towering at 2.4 meters, carried a deer and a roe he had caught and killed with his bare hands: "Let's eat this tonight!"

"...Brother, this is my domain." Ryan pointed to his lands after explaining the world's situation and his current circumstances on their way out of the forest.

Half an hour later, a huge bonfire was lit in front of the baronial wine fortress. A deer and a roe were roasted on a spit as Ryan and Anglaron toasted with their cups, surrounded by empty barrels.

"A rich and peaceful domain. I like it," Anglaron said, drinking and eating heartily: "It's quiet here. I'll stay and help you, brother."

"I'll grant you the Redfish Village near the Charlon Forest, Brother Anglaron," Ryan offered softly.

Anglaron shook his head, dismissing the idea: "No need, brother. Just give me some land to farm. I just want to enjoy a hard-earned quiet life. I can sustain myself."

"But..."

"No buts. That's a brother's request," Anglaron declined Ryan's generosity.

"Then, I'll knight you as a ranger knight," Ryan agreed.

Thus, from late May, Ryan's domain of Redfish Village gained a towering, bald knight who diligently worked the fields, wielding a hoe with seemingly endless energy. With his friendly and simple demeanor, he quickly endeared himself to the serfs, helping with chores and earning their affection.

As June arrived, so did Midsummer's Day.

The annual conscription began.

Updated, ying ying ying, seeking monthly votes!

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