Chapter 264: Upholding the Blood of Saint Gillis

"Enough to arm three fully-equipped battle regiments with Terminator armor and accompanying weaponry."

"Enough to arm three fully-equipped battle regiments with Terminator armor and accompanying weaponry."

"…"

Folos' words reverberated through the vast hall.

Dante, sitting upon his throne, straightened his posture, while Mephedeston, beside him, widened his eyes in astonishment.

Karaan and the other commanders of the battle regiments whispered amongst themselves.

The revelation was utterly staggering.

Terminator armor had always been an extremely rare and coveted piece of equipment, reserved for the most elite squads within each regiment. Only a single company, composed of the finest warriors, could be equipped with it.

Some of the less affluent regiments could not afford even a single set of Terminator armor, and their commanders were fortunate to possess only a finely crafted power armor suit.

Like the Crying Legion had once been.

"The Tyron system…" Dante searched his mind for any information he had heard of regarding Tyron but could not fathom how they could have such vast quantities of Terminator armor. "How many forge worlds does the Tyron system possess?"

"There are no forge worlds, but they are able to produce Terminator armor with surprising ease." Folos offered only a vague explanation of the production process, as he, too, was uncertain about the details.

The power armor produced in the Tyron system was of the Unyielding model, as it was the only variant available to the Crying Legion. Perhaps the manufacturing processes required to forge Terminator armor were too complex, but the Tyron system had widely adopted printing technologies, enabling them to produce Terminator armor or any other object with a mere set of blueprints.

"Does the Tyrant of Tyron have any conditions?" Dante asked.

"None." Folos shook his head, scanning the room, "The Tyrant of Tyron is a generous and ambitious individual. He aids any warrior fighting against humanity's enemies, and we, too, are engaged in such a struggle."

The majority of those present nodded in agreement, impressed by the generosity of the unseen Tyrant of Tyron. 

Still, some remained skeptical, suspecting that there must be an ulterior motive behind the gift, perhaps a demand for repayment in the future.

Others whispered that the Terminator armor might conceal some hidden mechanism, perhaps designed to self-destruct at the most critical moment during battle.

After all, not all present were merely space marines eager for Terminator armor.

"We accept the Tyrant of Tyron's goodwill," Dante declared.

The murmurs from the battle commanders ceased, and all eyes turned to Dante, waiting for him to make a decision on the distribution of the Terminator armor.

Yet, Dante did not immediately give an order. Instead, he looked toward Mephedeston.

The Chief Librarian understood Dante's unspoken thoughts—he was contemplating how to allocate the power armor.

It was a difficult dilemma.

Even if the distribution were to proceed smoothly, simply donning the Terminator armor would not suffice; the wearer must undergo extensive training to use it effectively. However, time for such training was not available.

After some contemplation, Dante spoke: "The first company of each battle regiment, along with all officers, will receive Terminator armor."

Upon hearing this, some felt uneasy, while others were pleased.

Not all regiments could equip their first company with Terminator armor. Some impoverished regiments would see a significant boost in combat strength if they were able to field a fully armored company.

Dante's decision also confirmed his reputation as a fair leader, at least in not ordering every battle regiment to be equipped with Terminator armor.

Those with reservations, however, argued that Terminator armor should not be granted to every regiment, especially not to those prone to bloodlust and berserk rages, like the Blood Knights and Flesh Tearers. Allowing them access to such powerful armor would be disastrous, as they could easily turn it on their own comrades in a frenzy.

"We forgo the Terminator armor," a company commander stood and spoke.

His armor's colors and insignia indicated he was from the Flesh Tearers.

Dante regarded the Flesh Tearer commander in silence.

The Flesh Tearers were holding their ground on Bal, fighting against the insect swarms, and their commander could indeed speak for the entire regiment in choosing to refuse the Terminator armor.

This was in line with the thoughts of most of those present.

The Flesh Tearers were particularly susceptible to bloodlust and berserk rages. Some rumors even suggested that in the coming years, the frequency of such episodes would surpass that of normal behavior within the regiment.

If any regiment were to be denied Terminator armor, it was undoubtedly the Flesh Tearers.

However, Dante issued an unexpected command: "The Flesh Tearers will be granted fifty sets of power armor, but they will only be delivered into the hands of your commander, who knows which of his warriors possess the mental fortitude to wield them."

The Flesh Tearer commander nodded in acknowledgment and returned to his place.

"So it is decided," Dante addressed the room, "The first company of each regiment will receive Terminator armor, and the remaining sets will be placed in storage, to be used for replenishing battle losses."

Dante referred to the armory as "storage" rather than the treasury, signaling that he had no intention of hoarding the armor for himself. Each regiment had the right to access the armory to retrieve weapons and ammunition, including any Terminator armor lost during battle.

"You are being overly cautious," Mephedeston communicated telepathically.

Dante glanced toward the Chief Librarian, offering a weary smile.

Since the onset of the defense of Bal, Dante had been meticulously cultivating relationships with his subordinate commanders. Ever since the Astartes Codex was enacted, and the Legion was split into battle regiments, the Blood Angels had lost direct command over their subunits, who were no longer obligated to heed their mother's summons.

Dante had relied on his personal charisma and influence to win over the commanders, but he still had to tread carefully in maintaining these alliances.

"The meeting is adjourned," Dante signaled for the others to depart.

This meeting was not truly a conference, but simply a gathering to welcome the newly arrived Crying Legion. Other regiments had received the same treatment when they arrived at Bal—Dante personally greeted them, ushering them into the hall to hear speeches of gratitude and welcome.

But Dante had not anticipated that the Crying Legion would bring such a grand gift, turning the reception into a full-fledged meeting.

The battle commanders and their representatives soon left the hall to return to their combat positions.

Before long, only Folos and Dante remained in the hall.

Folos stayed behind because he noticed that Dante had looked at him before issuing his command, as if intentionally asking him to stay.

Dante rose and walked over to Folos, his brow still furrowed.

Three thousand sets of Terminator armor could provide substantial assistance to the regiments facing dire straits, but this did not guarantee victory. Dante still could not see a path to triumph.

He believed that he had to convey the true gravity of the situation to Folos, to give him the choice of whether to stay or leave.

This was a decision unique to the Crying Legion, not because Dante favored them, but because he believed that if they had come this far, they must surely have a way to leave.

"Upholding the blood of Saint Gillis," Folos discerned Dante's unspoken words, stepping forward to speak first, "We will stand and fall with Bal."

Dante looked at him silently for a few moments before nodding in agreement. "Upholding the blood of Saint Gillis."