Chapter 73: The Emperor of Mankind and Alpharius

Paradigm City – Underhive

A man in golden robes and a towering giant in green walked through the streets. Their presence should have drawn the attention of the underhive dwellers, yet no one noticed them, as if they didn't exist at all.

Unseen, they moved unhindered through the crowds and entered a steelworks factory.

They arrived just in time to see hundreds of workers in yellow overalls gathered near the canteen entrance.

The factory director, dressed in yellow and black, was speaking loudly:

"The productivity report for the last five work cycles is complete."

"Congratulations, every one of you has met the minimum quota. You will each receive a portion of food from the Symphony of the Sea, enough to feed your family for one meal."

"Last round's reward is seaweed, perfect for soup."

He looked at the workers' eager eyes and smiled.

"Don't worry, everyone will get theirs. Line up and collect it."

The two observed as workers received small packets of seaweed, about the size of a normal hand.

Then the director clapped and announced:

"Those who exceeded their quotas will receive additional food."

"This time, the bonus is rice grown in the Symphony of the Sea. Mix it with seaweed to make seafood rice."

"The top eleven workers will also receive a tuna fish, which makes the dish even better!"

All the workers stared at him, wide-eyed.

"There are 303 workers who exceeded their quotas. The rewards are tallied. When I call your name, come forward."

….....

The man in the golden robe turned away. He had already found the answer he sought.

After a moment, he spoke:

"The method is simple, but it can't be implemented in other worlds."

The green-robed giant nodded in agreement. During his training on Terra, he had been sent on missions into hive cities, sometimes to infiltrate the Solar Auxilia and observe their loyalty. He was familiar with the struggles of the lower classes.

"Corpse starch, nutrient gruel, and other synthetic rations can keep one alive… but eating them for more than five days leads to side effects, headaches, birth defects, even heart failure."

"That's how mutants come to be. But in other forge and hive worlds, their rulers simply don't care."

"If we tried to apply Nareth's model across every Imperial world, the costs would be massive. At best, we could supply the Solar Auxilia with food from agri-worlds every few days."

The golden-robed man was silent. Spreading Nareth's system would only cause resistance and delay the Great Crusade.

"It's time to meet him."

At the same time as the golden-robed man spoke, the Pride of Vostroya docked at the starport.

As Nareth stepped off the ship's boarding ramp, he was immediately greeted by Howard, Yelena, and others who had received advance notice.

"My lord, welcome back."

"How long was I gone?" Nareth asked with a smile, looking at the excited crowd.

"My Monarch, your campaign lasted five years and sixty work cycles."

Nareth paused for a moment, surprised. By ship time and his conquest in the Crystal Mirage, he had been away for less than two years.

'Two possibilities: Most likely, it's the time distortion from warp travel, common during such voyages. In the warp, the rules of the physical universe do not apply. A ship might sail for a thousand years and return to find only days have passed… Or the reverse, spend days in the warp, and emerge a century later. A second, less likely reason could be a time disparity between the two star systems, but not this extreme.'

With that, Nareth boarded his personal vehicle and headed for the palace.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, he noticed two figures approaching, one behind the other.

The giant with the spear was taller, but was completely overshadowed by the man walking in front.

The moment Nareth looked at him, it was as if he were staring into a radiant golden sun; his thoughts froze.

The minds of those behind him went blank, as if ensnared by psychic power, their bodies paralyzed.

Nareth halted, and in that instant, his pitch-black eyes turned deep and hazy, a dark mist seeming to rise within them.

The golden-robed man was surprised by how quickly the Eleventh Primarch recovered.

When he had revealed himself on Terra to Alpharius or when he met Horus, they had both taken a long time to recover from his presence.

Even the powerful Horus had struggled, so someone as sensitive as the Eleventh Primarch should have been affected even more.

Yet Nareth remained unfazed, which was unexpected.

The man's surprise lasted only a moment. Then he smiled radiantly, opened his arms, and said:

"Nareth, my son. I believe you've already recognized me."

"We met once while you were still in your gestation pod. You sensed me, but the time wasn't right. I let you rest in peace."

He spoke like a loving father, recalling tender memories with a tone full of affection.

Of course, Nareth recognized the man: The Emperor of Mankind, the genetic father of all Primarchs.

But he was unmoved by this show of affection. As Malcador the Sigillite once said, the Emperor always showed the face that best suited his needs.

Beneath the warmth, Nareth faintly sensed logic and cold detachment.

He could not bring himself to view this man as his father.

'Is this the face the Emperor shows me because I've been kind to the people of Vostroya? Does he think I'm easily swayed by emotion?'

As Nareth pondered, the Emperor stepped forward.

"The time has come, you must return to my side."

Nareth's thoughts raced. As Jaghatai Khan once said, returning to the Imperium was the best choice.

But he didn't want to accept immediately. Now was the perfect time to make demands. The Emperor, needing Nareth to lead a legion, would agree to reasonable terms.

'Even loyal Sanguinius made requests. It's only fair that I negotiate as well.'

With that, Nareth smiled and said:

"Welcome. I'm honored by your visit."

He embraced the Emperor briefly, feeling a genuine warmth radiate from his body.

After parting, Nareth said:

"I think we need to talk before I decide whether or not to pledge my loyalty."

"I'd be happy to," the Emperor replied. "You've done excellently in Vostroya, turning this world into a prosperous and civilized place."

"I'm very interested to learn how you accomplished it."

As Nareth guided the way forward, he sensed Malena recovering first, followed by Arsena and Howard.

"This way, please."

While walking, Nareth shifted his focus away from the Emperor and used the edge of his vision and his Warp Insight to observe the green-robed spear-bearer.

Judging by height, he wasn't from the Custodes, likely an Astartes.

Yet there was something unusual about him, despite Nareth never having met an Astartes before.

'That hydra tattoo on his cheek, lifelike and detailed. He must be Alpharius.

The Emperor wouldn't bring a regular Alpha Legionnaire, and certainly not just one.'

Nareth's eyes glinted with realization.

'When the Ruinous Powers scattered the Primarchs across the galaxy, only one was left on Terra, one of the twin Primarchs of the 20th Legion: Alpharius.'

'He and his brother were the smallest of all the Primarchs, barely taller than Astartes.

Alpharius never revealed his identity. He traveled with the Emperor, met every returned Primarch, yet none ever saw through him.'

........

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