A unique bell chimed, and the Emperor stepped out of the Stormbird, accompanied by a tall Custodian.
"Hmm?" As the Emperor emerged from the beautifully carpeted belly of the aircraft, both the Emperor and Swain, who had come to greet them, simultaneously uttered a sound of confusion.
"No, wasn't the Emperor supposed to be a six-meter-tall, mighty golden strongman? Why does he look like those middle-aged bald men from my previous life who could drop dead at any moment?" Swain gazed at the Emperor emerging from the cabin with a look of extreme disbelief.
The other sound of confusion came from the Emperor himself; he felt a familiar power emanating from the man standing beside Corax—his own power—yet he had no memory of this individual.
Yes, Swain had intentionally yielded the main position to Corax, standing slightly behind him by half a body length. This was a family reunion between father and son, and it was improper for him to stand in the primary spot.
The Emperor and Swain exchanged a fleeting glance, then tacitly looked away. As Swain had understood, this was a reunion, and any questions could wait.
"Corax, my progeny, I am your father. I presume you have already sensed it. You have suffered these past days." The Emperor, having descended from the cabin, spoke to his genetic son.
The Emperor's voice was unique; his calm tone carried an air of looking down on the world, a feeling of being the sole sovereign. Even when he expressed concern for Corax's hardships, Swain couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded more like, "Why are you so weak?"
As for how Corax truly felt, only he would know.
"Welcome, my... Father... Please forgive us; we just finished a war and could not greet you with the grandest ceremony." Corax, clearly a bit unaccustomed to this suddenly appearing father, said to the Emperor.
"Hahaha, it's alright. The victory of this war is the grandest welcoming ceremony. Your subordinates are exceptionally well-trained; they are clearly elite troops." The Emperor looked with admiration towards the location of the Shadow Assassins.
"They cannot compare to your personal guards, Father." Corax naturally began to engage in polite flattery.
"Corax, this is not the place to talk. Please invite your father and everyone inside to chat." Swain reminded Corax.
How long would this mutual flattery go on? As the hosts here, it was improper to keep guests waiting at the entrance.
"Oh, right, right, Father, and everyone, please come in." Corax reacted, inviting the Emperor, the Custodians, and the Sisters of Silence to enter the rooms hastily arranged by the Dark Raven Guards, along with the reception areas for the Emperor's retinue.
In some corners, there were still faint dark red bloodstains that hadn't been cleaned in time, and the air was thick with the strong smell of blood.
The Emperor and Corax were alone in another room. As it was the first meeting between father and son, some private space was naturally needed. Otherwise, if the Emperor became too nervous and made a fool of himself in front of everyone, the Custodians would certainly ensure that everyone present suffered a Warp navigational error.
"Mr. Valdor, I heard that the Custodians are exquisite figurines handcrafted by the Emperor one by one, is that true? As the Custodian Commander, what is your view on the Primarchs?" Swain eagerly asked. In his previous life, he had no good impression of the Custodians after the Horus Heresy.
So he was very curious about Valdor's attitude. After the Great Heresy, Valdor had relinquished his duties as Custodian Commander and disappeared from the Imperial view. Some said Valdor went to the Black Cells, while others said he was undergoing self-exile.
After all, the Emperor was critically wounded and dying under his protection, only able to rely on the stasis field emanating from the Golden Throne to remain forever on the brink of life and death. In such a situation, if he didn't step down, who would?
However, as soon as Swain uttered these words, the accompanying Custodians immediately fixed their gaze on Swain, the warning in their eyes very clear.
Look at what you're saying, figurines?
"Mr. Swain, the Custodians are our Lord's most loyal guard, not toys." Valdor waved his hand, allowing the other Custodians to continue their duties, then very sternly corrected Swain's choice of words.
"The Primarchs are our Lord's genetic progeny, indispensable and vital assistance in the human race's great revival." Valdor looked at the curious man before him with a serious expression.
It seemed this man knew them very well. From the introduction just now, he already knew Swain's name and that he was the first to adopt the Emperor's progeny.
The Emperor's faint sound and his gaze at Swain when he first disembarked from the Stormbird had naturally been noticed by Valdor and the other Custodians. That was why the Custodian Commander was so patient in answering the other party's questions, merely correcting their errors.
If it had been an ordinary person who dared to call them figurines in front of the Custodian Commander, they would have been cut down on the spot by the other Custodians long ago.
"My apologies, my choice of words was inappropriate. I'm sorry. Since the Custodians are the Emperor's strongest and most loyal guard, I presume they must protect the Emperor very well." Swain looked at Valdor and the accompanying Custodians with admiration, praising them.
"That is natural. To this day, no enemy has been able to break through the Custodians' blockade and harm our Lord." Valdor said with great pride, confident that both now and in the future, the Custodians would perfectly guard their master.
"Yes, I also firmly believe that," Swain said, agreeing wholeheartedly.
Upon hearing this, all the Custodians present, whose mouths were shrouded by their helmets, revealed faint smiles, and the murderous glares they had given earlier became friendlier.
"I don't believe a word of it," Swain added inwardly.
"But what if, and I mean if, the Emperor one day gets tired of being the Master of the Imperium and wants to pass the position to Corax, what will you do? You still guard the Imperial Palace." Swain asked incessantly.
"Hmm??" The Custodians' eyes, which had just begun to become friendly, immediately turned stern again.
"Hmph, Corax is actually an ambitious fellow. These words must be his intention. In the future, the Tower of Hegemony needs to strengthen its monitoring of the 19th Legion!!!" The Custodians' hearts instantly flared with anger.
Is this something a person would say? A Primarch who just returned to the Imperium is already thinking about the Emperor bestowing the great position upon him!!!!