The original entity remained silent, not even daring to turn back to glance at the cold, solitary skeleton.
He picked up the leather skirt and turned to leave:
"Come, Kael, the business of war and the state's affairs have taxed me. We will return once preparations for the next ceremony are complete."
"Marum's side?"
Kael replied hurriedly:
"Please be at ease, I have written the precautions into Marum's power armor. He knows what the cost is. Four ten thousand years of things are exchanged. The main purpose is to try to preserve the humanity of the Emperor as much as possible."
The imperial guards watched the unfolding events with coldness, though they were very much tempted to chop off Kael for his disrespect in the palace.
Tolerating an indecent ceremony brought from nowhere in front of the Emperor has already been a great disrespect.
They watched as the Emperor's son left, the heavy metal doors slowly closing. The imperial guards left one by one, leaving only the two on duty.
Icarus, a nearly retired imperial guard, opened his mouth and said:
"My brothers and sisters, do you think the power that just appeared is truly the Emperor's son found in the Time River? If there really was such a prince in history, he may not have lived to see the Emperor unify Tyla."
The other one responded coldly:
"We have no need to discuss the past; doing our current duties is enough."
Icarus remained silent. As an older brother, he seemed to have developed an unnecessary affection for the Emperor.
4600 years ago, the Holy Terra.
Marum is burning all the decaying corpses together.
Evil from corruption needs to be purified by fire.
He then asked Aaron to clean his armor with water and fire.
The flames came from the high-temperature ignition of trees on his back.
Despite the fact that Marum had once been immersed in a foundry world completely overrun by the Void, enduring countless incursions of chaos.
However, when Aaron held up the torch and cupped the river, the screams of the Necromite rotting corpse epidemic subsided, and it felt as if they were being erased by the void. This still made Marum feel overwhelmed.
Right, they even can't go back to the warp.
Indeed, he is the Emperor's firstborn son, a child born of the physical form of the Empress' body.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about the contamination of these corpses. If Your Majesty could lead our forces to the front lines of the Plague War in four ten thousand years, then everything will be under control.
It would likely serve a similar purpose to the "Living Saint" mentioned in the warband records.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to accompany you to see your father, the Great Emperor, our master."
Marum's armor was cleaned, and he knelt down again, extending his massive armored arm with devotion, waiting for his request to be granted.
Aaron showed a faint smile, scratching his smooth back, and answering evasively:
"Let's enter the city when it's dark at night. You'll scare people."
Moreover, he was well aware of his father's charm and understood that, apart from himself, other humans might easily find the stooped, short blacksmith to fit their image of a dear friend.
I see, you are truly born, and your father indeed is Zeus.
Aaron's heart began to beat irregularly, for he was the brother of Heracles printed on the coins of Thebes!
And a brother to a demigod!
Just thinking about his father sleeping with cows and swans, and perhaps even little boys, makes him unable to understand.
So, his mother Hera is actually Hera, which explains why she can wipe her own ass with the robe of Apollo.
Marum merely said in a calm tone:
"Please follow your command, Your Highness."
He lifted his head, his gaze from beneath the helmet scanned over Aaron's body, and spoke again:
"I have found clothing to cover you."
The warrior got up and took the leather armor that had been burnt from the pile of corpses. He also picked up some relatively clean fabric and welded it together with a plasma gun's auxiliary laser.
He knelt down again and presented it.
Aaron felt a bit embarrassed and quickly said:
"You can just stand when you talk to me, Marum. Growing up, this is the first time someone has bowed to me."
He reached out and took the clothes, putting them on. Then, subconsciously, he pulled on one of Marum's fingers to get him to stand up.
There was no response at all, until the latter gently got up himself, fearful that he might accidentally smother the Prince.
"Well, let's wait for nightfall then. Oh, by the way, I'll go catch some fish. Father said we're having fish tonight."
Marum was shocked all at once. Does the Emperor like fish?
The Holy Terra has no sea.
Only in the private residences of some nobles do rivers and some ancient species of Terra survive.
Marum said seriously:
"I see, Your Majesty. I'll go prepare the dinner for His Majesty."
Aaron looked puzzled: "Huh? Wait, what are you going to do!"
In Aaron's eyes, Marum, who had just defeated a hundred zombies with one hand, had not used the weapon he was wearing.
In order to catch fish for his father, he took out the long sword covered in sharp blades from his waist.
Then he pressed a switch, and the saw blade in his hand roared to life, as if cutting through mountains and splitting rocks was nothing.
It seems like catching fish is a more sacred task for Marum than defeating monsters.
Half an hour later, a mountain of fish that even the best hunter in Thebes could not hunt for elk had been piled up. They rolled and jostled in front of Aaron.
"These, these should be enough."
Marum still didn't seem satisfied. Serving the Emperor is an important task. No matter how good the service, it is never perfect enough.
Aaron looked glum and sighed:
"How am I supposed to carry all these fish back?" he said, picking up his backpack, then added:
"Just a few are enough, the rest can be released."
Ah, it's a pity. Each time my father eats, he has no appetite and eats little.
Is it that the delicacies of the mortal realm are not satisfying to him?
As the sun began to set, Aaron made Marum lift him so that his rear end rested on the white, unconnected round ring on his shoulder armor.
He pointed the way to the city and happily said:
"Now, let's head towards Thebes City!"
"He also reminded me, "
"Please slow down and walk at a speed I can handle."
Aaron also wondered why, besides the power of purifying chaotic evil that Marum claimed, he didn't possess the heroic strength of his half-god brothers as described in myths and legends.
Perhaps this force is not yet time to be unleashed.
Marum walked slowly on purpose, and by the time the sky darkened, this tall figure had just climbed over the back garden of His Majesty's palace.
Oh, a humble courtyard.
The walls of the house were even without any decorations of windows, and only a large hole was left on it.
A man, a man who was difficult to see clearly, surrounded by golden light and whose form was blurred. He lay awkwardly on a reed mat.
"Emperor!"
Marum's voice trembled, and he carefully set down Aaron on his shoulder.
Then he knelt down with one knee and stammered:
"My Emperor, the Lord of Humanity, the Father of Primarchs, the Commander of All Armies..."
He paused for a moment, then called out loudly:
"Son of Kiel, I come to see you."
Andar Vil was merely woken up; he rubbed his eyes, yawned, and sat up.
He spoke the longest sentence Andar had ever heard his father say since he had memories:
"Here is only Andar Vil. There's no room for all these people in the courtyard."
"Huh—ah! I'm starved. Aaron, go light a fire. And you, Marum Kaddo, give me your communicator."
He spread his arms, shining brightly like the sun in Marum's eyes, warm and even fiery.
"Kiel that bastard took advantage of my inability to organize complete sentences in a few million years and mocked me as if he was a Athenian debater who had won the debate! Damn, I have to show him who's the dad!"
Aaron was in a bad mood, picked up a fish, and threw it at the old man. He couldn't see any sparkling golden light.
He said in a suppressed tone:
"Father, go make a fire yourself! I already split the wood yesterday. I'm very tired today, and I've seen too many things."
