Chapter 506: Conflicting Ideologies

Staring at the golden figure, Erebus showed an expression of fervent devotion—

but in his heart, there was only mockery and disdain.

To him, the so-called Emperor was nothing more than a false god.

The great Bloodbound King had long since revealed the true nature of the universe to him.

Compared to that revelation, the Emperor and his followers were nothing more than ignorant frogs in a well.

So even though the Emperor appeared extraordinary…

Erebus saw only a fading sunset, destined to be eclipsed.

---

That Night

After a detailed conversation, the Emperor finally understood what Lorgar Aurelian had been doing on this planet.

For a while, he was speechless.

To him, religion was nothing but outdated refuse—an obstacle to progress.

The fact that Lorgar had poured so much effort into building a religion struck him as highly unfortunate.

Yet, in spite of that flaw…

Lorgar had successfully unified the entire population of Colchis and maintained order across the planet.

That alone made him a promising candidate.

Thus, the Emperor began explaining his ideals, hoping Lorgar would abandon religion altogether.

"Countless species—including the once-mighty Aeldari—have already proven that they cannot bear the weight of ruling a galactic empire. Humanity, in its purest natural form, alone holds the destiny to rule the Milky Way. Therefore, we must embrace reason, science, and progress, uniting all humans to forge a stronger, brighter civilization."

Lorgar immediately grew excited.

He didn't understand a word of "reason, science, and progress"—

but "uniting humanity to create a stronger, greater empire" resonated with him deeply.

To Lorgar, such an empire represented the perfect foundation for a universal religion.

Just imagining his doctrine spreading across all humankind filled him with ecstatic satisfaction.

But the Emperor's next words stunned him.

"To build such a nation, the first step is to abandon religion and superstition. These things immerse the human mind in falsehood."

To ordinary people, this wasn't hard to understand.

But to Lorgar, it was akin to saying "eating, drinking, and breathing are harmful."

He simply could not fathom what the Emperor meant.

Even so, out of respect, he held his tongue.

He merely listened with visible discomfort, quietly resolving to someday show the Emperor the virtues of faith…

And so, the first meeting between these two stubborn men came to an awkward close.

Under Lorgar's guidance, an entire group of people who worshipped the Emperor as a divine being formally joined the Imperial fold—a civilization built on reason and science and opposed to superstition.

Soon after, Lorgar took command of the Space Marine Legion the Emperor had created from his genetic template.

---

Due to the genetic link, Lorgar easily assumed control of his legion.

He renamed them the Word Bearers.

Under his meticulous indoctrination, every Astartes under his command was trained not only as a warrior—but also as a zealous priest.

They were towering figures, two and a half meters tall, with enough muscle to crush a tiger—

capable of fighting, preaching, and everything in between.

Following Lorgar's example, the Word Bearers filled every visible surface with religious imagery.

Even their starships, once symbols of Imperial steel and pragmatism, were remodeled into engines of divine architecture—massive flying cathedrals.

Illogical? Yes.

Unscientific? Absolutely.

Impressive? Undeniably.

Upon arriving at a newly contacted human world, the Word Bearers always performed two tasks:

1. Purge the heretics.

2. Preach with absolute fervor.

To them, the Emperor was the one true god and the only savior of mankind.

Every human must worship Him fully and without reservation.

Many, spiritually lost, immediately embraced this new certainty.

Others resisted—but resistance crumbled quickly when confronted by a two-meter-tall Astartes wielding a 20-kilogram holy scripture thicker than a brick.

Thus, although the Word Bearers' progress was painstakingly slow, every world they conquered became utterly loyal—

its people transformed into devoted worshippers of the Emperor.

---

As Chief Chaplain of the Word Bearers, Erebus loudly shouted:

"Glory to the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! I will devote my life to Him!"

But deep inside, he was already planning his next step.

He knew the Emperor was increasingly displeased with the legion's slow progress and obsessive religiosity.

He also knew the Emperor openly despised religion.

Only Lorgar's fanatical stubbornness had prevented an outright clash.

Erebus also learned that Lorgar intended to build a holy city—

the Perfect City—

meant to serve as the sacred heart of Imperial worship.

To Erebus, the situation was absurd.

The Emperor was a fanatic of rationality.

Lorgar was a fanatic of faith.

Both were unshakeably stubborn.

Both walked paths destined to collide.

Erebus had no doubt:

once the Emperor's patience ran dry, conflict would be inevitable.

And when that moment came…

He intended to give fate a little push.

If the Word Bearers continued to force their doctrine upon every world—

Lorgar would be delighted.

The Emperor would be enraged.

'And when the Emperor's displeasure turns from words into action…'

'The moment will come to guide Lorgar into the embrace of the great Bloodbound King…'

With that thought, Erebus quietly set his scheme into motion.

...

🔥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Read ahead! 🔥

If you're loving the story, you can unlock 140+ ADVANCE CHAPTERS right now for just $4/month on my Patreon! Not only do you get a massive backlog to binge-read, but you also directly support my daily translation work. ❤️

👇 Grab your early access here:

🔗 [/user?u=79514336]

(Or simply search for Translator-Sama on Patreon!)