Magnus's gaze finally settled upon Hathor Maat. With a scholar's curious smile, much like when he ascended the lectern on Prospero, he spoke.
"Hathor has discovered some interesting things about the Squats. Let us now hear his findings."
"Welcome Hathor Maat of the Pavoni Cult to share his discoveries with us," said the Primarch's Equerry, Ninth Fellowship Captain Amon.
The "Telephatist" looked at the Primarch. Unlike Primarchs like Perturabo, who showed little emotion, his father displayed evident curiosity. Today, the violet hue of his single eye shimmered with bright inquisitiveness.
Amon remained hidden in his unseen place. Even with the Sothmes Sigil deployed, shielding psychic activity, he did not reveal himself. One could only discern his location by the vague source of his voice, suggesting he was in the direction of Ahzek Ahriman's Corvidae Cult.
Ahriman's gaze lingered upon him, containing scrutiny and a hint of wariness.
'Is he wary of me surpassing his status, gaining greater authority within the Thousand Sons?'
The "Telephatist" swiftly surveyed his surroundings, simultaneously feeling a dissolving sensation within.
Finally, his gaze returned to his gene-father. The perfectly sculpted features of the Pavoni Cult wore a charming smile.
To fulfill Nareth's command and elevate his own standing, Hathor decided to present information known to very few.
"The Squats should, in fact, be called the Votann League, or the Kin."
"The Votann is also known as the Ancestor Core. All Kin, whether of the Forge or the Ironkin, originate from the genetic templates stored within."
"I believe, Father, you have already noticed they possess not only strong resistance to psychic influence but also considerable resilience against other psychic arts."
Magnus nodded slightly. "Indeed. Their physiques are remarkably resilient."
"Please allow me to demonstrate." Hathor retrieved a data slate from his waist.
His fingers tapped lightly, calling up the secrets of the Votann League that Nareth had entrusted to him.
Though he believed his Lord he served possessed greater wisdom and power than his gene-father, he had no doubt about his father's perceptiveness. Only substantive content would earn his father's attention.
Though the "Telephatist" couldn't read Nareth's explicit thoughts, he believed the clone-woven technology was not an absolute secret that must never be revealed.
Moreover, this part of the data slate contained mostly genetic template data for the non Grimnyr kin.
As his gene-father would have no interest in creating Kin without psychic talent; his curiosity was purely for knowledge.
Text and images flashed before the eyes of many Thousand Sons. Even with psychic powers isolated, the Thousand Sons retained superhuman vision to see its contents.
But they had not mastered the Squat language. With psychic powers cut off, relying solely on their minds, they could not quickly decipher it.
Combining Hathor's parsed parallel Gothic text, they frowned deeply, beginning to decode the Squat script.
Magnus's violet eye shimmered. Images and text flowed through his mind like a river.
Moments later, Magnus's purple eye flashed. "Clone-woven technology... weaving genetics..."
"The Votann League's technology indeed has unique aspects."
"Are there any other discoveries?"
Hathor remained silent for a moment. Compared to pure knowledge like clone-woven technology, he had also been entrusted with a rune.
This rune was one from among those used in the Warp circuits of the COG drones of the Grimnyr, serving to gather psychic energy.
Nareth told him to decide whether to show it to his depending on the situation.
The "Telephatist" could not precisely gauge how much presenting the rune would elevate his standing in Magnus's eyes.
In a breath, Hathor made a decision. He would try.
Now was the moment he believed was the only chance to win a status equal to Ahriman's in Magnus's eyes.
Before the Thousand Sons reunited with their gene-father, Ahriman had been the Legion's de facto commander, leading them through that perilious era.
Now, Ahriman had not yet completed his secondment. Hathor still had a chance.
Once Ahriman completed his secondment, the vacant position of Chief Librarian, his hope was much smaller than Ahriman's.
Becoming Chief Librarian would grant more power. More knowledge and secrets would pass through his purview.
He could also offer more to his Lord.
Thinking this, Hathor made his decision. He raised his arm and swiftly traced a rune, a pentagon nested within a circle.
Because the Sothmes Sigil isolated the Warp, the rune elicited no effect.
But Magnus keenly perceived this rune's uniqueness. "This is a rune capable of inducing psychic change. It does not belong to any known category."
"An excellent discovery. Is there anything else?"
"No more. This rune is my greatest discovery." Hathor knew his Lord had captured several COG drones and likely already possessed complete Warp circuits, but clearly he was unwilling to give them to Magnus.
Magnus nodded with a hint of regret. He could sense this rune was incomplete, seemingly part of a larger psychic array.
Such situations had occurred twice before since the Thousand Sons left Prospero. In ruins of two different civilizations, they had recovered over a dozen incomplete runes, all belonging to lost cultures.
But the runes obtained in the past, compared to this one from the Votann League, were far less potent.
'If only a complete one could be obtained...'
After a moment of disappointment, Magnus addressed the assembly.
"Members of the First Council, Hathor accompanied my brother Nareth on a most fruitful journey within the Shadows of Order."
"He has also added knowledge of the Votann League to the Legion during the war with the Squat League and discovered a rune containing peculiar power."
"In light of his accomplishments, his prestige within the Thousand Sons, his knowledge and capability, his understanding of Pavoni arts, he is worthy of becoming the Magister Templi of the Pavoni Cult and Captain of the Third Fellowship."
Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment passed through Hathor's eyes.
Though becoming the second Captain after Amon, who didn't require a secondment experience, and becoming a Magister Templi of one of the five Cults was significant, it still fell short of his expectations.
From the start of his secondment, he was destined to become a Captain.
Within the Pavoni Cult, whether Prospero or Terran-born, no one's psychic power rivaled his.
Even the founders of the Pavoni Cult, Hastar and Imhoden, had long been surpassed by him in their arts. The Magister Templi position was virtually assured.
What he wanted was the vacant position of Chief Librarian.
The "Telephatist's" eyes swept over the crowd congratulating him. He saw the look in Ahriman's eyes directed at him carried a touch of gravity.
The "Telephatist" then looked towards his gene-father, finding his single eye glancing between himself and Ahriman.
'Could it be that the gene-father will choose between me and Ahriman to be the Legion's Chief Librarian?'
'My contribution this time wasn't useless; it has earned me this opportunity.'
Suddenly, Hathor felt as if a star had exploded within him.
He thought to himself: 'I have become a true "Telephatist"!'
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu