With the Calamity Blade in hand, Erebus wasted no time.
Separating himself from the Word Bearers' return fleet, he commandeered a small void-craft and set course toward the front lines—
where Horus was currently leading the Great Crusade's spearhead.
It took him several dozen days to arrive at a world called Davin.
According to what Erebus knew, this planet had once worshipped the Five Gods of Chaos, and even now, countless ancient temples lay scattered across its surface.
Having been isolated from the wider Imperium for centuries, Davin had functioned as a de facto independent world.
But several months earlier—
faced with the unstoppable advance of the Imperial Crusade—
Davin's planetary governor submitted to Horus and pledged loyalty to the Imperium.
Though this decision bound him to new obligations—such as paying Imperial tithes—
it did little to diminish his personal authority.
Indeed, this was the standard arrangement across thousands of worlds newly brought into compliance.
Unless a world pursued artificial intelligence or allied itself with xenos, the Imperium generally avoided interfering too deeply.
The diversity of human worlds was simply too extreme:
—Some had mastered interstellar expansion.
—Others still relied on slave labor and primitive hand-farming.
The contrast was absurd.
To try imposing a perfectly uniform governing system across such wildly different worlds would be nearly impossible.
As a result, the Imperium functioned less like a unified state and more like an enormous confederation of semi-autonomous city-states, each running its own affairs.
The High Lords understood the inherent dangers of this structure—
but they had no better alternative.
A bloated, uneven empire was still better than a disunited scattering of worlds.
At the very least, it looked cohesive from afar.
Thus, newly conquered Davin remained mostly unregulated.
Aside from a token Imperial oversight detachment, no one paid close attention to it.
There were simply too many conquered worlds to manage.
—
After navigating a few minor formalities and repeated identity verification checks—
Erebus, disguised as a member of the Sons of Horus, was finally granted an audience with Davin's planetary governor.
The governor was a stout, heavyset man.
Upon seeing Erebus, he blinked in mild confusion.
"Does Lord Horus have further instructions?"
Despite having been forced into the Imperium, the governor spoke with honest respect—no trace of resentment.
After all, resistance had been impossible.
In response, Erebus produced an ornate, luxurious box—clearly something of significant value.
In a solemn tone he declared:
"By the Warmaster's command, I am to deliver this token to you."
The governor scratched his head, puzzled.
"A token? What token?"
Without missing a beat, Erebus fabricated a flawless lie:
"This is the ceremonial insignia given to every planetary governor who formally enters the Imperium. It represents Imperial recognition of your authority."
His expression was utterly serious—giving the lie perfect credibility.
Having joined the Imperium only months ago, the governor was still unfamiliar with Imperial customs.
Hearing Erebus's explanation, he found nothing suspicious.
In fact, he nodded approvingly.
Indeed—
as a planetary governor, it is only natural that I receive a symbol of status from the Imperium.
With a pleased smile, he replied:
"I see! Then I must thank you for making this long journey."
His gaze remained fixed on the box, anticipation shining in his eyes.
Seeing the trap close so smoothly, Erebus almost laughed aloud—but kept a perfectly formal demeanor as he handed over the box.
"Please store this token carefully. If it is lost, it may take decades to have a replacement forged."
This only heightened the governor's excitement.
"Of course—absolutely, I understand."
Unable to restrain his eagerness, he accepted the box with both hands.
Satisfied, Erebus said:
"In that case, I shall take my leave."
The governor offered politely:
"Why leave so soon? If you're willing, join me for lunch—I would be honored to serve you the finest of Davin's cuisine."
But Erebus shook his head.
"That won't be necessary. I have other assignments to execute. I cannot afford delays."
"What a pity…"
After a few more courteous exchanges, Erebus withdrew and left the world behind.
The governor, barely containing his excitement, immediately opened the box.
Even the guards beside him craned their necks, curiosity evident.
But when he finally saw the item inside, the governor froze.
A… sword?
He had assumed it would be some kind of emblem or decorative badge—something to wear as a mark of office.
Instead, after a brief pause, comprehension dawned on him.
"I understand now!"
His voice brimmed with sudden enlightenment.
"A noble ornament would be too aristocratic.
Only a weapon—like a power sword or bolt pistol—can truly symbolize the military honor of the Imperium!"
His guards considered this for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
It did make sense.
In high spirits, the governor grasped the weapon's hilt and lifted it.
He admired the blade with great care.
"Remarkable… it weighs almost nothing. Such exquisite craftsmanship! As expected of an Imperial token…"
But after a while—
Something strange happened.
He thought he heard faint, unsettling whispers.
He immediately looked around—
but saw nothing unusual.
Convinced it must have been his imagination, he dismissed the concern.
And so, completely unaware of the danger, he continued to admire the Calamity Blade with growing satisfaction…
...
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