The hymn of Doraemon was loud and clear, like the breeze on the mountains of Macragge, and like the joyful laughter of children.
The Emperor's hymn was solemn and majestic, like the statues of monarchs overlooking the marble streets of Macragge, and like the moving speeches of Primarchs.
Greylina moved through the corridors, which were carved with the past experiences of Saint Doraemon and the Emperor, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
This was a cathedral belonging to the Battle Sisters. When the Far Voyage Pilgrimage arrived at Terra, they were received and scrutinized by the Battle Sisters.
The Sisters praised their courage and piety in pilgrimage, welcoming them with twenty-two songs and judging their loyalty with twenty-two questions. Finally, their loyalty was confirmed amidst the incense of exorcism, allowing them to enter the outer courts of the Terra Imperial Palace, above the Himalayas.
This was the most magnificent structure Greylina had ever seen in her life. Rather than a single building, it was more like a hive city, a conglomeration of administrative spires, government departments, parchment archives, and various cathedrals.
It was magnificent, but it inevitably felt a bit cluttered.
Greylina was somewhat disappointed with Terra's appearance in her heart. She felt it was not as good as Macragge.
Led by the aged High Sister Magda, Greylina and the other pilgrims arrived at a quiet small chapel.
In the chapel stood a statue of Saint Doraemon with his round hand raised high, and beside Saint Doraemon's statue were several smaller statues.
These smaller statues were divided into two groups.
Archmagos Belisarius Dora Cawl, Joan, and Saint Reyna were in the smaller group; they were mortals chosen by Saint Doraemon.
After that were five slightly larger statues: Divine Voice Big G, Sea King Nobita, Archangel Sanguinius, Regent Guilliman, and a figure in a hooded, dark green power armor.
Greylina's gaze lingered on the hooded figure. On their pilgrimage to Terra, their ship had once been saved by this being.
It was said that this was a living Saint awakened by Saint Doraemon before he fell into slumber, the blade of Doraemon, a hunter in the shadowy forests, and the Imperial Protector.
This being was taciturn, leading a group of equally silent Space Marines wandering the galaxy. When villains ran rampant, daemons appeared, and traitors abused the Imperium, this silent being would emerge with his Astartes from a mist-shrouded jungle, punishing all evil and protecting the weak mortals, only to disappear quietly after accomplishing everything.
Greylina had been on the pilgrim ship for decades and wasn't entirely sure if this being was truly Doraemon's living Saint. Now, seeing his statue standing beside Sanguinius and Guilliman, Greylina truly believed that he was indeed Saint Doraemon's living Saint.
Greylina also noticed that he seemed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the statues of Sanguinius and Guilliman, like an unbreakable trio. Could that living Saint also be one of the Primarchs who had perished in the past and been resurrected by Saint Doraemon?
Could it be...?
A guess vaguely formed in Greylina's mind: that person should be Primarch Lion El'Jonson.
The reason for this guess was that when Greylina was still a noble on Macragge, her family's secret room contained an ancestral antique carving.
The carving depicted Sanguinius, Guilliman, and Lion sitting side by side on three thrones.
Although not recorded in history, Greylina judged from that ancestral carving that the three Primarchs must have had a very good relationship in the past.
However, when the claws of the Great Devourer invaded, and her family's territory was conquered, Greylina was saved by Sanguinius, and that carving was inexplicably lost.
Later, Greylina also returned to her family's former home to search but ultimately found nothing. Perhaps it had already been destroyed by the traitors.
The Battle Sisters brought food for Greylina and the pilgrims.
Sweet juice extracted from leaves, a dorayaki, rice, and roasted locusts.
These were all common foods in the galaxy now.
Leaf-extracted juice and dorayaki, of course, were the holy communion of Saint Doraemon.
As for rice and roasted locusts, she had seen these two foods on many planets during her pilgrimage.
It was said that this was one of the blessings Saint Doraemon left for humanity before his slumber—a miraculous tool called the Holiday Agriculture Kit, brought to various planets by the Indomitus Crusade fleet.
Every recovered planet received a large number of Holiday Agriculture Kits. No matter how harsh the environment, this tool could grow rice and locusts, feeding countless populations.
Greylina tasted the rice, and it tasted much like what she had eaten on other planets.
However, Greylina had once heard a rumor that the rice on Terra was all grown by the Emperor's Custodes, which she thought must just be a rumor.
Today, as always, she followed Saint Doraemon's teachings, wasting not a single grain of food, eating her fill. Greylina piously thanked Saint Doraemon and those who grew the food.
The Sister named Magda told the pilgrims that they could rest in this chapel tonight, and tomorrow they would be allowed to pilgrimage before the Eternal Gate.
But it would only be before the Eternal Gate; they would not be allowed into the true core area of the Imperial Palace, an opportunity reserved only for the Custodes, Primarchs, Saint Doraemon, and other Saints.
The pilgrims then softly praised the names of the Emperor and Saint Doraemon, while Greylina's heart pounded as she prayed to Saint Doraemon.
She had long noticed that the closer they were to Terra, the clearer the dreams she experienced when praying to Saint Doraemon became.
Greylina held a sliver of hope, wishing that when she prayed, she could feel Saint Doraemon's clear and definite will.
She softly sang Saint Doraemon's praises twenty-two times, then began to hum Saint Doraemon's hymn softly.
Saint Doraemon is original power, the source of power for all beings, spirits, machines, and even stars, the first mover of all things. All hearts that hold an unceasing drive, all emotions that hold a creative power for beauty, point to him.
Saint Doraemon is the eternal dragon, the whip and rice that satiates, satisfies, and nurtures all beings. Every feeling of satisfied fullness, every joyful meal, every emotion of pious reverence for food, points to him.
Saint Doraemon is the Death Chosen, the warm repose, the end of all suffering, the guide to that eternally peaceful place of the 22nd century. Every desire for the soul to return to the 22nd century, every peaceful death, every longing for ease in suffering, points to him.
Greylina seized the feeling of satisfaction in her stomach after dinner, seized the tranquility of this moment, seized the drive in her heart for a lifetime of pilgrimage, and prayed piously to Saint Doraemon.
Her faith was sincere; almost every time she prayed, she could feel a connection to Saint Doraemon.
But over the past few decades, she had only experienced that boundless great dream.
"Twenty-two thousand two hundred fifteen dreams."
"..Tyranids cooperation chestnut buns."
"..Tiamat hive Fleet."
"..Hunger betrayal."
"Great Devourer...arrival."
"Dark King...birth."
"Failure...re-attempt start."
It was a dream again, only much clearer.
Greylina could vaguely see Saint Doraemon wandering in the dream, attempting some way to save the galaxy.
She saw Saint Doraemon standing beneath a towering structure made of viscous biomass, holding up a pastry, seemingly negotiating with a dark shadow in the void.
But in the end, everything abruptly stopped.
Greylina felt terrified.
She felt how hungry the shadow hidden behind the Tyranids was, and she felt the coldness and pain when everything abruptly stopped.
She almost couldn't help but curl up, kneeling on the ground, before Doraemon's holy image, sobbing softly.
My Lord, what are you enduring, what are you searching for... Will you truly return?
She clearly perceived that Saint Doraemon had tried more than twenty thousand times in his dream to seek that answer.
But Saint Doraemon had not yet found it.
For a moment, only boundless despair and pain remained in Greylina's heart.
Her sobs were not conspicuous; pilgrims often cried out of emotion. But a strong hand suddenly patted Greylina's shoulder.
The aged High Sister Magda had silently come to Greylina's side.
Tear-streaked Greylina was about to say something, but she saw High Sister Magda motion for Greylina to be silent and follow her.
Although Greylina didn't know the situation, she chose to trust this Sister, for she vaguely guessed her identity based on the Sister's name.
Greylina followed the High Sister out of the small chapel, walking along the corridor into the depths of the chapel in the night.
After they were alone, Greylina finally couldn't hold back, humbly lowered her head, and softly asked:
"Madam, your name is Magda. Are you the High Sister Magda recorded in the 'Doraemon Codex: Reyna's book'?"
In 'Reyna's book,' a High Sister Magda was recorded as the leader of the Battle Sisters of the Netherworld Star System, who once fought against the Tyranids on the planet Lexio, and was one of Saint Doraemon's earliest followers.
"It is I." High Sister Magda nodded slightly, a small smile appearing on her aged face. "That was a long time ago. I have long since retired from the front lines and am now responsible for teaching young Sisters on Terra."
Greylina bowed respectfully, her face filled with reverence, and at the same time, she was curious where such a figure was leading her.
They finally stopped beside a quiet, small hermitage. High Sister Magda waved slightly, motioning for Greylina to enter by herself.
Greylina obeyed the command, stepped forward, pushed open the side door of the hermitage, and walked inside.
Then, in the hall of the small hermitage, Greylina saw a Sister.
This Sister was covered in burn marks, her figure slender but not overly thin. Her bright eyes were downcast, looking at her knees, and in her hands, she held a needle and thread, sewing the battle standard on her knee. The battle standard, embroidered with gold thread, depicted the double-headed eagle symbolizing the Emperor and the round face of Saint Doraemon.
But what truly made Greylina tremble was that behind the Sister was a bed.
On the bed lay a sleeping, round, blue metallic figure. The figure was round everywhere, from head to body, and even its nose was red and round like a star.
"Saint Doraemon above!" Greylina's legs gave out, and she fell to her knees on the ground.