Heavy footsteps grew louder, approaching from a distance, followed by a Bang as the bedroom's thick Alloy Door was slammed open. The specially made Door groaned under the strain.
Collins, the Lord Minister of the Departmento Administratium, was jolted awake by the loud noise, having just fallen Asleep.
He immediately deduced from the sound and the crude manner in which the person opened the Door that it must be the Custodian Guard.
'These guys... I must raise this at the High Lords Meeting next time...' The thought flashed through Collins' mind, but he instantly suppressed it.
'Never mind, I can't afford to offend them. Who told them to only listen to the Emperor?'
It seemed the Emperor really had something urgent. He struggled to get up, signaling the Servitor nearby to administer some Medicines so that his fast-falling-apart Body could move.
Due to years of chronic Overwork, Collins' Body was already worn out, maintained entirely by various Pharmaceuticals and Mechanical Implants.
But today, the situation seemed somewhat abnormal. The Custodian Guards blocked the Servitor, signaling that he must depart immediately.
The Custodian Captain leading the group explained with an expressionless face: "The situation is urgent. The Emperor has summoned you immediately."
With that, two Custodian Guards stepped forward and simply lifted Collins off the Bed.
"Alright, alright," Collins sighed inwardly.
'Looks like tonight's Banquet will have to be canceled. But I need to figure out how to handle those difficult Nobles and Governors...'
He mulled this over, allowing the Custodian Guards to escort him out.
Just then, a Custodian Guard walked up to him and offered a golden, shimmering Apple.
The Apple radiated a soft Glow, its surface without a single blemish, perfect like a work of Art.
Collins was stunned.
As the Lord Minister of the Departmento Administratium, what exotic Delicacies had he not seen?
He had even consumed priceless Fruits grown with the Resources of an entire Planet.
But he swore he had never seen an Apple like this... No, such a perfect Apple.
"This is..." Collins hesitated.
"A gift from the Emperor."
Collins took the Apple handed to him by the Custodian Guard. A faint Aura shimmered on the golden skin, instantly stimulating his Appetite.
He took a bite, completely unconcerned about any potential issues with the Apple.
Are you kidding? What kind of major challenges hadn't he faced? Forget an Apple, if it were a plate of Poison, as long as the Custodian Guard gave it to him, he would swallow it all without blinking.
He did not suspect the Custodian Guard would harm him.
The Custodian Guard had no Loyalty, because the Custodian Guard had no Betrayal. When a Coin only has a Heads side, there is naturally no Tails side.
If the food the Custodian Guard gave him truly was problematic, he would reflect on whether he had been unintentionally Corrupted by Chaos.
With one bite, juice burst out, and a sweet flavor instantly filled his mouth. Collins felt as if he had returned to that afternoon in his youth, with the Sunlight just right.
Immediately after, a Warm Current rose from his abdomen, quickly spreading throughout his limbs and Body.
Like a drought encountering sweet rain, every single Cell was rejoicing.
Collins felt as if he had been thrown into a Hot Spring. Every pore on his body opened up, a feeling of indescribable Comfort.
He finished the Apple in a few bites, but with a slight regret, noting that the Apple had no Core.
After eating the Apple, Collins felt refreshed and filled with Power.
Years of Fatigue were wiped away. He felt a century younger, back to the age where he could work through the night and still be energetic the next day.
'This Apple is truly remarkable!' Collins was secretly amazed.
He couldn't help but stretch his somewhat stiff Body.
"If I could have one every day, working 007 would be no problem!" Collins felt his condition was excellent now; he was eager to return to his office immediately and process the mountain of Documents.
He even began to fantasize that if this Apple could be supplied in mass, wouldn't the Imperium's Administrative Efficiency multiply several times over?
Thinking this, Collins' mood brightened further, and his steps became lighter.
He tentatively inquired about the Apple's origin from the nearby Custodian Guard: "Is this Apple a new Technology? Can it..."
The Custodian Captain maintained his expressionless look, merely replying: "You will understand once you see His Majesty."
Collins was gently rebuffed but wasn't offended. He knew that the Custodian Guards' mouths were tighter than a Vault. Trying to extract information from them was harder than reaching Heaven.
'Heh-heh, when I see His Majesty, I must make an effort to secure a supply.' Collins plotted internally.
'Such a good thing—you can't forget it after tasting it once.'
The golden figures of the Custodian Guard appeared everywhere on Terra. The Custodian Guard Squads, rarely seen on a normal day, were mobilized en masse.
The Ecclesiarch of the Imperium, the Lord Commander Militant of the Departmento Munitorum, the Lord High Justiciar of the Departmento Justicia—these powerful individuals who could make the Imperium tremble with a stomp of their foot—were now standing orderly at the entrance of the Imperial Palace.
They didn't even dare to speak loudly.
"I wonder what the urgent summons is for this time?" The Lord Commander Militant of the Departmento Munitorum whispered to his colleague beside him.
Normally decisive, he could not hide his current Anxiety.
"Who knows, but that Apple I just ate..." The Lord High Justiciar of the Departmento Justicia rubbed his stomach, a lingering look of enjoyment on his face. "It's truly Miraculous. I feel fifty years younger, easily!"
"Indeed, I feel like I could process ten years of Documents in one go right now!" The Ecclesiarch of the Imperium chimed in. Usually mystical, he was now radiant with energy, like a completely different person.
The High Lords exchanged glances, seeing Excitement and Anticipation in each other's eyes. It seemed that this summoning by His Majesty must mean something good was about to happen!
Just then, a roar was heard, growing from far to near. An ancient-looking Aircraft sliced through the sky, landing steadily in front of the Imperial Palace.
"The Fabricator-General of Mars is here too!" someone exclaimed.
It was well-known that this person was a Technophile, normally uninterested in anything other than studying those ancient Technologies. No one could persuade him to leave his Laboratory unless the Emperor personally commanded it.
The Hatch opened, and the Fabricator-General of Mars strode out. He wore a red Robe covered in complex Mechanical Structures and Circuits, appearing both mysterious and majestic.
Unlike the other High Lords, the Fabricator-General did not show much Surprise or Excitement. He merely glanced at the crowd before fixing his gaze on the tightly closed Imperial Palace Door.
Accompanying the arrival of the last High Lord, the Imperial Palace Door slowly opened. The iconic golden figures of the Custodian Guard appeared before everyone.
The High Lords took a deep breath, adjusted their appearance, and walked into the Imperial Palace.
When they clearly saw the scene inside the Grand Hall, everyone froze.
A massive Long Table was placed in the center of the Grand Hall, with two figures seated at the end of the table.
In the instant they saw them, the High Lords felt their Souls tremble.
That was a Memory etched deep in their Gene-Seed—the Guardian of Mankind—the Emperor!
And seated next to the Emperor was an unprecedented Being.
However, the High Lords could feel that this Being was seated on equal footing with the Emperor, perhaps even more...
Then an indescribable Sense of Oppression rushed over them.
It was not merely Pressure, but a profound sense of Weight, as if History itself was surging past their eyes.
Focusing their gaze, on both sides of the Long Table, those figures that had only existed in the Imperium's ancient Canons and Legends were now truly present before them.
"Roboute Guilliman..." The Lord Commander Militant of the Departmento Munitorum subconsciously muttered the name.
Seated at the head of the left side was Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Thirteenth Legion, the Ultramarines. He was clad in deep blue Power Armor.
Guilliman's deep, sharp eyes were calmly observing every High Lord who walked into the Grand Hall.
"Is that... Vulkan?" The Lord High Justiciar of the Departmento Justicia's voice trembled slightly as he strained to identify the Primarch sitting next to Guilliman.
Vulkan, the Primarch of the Eighteenth Legion, the Salamanders, wore dark green Power Armor, adorned with patterns of Flames and Hammers. Compared to the other Primarchs, Vulkan's build appeared especially massive, like a volcano burning with Flames.
He was not looking at the High Lords like Guilliman, but was slightly bowing his head, seemingly deep in Thought.
Only when he occasionally looked up could one see his eyes, which glimmered like Lava.
"Lion... Lion El'Jonson!" The Ecclesiarch of the Imperium's voice held an uncontrollable trace of Excitement.
Lion El'Jonson, the Primarch of the First Legion, the Dark Angels, sat silently at the head of the right side.
Unlike the other Primarchs' Power Armor, Lion was wearing a dark green Uniform.
His weathered, aged face was exposed, and his white hair casually draped over his shoulders, adding a lion-like Majesty.
Lion's gaze was deep and calm, as if it could penetrate everything.
When his eyes swept over the High Lords, each person felt as if they were being watched by a sleeping Lion, and an involuntary feeling of Reverence rose in their hearts.
Besides these three Primarchs, several other towering figures in Power Armor were seated on both sides of the Long Table.
Although the High Lords could not identify each one, the powerful Aura emanating from them, and their stance of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the three Primarchs, was enough to prove their identity—all were Sons of the Emperor, the Loyal Primarchs.
'Is this... is this real?' one High Lord mumbled inwardly.
If this was real, this Conference would surely and completely change the current situation of the Imperium.
"Silence," Ian's voice resonated in everyone's minds, interrupting their thoughts.
"Welcome, everyone."
"Since everyone is here, then next..."
"The First Consultative Conference of the Second Imperium officially begins."
"The first step of the Conference is for the High Lords to brief the Primarchs on the current state of the Imperium," Ian said with a mischievous smile as he looked at the crowd before him.
'More fun to watch.'