Soshyan was silent for a long time, and finally his eyes were fixed on 11.
Dante then nodded thoughtfully.
"I see."
Soshyan was even more confused. He thought that he had not revealed any tricks, and there should be no traces in the group's activities.
Even if there is a prophecy from Sanguinius, how can the other party conclude that he is a descendant of the Lost Legion?
In the end, he still couldn't suppress the strong doubts in his heart and said:
"Venerable Dante, how did you determine my identity?"
"It's...Brother Mephisto."
"Mephisto?"
Soshiyang frowned, there was no such person in his memory.
Dante smiled slightly, picked up the wine glass, and took a sip.
"His name was Callistarius."
Soshi raised his eyebrows sharply, which was indeed beyond his expectation.
"he--"
As soon as he opened his mouth, Soshyan realized that something was wrong. Dante didn't ask about the details of the Eleventh Legion, so it seemed that it was not easy for him to ask about the situation of the think tank.
At this moment, the two chapter leaders, who were very different in age, seemed to have a tacit understanding.
Dante then leaned his head back gently on the back of the chair and said with deep weariness:
"Soshiyang, it is sometimes not a good thing to be looked up to by thousands of people. The uneasiness caused by people seeing me as a great savior gradually increased as I read the scroll again and again, but my determination to read it grew day by day.
, and also growing was the certainty that the dark ages described by Sanguinius were coming,
Maybe I'm like Sanguinius, facing his own inevitable end, trying my best to survive in a cruel future.
We come here to find hope, but even this comparison seems arrogant."
As he spoke, he looked at the priceless books in his library.
"I often think uneasily about what I should do. Should I embrace my fate like the father of genes, or should I try to resist it? If I embrace this fate, will it lead to disaster? Or can I be holy only by resisting to the end?
Did Gilles' prophecy come true?
There is only one answer to this question."
Dante let his thoughts fly. He imagined himself dying in a desperate situation. This daydream was his only enjoyment now, even more relaxing than sleep.
"The kind of relief that death can bring me... my expectation of this is growing day by day."
"Your Majesty——"
"But you are different. The original body also mentioned you. You are still young."
Dante withdrew his gaze.
"I have often read these scrolls to find the meaning of my life, and though I am afraid to admit it, there is someone with whom I must share this burden... I am sorry that this person is you, Son of the Eleventh Legion, Soshyan A
Lexie.”
He paused, what he was about to say was so heavy, but he needed to share his concerns with others.
Then, the old warrior spoke calmly and without emotion.
"I am worried that the empire will fall - not now, but in the near future. I am looking for a way out, but I only see dead ends. I have achieved many great victories, and I have been so convinced that a
A better future will eventually come, and it must be the same for Sanguinius, but my past victories have been dimmed by the inevitable failures in the future. Is everything I have done in vain? I kill
I have lived creatures that did not belong to this reality, I have slain the most powerful xenos, I have faced the Chapter's curse and kept my soul uncursed, I have dedicated my life not only to the Imperium, but to
Given to humans, being a Blood Angel means living in blood and death, and the only way to avoid this fate is to resist it and spread death in the name of the living."
"This is the fate of all of us."
"Actually, in a sense, you and I are very similar, Alexey. This chapter has been on the verge of extinction three times in the past three thousand years, the Ghost War, the Kalius Rebellion, and the Secoris Tragedy, but every time we were able to
Every time it comes back, the winged blood-dropped flag will fly again over ten complete companies."
Soshyan nodded solemnly.
"This is also the goal I am striving for now."
"Really? Is this really your ultimate goal?"
Dante's deep eyes met Soshiyang's, which made him feel guilty. After hesitating for a moment, Soshiyang said softly:
"Save the Empire."
"In what way?"
"Revival...our lost legions."
"That would be violating the Codex Astartes."
"Our mission is not in the physical universe. When the Legion is revived, we will completely disappear from people's sight and fight another more cruel war."
Dante looked at him for five full minutes, making Soshyan feel as if he was facing an abyss.
Finally, the Blood Angel gently closed his eyelids.
"I understand, but if you want to unite your damaged legion, do you know what you need?"
"Strength, faith, will."
Dante opened his eyes suddenly, all the original tiredness was gone, only deep wisdom remained.
"More than that, you must become the hero that humanity needs, just like I am now! The reason why I am what I am now is because people need to see the golden mask of Sanguinius.
When I died in the name of Ra I needed to know that I was with Sanguinius. This was my mission - to pretend to be a great man. I allowed my legend to deviate from the truth. I allowed my men to think that I could never make a mistake.
Indulge them in superstitious belief that I have power beyond what others can do. I accept all this gladly, because in this era when the Primarch is gone, the benefits to mankind outweigh the disadvantages... But you and I both know that even though I have some
Strength and wisdom, a Septon Astartes, we are still mortal beings, Alexei, we are not gods! Beating beneath my armor are two hearts, one from Sanguinius
, and the other one is just like everyone else's, which is why I share these thoughts with you... If you want to achieve your goals, then you have to make yourself a hero, even a hero
A false god."
Soshyan thought about the other party's words, and gradually he realized what the key point of Dante's words was.
Prestige, reputation, and legend can allow him to avoid a lot of trouble and gain many allies in the process of rebuilding the legion.
Even if such a reputation has traces of artificial carving.
But such words came from Dante, the legendary commander, and Soshyan was still a little surprised.
As if aware of his thoughts, Dante smiled slightly.
"Look, even though you and I have never met, you still have some deep and inherent opinions about me."
Soshyan was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
"I understand, thank you, Your Majesty."
Then Dante stood up and took a regicide chessboard from the bookshelf nearby.