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Chapter 202: Constantine Waldo

Warhammer 40k world, material universe.

In the solar system, Holy Terra, the highest peak of the former Himalayas, the outer perimeter of the imperial palace has been closed for a thousand years.

With the sudden arrival of the subspace fluctuation, the detector in the palace immediately issued a piercing alarm. But the alarm just lit up and quickly went out. The palace guards who had already arrived at the surroundings looked at each other hesitantly, and then the Golden Corn Emperor Guards, holding sentinel swords or power halberds, quickly blocked the place where the alarm came from.

The Guards, also known as the Emperor's Claws, the Ten Thousand, are the most elite troops in the Imperium of Man. They are responsible only to the Emperor. In theory, no one other than the Emperor is qualified to command the Guards, not even the Emperor's own son, or even the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperium of Man after the Emperor loses contact with the material realm.

The Adeptus Custodes were extremely valuable. Perhaps the Astartes were called demigods, but in terms of craftsmanship and ability, the Adeptus Custodes far surpassed ordinary Astartes.

Because unlike the standardized 19-step transformation of the Astartes Space Marines, the transformation process of the Custodians needs to start from infancy and last almost throughout the entire process of their growth. Even with rigorous selection, many candidates still go crazy or die in the middle of the process.

Thanks to this strictness, each candidate receives customized services to create or enhance certain traits based on their unique genetic potential, making each Guardsman a unique work of art, and possessing talents far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Just as the Emperor once said to the Custodians - each of the Ten Thousand is the embodiment of the culmination of ancient and modern genetic knowledge, and ordinary people can hardly understand the mystery even if they study for several lifetimes. Each of you is unique, and each of you is a work of art that can never be reproduced. Where I would sacrifice the lives of many others without hesitation, I only spare your lives.

Regardless, the loyalty of the Custodians to the Emperor is unquestionable. In their view, even those so-called Primarchs are merely tools for the Emperor to fulfill his ideals. And they... according to the responsibilities of the Custodians explained by Captain Valerian of the Shield Guards:

"We are his trusted ones. We are his advisors, we are his artisans. We are a glimpse of what this species can become when properly guided and freed from the constraints of its own evil and weakness. Of course, we are also taught how to fight. He knows that war is coming. It is a necessary part of ascension, although it is not meant to be permanent. We are the guardians of the new era, and must be strong enough to ensure its safety."

And now, with the subspace fluctuations covering the entire depths of the palace, those unpleasant memories emerged from the guards' minds. There was no crying, no shouting, and even no request for help. Instead, they stood quietly in place, using their own eyes to determine the intensity of the battlefield.

It was under the watchful eyes of this group of Golden Corn People that a moment later, a portal to the Warp suddenly opened, and in the vigilant sight of the Imperial Guards, a burly man wearing classical Imperial Guard power armor walked out of it - not Roan, but the first Imperial Guard Commander of the Imperial Guard, Constantine Valdor.

Thousands of years ago, before the Imperium of Man had yet to set foot in the Milky Way, when the Emperor launched the Unification War on the Holy Land of Terra, Valdor was always by the Emperor's side. At the end of the Great Crusade, when Magnus, the Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion, violated the rules of using psychic energy on his home planet Prospero, causing a flaw in the Emperor's Webway plan, Valdor was ordered to follow another legion to bring Magnus back to Terra. When the situation on the battlefield fell into a tense tug-of-war, it was Valdor who broke the balance.

He led the Imperial Guards into the battlefield and faced the siege of more than thirty elite soldiers of the Thousand Sons Legion - the sword masters of the Conite Secret Sword Order - alone.

Facing these sword masters who could predict the enemy's attack methods through psychic power, Valdor killed them all at an astonishing speed. The price he paid was just a minor injury. With the occurrence of the Horus Heresy, when everything was settled, Valdor left the position of the commander of the guard to his successor. As for himself, all traces and records were lost. Only occasionally when his identity could not be confirmed, he was witnessed wearing golden armor.

If mortals could not recognize Waldo, then for the Guards, apart from the Emperor, the most information they had heard during their studies was about Waldo.

After all, whether it is within the Imperial Guards or the Imperial high-level officials, there are a large number of people who believe that the sudden disappearance of Waldo was not due to anything else, but because of the secret order issued by the Emperor before he sat on the Golden Throne.

Now, after walking out of the subspace gate, there was not much hesitation or uneasiness on Waldo's face. Instead, his eyes were firm. Facing everyone's gaze, he said in a cold voice:
"I am the Emperor's right arm, the first commander of the Custodes, the First Guard, the bearer of the Spear of the Sun God, the executioner of the Red Frost War, the witness of the Unification War, the eyewitness of the Great Crusade, the Captain of the Guards, the Emperor's Guard, the Emperor's Claw... Constantine Valdor! I return at the call of the great Emperor!"

Walder didn't finish his words. Because according to the tradition of the Guards, every time they experienced a war, they had to add a corresponding suffix to their names. If it was a young Guards of the new generation, it would be fine, but if it was a veteran like Waldo who had followed the Emperor before the Unification War began... After Waldo finished reading his name, the Guards present probably wouldn't even be able to eat dinner today.

Although it was brief, no one doubted Valdor's identity, because Valdor's loyalty did not need to be questioned. He worked hard without complaint, and even if the emperor ordered him to kill his former comrades, Valdor would not show mercy.

Just like all the other Guards.

But no matter how much trust they have, Valdor is not the emperor after all, and cannot be trusted forever by the Imperial Guards. Especially like now, after disappearing for such a long time, Valdor suddenly appeared in such a special "time period". The then Imperial Guards Commander Esso Kumadera said coldly:

"We can't be sure whether what you said is true...huh?!"

As he was speaking, Kumadra's eyes suddenly froze, and then he raised his head and looked behind him. Kumadra could clearly hear the energy fluctuations coming from behind, from between the thrones.

After a moment, a gentle voice reached the ears of every imperial guard clearly and accurately.

"Warriors, come before the throne."

(End of this chapter)