"Athena?"
Samuel Young furrowed his brows slightly at the mention. Since the goddess of wisdom and war joined the company, he hadn't had a private conversation with her due to his lack of spare time.
When Hera requested aid and informed Guilliman, Sanguinius, and Horus about the presence of numerous corrupted gods on Mars in the Prime Universe, Samuel had been busy planning Halsey's "abduction."
Once Athena and the 600 surviving Greek minor gods were rescued and integrated into the company, Hera took on the unofficial title of "external employee" and continued to live incognito among human society.
As for Athena and the other minor Greek gods, they had to undergo various company training programs to adapt to modern life and comply with company regulations.
Once training was complete and they had familiarized themselves with contemporary society, Athena and the Greek minor gods received their first assignment: to travel to the Halo universe and assist the investigative division with potential Warp incursions.
Indeed, the city of Mombasa on Halo's Earth had suffered from Tzeentch's infiltration and corruption. After resolving the Mombasa incident, Athena and the Greek minor gods were called back to the Prime Universe.
When Samuel finally returned to the Prime Universe, Athena had taken on the role of overseeing the Gray Knights project alongside Alexia.
Under Alexia's leadership, the core team handled specialized surgeries for the adult Gray Knights. Athena and the Greek minor gods provided tailored training for the knights after their modifications.
Meanwhile, Samuel was occupied with the founding of the Empire and looking after Alpharius Omegon, who had recently arrived.
Today was the first time in a while that Samuel had a rare moment of peace, choosing to relax and tune into the emotions of his subjects.
"She needs assistance?"
After a brief silence, Samuel looked past Alexia's notable "features" and said, "If she or the Greek minor gods need bodily modifications, your biological division can simply submit a project application. Once I review it, I'll grant approval as needed. So, tell me—what kind of assistance do they require?"
Though Samuel could easily use his psychic abilities to "scan" Alexia's mind, he refrained.
Still, he sensed that Alexia was acting on Athena's behalf. After all, while his relationship with Alexia was quite close, Athena was just another subordinate.
"The constitution of the Greek gods is vastly different from ours," Alexia explained. "Even if there's no reproductive barrier, standard surgeries and enhancement techniques are practically useless for them.
"As much as Athena's self-important attitude irks me, she is technically my colleague. So, she's asked me to speak to you on her behalf, hoping you could provide them with some exclusive... weaponry. Something like the custom weapons and armor you made for your sons. That would allow them to…"
"Have the Natural Phenomena Control Department submit the request," Samuel interrupted with a wave of his hand, his tone firm.
"And remember, no one—not even you—is allowed to bend the rules by bypassing the proper channels. Why bother founding the human empire if it's just going to enable corruption in a new form? If Athena sees herself as superior, that's fine, but don't think I don't know what you're thinking here. Consider yourself fortunate I'm not holding you accountable."
Seeing Samuel's apparent displeasure, Alexia nodded nervously.
She knew Samuel would not tolerate this sort of shortcut-seeking and that he didn't consider Athena a colleague in the slightest. By asking him for a favor on Athena's behalf, Alexia had effectively sabotaged Athena, possibly lowering Samuel's opinion of her even further.
Although Athena had sworn an oath of eternal chastity and had shown no obvious intentions, Alexia couldn't help but feel a bit wary after witnessing Tinas' boldness.
Noticing Alexia's genuine fear, Samuel softened his tone and said, "If you're getting caught up in petty emotions, I'd be disappointed in you. Remember, the empire's founding is just the beginning; the road ahead is long, and I still need your talent."
Whether it was Samuel's psychic abilities or his persuasive words, Alexia suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She realized her petty schemes had distracted Samuel, requiring him to reprimand her and wasting his valuable energy.
She had always been one of Samuel's most reliable confidantes. Acting out now—wasn't it a bit childish? Moreover, as Samuel's confidante, she ought to display greater magnanimity.
Immediately, she shifted her mood and said resolutely, "Understood, Your Majesty."
Samuel nodded approvingly. "Prepare yourself; the ceremony will begin shortly."
"Of course." Alexia gave a nod and tactfully excused herself.
Samuel was left to consider whether to approve a request from the Supernatural Investigation Division, should they submit one.
Currently, nearly all of the 4,000 Gray Knights had completed their modifications, and as their gene seed came from Samuel, they were adept at wielding pure psychic energy. In the event of another Mombasa-level incident, the Gray Knights alone could easily resolve it.
However, the 600-plus Greek minor gods, along with Athena, remained valuable assets.
Last year, Hera's capture of the orc queen, Mira, had allowed her to control billions of orcs, significantly accelerating the consolidation of the Gears of War universe. In terms of psychic mastery, Hera was second only to Samuel and Magnus.
After some thought, Samuel decided to approve the application, taking time to personally forge weapons and armor for Athena, the Greek minor gods, and external employee Hera.
However, their quality and power would certainly not match those he crafted for the primarchs.
First, only the primarchs could wield his fully empowered weapons safely without risking psychic burns. Second, reducing quality and power would speed up production.
---
Meanwhile, downstairs in the grand gathering hall:
The spacious hall could accommodate tens of thousands of guests dining, conversing, and listening to soft music.
Half of the guests were officers and generals in black uniforms, many with familiar faces. There was Arthur Morgan, responsible for the Prime Universe and some inter-universe military security forces and the Imperial Guard.
Also present was Jack Krauser, former head of the Emergency Countermeasure Units, now the overseer of Legion auxiliary recruitment and commander of the Fire Lizard auxiliary force, and Miles Quaritch, founder and commander of the Helljumpers as per Samuel's orders.
Most of the officers and generals had joined the company as far back as the '80s or early '90s, pledging their loyalty and dedication to Samuel.
Others came from different universes and had even been captured before proving their skills, like Miles Quaritch, whose aggressive combat style was well-suited for tackling aliens.
As a result, the officers' average age was over forty, with the youngest being in their thirties, such as Jack Krauser and Arthur Morgan. Miles Quaritch was well into his fifties.
The other half of the guests comprised high-ranking officials in black uniforms or formal attire from various departments—biological, investigative, intelligence, research, and media.
Among them were Wang Zhaofeng's eldest son and grandson, Angela Ziegler-Keich from the Biological Division, and elite agents from the Investigative Division.
Notable figures included the Redfield siblings, Chris and Claire, as well as Mike Monad, Jill Valentine, and Maggie Shaw (also known as Queen Maeve), along with over a hundred elite investigators.
Standing out among the crowd were Ada Wong in a fitted red cheongsam and Leon S. Kennedy, who, appearing a bit bashful, held Ada's arm gently.
"Good for him, that kid!" Mike Monad, sipping a light whiskey by the dining table, smirked approvingly at Leon's close proximity to Ada.
His expression was one of a proud father witnessing his son's success.
Maggie Shaw, one of the few people whose superpowers Atlas hadn't neutralized, watched them with a smile. Most of the investigative team wore expressions that seemed to say, "It's about time these two went public with their relationship."
Leon and Ada's decade-long on-again-off-again dynamic had been a frequent topic of gossip within the division. Investigators would place bets, guessing when Leon would finally muster the courage to confess his feelings.
Maggie, who had once been Leon and Mike's subordinate, felt genuinely happy for them. Ada, she sensed, had always been wary of her to some extent.
Suddenly, loud, hearty laughter filled the vast hall.
"Hahaha! Major General Price! You're drinking lightweight!" A booming voice resonated through the room.
Everyone looked toward the source of the voice, where they saw Leman, whom one could only describe as an absolute "giant." Standing by the dining table, he downed an oversized glass of potent liquor in one gulp.
Then, he grinned at John Price, who stood before him, and called out, "Come on! Another!"
"Pass… I don't want to pass out here…" Price, who had neatly combed his hair and beard, shook his head in surrender.
As the commander of the Vanguard, he hadn't expected the primarch to actually indulge in drinking with him.
What surprised him more was that after two large glasses of potent alcohol, Leman showed no signs of intoxication—in fact, he only seemed more relaxed.
Moreover, the size of Leman's glass meant he was drinking at least a liter each time, making it clear Price couldn't keep up. Seizing a moment to escape, he hurriedly regrouped with Vanguard members Soap, Roach, and Ghost.
Ghost, who usually wore a skull mask, revealed his true face today. Contrary to people's expectations, he was neither mysterious nor particularly handsome but rather "plain and unremarkable."
As
Atlas grew, and with the company expanding into more universes, the Vanguard's ranks increased to 6,000 members.
Now known as the "Special Joint Reconnaissance Force," they had their own aerial and armored ground units, though everyone still called them the Vanguard.
With the expansion, John Price was promoted from colonel to major general. Now, he not only led the 6,000-strong Vanguard but also commanded the elite security forces stationed beneath the palace, totaling nearly 50,000 troops.
As the exploration of new universes continued, securing the frontline bases couldn't be handled by the Vanguard alone. This duty was assigned to the elite Imperial Guard.
The primarchs themselves were scattered among the crowd. While Leman indulged in food and drink, the others mingled courteously with the officers, generals, and senior staff, or maintained a "keep your distance" demeanor.
Among them, Guilliman, Sanguinius, Horus, Fulgrim, and Angron served as the "social butterflies" of the event.
Of particular note was Angron, whose presence had a calming effect that seemed to reassure those around him.
Guilliman, who had previously overseen the Prime Universe and served as its first governor, was viewed by many as a potential successor.
Horus was seen as the most socially adept of the primarchs, with strong relationships across the board.
Still, Samuel had lived for nearly 200 years, appearing ageless and immortal, so the idea of succession held little weight.
Based on Atlas' trajectory in consolidating the Halo universe, when multi-primarch cooperation was required, only their emperor could effectively command them.
Samuel couldn't personally lead every operation, especially as multiple universes demanded simultaneous coordination among primarchs.
In that case, an authority figure who could command respect was essential—and only a primarch could fill that role.
Given these criteria, Guilliman, Sanguinius, and Horus were the most likely candidates.
Meanwhile, the third-ranking primarch, Lion, seemed detached, seated alone on a primarch-designated sofa with his eyes closed.
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