Yet no man is an immortal, and the entire Imperium plunges into mourning as he succumbed to old age.
His chosen successor, Benoit will have his work cut out for him, as pleasing the entirety of the Imperium is a massive task.
He finds his Empress wanting...
And acted accordingly.
The day of his coronation was also rudely interrupted by a declaration of war from an old foe.
Yet there is a strange sense of unison from his vassal, very unlike most new coronation of a successor, especially one who rules such a massive domain.
Benoit privately knows why.
No matter how much his vassals hated him, they will always lend their support when the Imperium is under threat from external forces. It is a contradiction. The forces who wishes to shatter the Imperium from the outside will only serve to strengthen it from the inside.
Wasting no time to address his faithful Templar Chapters and massive Guardsman retinue, the Emperor's instruction was clear: stay the course.
The wars against the Pagans of Rus will continue. And the Imperium will have a new Empress.
As every claims and holy crusades were pressed...
Even the great Northern Compliance Campaign, dubbed Operation Space Wolves was given the all-clear by the Emperor.
Its objective: Norway.
The ever-reliable Guardsman marched forth unopposed into the icy wastelands.
While in Antioch, the Emperor soothe the concerns of his Lord Governors over the overly harsh taxes.
While in northern Africa, the Crusade against the forces of Islam continues...
More threats appear within the Imperium, yet the Emperor rose to the challenge.
Battles after battles were won.
The Fatimids could not gain ground as waves after waves of their army were repelled.
Yet more fools continue to plot to shatter the Imperium, unaware that they only serve as an unifying force for the massive Empire.
It is evident that these threats bear very little chance in halting the Imperium's campaign, for the Emperor even dared to break treaties to expedite his expansions, this time the Muslims of Mauretania will pay the price.
As news of the Fatimids' surrender spread throughout the Imperium many jumped for joy and predicted the complete annihilation of the infidels in a counter-crusade.
However... to the surprise of many, the Emperor rejected the surrender.
Closer studies by historians and scholars alike deduced that the Emperor is wise to refuse such surrender - for had he done so, it will put an end to the unity that held the Imperium together. And hence the Fatimids were played for fools once more.
There will be no end to this Crusade.
Forever they shall be at war with the most powerful nation in existence, knowing that deep down - they've created a monster that they themselves could never hope to destroy.
The Persian Empire now exists like a Slaanesh to their Eldar.
With the Fatimid's 'unifying' war - the Imperium can afford to wage wars all across Europe, unrestricted by internal squabbles. Revolts and such are a minor concern, and dealt very quickly by the Templars, if not vassals' levies who are only too willing to lend their effort in the 'Eternal Crusade' that the Emperor has deviously maintained through fear mongering and propaganda.
'Vigilance above all!' the Town Criers would declare.
'For as long as the enemies of Christianity draw breath, there can be no peace,' Benoit chuckled after reciting those famous words himself.
The rest of Europe shall be molten, piece by piece into the forges of the Imperium.
And shaped by its master, Emperor Benoit of Antioch.
It shall be a Blade like no other.
Terrible shall be the fate of those who fall under it.
And blessed be the minds of those shielded from the truth of the Eternal Crusade