Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [101]

"Lord Loki! Are you suggesting that the Imperial Army act as a mercenary force for you? Rather than requesting 500 Custodians or 30 Space Marine Chapters to serve you?"

At this moment, the rogue trader Kania, sitting nearby, was much calmer.

As a successful rogue trader, he had lived for over seven hundred years, ever since he first became a rogue trader. He had been expanding the Empire's frontiers in the outer reaches of the galaxy, frequently dealing with Xenos beyond humanity.

The army under his command had even engaged in mercenary work, assisting friendly Xenos factions in battles against their adversaries.

Although the Emperor had established the Imperial Truth, on the fringes of the galaxy, humans were quite willing to cooperate with certain Xenos—especially rogue traders, who served as bridges between civilizations.

They possessed unimaginable authority, with the freedom to decide which Xenos to ally with or exterminate.

Thus, if this was merely a mercenary engagement, the price was not high at all—in fact, it was far lower than expected.

"That's right! Aside from the Custodian Guard and the Space Marines, I want the rest of your Imperial forces, including vassal Imperial Navy units and Astra Militarum regiments, fully equipped and deployed," Rhodes said.

Every Space Marine Chapter could command a sizable contingent of mortal troops. With 30 Space Marine Chapters, even the poorer ones could assemble an unimaginably vast army.

"Lord Loki, may I ask—where exactly do you intend to deploy such a massive force?" Kania asked cautiously.

"Rest assured! It's not against any human factions. My target is my family's ancient enemy—our archenemy," Rhodes replied.

His monster legions were an elite main force, but they severely lacked mortal auxiliary troops.

For a large-scale war, mortal auxiliaries were essential.

"We can agree to mobilize 30 Space Marine Chapters along with the necessary Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum support units," Inquisitor Damz sighed. "As long as this isn't directed against the human Imperium, we can wage this war for you.

"But the Custodian Guard is impossible—not because we refuse, but because we simply cannot command them."

"Aside from the Emperor himself, no one in the Imperium can order the Custodians. Otherwise, given the current state of the Imperium, they would have already been deployed."

If the Custodians could be mobilized, the Imperium's battles would be far easier. But those golden-clad warriors simply remained holed up in the Imperial Palace on Terra, enjoying the Imperium's vast resources.

"And what if I insist?" Rhodes asked.

"Lord Loki, this isn't a matter of whether we agree or not—" Damz started to respond, but Kania placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head to signal that he should let him handle it.

As a rogue trader who had spent years dealing with alien species on the galactic frontier, Kania's negotiation skills were far superior to those of an Imperial Inquisitor in situations like this.

"Lord Loki, allow me to offer a compromise. See if this is acceptable to you:

"We can increase the number of Space Marine Chapters by 10, bringing the total to 40, along with the corresponding Imperial auxiliary forces.

"Additionally, my rogue trader dynasty controls a dozen planets, and I will mobilize my forces to assist in this war.

"My forces are quite formidable—at least on par with multiple Space Marine Chapters, excluding the newly founded ones.

"If you still insist on deploying the Custodian Guard, we can arrange for you to meet with the current Captain-General, Trajann Valoris.

"You can negotiate with him directly. I believe that repairing the Golden Throne could persuade him to deploy the Custodians.

"And of course, the military forces I just promised will still be available to you."

Rather than dealing with this impossible issue himself, Kania decided to push the problem onto Rhodes.

Do you want the Custodians? No problem—I'll introduce you to Captain-General Trajann Valoris. Whether you can convince him is up to you.

If you can repair the Golden Throne, everything will be fine. But if you fail and anger the Custodians... well, that's not my concern.

"Indeed, Lord Loki," Damz agreed. *"We can provide 40 Space Marine Chapters to fight for you.

"But as for the Custodians, you must negotiate with them yourself. If you can persuade the Captain-General, then we have no objections."

As expected of a rogue trader—he had immediately resolved Damz's dilemma. Why keep this troublesome issue when it could just be handed off?

"Hahaha! No problem. I'll speak with Captain-General Trajann Valoris myself," Rhodes said with a grin.

Convincing the Custodians? Heh! Just wait and see!

Rhodes intended to get all of them mobilized. Originally, he just wanted 500 Custodians for show, but now?

Now, he wanted them all.

"Then it's settled, Lord Loki. When the time comes, I will personally introduce you to the Captain-General."

"So, Lord Loki, which three Imperial worlds would you like as your territories? We will take the time to evacuate the Imperial citizens there, and then those planets will be left to you," the Imperial Inquisitor Damz asked.

To be honest, he didn't think a Xenos could persuade the Chief Custodian. But what did that have to do with him? Let the High Lords and Captain-General Trajann worry about it. As long as he completed his mission perfectly, that was enough.

"Hahaha! Straightforward! I've always valued honesty in business. I haven't repaired the Golden Throne for you yet, so I won't take a single penny. Once I've fixed the Golden Throne, you can pay me then," Rhodes said.

At this moment, Lelith, who was standing beside Rhodes, frowned. Wasn't Lord Loki a bit too confident? Wasn't he worried that the Imperium might renege on the deal? After all, the Imperium of Man had done such things before. That being said, at least in terms of credibility, the Imperium was still slightly better than the Corsairs of Commorragh.

"You are indeed generous, Lord Loki. Rest assured, if you repair the Golden Throne as promised, the Imperium of Man will honor its debt. We will fight a war for you with all our might, anytime, anywhere. Just call on us, and we'll be there," Inquisitor Damz said.

This ancient noble of the Dark Eldar truly seemed graceful, to the point that he wasn't even afraid of the Imperium reneging on their deal! However, his confidence must mean he was certain he could repair the Golden Throne, which was undoubtedly a good thing for the Imperium.

"Since we've reached an agreement, Lord Loki, please accompany us on our journey. Let's return to Holy Terra as soon as possible to begin the next phase of work," said the Rogue Trader Kania.

The Imperium of Man couldn't afford any delays. They had to return to Holy Terra quickly, as repairing the Golden Throne was more important than anything else.

"No need to rush. Let's wait another month and a half. I have some matters to attend to here before I can travel to Holy Terra with you," Rhodes replied.

The monster jungler hadn't had enough hunting trips yet. His own Zetton hadn't been completed either. And his backup system didn't have enough currency yet.

Rhodes couldn't guarantee he'd leave Holy Terra unscathed if he went there now. Everything had to be fully prepared beforehand. One must rely on oneself.

"Lord Loki, if you take my ship, we will need to travel through the Warp. The exact travel time is difficult to predict—it could be ten days, a month, or even a year," Kania explained.

Typically, it would take about a month to reach the borders of the Sol System. However, in the Warp, anything could happen. They might arrive in ten days, several days, or even just a few minutes. But it could also take several months to over a year. That said, such long delays were rare, especially since his ship was equipped with a Gellar Field, and his Navigator family was very skilled.

"I'm not interested in taking your ship. The Warp is far too dangerous for us. I'll travel in my ship and use the Webway to reach your Imperium," Rhodes said.

If Rhodes wanted, he could simply contact the leader of the Kabal Blackhearted and arrange to use the Webway controlled by the Dark Eldar. There wouldn't be a problem.

As for his faster-than-light engine, Rhodes didn't want to expose it to public view too soon. Without sufficient preparation, Rhodes absolutely wouldn't risk entering the Warp. He had already drawn the attention of the Emperor of Mankind. Who knew if the Four Chaos Gods in the Warp had noticed him too? As the saying goes, "Better safe than sorry."

If the Webway was an option, he'd use it. If faster-than-light travel was available, he'd use that. One thing was certain: he wouldn't travel through the Warp.

Cherish life and stay far away from the Four Chaos Gods of the Warp.

"Lord Loki, if possible, could my ship use your Webway as well? We could travel to Holy Terra together, and I could lead the way to save you from unnecessary trouble," Kania asked.

The defenses of Holy Terra were no joke. And if the Webway was available, who in their right mind would choose the Warp? The Webway was both faster and safer. Despite visiting Commorragh so many times, Kania had never actually used the Webway of the Dark Eldar before!

PS: I love watching glazing future humanity as superior species compared to aliens on youtube. I'm really enjoying Warhammer lore.