Chapter 74: A Cup of Tea for the Golden Man

Before entering the Monarch's Parlor, Alpharius halted and spoke in the formal tone of a dutiful Astartes.

"My Emperor, Primarch, I should not intrude upon your discussion."

"I will stand guard outside to ensure no one disturbs your discussion."

Nareth gave a nearly imperceptible twitch of his lips but said nothing, letting Alpharius continue his little act.

He then messaged Howard and the others, catching up behind:

"I have business with our esteemed guest. Tend to your own affairs."

With that, Nareth and the Emperor of Mankind entered the hall. Alpharius stood at the door, spear in hand, like a loyal sentry.

Those who received Nareth's message were filled with confusion. After seeing the man in golden robes, their minds went blank, and they hadn't heard a single word of the conversation. Now blocked by a giant, they had no choice but to leave with unanswered questions.

Inside the hall, Nareth lifted the teapot and poured two cups.

"Black tea from the Symphony of the Sea. Please enjoy."

The Emperor raised the golden teacup, took a sip, and a faint look of enjoyment appeared on his face.

"Top notes of bergamot… middle notes of wild berries… cedarwood at the finish."

"Impressive. I've never tasted black tea of such quality."

Of course, it was grown by the "Planter." No ordinary person could produce such a brew.

Just as Nareth was thinking that, he suddenly felt his spiritual essence stir, as though something inside him had melted slightly.

'That... was a clear sign, Briber's potion just digested a bit.'

A flicker of subtle astonishment passed through his eyes. Potions became harder to digest the further one progressed through the sequence, yet this simple act of pouring tea caused such a noticeable reaction.

'Hmm… the Emperor has carried the fate of the "Dark King" since birth; he's a symbol of finality and death. If he accepts this fate, he would become one of the strongest, if not the strongest, among the four Chaos Gods."

''Even if he hasn't accepted it, he's still close to their level. '

'At Sequence 7, even the faintest spiritual feedback from such a being would be amplified immensely. Feeling some digestion is reasonable.'

'But… bribery should yield a benefit. All I got was a compliment, and not even directed at me. That's an incomplete feedback…'

While pondering, Nareth poured the Emperor a second cup.

The Emperor didn't drink it. Instead, he looked at Nareth.

"Tell me how you conquered Vostroya, and how you brought it to such prosperity."

Nareth nodded. In seconds, he had used his lawyer's logic to craft a seamless story, conveniently omitting any mention of the potion sequences, and told it using his Beyonder Eloquence.

"...I was attacked by Ogryns. In a moment of crisis, my genetic memory awakened."

The Emperor's eyes sparkled as he listened, fully drawn into the Eleventh Primarch's tale of struggle and triumph.

Though the abilities Nareth described were within expectations, the fact that he had spent five years reforming Vostroya and building Paradigm City left the Emperor slightly disappointed. He felt Nareth was underusing the talents he'd bestowed.

"Reforming slows you down. You should've kept the existing systems and used Vostroya as a base. That would be most efficient."

"If you had just conquered it swiftly, you could've achieved far more."

"Then later, integrating and civilizing other worlds would've been easier."

But Nareth shook his head. This was exactly the point he needed to clarify to Golden Man.

"I don't think that's right. In a galaxy this vast, there will always be another world to conquer. That means true construction would never begin."

"So if we are to build, let it start now."

As he spoke, Nareth grabbed a nearby steel chair, crushed it between his hands, and twisted it into a helix.

"Conquest and development aren't opposing forces; they're gears in the same engine."

"People who truly support me from the heart will become the engine of conquest, not just cogs in a war machine."

"If you want me to follow you among the stars, then you must let me carry out my own philosophy, to conquer, yes, but also to bring true prosperity."

As the "Black Emperor," he had to forge his own order.

The Emperor fell silent for ten seconds, then replied:

"I agree. You may act according to your beliefs."

But his glowing eyes and cautionary tone carried a warning:

"However, you must prioritize the Great Crusade. The first mission is to recover lost human civilizations and bring them back into the fold of the Imperium."

Nareth understood: The Emperor had a vast and intricate plan; he'd been working on it since the 30th millennium, using his foresight to simulate the entire scheme.

He'd shown part of it to Malcador, and others had seen bits and pieces.

Even now, the Great Crusade and the Webway Project were pieces of that grand design.

The Emperor had no idea when the Four Chaos Gods might intervene, so he had to move fast.

He would never reveal the full plan, and Nareth didn't want to know either.

Not only did he know the Emperor's plan would fail, but he also understood that the plan itself was flawed.

Vulkan, one of the Primarchs, once personally walked a section of Webway completed by the Old Ones and then by the Emperor. His verdict?

"Barely usable, a shoddy copy of the original."

If the Old Ones' Webway was a hyperlane, the Emperor's was a dirt path.

Even if the Webway Project succeeded, it would only partially reduce reliance on the Warp, not eliminate it.

Nareth didn't know if the Chaos Gods had tampered with the Emperor's simulations.

But the results were clear: serious flaws existed. Even if Magnus hadn't broken it later, the outcome would still have fallen short.

Still, Primarchs were central to the Great Crusade. Nareth would meet the Emperor's needs in his own way.

He was confident his Legion's feats would not be mediocre.

"I'll give it my all, I won't disappoint you."

Now that he had the Emperor's promise, he chose to pledge loyalty, not as a son, but as a subject, like Lion El'Jonson.

"Emperor of Mankind, I pledge myself to you. I will help you realize the Great Crusade."

"Good."

The Emperor smiled and continued:

"Soon, you'll meet your brother, Horus. He was the first Primarch I recovered."

Nareth's mouth twitched slightly at the mention.

'Ah yes, "first found". The one outside is only half a brother, after all, Alpharius and Omegon were soul-twins.'

"You'll also reunite with your gene-sons, the Reapers. They are currently led by Horus."

"Each is a powerful and efficient warrior. I hope under your leadership, they will achieve even greater glory."

"First, you'll return to humanity's cradle, Terra. A festival is being prepared to celebrate the return of the second Primarch."

Nareth's eyes glinted. He understood, each Primarch's return was a political maneuver by the Emperor, meant to rally the populace and handle any pressing political issues.

With the exception of Alpharius, every return had a show. Horus's festival had lasted an entire Terran month.

"My lord… I don't wish to visit Holy Terra just yet."

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