[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor":3,"chapter-warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-249":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1511048,1962,"Chapter 249: “The Swindler”","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-249",249,"\u003Cp>Terra, Europae – House Komag Castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike most nobles in other regions, who live in hive spires, the House Komag's vast estate is a direct display of their power and wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patriarchs of Europae's noble houses arrived by shuttle, landing on the castle's pads. After adjusting their robes, they entered Komag Castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles gathered around the Komag patriarch, each eager to speak with the powerful man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Imperial Court, Marchioness Delaquois arrived in an ivory gown with a rose-gold net necklace. She approached the Komag patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Komag, when will the guest of honor at our banquet, esteemed Graham von Erik, make his appearance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding nobles pricked their ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patriarch smiled. To show his intimacy with Erik, he referred to him directly by name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Graham will appear shortly. Be patient, my friends.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, have you all considered carefully, will you join us on this great venture?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue-haired noble in burgundy red was first to reply: \"Of course! A paradise world just sixty-nine light-years from Terra. Once complete, it will surely draw the admiration of every Terran noble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Erik did not insist on acquiring only antiquities to fill his museum for visitors, I would gladly invest twenty percent of my solar-month liquid capital in such a golden opportunity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other nobles chimed in:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, no one would miss such a chance. I have been to Sallos, that grand construct between Io's boiling magma and Europa's artificial ocean.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's merely a vast entertainment complex where Jupiter's elite indulge in opera, but compared with Erik's project, it is dull.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed, even Venus's orbital resorts pale beside Erik's grand design.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the banquet, the Swindler paused, listening to their chatter with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered as the herald proclaimed in a loud, reverent voice: \"Esteemed Lord Erik has arrived!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every noble turned their gaze toward \"Erik.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His towering hairstyle followed the latest Terran court fashion, nobles saw it as elegant and refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His slightly altered features exuded noble dignity and unique charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His carefully styled jawline projected aloofness and authority, setting the trend that even Marchioness Delaquois had paid dearly to copy, making it fashionable among noblewomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes then moved to the master-crafted powered armor he wore. The baroque-styled relic from the Dark Age of Technology was nearly impossible to find on Terra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armor bore ornaments: topaz ears of wheat, silver chains, each an exquisite piece of art, enhancing his aura of grandeur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The velvet cloak hung from his shoulders like fresh, flawless snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All thought the same: Only a true lord could afford both the upkeep and the tech-priests needed to maintain such a relic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening his Spirit Vision, the Swindler read their auras: envy, jealousy, no suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Yes. To convince these nobles I am a foreign aristocrat, I had to flaunt lavishly decorated battleships, splendid airships, and reckless displays of wealth. All essential.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This grand con had cost him dearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vostroyan artificer in his crew had forged the armor using a sacred template stolen by Howard Fender. Its adornments were spoils gathered by his \"Marauders\" across Terra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swindler smiled. His beyonder ability of \"Charm\" even made the worldly Marchioness's eyes glimmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ladies and gentlemen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tierney, the Swindler, had even implanted a device in his throat to enhance his voice, stolen long ago from a surrendered Araneus techno-nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His deep, magnetic tone rolled like music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have forged Babylon, the true paradise world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Imagine countless coral isles scattered across warm turquoise seas, a balm for Terra's burdens, washing away fatigue, freeing you from worldly concerns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A climate ever warm, with brilliant sunlight. Each reef, home to billions of nautiluses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His silver tongue and psychic gift pulled the nobles into his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On every isle, palaces of marble, vast gardens, mighty amphitheaters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Colonnades framing vistas so divine they soothe the soul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stroll once around, and paradise itself seeps into your heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles, under his subtle psychic intrusion, wore expressions of joy and peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing his reserves depleting, he ended with a powerful flourish:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ladies and gentlemen, Babylon is the garden of your dreams.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles snapped out of the illusion created by the \"mental interference,\" and each of them realized the immense value hidden within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jupiter's opera house and Venus's orbital resort had been earning vast wealth from the nobles of Terra, including themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, here was a new chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new paradise world, Babylon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too good to miss. Every noble wanted a share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burgundy noble again spoke first: \"Erik, your Babylon inspires awe. But the cost must be immense, allow me to support you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others quickly followed, each offering \"support,\" hoping to secure profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Erik had refused countless times, perhaps now he would accept their \"sincere generosity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swindler shook his head. The treasures glittering on his armor made them falter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each noble could offer one or two adornments; Komag and Delaquois might give several.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none could match the dozens already glittering upon Erik's armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even wondered: If not for limited space, would his entire armor be covered in jewels?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do not need your money,\" the Swindler said with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used his beyonder ability, Thought Misdirection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My masterpiece requires no gold. What I need is pearls to adorn it…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the pearls I seek are the halls of art.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Komag was the first to grasp it. Smiling confidently, he declared: \"Yes, art. Babylon must have art halls, filled with treasures from every age, showcasing mankind's heritage for noble guests.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As the Sigillite once said, 'The essence of human art provides a spiritual enjoyment beyond natural scenery.' Art will be the perfect complement to nature's beauty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Art shall be Babylon's perfect complement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swindler gave him a grateful nod. \"Exactly. I require your ancient treasures. Those who generously contribute will share in Babylon's profits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles froze. Komag, still smiling, pointed to the clock above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erik, this chronometer was crafted in the 18th millennium, commemorating the invention of the warp engine. Made by the master craftsman Rahim.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only fifteen exist in the Imperium. Ten returned from the earliest warp-driven voyages. They are a symbol of an age.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swindler felt his psychic power surge, warmth dissolving into his veins. He bowed slightly: \"This is the very treasure I dreamed of.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Komag smirked inwardly: 'This is only the beginning. Once Babylon is built, it will be mine, just as I 'bought' Rahim's clock from a Rogue Trader.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other nobles thought the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Erik seemed wealthy beyond measure, they all believed their power and intrigue could one day win Babylon for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, the Swindler had promised ninety percent of Babylon's profits in exchange for 250 relics from the noble houses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aboard his lavish airship, he thought to himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Years of selecting my targets, carefully building the image of a foreign noble richer than kings, none of it was wasted.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Through this con, I feel I have mastered the power Lord Nareth granted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'At last, I am the true Swindler.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[email protected]\u002FDaoistJinzu\u003C\u002Fp>",1183,"2026-06-06T05:05:10.769Z",1,"novelbin.me","b664c6cc46abc576ae8dfcd6d332e74d04fdb30b4895850ccfd995e4a03175e1","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-250","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-248",698,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-cover.jpg"]