[{"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-270":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},1510819,1962,"Chapter 270: Refusing Manus’ Proposal","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-270",270,"\u003Cp>After returning to Vostroya, Nareth had Gabriel accompany Ferrus Manus on a tour of the factories, representing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, his primarch attendant, Arsena Dunn, would have filled this role, but since the guest was Manus, the Marshal of Ordance, Gabriel was more appropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth then returned to the palace and summoned \"Assassin\" Maria Kournikova.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord,\" Maria said with a bitter smile, \"even if I apply the strictest standards in Vostroya, this world has no one worthy of being called your enemy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The last target we assassinated was eleven months ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria felt that before long, her assassin organization might lose all purpose under Nareth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not worry,\" Nareth said, gazing down at her. \"I have many enemies. I still require assassins to deal with them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria's face lit up. Just as she was about to ask further, a flood of information poured into her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'A ritual… Black Emperor?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she was trying to comprehend, a voice spoke directly into her mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perform the ritual, and you shall receive revelation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command…\" Maria whispered, her long blonde braid falling over her shoulder, \"My lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then returned to Tizca Hive City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Yelena had moved the Kournikova family's main base to Paradigm City, the political center of Vostroya, Maria still kept her headquarters in Tizca.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the birthplace of Nareth's rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hive itself had changed drastically compared to the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one, aside from the citizens who had always lived in the upper hive, many from the lower hive now resided there as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For another, barriers between factories and even between hives had been broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maglev trains physically connected the industries, while Yelena, with the Monarch's backing, tore down ideological barriers so industries could integrate organically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Assassin\" slipped into the shadows, avoiding the gaze of the hive citizens, and returned to the Assassin's Sanctum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sanctum lay 350 meters underground, built from marble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, the House Kournikova's warehouse concealed it. Supplies such as food were stored there to cover the sanctum's existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Maria returned, Tsvetlana and Dementieva eagerly approached her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at the training assassins nearby, who had yet to receive the Black Emperor's blessings, Maria noted that only the three of them had been granted such gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later,\" she said curtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three entered a sealed chamber. After shutting the door, Tsvetlana activated a shielding field. Dementieva immediately asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are Lord Nareth's orders?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsvetlana also looked anxiously at Maria. Since Nareth's return to the Imperium and his assumption of command over the Astartes Legion, he had not given them any missions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their days had been filled with nothing but rigorous training of apprentices, tracking remnants of hive kings and dispossessed noble families for targets, and launching preemptive strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for the past three years, such targets had been rare. Tsvetlana worried that, without purpose, the Assassin's Sanctum might soon dissolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord…\" Tsvetlana frowned slightly. She sensed something different in Maria's tone. \"He commands us to perform a ritual.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A ritual? What kind of ritual?\" Dementieva asked, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord…\" Maria's voice grew deep. \"It is the Black Emperor. We must pray devoutly to receive His revelation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After explaining, Maria's words filled the other two with excitement. At last, there was hope, the chance to continue serving Nareth, no, the Black Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately mobilized the apprentices to build an altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen work cycles later, the altar was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria performed a sealing of spiritual currents with a ritual dagger, then knelt at its center. Tsvetlana and Dementieva knelt at her sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, they began chanting in fragments of Dunnic language they had just learned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Black Emperor of the Shadows of Order,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mysterious Sovereign of the Kingdom of Disorder,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monarch of Light and Shadow, who governs and holds the rules.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I beseech Thy gaze.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I beseech Thy favor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I beseech Thee, grant me the mystery of flame, that I may wield greater power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"O Balance, foundation of the Kingdom of Disorder, grant strength to my invocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"O Iron Laws of Monarchs, basis of the Kingdom of Disorder, grant strength to my invocation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unseen force stirred within the altar, making the candle flames flicker violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By their fifth repetition, black mist rose and enveloped their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When their minds cleared, they found themselves in a mysterious space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they could comprehend it, Nareth's towering figure spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drink this potion. It is the next stage of power I grant you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not drawn them into the Kingdom of Disorder. Instead, this was the potion he had ordered the Jokaero to prepare for assassins of Sequence 8, the Instigator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three women bowed excitedly. \"Thank You, my lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had long since become true \"Assassins,\" but for years had received no new tasks, no new gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, the long wait was over. Without hesitation, they each took the purple draught floating upon the black mist before them and drank deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, they stabilized their newfound power and whispered: \"Instigator.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth nodded solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On Terra, there is a faction that slanders and defames the Shadow of Order.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your task is to assassinate them, and with your new gifts, subvert them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my lord,\" Maria answered, elated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will punish those wicked ones,\" Dementieva vowed, her eyes burning with killing intent, eager to strike with her blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In addition to punishment,\" Nareth continued, \"you must also recruit talents into my fold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The follow-up to the Instigator, Sequence 7, the Witch, would wield black flames, frost, and invisibility. Nareth planned to have them accompany the Legion in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my lord,\" Maria said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three days hence, the Glory of Vostroya will depart for Terra. You will board it covertly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Nareth severed their link, and the women vanished into the black mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ascended into the third spatial layer and found the Prophecy Dice fully \"charged\" for another divination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, instead of casting them immediately, he returned to the palace and summoned Arsena Dunn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Choose a squad of Shadows of Order with leadership potential and send them to Terra. They will protect the Vicssher family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Primarch's aide was momentarily stunned; this command was not part of the agreement with the Navigator Houses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since the Black Emperor offered no explanation, he did not ask further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command.\" He then added, \"Lord Manus has completed his tour of Vostroya and is returning. He will arrive in one standard hour.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prepare to receive him,\" Nareth ordered. Dunn complied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, Gabriel escorted Ferrus Manus into the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nareth rose to greet him, and they sat together in the reception hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manus sipped his tea and remarked, \"Excellent tea. At first sip, lightly salty and fresh; with depth, rich and mellow, layered yet harmonious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grosseto is the island of the Symphony of the Sea with the widest temperature swings between day and night. It produces the finest black tea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arsena, prepare ten pounds for Lord Manus.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant left to fetch it. Manus looked at Nareth, his voice like molten lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for the gift.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His coin-silver eyes gleamed. \"But what amazes me more than the tea is Vostroya's efficiency.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My father told me your factories bring the people happiness and hope, yet match the efficiency of Mechanicum forges. That made me curious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you find your answer?\" Nareth asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your laws are the institutional backbone. The Shadows of Order and mortal politicians enforce them. The Symphony of the Sea provides the material foundation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mechanicum refuses to implement such systems on their Forge Worlds. Supplying resources is a waste in their eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manus did not mention the broader Imperium. To him, such supply strategies were also a 'waste,' while Malcador already strained to maintain the Great Crusade's logistics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What shocked me most,\" Manus continued, \"was that when I compared your factories to Terra's in quantitative terms, the final results showed resource consumption was balanced by compensations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In other words, the system you imposed motivated the workers. Their improved efficiency balanced the costs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His silver eyes shone brightly. \"Besides those three factors, two others are essential.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Arbiter Lords draft the detailed statutes and piloted them first in Hantman Dome.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And your 1st and 11th Chapters of the Shadows of Order, embody qualities ensuring every system's enforcement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his praise, Manus proposed his idea:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Though Vostroya's efficiency is admirable, I believe it could be raised further. If you allow full competition, granting welfare to only a select few rather than all, efficiency will climb even higher.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In Medusa, I use such a strategy; only a few enjoy the right to comfortable lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Nareth rejected it outright. He would not sacrifice the majority's welfare for efficiency. Moreover, such a strategy would dampen the Vostroyan desire for family and growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manus' practice of near-enslaving populations from other worlds was even less acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not the Vostroya I seek.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black eyes locked with silver ones. After a moment, Manus rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your world, your choice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will return to Medusa now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Manus departed with Arsena and the Gabriel in attendance, Nareth turned his thoughts back to what the Prophecy Dice should next reveal.\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>",1538,"2026-06-06T05:05:10.769Z",1,"novelbin.me","d27a51f7ccf35befe22a11ae67f48e80e5cf06f2c7281c511b56ba0045679fcf","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-271","warhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-chapter-269",698,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarhammer-the-11th-primarch-the-black-emperor-cover.jpg"]