Chapter 21: Bukayo's Wisdom

One hour before the Curie Shift, the twenty-three families of Teziwoke Hive City gathered at the Hive Tower; five of them owned the Hive Tower.

A man with implants embedded in his chin and vocal cords, wearing a red robe with gold trim, asked with concern to the woman in a red dress standing before him, who had ornate decorative implants embedded in her forehead.

"Countess Yelena, do you know the origins of this new King?"

"During the White Shift, many families were raided, blood stained the Hive City, and even the thousand-year-old Boleslaw Family Hive Tower was breached; could this be a trap?"

"Kezubaer, do not let fear occupy your brain."

Yelena wore a smile, her tone resolute.

"According to the surveillance footage, this new King has formidable combat power, but his numbers are too few; his armed forces are less than two thousand, and even with the workers flooding into the Hive City, the total is under one hundred thousand. It is impossible for him to control the entire Hive City."

She looked at the fully armed gang members standing all around, scanning the crowd with fierce gazes, and said in a low voice.

"Moreover, while his men might be good thugs, or even qualified warriors, they are not qualified administrators. Treating the workers of the Upper Hive with the crude methods of the Lower Hive will only trigger riots."

"As long as this new King is not a madman, he will leverage his current strength to stabilize the situation and restore Teziwoke's production capacity as quickly as possible; only then will he gain the support of the Omnissiah's servants."

"And tonight's coronation ceremony, issued to us by the new head of the Howard Fender family in the name of Sage Kaminski, shows that he has already reached a cooperation with the servants of Mars."

Yelena's deep blue eyes stared at the Baron of the Skorupski Family; although he lacked political wisdom, his family's coal and ore mining industries were vital to the Kurnikova Family and could not be lost.

"Kezubaer, no matter what kind of person the new King is, you will follow me and pledge your loyalty to him immediately."

"He is exactly in need of subordinates right now; those who defect first will receive greater benefits. Do you understand?"

"As you command, Countess."

Kezubaer said with heartfelt submission, standing at ease behind Yelena.

Half an hour before the Curie Shift, Howard Fender returned from the Adeptus Mechanicus Hive Tower, Altar Twenty-Five of Vostonia.

He reported to Ninglu that Sage Kaminski had agreed to forge equipment for Ninglu, and then he came to the hall to handle the inquiries of the various family patriarchs.

Ninglu took the box of gavels offered by Bukayo, glanced at it, and placed it on the industrial metal-style long table behind him.

He operated the data slate, pulled up the strategic map of Vostonia, and threw a question to the blond youth.

"Bukayo, I want to conquer Vostonia; what do you think the next target is?"

"My Lord, please allow me a moment to think."

Bukayo did not answer immediately; he cautiously requested a moment, staring at the strategic map as his brain spun rapidly.

Five minutes later, the youth spoke.

"My Lord, I believe it is Lukebo Hive City."

"Why Lukebo? Mazov and Szczecin are closer."

"My Lord, I am interpreting this based on your way of acting; striking directly at Lukebo fits your style better."

Ninglu nodded slightly and said with a smile.

"Explain."

"In your first work cycle in Hantemanxi, you made two gangs submit; in the second work cycle, you took the foundry. Afterward, you did not occupy other small factories but directly seized the largest Magnito Steel Mill in the Dome, only then relying on that control to quickly annex other factories."

"After you controlled the Hantemansi Dome, you did not conquer other Domes but directly led your team to capture the Hive Tower of the Boleslaw Family that controlled Teziwoke."

"My Lord, I believe your logic is to strike directly at the core key nodes, and then resolve the other nodes one by one."

Ninglu listened to Bukayo summarize his trajectory of action with clear logic and state his philosophy; he looked at Bukayo with appreciation. The blond youth was indeed very correct.

It was just that he hadn't guessed—and even Ninglu himself hadn't thought—that taking the "Barbarian" Potion would trigger a Genetic Awakening, which changed his idea of accumulating enough strength before occupying the Upper Hive.

"Why is Lukebo a key node?"

"My Lord, whether it is Teziwoke, or Mazov and Szczecin, they are all too far from the power core of Vostonia."

"The Adeptus Mechanicus Altar One of Vostonia is the true power core, and the altar in Lukebo is the core altar closest to Teziwoke; it is the location of Altar Three. If you control the Hive City where that shrine is located, you can make the Adeptus Mechanicus take your goals seriously."

Bukayo shrugged and said with a touch of self-deprecation.

"It is not just the altar; the Muska people and the Magdan people living in Mazov and Szczecin have never been the cultural mainstream of the Vostonians. The Sosvrod people of Lukebo are."

"Just like our distant homeland, the holy city of Warsaw on Terra and..."

He wanted to say the name of a peripheral city, but the classics of the Arshavin Family did not have much record of Terra. Warsaw was the only place name he knew; it was the homeland, holy city, and place of origin of the Vostonians.

"Hmm, just like the difference between a central city like the holy city and a border city."

Bukayo said piously and resolutely: "I believe that after you capture Lukebo, those Sages will recognize a fact: you will become the Lord of Vostonia, and they should support you."

"Not bad."

Ninglu said appreciatively. Bukayo had guessed his thoughts from his actions. The "Sleepless" did not increase his wisdom, yet his wisdom was far beyond Luoersiliefu.

Although the Emperor defined him as a butcher's blade, he did not believe like Kurz that slaughter and fear could shape a bright future for Vostonia.

To conquer Vostonia, one must consider how to define the role of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

If defined as an enemy, then it could be said that Vostonia, where the Adeptus Mechanicus held huge influence, was an enemy of the whole world, even if countless people in the Lower Hive worshipped the Machine God.

He would not beat this developed industrial world into a ruin and then rebuild it; that would be no different from colonizing a world of polluted, countless industrial ruins.

Forcing the Adeptus Mechanicus to cooperate with him, using their technology to expand, while simultaneously cultivating transcendents and subordinates to gradually reform Vostonia, was his strategy.

【Perhaps this is why the "Kingdom of Disorder" chose me and let me walk the "Black Emperor" path.

Using rules and resources to develop, and then establishing a new order, is my development philosophy.】

Ninglu looked at Bukayo, "I have a mission for you."

"My Lord, please give your orders."

"After the ceremony ends, take the equipment Howard prepared for you and head to Lukebo to scout for intelligence."

"As you wish, My Lord."

Ninglu's communicator rang. After he connected, Howard's lowered voice came through the communication channel.

"My Lord, Kaminski has arrived at the ceremonial hall."

"There is one standard minute until your coronation ceremony."

(End of chapter)