Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 63 "Portrait Memory"

Howard checked the data board to confirm the evidence of other crimes committed by people other than himself, then took off his fine power armor, changed into a black suit, and went to the banquet hall.

He wanted to use the opportunity of the banquet to appease the various forces in the hive city.

A moment later in the banquet hall, an elderly noble with silver hair and wearing a black robe that conformed to the new fashion of Vostronia walked up to Howard.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and clinking glasses with the blond nobleman, he explained his purpose.

"My Lord Earl, please forgive me for being blunt. Songchisandchiga experienced a riot, and the entire nest has just barely recovered. It can't withstand the turmoil."

Howard had expected this, and he also noticed that everyone else's attention was on him.

The blond noble said loudly with a smile on his face.

"Everyone, I'm sure everyone is feeling uneasy about the commotion last night."

"I can tell you that the enemy we attacked last night was the heretic who launched the riot earlier."

As he spoke, he operated the data board, connected to the contemplation machine, and projected the test results of the Mechanicus onto the large video screen on the floor.

"You see, the ingredients mixed into corpse starch will significantly increase the chances of normal children mutating."

"Besides that……"

Howard operated the data board and displayed the crimes of the heretics one by one, immediately winning the trust of everyone.

The silver-haired old man said with a guilty tone: "Sir, please forgive my previous offense. I misunderstood you."

Other nobles and guild merchants followed suit.

"Yes, without Lord Howard, we don't know when we will be able to discover the tricks of those heretics and villains."

"Thank you, Lord King Nimrod, for sending Lord Howard to Songchisandchiga. This is truly our good fortune."

"..."

Howard's blue eyes swept over the flattering crowd, and suddenly his pupils shrank.

A blond young man in the crowd caught his attention. It was the first time he saw this person, but he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

The blond nobleman didn't stop looking and continued to look at other people.

A second later, the "sheriff" confirmed that the young man with blond hair and bright eyes was Bartosh with brown hair and sunken eyes.

His "portrait memory" allows him to firmly remember the target's appearance as long as he has a real person, a photo or a sketch, and gain an extraordinary level of perception.

Although the only thing that appeared to be the same between the two men was the subtle mocking smile at the corners of their mouths, the "sheriff" was already certain that he was Bartosh.

After a moment's thought, the "sheriff" completed his reasoning based on the information he had.

[Bartosz was the disguise he used when he met Plasow; he had some way of slightly changing his appearance.

He also possessed a calm mindset and enough confidence to attend the banquet despite being under arrest.

Well, perhaps he was worried that his absence would arouse suspicion.]
Howard was silent for two seconds, then immediately thought of a way to capture the target. He walked into the crowd with a smile and clinked glasses with everyone one by one.

Walking up to the target, Howard smashed the cup in the target's face, and while he was stunned, he suddenly stretched out his arms and locked his neck tightly.

Bartosh was stunned for a second, then pretended to be innocent and suffocated.

"Sir... I am from the Probezh... family..."

Howard ignored him and spoke to the guests who looked horrified.

"This man is the wanted Bartosh, the evil leader of the heretics in Sonchisandchiga."

With the previous foundation of trust, he possessed convincing charm and sufficient authority, and immediately made everyone believe what he said.

The silver-haired noble sighed, "Thank goodness you are here, sir, otherwise we would still be drinking and chatting in the same room with this villain."

Bartosh's face was pale. He didn't expect Howard to reveal the name he used to address his believers. It was obvious that he was certain of his identity.

He exerted force suddenly, trying to break free from the restraints.

But Howard was quicker. With a powerful tug of his arms, Bartosh lost his balance. The blond noble swung his arm and elbow, striking the heretic on the back of the head. With a thud, Bartosh fell to the ground, unconscious.

At the new hive construction site, the plump Malena sighed to Nimrod in front of her on the left.

"The area you've designated is ten times the size of Mikhailovsk, the largest city in Vostroya. You're planning to build a hive city like no other!"

"As Vostronia enters a new era, it naturally needs a symbolic hive city."

Nimrod turned his gaze away from the roaring excavator in the distance and asked Malena beside him.

"What have you gained from leaving the Cradle of the Sea?"

"The world outside is bigger and crueler than I imagined, especially for us Sicilians."

Malena's tone was complex, expressing both her admiration for witnessing the new world and her worries about the future.

"So what do you think of the Sea Mother?"

Nimrod turned around and stared at Malena. The female psychic had great potential, strong will, and tested loyalty. The only thing that worried him was her faith.

Malena felt the pressure from the giant, and she felt like a small boat facing a storm in the Coral Sea.

She bit her lip tightly and didn't speak hastily because of the pressure. After more than ten seconds, she smiled bitterly and said.

"I've read all the books I could find, as well as the three data crystals you gave me one after another. I now have a completely new understanding of the gods."

Marlena looked towards the Cradle of the Sea and spoke in a bleak tone.

"Mother Ocean cannot yet be called a deity. She was born from our faith, guides us, but also depends on us."

As a powerful psychic, she could easily recall the feeling of having come into contact with the Mother of the Sea several times. Comparing it with the knowledge she had gained about the gods, especially the discussions of the Furao people about the gods, it was easy to find the differences.

The Sea Mother is a stream, not an ocean, in the space the Frao call the Aether Tide and the Vostroyans call the Warp.

"Very good, this is what you get out of this."

Nimrod nodded with satisfaction. Malena had already recognized the fact that the Mother of the Sea was not a real god, but a creature with awakened divinity.

"Do you still believe in the Sea Mother?"

Malena fell silent again, and only spoke after dozens of seconds to acknowledge the reality.

"I no longer believe in the Sea Mother."

She has realized the gap between the Cradle of the Sea and the other worlds. Thinking of the cruel future she foresees, she knows that the Mother of the Sea cannot protect them.

Whether facing the invading Frao people or Zhangya, it was Ningluo who dealt with them in the end. She became more and more worried about the future of the Sicilians.

Upon hearing this, Nimrod made the final decision.

"Come to my palace in one hour."

Building a new nest is a long-term project. Nimrod ordered a temporary palace to be built, which would be demolished and used as materials after the nest was built.

A standard hour later, Marlena looked at the potion in Nimrod's hand and asked hesitantly.

"This is?"

"Drink it and you will gain the strength to create a better future for Sicilians."

Malena did not hesitate any longer. She knew she had no choice, and she believed that Nimrod had no reason to persecute her.

It only took three minutes for the "farmer" who had already mastered meditation to gather his own strength.

Marlena looked at Nimrod in surprise. He could actually give himself power through potions, and it seemed that the ability was not temporary but permanently solidified.

"I need you to return to the Cradle of the Sea and become a good 'cultivator', developing farmland and crops on the islands."

　Thanks to "Fallen Ascendant" for the reward, monthly ticket and recommendation ticket.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)