Warhammer: Start with a dog.

I was present when Eribas stole his nemesis's blade in Chapter 782.
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“I was there when Eribas stole his nemesis’s blade.”

This statement immediately caused a small commotion in the crowd. Several people even wanted to step forward immediately, but they were prevented from doing so because of the Terminator Guard surrounding Loken.

Gavial Locken took a deep breath.

Astartes' enhanced organs allow him to sense the unease, anger, and fear permeating the air; he can now distinguish the scent, albeit very faintly.

There was also the smell of incense.

He looked around the new council chamber, known as the Wolf God's Chamber, which had recently been built on the site of the Vengeful Spirit, replacing the Strategy Room.

The biggest difference between this hall and the strategy room, besides placing the Warlord's obsidian throne high above everyone else, is the presence of new banners—

His gaze swept discreetly over the decorations that had been added to the room at some unknown time, hanging outside the company and legion flags.

One flag is covered with skulls, and the blood-red background features a brass throne or castle. Another flag, which depicts forests and gardens, has an unsettling green hue, as if the moss-like color might crawl out of the flag itself at any moment. And then there's the black flag with an eight-pointed star.

If Loken had never known what they meant before, now seeing these things hanging here so openly, on the Vengeful Spirit, and everyone else looking so... so normal, with some members of the Warriors' Guild even glaring at him or looking confused, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He is no longer ignorant, but knowing the truth and having to watch everything unfold is a thousand times more painful.

"You have two choices now." Zhan Shuai's voice rang in his ears again. If he had known that what happened next would be so terrifying, he would have been one of the very few who knew the truth but had no choice but to step into it and let his fate drift with the tide.

If he had known it would turn out this way, would he still have made that choice?
He became genuinely uncertain.

Loken's thoughts drifted back to the days when they officially visited Zenobia, the border capital of the Interrex Federation.

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After several rounds of exchanges and negotiations, the three Primarchs joined forces with the four fleets of the Emperor's Sons, weighed anchor, and set sail with the leading Interrex fleet to a star system nine weeks away.

According to the Interrex's own official description, this world called Zenobia is a key outpost for them, as well as a gateway world similar to the territory they rule.

"We usually receive visiting diplomatic missions here."

Diaz Shehan, the chief representative who had gradually become acquainted with them through numerous boarding negotiations, said, “Zenobia is also the closest frontier capital and important town to us, and only there are guesthouses of sufficient caliber to accommodate several Your Highnesses. The governor of Zenobia is Yevta Naod, who is an experienced host and also holds great authority, capable of making many decisions on behalf of our government.”

"At the same time, he must also be a diplomatic bureaucrat who is very good at playing the game and making polite remarks, right?"

As the translator musicians played, another member joined in, speaking in a whimsical, elegant, and intricate baritone voice.

“I can already imagine us going back and forth with him at the negotiating table and diplomatic receptions for weeks on a futile back-and-forth over the right word to put in the agreement.”

“Ah, hahaha, you’re absolutely right. But it’s also part of his job duties, as you know, Your Highness Peturabo. This is not because my delegation or I have been negligent or made any mistakes. The translators have been very productive and efficient. I have already provided several timely reports to the Federal Headquarters about your situation. But Governor Naod still has to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in addition to commanding the border guards, and we will not allow an official who is completely unsuitable for this role to remain in that position.”

The chief representative smiled and got up to reach for the crystal bottle in front of the warlord, which contained some fine wine that looked like evaporated milk or light snow.

These fine wines were actually Seris wines secretly brewed by Ramizan in the scribes' cabins, but they were clearly more popular with the Interrex delegation than the wines provided by the Empire, so they were now being served as drinks to the guests.

The Interrex originally held an air of arrogance towards the Empire, which possessed advanced ancient technology and a vast territory, and a vague sense of looking down on their backward and barbaric compatriots.

However, because of the Iron Lord's eloquent mathematical genius, and the fact that the Warmaster could quickly speak in their unique rhythm, the other party had to re-evaluate the Empire's strength and showed more respect to the Primarchs in the subsequent conversation.

The third Primarch, Saint Gilles, had not originally planned to attend, but when the Warmaster and the Iron Lord jointly sent an invitation to the Red Tear, the Angel Lord gladly accepted.

The Intercres envoys were indeed greatly impressed by Saint Gilles's handsome appearance and angelic wings, but they quickly accepted it and even softened their attitude towards the Imperial personnel—though the attitude of the Cambraco people, who looked like red apes, became more subtle and favorable. However, because they all had severe accents (due to limitations in their vocal organs), they generally did not communicate with other people in the Empire.

These details and changes were only observed by Ramizam, who would then relay these observations to the narrators, with Loken providing supplementary information.

Lamizain also asked Peturabo why the scribes weren't allowed to participate in recording these important events. After all, they had already recorded the scene of the delegation's first visit, and it would be in line with imperial tradition to select some of them to serve as auditors or sketch artists afterwards.

Peturabo's response largely focused on two points: "We shouldn't have let them run around and add variables in the first place" and "We can't add any more people to your team!"

Given that Lucius, who is currently dedicated to beating up all the officers every day, seems to be considered part of his team (?), Ramizan eventually accepted this explanation. Of course, Perturabo also made a great effort to get him to accept this explanation, using Horus's body and a wolf-skin cloak.

As for the outrage, screams, and the tearing of three palaces into the colossus of the audience in the small world of the Laurel Ring that his efforts provoked, and the fact that a certain machine spirit on the now chaotic Destiny Steel was rapidly moving from a carefree, handsome metal statue towards a cliff-like, weathered rock, that was another matter entirely. In their rhythmic conversation, they had learned that the Interrex had a very long history of leaving Terra; over three thousand years ago, this branch of humanity, which had set out as an exploration fleet, encountered this alien race now known as the Kambraco in the vastness of space.

At that time, the Kambraco people were already a highly advanced spacefaring civilization, having roamed the stars for over 150 centuries, and their first encounter was not peaceful.

“That was actually our first large-scale formal war with another race,” said General Shehan, sipping his pale white wine. “The war lasted for a hundred years, but we ultimately won. However, because we developed the translator, a means of communication that precisely conveys the meaning of language, the two sides eventually reached a surrender agreement. The Kambrako chose to assimilate into our society during the exile and joining process, becoming a minority in Interrex society. Thus, we have lived in harmony for three thousand years. We have also learned a lot from this war, including reflections on humanity, on peace, and on the necessity of continuing to develop the technology of aria translation, and so on.”

"Congratulations on your Tower of Babel not falling. The Kambrako people must have some extraordinary abilities," the Lord of Steel said with a smile.

"Ah, why do you say that?" The chief representative of Shehan was probably a little tipsy, but he was reluctant to put down the chilled, sweet wine in his hand, and instead took two more sips. "That's a strange thing to say, Your Highness."

“As you have seen,” said the Lord of Steel, “our civilization…our emperor places great emphasis on military and war-related elements.”

"Indeed, I am impressed by your military performance and the culture that emphasizes military affairs."

"That's why I pay more attention to this aspect, please don't mind it—would you like another drink?"

"Oh dear, that won't do... Alright, half a cup, half a cup will do."

"As you can see, there are no other races besides Terran humans in our legions here, not even the auxiliary forces."

Saint Gilles glanced at him with slight surprise at the deliberate and precise use of the qualifier.

“That’s true,” said General Representative Shehan. “I’ve also noticed—well, though, why would those people remove parts of their own bodies to that extent? Is it because of disease?”

“Oh, that’s another matter—their world culture is clearly slightly different from that of the Terra Empire, which we can discuss later—so we’re quite interested in the position and number of the Kambrako in your army—was this also part of your treaty agreement back then? Were they part of a mercenary group or were soldiers recruited into the army by agreement?”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head, Your Highness. Your father must value you highly. Your learning ability and keen insight are truly remarkable.”

"Hahahaha... So, will you answer me, Chief Representative?"

“Hmm…” Sherhan finally put down his glass and thought for a while. “It’s not a particularly secret. If you want to find out after you arrive in Zenobia, you can find out. So why don’t I tell you?”

"Oh, that's wonderful, we're all ears."

“The Kambrako people…” Shehan said carefully, “Although they were generally on the decline when the war with us began, their accumulated experience of exploring deep space over the past ten thousand years is undoubtedly profound. Their civilization and technology are advanced, especially their special skills in military affairs, which have enabled our society to make great progress in military strength after accepting them.”

What special talent does it have?

"The Lord of Steel asked curiously."

"It's mainly the skill of forging special weapons and equipment," Shehan replied. "You saw those four-legged machines when our delegation arrived, didn't you?"

“I saw them. I thought they were some kind of large mechanical dogs,” the Iron Lord shrugged, looking quite relaxed. “They must be very useful.”

"Ah... This is the first time I've heard of the term 'mechanical dog.' Actually, we call them 'mechanical centaurs' here."

"Centaur? I noticed you used the archaic word Sagittarius. Ah, how amazing, even in a place so far from Terra, constellations are still named that. Are they related to the soldiers in your ranks who use ceremonial bows and arrows?"

“Those are not ceremonial bows and arrows.” General Representative Shehan smiled, a smile that only appears when showcasing one’s advanced civilization. “Those are our standard-issue weapons. They will merge with those mechanical horses to become Sagittarius. These bows and arrows, like those mechanical horses, are forged by the Kambrako people, who are the most outstanding war craftsmen.”

“I think this explains why the Kambrako people have been able to integrate into your society for three thousand years. — But if I may be so bold, those bows and arrows look like they were made a thousand years ago in ancient Terra.”

“That’s just how it appears.” Chief Representative Shehan nodded understandingly. “Some of the Kambrako’s weapons may indeed seem harmless or non-threatening to those who are unaware of their capabilities. But often, some of them are actually the most powerful.”

"Could you perhaps demonstrate or explain it to us?"

“Ah.” The Grand Representative shook his head. “This is actually outside my area of ​​expertise and responsibility, and I apologize that I cannot grant your request, Your Highness. However, I believe that given Governor Naod’s reception habits and our hospitality, he will certainly include the Instrument Hall in your tour itinerary—generally, the highest-level welcoming procession will end there. There, more specialized personnel will answer your questions about these Kambrako weapons and equipment. Of course, it also offers other functions, such as showcasing our history with the Kambrako people, war memorials, remembrance, reflection, and so on.”

"Oh? It sounds like a very important and solemn building. If you had to describe it in the language of Terra, what words would you choose?"

“That is…” Chief Representative Shehan was clearly a little drunk, but before taking his leave, he still politely answered the Primarch’s question. The elegant harmonies of the translators conveyed his meaning, “It is an armory, but also a museum.”

(End of this chapter)