Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 186 The Drake Family and Lucifer's Black Guard

At the Primarch's villa, Nimrod's gaze passed over Barton, the patriarch of the Drake family, and fell upon the black-armored warriors standing on either side of him.

The two black-armored warriors were strong, with broad, thick shoulders and hard legs as if carved by knives and axes.

Their weathered faces and necks were covered with pale scars.

Ninglu sensed their powerful aura, which was no less than that of the Fenris people, and recognized their identities from the medals awarded for the "Unification War" that adorned their chests.

He looked at Barton: "Barton, are they Lucifer's Blackguard?"

Commander Barton of the Sun Auxiliary Army replied respectfully, "Yes, sir."

"Please allow me to introduce you."

Patton turned to the side, revealing a soldier standing to his left rear, clad in black bulletproof armor, whose right eye had been replaced by a prosthetic.

"Captain Theo, his swordsmanship is highly praised even among the 'Lucifer Blackguards'."

Ning Lu's dark eyes narrowed as he looked at the power sword at his waist.

Theo's swordsmanship must be close to the limits of mortals.

He remembered that the captain of the "Lucifer Blackguards," Chain, was an excellent swordsman and had exchanged several blows with "Alpharis," leaving him with a sword wound.

Although "Alpharis" was actually a company commander from the "Twentieth Legion" in disguise, his combat strength as a company commander during his time in the Legion far exceeded that of ordinary Astartes.

Patton then turned to his right, revealing another soldier whose arm had been replaced by a machine and who was wearing a bulletproof jacket.

"Laurent the Shieldbearer, he once blocked ten of Theo's swords."

Ninglu stared at the old medals on the chests of the two black-armored warriors.

"Lucifer Blackguard made enormous sacrifices in the 'War of Unification,' and your achievements are admirable."

Theo and Laurent felt honored to receive the Primarch's praise, and they bowed slightly.

"Primarch, thank you for your praise."

Patton, nearing forty, sighed: "Sir, because of their great sacrifices, there are now fewer than a hundred men left."

"Captain Theo only has Laurent as his sole warrior."

"The mighty army that once dominated the battlefield now serves as bodyguards for high-ranking officers."

The two Lucifer Blackguards wore complex expressions, a mixture of nostalgia for the past and sorrow for their present predicament.

Ninglu nodded slightly, knowing that the "Lucifer Blackguard" had not been rebuilt during the entire "Great Expedition".

Rebuilt after the Horus Rebellion, they served as elite royal guards to protect the palace, and also frequently acted as bodyguards for Terran nobles and high lords.

Knowing the situation and future of "Lucifer Blackguard," he had already guessed Theo and Laurent's intentions, but he wanted the two of them to tell him on their own initiative.

"What is the purpose of your visit?"

Theo stepped forward and spoke.

"My lord, please help us rebuild 'Lucifer's Blackguard'."

Ning Lu tapped the back of the chair lightly with his fingers: "Why are you asking me for help?"

"Didn't the one who held the seal help you?"

Barton spoke before Theo, explaining to the Primarch.

"My lord, Lord Macado is too busy with important matters to pay attention to this."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"Moreover, although the Lucifer Blackguards do not have high requirements for equipment, the training time and resources for each soldier far exceed the standards of the Sun Auxiliary Army."

Ninglu nodded slightly, already understanding why the "Lucifer Blackguard" could not be rebuilt during the "Great Expedition".

Although Lucifer's Black Guard is stronger than many auxiliary troops, it takes too long to complete and its combat power is not as good as Astartes'.

It's better to train Astartes than to train "Lucifer Blackguards".

The "Great Expedition" was extremely resource-intensive, so Makado naturally wouldn't waste his time on the inefficient "Lucifer Blackguards".

"The world under your rule is prosperous, populous, and rich in resources, which can help 'Lucifer's Blackguard' return to its peak."

After Barton explained his purpose, Theo and Laurent felt a sinking feeling when they saw that the Primarch remained silent. "Without them, who will protect you?"

Upon hearing that the Primarch was actually thinking of him, Barton felt a surge of warmth throughout his body and straightened his chest.

“My lord, I am not so old that I cannot hold a sword. The Drake family also has elite guards, although they are far inferior to Theo and his men.”

"Theo and Laurent are my guards, my friends, my brothers. We fight side by side."

"I hope they can restore the glory of 'Lucifer Blackguard'!"

Theo and Laurent looked at Barton gratefully, and Ninglu, who had seen all three of their expressions, smiled and said.

"Patton, your safety is also important. I have a large number of soldiers under my command who have not undergone complete modification surgery."

More than 15,000 Vostonian auxiliary soldiers have undergone at least one modification surgery.

Ninglu supported the reconstruction of "Lucifer Blackguard" precisely for this reason.

He hoped that some of the auxiliary soldiers, after being influenced by Lucifer's Blackguard culture and undergoing rigorous training, would become better soldiers.

"I will select elite guards to protect you."

The Terawa are relatively independent, and the Drake family is the largest family among the Empire's forces that has sided with the Primarch.

Currently, most of the Terran forces that have allied with Nimrod are military forces. Drake has served in the military for generations, and his family members all hold positions in the Sun Auxiliary Army.

In his memory, the Drake family had prospered for ten thousand years, with each generation having a family member serving as the Lord Commander of the Astronautical Army.

Even those from the marginalized collateral branches of the family would receive a trading license and become traveling merchants.

Sending guards would both protect Patton's safety and exert influence over the Drake family.

Ninglu looked at the two black-armored warriors and spoke.

"You can select the first batch of soldiers from the auxiliary army and recover quickly."

"You can also select new recruits from the worlds under my rule. In the worlds outside of Vostonia, your priority is second only to the Legion."

"You will receive weapon and equipment replenishment. Each soldier will be equipped with at least shell armor, and captains and above will receive precision-engineered power armor."

Theo and Laurent were surprised that the Primarch was not only willing to help them, but also treated them so well, and the two knelt down on one knee.

“My lord, the 'Lucifer Blackguards' will swear allegiance to you to the death.”

“I will obey any command I receive.”

Ninglu rose from the throne, came to the two men, and helped them up.

“No need for formalities,” he said, turning to the Primarch’s servant. “Arsena, take them there.”

"Barton, you stay."

After the Primarch's servants left with two Lucifer Blackguards, Nimrod spoke to Barton.

"You should know that my legion has already taken control of six star systems centered around Necromonda."

"My lord, I know, a brilliant blitzkrieg by six battle groups."

Barton's eyes gleamed; his decision to join Nimrod stemmed from his admiration for the Primarch's swift and precise strikes.

The Shadowmoon Wolf's attacks were more ferocious and its achievements more remarkable, but the Order Shadow was more precise and deadly, and brought a new order to the reclaimed world.

Patton admired Nimrod more than Horus.

“Necromonda has a large population, but it is not being fully utilized. I need the elite of the Sun Auxiliary Army to go there and reform the old-style army.”

Nimrod will not leave the Fourth Warband in Necromonda for long; once Adams establishes order, he will transfer the Death Lords away.

“My lord, I will select retired elites from Drake and his affiliated families.”

"They will take their elite soldiers to Necromonda to forge a loyal and elite army for you."

As Nimrod met with numerous families, Black Wolf began experiencing a nightmare cycle within the "Land of Chaos."

　P.S.: It seems there aren't any individual images of the old 100-man team, so just make do with these.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)