Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 251 "The Conman"

Terra, Europa, Komag Family Castle.

Compared to nobles in other regions, most of them lived in nest towers, and owning a large estate was a manifestation of Komag's power and wealth.

The heads of various noble families in Europe boarded the shuttle, landed on the tarmac, adjusted their robes, and entered Komag Castle.

The nobles gathered around Chief Komag, each eager to speak with this powerful man.

The Marquise de Draquis from the Terran court, wearing an ivory gown and a rose gold necklace with a net pattern, walked up to Chief Komag.

"Komag, when will our guest of honor, the distinguished Graham von Eric, make his appearance?"

The surrounding European nobles listened intently.

Chief Komag smiled and, to show his close relationship with Eric, addressed him by his name.

"Graham is about to appear, everyone please be patient."

"Gentlemen, have you thought it through? Are you ready to participate in this adventure?"

The blue-haired nobleman dressed in burgundy spoke first: "Of course, the paradise world is only sixty-nine light-years away from Terra."

"Once completed, it will surely be sought after by all the nobles of Terra."

“If Eric didn’t just need the antiquities to build a museum for visitors to see, I would be willing to invest 20 percent of Sun Moon’s working capital in this golden opportunity.”

The surrounding nobles echoed their sentiments.

“Yes, no one would miss such an opportunity. I have been to Thalos, which is located between the boiling magma of Io and the artificial ocean of Europa.”

"That massive structure is a huge entertainment facility where Jupiter's elite revel in opera, but it's far too boring compared to Eric's project."

“That’s right, even Venus’s orbital resort can’t compare to Eric’s magnificent project.”

"..."

The con artist Tierney paused outside the banquet, overhearing the whispers of the nobles.

With a smile on his face and his head held high amidst the waiters' praise, the "fraudster" walked into the banquet hall.

"The esteemed Lord Eric has arrived!"

The waiter's voice drew the attention of all the nobles, who turned to look at "Eric".

The high-bun hairstyle was the most popular style in the Terra court, and was considered by the nobles to be an embodiment of elegance and sophistication.

With a little makeup, his face exudes a noble air and unique style.

His meticulously groomed jawline exudes an aloof and detached charm that sets a new trend in fashion.

The Marquise de Draquis was the first to spend a fortune to alter her chin, and her unique style was imitated by many noble ladies in the Terra court.

The nobles then looked at Eric's finely crafted power armor. The Baroque-style armor was a relic of the "Dark Ages of Technology," and it was hard to find in the entire Terra.

Various ornaments hung from the surface of the armor, including ears of wheat made of topaz and silver chains made of white silver...

The nobles were all educated in art appreciation, and they could see that every piece of decoration was a work of art, highlighting his extraordinary nobility.

A velvet cloak, like a flawless first snowfall.

They all thought: [Such a suit of armor can only be maintained by highly skilled technicians; only the truly powerful and wealthy can afford the maintenance and upkeep costs.]
The "fraudster" activated his spiritual vision, reading envy and jealousy from the aura of the many nobles, without a trace of doubt.

[Indeed, to convince these nobles that I am a foreign noble, lavishly decorated warships, magnificent airships, and extravagant displays of wealth are all essential.]
The "fraudster" spent a huge amount of money to carry out this grand scam.

The Vosconian artisans in the heist team used the sacred template contributed by Howard Find to forge a high-quality power armor at great expense.

The ornaments on the armor were looted by the "thieves" from other areas of Terra.

The "fraudster" smiled slightly, and his extraordinary abilities gave him a "charm" that made even the Marquise de Draquis, who had seen countless people, dazzle.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

To complement the "con artist's" extraordinary abilities, Tierney had a special implant inserted into her throat.

That was when he was still a "thief," stealing from the Achaemenid imperial family that had surrendered to the empire.

Tierney's voice is deep and magnetic, like a musical performance.

"The Babylon I created is a true paradise."

"Babylon, with its thousands of coral islands, is scattered in the warm, turquoise waters, easing the stress of Terra, dispelling your weariness, and freeing you from worldly worries."

“Babylon has a mild, warm climate with plenty of sunshine, and each coral reef is home to billions of beautiful nautiluses.”

The "swindler's" eloquence drew the nobles into the scenarios he painted, making them listen to his every word.

“Each island of Babylon had magnificent palaces, tidy marble squares, rich gardens, and majestic amphitheaters.”

"The perfectly arranged pavilions allow you to take in the full beauty of the island." "Walking around the pavilions, the picturesque scenery will soothe your soul."

The nobles were immersed in the illusion created by the "con artist's" "mental interference," and each of them wore a satisfied, pleasant, and relaxed expression.

The "fraudster" felt his spirituality rapidly depleting and ended with a powerful statement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Babylon is your dream garden."

The nobles snapped out of the illusion created by the "mental disturbance," and each of them realized the immense value hidden within it.

The opera house on Jupiter and the orbital resort on Venus amassed enormous wealth from the Terran nobility, including themselves.

The rulers of the seals all rely to some extent on the support of the hundreds of noble families who control the opera house and the orbital resort.

The seal holder also provided protection for these families, and no one dared to reach out to them.

Now, they see a new opportunity.

The new paradise world—Babylon.

This is a golden opportunity that cannot be missed, and every nobleman wants a piece of the pie.

The blue-haired nobleman dressed in Burgundy red spoke first once again.

“Eric, your vision of Babylon is admirable.”

"But it will be very costly, please allow me to provide you with support."

Other nobles also realized this and expressed their willingness to offer their support, hoping to gain a share of the benefits.

Although Eric had refused their requests countless times, he might now feel pressured by their "sincerity" and accept their "goodwill."

The "fraudster" shook his head slightly, the decorations hanging on his armor gleaming in the eyes of the nobles.

The dazzling light made the nobles gasp and feel insecure.

Each of them could produce a piece of jewelry, and several dignitaries, such as Komag and the Marquise de Draquis, could even produce several.

But no one's armor is adorned with dozens of jewels like Eric's.

They even suspected that if the armor hadn't been limited in size, Eric's armor would have been covered with even more decorations.

"I don't need the money," the "scammer" said confidently.

The "fraudster" uses their spirituality to launch a "thought misdirection" campaign.

"My magnificent picture still needs pearls to adorn it!"

"But the jewel I need is the temple of art."

Chief Komag was the first to come to his senses, glancing at the nobles around him.

The historic Komag family has a heritage far surpassing that of other families, even the Marquise de Draquis cannot compare.

He confidently stated, "A temple of art."

“Babylon needed a temple of art, with objects from various eras that could visually represent the style of each time and bring artistic enjoyment to noble guests.”

"As the master of the seal said, 'The essence of human art can bring another level of spiritual enjoyment beyond natural scenery,' and art will be the perfect complement to natural scenery."

The "fraudster" looked gratefully at Chief Komag: "That's right, what I need are your treasured ancient artifacts."

“Every nobleman who generously provides works of art will share in the profits of Babylon with me.”

Many nobles gasped for breath, and Chief Komag smiled as he pointed to the clock above his head.

“Eric, the clock above my head was made in the eighteenth millennium to commemorate the invention of the subspace engine, which enabled humanity to transcend the concept of time in interstellar travel. It was made by the renowned master craftsman Rahim.”

He emphasized, “There are only fifteen in the entire Empire. They accompanied the first ships equipped with subspace engines, and only ten of them eventually returned to the Empire.”

"They are symbols of an era."

The conman felt his spirit become more vibrant, and the power within him dissolved. He bowed slightly and said, "This is exactly the artwork I've been dreaming of."

Komag was secretly pleased with himself, he thought to himself.

[This is a good start. Once Babylon is built, it will be mine sooner or later, just like I "bought" the Rahim clock from the merchant.]
Many nobles shared the same idea.

Although Eric was incredibly wealthy, they all believed that through force and intrigue, their family could exclusively possess the shining jewel of Babylon.

Two days later, the "fraudster" promised Babylon 90 percent of the profits in exchange for 250 items from various families.

After boarding the luxury airship, he thought to himself.

It was worth the years I spent selecting targets and meticulously crafting the image of an incredibly wealthy foreign aristocrat.

Through this scam, I felt I had perfectly mastered the power bestowed upon me by Lord Nimrod, becoming a true "scammer."
(End of this chapter)