Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 254 Makado's Gift to the Winner of the Fire Wheel
After the Battle of the Wheel of Fire ended, Primarch Leman Ruth and Hannibal returned to Terra before Nimrod.

While preparing for the celebration, the person in charge of the seal also launched a massive publicity campaign.

The people of Terra eagerly awaited the celebrations: the Emperor's return from the front lines of the expedition, the return of one Primarch, and the triumphant return of three Primarchs—something they had been anticipating for months.

In the tenth Sun Moon of 822.M30, the celebrations finally began, with the Emperor and Primarch Nimrod and Manus arriving on Terra.

The people of Terra gathered around Lionsgate Starport, looking up at the sky and watching the two Skyhawk shuttles slowly descend.

Nimrod and Manus walked out amidst cheers.

Numerous servo skulls, each equipped with megaphones and silk ribbons, were surrounding the area, chanting loudly.

"Praise be to the Emperor, the Lord of Mankind, the Lord of the Throne of Terra!"

"Homage to Lord Nimrod, son of the Emperor, Primarch of the Eleventh Legion, King of Vostoria, Alien Slayer, Orc Purifier!"

"Welcome, Lord Fernus Manus, the Primarch of the Tenth Legion, the Gorgon of Medusa!"

The Imperial Ceremonial Band played beautiful melodies, mingling with hymns played through the servo skull amplifiers and the cheers of the crowd.

Ruth and Hannibal stood on either side of Macardo, welcoming the three.

Manus had never seen so many people before; the crowd chanted his name like a tidal wave.

His passion surged like a torrent, temporarily breaking through his cold logic; his heart was in turmoil, but his face remained stern.

Russ, standing opposite him, saw a fleeting, intense tremor in Russ's silver eyes.

Nimrod intuitively sensed Manus's emotions, then looked at Makado, who was striding forward.

"My lord, welcome back."

The emperor looked at his old friend, noticing that he had developed another nasolabial fold compared to their last meeting, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"My seal bearer, you've worked hard."

Ning Lu discerned complex emotions in Old Huang's simple words.

It shows both an understanding of the hardships endured by those in charge and empathy and concern.

A smile appeared on Makado's tired face.

"It is my duty and my honor."

Makado then looked at Ninglu, his voice low.

"Ninglu, your achievements are admirable. The victory of slaying the orc warlord is a victory worth remembering."

Ninglu nodded in acknowledgment: "Glory belongs to the shadow of order. Their valiant fighting enabled me to confront the orc warlords and slay the great enemy for the empire."

He noticed that the wolf king's gaze held both frank and sincere admiration, as well as a provocative and cold edge.

Makado finally looked at Manus: "Welcome back, Finus Manus, Gorgon from Medusa."

Manus, upon hearing Macardo's words, replied in a leaden voice, in cold, hard High Gothic.

"Signature, it is a pleasure to meet you. Ninglu told me that you coordinated the logistics of the entire empire, which is astonishing."

The group then boarded the open-top vehicles prepared for them and slowly moved forward amidst cheers from the crowd.

The journey ended, and everyone entered the Golden Banquet Hall.

For this banquet, Macado used a marble circular table.

The Emperor took the throne, and Macado sat to his right.

As the second Primarch to return and the greatest contributor to the "Wheel of Fire" campaign, Nimrod naturally sat opposite the Emperor.

As the Primarch who had just returned to the Empire, Manus was given a position by Macardo opposite himself, closer to the Emperor.

Ruth sat next to Macardo, with Hannibal opposite him.

Products from the various agricultural worlds of the Empire are cooked by Terra's top chefs and served on the table.

The emperor extended his fork toward the crystal goblet, where five hundred flamingo tongues formed a coral reef.

He used his golden fork to pick up the flamingo tongue and put it in his mouth, his tongue tasting the acidity of the masala wine and the tenderness of the meat.

After the red bird's tongue fell into the stomach, the emperor looked at Manus.

"Manus, Medusa is poor in resources, but today we shall enjoy the delicacies of the stars."

“Yes, Father.” Manus forked a piece of red sparrow tongue and then scooped up the salted snails with a silver spoon.

During their stay on the Shadow of the Throne, their diet consisted mainly of seafood, vegetables, and Kraken steak from the Cradle of the Sea.

Finus is now more interested in meat like snails. As he savors their salty and tender flavor, he hears two shouts rang out at the same time.

The chef standing in front of the lamb paused at the moment he swung his crescent-shaped silver knife to cut the loin meat.

Ruth's rebuke sounded like a roar to him, while Hannibal's voice was much more elegant, reminding him of court nobles.

Ruth slapped the cook with her large hand, shoving him away.

"No need to cut it, this is so delicious, just eat it as is."

He reached out to grab it, but Hannibal was faster.

"Your placement wasn't perfect; this is the perfect spot to make the cut."

With a swift, yet elegant, slice of his silver knife, Hannibal devoured the lamb, releasing the sweet, pungent aroma of pine nuts and figs. Ruth's eyes narrowed; for the first time, he felt his title as a glutton was being challenged.

Ruth immediately buried her head in her food, putting whole grilled ribs into her mouth.

In the blink of an eye, he emptied the plate in front of him. He watched as Hannibal remained elegant in his movements, but two plates were still left on the table.

Ruth grinned victoriously, raised the mead in his mouth, drank it all in one gulp, and then looked at Phenus.

"Fenris mead, the wine of true men."

Macado put down his knife, looked at Finus, and said with a smile, "You should give it a try."

Hannibal frowned slightly, took out a handkerchief, and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth.

You'll regret it if you drink it.

Phenus looked at the bronze drinking horn that Ruth was pushing towards him, pondered for a moment, and then spoke to Hannibal.

"I'll give it a try."

Ruth glanced disdainfully at Hannibal and said to Manus, "It's not drunk, mead is sipped."

Manus downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, the liquid sliding into his stomach.

Besides the burning sensation, he also smelled a familiar odor—the smell of engine oil.

[The Fenrisians are so strange; their wine tastes like organic oil.]
Manus said to Russ, who was waiting for his evaluation, "I still prefer Rasfod of Vostonia."

Ruth pursed her lips and said nothing more.

Away from the center of attention, Phenus habitually observes the crowd, taking in their expressions, tones, and actions, and analyzing them according to his logic.

Hannibal was very close to Nimrod, and they had a good relationship.

Ruth was reckless and belligerent, and had some disagreements with Nimrod. He wanted to prove through competition that he was his father's superior son.
Nimrod paid little attention to Russ's provocation and did not respond.

The elegant Hannibal had a certain peculiar fondness for food, unlike Ruth who simply wanted to fill his stomach. He savored fine dining, and it seemed that because of this difference in philosophy, he had no liking for Ruth.
Based on everyone's performance, Finus analyzed their surface behavior and gained a preliminary understanding of them. Macardo was the first to put down his cutlery.

After taking a sip of mead, he rose from his seat and gestured to his attendants.

Two attendants followed the one in charge of the seal and headed toward Ninglu.

Makado opened the smaller box first, and Ninglu, who had just stood up, saw that it contained a wooden puppet about the size of a normal person's fist.

White arcs radiate outwards from the center of the puppet's head.

In Ninglu's spiritual vision, the puppet shimmered with spiritual light, he thought to himself.

[It's a magical item; its spiritual radiance is weaker than the ring's, so it should be a Sequence 5 magical item.]
As he pondered, Makado spoke up.

"This puppet is one of the works of art I collect. Whenever I am in a bad mood, I always take it out and play with it."

"At this moment, my chaotic thoughts will temporarily disappear."

Ning Lu's eyes flickered as he secretly guessed.

[Puppet, slow-thinking.]

Does the puppet correspond to the "Master of the Puppets" in Sequence 5 of the "Fool" pathway?
As he pondered, Makado continued, "This is a gift I have prepared for the victor who will slay the Firewheel Orc warlord."

Ning Lu ascended to the first level of mental state and took the puppet.

He felt his thoughts momentarily stagnate, but then quickly returned to normal.

When Makado saw Ninglu's dark eyes, he was stunned for only two seconds before regaining his senses, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He then said, "Your willpower is astonishing."

Ning Lu felt the gazes of Old Man Huang and the others on him, and he spoke calmly.

“My offspring and I have a perception far exceeding that of other Astartes. In order to prevent them from being overwhelmed by chaotic emotions, I have learned techniques for tempering the will from the Book of Thelma.”

“Not bad technique,” ​​Makado nodded slightly, then said, “I’ve also prepared a gift for you personally.”

"Vostonia generously provided me with assistance and supplies for the 'Great Expedition'."

“Now, five forging worlds have been established in the nearby sector, providing supplies to the surrounding Imperial armies, but I still want to express my gratitude to you.”

“This is a gift I prepared personally.” He gestured to his men to open another, much larger box, revealing a set of gleaming armor inside.

"This set of armor is what I obtained from the treasury of the false king Akkad during the 'War of Unification'."

He gazed at Ning Lu's imposing figure and continued speaking.

"You may have your offspring modify it into a half-body inner armor."

Ning Lu looked at the shimmering spiritual light on the armor and thought to himself.

[The spiritual radiance is weaker than that of a puppet; is it at Sequence 6?]
He hadn't expected to gain anything unexpected, so he spoke up.

"Macado, thank you for the gift."

The Emperor's voice was gentle: "Ninglu, you have made great contributions to the Empire."

"Tomorrow, you, Ruth, and Hannibal will receive your awards at the celebration, in front of the people of the Empire."

“Manus, the people will cheer for your return. I look forward to you achieving the same success in the future, and I will hold the same grand celebration for you.”

(End of this chapter)