Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 258 The Emperor's Definition of the Nimrod Constellation (Third Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Ninglu followed the underground passage of the Cold Palace all the way to the entrance of the Great Observatory.

He saw three imperial guards in golden armor standing at the entrance.

Constantine Waldo, the commander of the Imperial Guards in the center, spoke to Ninglu.

“My master, the emperor of mankind, your father, awaits you in the Constellation Palace.”

Ninglu nodded slightly. Without Waldo's guidance, even without activating "Warspace Gaze," he could see the dazzling light emanating from the Emperor.

He strode forward and entered the Constellation Hall.

The entire palace, just as its name suggests, feels like being surrounded by stars when you step inside.

Surrounding the four walls of the entire constellation hall is an unfolded constellation scroll, and Old Huang gazes at the starry river on the wall with his back to him.

Old Huang didn't turn around. He said to Ninglu, "Constellations are an ancient and unreliable astronomical concept. The Imperial Expeditionary Fleet has begun to draw more detailed maps of the universe."

His tone was deep as he drifted into memories.

"But in the distant past, people believed there were twenty constellations in the sky."

“One day, I will have twenty children just like you.”

"Each offspring represents the personality and values ​​of a zodiac sign, so which zodiac sign do you like the most?"

Looking around at the murals, Nimrod saw not only the twelve zodiac signs but also eight famous constellations.

[The constellation Corvus clearly corresponds to Kovacs Corax.]

Orion is composed of a belt and a sword, and in Old Huang's heart, it should belong to Riemann Russ.

The Hydra, derived from the nine-headed Hydra in mythology, is the most fitting match for Alphareus and Omega.
After a moment's thought, Ninglu spoke:
"It's hard to say which one I admire the most."

"The Sextans was named by Hevilius in honor of the sextant he used for a long time to measure the altitude of celestial bodies. It symbolizes multi-dimensional exploration in science, culture, and philosophy. And I have descended upon Vasconia, the land founded by his race."

"The constellation Scutum is also named after Hevilius, who symbolizes protection and responsibility. This is what I seek: to protect Vosconia and the world under my rule, and to ensure their prosperity. This is my responsibility."

“The constellation Crater, with its four fourth-magnitude stars, is a symbol of power and victory, as well as power and checks and balances. This is why I have preserved the Voskovia arbitration system.”

As Ning Lu spoke, the current conversation awakened his memories.

After the victory at Ulanno, Old Man Huang found Horus and had a similar conversation with him.

Let me think about how Horus answered.

Well, I'll tell you beforehand. When Old Man Huang hears Horus say it again, his expression will definitely be priceless.
Thinking of this, he said quickly.

"I like Leo, it has a kingly majesty; Scorpio is fully armed and well-equipped."

When talking about Taurus, he made a slight change: "Although Taurus is stubborn, I also admire its tenacity; Libra caters to my pursuit of balance."

Ninglu thought of the constellation that Huang Laohan had defined for Horus, as well as the ring he had given him, and guessed why Huang Laohan had summoned him today.

Old Huang has clearly identified me as one of the twenty constellations and is going to give me my ring.

Hmm, all I remember is that Old Man Huang defined Horus as Sagittarius.
Ninglu's eyes flashed, and he pointed at the centaur holding a bow, a galloping warrior.

[I'll let you in beforehand what Old Huang will say to Old He; it'll definitely be very interesting.]
"I love the unparalleled Sagittarius; it's the most warlike sign."

"Powerful, ruthless, flamboyant, agile, and never backing down until the goal is achieved."

"In ancient times, it was the greatest constellation symbol, representing centaurs, iron cavalry, and hunters on the battlefield."

The emperor suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing as he stared at Ning Lu.

Ning Lu remained calm and continued, "The BMW Red Bow was once the most powerful weapon of its time, invincible."

"Over time, mythology forged the knight and the steed into one, creating the image of the centaur."

"It is the perfect combination of man and war machine. I command thousands of troops like a centaur galloping across the battlefield."

After Ning Lu finished speaking, he looked at Old Man Huang and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“I appreciate your choice, but what surprises me is that you didn’t mention the other zodiac sign.”

"I think this is the most suitable zodiac sign for you."

His golden eyes were fixed on the golden wings behind Ninglu.

"Pegasus is the constellation that best represents you and is most suitable for you."

"In Greek mythology, after Perseus killed Medusa, a swift winged horse flew out." "You were in Medusa, you killed the golden mechanical eagle, and obtained golden wings, which corresponds to the myth."

The emperor shifted his gaze back to the mural, raised his hand, and pointed to the stars:

"Do you see this painting?"

"Dominating the galaxies is a right inherent to humankind!"

"These bright spots in the sky will one day belong to us."

The emperor looked up, his gaze piercing through the dome and the thick industrial smog, and said in a passionate tone, "Imagine Ninglu!"

"Every planet has its own unique culture, and we will build a magnificent kingdom on every planet!"

"Without bloodshed and the brutal oppression of aliens, as long as you don't make any big mistakes, this is not a dream."

The emperor withdrew his gaze, his golden eyes fixed on Ning Lu.

"Pegasus possesses the courage to overcome all difficulties, and the wisdom to harness its extraordinary power."

"You are Pegasus, you will bring destruction to all of humanity's enemies and bring me victory on the battlefield."

As Old Huang finished speaking, he stretched out his left hand in front of Ning Lu, opened his palm, and revealed a gold ring in his palm.

Ninglu looked at the ring, which was weathered and almost unrecognizable by the erosion of time. He could barely make out the horseshoes and wings from the blurry pattern.

Compared to the blurry pattern, the spiritual radiance shining on it is exceptionally dazzling.

This ring corresponds to at least a high-sequence item, and there are twenty such rings.

It's uncertain whether Old Man Huang gave them all to each Primarch, after all, the only Sagittarius Ring I know of was given to Horus in Ulanor.

There might be rings that haven't been delivered to some Primarchs yet, and the grand birthday celebration has already begun. We'll try to find a way to get them all later.
While Ning Lu was pondering, Old Man Huang continued:

"It was made in Persia the year before I was born."

"Pegasus, invincible, that's you."

"My Pegasus, vanquish the enemies of the stars and bring me endless triumph!"

Ninglu accepted the Pegasus Ring and said:
"My Lord, as you wish."

On the fifth day after arriving in Terra, Nimrod returned to the Shadow of the Throne and met with "The Conman" Tierney.

The Shadow of Reigns, Primarch's Private Office.

"My lord, I previously practiced the art of 'fraud' and acquired 250 items from various families, mainly European nobles."

“They are the elite of Terra, and I am not absolutely certain that I can maintain this deception. To ensure that the spoils can be offered to you, I have given up the false identity of Eric.”

“One solar month ago, the families were unable to contact me, realized they had been deceived, and began searching for me.”

Tierney frowned; he had underestimated the power of the Terran nobles.

Once they united, his ship was forced to leave Terra to hide.

"To avoid being exposed, and more importantly, to avoid causing you trouble, I am only carrying these five portable items and have come here secretly."

"Please send ships to receive them, sir."

Ning Lu shook his head slightly and said, "There's no need for such trouble."

The Primarch transmitted the details of the sacrificial ritual to Tierney telepathically, and then spoke:
"Just do it this way."

Tierney's eyes widened in astonishment. He thought to himself, "[The Black Emperor, the monarch who has descended upon Vostronia, the one to end this chaotic world of strife!]"
After a dozen seconds, he calmed his turbulent emotions and spoke.

“My lord, I understand.”

"My lord, there is something I believe you should pay attention to."

"About a year ago, rumors began to circulate above Terra that were detrimental to you and the Shadow of Order."

　PS: These twenty constellations, besides the twelve zodiac signs, also include eight other famous constellations: Orion, Hydra, Sextans, Crater, Corvus, Scutum, Pegasus, and Cetus. The official novel explicitly states that only Horus is a Sagittarius, but most of the others are easily guessed; there will be related constellation ring plots later.

　　I'm asking for monthly votes, so I won't post it at 23:23 anymore; I'll schedule it for 12:33 instead. In the LEX entry, 12 is the sacred number of Nimrod, the god of all machines, and Nimrod also has golden wings on his back. 33 is also a sacred number of Nimrod, so this timing is appropriate.

　　Finally, I'm asking for monthly votes to reach 2,000. If that's about right today, I'll update three more chapters tomorrow. Monthly votes, monthly votes, monthly votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)