Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 512 Peturabo, complete your artwork, and I will turn your ideal city into reality.
Arsène Dunne, representing Ninglu, waited on the tarmac. Upon seeing Peturabo, he immediately stepped forward and saluted.

"grown ups."

"Take me to see Ninglu."

Alsena compared Lord Peturabo's tone and expression with the last time, and thought uncertainly.

He seemed to be in a slightly better mood than last time.
Without time to think deeply, he said respectfully.

"Sir, please follow me."

Peturabo strode forward amidst the loud chanting of the servo skull.

"Primarch, Lord Peturabo, Lord of the Iron, Hammer of Olympia, Glorious Victor of Campinas..."

The Trident followed behind their Primarch, and they were more relaxed than usual.

Perturabo entered the palace, his icy blue eyes sweeping over the asymmetrical architecture before settling on Nimrod and Kion behind him.

He also saw two soldiers without the distinctive black paint scheme of the Order Shadows, but the numbers on their shoulders indicated that they belonged to the Nineteenth Legion.

"Petulabo, congratulations on your glorious victory in the Campinas system, where you destroyed the alien's artificial war satellite."

Peturabo's icy blue eyes sparkled as he spoke with admiration.

"Ninglu, your offspring are quite good."

"He plays an important role in Campinas, and the Iron Warriors will learn from the Shadow of Order."

Nimrod keenly sensed the smugness and satisfaction that Peturabo was deliberately concealing, and he signaled to the Primarch's servant to activate the hologram.

"I really want to hear from you in person and tell me everything about the Battle of Campinas."

“I’d be happy to share everything there with you,” Peturabo said to Nimrod, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, without taking a step forward. “I’d like to invite you to the Ironblood Tear, where I will tell you everything.”

"And my new works that I create in my spare time."

Upon hearing this, Ninglu readily replied, "I would be delighted to visit your flagship."

The two Primarchs boarded a Skyhawk shuttle and flew to the 20-kilometer-long iron-gray Queen Glory-class battleship.

Ninglu entered Peturabo's command room and immediately felt a sense of oppression.

Although this is one of the few places on the Steelblood with windows, the windows are just narrow, slit-like gaps between arched iron beams.

After bowing to each other, the steel warriors and their servants immediately threw themselves into their arduous and busy work.

Peturabo began to succinctly explain the tactical approach and series of actions he had adopted at Campinas, with Ninglu occasionally offering words of praise.

Gradually, Peturabo began to explain in more and more detail.

After finishing his narration on a ship standard day, he still felt somewhat unsatisfied.

He walked to the workbench and pointed to a model on it.

"This is a fortress I casually built while commanding the battle."

Ning Lu walked up to the model and bent down to observe it.

"It adopts a modular design, and modules such as energy core, defensive fortifications, and firepower units can be selected as needed."

"Ingenious design, appropriate resource allocation, and flexible fulfillment of different firepower requirements."

"You've even considered the future, with civilian buildings and fortifications combined into one, and every part of the building serving as a bunker, stronghold, and barracks."

Peturabo said casually, "It's just a piece of work I did on the spot. I'll turn it into technical data and give it to you."

"Of course I need it, but I'd like to see more of your ingenuity in other areas besides tools of war."

Nimrod asked tentatively, knowing that only Magnus had visited Peturabo's private collection.

Peturabo's eyes lit up. "Of course."

He said to the blade of his trident, "Fricks:"

"Take the rest of you to rest."

Nimrod followed Peturab toward his private palace.

One of the long cables above his head connected to the cables of the gate, accompanied by a rumbling mechanical sound.

Nimrod entered Peturabo's palace, which was smaller than his own.

Not only because the Shadow of the Throne has more space, but also because Peturabo is rarely here; he is always busy in the command room developing various plans and reviewing every report.

Nimrod felt somewhat disoriented; Peturabo's palace reminded him of Phenus Manus's steel wagons, like the dwellings of a forging workshop. But he immediately noticed the difference: compared to forging, there were more engineering elements here.

A workbench integrating an integrated environment simulator, structural strength tester, and vibration test bench; laser files and variable-temperature soldering irons arranged opposite each other...

The entire palace lacked measuring and calculation tools such as digital calipers or laser rangefinders, yet it was orderly and well-organized.

Ninglu walked toward a stone platform, where he saw blueprints hanging around him and lifelike unfinished artworks on stone bases.

Seeing that they hadn't yet been put into a private storehouse, he knew that Peturabo still harbored some hopes.

"It is a city of grand vision, based on the formula of Denifol Astokon, in which you use the tools of science and art to give perfect proportions with the laws of perspective."

"You understand the art of Olympia?" A hint of surprise flashed in Peturabo's cold eyes.

Ninglu's gaze remained fixed on the model building complex.

“Your art has surpassed the ideas of Olympia, a world where the ideas are incomplete and the philosophers are focused on classification.”

"The tools of art and science are the same. Everything is part of the same whole."

"You use steel and glass to unify them and build a magnificent complex, an awe-inspiring palace."

Peturabo's eyes grew brighter and brighter. This was something Magnus hadn't even mentioned; it was his hidden design philosophy within the architecture, a secret he once thought no one would ever discover.

The "Corrupted Baron's" gaze finally settled on the most dazzling building, and the model instantly transformed into countless shapes: circular outlines, foundation plans...

"The most amazing thing is the Grand Theatre, which is a perfect embodiment of geometric beauty."

Peturabo's lips twitched, but he realized it just before it fully rose and forced himself to calm down.

He recalled the artistic ideas they exchanged when the three of them traveled together to the center of the galaxy to devise a plan to attack the Skots.

As Peturabo was lost in his memories, Ninglu looked at him, his dark eyes meeting Ninglu's icy blue ones.

Why not finish it?

Nimrod had to admit that Peturabo's concept, which combined practicality and artistry, was a perfect building, comparable only to Tizika.

His previous model cities focused more on efficiency while also taking the environment into consideration.

Even if I were to redesign it from a "geometric" perspective now, I could probably only achieve this level of quality.
Peturabo unconsciously looked away, remaining silent for several seconds before speaking.

"It would require a lot of resources and be too fragile to exist in today's brutal galaxy."

His eyes were filled with gloom.

"Peaceful and prosperous cities were destroyed in the flames of barbarian attacks; this has happened every moment in Terra's past, in this galaxy."

"Therefore, it is meaningless. I think only you and Magnus would appreciate it. The other brothers would only think that it would become a meaningless wreck in the disaster."

"Art without protection and defense is a fragile thing. Even our beautiful angel, in his angel castle, has no space for art."

Peturabo said helplessly, "Father will not allow me to expend a lot of resources to build a utopia."

“No.” Ninglu shook his head in denial. Perturabo turned to look at him, his eyes filled with an inescapable melancholy.

"Art is not always fragile, as long as its shield is strong enough."

“My Ramirez-class Star Fortress can protect the void, my Fortress-class Energy Shield can protect the entire city, and the Shadow of Order is the shield of protection.”

Ning Lu stared into the ice-blue eyes and said earnestly.

“I have enough resources to build such a city, so…”

He emphasized his words and made a promise.

"Petulabo, finish your artwork, and I will bring your ideal city to life."

"I hope that Vostochny can build a city like this."

Peturabo's eyes lit up, shining like blue stars, and his rock-like voice was unusually warm.

"it is good."

Upon leaving Peturab's palace, Nimrod naturally made his request.

“Petulabo, I would like to ask you to help me design a special weapon.”

“Of course, no problem,” Peturabo said confidently. “It won’t prevent me from finishing it.”

(End of this chapter)