This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 536 The Necromancer Supports Anything the Silent King Opposes

Network Space, Galactic Center-Olips Route, Dawn Bridge
As Guilliman began to listen intently to the renowned historian Tarachin recount the history of the Dead and the Necromancers of the cosmos, he had to admit one thing, even though he believed he had underestimated the Silence King's reliability as a leader.

There was still a gap between my imagination and reality.

The light from the dome of the government hall fell evenly, illuminating the fine etchings on Tarasin's metal body with crystal clarity. Guilliman maintained the posture befitting a ruler, but with his hand on his chin and his gaze completely focused on the necromancer.

"I find it difficult to describe a leader with such contradictory statements—"

"Sensitive and suspicious, self-righteous, blind to both appearance and mind. But he is also very capable."

When Tarachin spoke of the Silent King, Guilliman was shocked that a fellow ruler would speak of their leader in such a way, and at the same time sensed a deep resentment in his metallic face.

Since being subjected to Ramses's forced psychic education, Guilliman has found that his grasp of other people's emotions has become increasingly accurate.

Drawing on his early training in reading people and expressions under the guidance of Connor and Ms. Eaton, Guilliman also applied this skill to his perception of a living being's soul by observing subtle physiological activities.

At this moment, he could 'see' the dissatisfaction and sarcasm behind Taracin's words, which allowed him to grasp a person's emotions more accurately in simple exchanges, and thus to more smoothly manage the political situation within the empire.

This is why he was too lazy to change the empire's upper structure after taking over the administration.

Guilliman analyzed a person's data from the inside out, and each individual was like a transparent NPC in his eyes. Their actions and words would be listed with probabilities, and then certain probabilities would be adjusted up or down through intervention to serve his own purposes, thus manipulating the entire group from point to surface.

Guilliman has been trying to use his rational thinking to understand and deconstruct the subspace worldview.

This directly resulted in his progress in the course being too slow, to the point that many times when faced with Guilliman's questions, Ramses himself had to let the Eldar team finish researching the problems before he could explain them to Guilliman.

Surprisingly, Ramses, who usually disliked stupidity and was too lazy to talk to many people, was quite patient with Guilliman.

"He sensed the resentment of the Ancient Saints for their inability to control the short lifespans of the Death-Fearing Ones, and chose to continue this unjust war. But he was also powerful enough to unify the chaotic thoughts that arose after countless defeats, becoming the only dictator to dominate everything since the establishment of the Council of the Three Saints."

Tarachin's metallic body leaned slightly forward, and history, sculpted by the master Tarachin, unfolded before the audience.

"He was foolish enough to believe the Star God's deception and exterminate his own race, but he was also powerful enough to send all those who feared death into transformation for the Star God to devour, without exception."

Talazin didn't even bother to downplay the Silent King's abilities, but detailed his career as a member of the Council of the Three Saints, including his many perilous yet decisive choices, his internal purges, his war against the Old Saints, and how he maintained internal stability despite being at a severe disadvantage against the Old Saints' web.

Given that the average lifespan of those who fear death is thirty years, the fact that the Silent King could accomplish so much in such a short time undoubtedly proves his ability and demonstrates the qualities of a wise ruler.

But what was the result?
Um.
Hard to say.

As Guilliman listened, he unconsciously leaned deeper into the high-backed chair, one hand supporting his chin. Through the observation window on the side wall of the government hall, the ever-flowing network of energy reminded him of the secrets he had learned in the history of the Empire.

"This"

For no apparent reason, Guilliman's mind flashed to the image of a red-skinned, one-eyed Oglin.

Magnus seems to have been the same.

You might say he's useless, but not every psychic's message can completely destroy the internet.

You might say he's useful, but in every operation he undertakes, it's the friendly forces who suffer the most damage. He acts like he's doing this for your own good, feeding you bombs.

Honestly, this is the kind of person you can't do anything about.

He believes that everything he does is for your own good, and if he really messes things up and you resist, he will blame you.

"You can apply the same description to his son, Ahriman. In the name of the Legion, he planned to completely dismantle the mutated Legion. With a single red spell, he reduced the remaining tens of thousands of Thousands of Thousands to only a few hundred. No one in the entire Great Rebellion killed more traitors than him. He was even more impressive than Sigismund. Old Man Huang should really award him the Imperial Champion title."

Noticing Guilliman's thoughts, Ramses added.

Whether they were Astartes or ordinary people, they all began to use their hands to help control their facial expressions.

The Silent King exterminated the races he cared about, Magnus destroyed the emperor he valued, and Ahriman wiped out the legions he cherished.
It's true that the right strategy is more important than ability.

"Oh~"

Guilliman suddenly realized that he had discovered another little secret of the empire.

"Therefore, from a diplomatic standpoint, having some conflict with the Silent King is entirely beneficial."

Tarachin, who had known about this all along and even kept a copy of the video, concluded.

"Or rather, based on the individuals who reached a consensus with the Silent King in the past, and the subsequent history that followed, I sincerely believe that it is not a good thing for the Empire to reach a consensus with the Silent King in diplomacy."

While it may sound absurd, if the Silent King and the Wings of Dawn were to actually become close friends one day, he might really have to consider jumping ship.

The Silent King was indeed adept at turning the tide when things were about to collapse and preventing a great building from crumbling.

But don't ask how the storm came about, or why the building collapsed.

"I see."

Guilliman nodded and unfolded another list.

It details the existence of undead rulers in space, such as Zandrek the Crowned One and Anlakel the Traveler, who were comparable to the patriarchs of various dynasties, as well as Imotek the Storm King as a potential candidate.

"So, we don't need to communicate with the Silent King to reach a consensus with the vast majority of the Space Necromancers, because the Silent King doesn't represent the Space Necromancers at the moment. Being hostile to him might even win the favor of some of the Space Necromancers?"

After thinking for a while, Ifreni, who was considering the matter entirely from the perspective of the Empire, spoke with surprise.

Back then, she was constantly on guard against these ancient enemies that could shake the future of the galaxy, all under her mentor's manipulation. Turns out, she just left them there and they collapsed on their own, just like the Eldar Empire.

"more or less."

Tarasin shrugged, though he didn't think he could discredit the Silent King from the Necromancers' own assessment.

Tarachin's deeds are well-known. Even if he tries to deny it, his reputation within the Necromancers is extremely low. At most, due to his low status, he is ranked very low in the list of crimes related to bio-conversion.

Currently, the Necromancers in space have split into three major factions.

Tarachin vividly depicted Guilliman on the star map, using lifelike chess pieces.

Szalak the Silent King performed consistently, serving as a leader who met galactic standards during the 40th millennium of the human era.

Imotek, the Storm King, rose up in rebellion, believing the Silent King to be an idiot, successfully filling the gap in the history of the Necromancers of space where there was no major uprising.

The traveler Anlakel has now chosen to be independent, considering both of them idiots. He is now wandering around the galaxy, forming cliques, and every emperor or overlord he helps must contribute one-tenth of their wealth to become part of the Anlakel dynasty, restoring the glory of the great Necromancer Empire and filling the void left by the Necromancer Empire's lack of a second empire.

Among them, the Traveler Anlakel is the weakest, because although he is good at fighting and has a decent reputation, he is ultimately just a dynasty overlord and did not inherit the legacy of the strongest dynasty like the Storm King.

Then, with Storm King as the strongest, a bunch of space necromancers had long been unhappy with Silent King. Seeing that Storm King had led the defection and hadn't been forcibly controlled by the Supreme Protocol, a bunch of necromancer emperors were eager to teach Silent King a lesson, and the impatient ones directly joined Storm King's side.

Finally, there is the Silent King. Because of the dynasty's strength and his status as the nominal supreme leader, despite making numerous wrong choices, he still possesses the basic qualities of a leader and is able to win over some of the dynasty's support. Overall, he is on par with the Storm King.

"I think I understand."

Guilliman couldn't stand it anymore; he felt that the world was just a giant empire.

Before encountering Dawnwing, he often had the illusion that he was the odd one out in this environment.

This feeling only improved considerably when he encountered the Dawnwings, at least he knew that Primarchs could also become normal.

Guilliman couldn't help but rub his temples.

He couldn't help but think of Ms. Euton whenever he thought about the past.

However, there is still one major problem.

Suppressing the lingering thoughts in his heart, Guilliman rallied his spirits. "Do necromancers crave souls?"

Guilliman confirmed this to Tarachin himself.

It's no secret that Dawnwing can create souls; if needed, they can even customize one, directly copying an exact replica.

However, the simplest approach is to match consciousness with a blank soul.

This is also how Dawnwings is confident that they can cooperate with the Necromancers in space through means other than force.

“A large part of us do indeed yearn for a soul.”

Tarasin acknowledged this.

"Most of the space necromancers see themselves as a continuation of the fear of death, and are well aware that they have lost their souls and the ability to perceive all things as a qualified life form. Therefore, they also yearn for the warmth of the living and for their souls to once again bear the weight of their increasingly empty consciousness."

"Imotech doesn't know if he's just being stubborn or if he genuinely believes this attitude will allow them to fight freely in the galaxy. After all, to be honest, most of us aren't exactly in a normal mental state, and you might need some time to adjust once you actually meet him."

Tarachin wasn't quite sure what his colleague was thinking either.

He couldn't understand his own emperor, that lazy good-for-nothing, and he suspected that the emperor would only make a token effort if the dynasty was about to collapse.

"very good."

Guilliman was even more confident.

Although the overall situation in the galaxy is indeed not a good thing, it still feels pretty good to wake up to find that everyone's strength has decreased by a hundred times while only I remain unchanged.

So next we're going to—

Guilliman then looked at the star map.

Thanks to the presence of figures like Tarachin, the Empire had a relatively good grasp of the movements of the Necromancers in space. They not only knew about the political ecology within the Necromancers but also had a certain understanding of their military system, which allowed them to establish a blockade at the edge of the Orpheus sector in the Limit Starfield.

Currently, the Necromancers are preoccupied with their civil war, while most dynasties do not have much desire for expansion, and the conflicts have remained at a small scale.

The fleet's direction of travel was not towards the dynastic locations of the pre-selected members, but rather towards a remote star system.

"I'm going to see an old friend of mine."

Tarasin rubbed his hands together, looking quite embarrassed.

In fact, his Space Necromancer role is a completely negative bonus to the diplomacy between Dawnwing and the Space Necromancer.

If the Empire were to communicate with Anlakel, it could simply dispatch its fleet for a standoff visit. While the other side wouldn't let its guard down, it would at least give them an opportunity.

If it's about communicating with Zandreuk, all you need to do is send a delegation and show them enough respect, and they will surely reciprocate with the same level of respect. It's not difficult to talk to them.

However, if you associate with thieves, your very identity is questionable, and you'll most likely be kicked out as an accomplice of the thieves.

The main reason Dawnwing gave Talasi was because of his contributions in other areas, rather than rejecting him outright; otherwise, there would have been no need for such a fuss.

Therefore, in order to salvage the situation, Tarachin also needs to find a representative for himself, so that at least when he visits, the representative won't refuse to see him.

Fortunately, despite his notorious reputation, Tarahim still had his own connections.

“My old friend, ‘Astrologer’ Aurican, as the best time technician, was responsible for providing prophetic services to various dynasties. He was known for never making a mistake and even foresaw the rise of mankind 60 million years ago, and was treated with great respect by various dynasties.”

"Only through his introduction can we communicate with other undead without resorting to force."

Everyone understood, and at the same time, they had a better grasp of Tarahim's reputation.

But what else can I say?

Since the gentlemen are willing to trust Tarasim this once, let's trust him to the end this time.

Anyway, they won't lose out.

"You two have a very good relationship?"

As Guilliman casually handed her the "Preliminary Draft of the Governance of the Silver Heart-Orps Route (Eldar Section)," Ifreni asked in surprise.

Knowing about the life of a certain old prophet, she had always believed that Tarasim was just like Uslan among the Necromancers of the cosmos.

Primarily responsible for Eldar affairs, she was also in charge of communicating with other, less informed Ark worlds. Every time she and Uslan went on a trip to meet those so-called old acquaintances, it was always a chaotic mess.

Those were hardly old acquaintances or friends.

They are all victims.

"That is."

Tarachin replied confidently.

Seeing Tarachin's confident demeanor, Ifreni was skeptical. She exchanged a glance with Guilliman, who was seeking her opinion, and finally suppressed her doubts, indicating that the situation might not be as she imagined. She then simply sat down at her desk and began other work.

At the same moment, Ramses and Arthur exchanged glances almost imperceptibly, wisely remaining silent.

In this brief yet busy silence, the light of the online community gradually dimmed and became uncertain during the short time of everyone's communication.

When the swirling net-like cabin walls once again transformed into a deep starry sky, the massive Imperial fleet emerged from an asteroid belt and arrived at a desolate planet locked by stellar tides, where one side of the planet would forever appear pale white under the starlight.

Guilliman watched with curiosity, while the surrounding officials immediately began entering the planet's coordinates into the Imperial system and planning the necessary actions to be taken under various circumstances.

"Here we are."

Having confirmed that the destination was correct, Taracin took out a communication scarab and knocked on the door of this tomb world.

hum~
The scarab in his hand lit up, and at the same moment Tarachin initiated the communication, the connection was established with this ancient tomb world.

Both events occurred at the same moment; there was no difference in timing between them.

Guilliman raised an eyebrow as he noticed the technical parameters displayed on the holographic projection.

"Oh, my dear old friend, great astrologer."

Thinking there was a chance, Tarasin turned on speakerphone and shouted into the communicator.

"I need your help."

"roll!"

Cursing came from the other end of the communication line, echoing throughout the entire government affairs hall.

"Go seek help from your crumbling fire, made up of short-lived insects and long-lived good-for-nothings."

"You son of a fraudster, Tarasim, you'll never get anything from me again!"

"."

Cambridge fell silent.

　P.S.: Sorry, sob sob, my alarm didn't wake me up, I'm crying.