Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 461 Nimrul's Order to Conceal the Results of the Conquest

Captain Diana Pauline, captain of the flagship of the Shadow of the Throne, set foot on the surface five hours after the surrender of the head of the Gardiner.

Her blonde hair wasn't neatly tied up as usual; it was draped over her shoulders, and her deep eyes under her military cap were softer than usual.

Diana looked up at the large screen in front of her, where a high-ranking official in fine clothes was giving a speech to the working castes.

Ismail's voice sounded like the vibration of metal, and Primarch servant Arsena Dunn stood beside him.

"Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and all people of Gadinar."

"As you know, we have surrendered to the 'Shadow of Order' and will become Lord Nimrod's territory."

"..."

Diana prepared thoroughly for her mission, learning the local language from the captives of Gadinal and understanding the High Lord's speeches.

The Primarch's plan has succeeded; he has used the Staff of Osiris to control the mind of the High Lord.

Ismail's millennia-long influence within the industrial caste will ensure the rapid restoration of industrial facilities at the head of the Gadinar.
Diana's blue-green eyes shone brightly; she was determined to perfectly complete the task assigned to her by the Primarch.

The Gadinars abandoned warp travel, so their fleet, despite its powerful industrial capacity, did not extend beyond the size of the galaxy, and they did not contribute much in the previous battles.

Now, it's finally time for her, the "psychologist," to start working.

Diana immediately scrutinized the industrial castes. After becoming a "psychologist," her eyesight had improved further, and she could clearly see the gray figures standing outside the range of the lumen lights.

The "psychologist" smelled the scent emanating from the bio-engineered body and tasted complex emotions within it, including relief and bewilderment.

The "psychologist" stared for a long time until the images on the big screen began to repeat, and then she began to act.

The "psychologist" reached out and selected those she deemed necessary to talk to from the industrial caste list. Among them were those who had just been gripping their tools and showing resistance, as well as those who were confused and helpless.

Diana instructed her attendants: "This one has thick hair, this one has an injured arm..."

A moment later, Diana sat down in the industrial caste dormitory. The smell of sweat mixed with mildew made her frown slightly, but she decided to continue in an environment familiar to her conversation partner.

The "psychologist" took out a prepared hydrosol from her pocket; it was a collaborative work created by Hathor Matt after they experimented with thousands of items before Hathor Matt returned to "Chiko".

The main ingredient is bronet flower, a herbaceous plant of the hibiscus genus, which emits a fragrant aroma.

Aromatic scents have a strong inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, relieving tension and stress, and inducing sleepiness.

The industrial caste member who entered the dormitory had thick hair; he had started growing it out in violation of the ban the moment the head of the Gadinar was attacked.

He no longer wants to take orders from anyone, including those who liberate their "Shadow of Order".

His eyes lit up when he saw the slender figure sitting in the folding chair.

The next moment, his body suddenly froze, his eyes staring in terror at the woman in front of him, as if she were a giant beast.

The "psychologist" used "intimidation" to dispel the evil thoughts of the pale-skinned man in front of her, and then asked "reassuringly" what was wrong.

"what's your name?"

“I am Rafa of Cardona.” The pale-skinned man’s fear subsided, and he stood still, somewhat dazed.

"Rafa, sit down." Rafa sat on the stone bed. The industrial caste's bed was made from granite from the surface of the head of the Gardinar.

The manufacturing process was simple; the edges were simply smoothed out. Even sitting on the quilt, Rafa felt the bed's hardness.

"Rafa, let's talk about your experiences first."

"I am the 105th generation of the Cardona caste..."

The "psychologist" listened patiently to the ashen-skinned man's story. Just as she had expected, Rafa's life had been dedicated to the industry of Gardiner from the very beginning.

The "psychologist" didn't speak until the candle had burned a third of the way.

"Rafa, are you willing to serve Lord Nimrod, the new master of Gaddinar?" "I am not willing." Rafa revealed his true thoughts without hesitation.

"I don't want to sleep on a hard bed anymore, I want to sleep in a residential tower..."

Diana felt a slight dissolving sensation within her body, much like the feeling she had after drinking coffee while working.

She gently stroked the cat's fur, her brain racing as she sorted out the key points the other person had made.

[A more comfortable living environment, living in the same residential tower as the lower castes in the city.]

[…]
Diana knew that she couldn't possibly speak to every single one of the Gadinal people, not even a tenth.

At least tens of billions of people are on top of the Gadinal.

As a "psychologist," she set two tasks for herself.

One approach is to negotiate with representatives of different castes, uncover their inner desires, and relay these to the Primarch's servants for future governance.

After listening to Rafa's words, the "psychologist" began another task: to mold her conversation subjects into the standards of the new era, so that more people in the Gadinal would take them as role models and serve the Primarch.

She spoke in a soothing yet magnetic tone.

"From now on, you must work hard and serve Lord Ninglu."

"You will soon find that your life will change."

The word "psychologist" echoed in Rafa's mind, and as he walked out the door, only one thought remained in his mind.

Work hard!

Diana took out her data tablet and jotted down the key points of the conversation before the next person arrived.

She has witnessed many worlds become Nimrod's territory, and the demands of the industrial castes such as the future Gaddinar and Rafa, regardless of the warband, have been met.

While Diana was speaking with the second industrial caste, at the estate of High Lord Mattis in the capital, the Primarch's servant, holding a data tablet, began to report.

“My lord, the main industrial facilities of Gardinar have been preserved almost completely.”

“Based on the caste system, we have control over the majority of the population, more than 75.2 billion people, who are embracing a new era.”

Ning Lu smiled and nodded, thinking to himself.

Although Finus Manus met Huang Laohan's demands and did not damage the industrial facilities, he turned the head of the Gardiner into a dead zone.

The forbidden weapon he used killed most of the people of Gadinar. For centuries after the war, the planet was completely uninhabitable. Robert Guilliman, who took over, didn't know how long it would take to restore Gadinar to its previous production capacity.

After all, besides industrial facilities, people are also the foundation of Gardiner's industry.
Nimrod was pleased with his strategy, which yielded both industrial facilities and population as assets.

With his deep black eyes, he spoke and gave the order.

"When the situation in Gardinar was reported to the War Council, Gardinar had only one habitable world with a population of ten million."

Arsena was taken aback, his narrow blue eyes filled with surprise.

"My lord, this will render your glorious achievements insignificant."

"Furthermore, as you mentioned before, the Emperor has begun to consider retiring to Terra and choosing a commander from among the Primarchs to replace him."

"Your actions will reduce your chances of succeeding as commander of the expedition."

Alsena said with a puzzled look, "Although Horus Lupecal's record has always been slightly better, it is not insurmountable."

Gardiner is a heavyweight, with a production capacity surpassing many foundries and a large population, which can inject new momentum into the Great Expedition.

This was a tremendous victory that would delight the Emperor and the entire War Council, a brilliant achievement that could turn the tide of battle.

(End of this chapter)