Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 854 I'm not going to Ulanno to fight; I'm going to find Magnus.

999.M30.

The Shadow of the Kings.

The private cabin of Captain Diana Boleyn, a member of the Glory Queen-class battleship whose rank is second only to the Primarch's squire, is located near the Primarch's palace.

Her private cabin was a suite, decorated with a simple and practical military style.

Data boards recording various information filled every room, including the bathhouse.

Diana's hypnosis room contains a large number of psychology books, including works by Sigmund Freud, the psychology master of Gutella.

She gazed at the psionic dragon before her, its long tail drooping to the ground.

The "hypnotist" raised his left hand, his palm radiating spirituality, and rubbed the wick of a one-meter-long candle.

嚎！
The psionic dragon bent its long neck and let out a piercing psionic scream.

Diana, who was maintaining the third level of Thales's mental state, did not react at all. Suddenly, the cat with the strong brain that was lying at the door jumped up, its thick ginger-yellow fur standing on end.

The psionic scream abruptly stopped, and the psionic dragon's tense body gradually relaxed in the quiet scent of candlelight.

The candles are made by re-solidifying a mixture of crushed mandrake.

The Mandela Plains were originally intended for those without the protection of the ape field, to treat the nightmares, headaches, and other afflictions they suffered after warp travel.

Of course, ordinary crew members, and even mid-level officers of the "Solar Auxiliary Army," could not afford them. Their biggest users were the nobles appointed by the Empire, the distinguished navigators, and the star talkers.

Candles made from mandrake are also an excellent material for hypnosis, especially for psionic beings.

However, few people in the empire lived such extravagance.

But Diana felt no pressure; her annual perks included fifty Mandela candles and one hundred bottles of extracted essential oils.

"Hypnotist" Diana spoke softly, gently calling out to the psionic dragon.

“Sera”.

Through fifteen previous sessions of "psychological suggestion" communication, "hypnotist" Diana successfully reduced the psionic dragon's rejection and made it accept Sera as its name.

“Let’s sign a ‘contract’,” she said with a light laugh.

"I will take you to see the vast starry sky and travel to many worlds."

"And there's so much delicious food to eat, like Kraken steak and Salamander ribs!"

After Diana finished speaking, she looked at the psionic dragon with the scrutinizing gaze of a seasoned "mind reader".

Its pupils no longer instinctively resisted the shrinking reaction, and its neck no longer contracted or trembled...

The mind and body are stable, with no obvious changes in emotional color.

Diana realized it was time, and with steady but deft movements, she took a piece of parchment from the drawer.

The Lord of Light of the Second Warband issued this "contract" to her.

One side of the "contract" is written in Dunn language, and the other side is in High Gothic.

[Diana Pauline's contract with Sera.] The name field was left blank when it was delivered; Diana wrote it in later.

It lacks the penetrating power of the Astartes, but possesses the unique, crisp style of a female captain, with a sharp, upward-pointing tail.

Diana provides her companion Sera with plenty of food...

Sera uses her talents to scout out the surroundings for Diana...

Diana gently grasped the psionic dragon's right claw.

Sera's right claw trembled, but it did not break free.

Diana guided her right paw, grasped the quill, and wrote the name "Sera" on both sides of the paper.

As the last mysterious letter was written, Diana and Sera trembled together.

Diana's brain merged with another consciousness, giving her a new, colorful perspective.

A cat-like creature flashed with a blinding light and entered her field of vision.

Brainy Cat.

The psionic dragon has a more acute observational ability regarding psionic matters, which complements my perception.

The most powerful psionicist on the ship is Lord Nimrod.

My master ordered me to "form a contract" with the psionic dragon and then go to see him.
Diana was suddenly startled. She quickly rolled up the parchment "contract" and put it into the roller.

After sealing it with ink, she branded it with her own seal.

Lord Wilshire of Light reminded her that after completing the "contract," she should send it back so that he could personally "notarize" it.

Diana assigned the task to her lieutenant on the data panel. He would arrange the transportation route, which would pass through transport ships and eventually reach the Lord of Light.

The psionic dragon flapped its wings and landed on Diana's back, affectionately rubbing its cheek against hers.

Diana left the hypnosis room, sent a message to Lord Nimrod, and after receiving a reply agreeing to the meeting, she quickly straightened her black military uniform and headed towards the Primarch's office.

She had just reached the entrance of the passageway and stopped to prepare for inspection by members of the Honor Guard.

The psionic dragon on her shoulder flapped its wings uneasily, and Diana, who had established a psionic link with it, immediately saw a collapsing black hole reflected in her blue-green eyes.

At the same time, she felt a coppery taste in her throat and a needle-like pain in her brain.

Diana raised her hand and gently stroked Sera, her fingertips releasing spirituality through the contact, calming the restless psionic dragon with the "soothing" of a "psychologist".

She repeatedly "comforted" the psychic dragon and arrived at the gate.

He walked briskly past Eitsak and into the Primarch's office.

boom!
The psionic dragon went limp and slumped weakly onto Diana's shoulder. Diana gently stroked Sera, feeling as if a towering mountain was pressing down on her.

The "hypnotist" bit his lips and gave himself "psychological suggestions".

I've grown accustomed to Lord Ninglu's overwhelming aura!
I shouldn't kneel down in front of adults; adults don't need a lapdog!

[…]
Diana struggles with her mind and body through repeated "psychological suggestions".

Suddenly, a familiar, calm voice rang out.

“Very good, you have signed a ‘contract’ with the psionic dragon.”

"Next, take a scale off its body."

"Yes, sir." Diana instinctively obeyed the authoritative voice, without even the usual room for thought.

The hypnotist's right arm shimmered with illusory scales as he gripped Sera's neck tightly. With a slight pull, Sera tore off a scale.

The psionic dragon didn't react at all; it stared blankly at the terrifying psionic storm.

That was the most terrifying creature it had ever seen since it became conscious.

"Sit down." Diana, still dazed from the psionic link, walked to the side of the desk and sat on the sofa.

"Drink it."

Diana picked up the bottle in a daze, only snapping back to reality when she saw the liquid dotted with faint gray-white light.

She said with delight, "Thank you for your kindness, sir."

Overwhelmed with joy, she held the psionic dragon's scale in her right hand and raised her left hand to put the potion into her mouth.

Upon ingesting the medicine, a grayish-white mist suddenly rose up and filled the surroundings.

Diana's tense nerves and body relaxed, her eyelids grew heavy, her body went limp, and she slowly collapsed.

call!
Diana fell into a deep sleep as her body slumped onto the sofa.

The Primarch's office faded rapidly, and in a daze, Diana's black military uniform disappeared, replaced by a hazy old military uniform.

On the military uniform with gold buttons, three shining medals quietly appeared.

"Kingslaying Chess, or Go?"

Lord Ninglu's voice suddenly rang out, but it seemed to come from behind something.

Diana frowned, looking at the two chessboards in front of her, the words that echoed in her ears seemed familiar.

She said, puzzled, "I think I've heard that before."

As Diana drifted into a dream, the psionic dragon, now deprived of its "comfort," landed uneasily on her.

It glanced up at the giant on the seat, then immediately pulled its head back as if it were being scorched by the sun.

It dared not utter a sound, shrinking into its owner's arms, its body icy cold and trembling incessantly.

Meanwhile, Diana clung tightly to the scales, refusing to loosen her grip despite being lost in the dream.

She gripped it tighter and tighter, and the spot where her fingers touched became increasingly hot.

The chill seeped into Diana's body, piercing her dreams like an ice spear, colliding with the warmth.

boom!
Diana jolted awake from her dream.

A look of astonishment flashed across her blue-green eyes, and she abruptly stood up in a fluster.

"My lord, please forgive my rudeness."

“It’s alright,” Ning Lu said calmly.

"The natural reaction to gain power is to make good use of the power of dreams."

Upon hearing this, Diana, the newly minted "Dream Walker," suddenly had countless pieces of information hidden in her dreams surface in her mind.

After several seconds, having processed the information and gathered her overflowing spiritual energy, Diana was no longer as dazed as before, and spoke as clearly as ever.

"My lord, I will certainly not let you down."

Diana walked away, passing by Arsène Dunn as he entered the office.

After the two nodded to each other, the Primarch's attendant walked to the desk.

"My lord, the Emperor and Lord Horus have arrived in the Ulanno system."

Should we go to fight?

“I’m not going to Ulanno.” Ninglu shook his head slightly.

"Plan a route to Argos and find Magnus."

Arsena, with her snow-white hair, paused for a moment. After a few seconds of thought, she remembered that Magnus had quickly submitted to that world after discovering Argos two months ago.

In the records of the war conference, its official code name was 28-16.

But Magnus did not continue his great expedition, remaining in that world forever.

Arsena examined the backup reports from the War Council from a "detective's" perspective and found them increasingly strange.

“It’s strange. What usually attracts Lord Magnus is a brilliant civilization and a vast amount of knowledge, but Argos is a barbaric world where the natives don’t even have a concept of geography.”

What's so special about Argos?

“An unprecedented discovery.” Ning Lu’s eyes were deep.

"A pivotal discovery that changed Magnus's fate."

(End of this chapter)