Warhammer 40: My Fiancée Fulgrim.

Chapter 138 The Emperor Grants Me a Trade Contract

Chapter 138 The Emperor Grants Me a Trade Certificate
The leader's dragon-scale cloak swung backward with his swift steps, and along with the thunder hammer he wielded, he forcefully tore a huge gap in the Dark Elf Clan's formation.

"Bastard!"

He shouted curses and brandished his warhammer, repelling any enemy that dared to invade.

Even with his desperate efforts to save him, he still couldn't stop the Dark Eldar warriors from surging in from all directions and completely engulfing his presence.

As for his troops, after being heavily surrounded by Nightmare, the dueling master of the Dark Eldar, even though their tenacious fighting inflicted great losses on the enemy, they still could not avoid the eventual defeat and annihilation of all of them.

The Salamander Space Marines were merely a small Salamander squad that quickly reached the invasion site using Rand speedboats due to the enemy's hasty attack.

However, the opposing conspiracy group consisted of everyone from the highest-ranking officials to the lowest-ranking thugs. Outnumbered and outmatched, they were no match for the well-prepared Ko'shek.

As for the remaining main force, they are still on their way.

As the best blacksmiths in the entire universe, salamanders will actively seek out planets with extremely high atmospheric pressure to settle on.

The environment here is much like their home planet, Nocturne, where rare metal minerals can be mined to forge divine artifacts.

This salamander squad is one of the members stationed on this famous mining planet.

Unlike other mining planets where slave laborers and machine-wielders are used on a large scale and mined by their blood and sweat, this planet is different.

The planet's inhabitants, following Vokhan's wishes, maintained relatively primitive tribal customs and traditional manual mining and forging practices, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

Although the production cycle of weapons is extremely long, the quality is exceptionally good, and there are even occasional surprise weapons produced.

A small thunder hammer, a masterpiece.

During their downtime from patrols, these fire salamanders would also actively engage in exchanges and trade with local mining tribes, and hold knife-forging competitions within their ranks based on the rare metal ore they received as a share.

But the good times didn't last long.

The rare minerals here, along with the healthy and perfect population of the local tribes, quickly attracted the attention of the Dark Eldar.

After a fierce battle.

"He's quite capable."

In a holographic projection from a small airship, Ko'Shak, the ultimate victor of the battle, stands on a clearing piled high with the corpses of salamanders and Eldar warriors, wiping his poisoned blade.

"Take these surviving giant monkeys onto the slave ship as well, and see how many days they can survive in the Comoros arena!"

"And those minerals! Take a few of the monkeys' weapons too, so that the Comorians can see the monkeys' craftsmanship."

Following Kor'Shak's taunts, another burst of laughter erupted from the Eldar.

He brandished the strange whip in his hand again, driving the crowd, whose hopes had just been ignited but were instantly extinguished, onto the slave ship as if they were herding livestock.

The Salamanders did indeed have personnel stationed on this planet.

However, with the Great Crusade in full swing and a large number of elite Space Marines following Vorcan's expeditionary fleet in their campaigns, the resources available on this mining planet are actually quite limited.

The Dark Eldar, with their advanced technology, can come and go freely, meaning that not every settlement on the planet can be completely protected.

The location attacked by the Blade Lotus Conspiracy was one of their weak points.

"Fortunately, we arrived in time—no, it should be said that Kosshek was courting death and led his fleet straight toward us."

"Otherwise, if they open the network portal and escape at full speed, it will be really difficult for us to catch up."

Casca turned off the holographic projection he had on hand.

If humans are transported to Comoros by the Dark Eldar, unless you are a descendant of a high-ranking merchant or ronin who has been granted a "trade certificate" by the Emperor himself, there is virtually no chance of escaping.

Fortunately, Casca intercepted the slave ship in advance.

Now all we need to do is—

"Something is not going well."

After communicating via the internal voice of the spirit bone, Irelia suddenly raised her head and spoke.

"We were unable to obtain management control over the slave ships."

"Not long ago, when the slave ships went out of control, the salamander captives on board led a rebellion and seized control of the ships."

"Isn't this a good thing? Why do you say the situation is bad?"

Kaska was puzzled.

"They...those fire lizards also considered us to be accomplices of the Comoros (Dark Eldar)."

"They even said they'd rather blow up their warships than move an inch with us."

"This"

The fire lizard didn't actually say anything wrong.

The warships of the Eldar are quite similar, and apart from some changes in clothing and equipment, there are no fundamental differences between the Eldar.

At the same time, they all claim to be the orthodox Eldar and look down on each other.

Unless one has a deep understanding of the Spirit Race, it is impossible to discern the differences between the various Spirit Races at a glance.

In the eyes of the salamanders, this was a damned Eldar bandit double-crossing them.

The aliens on both sides are no good!

Taking advantage of this internal strife, they strangled the guards on the ship and seized control of the entire slave transport vessel.

Although they couldn't operate Eldar alien ships, they were still capable of destroying the engines and taking everyone down with them.

This is also a major reason why the Eldar of the Ark always suffer a fierce attack whenever they want to help humanity fight against external enemies.

Those Dark Eldar, those little beasts who shoot and run, are going to share half the blame.

"So what do we do now? We can't just leave these ships wandering in space, can we?"

Casca is having a bit of a headache.

Would telling them we're willing to help them go back be effective?

“We tried, but they didn’t believe us.”

There's no way I could believe the aliens' nonsense.

Who knows if they'll suddenly pull them along and charge towards Comoros?

"hiss"

The fire salamander's home planet, Nocturne, has been frequently threatened by the Dark Eldar since ancient times, and they have never shown any kindness to these pointy-eared aliens.

However, if humans were to intervene directly...
Humans alone are not enough; they must be humans with sufficient prestige.

Kasgar looked at the angel beside him with a headache.

Perfectly, only an angel of sufficient authority could persuade the fire lizards to believe they were a human fleet.

"I?"

The angel was somewhat embarrassed.

"Please don't do that. What if my fanatical offspring found out I was on an Eldar warship?"

"Forget it then."

Casca immediately stopped.

Now, everyone's attention fell on Casca, the only human in the entire arena, or at least someone who looked human.

"Sir, those aliens say they are actually a human fleet."

"It's a liar!"

The Salamander, now fully equipped with the captured power armor, was practically ready to unleash a torrent of abuse.

As one of the managers of that mining planet, the salamander company commander, he was furious after hearing the message from the other party's communication equipment.

The alien with pointed ears on both sides was fighting so fiercely that everyone could see it clearly.
Captured, he led his remaining brothers to kill the nearby Dark Eldar when the slave ship fell into chaos due to the flagship losing signal. Using the various weapons and equipment they had disarmed, he wiped out the damned aliens and gained control of the entire warship.

As the small alien fleet gained control of the battlefield, the salamander company commander's eyes remained fixed on the holographic projection in the center of the slave ship's control room.

Perhaps they were indeed unable to escape from the aliens, but after the turmoil just now, they regained the right to die a glorious death.

"Tell them that salamanders will only fight to the death, they will not surrender!"

"I won't be fooled by such stupid things that only aliens would say."

The salamanders may die a glorious death, but please don't try to fool us Astartes into thinking we're idiots.

"Company commander, their small landing craft are heading towards our spaceship."

Here they come, the enemy's landing force.

The salamander company commander, who had long been prepared to die, turned around and shouted to the remaining few salamanders who were still alive.

"Tell our brothers in arms to take up their weapons! Even if it means destroying this ship and dying with them, we will never bow down to the opposite sex!"

"For the Lord of Fire Dragons!"

Just as the crowd was filled with righteous indignation and prepared to die in battle, the holographic projection from the center of the ship changed its appearance.

[Sherlock the Wandering Merchant requests to communicate.]

Wandering merchants were a profession that maintained trade and border development within the empire.

Although the relationship between the human empire and the aliens was irreconcilable during the Great Crusade, people still need to eat, after all.

If all Xenomorph technology and goods were completely excluded, the new expansions would often lack timely supplies from the central region due to the vast distance between the border and Holy Terra. This inability to engage with the Xenomorphs would actually slow down the Great Expedition due to resource shortages.

This is intolerable.

Therefore, under these special circumstances, the official position of wandering merchant came into being within the human empire.

They will engage in trade, diplomacy, construction, and military operations within their chosen territories—as long as they uphold the Empire's truths and do not violate its interests, these guys won't be subjected to too harsh a beam of light even if they flirt with the aliens.

Even if he were the heir to a large merchant ronin dynasty, he could have a white bean sprout sister right in front of the judge, and he wouldn't be able to say anything.

The problem is that even the most heretical traveling merchants wouldn't change their vehicles to Eldar designs, nor would their followers all be pointy-eared aliens.

Not even a single human being could be found!
obviously.

This is the Alien hoax!

"My fellow Space Marines, my comrades, it is an honor to see you here again."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the alien-like landing craft slowly landed on the deck of the slave ship.

"Aliens, stop trying to pull any tricks or use any sweet talk. Our people will never become your slaves!"

As the bizarre-looking landing craft, so different from any normal Imperial warship, landed before him, the Salamander became even more convinced that it was an alien.

He held the poisoned blade, which he had seized from the Dark Eldar garrison and was not yet very comfortable to use, across his chest, fully prepared for battle.

“And I agree with you, Salamander.”

“Your bravery and kindness are commendable, and as the head of the Sherlock family of traveling merchants, it is only natural for me to return the hero of the empire intact to his land.”

The landing craft's loudspeaker announced that a tall man had disembarked from the ship's hatch.

He was dressed in a magnificent suit, the extraordinary nature of which could be discerned even by the blacksmith salamander.

And it seems that you can see the muscles hidden beneath his well-fitting clothes.
"Astartes?"

The salamander company commander immediately recognized the other party's true identity.

Astartes, who called himself a wandering merchant, disembarked from a strange, pointed-eared spaceship.

There's a sense of artificiality about it.

"No need to say more. Since you are a Space Marine, state your legion, rank, unit number, and superior."

"And why are you hanging out with those aliens! Have you forgotten the Emperor's orders?"

"Never forgotten."

The tall Space Marine who identified himself as a member of the "Sherlock family" gave him a perfect Eagle Salute.

Three years of expedition, a lifetime of SM passion!
"As for the legions to which they once belonged"

He slowly walked forward, meeting the distrustful gazes of the crowd.

"Stop! Don't go any further!"

“Your lies cannot deceive us. Space Marines are the Emperor’s most loyal warriors; they would never become wandering merchants or associate with aliens!”

As Cassius stepped forward, he saw several salamanders, clad in tattered power armor and wielding captured alien weapons, staring warily at him.

Really?
The image of a regent and his wife flashed through Casca's mind.

Warhammer isn't just about fighting and killing; it also involves human relationships and social interactions!

"I can guarantee that what I'm saying is true."

"If you still don't believe me, here is my identification."

As he spoke, Kasgar pulled a scroll of parchment from a small pocket in his clothing. He then held it out confidently, showing the handwriting on the letter to all the salamanders present.

"This is."

The several fire lizards, wearing green helmets, moved closer.

"Trade authorization?"

A few months ago, the Imperial Dream.

"Casca, we should go back."

The emperor, standing before the phantom of the throne, spoke thus.

"Your actions have still uncovered a lurking sabotager for us, preventing him from dragging the Legion into the abyss of evil."

The details protect the legion, regardless of what Luo Jia does.

"I listen to your expectations—what kind of reward do you want?"

A reward, you know.
Hey, Casca has a great idea.

"A trade authorization?"

The Emperor found Casca's request somewhat incomprehensible: "You don't want to join me on the Great Crusade?"

"That's not what I meant."

Casca replied, “But when I’m out in the world, I might need an additional identity, especially to make some preparations in advance for the aftermath of a major rebellion.”

If the Emperor's prediction is true, a great rebellion is inevitable, then Casca must prepare for his future self.

"If a great rebellion were to occur in the future, I would very likely fall into slumber until the 40th millennium."

“Unlike those Primarchs of the Empire who can command a large following with a single call, I need more time to regroup my forces.”

Even if no major rebellion occurs, it won't affect anything.

Casca is like a fish out of water; it's best to take three chances and plan ahead for the future.

If a major rebellion were to occur, and Casca were to also slumber for ten thousand years...
Once Guilliman awakens, he can immediately launch the Unyielding Crusade, and all the Ultramarines will follow their Primarch.

Although it was humiliating to be smuggled by Huron, he was ultimately able to defeat the High Lords and the Imperial Guard in the internal factional struggles of Terra, and finally control Astartes.

He can, but Casca can't.

If he were to wake up 10,000 years later, given his influence within the legion, he would at most be around the level of Bjorn.

He is respected, but difficult to convince.

The Grey Knights alone could easily humiliate him and create a shameful month. If Kasgar wants to rise from his slumber and take control of the entire empire, he'll have to lie low for a while first.

"This trade authorization will give me some breathing room in the future, allowing me to regain control of the entire empire!"

Casca's words are somewhat dangerous.

He seemed completely unconcerned about the emperor's authority, discussing in front of him how to seize power ten thousand years from now.

"Indeed, your current plan is not without reason."

After a moment's thought, the emperor was not angry at the other party's overstepping of authority. Instead, he nodded with satisfaction and casually produced a neatly trimmed parchment and a quill pen from beside him.

The two objects seemed to dance before Casca's eyes as if they were alive, until the last stroke was made.

The emperor's gleaming gold glove vanished, and then a drop of blood from his fingertip, along with his fingerprint, fell onto the parchment.

carry out.

"take it."

"By my will, Sherlock and his offspring shall be the holders of the warrant."

"The scope covers the entire empire, okay? And the signature is—"

"Emperor!?"

"Wait a minute."

The fire salamander couldn't believe what it was seeing.

"Any further questions, esteemed Salamander Warrior?"

Casca continued to capitalize on their momentum.

He originally just wanted to get an identity for his mission ten thousand years in advance, but he never expected it would come in handy here first.

"This is a trade authorization personally granted by the God-Emperor, I mean, the Emperor."

"But your trade affidavit is really too short, my friend."

"Moreover, there is no precedent for Space Marines becoming traveling merchants."

The salamander company commander was still somewhat taken aback.

Although there seems to be nothing wrong with him, this guy and his trade license look strange no matter how you look at it!

"Have you ever heard of the Sherlock family, who were granted a sacred trade license by the Emperor?"

"No, and as the Emperor's vanguard, we will dedicate everything to the Emperor's expeditions."

There is no talk of Astartes retiring.

If Astartes could truly retire with a single document and become a wandering merchant, Dante would definitely tear through all timelines to come to this world.

(Dante: Where?!)

Furthermore, there is no known Astartes from the Sherlock family among the Salamanders who could be appointed as a merchant ronin by the Emperor.
This is extremely unorthodox.

"Perhaps this is indeed a trade warrant from the Emperor, but I don't believe that the wandering merchant is you, my friend."

The salamander company commander's vigilance seemed to deepen.

Casca maintained his polite smile.

Damn!

Why does this fire lizard talk so much?!

If it weren't for saving you, I wouldn't even want to reveal this trade authorization!

no way.

If some of the less-than-stellar legions continue to be so stubborn, Kasgar really will have to send Eldar assassins to kill them and then send the remaining humans back.

But the fact that it was the fire lizard's older brother put Kasgar in a difficult position.

They are all good-natured people who protect their country, work hard and love the people, while the Casca side are all alien members (actually, they are aliens themselves).

If he were to act recklessly due to a misunderstanding, Casgar would never forgive himself.

"It seems we really have to resort to that move."

Seeing that they were still wary of him, Casca sighed inwardly.

"Space Marines certainly don't become traveling merchants."

"As for the reason, my fighting brother, please allow me to connect to your communication system."

He put away the parchment scroll in his hand and quietly stepped forward, meeting everyone's gaze: "Have you ever heard of the Lost Legion?"

The Lost Legion!

"You mean"

Upon hearing this news, the Salamander Company Commander was immediately shaken.

What happened to the mysteriously vanished Second Legion?

Or perhaps the Eleventh Legion?

He didn't know. No information was revealed. Apart from having heard of the names of these two legions long before he joined the army, he knew nothing about them since!
Actually, Casca didn't know either.

But since nobody knows anyway, what's wrong with him talking nonsense?

Upon hearing Kasga's statement, the Salamander Company Commander fell into deep thought.

Could it be
He chose to retire like some of the Thunder Warriors after the Second Legion was wiped out for some reason.

At the same time, because of his outstanding merits and abilities, he was not only not eliminated, but was also appointed by the emperor as a wandering merchant.

To be honest, my task is to cultivate good relationships with some normal people among the Eldar.

The Emperor hopes that I can learn some of the Eldar's key technologies through our interactions.

(Referring to the internet)

That's it
The salamander company commander nodded as if he had just realized something.

That's why Astartes appeared on the aliens' ship.

He truly endured humiliation and carried a heavy burden!
(Actually, it's much more comfortable than inside an Imperial warship.)
The salamander brothers, deeply moved by each other's unwavering commitment.

Why would an Astartes become a traveling merchant? Why would he associate with pointy-eared aliens and possess a trade warrant personally signed by the Emperor?
Now everything makes sense.

"I see."

The salamander company commander nodded.

whee.

He believed it!
He actually believed it!!!
Kasga wanted to laugh, but his expression was sad.

"That's all in the past, brother. It has nothing to do with what we're talking about now."

"I will send you back to the planet you came from, and my best request to you is that you keep this secret."

Kaska looked at the other person, his expression unreadable.

".clear."

The salamander company commander nodded.

"They really did send us back."

When they stepped back onto the high-pressure ground, the fire lizards and mortals could hardly believe their journey.

That Space Marine who looked suspicious no matter what, who mingled with the Eldar and claimed to be a traveling merchant, actually released them all as agreed!

"We're back! We're really back!!"

"May the Emperor protect us! Praise be to the great Emperor, who saved us from the aliens!"

Behind the salamander company commander, countless mortals who had been abducted and brought aboard the ship returned to their planet, embracing each other excitedly and weeping with joy.

Escorted by the fleets of Casca and Irelia, they successfully and temporarily breached the planet's surface defenses, allowing the crew of the slave ships to return to their home planet.

"Everyone, if we have all arrived safely, we will be leaving soon."

"The garrison has received the invasion signal and is preparing to surround us. Due to our special status, we cannot stay any longer. Please understand."

"Thank you. Your ability to save these mortals is an immense favor to us. I should be the one apologizing to you."

"It's nothing. Remember what I said: don't mention my real identity to anyone!"

"clear."

"Phew, at least we got those old men back."

Sitting atop the newly replaced flagship of the Eldar pirate warship, Kasgar breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go quickly. After all, this is still a Eldar ship. If the garrison stationed on the planet catches up, it will cause new trouble."

[Received, about to proceed to the nearest network entrance at maximum speed]

call.

Finally, all these troublesome things have been resolved.

Next, we will be able to safely reach Nukaria.

[Ripples of celestial energy have appeared ahead!]

[A large human fleet has been detected in the distance, undergoing a high-altitude jump and about to enter the real world!]