After the transfer of supreme authority and the succession ceremony concluded, Emrys, filled with even more questions, stepped out of the ancient hall and returned to the prayer hall.
"Welcome back, lord Emrys."
Elsa's strained emotions instantly eased, and she let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, the corners of her lips curving slightly into a gentle, hard-to-notice smile.
Although Merlin's succession ceremony was far less dangerous than those of the Knight families, there was still a 'risk,' no matter how low the probability.
Now, seeing Emrys emerge from the succession ceremony hall unharmed, the girl couldn't help but feel joy for him, a happiness that came from the bottom of her heart.
Gazing at the genuine smile in the girl's eyes, which she couldn't hide, even the resolute Emrys felt a little swayed, but he quickly suppressed it again.
No, I can't be lewd!
Slaanesh warning!
Besides, his mind was currently filled with the covenant, how to save Horn, and matters concerning the Vigilus; he had no interest in this at all.
Sometimes, he could also see a deeply hidden admiration in Elsa's eyes, a complex emotion blended with worship and other feelings.
But he could only pretend not to see it, and even less dared to respond.
Fortunately, Elsa didn't mind; maintaining their current relationship was already satisfying enough for her… she wouldn't ask for more.
"Yes, I'm back, Elsa."
After comforting Elsa, Emrys turned his gaze to the Great Sage of Biology, Carol: "Next, I'll trouble you. Gather everyone on the ship and set sail for the Vigilus."
Excalibur, top deck, cockpit.
Carol, holding the gear scepter, walked steadily to Emrys, humbly bowing her head: "Mr. Emrys, according to your command, all crew members are ready. Please give the order to set sail."
Elsa, as his secretary, stood by his side, lowering her voice and subtly moving her lips to remind him: "Lord Emrys, this is your first time officially giving orders to the crew. Don't be nervous, just read along."
She had already written down how to set sail on paper and given it to Emrys. After a quick glance, he looked at the many crew members projected in the communication array, trying his best to appear calm.
Although he looked very young, the various deeds of this young 'heir' on Roselle had already been carefully compiled and widely disseminated by Elsa.
The Emperor's Chosen!
The miracle worker who slew the Blood God's blessed!
A young man who, by his own strength, annihilated a cult and thwarted the schemes of the Lord of Change—his experiences were simply legendary!
Thanks to Elsa's publicity work, his prestige in Merlin was now extremely high. With Carol's help in deterring the restless collateral bloodlines, he was spared from having to further contend with those vermin.
"Raise the deck!"
"Close the portholes!"
"Activate the Geller Field!"
"Warp engine ready, astropath Traveler confirming course, jump target ahead… Vigilus!"
Emrys sat in the cockpit, gazing at the vast galaxy, his heart filled with soaring ambition. Which man wouldn't love piloting a warship through the universe?
The next moment, the Excalibur tore through the barrier of the physical universe.
Like a small island, the magnificent flagship, resembling a cathedral, slowly entered the Warp rift. Turbulent ripples spread through the void, and the entire warship shook.
"This is… Warp travel?!"
Although he had encountered the Warp many times, personally piloting a Conqueror-class cruiser into the Warp was a first for Emrys, and he couldn't help but feel excited.
The turbulent waves of the Warp crashed against the ship.
The violent shaking gave Emrys the illusion that they were sailing on a stormy sea!
Having a Geller Field didn't mean they could rest easy. Every Warp journey was a gamble; if they hit a large Warp storm, who knew where they would be thrown?
Besides Warp storms, traveling here also came with many unknown risks, such as Chaos corruption, all of which had to be guarded against!
Especially looking directly into the Warp could bring unpredictable hidden dangers and risks, so during Warp travel, portholes were often closed to avoid accidents.
And the most crucial part was the astropath! Only the psykers of the astropath families, with the aid of the Imperium's 'Astronomican,' could guide ships traveling in the Warp in the correct direction, lest they get lost in the Warp.
After a while, Emrys suddenly realized something.
He… was seasick!
For a Rogue Trader to be 'seasick'—if that got out, it would probably make others laugh their heads off!
Who knew that Warp travel could make one feel seasick? But fortunately, it wasn't too severe; it must have been due to his first experience, and he would adapt quickly.
"Please don't worry, lord Emrys."
Apparently, she noticed a hint of nervousness on his tense face. Elsa leaned slightly closer and whispered into Emrys' ear: "A little turbulence during Warp travel is completely normal."
"I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it…"
Emrys rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed: "I didn't expect you to notice."
Who doesn't have a little 'pride'?
Moreover, this was his first Warp journey, and considering his previous 'bad luck aura,' Emrys was afraid that something else might go wrong midway!
Elsa pursed her lips, her eyes curved like crescent moons, and she chuckled softly: "Because my eyes are only on you~ Please rest assured, no one else will notice."
Winnie, won't she be angry?
Ahem, I'm overthinking it. Winnie is a 'Living Saint'; she only serves the Emperor now. How could it be his turn?
Gazing at Elsa, whose eyes were like the moon and whose gentle smile was like a beautiful scene of a sea of flowers slowly blooming in her eyes.
Emrys couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
Elsa was already extremely beautiful, with delicate facial features. Compared to the cold Winnie, she had more of a reserved gentleness. If he had to describe it… perhaps like a 'dutiful wife'?
But in an instant, Elsa returned to normal, as if the previous moment was merely his illusion.
Emrys shook his head and shifted his attention.
"How long will it take us to reach the Vigilus?"
"If there are no accidents, we should exit the Vigilus' Mandeville Point in a few hours."
Elsa paused for half a second, then added: "But Lord Carol suggests that given the current chaotic situation on the Vigilus, it's best for the Excalibur not to land. Also, you need to send an qstropathic message to the Fabricator-General of Hades VIII, the family head of Agamemnus, and the Ecclesiarch."
Fortunately, Emrys' constantly tense nerves finally relaxed completely after the Excalibur exited the Mandeville Point: "Thank goodness, the Emperor protects… no accidents!"
He was truly scared.
The bad luck aura on Roselle meant he encountered 'surprises' everywhere, but now it had finally left him!
Portholes raised!
Geller Field deactivated!
Astropathic communication restored!
Gazing at the world outside the cockpit, named 'Vigilus,' Emrys' heart was filled with a sense of melancholy for the unknown.
"Lord Emrys, that is the orbital elevator specially built by the Tech-Priests of Hades VIII to obtain water resources from space." Elsa introduced, pointing her pure white index finger at the magnificent steel structure that plunged directly into the world's surface.
At the end of the orbital elevator was a space ice crystal comet.
Water resources on the Vigilus were extremely scarce, and the Hades VIII Forge world built such a structure not to benefit the populace, but merely for their selfish desire to better mine… Blackstone resources!
But Emrys' gaze soon moved from the orbital elevator, falling upon the massive vortex in the Warning Nebula.
Noticing his gaze, Elsa immediately spoke up to introduce him to the Vigilus' most famous beautiful scenic spot: "Lord Emrys, that is the 'Vigilus Sandstorm Vortex.' It is rumored to have existed for thousands of years."
Vigilus Sandstorm Vortex… Emrys gazed at the sandstorm vortex, which resembled an 'eye' and was clearly visible even from space. His eyes flickered slightly, and he fell into deep thought.
Within that massive sandstorm vortex was not a natural phenomenon, but a large-scale extinction weapon created by humanity during The Best Years of Our Lives—the Void Claw!
Once activated, it could create miniature 'black holes'!
Besides the 'Void Claw,' it also concealed a secret that could drive the First Legion, the Dark Angels, mad!
What?
The First Legion has no secrets?
Then… what are the Fallen Angels?
Driving out of Mandeville Point, what greeted the Excalibur, besides Vigilus, was the Imperial Navy fleet fiercely engaging the Ork fleet.
Both sides were locked in battle around Vigilus, with macro-cannon fire streaking like meteors across the dark universe!
However, from the overall situation, Emrys could clearly sense that both the Ork fleet and the Imperial Navy seemed to be deliberately exercising... restraint!
Rather than 'fierce engagement', it was more like both sides were 'holding back', which was truly peculiar.
"That's strange, do Orks also hold back?"
Emrys stroked the armrest of his seat, observing the fleet dispositions of the Imperial Navy and the Orks on the star map projection, finding an indescribable strangeness everywhere.
"Carol, do you know what's going on?" Unable to figure it out, he turned to the Archmagos Biologis, hoping she could answer the question.
"The Ork invasion of Vigilus has been ongoing for several years."
Carol's tone was also full of doubt: "But... why it has evolved into this, I am also very curious."
"Carol, besides the Ork invasion, are there any other reports from Vigilus?" Emrys urgently needed to clarify how far the 'plot' of Vigilus had progressed.
"Hmm... let me think." While she said 'think', she was actually accessing her database.
A moment later, Carol nodded: "You guessed correctly; at the time of the Battle of Roselle, the Agamemnus family reported an incident, suspecting genestealer cult activity, but it was quickly suppressed."
Sure enough, the genestealer Cult had also made an appearance!
Emrys' brows immediately furrowed.
Seeing this, Carol thought he was worried about the genestealer Cult, so she comforted him: "Don't worry, the Agamemnus family reported that those heretics have been suppressed, so there shouldn't be any problems."
No problems? That's a lie!
Emrys knew the plot well; the genestealer Cult had not been eradicated at all.
They had long been entrenched on Vigilus, with their influence spanning several sector continents!
The genestealers suppressed by Agamemnus were only a very, very small part of them; the true genestealer Cult was plotting to overthrow Vigilus!
Besides the genestealers, over the next decade or so, the forces that would successively appear on Vigilus included Aeldari of the Craftworlds, Nurgle's Plague Legions, the Tzeentch cult, and other Chaos forces.
Of course, as an indispensable warmonger, Chaos Warmaster Abaddon would also personally lead his fleet to this already battered world!
And the Imperium, under the command of the Regent, would have Calgar personally arrive at Vigilus to command and defend this crucial frontline stronghold for the Imperium!
"Lord Emrys, it's a verification communication from the Imperial Navy; they need to know our purpose for coming to Vigilus," Elsa said softly.
Purpose... that's a good excuse!
However, it must be carefully considered, otherwise, given the complex situation of the three entangled factions on Vigilus, the entire family could easily get bogged down and unable to extricate itself!
"What excuse do you think would be best?"
Emrys tapped his index finger on the armrest, then asked the two.
"Assist in Vigilus's defense against the Orks." Carol let out a strange, low chuckle, saying meaningfully: "As a Rogue Trader of the Imperium, assisting in the defense of an Imperial industrial world is a very normal and beneficial action."
"Excellent, we'll use that excuse."
Emrys expressed strong agreement, immediately nodding his approval: "This way, we can legitimately enter Vigilus and avoid being embroiled by the three factions: Hades Eight, Agamemnus, and the Ecclesiarchy."
Elsa immediately submitted the star-message and verification procedure to the Imperial Navy and the forces on Vigilus, following the agreed-upon 'excuse'.
"Carol, I hope you can remain on the ship." After settling on the plan, Emrys then said to Carol: "You are experienced and perfectly suited to maintain control, just be careful not to get too deeply involved."
Since they were operating under the banner of 'assisting in defense', they naturally had to put on a show, and Carol was precisely suited for this role.
As the 'heir', he had to personally visit forces like Agamemnus and Hades Eight, so he could only entrust this task to someone he trusted.
"Please rest assured, I will control the distance," Carol nodded slightly, accepting the responsibility, but still did not forget to caution: "Lord Emrys, if it truly becomes impossible, please return to the ship as soon as possible.
I always feel... the chaos on Vigilus is not as simple as it seems."
"I will be careful, Carol."
Emrys nodded, but after a moment's thought, added: "There's something, I wonder if you could help me find a way to solve it."
"You may speak."
Carol gripped her cog-wheel staff, unconsciously straightening her back, a hint of pride in her voice: "There aren't many things I can't solve, and even if I can't... don't forget, you have an ancient, great Rogue Trader Dynasty behind you!"
"I want to enter the center of the 'Vigilus Dust Storm Vortex'."
Emrys pointed at the giant eye-like storm on the star map: "Is there any way I can do that without being affected?"
"..."
Carol, who had just been boasting that there weren't many things she couldn't solve, immediately fell silent, a little embarrassed: "Can you tell me why you absolutely must go in there?"
The Vigilus Dust Storm was full of chemical waste, its rotation speed was extremely fast, and its salinity was extremely high.
Even with protective suits, it was very difficult to penetrate deep into it; the difficulty was too high!
Even the Archmagos Biologis was a bit at a loss.
As the noble heir of a Rogue Trader Dynasty, why did he insist on going into such a dangerous place as the Vigilus Dust Storm Vortex?
Was this heir a bit too much of a troublemaker?
"The reason, I can't tell you..."
Emrys was silent for a few seconds, then said with a wry smile: "If this matter gets out, who knows, we might not be able to stay in Imperial territory anymore."
This was not an exaggeration, but a fact!
If the First Legion were to know that they might be privy to the First Legion's secrets, no matter if you were an Imperial Blood Trader, they would grind you to dust in minutes!
Therefore, the fewer people who knew about this matter, the safer it would be!
Carol saw his difficulty and did not press further, instead seriously considering the implementation difficulty: "I can try, but... it will take time."
"Good, I'm counting on you, Carol."
Emrys planned ahead, beginning to lay out his strategy for Vigilus.
Besides the Blackstone resources, the 'Claw of the Void' which turned the tide in the Vigilus campaign, must be secured in advance.
As for the Fallen Angel, who remained undiscovered, stationed within the 'Claw of the Void', he could always send an anonymous message to the Inner Circle of the First Legion.
"Elsa, let's go."
Emrys looked at the person beside him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Your help will be indispensable for these visits to the major factions."
"I am at your service, lord Emrys."
Elsa smiled sweetly and with deep affection... In the Macro-North Sector, within the Hades Eight sphere of influence.
A Mechanicus Priest in a rust-red robe was devoutly praying to the Omnissiah when a sudden message interrupted his thoughts.
With a sense of doubt, the Mechanicus Priest checked the message.
The result was an immediate frown, and he nearly blurted out binary profanities in the sacred Omnissiah prayer hall!
The content of the message was as follows:
"Esteemed Archmagos Rosales, ever since our parting at Roselle, I have often thought of you.
By the Omnissiah, due to some minor issues, we have changed our course and have now arrived at Vigilus.
I hope you will reply promptly upon seeing this message... I deeply wish to meet you again."
"Your good friend... Merlin Emrys."
Rosales' eye twitched, and an ominous premonition surged within him; his intuition told him... this kid looking for him definitely meant no good!