Reading Memories

Scott was born in the cargo area of the Lower Deck.

His parents and the clan they belonged to were pipe repair workers.

As skilled laborers, they had no trouble getting enough to eat.

His parents were overjoyed at his birth—a healthy infant was a rare sight on the Lower Deck, and the clan would gain another able-bodied youth in the future.

They even used their saved ration cards to buy some food they normally couldn't bear to part with, celebrating this moment.

They also took the swaddled infant to the Church to seek the God-Emperor's protection and the Priest's blessing, showing just how devout his parents were.

The scene shifted again. Scott had grown up, now five years old. Born during an expedition, he had never had a chance to leave the warship; his entire childhood was spent aboard it.

And it was at the age of four that his life took a drastic turn.

A problem arose during a Warp jump, causing a Warp incursion in the section where Scott's clan lived.

The filthy power of the Warp Evil breached the Gellar Field, and an unknown plague began spreading through various sections.

A large number of crew members went mad under the Warp's influence, and some even began mutating on the spot. Unfortunately, Scott's parents were among the unlucky ones infected by the plague.

Scott, who was out buying rations at the time, narrowly escaped.

The warship was accustomed to such situations. When this happened, the affected sections would be sealed off, followed by a purge team composed of Enforcer Squads, crew members, Priests, and Psykers to clean them out.

Anyone who had gone mad or mutated would be killed, and all bodies cremated.

At five, Scott was old enough to understand. He couldn't fathom why his devout parents had been mercilessly killed. No matter how much they pleaded their loyalty to the God-Emperor and their contributions to the Dynasty, it was useless.

Watching his parents' burning bodies, Scott saw a face. The people who killed his parents bowed respectfully to that person—it was the Rogue Trader Ludwig, who had come to inspect the situation.

He looked at the slain crew with no expression, as if discarding a useless tool.

At that moment, the seed of hatred was planted in Scott's heart. But luckily, he hadn't been affected by the Warp. After being checked, he was thrown back into the section where he had lived. New Shipworkers filled the section, and his parents, along with the others killed, seemed to have never existed.

As the scene of his parents' death kept replaying before his eyes, his fragile mind began to crack. Vague whispers started echoing in his head from that moment on.

As he grew older, the whispers became clearer.

Witnessing all this, Gao Yi knew that Scott had been targeted by a Chaos God since childhood.

More and more knowledge that didn't belong to him flooded into his mind. He inexplicably learned many secrets—where mutants were hidden on the warship, where cultists lurked, and even where xenos or blasphemous treasures were located in nearby star sectors.

Using this profane wisdom, he climbed step by step to the position of Master of Discipline. He became the kind of person he once despised, killing many guilty and innocent people for Ludwig.

Gao Yi also saw that during the conquest of xenos, Scott handed over a blasphemous artifact to Ludwig as War Spoils—an artifact that could subtly influence a person's mind.

The next scene left even Gao Yi in disbelief.

"Lord Ludwig, I once saw a ritual among a xenos race we conquered that could extend one's lifespan."

"A xenos ritual? Scott, what are you trying to say? Do you know that statement alone is enough to put you on trial?"

"My lord! You know not all xenos technology is unacceptable. The sacred rights granted by the Warrant allow us to use some of this xenos knowledge to a certain extent!

How much xenos technology has the Dynasty used? If we really investigated, no Dynasty would be innocent.

You must know your own body. Rejuvenat Treatments have their limits! The Apothecary's healing techniques can't cure every disease. The Dynasty cannot do without your rule. Think of those Blood Kin who only care about power struggles. Have you forgotten what it was like when you last returned to the Capital World?

They even subtly mocked you for not bringing back enough wealth!

Those people live comfortably on the planet, only demanding from you—they will only lead the Dynasty to ruin."

Scott's words made Ludwig fall silent. He knew his own condition. Exploration came with countless dangers, and years of accumulated injuries and overwork had left him at the end of his rope. He had no heirs. If he died, the next Rogue Trader would have to be selected from the direct Blood Kin of various families.

He didn't want to hand the Dynasty over to those useless people.

"What is this ritual you speak of?"

"Blood Kin. Use the power of bloodline to extend your life! Since those families want to take your power, you can summon the purest-blooded members of those families here, under the guise of an assessment. I'm sure they'll send people!"

"You're saying I should use this so-called ritual to take their lives to extend my own?"

"I know what you're worried about! I know a hidden place in the Bottom Hold that won't be discovered by the Ecclesiarchy or anyone else.

I'll help you deal with the heirs who come. There may be some chaos, but once you recover, you can quell it yourself. And you'll have enough time to find a suitable heir."

Seeing Ludwig remain silent, Scott knew he had succeeded.

"Ludwig... the Mongert Family... and this warship... will all become my gift to the gods."

Gao Yi's consciousness began to return to his body. The memories, filled with overwhelming negative emotions, made his head throb with pain.

He was grateful he didn't have to eat someone's brain like a Space Marine to obtain their memories, but the limitation was that the target's soul had to have embraced Chaos, or be a Psyker.

Looking at the dead Scott, Gao Yi said nothing to anyone about what had just happened.

Ludwig hadn't been tricked into going there. This assessment was a conspiracy all along... the Rogue Trader had been corrupted without anyone noticing.

No wonder the traitors had been so smooth. No wonder the Thinker had no record of Scott's operations. No wonder all the defensive systems outside the Hall of Trade Warrants had failed.

Only the Rogue Trader, who held the highest authority on this warship, could have done it so perfectly, leaving no trace.

But before this, no one had thought to suspect the Rogue Trader.

Otherwise, how could a warship like this fall to such a state because of a few laborers' rebellion?

Gao Yi chose to conceal this matter and did not reveal it to everyone.

The fewer people who know about this, the better. With so many people on this warship, once word gets out that the Rogue Trader has been corrupted, it will be impossible to keep it completely hidden.

He would eventually have to leave the Warp and return to a planet under the Empire's control, and once news like this reaches the Empire, the Inquisition, the Departmento Munitorum, and the Department of Internal Affairs would likely swarm in.

Especially the Inquisition's inquisitors—who knows what they might do, given that these people wield terrifyingly vast authority.

Even a Rogue Trader branded a heretic would find it hard to escape death.

Gao Yi's strength was still insufficient for now. He didn't think a direct confrontation with the Inquisition was a wise choice.