An hour earlier, the twenty-three families of Tezwork Hive had gathered at the Hive Spire. Five of them owned spires of their own.
A man with implants embedded in his jaw and vocal cords, dressed in a red robe embroidered with gold trim, anxiously asked the woman before him, who wore a long red dress and had an ornate decorative implant embedded in her forehead.
"Countess Yelena, do you know where this new king came from?"
"At Bainiban, many families were attacked. Blood stained the Hive City red. Even the Hive Spire of House Szymanski, which had stood for a thousand years, was captured. Could this be a trap?"
"Kozubar, do not let fear consume your mind."
Yelena smiled, her tone certain.
"According to the surveillance footage, this new king is extremely powerful, but his numbers are too small. His armed force is fewer than two thousand men, and even with the workers pouring into the Hive City, they number less than a hundred thousand. They cannot possibly control the entire Hive City."
She looked at the fully armed gang members standing around them, their vicious gazes sweeping over the crowd, and lowered her voice.
"Moreover, his men may be good thugs, perhaps even qualified Warriors, but they are not qualified administrators. Treating Upper Hive workers with the crude methods of the Lower Hive will only incite unrest."
"As long as this new king is not insane, he will use the existing forces to stabilize the situation and restore Tezwork's production capacity as quickly as possible. Only then will he gain the support of the Omnissiah's servants."
"And this evening's coronation ceremony was announced to us by the new head of House Fender in the name of Magos Kaminski. That proves he has already reached an agreement with the servants of Mars."
Yelena's deep blue eyes fixed on the Baron of House Skorupski. Though he lacked political acumen, his family's coal and ore mining industries were vital to House Kournikova and could not be lost.
"Kozubar, no matter what sort of person this new king is, follow me and pledge your loyalty to him at once."
"He is short of subordinates right now. Those who submit first will gain greater benefits. Do you understand?"
"As you command, Countess."
Kozubar said this with wholehearted conviction and stood behind Yelena at ease.
Half an hour earlier, Howard Fender returned from Vostonia Altar 25, the Adeptus Mechanicus Hive Spire in Curiban.
He reported to Nimrod that Magos Kaminski had agreed to forge equipment for him. He then went to the hall to deal with the questions of the heads of the major families.
Nimrod accepted a case of gavels presented by Bukayo, gave them a glance, and set them on the industrial metal table behind him.
He operated the Data Slate and brought up Vostonia's strategic map, then posed a question to the blond youth.
"Bukayo, I want to conquer Vostonia. What do you think our next target should be?"
"My lord, please allow me a moment to think."
Bukayo did not answer immediately. He cautiously requested a little time, staring at the strategic map as his mind raced.
Only after five minutes did the youth speak.
"My lord, I believe it should be Lukpo Hive."
"Why Lukpo? Mazov and Szczecin are closer."
"My lord, I am judging from the way you act. Taking Lukpo directly better suits your style."
Nimrod nodded slightly and smiled.
"Go on."
"During your first Work Cycle in Khanty-Mansi, you made two gangs submit. In the second Work Cycle, you seized the Foundry. After that, you did not capture the other small factories. Instead, you directly seized Magneto Steelworks, the largest facility in the Dome, and used control of it to rapidly absorb the other factories."
"After taking control of Khanty-Mansi Dome, you did not conquer the other Domes. You led your forces directly to seize the Hive Spire of House Boleslaw, which controlled Tezwork."
"My lord, I believe your approach is to seize the core, critical nodes directly, then resolve the remaining nodes one by one."
Nimrod listened as Bukayo clearly summarized the course of his actions and articulated his underlying principles. He looked at Bukayo approvingly. The blond youth had indeed understood him correctly.
It was only that Bukayo had not guessed, and even Nimrod himself had not expected, that drinking the "Barbarian" potion would trigger a genetic awakening. That had changed his plan of accumulating enough strength before taking the Upper Hive.
"Why is Lukpo a critical node?"
"My lord, whether it is Tezwork, Mazov, or Szczecin, they are all too far from Vostonia's center of power."
"Vostonia Altar 1 of the Adeptus Mechanicus is the true center of power, while Lukpo's altar is the closest core altar to Tezwork. It is the location of Altar 3. If you control the Hive City where that shrine stands, the Adeptus Mechanicus will have no choice but to take your ambitions seriously."
Bukayo shrugged and said with a trace of self-mockery.
"It is not only the altar. The Muskan and the Magadanians living in Mazov and Szczecin have never been part of Vostonia's cultural mainstream either. The Sosvold people of Lukpo are."
"Just like the Holy City of Warsaw on our distant homeland, Terra, and..."
He wanted to name a border city, but House Arshavin's records contained little information about Terra. Warsaw was the only place name he knew. It was the homeland of the Vostonians, their Holy City, their place of origin.
"Mm, it is like the difference between a central city such as the Holy City and a border city."
Bukayo said devoutly and with conviction, "I believe that after you capture Lukpo, those Magi will recognize one fact: you will become the master of Vostonia, and they ought to support you."
"Not bad."
Nimrod said approvingly. Bukayo had inferred his intentions from his actions. Sleepless had not increased Bukayo's intelligence, yet his wisdom far surpassed Rawlslev's.
Although The Emperor had defined him as a slaughtering blade, he did not, like Curze, believe that slaughter and terror could forge a bright future for Vostonia.
To conquer Vostonia, he had to consider how to define the role of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
If he defined them as enemies, then in Vostonia, where the Adeptus Mechanicus wielded tremendous influence, he would be surrounded by enemies. Even the Lower Hive contained countless believers in the God of All Machines.
He would not reduce this advanced industrial world to ruins and rebuild it afterward. That would be no different from colonizing a world polluted by countless industrial ruins.
Forcing the Adeptus Mechanicus to cooperate with him, using their technology to expand, while cultivating Beyonders and his subordinates and gradually reforming Vostonia—this was his strategy.
Perhaps this was why the Kingdom of Disorder chose me and made me follow the Black Emperor pathway.
Using rules and resources to develop, then establishing a new order—this is my philosophy of growth.
Nimrod looked at Bukayo. "I have a task for you."
"My lord, please give your orders."
"After the ceremony, take the equipment Howard prepared for you and go to Lukpo to gather intelligence."
"As you wish, my lord."
Nimrod's communicator rang. After he answered it, Howard's lowered voice came through the channel.
"My lord, Kaminski has arrived at the ceremonial hall."
"There is one standard minute left until your coronation ceremony."
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