Emulating the Wolf King, Establishing the Shadow Guard

Nimrod did not reply immediately. He looked at the matriarch Violet and recalled the information about the House Visscher.

Although the Visher were historically rich and incredibly wealthy, and their palace in Terra was considered one of the finest buildings ever constructed, they did not linger in Terra's political infighting.

They focused on collecting knowledge, especially knowledge about the latest celestial data.

The House Visscher placed their navigators on ships far from the Imperium's borders, serving the Rogue Trader dynasty and distant explorer fleets.

Having thought this through, Nimrod had roughly guessed Violet's purpose in coming.

What does Visher want?

"The star map of the Eleventh Legion." Violet's eyes gleamed as she spoke the elders' request.

The rapid expansion of the Eleventh Legion attracted the attention of Visher, who hoped to acquire this valuable knowledge.

Since the Navigator for the fleet service had already been determined, Visher could not directly assign Navigator to the ships of the Eleventh Legion.

At such times, Visher would typically send agents to infiltrate and blend into the Imperial Fleet, Rogue Trader, Imperial Navy, and explorer ships.

However, after several attempts, Visher was unable to break through the keenly perceptive Shadow of Order, and instead lost more than a dozen elite family agents.

The elders of Visher realized that they could not bypass the Shadow of Order to obtain the star map possessed by the Legion. After deliberation, they decided to send the Great Grandmother as their representative to negotiate an alliance.

"Visher's foundation lies in using star charts to determine which regions are profitable, and then funding merchant families and expeditions," Nimrod asked.

"Your Excellency is wise, it is indeed so." Violet glanced at Nimrod in surprise.

The House Visscher was very secretive and almost unknown to outsiders except for the Navigation Clan. It was astonishing that Nimrod knew so much about their family.

"I can share the star map with Visher," Nimrod said. "I can also grant priority to the Rogue Trader have received my Trade Warrant to accept your investments."

Introducing the Navigator and resources of the House Visscher could also accelerate the development of the Rogue Trader.

As long as the merchant families follow the management and development of the Shadow of Order, Nimrod doesn't care if they gain profits, and he doesn't mind if the House Visscher gets a share.

"I imagine you must have some requests of Visher," Violet asked thoughtfully.

Nimrod nodded slightly. "My request is simple: one is that Visher permanently serve as Navigator for the 'Shadow of Order'."

"Another issue is that the House Visscher wants to share all the star maps with the Eleventh Legion."

"As allies, each Navigator will be protected by a Shadow of Order."

Horus's intrigue and the emergence of the House Visscher gave Nimrod new ideas.

He decided to draw on the covenant between Leman Russ and Belisarius of the Navigator Houses to enter into a covenant with Visher.

The Navigator Alexander Belisarius aided Russ in many battles, and on the day of the army's founding celebration, the "Space Wolves" and Belisarius signed a perpetual diplomatic agreement.

The Belisarius House will permanently provide Navigator for the "Space Wolves".

An entire squadron of Space Wolves, named "Wolf Blade," permanently provides protection for the Belisarius House, making the Space Wolves the only Astartes with a permanent garrison on Terra.

Although the "Imperial Fists" is assigned the responsibility of Imperial Palace Guard, they do not permanently garrison the surface; they spend most of their time aboard the Phalanx.

The Navigator Houses frequently clash over commercial interests, and the Space Wolves's intervention provides significant assistance to the Belisarius House.

Space Wolves plays multiple roles in this process, not only as a bodyguard and trainer of the Belisarius House guard, but also in carrying out various secret missions.

Although Space Wolves were considered "Wolf Blade" and thus Exile, in reality, many times, the Wolf Lord would send Space Wolves who demonstrated leadership qualities to the Belisarius House.

Wolf Blade, situated at the heart of the Imperium of Man's power structure, enhance their political acumen and gain a profound understanding of how the Imperium functions as a whole.

While protecting the Navigator, the Wolf Blade inevitably come into contact with high-ranking officials and dignitaries at all levels of power. These Space Wolves establish connections with the Imperium elite, in turn enriching the "Space Wolves."

Nimrod believes this is the best example of Russ's political acumen. Perhaps he did not realize the significance of this move at the time, but it has indeed benefited the "Space Wolves" for millennia, nurturing many outstanding leaders such as Ragnar Blackmane.

After becoming the Wolf Blade, Ragnar Blackmane not only grew and honed his skills but also learned about human relationships, eventually becoming the youngest Wolf Lord in the ten-thousand-year history of the "Space Wolves".

Nimrod now decided to follow the Wolf King's example ahead of time, and to establish connections with the selected noble families more proactively, extensively, and deeply.

Despite his irreconcilable differences with the Wolf King regarding the use of Psionic Energy, he was willing to learn from the Space Wolves.

Compared to the Belisarius House, the Visher are not as keen on the power struggles of Terra. Only a few family members remain in Terra, so they are less politically savvy, but they are more adept at business and intrigue.

Politically, Nimrod will choose another family.

[Expanding political influence in Terra will help resolve Horus's strategic problems in the short term, and in the long term, it will cultivate a large number of leaders within the "Shadow of Order" who understand other factions within the Imperium.]

"Don't you have any other conditions?" Violet frowned slightly, puzzled as an accomplished diplomat and businesswoman.

The Primarch made fewer demands than she had expected, yet offered her better treatment.

"No," Nimrod replied simply.

"I praise your generosity," Violet said with a graceful smile, offering her compliment.

Please give me some time, I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Nimrod slightly; he knew that Violet needed to consult with the elders of the House Visscher to make a final decision.

"Arsena Dunn will represent me and discuss the follow-up details with you."

After Violet left, Nimrod shared his thoughts with the Primarch's Attendants.

After a moment's thought, the "Deduction Cadets" praised, "Sir, this move will benefit the legion for a long time to come."

"You contact Barton, and I will send a team of Shadow of Order to the House Drake."

"They, along with the Shadow of Order stationed in the House Visscher, are collectively known as the Shadow Guard."

In Nimrod's memory, the House Drake's power in the future will be even greater than it is now, and will continue until the Great Rift unfolds.

The House Drake has held high positions in the Astra Militarum for generations, with almost every generation having a family member serve as the Astra Militarum Lord Commander.

The Lord Commander is the highest-ranking commander of the Astra Militarum in the five major star domains of the Imperium. Above them is only the Grand Marshal of the Astra Militarum.

They even sometimes appoint the leader of the House Drake as the Grand Marshal of the Astra Militarum, ranking him among the High Lord.

Drake's long-term hold on a high position in the Astra Militarum stems not only from the military skills cultivated through generations of excellent education within his family, but also from the family's unique expertise in politics and diplomacy.

Being stationed in the Shadow of Order within the House Drake not only allows them to understand the operational mechanisms of the Astra Militarum from a high-level perspective, but also facilitates smoother communication during coordinated operations.

Being at the heart of power in Terra allows them to hone their political and leadership skills.

The following day, Barton Drake, who happened to be back in Terra handling some business, received a message from the Primarch's Attendants. Overwhelmed by the kindness shown to him, he rushed to the villa that evening to express his gratitude to the Primarch.

"My lord, the Vostonia Warrior you sent to protect me saved my life in the recent Battle of Magonna."

"Now you have dispatched the Shadow of Order to protect the House Drake members. I am deeply honored by your favor and have no way to repay it."

Barton knelt on one knee, following Vostonia etiquette, and placed one hand on his chest.

"The House Drake has been loyal to you for generations, and you are their master!"

"I accept your loyalty!" Nimrod said, then helped up the excited veteran of the Auxilia.

Three hours later, Barton returned to the mansion and announced to his family members.

"From this day forward, House Drake will be under the patronage of Primarch Nimrod, and the Legion's emblem, shrouded in the Shadow of Order, will be added to the family crest."

After hearing Violet's report, the elders of the House Visscher eagerly accepted the Primarch's generous terms.

Three days later, Primarch's Attendants, Arsena, representing Nimrod, signed an alliance with the House Visscher.

Nimrod selected fifty-four Shadow of Order members from the Honor Guard who demonstrated outstanding leadership to become the first Shadow Guard, and dispatched them to the Visher and House Drake respectively.