Trani's Submission

The bronze-skinned commander did not dare meet Nimrod's gaze. He fixed his eyes on Nimrod's chest, staring at the flecks of dark purple blood.

"I am... Vieri Barella, Trani's... warrior leader... Our chieftain was killed by evil xenos during negotiations, so I have temporarily taken his place."

As one of Trani's upper ranks, Vieri had dealt with Vostonian representatives and had barely mastered Vostonian Low Gothic.

As he spoke, his memories gradually returned.

Nimrod had previously consulted the records of the Cradle of the Sea. The locals called their people Sicilians, in remembrance of their ancient home on Terra.

Trani was the largest Sicilian branch. They occupied Castello Island and had established a small kingdom consisting of one city and nineteen towns.

"Thank you for your rescue. Had you not arrived, we would already have become souls beneath the xenos' blades."

Vieri spoke gratefully. Without the giant before him, Trani might already have been wiped out.

"The invading xenos are called the Flao. They have built a nomadic Imperium among the stars. Put more bluntly, they are pirates in space."

"I can tell you that one Flao capital ship and five escort vessels escaped. They know the route to this world, and they will return."

"There are even more terrifying xenos and evil things in the universe. This beautiful world will face further calamities."

Vieri froze. He thought of the xenos called the Flao that the giant had mentioned. Their warriors were stronger than tribal warriors, and they had evil Wizards as well. Without Malena, Trani would already have fallen.

When they invaded again, could Trani survive this ordeal?

He looked anxiously toward the tall Shaman, hoping to receive some reassuring revelation from her.

Malena's tea-brown eyes grew profound. Her voice became ethereal, as though an empty, spiritual sound were issuing from another realm.

"He's right. I see flames burning... a sea of blood rising..."

Nimrod keenly noticed the multicolored radiance emanating from Malena, along with faint, tiny threads drifting within it.

Familiar... It is the Warp, the Threads of Fate. She is making a prediction.

He also noticed an unusual glimmer within the multicolored light. Just as he was about to seize that trace, the radiance dispersed.

Nimrod pondered for a moment and understood the scene he had witnessed before.

Malena is a Psyker. She was making a prediction just now, and The Emperor bestowed this body with keen perception—a supernatural perception, not merely of the flesh, but one that reaches into the Warp.

Yet The Emperor does not favor Psionic Energy. He did not implant knowledge in this area into Genetic Memory, only hoping that I would use it vaguely through instinct.

In other words, if I devote some effort to this, I will soon be able to develop Warp-sensing abilities.

Nimrod also recalled what Guilliman would tell Felix in the future: "In the depths of every one of our souls rests a fragment from the Warp."

I should develop this ability in moderation and integrate it with the Primarch's combat power and extraordinary abilities.

As his thoughts wandered, Malena parted her red lips. Her voice regained its solemn, magnetic tone.

"I saw a shattered fragment in the murky future. It was shrouded in black mist, but I believe it must be connected to you."

Nimrod looked at Malena, whose face had gone pale from the prediction. He had no desire to waste time on empty talk, so he spoke directly.

"My name is Nimrod. I come from Vostonia and rule four Hive Cities."

"I will also unify Vostonia and become the Monarch of that world."

Vieri frowned deeply. He knew that Vostonia not only had its great noble houses, but also servants of the Omnissiah—the members of the Adeptus Mechanicus who served Mars.

He instinctively wanted to rebuke such arrogance, yet the giant's confidence and certainty seemed to contain a kind of power. It was like a prophecy, another kind of prophecy unlike that of the Shaman.

"If the Sicilians submit to me, I will provide you with protection."

Nimrod lightly gripped his heavy halberd. If Vieri refused, he would use force directly, until the people of Trani recognized reality.

The Cradle of the Sea's output was vital to Vostonia and to the nation he intended to build. Without food, the flames of rebellion could erupt at any time.

The Cradle of the Sea, which he had classified as an agricultural world, had to be under his control.

Cold sweat seeped from Vieri's forehead. He felt a mountain-like pressure bearing down on him. Having witnessed the giant's godlike strength, he knew that if he refused, there would be only one outcome: death. Even Malena could not save him.

But he also remembered the responsibility he bore. As Trani's leader, he had to consider the entire tribe.

If I refuse, the entire tribe will be wiped out at once.

If I agree, we may escape this crisis for now, but in the future we may suffer something even more miserable than extinction. He may enslave us.

Just as he struggled inwardly, Malena spoke.

"Vieri, submit to him. I think the hope within that black mist is what he will bring."

The Shaman's words crushed Vieri's last remaining resolve.

"Shaman Malena, I believe in your prophecy."

"On behalf of Trani, I offer you our loyalty."

"A wise choice," Nimrod said solemnly, making his promise. "You will not regret today's choice."

He immediately issued an order. "Reorganize Trani's warriors. We will sweep every Flao xenos from this world."

There was no need to requisition food. The supplies plundered by the Flao had not yet been transported aboard their ships. Based on what he had seen earlier, Nimrod estimated that, together with the potential spoils from the other large islands, they would fill the holds of his fleet.

Under his orders, Wojciech had already organized pilots and crewmen to begin transporting them.

As Vieri carried out his orders, Nimrod turned his gaze toward Malena.

"You are a Shaman?"

"Yes, my lord."

"What god do you worship?"

Malena broke into a smile and raised a hand in invitation.

"Please, follow me."

Maria and the other two watched Malena warily, gripping their weapons tightly. Shamans were Wizards, and in Vostonian eyes, Wizards were dangerous and evil beings.

Nimrod followed behind Malena until they reached the shore.

The female Shaman looked ahead. "What the people of Trani worship is the Coral Sea. Yet not everyone can sense Its presence. But I believe that you certainly can."

Nimrod walked to the water's edge and looked out over the azure sea.

His gaze penetrated the seawater, revealing corals of countless forms and brilliant colors across the nearby seabed.

Some twisted and spread like antlers, some were round and plump like mushrooms, while tree corals stood tall like a tropical rainforest beneath the sea.

In the deep blue waters, the coral reefs displayed shades of pink, emerald green, and pure white, like nature's most exquisite palette.

Nimrod immediately understood how this sea had received its name, but he sensed a deeper meaning in Malena's tone.

He did not ask. His black eyes quietly watched the sea, and even through Spirit Sight, there was nothing unusual.

Using meditation, Nimrod calmed his mind and tried to find the wondrous feeling he had experienced when he first noticed Malena's peculiarity.