Nomad Port, the Fernando Dynasty!

The Chronos Expansion Zone, located on the edge of the Calixis Sector, is an undeveloped, Chaos region.

This place is Heaven for Rogue Trader, but in reality, it is rife with undercurrents and countless dangers.

For example, the most direct dangers are the Aeldari Corsair and the warlike Greenskin Orc. In addition to these, there are the Chaos forces and even the Terra Hive Fleet. It can almost be said to be synonymous with chaos.

The fact that various forces are entrenched in the Chronos Expansion Zone is not simply for the purpose of fighting for territory.

This place is located on the edge of known human civilization. In the past, there were many alien civilizations, and the ancient ruins of those alien civilizations may contain unknown technologies, making them important targets for various forces to contend for.

Danger and opportunity coexist; this can be said to be the defining characteristic of the Chronos Expansion Zone.

Some people unearthed ancient Xenos civilization ruins here and became rich overnight, becoming honored guests of the Mechanicus. Others lost everything here and ultimately gained nothing.

In Alvin's words, this is a gambler's Heaven!

Want to get rich quick?

Then come to the Chronos Expansion Zone!

Whether you are a noble family in decline, an explorer yearning for the unknown and adventure, or a space pirate seeking wealth.

In the Chronos Expansion Zone, if you can find one, you'll discover a wealth of mysterious treasures, including valuable Xenos civilization ruins, hidden rare mineral resources, unknown Warp portals, and more!

Unfortunately, their goal this time wasn't to search for those unknown alien civilization ruins.

"In reality, of the alien civilization ruins we've explored so far, less than one-tenth are truly valuable," Carroll explained, a hint of disdain in her voice. "Only those who dare not take risks would stay here."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Alvin became interested and raised an eyebrow. "So, according to you, where is the truly valuable treasure?"

"The Black Zone!" Carroll pointed without hesitation to an unknown area on the star map, a place utterly dark, her voice tinged with barely concealed excitement. "True Rogue Trader never set their sights on territories already conquered by humans!"

Is this humanity's last vestige of ambition?

Alvin swirled his glass, staring at the liquid clinging to the rim, and smiled. "I understand what you mean, Carroll Grand Sage."

The Rogue Trader, while possessing incredible power, also bear the last vestige of human ambition in this chaotic 42nd millennium!

By the way, there's something very important to mention.

After they arrived in the Chronos Expansion Zone, the age of the Imperium finally entered its 42nd millennium!

We are now in the M42 era.

In this era, Guilliman will lead his expeditionary fleet across the stars and through perilous obstacles to reach the dark side of the Imperium.

Another great Primarch will awaken in the forests of Caliban and pardon his offspring.

"How do we get to the Black Zone?" Alvin asked Carroll beside him.

"You have absolutely no need to worry about that." Carroll smiled, gripping the scepter, her tone tinged with pride. "You are the head of the great 'Valshius' Merchant Dynasty, and in our numerous explorations..."

The star map marking the Black Zone already existed.

The Merchant Dynasty held such a lofty position for two main reasons.

The first point is the "trading license" directly issued by the Emperor, a power that can be passed down through generations and will never be revoked.

The second point is the experience passed down through generations, and most importantly, the "star map"!

It's important to understand that once merchant ships enter the Black Zone, it's equivalent to leaving the Imperium's territory. The Emperor's Psychic Power beacon will no longer be able to guide them, and many Rogue Trader have become lost in the depths of the Black Zone because they have lost their guidance.

The Merchant Dynasty were all ancient families with long-standing traditions, and they preserved the star maps from each exploration of the Black Zone.

These star maps record the planets, civilizations, and other features encountered along the way, providing ample information for later travelers and helping them avoid danger.

This is the real secret that enabled a Merchant Dynasty to last for ten thousand years.

"This feels really good."

Alvin couldn't help but smile; this was clearly paved by predecessors.

"But unfortunately..." Carroll suddenly poured cold water on his enthusiasm, saying with a hint of melancholy, "If the previous patriarch hadn't lost that flagship in the Black Zone, we would have a more complete and expansive star map than we have now."

How big is it?

Alvin's upturned smile froze, and he asked,

"Approximately..." Carroll lowered her head, gesturing on the star map, "About ten times larger than this."

Alvin was unhappy.

He had thought this star map was already very large, recording the features and civilizations of hundreds of planets along the way.

Unexpectedly, the "father" he had never met was so wasteful; wasn't this simply "ruining his son"?

He couldn't even imagine how much information was recorded on that complete Valshius Family star map, which was ten times larger!

That's such a waste!

"Forget it, I'm not blaming him." Alvin was quick to let go; he never regretted what he had lost. He was just a little disappointed. He patted Carroll on the shoulder and laughed, "Besides, don't you think the unknown... is more worth exploring?"

What about the paths paved by our predecessors?

As Rogue Trader, one must have an adventurous spirit; only unknown adventures meet the requirements!

Seeing that he had let it go so quickly, Carroll breathed a sigh of relief. He was genuinely afraid that this young master would blame the previous head of the family. "Oh, right, there's one more thing."

Alvin's recently calmed mood was suddenly thrown into turmoil again, and he stared at him resentfully.

Are you "Dad"?

Or is it that even a mechanically modified biological Grand Sage cannot escape amnesia in old age?

"Before the previous patriarch left, he went to Nomad Port." Carroll took a breath and said slowly, "Hollman mentioned to me that he had deposited something there, most likely a star map, or the destination of that route."

"Why didn't you tell me something so important sooner?!"

Alvin's eyelids twitched. "You should have said what's important earlier!"

"Ahem..." Carroll seemed a little embarrassed and turned her head away. "Recently, my memory and emotion array seems to have encountered a problem. I keep losing memories from time to time, which is what I discovered when I checked the 'backup'."

"Are you sure there's no more information that's been missed?" Alvin remained skeptical.

"Yes, I'm sure there aren't any left." Carroll nodded confidently. "The backup memory entered this time is from twenty years ago, shortly after the previous family head set off. I was still very young then, so don't underestimate my memory."

"Okay, where did he leave his things?"

Alvin rubbed his temples, half believing and half doubting his words.

"The Fernando Merchant Dynasty!"

When this name was mentioned, a rare hint of apprehension appeared on Carroll's face.

"So... just like us?" Alvin frowned, immediately thinking of the four great families who had sworn an oath before the Emperor.

"No, the Fernando Dynasty rose to power at the beginning of the 41st millennium, initially through legitimate trade and exploration." Carroll's tone suddenly sombered at this point. "But during the siege of Nomad Port by Gulgrog, they allegedly secretly funded Orks pirates and traded arms, rapidly accumulating resources and thus gaining control of the entire Nomad Port."

"Until later, the Imperial Navy regained control of the Nomad Port."

"However, the Fernando Dynasty secretly bribed numerous nobles and naval commanders, gradually gaining control of the port's Black Market trading hub and establishing a clandestine organization known as the 'Shadow Dome.' Even the Vought's numerous investigations yielded no results."

"You mean?"

Even if Alvin were an idiot, he could tell from Carroll's tone that this family was no pushover.

"They won't hand over what the previous patriarch entrusted to them so easily," Carroll sighed. "That's what I'm most worried about. This is Nomad Port; they won't care about the Valshius Family here."