Guilliman raised a hand slightly, cutting off the old man's torrent of words.
"I understand your reverence, but time is short. We need to get down to business. I came here to consult some records."
At Guilliman's request, the old man struggled to rise from the floor. His robe, bearing the emblem of the Department of the Interior, was rather worn.
"My lord, ever since Khorne's last attack on Terra, the Grand Archives have never received proper repairs. Many records were damaged. Though we have worked hard to restore some of the documents, we still haven't finished sorting them."
"The Imperial Archives Bureau is the most understaffed and underfunded department under the Department of the Interior. Minister Seward Rosencranz has requested assistance countless times, but still received no effective support. The archives building itself was only repaired within the last hundred years, and its records remain in disarray. If you could tell me roughly what you need, I might be able to help."
"I am looking for records from the early days of the Imperium's founding, or even earlier."
The old man hesitated, somewhat taken aback.
"My lord, then you may need to search the Historical Revision Unit. All historical records have been sent to the Imperial Palace and are kept by the Historical Revision Unit. The Grand Archives only hold intelligence and assorted records from across the Imperium. Ancient historical records are not among them."
Even Guilliman had not expected this news. The entire Imperium operated doggedly and slowly under a cumbersome, inefficient administrative system, one so complex that even a Primarch would find it a headache.
Yet Iax's efficiency still exceeded their expectations.
Vast quantities of silver mist drifted from the metal body, settling over the books and rapidly mapping their contents. Thousands of books on a single