area51novel Chapter 32 Valancieus
Chapter 32 Valancieus
Patrolling the northern sector of the harbor gradually became a routine for the crew of the Black Pearl. The watch roster was fixed, and the patrol routes were run over and over again, and the Dark Eldar never appeared again. Marcus remained vigilant, glancing at the sensor logs twice every day, but the alarm never sounded.
Liu En devoted most of his energy to his private workshop. He sealed the blueprint of the Eldar soul imprint deep within his database, never to touch it again. He spent more time optimizing the underlying blueprints of the Black Pearl's various systems—the energy focusing array of the Void Shield, the heat exchange efficiency of the reactor, the energy pipeline layout of the weapon system—repeatedly disassembling, analyzing, and reconstructing each one.
But when the Black Pearl returned to Wandering Harbor for resupply, he wasn't the real protagonist.
It's Phyllis.
Phyllis's full name is Phyllis Valentina Herman, thirty-five years old, a former first mate on a merchant ship. With twelve years of experience on merchant ships, she rose from sailor to first mate, her routes covering most of the Misty Starfield. But that file only recorded the tip of the iceberg.
Phyllis hailed from a declining collateral branch of a merchant ronin family in the Valan system. The family's license had been revoked a thousand years ago, leaving only faded crests on the walls and yellowed names in the family tree as remnants of its former glory. She began sailing at sixteen, starting as a cabin cleaner and working her way up to first mate. She had witnessed the extravagance of the merchant ronin, the greed of imperial bureaucrats, and the chaotic trading markets of the border regions. Before the Black Pearl's recruitment notice reached her, she had saved enough money to buy a small boat and become a freelance merchant. Then she saw the Black Pearl.
When Phyllis first entered the Black Pearl's hangar, the first thing she noticed wasn't the width of the corridors or the size of the cabins, but rather the warehouse's reserves and the shelves piled high with various supplies. She casually picked up an inventory data board and glanced at it—it was densely packed with details of part numbers, ammunition batches, and the entry and exit of armor molds. In her eyes, these dry numbers were the pulse of profit. Liu En said that equipment should be handled openly, supplied without restrictions, and procured and distributed without limits, so she directly handled every order, memorizing tens of thousands of part numbers, ammunition batches, and ceramic armor mold batches.
Phyllis's business acumen was exceptionally active; her trading style was so bold that even the seasoned veterans of Wandering Port were astonished. Before the Black Pearl even returned to port, she had already informed the Wandering Port's liaison station through the Star Speakers about the types and quantities of equipment available for trade on board. While the supply of standard equipment through regular channels in Wandering Port was stable, the channels for distributing large quantities of precision-grade or master-crafted modified equipment were extremely limited. Most mining fleets and resident merchant convoys were only allocated standard models. The equipment on the Black Pearl, however, boasted protection and firepower comparable to the arsenals of some elite naval units in certain aspects, and Liu En had authorized "open trading."
Every time the Black Pearl docked, the reception hall was bustling with people. Merchants, mine owners, logistics officers from mercenary groups, and even personnel from the Imperial Navy's supply depot at the port of Wandering were all honored guests at Phyllis's trading table. Phyllis sat in the center of the reception hall, her long, dark brown hair tied up with a simple silver hairpin, wearing a well-tailored dark gray uniform of a logistics officer from the Black Pearl. On the long table in front of her, various equipment samples were neatly arranged, each labeled with its performance and price using tiny binary tags.
Everyone who came and went praised the Black Pearl's reception room. Its style was entirely Liu En's design, but he put his ideas into practice, layering them to create its skeleton and flesh. The reception room was located behind the bridge. Entering through a heavy, adamantine door and walking through a short corridor, one would suddenly find the space open up. The double-height Gothic vaulted ceiling stretched the space vertically, with the highest point of the dome nearly twenty meters above the ground. Each column was cast from a single piece of adamantine gold, its surface etched with prayers in high Gothic script and scriptures interwoven with binary code, gleaming with a serene metallic luster under the cool white lighting.
The most awe-inspiring feature is the imperial shrine at the center of the reception hall. The statue, forged from pure gold, stands over six meters tall. The emperor, clad in armor, rests one hand on a sacrificial sword while the other extends forward, a gesture that evokes both judgment and blessing. Behind the statue, a massive double-headed eagle emblem is etched into the wall, its outstretched wings almost filling the entire dome. An eternal flame burns on the altar at the foot of the shrine, the smoke of paraffin and frankincense slowly swirling beneath the dome. Half-height Gothic pointed-arch columns on either side divide the space into several semi-open meeting areas, where long benches covered with deep red velvet feel substantial. The space is vast, yet its dimness and solemnity instill a sense of quiet, naturally causing those who enter to lower their voices to a minimum.
All of this consumed a large number of universal atoms. But in his view, every single atom was worth the price.
It wasn't because of his piety—he had seen too many religions in his past life and knew how faith was shaped. But in this universe, the Emperor was real. The warp was real, the demons were real. The four evil gods whispered in the void, constantly plotting to flood into the real world and devour human souls.
He even ventured into the subspace himself. In that chaotic and turbulent dimension, time does not exist, physical laws do not exist, only desire, pain, and madness exist.
Why would the Empire conceal this from the general public? It's simple: fear is the best nourishment for chaos. An ordinary person who knows about the demons in the Warp will imagine what those demons look like in the dead of night. Every imagination, every instance of fear, is a way of supplying energy to the Dark Gods. The Empire has specialized agencies to deal with those in the know—the Inquisition, the Grey Knights—those mortals who experienced the demonic invasion are either erased from their memories or thoroughly "purified." It's not cruel; it's necessary. Knowledge is power, but some knowledge is itself a curse.
He didn't need the Emperor's blessing—he had the ability, the domain, the information database, and higher dimensions. But the crew did. Those retired veterans recruited from various worlds, those logistics personnel struggling to survive in the Imperial bureaucracy, those ordinary people who had dedicated their lives to the Emperor yet never witnessed any miracles—their souls were as fragile as candles flickering in the wind.
So he placed a statue of the emperor in the living room. Not because he believed, but because the crew did. Because they needed a direction to pray to during their long voyage across the Chaos Sea, in the purple churning of the night outside their portholes. Faith is not a weapon—but for ordinary people, faith is a second layer of ethereal shield on the ship. Perhaps it's not real, perhaps it can't stop demons, but it can prevent people from collapsing when fear strikes.
A crew member who doesn't break down lives longer than one who does.
Everything in the drawing room, from the height of the emperor's statue to the size of the double-headed eagle, from the curvature of the dome to the spacing of the candelabra, was precisely calculated. Liu En knew for whom each piece of refined gold served when he sculpted it—not for the emperor, but for those who needed the emperor. He never prayed. The emperor's statue was cold metal, and beneath the wings of the double-headed eagle lay only his own shadow.
But in the middle of the night, while the crew whispered prayers in the mess hall, while some knelt before the Emperor's statue, their foreheads pressed against the cold metal floor, Liu En would stand on the bridge, his back to them, pretending to look at the stars through the porthole. He didn't need that faith. But he respected those who did. That was the difference.
The atmosphere in the reception room was different today than usual.
Phyllis looked up from above a stack of data panels, nodded to a thin, middle-aged woman sitting opposite her, and gestured for her to take a short break. The woman took a sip of the synthetic coffee specially provided by the Black Pearl, closed her eyes to rest, and four fully armored guards stood motionless at the entrance to the reception hall corridor behind her.
Phyllis walked into the short corridor between the inner and outer chambers and whispered into Liu En's communicator, "Ms. Silver—Margaret von Valancius. The plenipotentiary trade representative of the 'Imperial Blood' merchant dynasty in Wandering Harbor. She wishes to meet with you."
"Valancius?" Liu En stopped what he was doing and stood up from his private workshop. "Imperial Blood."
"That imperial bloodline is famous throughout the entire empire," Phyllis added. "The license was issued by the Emperor himself. The family history is even longer than the state religion."
Liu En remained silent for a moment. In Wandering Harbor, merchant outposts were scattered throughout the area. They didn't lack weapons, but they lacked high-quality ones. The equipment on the Black Pearl was already renowned in Wandering Harbor's circles as superior weaponry, each piece possessing detailed test data, bearing the official stamp of Lucis's forging world, and repeatedly tested in actual combat. After the Battle of Gamma-9, the Black Pearl was able to deploy escort ships to sink a Dark Eldar escort ship, a feat broadcast throughout Wandering Harbor by the Temple as positive publicity. The merchant outposts, far away in the expansion zone, analyzed the situation through their intelligence channels and concluded that the Black Pearl's combat power was directly related to the equipment it provided for evaluation.
"They were looking for the best ships on the warship market, and first they asked Valentius at the Lucis Foundry World Wandering Port Liaison Office. Valentius gave them the standard specifications for the Gothic-class cruisers, but they were not satisfied. Later, after a series of exchanges, Valentius suggested that they come directly to the captain himself."
Liu En entered the reception room. Ms. Yin was sitting on one side of the long table, her short, light gray hair neatly styled, her features exquisite but expressionless. She wore a dark blue merchant's robe, with the coat of arms of the Valancius family embroidered on her chest—a double-headed eagle spreading its wings from a crown, holding an astrolabe in its beak.
She saw Liu En enter, stood up, and extended her hand. Her palm was rough, and her knuckles were calloused. "Cohen Severus, a third-tier trainee technical priest, captain of the Black Pearl. I am Margaret von Valancius, plenipotentiary representative of the 'Imperial Blood' Dynasty's wandering port."
"It's an honor." Liu En took her hand and sat down opposite her. Phyllis stood behind him.
Margaret didn't exchange pleasantries. "I've studied the Black Pearl's combat record at Gamma-9 carefully. One against three, sinking one and forcing two to retreat. The Imperial Navy has been locked in a tug-of-war with the Dark Eldar for many years, and the number of times they've managed to repel them with a one-to-three disadvantage is extremely limited."
Liu En did not speak.
“I have another question.” Margaret raised her eyes. “The Black Pearl also originated from the Lucis Forge World, but the construction standards for the Gothic-class cruisers that I obtained show a visible difference between the Black Pearl’s actual measured firepower, maneuverability, and Void Shield data. Mr. Valentius refused to reveal more information, but he said that only the captain of the Black Pearl himself could answer these questions.”
Liu En picked up his coffee cup. "The ship is an old ship. But thanks to the work of an elder, everything from the keel to the fire control network has been systematically improved. The precision of the light spear resonator, the response speed of the point defense, the energy distribution logic of the void shield—everything is a custom modification."
Margaret glanced at him, her lips twitching almost imperceptibly. "So the performance of this ship isn't that of a standard-built product."
"Yes." Liu En put down his cup. "Technically, it's not that it can't be replicated, but the cost and effort are too high. The Empire isn't incapable of it, but it's unwilling to spend the budget of several battleships on a single cruiser. I was lucky that the elder helped me do this regardless of the cost. But as for the ability to operate a second one—I don't have it, and I don't intend to."
Margaret was silent for a moment. "What if the dynasty is willing to bear this cost? Could you introduce me to that elder?"
Liu En leaned back in his chair, his gaze calm. "The elder doesn't like to be disturbed. However, I'm still in contact with him. If you're truly sincere, I can pass on your message. But let me make this clear—he doesn't give face to just anyone. Besides, even if he agrees, the project won't be completed in a year or two."
Margaret nodded, not asking any further questions. She took a metal business card from her sleeve, placed it on the long wooden table, and stood up. "The inspection can be done slowly, and the business deal can be done later. The equipment sample Miss Phyllis showed me is quite good. If this batch of firepower is distributed to our mining ship escort fleet, the Dynasty will be much more at ease with its mining transport lines in the expansion area."
She raised her eyes, her tone softening slightly: "His Highness's intention regarding this shipment is—to load it onto the ship and take it away. Miss Phyllis's list shows a quarter of the Black Pearl's inventory, and I want double that. Almost half a ship's worth, and in addition to the items on the sample list, His Highness also wants extra general-purpose ammunition, point defense interceptor modules, and those terracotta armor modules that you marked 'not exceeding Imperial standards'."
Liu En glanced back at Phyllis. Phyllis nodded almost imperceptibly—this shipment was no small amount for the Black Pearl, but Phyllis still had some spare capacity.
"Approved," Liu En said.
Phyllis led Ms. Silver's entourage to the warehouse to inspect the goods. Margaret grabbed her coat, walked to the doorway of the reception room, and suddenly turned to look at Liu En, her expression professionally indifferent, a faint smile playing on her lips, the sincerity of which was unclear. "Captain, you really trust your logistics officer."
Liu En picked up his coffee cup and said calmly, "She's a trustworthy person. There's an old saying in Terra: 'If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them.'"
Margaret glanced at him, said nothing more, and turned to disappear through the archway at the end of the corridor.
The process of sorting, transporting, and delivering the goods took several days. The crew of the Black Pearl carried batch after batch of military green equipment boxes out of the warehouse and transported them to the No. 14 deep harbor berth in Wandering Harbor—where a transport ship of the Valancius dynasty was permanently stationed in Wandering Harbor.
Phyllis personally signed off on every shipment. She paced back and forth at the hatch, her long, dark brown ponytail sliding behind her head. Cassius, with a team of veterans, stood guard at the edge of the handover area, conducting biometric scans on every porter and servitor approaching the berth. The four guards brought by the Valancius family simultaneously lowered their hands from their explosive holsters, glanced at the veterans' dark red ceramic-steel composite power armor, and gave a slight nod of respect to the veterans of the Black Pearl.
Both parties swiped their data pads at the handover hatch to confirm authorization, and the robotic arms engaged. Phyllis walked into a large, empty section of the warehouse area, looked at the empty shelves, and silently began to restock.
"Ms. Phyllis, this is His Highness's proposal." A male finance manager in his early thirties under Margaret handed over a long, narrow box. Phyllis took it and opened it on the spot. Inside was an exquisite, thin data panel and a handheld scanner.
Phyllis glanced at the data panel and nodded. "Okay. Payment received. This is our inventory list for three days from now, signed by Phyllis. One hundred and thirty-two boxes of special ammunition and matching ceramic steel armor plates will be reissued to the designated berth within seven days, to be signed for by Valancius's permanent liaison station at the Wandering Port. Phyllis's signed receipt has been placed in a sealed box."
After seeing Valancius's men off, Liu En stood at the porthole on the bridge, watching the transport ship slowly leave its berth. The Black Pearl had lost nearly half of its equipment inventory, but in return, it had gained a substantial sum enough to bring his income to over seven figures in Throne Coins.
He picked up the data panel and looked at the list again. Phyllis had already gone to handle the follow-up procedures for the transaction.
Trade was the foundation that allowed the Black Pearl to remain in the port for an extended period, and it was also the springboard through which its soul transcended its physical body to gain external assistance.