Time passed, and a new request arrived from outside.
This time, it was not a request from Roboute Guilliman, but from Belisarius Cawl—the Archmagos Dominus who had made an immense contribution to returning Guilliman to the present era of the forty-first millennium.
The man who had developed the Primaris Marines.
He proposed a deal to us, and we accepted, inviting him aboard our vessel.
"To think I would live to meet Lord Belisarius Cawl."
Carmilla's eyes had reddened, as though she were deeply moved by the prospect of meeting Cawl.
"Still, it is strange. Why has he summoned not only Magos Carmilla, but the rest of us as well?"
"Will we not naturally find out when we meet him?"
Vwooom.
"Ah, it appears they have arrived."
A massive transport vessel began entering through the hangar. Only after the bulkhead leading into space had been sealed and the air inside replaced did the transport's ramp door open, and the invited guest's entourage emerge one by one.
The first to appear was a superhuman with a Primarch-class physique: Alpha Primus.
"An Ogryn? No, he feels entirely different from one..."
"Perhaps the Magos created a new kind of human while making the Primaris."
"That would be heres—no, that is truly an astonishing accomplishment."
Hearing that speculation—which was, in fact, true—Tess had been about to condemn it as heretical technology. But when he noticed Carmilla looking at him from beside him, he immediately changed his words.
Not that she would harm him, but she might retaliate by some other inventive means.
"Carmilla, stop staring at Tess and look ahead again. The Magos you have been so eager to meet has appeared."
"Ohhh..."
Behind Alpha Primus, Belisarius Cawl appeared.
"He is a giant..."
Cawl's body was far larger than Alpha Primus's. By attaching countless machines to himself, he had grown larger even than the Primarch Roboute Guilliman.
Consequently, when he arrived before us, I had to tilt my head straight up.
"It is an honor to meet the great Archmagos Dominus, Lord Belisarius Cawl."
Tess spoke on our behalf, and we bowed our heads in welcome.
Before the negotiations, we headed to a place where we could speak, which naturally ended up being Tess's office.
My office was a small single room, Erin's office was practically another private space, and Carmilla's office was filled with every sort of machinery.
Thus, we had no choice but to go to Tess's office, which was the largest and possessed the most conventional layout.
"This place is quite impressive. Works of art containing ancient technology are on display here."
"Would you like to look around for a while?"
"No, I came to conclude a deal. I shall leave the viewing of relics from old ages to my son."
"Your son... Understood. Then I shall have tea brought out."
"No, I do not drink tea. Take a seat across from me, Tess Barbab. Magos Carmilla."
Tess and Carmilla sat down, and they began discussing the terms of the deal.
Those of us standing behind them intended to quietly listen to their conversation, but something tapped my shoulder repeatedly from beside me, so I turned my head.
"What is it?"
"What is that?"
He gestured toward somewhere, and when I followed his gesture, I saw an invention from the second millennium that I had designed in the days when the glorious House Barbab had still existed.
I met Carmilla around that time, too.
Back then, she had been one of the many Tech-Priests dispatched to the knightly domain to service the Knights.
"To explain... this is a toaster. A machine for making toast."
"Toast?"
"Bread that has been toasted."
"Bread?"
"...It is a machine for conveniently preparing a simple dish."
"I see. Then what is this?"
The next thing he gestured toward was an object worthy of being called my masterpiece.
"That is a record book."
"What does it record?"
"It records various technologies, including the toaster from earlier."
"May I read it?"
"Of course. I wrote it, after all."
Alpha Primus picked up the record book and began reading through its technologies, turning the pages one at a time.
Rustle, rustle.
Each time he turned a page, his eyes were sometimes calm and sometimes widened in surprise, filling me with satisfaction.
"Then let us discuss the next condition."
Ah, right. We were in the middle of a negotiation.
"I will grant you a planet."
At Cawl's proposal, Tess asked:
"An abandoned Knight World?"
"No, I will give you a Dead World."
A Dead World—a barren planet without life. Usually, it was a world whose entire surface had been consumed by Tyranids, leaving it desolate.
"...Did you perhaps misread 'death world' as 'Dead World'...?"
"My pronunciation was correct. A Dead World."
"..."
Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere that accompanied Tess's silence, Alpha Primus turned his head toward Cawl. Cawl met his gaze and continued.
"Of course, I do not intend to give you the Dead World as it is. I will restore the planet."
"Restore a planet... Is that even possible?"
"Compared to the great works I am currently undertaking, it is quite easy. 0001..10..101"
In the middle of speaking, Cawl suddenly emitted machine code. After remaining in that state for several seconds, he regained himself and continued speaking.
"In one century, it can establish a basic ecosystem, and in three hundred and fifty years, a complete ecosystem, Sir Tess."
"I have never heard of such a thing..."
"There is no reason to restore a worthless planet, so naturally you have not."
Turning a Dead World into a knightly domain.
By the sound of it alone, it was an achievement of immense value to the revival of our House.
However, restoring the Dead World would require three hundred and fifty years.
Could the mere dozen or so remaining members of our House survive for so long?
The answer was no.
"We are not superhumans like the Astartes. Three hundred and fifty years is enough time for every pillar of our House to die on the battlefield."
"Hm. In that case, how about settling temporarily on an Astartes homeworld for those three hundred and fifty years?"
"Would the Astartes not object?"
"There are those who possess a homeworld yet use their battle barge as a fortress-monastery. Would they not permit it?"
"Hmm..."
Tess fell into thought. It would certainly be a good thing if we could establish ourselves on a homeworld, but would it really be possible?
After a brief deliberation, Tess reached his decision.
"Understood. Then let us proceed that way."
"A wise choice, Sir Tess."
"Now then, let us briefly summarize the contract between you and me."
----
Magos Belisarius Cawl shall restore a Dead World and transfer it to House Barbab as its knightly domain.
The knightly domain's tithe grade shall be designated Solutio Tertius grade, the lowest grade.
Until the planet has been completely restored, it shall remain the property of the Adeptus Mechanicus Magos Belisarius Cawl. Upon completion of restoration, ownership shall immediately transfer to Tess Barbab.
Until the planet has been completely restored, Belisarius Cawl shall find an Astartes homeworld upon which House Barbab may settle temporarily.
Immediately upon the conclusion of this contract, Magos Belisarius Cawl shall transfer command of one Skitarii legion to Magos Carmilla.
In exchange, House Barbab's "technological relics" and Magos Explorer Carmilla's "copy of an STC fragment" shall be surrendered to Belisarius Cawl.
----
"The contract has been concluded. Then I shall receive the technology."
Cawl rose from his seat, and Tess and Carmilla left the office with him.
The only ones remaining in the office were Erin, Alpha Primus, and me.
"The more I look, the more remarkable it is. How did you conceive of technologies such as these?"
"Thanks to broadening my knowledge by reading many books in the House library."
"...Brother, I shall return to my room as well."
"All right. Take care."
Erin left as well, and now only Alpha Primus and I remained.
"Thank you for the explanations. I should be going as well."
"Farewell."
Alpha Primus closed the book he had been reading and left the office.
Watching him depart, I turned over the book he had closed and looked at it for the first time in a while.
"This is a technology I only ever imagined."
What was written on that page was Haki from One Piece. Of course, I knew it was impossible, so when I was young—five years ago—I had occasionally used psychic powers to imitate it.
That had been fun.
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