“By the way, are there any other troubles that can’t be resolved right now?”
Odinsen thought for a moment and pulled out a spreadsheet.
“There are no major issues at the moment, but the shortage of manpower remains unresolved.”
As Huron flipped through the data, Odinsen continued his explanation.
“Even though we have over ten million grassroots administrative personnel, we are trying to do too many things simultaneously.
The construction teams alone have expanded to five billion people, and they’re starting to spiral out of control.
Construction efficiency is much lower than it used to be.”
Huron understood Odinsen’s problem.
They had five billion workers, but the newly minted Imperial Auxilia personnel totaled only fourteen million.
Even if every single one of those fourteen million was assigned to management, each person would have to oversee three to four hundred workers.
Combined with the fact that he was investing fewer Civilian Factories than he had for the starch plants, it was natural for overall efficiency to drop significantly.
Even the two hundred million skilled workers who had been on the job for over half a year couldn’t bridge the gap.
More importantly, a large number of people had to be diverted for the first census, making the already insufficient manpower even more strained.
But even Huron was powerless regarding this specific issue.
“Then we can only wait.
The strength of the Emperor’s blessing increases gradually.
In about a month, a new batch of sixteen million Auxilia personnel will be ready for duty.
Things will start to improve then.”
Odinsen nodded, then raised another concern.
“Chapter Master, there’s one more thing.
The nobles have begun to obstruct our construction projects and census work.
It seems they are starting to realize something is wrong and are planning to use petty tricks.”
Huron clicked his tongue.
First the Ecclesiarchy, and now the nobles.
Dammit, how is anyone supposed to run the Imperium with these vermin around!
“Humor them and appease them for now.
Don’t let them delay the projects.
Wait another six months, then we can start turning against them.”
He looked at the ten Special Ops Boarding Divisions—each ten thousand strong—currently training in his system interface.
In half a year, once he finished these projects, trained over a hundred million Auxilia, produced a million Special Ops troops, and completed the “New Home” National Focus, he planned to send the nobles to the heavens one by one.
Just thinking about the high-tech equipment those nobles possessed—especially the forbidden silica animus and the vast quantities of automata—made his blood boil.
It was one thing to hoard such high technology instead of using it for construction and production, but now they were actually interfering.
They deserved to die!
And while Huron was cursing them, the nobles in question were gathered at the spire fortress of the former Planetary Governor, Vallen Vatt.
They had just received intelligence that the Astral Claws and the Ecclesiarchy had clashed several times in the Underhive, resulting in many deaths.
They were currently discussing how to exploit this to drive a wedge between the two factions.
Marcus Salorm, head of the Salorm family, was irritable.
“If you ask me, we should lobby the high-ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy.
Tell them the Astral Claws are desecrating the faith of the God-Emperor and are suspected of planning a rebellion.
Get them to contact other authorities to audit the Astral Claws.
Better yet, draw in the Inquisition.”
Vallen Vatt spared him a contemptuous glance.
“And then what?
Wait for the Astral Claws to kill us all in a fit of desperation?
Or wait for an Inquisitor to arrive and execute us all?
I know your family’s Starch Guild has suffered heavy losses, but don’t let anger cloud your judgment, or you won’t even have a life to protect.”
The core industry of the Salorm family was starch production; they had almost monopolized the entire sector.
However, the Astral Claws had built massive starch factories and were now dumping starch at extremely low prices or even giving it away for free, causing the Salorm family to suffer catastrophic losses.
Klaus Vera, head of the Vera family, took the opportunity to suggest: “Why not take this chance to curry favor with the Chapter Master?
Vallen, didn’t your family train a lot of pious and pure monks and sisters?
Why not pick a few to be prepared as ingredients to host Lufgt Huron?
We can satisfy his anger over the Ecclesiarchy’s insults.”
As an old-money noble of Badab, Klaus knew quite a bit about the Astral Claws—or Astartes in general.
These beings were all extremist and stubborn, valuing honor more than life itself.
Since the Ecclesiarchy dared to disrespect them openly, Chapter Master Lufgt Huron would certainly not let it slide; he would surely seek retaliation.
In that case, if they processed some pure, pious believers of the local Badab Ecclesiarchy into a dish to entertain Huron and then insulted the local church during the banquet, wouldn’t that smooth over their relationship?
Better to get rich together than to fight to the death.
“Indeed, I think Klaus makes a lot of sense,” Silas Mercer voiced his support.
Vallen looked at the two of them.
The Vera family dealt in armed security, and their security personnel were of higher quality than the PDF.
The Mercer family dealt in transportation and logistics, controlling a massive number of vehicles and personnel.
To ensure the progress of the construction projects, the Astral Claws had signed numerous contracts with these two families, granting them significant profits.
Naturally, these two families leaned toward appeasement and compromise.
But Vallen gave them no face.
“Idiots.
You really think the two of you can sleep soundly?
They were able to produce so many administrators and registrars out of thin air—do you really think they can’t produce an army?
Furthermore, they are negotiating with the Mechanicus to build factories for various vehicles and to rebuild the Hive’s roads.
You don’t actually think they’ll still need to cooperate with you then, do you?”
Klaus tsked.
“You’re so clever.
Then find your own way to solve it.
I’m too lazy to care about this mess.”
Having said his piece, he ignored Vallen and led the members of the Vera family straight out of the room.
Silas followed closely with the Mercer family, disappearing through the fortress gates.
Once the great nobles had spoken, the remaining middle and lower nobles began to chatter among themselves.
They controlled various niche industries, such as mechanical processing, energy equipment, and usury.
Their interests were naturally diverse, and the meeting hall soon became a cacophony of noise.
If it weren’t for the long-standing prestige of the Vatt family, many of them would have preferred to follow Klaus and Silas.
Opposing an Astartes Chapter?
That was a death wish.
It had only been half a year since the Astral Claws suppressed the rebel nobles.
The memory was still fresh; they knew the Astral Claws could kill them as easily as squeezing chicks.
The current business climate wasn’t bad.
Why plot against the Astral Claws?
I don’t want their blood splashing on me when the time comes.
After a day of chaotic bickering, the meeting ended without any resolution.
After Vallen adjourned the meeting, he immediately arranged for his family staff to select a beautiful, pure, and pious young female believer.
She was to be processed as an ingredient for the upcoming banquet.
Did people really think he wanted to court death?
He only wanted to intimidate the other nobles so he could sell them out for a better price.
When he invited Huron over, he would first use the Ecclesiarchy to build rapport, then use the other nobles to further boost his standing.
Wouldn’t his family’s position be solidified then?
It wasn’t as if Huron planned to exterminate the nobility entirely, was it?
Impossible.
No such thing had happened in the Imperium for thousands of years.
Processing the believer would take two or three months.
During that time, he would keep holding daily meetings to keep the other nobles cowed and prevent them from selling him out first.
At the thought of the Vatt family standing alone at the top for centuries or millennia to come, the corners of Vallen’s mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.
While being the Planetary Governor was a grand position, a lasting family legacy wasn’t a bad alternative.