Nareth confirmed that the plasma guns in Forrix's hands were likely weapons personally forged by Perturabo.
He also keenly sensed Perturabo's gloomy countenance, emanating an aura of keeping others at a distance.
There was none of that suppressed anticipation of receiving praise after gifting something.
'Something's off. According to Perturabo's personality, shouldn't he be suppressing the desire for others' approval right now?'
'What went wrong?'
'Plasma weapons... Could it be...'
A flash of insight struck Nareth. He recalled that all participating Chapters were equipped with a certain number of Etacarn-pattern plasma guns.
'Could it be that Perturabo saw the plasma guns they were equipped with? He thought his supposedly unique technology appeared in others' hands, thus not wanting to embarrass himself.'
'His depression must have flared up again. Not only is he not giving me a gift, but he's also upset'
'No! Perturabo, since you made them, they shouldn't go to waste.'
Thinking this, Nareth immediately spoke: "Perturabo, those two guns in Forrix's hands, you made them, correct?"
"I think, only you could forge such perfect firearms. Their exhaust ports are smooth and unobstructed, the heat dissipation performance..."
Perturabo looked at Nareth. His words precisely highlighted the exquisite aspects of the plasma guns he had forged. The admiring expression on his face was evident, the curve of his lips just right...
All the data indicated Nareth's praise was genuine.
Perturabo's eyes suddenly shone brightly. His electronic dreadlocks swayed smoothly.
'True. Even if Nareth could replicate them, they wouldn't match the unique improvements I made upon the Squats' foundation.'
'For these improvements, I invested considerable thought. The Etacarn-pattern is more stable and powerful than the Imperium's.'
'The ones I personally forged are fifty percent more stable and four times more powerful than the Etacarn-pattern.'
Perturabo thought with confidence: 'Only I, could achieve such improvements!'
Having reached this conclusion, he said nonchalantly:
"These two guns were casually forged by me. Since you like them, I'll give you one."
"Magnus..." Before Perturabo could finish, Nareth had already reached out and taken a plasma gun from Forrix's hand.
Forrix only saw a black blur before his eyes, then felt the weight in his hand lighten. The plasma gun was now in Lord Nareth's possession.
Perturabo was momentarily stunned. Like an unappreciated artist suddenly receiving a connoisseur's admiration, he smiled and said to Magnus,
"If you also like it, I'll give you the other one."
"Perturabo, I would of course be pleased to receive your gift," said the red-skinned Cyclops.
He took the plasma gun from Forrix. "Thank you for the gift."
Magnus then looked at Nareth. "Today was my first time aboard the Aquila Lander. Its elegant form immediately brings the Imperial Aquila to mind."
"The entire flight was smooth and comfortable. The viewing dome offers a wider field of view than observation windows."
Magnus was not being insincere. Although his consciousness could expand, entering an ethereal state to survey the entire planet, appreciating the scenery through his single eye was a different artistic experience.
"It is indeed good. However, it still experiences turbulence when encountering air currents. The stabilizers could be improved. Performance has at least a thirty percent margin for enhancement," Perturabo said in an engineer's tone.
Nareth's eyes brightened. He immediately seized the opportunity, saying: "Perturabo, I think you could write down your improvement suggestions. For you, it's a trivial matter."
"My technical teams might take hundreds or thousands of years to find a way."
"Good. This won't take me much time," Perturabo said with a smile.
"I will provide comprehensive improvement suggestions for your Aquila Lander. The standard version's performance will increase by twenty-five percent. The version suitable for us will increase by fifty-four percent."
Forrix stood with empty hands, curiously observing his gene-father.
'Father seems very different from usual. He's not as stern. He seems relaxed, even... happy.'
Perturabo sensed Forrix's gaze. His smile faded, and he asked curiously,
"Nareth, along the way, I noticed your warriors are equipped with weapons similar to the short ones' Etacarn-pattern plasma guns and Bedrock-pattern boltguns."
"Your sons told me the technology originated from you. How did you acquire their technology? Did you also disassemble their weapons?"
Hearing this, Nareth's thoughts raced. The Votann and his "Concept Swap" were secrets he could not reveal to Perturabo.
Nor would anyone know the truth, for it was already "Buried."
He used the same explanation he had given the Grimnyr Lords in response to Perturabo's query.
"Correct. I grasped every detail of them."
"So that's it." Perturabo nodded, thinking contemplatively.
'The Shadows of Order have keen perception. Nareth's keen perception likely isn't limited to other beings. He probably grasped every component.'
'This is replication, not understanding the technology of their manufacture.'
'But it's sufficient for duplication. It's different from my understanding of the manufacturing principles.'
Nareth sensed Perturabo, as he had guided, thinking along the lines of the gifted talents bestowed by the Emperor.
He had previously misled the Grimnyr Lords into thinking he was a technology-oriented psyker like the late Chief Grimnyr Lord. Both instances involved "Concept Swap."
Seeing Perturabo had his answer, Magnus's gaze swept over Hathor Maat. He asked Nareth,
"In the D-1519 system, I discovered that the clan controlling the local area, though established relatively recently, traces its history back at least several thousand years."
"Nareth, have you made any discoveries?"
Nareth nodded slightly. "Of course. Hathor and I unearthed some knowledge about the Votann League."
"The Squats, also known as the Votann League, primarily comprise two main categories: the Kin and the Ironkin..."
To elevate Hathor's standing in Magnus's eyes, at least ensuring he surpassed other Cult Primarchs besides Ahzek Ahriman, Nareth had shared much knowledge obtained from the Votann with Hathor and permitted him to tell Magnus.
The more trust Hathor gained from Magnus, the more benefit Nareth could derive from the Thousand Sons.
Magnus's eyes shimmered, immersed in knowledge. Satisfying his curiosity, he naturally absorbed the information.
Perturabo swiftly stored everything Nareth said into memory, ready for recall when needed.
Nareth keenly noticed that compared to before the war during planning, Perturabo's attitude had clearly shifted.
He asked questions from time to time, not as cold and withdrawn as before.
Magnus, of course, was even more curious, asking question after question.
The exchange among the three Primarchs lasted five days, until representatives dispatched by the Mechanicum and Malcador arrived in the Squat System.
.....
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