149 Chapter 140: My Unseen Homeland...
In Hades' makeshift office, the bookshelves brimmed with countless papers and folders. Two or three white lights conscientiously fulfilled their illuminating duties.
On the simple meeting desk, Little Kor Phaeron leaned over a primer, picked out for her by brother Kyriss.
A gigantic pitch-black scythe lay next to the work desk.
Seated at his desk, Hades examined statistical tables while fingers rapped ceaselessly upon the tabletop.
Malcador sure managed to make full use of the rejects he sent over...
You politicking sort really are sinister indeed.
Beyond his expectations—most among these disgraced nobles were losers at court intrigues. Rather than execute them, their foes clearly preferred visions of them toiling away digging earth on some unfamiliar planet.
Of course, a portion truly did commit crimes. Hades skimmed—there were negligent ministers, bribe-taking corrupt officials, and tax evaders.
He would retain them for now since there genuinely was no one else currently. At least they could cover basic literacy education for the children while moral conduct cultivation definitely could not be entrusted to them.
He ought to pull in some Gravekeepers to supervise this bunch first.
The Death Guard still needed to recruit elsewhere ultimately. But where and how—the thought alone gave Hades a mighty headache. He helplessly reclined backward, promptly covering documents over his face.
When reading about the Crusade previously, it seemed all glorious battles. But now in it himself, Hades grasped it was largely backend logistics through and through!
The Legion's transhuman warriors only comprised a tiny proportion. Behind them sprawled a colossal logistical network of mortals and Mechanicum elements.
Hades now understood Roboute Guilliman deeply—the Imperium would truly collapse without him!
Maybe he should buddy up to some Adeptus Astartes, see if he could glean some farming management tips from them.
But then again...presently among his brothers, Roboute's reputation seemed rather middling?
Crafty politician who fought battles by ledger...
Hmm... No avenue to directly contact the Ultramarines now either. Barging in immediately to demand knowledge would likely just bewilder them.
No good. Hades, you still have to rely on yourself!
Hades abruptly sat up from his chair. Time to draft recruitment orders for administrative personnel!
His writings were tinged with unshed tears.
Why hadn't Hades transmigrated directly onto Maccrage instead, doomed to wind up in this crap-toxic hellhole called Barbarus?
Those waking up directly as Guilliman or Angel spawn must have saved Terra in their past lives!
If he had landed on Maccrage, he would be an Ultramarine stationed contentedly on some 500 World by now—free to coast along.
He could also have an approachable superior who spoke plainly and considered future prospects for his charges.
Why did he have to come to Barbarus?!
Maccrage, my unseen homeland...! Waaaahhh!!!
Well, setting aside the griping, Hades truly could not casually repaint his armor blue then skip off happily now. He still had to buckle down working.
Currently, progress on all Death Guard affairs seemed rather smooth nonetheless.
The first phase of foundational orbital construction neared completion. Barbaruns could shift right in soon.
Down on the planet, formerly scattered farmlands were consolidated anew. Mechanicus-sanctioned large farm machinery rumbled across the fields.
Only the bare minimum brawn would remain in human settlements to ensure agricultural output.
Meanwhile faraway on Garspa, thanks to the tireless efforts of Galore, Vorx and others scorning the task—sweeping and cleanup concluded nicely.
Although production capacity was utterly demolished by Mortarion, Garspa still enticed many Mechanicus fleets over given its innate massive potential as an entire hive system with its planetary defenses intact.
Unlike the Barbarus system, Garspa verily overflowed with riches instead.
Colossal population numbers, production lines immediately usable after minor repairs... Two exploited mining planets to boot.
Whereas Barbarus, hah!
To be fully honest, the only noteworthy thing about planet Barbarus was birthing Primarch Mortarion. Otherwise, this world was truly lacking in about every aspect—utterly impoverished.
Environmental reformatting of Garspa was underway, with gigantic ships hovering over its pollution-ridden plains to restart ecological reconstruction.
Once the biome on the flatlands finished stabilization, the Death Guard could construct other facilities atop it. Hades planned to set up some military academies there.
As for the original hive city, based on negotiations between Hades, Mortarion and the Mechanicus, rebuilding commenced—
Relocating all populace to Hive Superior and Hive Median while fully retrofitting Hive Inferior, partitioning it into endless industrial zones instead.
Garspian products had also begun seeking export avenues to neighboring systems, preparing future trade deals.
Of course, Garspa affairs were chiefly handled by Mortarion, Galore and Vorx. Hades mainly oversaw Barbaran development and Mechanicus liaisons.
Although Mortarion genuinely loathed paperwork, it did not mean he was incapable of it. When faced with harsh realities, anyone could get dragged into administration.
This reinforced Hades' yearning to bond with the Ultramarines—if only they could directly allocate some administrators!
Unfortunately, the Ultramarines could not simply dispatch personnel on demand.
His writings were interrupted by an incoming vox—ah, the message was from the Mechanicus side.
Magos Biologis Mansr systematically informed Hades that he could send personnel to escort the blackstone shipment.
Generally no one even bothered competing over such rocks. Moreover, the space lane from Barbarus to Graia was very smooth too, void of issues.
They likely just wanted the Death Guard to dispatch some people for formality's sake, to oversee blackstone mining and transport, reassuring the client.
Hades blinked. Hmm—
He could directly assign some veterans then bring promising recruits along to walk around. After all, the new blood had trained for some time already while matters on Barbarus kept veterans occupied.
Just a round trip with Mechanicus escorts, no problems basically.
Upon some thought, Hades opened the vox channel to summon veterans and fresh blood.
Graia Mining Outpost 106.
[The magi has issued new orders for Team 3 to abandon current mining operations and proceed extracting blackstone deposits from the hill zones instead.]
A Forge Adept said to his colleague. Crimson robes draped over him while half a cogwheel insignia resembling a sunrise gleamed whitely atop the dark red fabric.
Unlike the crimson of Mars, paired with the half-cog and sunrise motif, these were hallmarks of Graia.
His associate replied with streams of binaric pulses—
[Required ore quantities?]
[The magi simply stated the more the better. We may clear out all of it.]
Rarely did such directives occur. Hesitating briefly, the Adept collated recent geological data—
[We could set explosives here at these spots, then leverage tectonic activity to expose subterranean blackstone seams from the lower strata.]
Unlike other ores requiring refinement that he had handled previously, any blackstone here would be of exceptionally high grade for direct usage.
Except—prior surveys showed most blackstone deposits were deep underground currently.
Full-scale extraction via present digging means would prove rather troublesome lacking large mining mechanisms in this zone.
Why not just blast the upper layers apart?
[Insightful proposal.] His associate readily agreed before they directed worker drones to start laying explosives.
