Machine Spirit authentication was the step Emrys worried about most.
Although from every aspect—genes, bloodline, etc.—he was undoubtedly a direct descendant of the Emrys Rogue Trader Dynasty.
However, the Machine Spirit authentication of Warhammer might delve deep into the soul, a fact that could be glimpsed by referencing the recognition rituals of Knight Houses and the High Throne.
In the Warhammer Universe, the older a family, the more complex its inheritance rituals. Often, besides requiring pure bloodlines, the Machine Spirit and the memories of past wielders would also form a specific test.
While confirming whether the successor was qualified, it would also do its utmost to exclude corruption from Chaos and the Warp!
So, the question arose.
Could Emrys' soul truly gain the recognition of the Machine Spirit of this ancient family flagship?
It wasn't until he sat upon the Mechanical Steel Throne that Emrys' hanging heart finally settled completely. From this moment on... he was the undisputed, unquestionable 'heir'!
The myriad ancient memories, along the illuminated patterns of the Steel Throne, slowly flowed into the depths of Emrys' soul!
He seemed to see the endless galaxy of stars!
Tracing back even before the ancient era, to humanity's most glorious and shining moment, that tall figure, enveloped in golden light, seemingly exuding endless majesty, led the Death Angels, powerful enough to awe the stars, to reclaim world after world, illuminating the vast territories of the Imperium!
Gathering humanity once again under the same banner!
The Imperium's double-headed Aquila banner fluttered among the stars, until... that bloody, cruel ran completely shattered humanity's hopes, turning the entire galaxy into a purgatory!
And the great Lord of Humanity, dragging His severely wounded body, stepped up the stairs, step by step, and sat upon that Golden Throne, enduring endless torment and pain!
In the memories flowing from the Machine Spirit, Emrys was immersed, as if he could deeply feel the pain of the first family head, and the wails and laments of humanity among the stars!
Following the memories of the first family head, he piloted this Excalibur to Holy Terra, giving his all, just to resist those accursed traitors!
Then.
First Emrys, led by a golden-armored Custodian, stepped into the ancient imperial palace walls, standing atop the world's highest mountain in the Qingzang Plateau.
He saw the Lord of Humanity seated on the Golden Throne, and at that time, the Emperor had not yet been drained by that terrifying 'instrument of torture,' still retaining His human form.
Entering the palace with him were not only Emrys but also three others. However, they did not communicate with each other but remained silent and reverently knelt before the Emperor.
"In the name of the Emperor!"
"We... shall uphold the 'Covenant'!"
"Passed down through generations, until death!"
The four kneeling beneath the Golden Throne solemnly swore an oath to the Emperor, who was already unable to speak.
Then... the memory was interrupted.
"Covenant?"
Emrys murmured to himself.
These two words were as if carved into his bones, imprinted deep in his soul, deeply integrated.
He did not know the identities of the three people kneeling before the Golden Throne besides the first Emrys, but... his intuition told Emrys that the 'Covenant' they mentioned was extremely important!
This was a 'story' never recorded in history!
According to his understanding, after the Emperor sat on the Golden Throne, He never privately met anyone, yet the Machine Spirit memories of the Excalibur clearly confirmed this matter!
The Emperor had made an ancient covenant with those four!
Regarding the identities of the three companions, Emrys guessed that it was highly possible that, like the first Emrys, they were all Rogue Traders personally granted 'Warrants of Trade' by the Emperor!
But... what was the Covenant?
The Machine Spirit's memories contained no detailed information about the 'Covenant.' Emrys frowned in thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know... the Covenant?"
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Emrys."
The Machine Spirit's answer was as expected: "Any information regarding the 'Covenant' is classified as top-tier secret within the Emrys family. It is not permitted to be recorded on parchment, nor transcribed by any form of Machine Spirit or Servitor."
"...Then how do successive heirs learn about the 'Covenant's' contents?!" Emrys was very puzzled. A 'Covenant' not even recorded on parchment—if something went wrong, wouldn't it be lost forever?
"In fact, the true content of the Emrys 'Covenant' has long been lost, Mr. Emrys."
The Machine Spirit suddenly dropped a bombshell: "The actual content of the 'Covenant' was not passed down orally, nor was it recorded in any form. The method of the 'Covenant's' transmission was erased a long time ago." Neither orally transmitted nor recorded in any form—could it be... through the Emperor's dreams?!
Emrys rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling that the amount of information he had received in such a short time was too vast, far exceeding the sum of his previous decade and more!
"Then do you know the identities of the other three?" Emrys wanted to confirm whether the three people who jointly met the Emperor with the first Emrys were indeed Rogue Traders.
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Emrys..." The Machine Spirit seemed to say with some guilt: "Even within the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra, there are no records of the identities of those four. The only person who knows their identities and witnessed the entire event now..."
At this point, the Machine Spirit was uncharacteristically silent for a long time.
"What's wrong?"
Emrys was a little strange. The Machine Spirit couldn't have frozen, could it?
"That one has been missing for ten millennia..." The Machine Spirit said in a low voice: "He is the Custodian Commander personally appointed by the Emperor—Constantin Valdor!"
"..."
Damn it, Emrys' scalp instantly prickled!
How did this involve Custodian Commander Constantin Valdor?!
This esteemed figure had been by the Emperor's side since the Unification Wars, participating in the extermination of the Thunder Warriors, the Great Crusade, and the Webway War. He was a true big shot in every sense of the word!
His personal combat prowess was said to be no less than that of a 'Primarch'!
This meant that there was no way to verify the content of the 'Ancient Covenant' with anyone.
Rather, trying to find Constantin Valdor was less realistic than considering installing a speaker on the Emperor's Golden Throne in the Terra Imperial Palace.
At least, the Emperor wouldn't move.
If neither the Custodes nor the High Lords could find Constantin Valdor, he didn't think he could find this esteemed individual.
Emrys felt an even greater headache. He had thought that becoming a noble would allow him to enjoy a life of luxury, but who knew it seemed he had been drawn into an even larger vortex.
"Can you tell me how many Rogue Trader Dynasties were personally granted Warrants of Trade by the Emperor himself?"
Emrys changed his line of thought, intending to see if he could find some clues from this angle.
"According to current records, during the Great Crusade, there were eleven Rogue Traders personally issued Warrants of Trade by the Emperor himself." The Machine Spirit paused for a moment, then added, "But after ten millennia, only... seven remain!"
Ten choose three... Emrys sighed, the scope was too broad.
Moreover, he couldn't even be sure if the remaining seven Rogue Trader Dynasties included those original three.
Covenant, Custodian Commander, Emperor... Emrys suddenly thought of a possibility.
It was merely a possibility. The Emperor Himself possessed precognitive abilities, though He could not glimpse the full scope of the future, and because of Warp interference, the future was full of changes. So... was there such a possibility?
The Emperor foresaw 'failure' and secretly summoned four individuals, and under the witness of Custodian Commander Constantin Valdor, established an ancient Covenant!
The content of the Covenant... perhaps, it concerned the future of humanity, and a move the Emperor made in advance to cope with the failure of the Webway?!