The Kronos Expanse, located on the edge of the Calixis Sector, is an undeveloped chaotic zone.
It is a paradise for Rogue Traders, but in reality, it is fraught with undercurrents and countless dangers.
For example, the most direct dangers are Eldar pirates and belligerent Orks, and besides these, there are also Chaos forces, and even Hive Fleets from Terra; it can almost be said to be synonymous with chaos.
The various factions entrenched in the Kronos Expanse are naturally not just fighting for territory.
This area is located on the edge of humanity's known civilization, and in the past, there were many alien civilizations, and the ruins of those ancient alien civilizations may contain unknown technology, which is also an important target for various forces to contend for.
Danger and opportunity coexist; one could say that is the synonym for the Kronos Expanse.
Some people have excavated ancient alien civilization ruins here, becoming rich overnight and honored guests of the Mechanicus, while others have lost everything here, ultimately gaining nothing.
If Emrys were to put it, this place is a gambler's paradise!
Want to get rich?
Then come to the Kronos Expanse!
Whether you are a noble from a declining family, an explorer craving the unknown and adventure, or a space pirate seeking wealth.
In the Kronos Expanse, as long as you can find a valuable alien civilization ruin, hidden rare mineral resources, unknown Warp passages, and a series of other mysterious treasures, all are buried in this mysterious area!
But unfortunately, their goal this time is not to search for those unknown alien civilization ruins.
"Actually, in most of the alien civilization ruins explored so far, the truly valuable parts account for less than one-tenth." Carol introduced the place to him, with a hint of disdain in her voice as she spoke.
"Only cowards who dare not take risks would stay here."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Emrys became interested, raising an eyebrow.
"According to you, where are the truly valuable treasures?"
"The Segementum Obscurus!" Carol said without hesitation, pointing to an unknown area on the star map, which was conspicuously pitch black, her voice carrying an undisguised excitement.
"True Rogue Traders never set their sights on territories already conquered by humanity!"
"Humanity's last pioneering spirit, huh?"
Emrys swirled his wine glass, staring at the liquid clinging to the rim, and smiled.
"I understand what you mean, Archmagos Carol."
Rogue Traders, while possessing incredible power, also bear humanity's last pioneering spirit in this chaotic 42nd Millennium!
Oh, and a quick mention, something very important.
After they arrived at the Kronos Expanse, the Imperium's era finally entered the 42nd Millennium!
Now, it is the M42 era.
In this era, Guilliman will lead his expedition fleet, travel the star sea and overcoming difficulties and obstacles, to reach the dark side of the Imperium.
And another great Primarch will awaken in the forests of Caliban, pardoning his descendants.
"How do we get to the Segementum Obscurus?" Emrys asked Carol beside him.
"You don't have to worry about that at all." Carol smiled, gripping her staff, a hint of pride in her voice.
"You are the family head of the great Merlin Trader Dynasty, and through our many explorations,
we already have marked star maps of the Segementum Obscurus."
The reason for the exalted status of Rogue Trader Dynasties is primarily twofold.
The first is the "Rogue Trader Warrant" directly issued by the Emperor, a power that can be passed down through generations and will never be revoked.
The second is the experience passed down through generations, and most importantly, the "Star maps"!
It is important to know that once a Rogue Trader vessel enters the Segementum Obscurus, it is equivalent to leaving the Imperium's sphere of influence; the Emperor's Astromican will be unable to guide their direction, and many Rogue Traders have been lost in the depths of the Segementum Obscurus due to losing their guidance.
Rogue Trader Dynasties are all ancient families with long legacies, and they preserve the star maps from every exploration of the Segementum Obscurus.
These star maps record the worlds, civilizations, and other features encountered along the way, providing ample information for later explorers and helping them avoid danger.
This is the true secret that allows a Trader Dynasty to endure for ten millennia without perishing.
"This feeling is really good."
Emrys couldn't help but curve his lips upward; this was entirely a case of predecessors paving the way.
"But unfortunately…" Suddenly, Carol poured cold water on him, saying with a touch of melancholy.
"If the previous family head hadn't lost that flagship in the Segementum Obscurus, we would have a more complete and extensive star map than we do now."
"How big?"
Emrys' upward-curved lips froze as he asked.
"About…" Carol lowered her head, gesturing on the star map.
"About ten times larger than this."
Emrys was displeased.
He had thought this star map was already very large, documenting the features and civilizations on hundreds of worlds along the way.
He hadn't expected that his 'father,' whom he had never met, could be such a spendthrift; wasn't this purely 'screwing over his son'?
A star map ten times larger – he couldn't even imagine how much content was recorded on that complete Emrys family star map!
Such a spendthrift!
"Forget it, I'm not blaming him." Emrys quickly let go; he never regretted lost things, and just now he was merely a little wistful, so he raised a hand and patted Carol's shoulder, smiling.
"Besides, don't you think the unknown… has more value for exploration, doesn't it?"
What if the path was opened by predecessors?
Since he was a Rogue Trader, he should always have a spirit of adventure, and unknown adventures were what fit the bill!
Seeing him let go so quickly, Carol also breathed a sigh of relief; she was truly afraid this lord would blame the previous family head.
"Oh, and there's one more thing."
Emrys' newly calmed mood was immediately strung up again, and he stared at him resentfully.
Are you 'Dad'?
Or is it that even a Biologis with mechanical modifications can't resist memory loss after getting old?
"The previous family head went to Wanderer's Port before leaving." Carol took a breath, speaking unhurriedly.
"Holman mentioned to me that he had deposited a 'thing,' which is very likely a star map or the final destination of that route."
"Why didn't you say something so important earlier???"
Emrys' eyelids twitched; important things should be said earlier!
"Ahem…" Carol seemed a bit embarrassed, turning her head away.
"Recently, my memory and emotion array seems to have had a problem; I keep losing memories from time to time. I only discovered this when checking my 'backup.'"
"Are you sure there's no more information that's been overlooked?" Emrys still maintained a skeptical attitude.
"Yes, I'm sure there isn't." Carol said confidently, nodding.
"This time, the backup memory recorded was from twenty years ago, shortly after the previous family head departed. I was still very young then; don't underestimate my memory."
"Alright, where did he deposit the item?"
Emrys rubbed his temples, half-believing and half-doubting his words.
"The Fernando Trader Dynasty!"
When that name was mentioned, a rare hint of apprehension appeared on Carol's face.
"Are they… like us?" Emrys frowned, immediately associating them with the four great families who had sworn an oath before the Emperor.
"No, the Fernando Dynasty rose in the early 41st Millennium, initially making their fortune through legitimate trade and exploration." At this point, Carol's voice suddenly became much lower.
"But during the siege of Wanderer's Port by Gulgrog, they allegedly secretly funded Orc pirates and trafficked in arms, rapidly accumulating initial resources, thereby controlling the entire Wanderer's Port."
"Until later, the Imperial Navy regained control of Wanderer's Port."
"But the Fernando Dynasty still secretly bribed a large number of nobles and Navy generals, gradually taking control of the port's black market trading hub and establishing a clandestine organization called the 'shadow Dome.' Even multiple investigations by the Inquisition yielded no results."
"What do you mean?"
Even if Emrys were an idiot, he could tell from Carol's tone that this family was not to be trifled with.
"They won't hand over the item deposited by the previous family head so easily." Carol sighed, saying.
"That's what worries me most; this is Wanderer's Port, and they won't care about the Emrys family."