Chapter 25: Konrad's Aristocratic Problem
Gatherings, parties, or whatever else they call them are merely self-coronations for those who deem themselves superior.
The biennial gathering of noble families was never an essential event for Wayne, but it only became a noble gathering if Wayne was present. If he wasn't, it was just a meeting. The former was more akin to a convergence of power, in which the world's most influential people gathered to decide the fate of billions. The latter was merely a social event that ended after some drinks.
Many matters ultimately required the tacit approval of the Wayne Group.
For example, some families once chose to unite against Wayne in his absence to prevent him from further persecuting other families. Then, the trade costs within the planets of these united families suddenly increased by over fifty percent, and a large number of goods could not be transported out of their star systems for export.
At that moment, they realized Wayne had already cut off trade relations with them. The Wayne Group's fleet restricted its trade exports.
They ultimately chose to trade only at the Wayne Group's space stations, giving their profits to Wayne.
Even so, Wayne still did not agree. Subsequently, the families opposed to Wayne sought to initiate military action. But they quickly realized that the other side was already prepared. Starting a war would be the nobles' self-destruction.
They realized they had to surrender their last remaining rights. Otherwise, whether they went to war or dragged it out, it would be a victory for the Wayne Group and their own demise.
They ultimately chose to let the Wayne Group intervene in their civilian management and the transfer of grassroots power. Only then did Wayne agree to allow their trade to continue. If the nobles chose to fight the Wayne Group to the death, the ordinary people would only suffer.
Now, six years later, the families who transferred grassroots power have been completely hollowed out, and their resources have flowed into the hands of the common people. The scattered regions of these families also became sites for establishing Wayne Group branches and subsidiaries.
Then Wayne judged the criminals, tyrants, and gangsters among these nobles.
The remaining nobles became workers, sent by Wayne to other planets in the home star system to build worlds in outer space. This was labor reform.
After all, Nostramo, with five large hive cities, had not millions, but dozens of billions of nobles, and killing them all was impossible. Such large-scale deaths would eventually bring chaos, so Wayne planned to judge the guilty, reeducate the nobles through physical labor, and then integrate them into the populace.
By allowing Wayne to divide other families' territories and implant his subordinates and artificial intelligence in various hive cities, Wayne ushered in an era of global surveillance.
Two years ago, Wayne did not attend the noble gathering due to Konrad, and ultimately, the nobles just drank and envisioned the future, leaving many related matters unresolved.
Therefore, this time they made every effort to invite Wayne, and each family brought their most outstanding young woman, hoping to discuss Konrad's marriage to Wayne.
One of the most common forms of cooperation among nobles is alliance through marriage, and this was also a standard noble tactic.
Of course, among the primarchs, the only one who had used marriage alliances was the Lord of the Third Legion, who united the factory-cities of Chemos through such political bonds before his reunion with the Emperor.
Konrad stood in his bedroom watching Adelaine measure his physique. Konrad never liked buying or customizing clothes, because for him, clothes that fit today might be too small tomorrow and unwearable next month. For this reason, he preferred inexpensive clothing to save money. Even though Wayne was never short of money, resources should not be wasted.
"Nobles are all problematic people. Most of them are condescending, with an expression that looks down on everyone."
"You don't like them?" Konrad asked.
"I come from the lower class of nobles, so naturally, I'm looked down upon. But you need not worry, they... will never show you any disrespect. Today, the most prestigious noble children will desperately try to get into your bed; you shouldn't be surprised if there are men or intersex beings who are too touchy with you. They are desperate."
"Although Adelaine is not taken seriously by the nobles, her status and power as the chief secretary of the Wayne Group far exceeded those of most nobles. But that's stupid, how nobles are. What if your power and status are higher than theirs? They determine status by bloodline."
"What?" Konrad didn't think they were better than Adelaine. "If they speak disrespectfully, I shall personally hang them for you."
Adelaine calmly interjected, "That won't be necessary. Since you arrived, every family has sought to marry into the Wayne family. After all, the Son of Wayne is renowned in this world."
Konrad hadn't expected to be so popular, but for a primarch, interacting with those nobles was less appealing than working overtime.
"I've never liked any noble."
"They don't care whether you like them or not, as long as... how should I put it? Once biology submits its report, that's what's most important." Adelaine looked at the two-year-old Konrad, who, despite being only two, had developed almost like an adult, yet still looked like a teenager.
Most nobles now thought Konrad was merely a genetically modified infant, and aside from his connection to the primarchs sought by the Imperium of Man, he seemed no different from an ordinary person.
Konrad was somewhat curious whether Wayne had encountered such situations back then. "Was Foster Father ever proposed to or asked for an arranged marriage?"
Adelaine replied coldly, "No. They died terribly back then."
"What?" Konrad was a little surprised by the sudden change in expression.
"At that time, the Wayne Group had just been established. Its foundation was unstable, and it was a delightful piece of meat in the eyes of hungry wolves. How could nobles have thoughts of marriage with their food?"
Konrad understood. They couldn't eliminate Wayne now, and thus chose this method. It seemed that fear was sometimes necessary.
"Is that so? Now they're scared, so they choose marriage?"
"You could say that, young master."
Adelaine finished measuring the last data. Compared with last month, Konrad's height increased by 10 cm. Was a two-year-old growing that fast in just one month?
"Your clothes will be delivered tomorrow, young master."
"Thank you, Miss Adelaine."
Konrad rose and left Adelaine's office. The clothes would be made today using artificial intelligence.
Adelaine sighed as she watched Konrad's retreating figure disappear down the corridor.
Interacting with nobles was something Konrad had to experience, something he needed to learn... but she could only hope the boy wouldn't fear his foster father's past.
Because when the Wayne Group returned to Wayne's hands, when he clawed back control and stabilized his rule, Wayne had killed... just too many noble families. The actions he took toward them could be described as inhumane, even by Nostramo's standards.
In this world, just as Wayne had said from the beginning, he was sometimes no different from the nobles. Equally cruel. Equally depraved.
There used to be a time when Wayne would slip into phases where he became completely detached from his senses, from himself, desiring nothing but blood and torture. The pyramids of hellfire, those monuments of agony that burned millions alive in pure roaring superheated air inside their metal shells.
Adelaine sighed, remembering old memories as she sank into her chair. She looked at the photo on her desk, her and Wayne, the day they achieved their goal of becoming the most powerful on this planet. His eyes were dark, sunken in, and she was beside him, cold, detached from everything.
"So much changed in so little time," She picked it up, gently tracing his face with one finger. "You never have been at such peace before, even I think, in some moments, that the past you was just a nightmare...."
Adelaine felt a cold chill run through her spine, her hair standing straight in primal fear. "Those pyramids... they were not even the worst part, were they? How... how... how did you make yourself so cruel?"
....
On a hive city tower, a young girl with azure eyes gazed at the entire city. She wore a dress made of azure feathers adorned with flames, a crystal coronet on her head, and a bracelet with a double-headed eagle pattern on her right forearm. She was like a pure and flawless maiden, a truly kind girl.
"Miss, tomorrow's gathering?"
"Konrad? I'm not interested in him. You may leave, Kairos. I came here for someone else."
"Understood, Miss Helena."
The girl gazed at the skyscrapers, standing there like an ordinary child.
"There aren't many truly interesting existences in the world, and you are one of them." The girl drank a blue beverage, her fingers like jade carved with golden proportions. "Wayne. Wayne's last orphan."
At this moment, nine minutes past nine arrived.
[End of Chapter]