An hour later, Nareth returned to hear Howard's proposed distribution plan.
"Your Majesty, among all the factories awaiting reassignment, the Himanski family's pharmaceutical business is the largest."
"The Kournikova family operates in the chemical industry and previously had dealings in pharmaceuticals, with an average annual output of around 52,000 units."
"Considering the overlap in industries and the time needed for integration, the Himanski pharmaceutical operations should be handed over to the Kournikova family."
"…"
After listening to the plan, Nareth nodded with satisfaction.
"Very well. Execute the plan as proposed. Notify each family immediately."
"You are now the true 'Arbiter.' Return to me in an hour."
"Arbiter?"
Howard asked in confusion. 'Wasn't that the title for the underhive dome manager?'
"You'll know soon enough."
"As you command, my king."
After taking his leave, Howard descended twelve levels to the Prime Minister's office and activated the communicator.
"Count Howard, I am currently carrying out the king's orders. What are his instructions?"
"Countess Yelena, congratulations. His Majesty has decided to place the Himanski pharmaceutical business under your management. Dispatch someone to take over immediately."
Howard suppressed any jealousy he felt, keeping his voice even.
"Is it true?"
Yelena's excited voice came through the communicator.
"Of course, it's true."
Howard understood her surprise. Every noble knew that even with all the workers from the Hantmann West Dome, taking over the massive Boleslaw family operations was already pushing their limit.
But overcoming greed, a fundamental human flaw, was another matter entirely. The former king couldn't do it; his greed knew no bounds.
"Praise our king! Long live his wisdom!"
One after another, Howard heard nobles across the families praise Nareth.
My Lord has already won their hearts. He has established his footing in Tizca.
Of course, most importantly, he possesses power.'
Howard's deep blue eyes shimmered with longing. As his thoughts wandered, the countdown alarm sounded, snapping him back. He straightened his robes and briskly walked toward the palace.
Meanwhile, in the "Kingdom of Disorder," Nareth tossed a ceremonial gavel into the forge.
Golden light burst forth as the forge crackled, forming a viscous golden potion.
He scooped up the "Arbiter" potion. Choosing this path for Howard wasn't merely because the current materials only allowed this particular potion to be brewed.
More importantly, although Howard's loyalty met Nareth's baseline requirement, it wasn't yet on par with Bukayo or Roslov.
The "Arbiter" path lies adjacent to the "Black Emperor" path.
Some paths can be transitioned between relatively safely—they share the same primal essence.
The "Kingdom of Disorder" corresponds to both the "Black Emperor" and the "Arbiter." With the essence in his possession, Nareth would soon gain the authority to exert major influence on all individuals who followed the Arbiter path.
Both the "Black Emperor" and the "Arbiter" are transcendents who, upon ascending to the Old Days, can be manipulated.
Back in the real world, Nareth approached Howard and opened his palm.
"Drink it!"
Howard looked at the golden gel-like potion in the bottle, fear flashing across his eyes.
'Poison? No—impossible. If His Majesty wanted to kill me, it would be as easy as crushing an ant. Could this be… the 'gift' Roslov mentioned?'
Knowing he had no choice, Howard took the potion, gritted his teeth, and drank it all.
After teaching Howard the meditation method to contain the potion's excess energy, Nareth instructed him:
"Exactly. If you continue to meditate regularly and fulfill your duties as the Arbiter, you'll be able to master the power I've given you."
Only then did Howard grasp the meaning of "gift." Only a being as great as Omnissiah could bestow power in such a miraculous way.
He looked at Nareth with awe. "As you command, my Lord!"
"The Arbiter system in Vostroya isn't bad—it balances the nobles and the Mechanicum. But it's still imperfect."
"My Lord, do you mean…?"
If Nareth wanted total control, Howard had no doubt he could achieve it.
"The current system is about balance. The true essence of Arbiter is about upholding order."
Seeing Howard beginning to understand, Nareth continued.
"Martian technology flooded into Vostroya, triggering rapid industrialization."
"But what about the underhive and the people? They spend their entire lives without hope, brawling for a single meal, consumed by violence and betrayal."
"You must've seen through my own rise the power hidden among the people of the underhive."
Howard was enlightened. His bright blue eyes gleamed.
"You mean… once the underhive people see hope, they'll become motivated, work harder, improve productivity, and thus increase output?"
"Exactly. But that's not all. In time, you'll understand."
Nareth had not yet revealed the truth about Chaos—it was still unknown to the people of Vostroya.
He thought of something Guilliman, another Primarch, would say to Dante ten thousand years in the future.
Just as Guilliman said, only by giving people better living conditions can we draw a clear line between loyalty and betrayal. Only then will they understand what they're really fighting for.
Nareth knew from personal experience the meaning of a single meal to a person in the underhive.
And he finally understood the question Guilliman posed to Dante: When the great enemy arrives, what reason does someone living in hell have to refuse temptation?
The uneducated masses at the bottom, no matter how many grand teachings they hear from the state religion's clergy, will never understand. They only know the most basic truth: if you don't eat, you die. Whoever feeds them is their god.
Since the "Black Emperor" was building a new order, it had to start now. He couldn't change all of humanity, but he could begin with his homeland.
Nareth would create a prosperous world with great developmental potential—a prototype of his future kingdom.
"I want you to go to the Hantmann West Dome and use its existing equipment, along with my policies, to build a brand-new dome."
"I'll assign you a team of workers. You can also recruit from nearby domes."
"I want you to learn how to be an Arbiter—how to establish a new kind of order."
Nareth's tone grew heavier:
"The order I want isn't about giving scraps to the poor. It's a system where people can earn their meals and live with dignity through hard work and contribution!"
"This system should apply to every hive city, every underhive, every dome!"
Howard furrowed his brows deeply.
If Nareth only wanted a prosperous dome, the Fender family's wealth could easily do it.
But if he wanted to uplift all of Vostroya, even bankrupting every noble in the Tizca's upper-hive wouldn't be enough, let alone getting the other families to agree.
Seeing Howard hesitate, Nareth decided to broaden his thinking.
"Don't let the doctrines of the Mechanicum limit you. Technology is just a tool. I want a new order."
"You can create a qualification standard—workers who meet it get their fair share, and those who excel can be promoted to the upper hive."
"The upper-hive can build new factories and even evolve into the mid-hive. Spire towers can be dismantled to construct new upper-hives, and above those, even new Spire towers."
Howard's eyes lit up with understanding. He said with newfound confidence:
"As you wish, my Lord."
"Use the power I've given you wisely."
Hearing this, Howard's deep blue eyes sparkled. He nodded, brimming with confidence.
"I will not disappoint you."
"Now, take me to your family's treasure vault."
"My Lord, please follow me."