"After the Great Crusade is launched and the planets are reclaimed, I will need four planets as my territory. Can you accept this?"
Zeke stated his demand.
Karl Reiss nodded.
"Of course. If your family can dispatch enough troops, then four planets are certainly acceptable."
"Then, as long as you can convince the Department of the Interior or the Sector Command to approve your launch of this Great Crusade, our family will send troops to support you.
I myself will also dispatch a Legion of Astra Militarum and a Titan Legions to support you."
"I can guarantee that at least six emperor-class battleships and twenty strike cruisers will join your Expeditionary Fleet."
Since the other party agreed to his demands, Zeke naturally did not hold back and immediately made his promise.
Karl Reiss's eyes instantly lit up.
The support of emperor-class battleships and even Titan Legions—what a grand gesture!
He came to House Yaeger for two reasons: first, to request support from a knight house.
He knew that House Yaeger possessed a powerful void fleet that could participate in the war, and also that a large number of supply ships would be needed in the war, all of which House Yaeger could provide.
Second, and most importantly, House Yaeger was, after all, a member of the Terra High Lords Council. Gaining the support of a high lord family would be of great benefit to him in launching this Great Crusade.
And now he had received an unexpected surprise: he had actually obtained a promise from the family's heir to deploy at least six emperor-class battleships, Titan Legions, and a Legion of Astra Militarum to assist him in combat.
This time, let alone four planets, even if Zeke asked him to double it, he would be willing to hand over his planets. He saw an opportunity to restore his family's sector.
Karl Reiss took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the excitement in his eyes remained unconcealed.
He stood up and solemnly performed an ancient noble bow to Zeke.
"The generosity of House Yaeger, the Reiss family will never forget," his voice was low and solemn. "I swear on my family's honor that among the sectors reclaimed during this expedition, the four most fertile planets will be ceded to House Yaeger."
"Please rest assured, I know House Yaeger's long-standing rules; these planets will not be known by others as your esteemed family's territory."
Zeke initially nodded casually, thinking his uncle was quite capable, but when he heard the last sentence, Zeke's nodding head stopped.
Hmm?
What did he just hear?
He just heard that he knew House Yaeger's long-standing rules and would never let others know that these planets were House Yaeger's territory?
The family has a secret.
No wonder he always felt strange: his family was a member of the High Lords Council and possessed such a powerful army, yet why were they only in this one star system?
Could just a few planets really be worthy of a High Lords Council knight house?
This question had honestly always bothered Zeke, and now he seemed to have found the answer.
His family had a secret, and it was a huge secret.
However, investigating his family's secrets was for later; for now, he had to deal with the person in front of him.
Zeke's expression subtly shifted for a moment, but quickly returned to a noble composure. He picked up his teacup, using the act of sipping to conceal his thoughts.
"I am joking," he put down the teacup, his tone relaxed. "House Yaeger acts openly and honorably; why would we need to hide our territory? It's just..." He paused meaningfully, "some matters are indeed not suitable for publicizing."
Karl Reiss seemed to realize he had let something slip, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He gave a dry laugh: "Ah, yes, yes, I misspoke. Nephew, don't take it to heart."
Zeke smiled slightly, deciding not to continue the topic. He stood up, elegantly adjusting his cuffs: "Then, the expedition matters are settled."
"I still say the same thing: as long as you can get approval from the Terra High Lords Council and the Department of the Interior, and then get the Department of Military Affairs to agree to you launching the Great Crusade, then House Yaeger's army will also join this Great Crusade."
"Understood!" Karl Reiss nodded firmly. With the fleet promised by Zeke, plus his own warships, he now possessed seven emperor-class battleships.
Coupled with the 20 million elite Astra Militarum under his command, and the Titan Legions and knight house troops promised by House Yaeger, as well as the knights' gunline formations, he was confident in launching a small-scale expedition.
As for the Legion of Astra Militarum promised by Zeke, he didn't take it to heart. Astra Militarum was the least important thing in these promises, in his opinion.
After all, according to the conventional thinking of the Imperium's Lords General, who would think that a Legion of Astra Militarum was actually a Legion of a million Space Marines?
Moreover, Karl Reiss still viewed his plans as a battle on a sector level.
With the knight house troops dispatched by House Yaeger, plus his Astra Militarum, if he could also gain the recognition of others within the sector, and then mobilize some additional troops, he could reclaim a few planets during the Great Crusade, and then slowly reclaim the entire sector over several hundred years of his family's time.
But as he was thinking this, Zeke was quietly watching him from the side. He remembered a video from his previous life when he was watching long xia videos.
The content of this video was about how to become a Solar Lord in the rotten Imperium of Man.
It was clear that everything his uncle in front of him was doing was almost identical to the story in that long xia video.
In other words, his uncle opposite him might eventually become a Solar Lord and then lead the Imperium of Man to launch a large-scale expedition.
A Great Crusade, a not-so-presentable Great Crusade, was undoubtedly the best opportunity to gain profit, and Zeke looked forward to this happening.
They continued to converse for a while, ending with Zeke standing up to bid farewell.
As he saw his uncle off, just as he was about to leave, Zeke looked at him.
"If you can truly launch this Great Crusade, House Yaeger will support you. As the heir, I promise you that the support you will receive will be more, not less, than what I have promised you now."
"Reclaiming lost worlds is a necessity, and having such ambition is worthy of the name of master of mankind."
Zeke's words were inexplicably confusing to Karl Reiss. He didn't understand what they meant.
But Zeke clearly had no intention of continuing the conversation with him and turned to leave. He pondered repeatedly but did not call out to Zeke to ask what he meant.
The enduring strength of humanity requires a spirit of enterprise, and at this time, the Imperium of Man had clearly lost that spirit.
Aside from a few Rogue Traders who were still willing to explore the galactic worlds beyond the range of the Astronomican, the Imperium of Man had clearly lost its spirit of enterprise.
Now, someone was actually willing to step forward to reclaim lost worlds. This was good.
If possible, Zeke would not mind dispatching an army for his uncle.
He was not just Zeke.
From the moment the Terran Dominion appeared, he was no longer just an ordinary heir of House Yaeger; he was the Emperor.
The Emperor of Mankind, the Emperor might not be able to directly express his opinions to these people, but he could.
So, at this moment, he made his promise.
If he could truly launch this great crusade, then Zeke would also dispatch Legions; tens of millions of Space Marines would stand behind him, and tens of thousands of titans would also stand behind him.
Zeke would even send the Custodes to protect this rare spirit of enterprise within the Imperium of Man.
Although Zeke was prepared to take over the Imperium of Man, he was not prepared to take over an Imperium of Man riddled with internal and external problems, like a pile of excrement.
Karl Reiss left after talking with Zeke, but he suddenly felt that all sorts of Warp contamination that had caused him psychological pressure seemed to have completely vanished from him.
An unprecedented clarity appeared within him, and at the same time, psychic power from Zeke manifested within him. He became a Chosen of the Emperor.
A prospective Chosen of the Emperor.