With a bewildered expression, Zeke commanded his two emperor-class battleships to slowly descend and then moor at the family's starship storage point.
Here, he saw resources far exceeding those of ordinary knight houses in the Imperium of Man.
Visibly, there were already 30 emperor-class battleships parked here, along with many other classes of battleships.
There were even six glorious gloriana-class warships docked there.
By this time, Zeke was no longer the same Zeke who didn't understand anything at first.
He already knew that emperor-class battleships could not be built by the current Imperium of Man, so why did his family have so many?
Before he could figure out the reason, his second uncle waved at him from outside his battleship, signaling him to disembark.
"Come down, Ezekiel. Since you're already here, let me show you a part of the family's foundation, so you know what the family is truly like."
"As the heir of our family, you'll eventually need to deal with these things, so there's no harm in letting you know some things in advance."
Zeke walked down the battleship's gangplank, feeling a slight tremor from the metal ground beneath his feet.
He looked up, and the entire starship storage point was like a steel forest floating in the void, with countless warships neatly arranged, each one gleaming with a cold metallic luster.
His second uncle, Otto Yaeger, stood with his hands behind his back, smiling at him: "How about it? More than you imagined, right?"
Zeke took a deep breath: "Second Uncle, are these... all built by the family?"
Although these warships didn't seem to possess much combat power to him, the sight of so many emperor-class battleships parked here within the Imperium of Man was truly spectacular.
"Of course, these all belong to the family."
"Ezekiel, we know you seem to have had an extraordinary encounter, and battleships that shouldn't appear in this era are following you, but don't underestimate the family."
"A family with a legacy of over 20,000 years must have its secrets and its foundation.
In the future, if you have any needs, you can always approach the family. As the future heir and family head, you must understand that any problem you raise will be resolved by the family within its capabilities."
His second uncle's words were not entirely finished; he only spoke up to this point. As for the rest, because Zeke was still only the heir and too young, he could not yet know.
Zeke stood in place and looked at the surrounding starport, and he clearly understood.
This starport was definitely not something the Imperium of Man could create now.
After all, there were no so-called Gothic architectures here, nor were there any statues of the God-Emperor.
He could see mechanical structures similar to the rigorous and efficient designs of the Terran Dominion.
The family had its secrets, and these were things he would need to learn later.
Since his second uncle didn't tell him now, he wouldn't ask.
Instead, Zeke continued to show his harmless and obedient smile to his second uncle.
Otto Yaeger laughed heartily, looking at his little nephew's harmless smile.
"Ezekiel, you understand your second uncle best, and you know best what our family should be like, unlike my mischievous child."
"Having you as the family heir is the greatest fortune the family has had in nearly 400 years. The moment you inherit your father's position, you will know everything about the family."
"Our conversation as uncle and nephew ends here. You should quickly go to your father's side; a special guest has arrived at our family. Remember to have a good talk with him; he should have what you need."
"Don't worry about the resources you need; the family will send them to you.
While they may not be as powerful as your null-material armor, the family's armor won't be far off. We know what you want."
"Next time you send things to the family, could you please not send these emperor-class battleships? These battleships are not very significant to the family. Next time, send those behind you —"
"Of course, if possible, also send us some faster-than-light engines. The family's fleet could use an upgrade, and your faster-than-light travel is definitely what the family needs most right now."
Otto Yaeger ended his conversation with Zeke and instead urged his nephew to quickly return to his father's side, as there was a new message.
Although Zeke was still confused, he obediently followed his second uncle's command.
However, he was still shocked by the family's current foundation.
He had just heard his good second uncle tell him that he knew what he wanted and promised to provide alloy resources.
Moreover, besides that, the most terrifying point was that his second uncle had directly mentioned his null-material armor and stated that the alloys they could provide would not be much worse than null-material armor.
Everything left Zeke a bit bewildered and slow to react, but he still walked back to his battleship. As the Terran Dominion's battleship slowly took off again, Otto Yaeger remained in the starport, watching his nephew depart.
Ever since Zeke's star-class battle titan was delivered to the family, the family had held a major meeting because of this matter.
And after that meeting, this knight house truly revealed its foundation.
Could a knight house with over 2,000 knight titans, a large number of battleships, and a considerable portion of merchant fleets truly only possess a single star system?
Naturally, that was impossible. The family couldn't have just one star system, but why did the family currently appear to only have one star system on the surface?
This, of course, concerned a secret —
The Imperium of Man was powerful, and many knew they had to give their all for the Emperor. They were willing to fight for the Emperor's glory, but House Yaeger was different; they had a legacy of over 20,000 years.
Over 20,000 years, they had experienced too much. Under the test of time, they still stood firm above the star sea.
How did they avoid the Great Pilgrimage?
How was it that after the Great Crusade ended, the family did not decline at all but instead flourished, maintaining the exact same fleet?
Wasn't it by hiding their true strength?
This was the consistent style brought to them by ancient wisdom.
The surname Yaeger, among the various nobles of the Imperium, could be said to be out of place.
But this surname also indicated the origin of the family.
Everything displayed openly, visible to the Imperium of Man, to others, and even to some members of their own family, was always just a surface phenomenon, merely the tip of the iceberg.
Zeke was very interested in the family's secrets, but he did not impolitely probe into them.
After all, his second uncle had already told him that when he became the high king, all secrets would be revealed to him.
He didn't need to rush, as everyone had their own secrets.
Just as he had a Terran Dominion.
However, his old second uncle was indeed very right about one thing: he really should go back and see his parents.
Home was a warm harbor, and he now wanted to go back to see his parents and enjoy the feeling of being cared for by them.
And while he was at it, he would see what the special surprise his old second uncle mentioned was.
Someone had brought him what he needed, and Zeke was very interested in this point.