Chapter 28: Conflict

Arye charged forward in a fit of rage, kicking over one of the logistics division's black-armored corpse collectors.

Sensing trouble, the armed forces of the logistics division immediately stepped in, pointing their guns at Arye.

To ensure the smooth collection of valuable bodies, the logistics division had its own well-equipped armed forces to maintain order.

In terms of status, they were far above the defense forces, controlling the distribution of resources not only for the defense forces but also for the entire territory.

From the perspective of the Court District's officials, the defense forces, composed of underhive refugees, were nothing but expendable assets—easily replaced with more manpower.

"Warning! No one is allowed to interfere with the logistics division's collection operations. Step back!" the black-armored soldiers of the logistics division ordered, pressing closer to Arye with their weapons raised.

"They're still alive! They're alive!" Arye shouted furiously, glaring down the barrels of their guns. "You scum of the Court District, can't you see these men aren't dead yet?"

Bang!

A warning shot was fired into the air by one of the black-armored soldiers. "Step back!"

"Stand down, Cyclops!" Kaes pulled Arye back. "Calm down. We can't fight them. Let me handle this."

Seeing Kaes step in, Arye clenched his fists but reluctantly held back, though his eyes still burned with fury as they fixed on the logistics soldiers.

Kaes appeared calm, but the veins pulsing on his forehead betrayed his anger.

He stepped forward, suppressing his emotions, and addressed the logistics division.

"The protein recovery guidelines clearly state that the collection of living people is prohibited. Those soldiers are still alive. You are violating the regulations!"

From within the logistics team, a man in a black coat adorned with the golden lion insignia of House Grant—Deville Lapp, a logistics officer—stepped forward.

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Deville replied coldly, "That was the old regulation. Given the current shortage of supplies, the guidelines have been revised..."

He paused and added, "Under the new protein recovery protocols, if a subject is deemed beyond medical treatment, we are authorized to collect them."

Kaes took a deep breath. "These are loyal soldiers who gave everything to protect the residential district. They don't deserve this. You're killing them!"

Deville sighed with feigned regret. "I'm sorry, but if we don't gather enough protein, more people will starve to death…"

"But you haven't even tried to treat them! How can you decide they're beyond saving?"

Deville's expression hardened. "The logistics division operates under its own authority. You have no right to interfere. We are following the regulations, and you will comply."

"I won't let you take our men!" Arye shouted, pulling out his gun and aiming it at Deville. "Touch them, and I'll blow your brains out!"

Immediately, the black-armored soldiers of the logistics division raised their guns, aiming at both Arye and Kaes. "Disarm immediately, or you will be executed!"

Seeing their leader surrounded, the rest of Arye's unit surged forward, their anger boiling over.

"Damn the Court District scum! We'll take you down!"

"Yeah! We fight for the Court District, go hungry, and now they want to take our lives too!"

"If anyone lays a hand on the boss, we'll kill them!"

The standoff escalated rapidly, the tension thickening as the two sides faced off, ready to explode into violence.

Deville sneered as he looked around. "Do you intend to betray the Court District? Don't forget, it's the governor who gave you underhive scum everything. Without him, you'd still be starving in the dirt!"

His voice dripped with venom as he continued, "If you dare rebel, do you think you can stand against the Guard? Is this how you repay the governor's mercy?"

"If you become traitors, there will be only one fate for you all: death! And your families? They'll be executed as traitors too! Put down your weapons now. This is your last chance."

Kaes, his eyes locked on Deville, whispered urgently, "Arye, if you don't want everyone to die with you, you need to calm down!"

The Court District held all the power: the elite soldiers, the control of supplies, and the families of the troops, all under their jurisdiction.

This control made rebellion almost impossible.

Arye clenched his teeth, the red light from his mechanical eye flashing menacingly, but his sense of responsibility forced him to suppress his desire to kill.

He had to protect his men.

Face flushed with anger, Arye growled through gritted teeth, "I want to speak to the governor! I don't believe he would treat loyal soldiers like this!"

"You want to see the governor?"

Deville let out a derisive snort. The thought seemed to offend him more than having a gun pointed at him.

To him, this underhive scum daring to ask to see the governor was an insult.

Deville sneered, "The governor is the most noble ruler of Urth. He is the source of all we have!

"I have served the Court District for eighty years, as did my father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather. We've worked ourselves to death, yet none of us has ever had the honor of meeting the governor!"

He straightened up, pride swelling in his voice. "It is the greatest wish of my family to one day be formally received by the governor. Then, I will proudly present my family name and the contributions we've made.

"I will receive the golden lion insignia as a symbol of our loyalty, directly from the governor's hand!"

For generations, the Grant family had enforced strict loyalty training on their subordinates. After the Great Purge, most of the Court District's officials remained fanatically loyal to the governor.

Some, like Deville, had taken this loyalty to the point of worship.

His family had served the Court District and the governor for generations, and from a young age, Deville had been steeped in the teachings of loyalty.

Each morning, his elderly mother would adjust his collar before he left for work, reminding him to serve the governor well, to bring honor to their family.

Deville was willing to sacrifice everything for the governor, even though the governor had never known his name, nor the contributions his family had made.

After all, there were too many families like his in the Court District for the governor to remember them all.

Only by making exceptional contributions could one even hope to be noticed!

And now was Deville's chance. The harder things got, the more he would prove his loyalty.

Deville glared at Arye. "Tell me, what right does an underhive rat like you have to meet the governor?"

Faced with Deville's question, Arye was speechless.

The vast gap in their social standing crushed his spirit.

Of course, the noble governor would never meet someone as insignificant as Arye.

If it hadn't been for the chaos in the hive, he would never have had the chance to reach the upper hive. Like his ancestors before him, he would have spent his life scraping by in the polluted wastelands of the underhive, never seeing the sun.

To ask for a meeting with the governor? It was madness.

With a heavy heart, Arye lowered his gun.

Deville sneered and motioned for the black-armored soldiers to disarm Arye and Kaes, taking their weapons.

He turned to the anxious soldiers surrounding them and reassured them, "Don't worry. Neither you nor those two will be harmed.

"As long as you don't interfere with the logistics division's recovery work, I have no authority to punish you.

"After all, the governor needs you scum. Your lives are needed to protect the Court District's safety.

"For that, I hold a small amount of respect for you—nothing more."

Deville turned to the corpse collectors. "Continue the recovery operation."

(End of Chapter)

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