Chapter 35: The Governor's Speech

"For the Governor…"

Deville silenced the alarm and repeated the phrase once more.

He quickly went to the washroom, tidied his light blond hair, and steeled his face with determination.

Stepping out of his room and into the dining area, Marti had already prepared breakfast—a small piece of wood-chip bread and some corpse starch.

Deville sat down, eating while glancing at an old newspaper beside him.

This had been his father's habit, one he had now picked up.

Since the Hive's newspaper offices had mostly collapsed, new papers were no longer being published.

He looked at these old papers merely to remember the better days of the Upper Hive.

After finishing his meal, Deville walked to the door, put on his cold, black coat, and fastened his gold lion badge.

In that instant, he transformed from a young man into the feared Black Reaper.

Nowadays, the Logistics Department held immense power, controlling the distribution of resources in the royal district, with the added authority to collect human protein by force if needed.

Even as a low-ranking officer, Deville commanded fear.

Marti came over to straighten his collar, reminding him:

"Serve the Governor well. Do not bring shame to our family."

"I will, Mother!"

This ritual had become a routine, a constant reminder to Deville—

Loyalty to the Governor must be maintained!

Deville hugged his mother briefly before turning and heading out the door.

The moment he stepped outside, his expression turned cold, and his steps became firm and resolute.

As an administrative officer of the royal district, responsible for protein collection, he could not afford to be merciful.

Mercy meant weakness!

If the people lost their fear of him, it wouldn't be long before he was dead.

The mobs and cultists would find a way to stick a knife into him!

Who could imagine that a cute little girl could hide a dagger, stabbing accurately into a man's throat?

Who could guess that a frail, elderly woman carried a bio-bomb, shooting it out just before detonating it, taking several black-armored soldiers down with her?

Deville had seen too many such things, too many colleagues who had perished because of them!

That was why he had to be cold, to instill fear!

It was the only way to survive.

It was the only way to complete his mission.

It was the only way to serve the Governor.

He had chosen to be the one who fired the first shot, even if it meant mistakes would be made!

This was the Hive—treacherous and dangerous at every corner.

The pale sunlight broke through the grey mist, faintly illuminating the swarm of Logistics Department personnel gathering from all directions.

They were all equally cold, nodding slightly to each other as they formed into a column.

A black tide of people marched in silence toward the headquarters of the Logistics Department.

...

Soft sunlight poured into the bedroom, bringing with it a gentle warmth.

Eden woke naturally, stretching comfortably.

After being attended to by his maids, he washed up and made his way to the dining room, sipping his morning tea while listening to Bayev go over the day's agenda.

The most important task for the morning was to visit the Logistics Department.

For the "Emperor's Ascension Festival" and his subsequent plans, Eden had decided to make some adjustments to the department.

All 10,000 members of the Logistics Department had gathered and were waiting for his inspection.

Soon, Eden was in his hovercar, escorted by Carter and his guards, on the way to the headquarters of the Logistics Department.

The headquarters, located to the left of the spire, was a cold, black building.

In front of the building lay a small plaza.

In the plaza stood the gathered Logistics Department personnel, lined up neatly, standing rigidly without a hint of slack.

The area had been completely sealed off, with security forces from the Logistics Department tightly controlling the surroundings.

They had to ensure the Governor's safety, as any mistakes would be unforgivable.

Deville stood near the front of the crowd, his body trembling slightly with excitement.

The Governor was about to arrive!

Since hearing the news, Deville's heart had been restless.

He took a deep breath, adjusting his breathing, and stood even straighter.

He would present himself in the best possible manner to greet the Governor!

After waiting for nearly half an hour, the hovercar convoy from the spire finally arrived.

The Governor had come.

Like everyone else in the Logistics Department, Deville kept his gaze fixed forward, not daring to turn his head or look around carelessly, as this would be seen as disrespectful.

Eden leaned back in the hovercar's seat, looking out at the densely packed crowd.

He felt a bit overwhelmed.

Uh-oh, his social anxiety was about to kick in.

There were just too many people!

He regretted not recording a message beforehand and having a mechanical loudspeaker deliver it.

The hovercar came to a stop, and Eden stepped out, exchanging a few polite words with the senior officers of the Logistics Department before heading straight to the platform at the front of the plaza.

As he ascended the platform, the stirring march of the Urth Rebel Forces began to play, filling everyone with a sense of solemnity.

Down below, Deville finally caught sight of the Governor.

He wore a magnificent and authoritative dark-gold robe.

His face was young and stern, with noble black hair—he was their great Governor!

So young, yet so capable!

Since the rebellion, the Governor had rarely left the spire estate.

As a result, many people had never seen him in person.

Deville had seen the Governor's portraits countless times, but this was his first time seeing him in real life.

The sight filled him with overwhelming emotion, nearly bringing him to tears.

The other young Logistics Department officers around him were equally moved.

They had all received the most orthodox loyalty education from the royal district and were the most devoted followers of the Governor!

Eden steadied himself on the platform, and the music came to a halt.

He looked out over the mass of people below and took a deep breath.

At this distance, with so many people, he couldn't really make out anyone's face.

All he had to do was follow the script and deliver the speech.

Thud thud!

Eden instinctively tapped the microphone, and his voice echoed through the plaza.

"Good morning, everyone…"

Thump!

As soon as he spoke, the entire plaza responded with a synchronized stomp, the sound of boots striking the ground sending a shockwave through the air.

The crowd stood tall and saluted with the Imperial Aquila gesture.

The sea of black, the overwhelming reverence, left Eden strangely awestruck.

The scene below seemed to inspire the crowd as well, and he could sense their confidence growing.

The power of hope was gathering!

Eden continued, following the prepared speech.

The script had been masterfully crafted by the professional writers of the Department of Internal Affairs, perfectly expressing everything he wanted to convey.

And it was incredibly motivational.

Even as the speaker, Eden found himself moved.

From now on, he would definitely leave his speech-writing to that expert!

The speech's content was simple.

In plain language, it was a message to everyone: You've worked hard, and the Governor has found a way to solve the problems.

Trust the royal district, follow me, and you won't be let down.

To put it even more simply—

It was all about painting a picture of a better future.

Perhaps because of the loyalty education they had received, or because previous Governors had been too aloof and distant,

Eden's more heartfelt speech left many in the Logistics Department with tears in their eyes.

In that moment, the power of hope surged by nearly 3,000 points!

(End of Chapter)