Inspection of the Territory

As Ron's chief steward, Bayev naturally knew all about it.

He gave a detailed introduction to the areas currently under the Palatine District's control, its military forces, population, and hostile factions.

Besides the Spire Palatine District, Ron also controlled roughly one-third of the Upper Hive District and commanded more than fifty thousand Planetary Defense Force troops.

The remaining areas of the Upper Hive District were ruled by Hov House and warbands of all sizes led by the Grey Wolf Warband.

Under the effects of the rebellion, the Upper Hive District had become extraordinarily chaotic, like a microcosm of the entire Hive City.

As a former vassal of Grant House, Homan House's wolfish ambitions were plain for all to see.

The attack last night had most likely been orchestrated by Homan House.

Their power grew stronger by the day. It would not be long before they launched a full-scale assault.

One piece of bad news followed another.

But there was good news as well.

Because of the rebellion, millions of refugees had flooded into the Upper Hive and remained there.

Ron controlled nearly two million of them.

That gave him a basic population base.

As long as he managed them well, they could provide Power of Hope to restore some of Little Sun's abilities.

Then, step by step, retaking the Lower Hive would no longer be a dream!

"Then we won't go to the Lower Hive. We'll take a look around the territory we control in the Upper Hive."

Ron decided to inspect his territory.

"God-Emperor above, that is far too dangerous!"

Bayev was somewhat worried and tried to dissuade him. "You should stay in the Palatine District.

Homan House's assassins have long been looking for an opportunity. If anything happens to you, Grant House will be finished!"

Ron neither confirmed nor denied it. He looked at Bayev. "You can protect me, can't you?"

If the Palatine District could not protect its own master even within territory under its control, then it was truly useless.

He might as well wash his neck clean and wait for someone to cut it.

Besides, as a Psyker, he was not without the ability to protect himself.

In this cruel world where the strong ruled, cowardice was a fatal flaw.

Ron was cautious, but he was no coward.

He was the planetary Governor, the ruler of Earth Planet.

If he kept hiding in the Palatine District, afraid to go out, unwilling to face his people or make promises to them—

Then, as the situation worsened, more and more people would lose faith in him and cease to hold him in awe.

Once that situation continued to spread, his authority would crumble and his rule would fail.

Only death awaited Ron.

"My lord, we can protect you!" Bayev straightened his back, his tone resolute.

Last night's attack had filled Bayev with shame and humiliation. He had allowed the bloodline of Grant House to be exposed to such danger. It was unforgivable!

He dared guarantee with his life that he would never again allow the Governor to suffer harm!

"Good!" Ron's tone allowed no argument. "Then it's settled."

After the arrangements were made, Ron followed Bayev out of Spire Mansion.

Guarded by the Praetorian Guard led by Carter, he took a Hover Car out of the Palatine District.

Only then did Ron truly see what the Palatine District looked like now.

Everywhere bore the scars of war, battered and pockmarked.

The luxurious buildings and exquisite statues that had stood for thousands of years had all become dilapidated ruins.

After such a catastrophe, it was already fortunate that the Palatine District could be maintained at all. How could it possibly have the means to repair anything?

As the Hover Car passed through Sacred Plaza, Ron looked up at the hundred-meter-tall God-Emperor Statue and could not help feeling awed.

The God-Emperor Statue had also been damaged. Some heretic had blasted off its nose, one of its arms was missing a section, and rubble lay scattered around its base.

Once they left the Palatine District, everything became filthy, disorderly, and crowded.

The Upper Hive District had once been home to nobles and officials. Its population had been sparse, consisting mostly of residential areas, entertainment streets, and Gardens, with almost no industry.

After the rebellion ended, the Upper Hive District lost supplies of all kinds of resources from the Lower Hive, and resources became desperately scarce.

Thus, the Upper Hive had no choice but to undergo major changes, hastily establishing various industrial zones and fungal cultivation bases while restarting the assembly lines for producing Corpse Starch.

The refugees were organized and sent into factories, mining areas, and cultivation bases of all kinds to work.

Even so, the Upper Hive District still could not support so many people.

All stockpiled resources had been consumed, and food was growing scarcer by the day.

More and more civilians could not even afford one meal of Corpse Starch a day and could only starve to death alive!

Countless people were born in filthy places, labored in pain every day, and then died in the streets, with no one to praise them and no one to mourn them.

This was their fate.

Sitting in the Hover Car, Ron watched civilians occasionally collapse and die from Hunger in the streets, and he felt sorrow for them.

"How many people die here every day?" Ron asked.

"People die every day. It's hard to count." Bayev shook his head. "Actually, the people living under us have it fairly good. If they fell into the hands of Homan House or the warbands, that would be a fate worse than death..."

Ron fell silent. He saw the looks the civilians gave him: confusion, numbness, fear, even hatred.

The situation was even more difficult than he had imagined!

It would be extremely difficult for him to win the people's support now. It would already be fortunate if no large-scale rebellion broke out.

Not far away, another old woman collapsed and died. The civilians stared greedily at her corpse.

But they were quickly driven away as heavily armed corpse collectors came over and dragged the body off.

Bayev noticed Ron's puzzled look and explained, "Every resource is incomparably precious. Nothing can be wasted."

Ron suddenly understood.

Those corpses were not being sent to landfills or incinerators. They were sent into special machines to be broken down into protein and turned into Corpse Starch, allowing more people to continue living.

Cruel, yet unavoidable!

Ron silently resolved that he had to change all of this, but there was too little he could do right now.

The food stores in the warehouses were gradually running dry. Soon, the Palatine District would not even be able to maintain its army.

It was said that conditions in the territories of Homan House and the Grey Wolf Warband were even worse, with their food supplies nearly exhausted.

To maintain stability, they had begun slaughtering civilians who could not work or had little capacity for labor, turning them into Corpse Starch to sustain their armies.

They also had populations of several million. They should be able to hold out for a long time.

The Upper Hive District was now a sealed jar of venomous insects. Whoever was more poisonous and more ruthless would survive.

But Ron refused to win through such cruel means. He had to think of another way.

Perhaps that Little Sun in the Warp could help him break this deadlock.

Night was approaching. Having inspected less than half his territory and witnessed too much human suffering, Ron could no longer bear to keep watching.

"Let's go back..." He closed his eyes and ordered Bayev to take him home.

By the time they returned to Spire Mansion in the Palatine District, the maids had already prepared dinner.

Ron sat in the luxurious dining hall, looking at the lavish meal before him, yet he had little appetite.

The situation was dire. He had to find a way to break through it!