The Goddess of Victory Guides the People

After dinner, Eleanor Bonaparte sat in a chair in the central city square, eyes closed, resting. When the sound of artillery fire reached her, she slowly opened her eyes, stood up, stretched, and took the helmet handed to her by Major Dorset.

Clad in Power Armor, she was over two meters tall. She looked down at Governor Yamadera, who was shrinking back to the side, and gave him a brilliant smile. "Well then, I'm off, Your Excellency."

Governor Yamadera forced a smile with great difficulty. "I wish you victory and good fortune in your campaign!"

He felt as if he had used up all his strength and patience just to say that. Watching her stride away, his smile and spirit completely collapsed.

"Pah! I hope you get taken out by those reptiles the moment you leave the city! No, I hope you get captured, and then this and that and this and that..." Governor Yamadera's mind conjured up a terabyte of scenarios, which made him feel slightly better.

When he returned to the Governor's Mansion, he learned from his political secretary that a guest was already waiting for him in his office.

"Didn't I say I wanted to rest? That I'm not seeing anyone? What kind of job are you doing? Can't you understand human language?" Governor Yamadera scolded the secretary.

"I believe, Your Excellency, that you should meet them." Although the usually obedient and humble senior bureaucrat was still smiling, the oppressive feeling in his words made the governor shiver involuntarily.

"If... if I don't, what then?" Mr. Yamadera felt it necessary to convey the true nature of a high-ranking official.

"I insist! Your Excellency." The secretary was still smiling, but his words seemed to carry a hint of threat now.

"I... I'll meet them..." Governor Yamadera felt a little heartbroken.

The guest was not human. He had a face covered in brown mane, which looked quite fierce and menacing to humans. This was a Kaitai merchant, whom the governor remembered was called Chuck Brownmane.

The Kaitai people were a humanoid race with abundant hair, strong bodies, and natural claws and teeth. They truly had the air of large felines that had achieved sentience. Of course, like large felines, they possessed the physical capabilities to tear ordinary humans apart with their claws and teeth, making them a renowned warrior race in the galaxy.

Furthermore, the Kaitai Kingdom was an allied state of the Empire, and they had some territorial disputes with the Commonwealth. Their diplomatic relations were, as one might imagine, strained. However, since the two nations were not at war, it didn't stop them from doing business.

The Kaitai people truly lived up to their reputation as a warrior race of the civilized galaxy. Despite being a merchant, he was still powerfully built, as if he could wrestle Power Armor with his bare hands. The short and stout Governor Yamadera was at least a head shorter than him, and he immediately felt a third of his fear rise. He glanced behind him, confirming that several security guards were still following him, which put him slightly at ease. He then puffed out his chest, adopting the full demeanor of a governor, and asked with a stern face, "What can I do for you, Mr. Brownmane?"

"Did the Commander take all the forces within the city to attack? There are a million troops outside! Your Excellency, what should we do after this? You must give us a clear answer!" The other party had a distressed expression and adopted a very humble posture, which greatly pleased Governor Yamadera, who had been deeply hurt by Eleanor.

"There are over two thousand foreign merchants and technicians like us in this Tulon Port! We chose to trade here because we fully trusted the Governor's Mansion's capabilities. But now, such a thing has happened. As an employee of the Royal Canaan Merchant Group, I must re-evaluate this colony's safety rating and its future trade value."

Wait, this big fat cat was an employee of the Canaan Merchant Group? That... wasn't that an imperial royal enterprise?

The Governor's first reaction was that the merchant was exaggerating his authority. Then, upon further consideration, he realized that although the Kaitai Kingdom was a member of the Galactic Council and theoretically an independent nation, successive Kaitai Kings had addressed the Emperor of the Empire as "my father" and "my lord," making them even more subservient than vassal states. Consequently, many major noble families of the Empire, including the Electoral Royal families, had a considerable number of Kaitai retainers.

So, this fellow could very well be an employee of a royal enterprise, or even a retainer of some Elector King!

"Yes, you guessed correctly. The two merchant ships I have docked at the trade port belong to King Tamil."

Governor Yamadera took nearly two seconds to react. He immediately jumped up and shouted, "What... what do you mean by that? Are you threatening me?"

"No, I am merely contemplating that since your side is having some difficulty protecting the expatriates and the city, why not discuss requesting international aid?" The Kaitai merchant grinned.

Meanwhile, Eleanor, carrying her helmet, had reached the plaza at the entrance and received the latest news.

"Oh, that big cat really went to the Governor's Mansion?"

"Yes," Major Sanga, the commander of the Tulon garrison, nodded. "So, Commander, should we..."

He made a slicing gesture and was immediately met with Eleanor's retort, "What's with that slice? Are you going to capture him and kill him? There are also thousands of merchants from various countries in this Tulon, should we kill them all too?"

Sanga quickly shook his head with a fawning smile. "No, no, no, how could I dare? I meant, should we detain them first?"

"Forget it. I'm also curious to see what plans those famished big cats have," Eleanor sneered and strode towards the soldiers already assembled in the plaza. 500 assault troops, 2,500 soldiers, and over ten thousand militiamen, except for a small number who had to maintain their posts, were all assembled here. Nearly a million citizens were either at home or silently watching from around the plaza as the young woman in Power Armor, helmet in hand, walked into their midst.

"Citizens of Tulon, citizens of the Commonwealth, I am Eleanor Bonaparte, acting commander of the New Yumeng Star Defense Force. I am now going to address you."

"As you all know, the past week has been the most difficult time for our colony. The Sandfolk, whom we thought we had completely subdued, have gathered an army of millions and besieged our Tulon, the first city established by the Commonwealth on this new continent in the sea of stars. Some people told me that they were merely uncivilized natives who had not yet bathed in the Light of Civilization, and that even an army of millions was no more than millions of pigs. Well, the battle the day before yesterday seems to have proven that point."

"However, what I want to tell you is that all those who resist with unyielding spirit deserve our respect! We have indeed brought them civilization, and we are indeed qualified to despise their ingratitude. We certainly have the right to kill every one of them. But please remember, those who are willing to take up arms to fight for their right to speak are all heroes worthy of our respect! This is the principle taught to us by Marshal Li, the father of our great Commonwealth! It was with such a belief that we built our great nation! Should we not show at least basic respect to those who possess the same resolve as us?"

"Yes, the Sandfolk gathered outside are not beasts, not barbarians, not rioters, but heroes!"

Eleanor's words ignited a spark in many, but a significant portion looked at each other, not quite understanding why their enemy was being elevated.

"This is utter nonsense! With this kind of speech, I'm going to report her to the Defense Committee! Yes, report her!" Governor Yamadera raged impotently in his office. He had felt humiliated by the foreigner earlier, and now Eleanor's words felt like an even greater humiliation.

The Kaitai merchant, who had just left the Governor's Mansion, also heard Eleanor's speech. He stopped to listen, feeling that something was amiss, and fell into deep thought. His expression gradually darkened, and it felt as if even his fluffy beard had frozen over.

"But, we must still fight! We must defeat them! We must kill them! Bombard them to death if they are found under the city walls! Shoot them dead with guns if they appear within sight! Chop them to death with Power Axes and swords if they appear beside us! Drown them in the toilet bowl if they appear in the restroom! Only heroes can conquer heroes! To make the Sandfolk thoroughly understand the righteousness and ideals of the Commonwealth, and to be willing to become a part of us, first, we must fight, we must kill them! Killing the Sandfolk heroes outside is the most perfect interpretation of our love for the Commonwealth!"

Wait, can words be twisted like that? How did it suddenly turn into a matter of national righteousness? Governor Yamadera listened, dumbfounded.

The Kaitai merchant Chuck Brownmane was equally dumbfounded. He looked at the ordinary citizens and militiamen around him, who were gradually becoming fanatical, and knew that these people had been successfully brainwashed.

What incredible charisma... Wait, if that's the case, even if she leads people to kill all million Sandfolk outside, she can forcibly explain it as "a necessary conflict between heroes" or "the inevitable growing pains of civilization and racial integration."

Considering that most of those Sandfolk, who were like sentient reptiles, were rather stubborn, they might actually fall for it. After the war, they wouldn't harbor much hatred towards humans.

This... this woman is terrifying! She absolutely cannot be allowed to live!

Never mind the Kaitai merchant's thoughts, on the other side, Eleanor's speech continued.

"Citizens, militia soldiers, hold your posts! As long as you do your duty, you are fighting! Soldiers, follow me! Haven't you always been contemptuously called Guard Team Minions? But so what? Hahahaha, let me tell you, I am a woman! My alma mater, the Central Defense University, only started admitting female students 8 years ago, so I am one of the earliest seniors. I don't know how much prejudice and discrimination I've faced! But so what? I still graduated first in my class and swore the oath under the flag on behalf of everyone. Do you see? Examples, achievements, results – this is the only way for you to prove yourselves! All other so-called struggles are inferior lip service."

"Follow us to conquer the enemy, and you will conquer the slander and insults others cast upon you! Follow me to conquer heroes, and you too will become heroes! Then, you will lay the foundation for history!"

With that, Eleanor put on her helmet, snatched the military banner from Major Sanga's hand, activated the wheels of her Power Armor, and charged out of the city at the forefront!