The atmosphere within the Federation was far more restless than it had been before the war began, yet the internet was as still as stagnant water, without so much as a ripple. Those paying attention discovered that even the words "District 25" could no longer be posted. Any video about District 25 was invariably taken down within ten minutes, as though it had never existed.
People could still discuss it offline, but they merely grumbled about these topics in their spare time. Once lunch break ended, everyone returned to work. Even online conversations were confined to private messages-group chats discussing District 25 and the Federation's situation would get shut down, and much faster than those sharing porn.
If your feet hurt, cover your mouth. If your hands hurt, cover your mouth too. When everything appeared so peaceful, it naturally seemed as though nothing had happened.
"Miss Dorothy, we will continue sending support, but haven't we committed a little too many resources? And after everything we've contributed to the Federation, shouldn't those conglomerates watching from the sidelines contribute something too?"
In the reception room, a mild-mannered, refined middle-aged man in a suit sat across from Dorothy. His tone was amiable, but his words concealed a barb beneath their gentle surface. "If the course of the war fails to meet our expectations, we won't continue contributing. After all, going to war with District 25 was the Misen Family's decision, not ours."
It was already perfectly clear.
Many people still believed the Federation was certain to win. In fact, most of the major companies within the Federation thought so too. They believed its current weakness stemmed solely from their failure to support Dorothy wholeheartedly-the present situation was merely the result of insufficient reinforcements. If they were willing to contribute supplies and effort as