"That was everything that happened."
The silver-white bug concluded his report with the utmost solemnity. On the raised platform before him sat three councilors who represented the council's supreme authority.
Below them were twelve mid-level councilors of various ranks, and below those sat the rank-and-file councilors, the largest group of all.
They adhered to doctrines of rigorous logic, upheld the principles of absolute purity, logical thought, and efficiency above all, and strictly controlled the course of development throughout their territory.
Even the smallest matter had to undergo thorough discussion and meticulous deliberation.
Although other bugs saw this as a system utterly lacking in efficiency and innovation, it was precisely this system that had ensured the survival of the last homeland of these remnants of an ancient civilization.
It had been so in the past, and barring any unforeseen events, it would remain so in the future.
"The balance between the rock-eating bugs and the Black Shell beasts has been completely shattered."
"Will this ecological invasion continue to spread? Will it threaten the Royal Airfield in the lower layer? Do we need to take action?"
A mid-level councilor broke the silence and spoke first.
Unfortunately, the lives of the lower-layer residents clearly mattered little to the other councilors.
Not a single one answered him. They all had their own agendas.
"More dangerous than that is the emergence of an unknown new faction. Could this be the beginning of another disaster?"
After the silence lasted a while, another councilor finally spoke.
They had already discussed this matter over and over, yet even now they continued to consider whether there were more details they could analyze.
The rank-and-file councilors at the very bottom remained silent. They knew this was not a decision they could take part in.
As the silver bug watched the councilors before him expound upon the future of the entire territory, his eyes filled with longing.
He hoped that one day he could become one of them.
Most of the time, the arguments between councilors were meaningless. They simply wanted to offer a different perspective from another angle.
That way, they could achieve the most comprehensive analysis and make the best decision.
A report about the emergence of an unknown faction demanded even greater caution from the council before any decision could be made.
The councilors continued their deliberations.
A preemptive strike, peace talks, continued observation-every kind of idea was proposed.
Their lively discussion certainly made it look as though they were genuinely debating the matter.
But that was only an illusion. In the Gear Council, the side with the most votes had never been the winner.
The notion that the minority should obey the majority had already been deemed incorrect and irrational in the disasters of the past.
From beginning to end, the only ones with the power to make a decision in this entire debate were the three Grand Arbiters, who held the highest positions in the council.
Moreover, the three Grand Arbiters always reached the same decision. There had never been a single instance of disagreement.
Even though no bug had ever seen them confer or discuss anything among themselves.
Seemingly growing somewhat impatient, one of the Grand Arbiters took action.
"Ahem."
With that elderly cough, the entire council instantly fell silent, as though the uproar of a moment before had been nothing but an illusion.
It was the Grand Arbiter seated in the very middle who had made that ill-timed sound.
Yet not a single councilor thought this Grand Arbiter was old or ill.
It was merely an act to create an environment suitable for him to speak. None of the bugs who became council members were fools.
"Continue observing. That is all."
The Grand Arbiters on either side nodded as well.
The discussion ended immediately. The Grand Arbiters had made their decision.
Next came the specific details of how that instruction should be carried out.
Soon, the council was immersed in discussion once more. The bugs would continue deliberating until the Grand Arbiters made another decision.
"Damn it, why hasn't any word come back yet?"
Muttering under his breath, the mine supervisor paced impatiently around his room.
After that day, he had thought it over repeatedly and ultimately decided to report the matter to his superiors. If anything had prompted him to do so, it was his intuition.
Yet just like every letter before it, this one had vanished without a trace, even after he added three urgent stamps.
As far as he knew, the council seemed more concerned with a new faction that had appeared in the lower layer. They had already held no fewer than twenty discussions about it.
"What a joke. Those natives don't even understand what technology is. Hmph..."
The supervisor made no attempt to conceal his contempt for what was happening in the lower layer.
In his view, those lower-layer bugs had neither accumulated knowledge nor a solid foundation. All they could do was shout slogans about some god and hack away in primitive combat.
A savage race that spent all day peddling mystical nonsense and raving like lunatics could never stand against the sophisticated Gear Council.
Compared with those irrelevant matters, the miners' constant strange behavior was what truly irritated the supervisor.
The mine felt different to him. It was no longer cold and lifeless as it had been before. Instead, it carried a sense of... warmth?
It was hard to believe, but the supervisor truly felt that warmth, even though the unfamiliar sensation frightened him.
The miners actually smiled while they worked, their expressions making it seem as though they were doing something remarkable.
Although the council did indeed promote the idea that no work was inherently higher or lower than any other, even a fool knew that was merely an excuse to keep the workers at the bottom in line.
So seeing the workers actually work happily gave the supervisor quite a fright.
After much deliberation, he opened a drawer and took out ink, a pen, and paper. In the end, he decided to write another urgent letter.
He had struggled hard to climb to this position. He did not want any potential threat to drag him back into the mire of his past.
"Hey, you! Yes, you!"
A passing bug heard the supervisor's shout and pointed at himself in surprise.
"Yes, that's right, you. I want you to take this letter to the post station and have them forward it to the council for review immediately. Remember, be quick!"
With that, the supervisor shoved the letter into the passing bug's hands, then hurried back to his post to continue monitoring the miners' every move.
The supervisor was utterly confident. This had practically become an unspoken rule.
The hierarchy throughout the territory was extremely strict. In such an atmosphere, bugs of lower rank never dared defy orders from those above them.
He had always done this in the past. Even complete strangers would obediently comply as soon as they saw that their rank was lower than his.
This time, however, he would be disappointed. The passing bug merely glanced at the envelope in his hands and gave a contemptuous snort.
Without hesitation, he tore it up and tossed the scraps into the lantern he carried with him.
Once he had finished, the bug continued toward his destination: a little alley that no one paid any attention to.
After reaching the alley and confirming there was no sign of any other bugs, he quietly took a deep red robe from his bundle and wrapped himself in it from head to toe.
The robe's red coloring was very uneven. Clearly, the bug had pieced it together from various scraps of fabric, but he did not mind.
Once he had changed, the bug took his lantern and finally reached the dead end of the alley.
The place looked no different from any other alley, but after he tapped lightly on the wall a few times, a hidden door appeared.
Remaining calm, the bug checked his clothing again. Once he was certain everything was in order, he continued downward.
He passed through a long tunnel and rounded several corners in succession, tightly clutching a leaflet bearing a brief outline of the doctrine the whole way.
Following the coded instructions on it, he made his way without difficulty.
After rounding another corner, he found himself facing a large religious gathering place converted from an old, abandoned airship workshop.
Every bug here was dressed just as he was, in a homemade red robe, with a lantern in hand.
"Our bodies as fuel, the flame unending..."
"Correct password. You may pass."
The crossed spears finally parted. After being checked by the two guards at the final checkpoint, he at last entered.
Quite a few followers had already begun excitedly discussing their own interpretations with one another.
The bug eagerly joined them, while a steady stream of other believers arrived through the other entrances.
The entire space offered a sense of security that those outside could not understand. Even the machinery that had long ceased operating was being used to hold religious articles.
Practically every religious article the bugs could think of was present: candles, incense burners, scrolls covered in prayers, and crystals radiating mysterious energy.
The object that drew the largest crowd was a massive, genuine holy scripture of unknown origin, filled with the teachings of the Sunfire God.
The Book of Sunfire.
No one doubted its authenticity, just as no one doubted the Sunfire God.
Beyond that, the chance to speak freely without worrying about rules and restrictions allowed the bugs a rare taste of freedom.
Within the territory, they could never act as they did here. Even two or three bugs gathering together would be forcibly imprisoned for unlawful assembly.
Clang!!!
Finally, at one point, a thunderous gong rang out, and every bug stopped what they were doing.
A woman appeared, wearing a robe of noticeably finer quality.
She walked gracefully toward the raised platform, a copy of the Book of Sunfire in her hands.
Countless bugs gazed at her. Their devout eyes and postures made them look like wandering souls that had finally found a harbor.
"Our bodies as fuel, the flame unending..."
"Our bodies as fuel! The flame unending!"
She began her sermon.