Caladogon St. Garus, as the center of power in Brevis, naturally stood in the front row to witness the governor's coronation ceremony.
Caladogon was smug, thinking he could solve this new problem without even having to lift a finger.
When I saw Lynn holding up the scepter, bathed in divine grace.
His green eyes were filled with shock, and he almost bit his dentures to pieces.
The Emperor's Spirit Appears?
At a time like this? And on this young man who has no achievements to speak of?
Caladogon did not believe in God, or rather, he never believed in the benevolent Emperor portrayed in the propaganda of the Ecclesiarchy.
Rather, it is that cold, rational " Master of Mankind " who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
But he also knew that the "appearance of the Emperor " was something that the Ecclesiarchy could not fake.
Caladogon remained silent for a moment.
Then, with resentment, he lowered his head and pulled the life support tubes on his body to their limit.
Although he was unwilling, his loyalty to the Emperor never wavered.
Inside the church sanctuary.
The golden beam of light gradually dissipated, and the holy wind slowly subsided.
But the gem at the top of the scepter still radiates a gentle and sacred golden light.
Lynn lowered his scepter and surveyed the dense, kneeling crowd below.
He had a smile on his face.
"Get up, all of you."
The sound wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the entire hall.
Hesitantly, everyone got up one after another.
The way those powerful and wealthy people looked at Lynn had completely changed.
The initial disdain and skepticism transformed into awe and fear, and even flattery.
Archbishop Goodwin stood up, his pure white eyes looking at Lynn, and nodded slightly.
"The Mass continues," he announced.
The rest of the process became simple and straightforward.
In the final step, Minister of Adeptus Arbites Brevis personally led in a group of death row inmates.
According to tradition, the newly appointed governor is required to publicly order the execution of these prisoners during Mass.
To prove the governor's "supreme legal authority" and "divine right of kings".
Lynn did not hesitate.
He gripped his scepter, looked down at the ashen-faced prisoners, and spoke emotionlessly:
"In the name of the Emperor, and with the authority of the Planetary Governor Brevis, I hereby sentence you..."
"Death penalty!"
The Minister of Adeptus Arbites bowed. "Yes, Your Excellency the Governor."
Gunshots rang out, and the body fell to the ground.
Blood stained the church floor.
But no one thought it was inappropriate.
On the contrary, this bloody scene only made those in power even more convinced.
This new governor is not a soft-hearted person.
He had the Emperor's approval and was decisive in killing.
This is definitely not someone to be trifled with.
The Mass officially ended in a solemn yet bloody atmosphere.
After the ceremony, Lynn was immediately surrounded by a group of dignitaries.
With smiles on their faces and humble tones, they eagerly introduced themselves to Lynn and expressed their loyalty.
They invited Lynn to their estate, or hinted that they could offer various forms of "help."
Those who were just moments ago mocking him and even wanting to see him exposed on the spot have changed their tune faster than turning the pages of a book.
Lynn did not reject their flattery.
As a newcomer, he needed to understand Brevis's power structure and build connections.
He smiled and talked to everyone, noting down their names and family affiliations.
Soon, through conversation, he learned some deeper information.
The twelve stars on the twelve-star emblem represent the twelve most powerful families.
They practically monopolized 50 percent of the food production and water purification lines in Uptown Brevis.
Each company must have at least ten food production lines or three water purification lines.
They were the core of the Noble Council, the true rulers.
Besides these twelve families, the Noble Council also has several hundred other minor and medium-sized noble families.
They also control some food and water purification lines, but on a much smaller scale than the twelve families.
Moreover, he realized that the Noble Council was not a monolithic entity.
The twelve families competed and checked each other.
The lesser nobles were divided into different factions, attaching themselves to different of the twelve families, or banding together for mutual support, trying to survive in the cracks.
Lynn also noticed that a small group of nobles wore coats of arms that were not the twelve-star circle, but some other style of heraldry.
There were only a dozen or so of them, and they seemed somewhat marginalized as they gathered together.
But the way they looked at Lynn was more "eager" than that of the other dignitaries.
It was a look in their eyes that saw "hope".
One of the middle-aged men, presumably the leader of the group, had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing that there was a gap in the crowd around Lynn, he quickly went up to Lynn and struck up a conversation.
He calls himself Jay Chuck and is the leader of the " Chuck Faction ".
"Your Excellency, congratulations on gaining the Emperor's approval," Jay Chuck said sincerely.
" Brevis, it's been a long time since we've had such a grand occasion."
Lynn chatted with him for a few minutes and found that Jay Chuck was very talkative and knew how to keep a good balance.
He revealed some information about their group.
Chuck Faction is a coalition of more than a dozen small and medium-sized families.
These families originally had fairly good businesses, but they did not submit to any of the twelve families.
It has been subjected to constant suppression over the past few decades.
The industry is shrinking, talent is being lost, and status is declining.
They tried to resist, but their strength was too weak, and they only attracted more intense suppression.
Therefore, they are trapped in a vicious cycle of being suppressed, generating hatred, refusing to submit, continuing to be suppressed, and deepening hatred.
Until more than a decade ago, these families decided to band together and form the " Chuck Faction ".
After they banded together, the situation improved slightly; at least, the twelve families would no longer openly bully them.
But their businesses are still slowly shrinking.
They desperately need a powerful ally to help them stabilize the current situation, or even to launch a counterattack.
Kerry von, the newly appointed governor who had just received the Emperor's approval, seemed like a very good choice.
But Jay Chuck was cautious.
Instead of directly offering to "join forces," he kept testing Lynn's attitude and trying to understand Lynn's "strength."
As far as he knew, Lynn currently only had the title of "Governor" and the limited resources on the Song Offering.
The twelve families have been operating in Brevis for hundreds of years, deeply rooted and controlling the lifeline resources of the Hive City.
Is Lynn's contribution really enough?
Lynn was also hesitant.
He needs allies, especially these marginalized and rebellious minor nobles.
But he didn't know the details of Chuck Faction, nor did he understand their character and behavior.
It's unclear whether they genuinely want to rebel or simply want to find a new patron in the game of power.
The two got along well, but maintained a subtle distance.
Just as the atmosphere became somewhat awkward...
Carter has arrived.
The chief Archon was still wearing his impeccably tailored grey military uniform, his hair neatly combed, and his expression serious.
He didn't join the conversation directly, but instead quietly walked half a step behind Lynn.
Like an unsung guard beside a governor.
But this simple action subtly changed the atmosphere.
All the dignitaries who were talking to Lynn turned to look at Carter.
Their eyes were filled with awe, yet also with a sense of entitlement?
Lynn keenly observed all of this.
He realized that his chief Archon might actually be "something special".
Carter's prestige and power in Brevis are probably higher than he imagined.
Moreover, Carter's choice to appear at this time and stand by his side in this manner is itself a form of "making a statement."
He was telling everyone, "I am the governor's man."
Those around him were not surprised that he did this.
Lynn had made up her mind.
He chatted casually with Jay Chuck for a few more minutes before ending the conversation.
"Mr. Chuck, it's a pleasure to meet you. Let's talk again another day."
Jay Chuck bowed immediately. "I'll be waiting for Your Excellency at any time."
Lynn nodded and, accompanied by Carter, left the crowd.
He needs to process today's information in order to understand more about the true situation of Brevis.
He always felt that Brevis's actual situation might be more complicated than he imagined.