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Seeing the two of them a bit nervous, Eden waved his hand in a comforting gesture:
"There's no need to be so tense. I already know about your deeds, so let's get straight to the point."
He stepped forward and handed them both a document, stamped with the Governor's seal, along with badges.
"In recognition of your outstanding performance and significant contributions, I hereby appoint you both as the Commander and Staff Officer of the Planetary Defense Forces of Urth!"
Arye and Kaes stared in shock at the appointment documents and badges in their hands.
The Governor had just made them the two highest-ranking officers in the Defense Forces!
It was as if he had handed the entire Defense Forces to these two Underhivers.
Such trust!
The two of them were momentarily speechless.
"So, what do you say? Are you willing to take on this responsibility?"
Eden looked at them with anticipation.
Faced with the Governor's expectant gaze, Arye was beyond excited.
"Damn… Governor, you're a good man! I'll take the Commander position!"
Kaes, on the other hand, remained much more composed. He had many doubts, unsure why the Governor trusted them so much.
However, faced with such an opportunity, he gladly accepted.
No matter the reasons, with them taking on the positions of Commander and Staff Officer, the soldiers of the Defense Forces would have a better future.
He gave a formal salute: "I accept the appointment!"
Eden nodded with satisfaction, then dropped another bombshell:
"The Defense Forces have given too much for the royal district. From now on, the administrative level of the Defense Forces will be elevated, making them equal to other combat units in the royal district."
This would be a major change.
After the rebellion, the original Defense Forces had been almost completely wiped out.
The few remaining regiments had been trapped in the Underhive and Lowerhive, unable to return to the royal district.
In response to the new operational needs, Bayev had reorganized the Defense Forces.
He recruited suitable people from the Underhive refugees to form new regiments.
The newly-formed Defense Forces were essentially treated as disposable cannon fodder.
Their status had plummeted, almost akin to slaves, and they often couldn't even fill their stomachs.
Their combat effectiveness was a shadow of the former Defense Forces.
Eden decided to change this, restoring honor and purpose to the Defense Forces.
The soldiers would no longer be slaves but rather defenders of Urth, heroes deserving of respect!
"In short, the Defense Forces will no longer be restricted by others. Your lives have value and should be honored. No one will dare look down on you again!"
Arye was so moved that he trembled, his eyes moistening with emotion.
His bionic eye even flashed brightly in response.
With a solemn vow, Arye declared:
"I, Immortal Arye, swear that even if I descend into hell, I will never betray your trust!"
Kaes, too, was touched at this point. He bowed his head and said: "Governor, I pledge my loyalty to you!"
Eden nodded: "The royal district needs a strong and loyal Defense Force. You both are capable, so I will give you full autonomy to recruit and train the Defense Forces in your own way."
He patted both of them on the shoulder: "The Defense Forces are in your hands now. Don't disappoint me!"
The Governor's unwavering trust moved Arye deeply, and he silently vowed to repay this trust with his life if necessary.
Kaes's opinion of the young Governor shifted as well, and he now treated Eden with even greater respect.
This was exactly the result Eden had hoped for.
To be honest, he had no idea how to train the Defense Forces or how to ensure their loyalty.
Nor did he have the time or energy to manage them.
His role was to select the right people and let them do their job.
Since Arye and Kaes were talented, he would give them the autonomy they needed to succeed.
Afterward, Eden invited Arye and Kaes to join him for lunch.
The spire estate, stripped of its gold and jewels, no longer appeared so extravagant.
But thanks to Linda's efforts, the artisans had redecorated the estate with other materials, giving it an even more refined appearance.
Arye and Kaes sat in the lavish banquet hall, feeling uneasy.
They had never been in such a high-class place before and were afraid of making fools of themselves.
Under Eden's new guidelines, meals at the spire estate had become much simpler.
Today's lunch was Grox steak, Arkynberry pastries, and a side of Manola wine.
These dishes were nothing special to Eden.
But for those outside the spire, they were unattainable delicacies.
Arye took a bite of the Grox steak, and his mechanical eye flashed brilliantly.
Damn, this stuff is delicious!
He didn't know how to describe the flavor, only that it was a thousand times better than the corpse starch and irradiated mushrooms of the Lowerhive!
He eagerly sliced into the steak, almost reaching out to grab it with his hands.
But with the Governor seated across from him, he restrained himself from being too brazen.
Still, his hands trembled, and the knife scraped noisily against the plate.
Kaes, sitting beside him, was having a similar experience. The tender, juicy steak and the sweet, tangy Arkynberry pastry had completely won him over.
His taste buds were exploding with joy.
He tried his best to maintain his composure, to keep up appearances.
He couldn't embarrass himself in front of the Governor!
Eden quietly ate his steak while observing the two men.
He knew very well how rare such food was for those outside the spire.
So, he remained silent and didn't draw attention to them, allowing them to enjoy the meal fully.
Eden decided that in the future, he would invite more important subordinates to share meals with him.
Not only would it be a way to reward them, but it would also strengthen their bond.
As they ate, Eden noticed Arye wiping away tears. Arye looked up at him, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.
After a moment of hesitation, Arye finally spoke:
"Governor…"
"Commander Arye, feel free to speak your mind."
Eden maintained a gentle tone, trying not to put too much pressure on him.
"I was just thinking about the soldiers in the Defense Forces… they're still hungry!"
Arye stammered slightly.
Kaes raised his head and added:
"For the past few months, the Defense Forces have been severely under-supplied, sometimes even worse off than the factory workers.
The long-term hunger has drastically weakened the combat effectiveness of the Defense Forces, and some have even starved to death.
If we don't replenish supplies soon, the consequences could be even more severe…"
Hearing Kaes's words, Eden fell silent.
He knew about these issues.
With food shortages in the royal district, the logistics department had first cut the supplies of the Defense Forces.
According to their calculations, most new recruits in the Defense Forces didn't survive more than three months anyway.
Since they were seen as disposable, whether they were fed or not didn't really matter.
As long as they had enough strength to hold a gun, that was enough.
Thus, the supply for the Defense Forces had been continuously reduced, to the point where even factory workers were better off.
In fact, this wasn't an isolated case—resource allocation had been cut across the board, even for administrative units.
"Yes, yes, the Staff Officer… Kaes is absolutely right!"
Arye nodded eagerly, looking at Eden with pleading eyes: "Governor, the soldiers need food!"
(End of Chapter)