Eden's psychic senses detected the slow growth of Chaos power in the Hoffman family's territory.
Fortunately, there was still some time before the final release.
For now, the most important matter was the Emperor's Ascension Day.
If the ceremony went wrong, there would be no need for the Hoffman family to unleash their creatures—the King's Court would fall into chaos on its own.
So Eden quickly turned all his attention toward the preparations for the ceremony.
With the event just three days away, the basic structure was already in place.
On the day of the Emperor's Ascension, the King's Court would halt all work for an unprecedented day, distributing free food to the people.
Everyone would have the opportunity to rest.
They could either join the street parades or devote themselves to the worship rituals dedicated to the God-Emperor.
This was a blessing from the great God-Emperor and the kind Governor, a gift everyone could enjoy.
Except for the Imperial Guards, defense forces, and enforcers.
They would be responsible for security, with their day off postponed by one day.
The grand ceremony would take place at the Sacred Square, the main venue of the Emperor's Ascension Day!
Those fortunate enough to gain entry to the Sacred Square would receive blessings before the statue of the God-Emperor, adorned with gold and jewels.
Each person would also receive consecrated bread and holy water from the church.
The most important part of the ceremony was Eden's speech as Governor.
In truth, it was just him making promises to the people.
As soon as the promises were made, divine miracles would appear.
Then Eden would simply wait for the surge of Hope Power to flow in.
If everything went smoothly, he would gather enough Hope Power to secure critical resources that could turn the tide in his favor.
This was the plan!
Now, the entire King's Court was dedicated to making this happen, and most of the arrangements were already in place.
The only thing left unresolved was the list of people who would attend the ceremony at the Sacred Square.
The front-row attendees and those marching in the parade were easy to determine.
They would be members of families loyal to the King's Court, key officials from important departments, and officers from various military forces.
Their family members would also be included.
This part was straightforward and had already been rehearsed.
The real challenge was selecting the common citizens who would attend the ceremony.
Which of them would be deemed worthy of entering the Sacred Square?
According to the plan, about 50,000 citizens were to be admitted into the square to receive blessings.
They were the main source of Hope Power!
Emotions were contagious.
Eden expected that once these people returned home, they would inspire others.
They would serve as a node, spreading that energy to more people.
These individuals played a crucial role, and couldn't be randomly chosen.
The square would be packed with a dense crowd during the ceremony.
If any heretics or malcontents managed to slip in and detonate a bio-bomb or launch an attack, it would be disastrous.
Such an event would immediately trigger mass panic.
The resulting stampede and chaos would turn the ceremony into a tragedy, with heavy casualties.
The collective fear and despair of so many people gathered in one place could be catastrophic.
At that point, not only would the collection of Hope Power fail, but it could even summon a Chaos daemon on the spot.
That's why the list of citizens was so important—it required thorough vetting.
Only those who were devout followers of the God-Emperor, loyal to the King's Court, and hardworking individuals would be allowed to attend.
The task of selecting these citizens was assigned to a newly created department that Eden had established the day before.
This new department, called the Secretariat, was led by Bayev and staffed by a group of young officials who were absolutely loyal to the Governor.
The Secretariat operated independently of all other departments and answered directly to the Governor.
They had considerable authority.
When deployed, they could act in the Governor's name to mobilize other departments to assist in handling affairs.
In essence, Eden had carved out a new group from the existing structure of the King's Court.
These officials combined the roles of the Governor's emissaries and intelligence officers, assisting Bayev in handling sensitive and critical tasks.
They were young and not yet set in their ways, making them prime candidates for future grooming. This was part of Eden's long-term plan for reform.
The Secretariat was currently labeled as a temporary department in the records, not part of the official hierarchy, giving Eden the flexibility to make adjustments or upgrades in the future.
In time, this group of young officials would play a larger role, injecting fresh blood into the King's Court.
This ceremony would be their first assignment.
Bayev quickly arranged the Secretariat's headquarters, located not far from the Spire Estate.
The building had previously been used by the Department of Internal Affairs but was now vacated for the Secretariat's use.
Though the internal affairs staff were disgruntled, they moved out quickly.
After all, it was the Governor's order—no one dared defy it.
All of the officials in the King's Court understood that a powerful new political force was on the rise.
The Secretariat had already seized a portion of the Internal Affairs Department's authority.
In the future, it might claim even more.
At this moment, two hundred young officials of the Secretariat were standing in formation at their new headquarters, waiting for Eden's arrival.
They wore the Secretariat's black formal coats, black leather boots, and armbands bearing the insignia of a red background with a golden lion, a more dignified design than before.
Each of them was armed with the most advanced laspistols currently available in the King's Court.
According to Eden's plan, these officials would eventually be assigned assistants and elite military units, enabling them to carry out their tasks within the King's Court unimpeded.
Of course, this would be done gradually, and everything would be fully equipped after the ceremony.
Deville stood in the front row, his face cold and expressionless.
This was the proper demeanor for an official of the body retrieval unit in the Logistics Department.
It was also the expected attitude of the Governor's enforcers!
When they went out into the field, they would act as the Governor's emissaries, embodying his authority!
After waiting for some time, Bayev led Eden into the headquarters to review the officials of the Secretariat.
Eden glanced at their attire and nodded in approval:
"Very good, this is exactly what I had in mind!"
As always, his steward was reliable.
Seeing that the Governor was pleased, Bayev finally breathed a sigh of relief:
"Thank you, Governor, for your wise guidance. Without it, I wouldn't have known what to do!"
"Steward Bayev, you've worked hard…" Eden said, even more satisfied, patting Bayev on the shoulder.
Bayev could get things done and knew how to flatter—what more could a leader want?
Eden walked over to Deville and the others, carefully observing them.
As he watched, Eden's brow furrowed, his expression growing darker by the second.
Deville, standing in the front row, noticed the Governor's frown and grew increasingly tense.
Could the Governor be dissatisfied?
Tsk, this isn't quite right…"
Eden muttered, thinking hard before finally speaking up, his eyes locking on Deville:
"Especially you…"
Deville's heart sank upon hearing those words. He could barely stand from the shock!
(End of Chapter)
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