[500 Power Stones = +1 Chapter!]
As the Emperor's Ascension Day approached, nearly all departments within the King's Court district mobilized, working full force to prepare for the grand ceremony.
Everyone knew about the ceremony, envying those few who were fortunate enough to be selected to enter the Holy Square.
Many began to regret their past actions.
Why hadn't they worked harder? Why hadn't they contributed more to the Governor's cause, leading them to miss out on this rare opportunity?
Of course, the main topic of conversation among the people was the Governor himself.
Some said the Governor had been blessed by the God-Emperor. Others claimed that overnight, he had gained divine powers and could kill daemons with a single punch.
Still, others whispered that the Governor had found the mythical Bread Mountain and intended to ensure no one went hungry ever again.
There were even rumors that the Governor, after obtaining his extraordinary powers, had spent the night with ten beautiful women.
But this was immediately countered by someone saying it was nonsense. According to their version, the Governor had bedded twenty female daemons instead.
This remark left everyone stunned for a moment, before they quickly scattered in fear.
The person who dared to say such outrageous things about the Governor quickly shrank back and fled as well, afraid that the enforcers might come to arrest him.
Most rumors, however, were whispered in private.
One wouldn't want the enforcers to overhear, as that would cause serious trouble.
In just a few days, gossip about the Governor spread far and wide.
Bayev had suggested arresting and putting on trial those who spoke disrespectfully about the Governor, but Eden rejected the idea.
The majority of the talk was, after all, favorable to him.
Even the most outlandish claims only served to bolster his powerful image.
It undoubtedly strengthened the people's trust in him.
So the public discussion about him was a good thing, as long as it didn't veer into heretical territory.
If they started rounding people up for punishment or even execution, leading everyone to fear mentioning the Governor at all, that would be a real problem.
It would damage his image of benevolence.
In short, whatever the people were saying, let them talk.
And so, two days passed quickly.
The preparations for the Emperor's Ascension Day were completed smoothly, and the Secretariat finalized the list of attendees for the ceremony.
That evening, Eden once again stood on the balcony of the spire, watching the craftsmen complete the final touches in the Holy Square.
Tonight, they would gild the statue of the God-Emperor and inlay the gemstones.
By the time the sun rose tomorrow, the statue would shine brilliantly in the sunlight, visible to all residents of the surrounding districts.
This was the first "miracle" Eden had prepared for the people of the King's Court district.
Now, all he had to do was wait.
Workers across various regions had been notified of their holiday and given ample food.
They could rest well, preparing to celebrate the grand festival of the Emperor's Ascension Day tomorrow.
...
Black Coal Street.
Laughter echoed from the dim shacks in the depths of the street.
Under the faint candlelight, Maika carefully polished his Worker's Medal, his eyes filled with hope.
He glanced at the young boy beside him, now full from a good meal.
Ever since Maika received the Worker's Medal for his exceptional mining, his life had completely transformed.
This was a medal personally awarded by the Governor, given only to the most outstanding workers.
His coworkers were envious, and the way people looked at him had changed.
Even the highly respected Mr. Will had come to visit him, bringing food and candles as gifts.
Tomorrow, he would join Mr. Will to attend the ceremony in the Holy Square, where they would receive the God-Emperor's blessing.
After the ceremony, Mr. Will would recommend him to be the team leader of the mining crew.
And all of this was thanks to the great and benevolent Governor.
...
Drek Residential District, Area C43, Small Dormitory for Workers.
Arila was grinning like a fool.
These past few days had been the happiest of her life.
Not only had she received the Governor's commendation, but she had also become an overseer!
After being appointed as the overseer of the third assembly line, everyone remembered her name. They would never get it wrong again.
Unlike the other overseers who ruled with whips, she taught the workers how to do their jobs better.
How to work faster and with less effort.
She even allowed them a short break.
These were methods she had come up with through her own experience, ways to maximize efficiency.
Other overseers mocked her in private, expecting her to fail miserably.
They believed that without strict discipline, workers would slack off.
But reality slapped them in the face—the workers under her supervision worked harder than ever!
The third assembly line, which she oversaw, had the highest output and best quality!
Arila didn't understand why, but no matter what, she had become a highly capable overseer!
She knew how to manage people!
What she didn't know was that the workers were putting in extra effort because they feared that if the production wasn't good enough, Arila would be reassigned or demoted.
And that would mean the return of the cruel overseer who loved to beat them.
In any case, Arila was happy.
Even more so because tomorrow she would attend the grand ceremony and see the benevolent Governor in person!
She hugged her Worker's Medal to her chest, rolling joyfully on her iron bed.
Hehehe!
...
King's Court District, Administrative Housing Area.
The Rapp family was enjoying dinner together.
Tonight's meal was sumptuous: a slice of real wheat bread for each person, along with a small portion of meat.
This was a gift from the King's Court district to its officials, nearly emptying Eden's food reserves.
Madi even took out half a bottle of wine.
It was the only wine the Rapp family had.
Originally, they had planned to save it for important guests, but Madi felt that only this wine was worthy of accompanying the food blessed by the Governor.
Anything less would be a desecration of the meal.
Madi carefully poured the wine into glasses and handed one to Deville.
After thinking for a moment, she poured a glass for Lilith as well.
Finally, she filled her own glass and raised it.
"To the Governor!"
The Rapp family raised their glasses in unison.
As Madi drank the wine, its familiar, rich flavor made her feel slightly tipsy.
Memories of the past flooded her mind.
Her eyes grew misty.
When she was Lilith's age, she used to accompany her father to banquets.
At that time, banquets were held all over the King's Court district, a time of indulgence and extravagance.
But as the district's situation worsened, banquets slowly ceased to be held.
Looking back, she realized the district had been lifeless for years.
It had been a long time since it was this lively.
How wonderful…
Madi firmly believed in the rumors—that the Governor would restore the King's Court district.
She dreamed countless times of those days returning.
Everything would get better again!
That night, countless families across the King's Court district shared the same sense of hope.
They could all feel it—the once-dying district was coming back to life.
They eagerly awaited the Governor's mercy.
They looked forward to a better future.
Without realizing it, the arrival of Eden had changed the fate of many.
In their bleak lives, a ray of light had appeared.
That light was called hope.
In the future, this change would continue, until a beautiful new world was built.
...
As dawn broke, people began to fill the streets, ready to welcome the Emperor's Ascension Day.
"Liars, they're all liars…
The King's Court district is out of food, the Governor is deceiving you!"
On the streets, a drunkard mumbled quietly, taking a swig of his "liquor."
Called "Er-liquor," it was really just toxic industrial waste mixed with filthy water.
Despite being poisonous, many people preferred to drink it rather than eat, as it simulated the feeling of alcohol.
The drunkard cursed loudly, and people quickly moved away.
Those who drank Er-liquor didn't live long and weren't mentally stable. No one wanted to provoke them.
When enforcers encountered troublemaking drunkards, they usually just shot them.
"The God-Emperor's miracle is a lie too! Damn it, no one's fooling me..."
The drunkard's cursing grew louder, but suddenly, a golden light caught his eye.
He looked up, and there it was—a hundred-meter-tall statue of the God-Emperor, shining with golden light in the morning sun, an awe-inspiring sight.
Crash!
The bottle slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.
The drunkard fell to his knees in terror.
"The… the God-Emperor has shown His miracle!"
(End of Chapter)