[Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor] Chapter 74/75/76 (Patreon)

Chapter 74: Building the Farm and Expanding the Army!

After the Adeptus Mechanicus branch was established on Urth, Eden gave them their first task: to construct a new Green Wave farm.

The current food reserves would only last for about six months.

If the farm wasn't built quickly to grow new crops, the King's Court district would once again fall into famine after those six months.

Thus, the construction of the farm could not be delayed.

Following Moss's survey, the location for the new farm was selected in the large warehouse district within the King's Court.

It had vast open space and ample sunlight.

Using Golden Age farming technology, along with special energy cores, seed cultivation devices, fertilizer machines, simulated weather systems, and water purification units from the original farm, Moss and Kall, the two tech-priests, designed a massive vertical farm.

Of course, this was only the construction plan; it would take a long time to complete the entire farm.

The farm would need to be built step by step.

Once the design was completed, the King's Court began the grand first phase of the new Green Wave farm's construction.

To prevent sabotage from the Hoffman family, the surrounding area was cleared, and strict security measures were put in place.

Fortunately, the farm was located in the core of the King's Court district, making it difficult to attack.

Had it been located further out, it would have been subjected to endless attacks and harassment.

Soon, the first phase of the new Green Wave farm was completed.

The expected food output would cover the minimum consumption needs of the district's population, ensuring a sustainable cycle.

However, it would take much longer to fully construct the farm, and it hadn't yet achieved full automation.

The main reason for this was that manual labor in the King's Court was far cheaper than machines.

So, the crops would be planted and cared for by dedicated farm workers.

This was considered a sacred job, and only the most loyal and enthusiastic families were selected to become farm workers.

Those chosen arrived at the farm and saw, for the first time in their lives, the legendary soil.

Yes, Eden had also transported a large amount of unpolluted, high-quality soil from the original Green Wave farm.

Those who witnessed the soil wept, kneeling and kissing it, grateful for the mercy of the great God-Emperor and the benevolence of Governor Eden.

With a sense of divine purpose, they tended to every seedling with care, as if they were nurturing infants.

Soon, the seedlings were planted, and the farm was operating smoothly.

To prevent incidents, Eden stationed security drones brought from the original Green Wave farm around the perimeter.

Surprisingly, the energy cannons on those drones managed to eliminate several spies trying to infiltrate the farm.

With the farm up and running, Eden turned his attention to other matters.

During the farm's construction, he had already summoned the leaders of the Defense Forces, Arye and Kaes, and authorized them to start recruitment.

Eden planned to expand the Defense Forces from 30,000 to 80,000 troops.

The King's Court district had plenty of weapons and equipment, but couldn't afford to support that many people before.

Now, with enough food, he immediately expanded the force by 50,000 soldiers.

This was the maximum number the district could support.

Eden didn't need to worry about the recruitment or training—Arye and Kaes handled it entirely.

They looked like legendary figures and would undoubtedly train a powerful Defense Force for him.

At the same time, Eden tasked Moss and Kall with researching the security drones and optimizing the standard-issue laser rifles and cannons.

Now, the entire district was preparing for the final war effort, focusing all resources on the production of war materials.

Once the Defense Forces were trained and equipped with new weapons, Eden planned to launch the decisive battle.

He would personally lead the Royal Guard and Defense Forces into action, to finally eliminate the Hoffman family and unite the upper hive!

As recruitment progressed and resources were allocated, the mass enlistment began.

Young and middle-aged men alike signed up in droves, determined to fight to the death for the King's Court district.

At the entrance of the recruitment office…

A frail, middle-aged man failed to meet the enlistment criteria.

He knelt on the ground, pleading with the Defense Forces to make an exception and take him in.

In the past, someone like him would have been considered a qualified recruit.

But with the improved food supply, people's physical conditions had greatly improved.

The frail and sickly like him no longer met the enlistment standards.

The man's eyes were resolute:

"Officer, please accept me. I am determined to give everything for the God-Emperor and the Governor!"

He had no other options.

His family consisted of five members—an elderly mother, a wife recently paralyzed due to a work injury, and two young children.

He was the sole breadwinner.

In the current situation, there was no way he could support so many people.

His only hope was to join the Defense Forces, the only way to save his family.

The pay for soldiers was more than double that of regular workers. Becoming an officer meant he would receive Type II corpse starch bars with one-tenth wheat content.

With such a salary, he could easily support his family.

Even if he died in battle, the compensation would sustain his family for some time.

If he became a war hero, his name could be inscribed beneath the statue of the God-Emperor.

That would be the ultimate honor bestowed by the Governor!

The children of war heroes would be given priority to join the Defense Forces.

If they didn't want to join the army, they could instead receive good jobs in the district's major factories.

The most outstanding children had a chance to join the future Academy of Loyalty, which Eden planned to establish.

They would study alongside the children of nobles and officials, being groomed as the future elite of the district.

In Eden's vision, the Academy of Loyalty would be different from the Empire's original Academy of the same name.

It would be slightly less brutal, though there was still a risk of casualties during training.

The academy would admit and educate children from various backgrounds based on their loyalty and merit.

This would include the children of heroes, nobles, officials, and even child prodigies.

They would study together and grow into the future leaders of the district.

Of course, the Academy of Loyalty was still in the planning stage, and there weren't yet conditions to establish it.

But even the mere possibility of such an opportunity was enough to drive the lower-class population to madness.

They were determined to join the Defense Forces and offer everything to the merciful Governor!

The middle-aged man was one of them.

Whether to feed his family or for his family's future, he had to fight.

Yet he was rejected, and he couldn't accept it!

No matter how he begged, he was coldly turned away.

"Please, let me join! This is my last hope!"

The man cried and pleaded, kneeling and kowtowing, even grabbing onto the officer's leg.

But the officer's gaze only grew colder.

Citing a disturbance of order, the officer whipped the man several times and had him dragged away by Defense Force soldiers.

Had it not been for the Governor's new regulations, someone like him would have been executed on the spot.

"What's going on here?"

Arye walked over, his brow furrowed, the cold red glow of his mechanical eye scanning the scene.

The officer calmly reported the situation to Arye.

The middle-aged man begged Arye, his gaze resolute:

"Commander, I can fight. I'm willing to give my life for the Governor!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 75: Life Is Precious Nourishment

The middle-aged man had made up his mind—no matter the cost, he would stay!

Arye, with a cold expression, stared at the man for a moment before firmly rejecting him:

"Sorry, but you don't meet the requirements to join the Defense Forces. With your frail condition, you'd just be marching to your death on the battlefield. I need soldiers who can fight and follow orders. I am responsible for my army and for the Governor! Now, leave immediately. If you continue to disrupt discipline, you will be executed according to military law."

The middle-aged man was soon dragged away by Defense Force soldiers.

Arye understood and pitied the poor man.

But in the army, and on the battlefield, excessive compassion could be deadly.

A man as weak as that would only die meaninglessly in battle, potentially endangering his fellow soldiers!

To put it bluntly, not everyone was worthy of giving their life for the great and merciful Governor.

You can't just grab a gun, rush into battle, and die for the Governor—it's not that simple.

You must first have the qualifications and undergo rigorous training before you even have the chance to carry a newly-made laser rifle and offer everything for the Governor on the battlefield.

Otherwise, it's a waste and a desecration of the Governor's generosity!

That being said, the family of the middle-aged man wouldn't be left to starve.

Life could generate hope, and for Eden, that hope was precious nourishment.

Eden wasn't a Chaos God, but he wouldn't let life go to waste so easily.

Allowing loyal lives to be squandered was a costly extravagance.

He would ensure that every life fulfilled its potential.

As the middle-aged man trudged home, devastated, Eden had already passed a new law.

This law would provide half of a Type I corpse starch bar, with one-twentieth wheat content, to special families in extreme difficulty within the district.

While this small portion wouldn't eliminate hunger, it would at least sustain life.

This would offer a glimmer of hope to those families, allowing them to survive the hardest times.

After this brief episode, Arye inspected the rest of the recruitment office before heading back to the barracks.

He needed to train the young recruits hard, increasing their combat capabilities.

Only by doing so could they win the war against the damn Hoffman family, ensuring that more of his soldiers would survive.

All for the infinitely merciful Governor!

While the King's Court was mobilizing for war, Eden kept a close eye on the situation within the Hoffman family's territory.

He could sense the darkness within their lands growing deeper.

The power of darkness was slowly increasing, and he knew he had to act quickly!

To weaken the Hoffman family's strength, Eden took a page from Yusef's book and sent out numerous spies to disrupt their territory.

However, his method wasn't through Chaos corruption, inciting rebellion, or spreading rumors—those were the dirty tactics of small-minded people.

Eden opted for a direct attack.

He ordered his spies to regularly distribute Type I corpse starch bars, with one-twentieth wheat content, and large quantities of propaganda flyers throughout the Hoffman family's territory.

These bars and flyers conveyed a clear message to the people of the Hoffman lands:

The King's Court district had enough food, and under the God-Emperor's name, they vowed to accept any who dared to break away from the Hoffman family and offer their loyalty to the Governor.

This tactic was highly effective.

In the following days, wave after wave of people secretly fled the Hoffman family's lands to pledge their loyalty to the great Governor Eden Grant.

This greatly strengthened the King's Court district.

Inside a secret laboratory within the Hoffman family's territory...

A mutated gray rat, covered in scars, cowered in a corner, fearfully watching the hateful human named Yusef.

Lately, it had been receiving less and less fresh meat, and Yusef had become more and more erratic, beating it senseless at the slightest provocation.

It was completely unreasonable!

Though the gray rat's eyes were filled with terror, its round, beady eyes were secretly scanning for an escape route, hoping to flee when the opportunity presented itself.

Of course, it had already tried a few times but had failed each time, only to be beaten even worse.

Humans were terrifying—far more brutal than it was.

The rat couldn't take it anymore! Despair welled up within it, and it let out a few pitiful squeaks.

Hearing the sound, Yusef flew into a rage:

"Damn rat! Are you mocking me?!"

Raising his mechanical arm, he retracted his hand to reveal a gaping cannon barrel, firing two blasts toward the rat.

Boom! Boom!

The gray rat took both blasts head-on, its body charred and its once-wide eyes now shut. It lay on its back, belly-up, motionless.

If one looked closely, a single tear could be seen sliding down its face.

The rat's heart had died.

It didn't dare move, and the lab workers barely dared to breathe.

Recently, anyone who angered Lord Yusef had seen their entire family fed to the god-spawn birthed by the Thousand-Eyed Master.

Yusef was furious. He had suffered the greatest humiliation of his life.

All of his flawless schemes had been easily unraveled by that fool Eden!

Many of the spies he had sent had lost contact!

Yusef couldn't comprehend how Eden, that coward, had managed to secure food.

In the end, he could only conclude that the food and farming technology came from the Grant family's vault.

Like the Royal Guard, they must have been treasures safeguarded by the Grant family.

Eden, that despicable man, had been hiding his strength all along, waiting to make a mockery of him.

And to top it off, that scoundrel had even sent him a letter of thanks!

Yusef felt as though he had been deceived and mocked, much like his ancestors had been by the Grant family three thousand years ago.

The humiliation was unbearable!

However, Yusef had seen through Eden's devious plan.

That sly trickster was trying to provoke him into rashly starting the final battle!

But Yusef, the great Yusef, would never fall for such a simple trick.

The King's Court core had been maintained and fortified for three thousand years. Even after the heretical rebellion, the remaining defensive weapons were incredibly powerful.

Attacking now, before the true offspring of the Thousand-Eyed Master had hatched, would be a foolish act of self-destruction.

In fact, Yusef hoped Eden would lose patience and attack soon.

Then, Eden could enjoy the chaotic gift Yusef had prepared for him...

With that realization, Yusef quickly calmed down and devised a response.

If Eden cared so much for those underhive peasants, then Yusef would make sure he didn't get his way!

"Hmph, the Grant family's full strength is now exposed.

When the time for the final battle comes, victory will be mine!"

At that moment, in the refugee camp within the Hoffman family's territory...

Many refugees from the King's Court district were gathered there.

Most of them had been incited and manipulated by spies, leading them to betray the district, branding them as undesirable elements.

During the Night of the Uprising, they had rioted, looting and burning, but were suppressed by the enforcers.

Some had scattered and barely escaped the streets alive.

After the Night of the Uprising, fearing retribution from the King's Court, they fled, either alone or with their families, to the Hoffman family's territory.

But upon arrival, they didn't receive the promised shelter or food. Instead, they were thrown into this refugee camp.

Later, they learned that the King's Court had resumed food distribution, offering delicious wheat-infused corpse starch bars!

Their regret was palpable.

They cursed the King's Court and the damn Governor.

Why didn't he provide food sooner? If he had, they wouldn't have made such a mistake.

Now, they planned to escape the camp that very night and return to the King's Court.

Hadn't the flyers promised that anyone who escaped the Hoffman lands and offered their loyalty would be accepted?

If they returned in good faith, the King's Court couldn't refuse them—otherwise, it would be an affront to the God-Emperor himself!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 76: The Approach of War

The traitors cursed and mocked the King's Court district and the Governor, ridiculing their foolishness. They planned to seize the opportunity tonight to sneak out of the refugee camp and escape from the Hoffman family's territory.

Then, posing as refugees from the Hoffman lands, they would boldly return to the King's Court.

This way, they could not only evade punishment but also enjoy the wheat-infused corpse starch offered by the district.

As they eagerly discussed their plan, filled with anticipation, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

"Everyone, look! What… what's going on?"

Unbeknownst to them, the refugee camp had been surrounded by the Hoffman family's riot control troops.

Dressed in black protective suits and skull-faced breathing masks, the troops carried standard-issue automatic rifles, coldly staring at the refugees.

Soon, as the officer with the skull mask and glowing green electronic eyes waved his command sword, the riot troops silently advanced in neat formation.

There was a deathly silence, with only the sound of synchronized footsteps echoing coldly and mercilessly.

These were the forces of the Hoffman family, the backbone that gave them the audacity to rebel against the King's Court.

These riot troops had undergone brutal training from a young age, even having parts of their nervous systems removed.

They were silent, unafraid of death, driven solely by killing and sacrifice.

The traitors who had been so brazen during the Night of the Uprising now trembled like sheep.

"W-what are you doing?"

"What's going on? Didn't Lord Yusef promise to protect us?"

"Sirs, we are loyal subjects of the Hoffman family!"

"Please, spare our lives!"

Some of them tried to sound tough, others attempted to reason, while some knelt with their families, begging for mercy.

They swore their loyalty to Lord Yusef, vowing eternal enmity against the King's Court, desperately pleading for their lives and the lives of their families.

However, none of their actions stirred even the slightest emotion in the riot troops.

The troops simply followed orders, advancing in formation and then opening fire, killing all designated targets.

The slaughter was merciless.

The refugee camp echoed with the cries and wails of the traitors, but it was all in vain. The riot troops killed them one by one, stepping over their corpses to reach the next in line, all with deadly precision and restraint.

Before long, the refugee camp fell silent.

The riot troops emerged from the camp, reassembled like the precise components of a machine, each returning to their designated position.

Then, the synchronized sound of their footsteps resumed as they marched away, leaving behind a camp filled with corpses.

This wasn't limited to the refugee camp—similar scenes were unfolding across the Hoffman family's territory.

Countless people were being slaughtered, and their blood and flesh were offered as sacrifices to the god-spawn granted by the Thousand-Eyed Master.

In a secret underground laboratory, vast quantities of flesh were dumped into a giant glass incubation vat, where the grotesque ball of flesh inside hungrily devoured it.

The creature grew larger, its numerous eyes blinking slowly, as if it was about to fully open!

...

In the King's Court district, within the Imperial Church.

The hymn of the cherubim echoed through the halls as Bishop Doni knelt before the shrine of the God-Emperor, conducting his daily prayer ritual.

Though he had aged somewhat, his eagle-like gaze remained as sharp as ever.

The situation in the King's Court had improved significantly.

The statue of the God-Emperor had been fully restored, and the Emperor had performed a miracle during the holy rites. This had reignited the people's faith in the God-Emperor.

Though the church had not yet fully reopened to the public, more and more people were coming to worship.

The church was gradually reclaiming its former glory.

Praise the God-Emperor!

It seemed the Imperial Church on Urth wouldn't perish under his watch, and might even rise to greater heights.

Bishop Doni felt immense relief, as if the heavy burden he had been carrying was slowly being lifted.

Suddenly, his body trembled, and he nearly collapsed.

The cherubim flying above him let out cries of fear, their wings flailing as they almost crashed to the ground.

Bishop Doni's psychic senses had picked up something terrifying.

God-Emperor, what an abyssal darkness!

And at the heart of that darkness was the upper hive, within the Hoffman family's territory.

In a flash, Bishop Doni recalled the terrifying catastrophe from five years ago.

The heretical rebels had stormed the King's Court, led by a monstrous Chaos high priest, defiling the statue of the God-Emperor.

Though the heretics had eventually been judged and eradicated by the church, the church itself had nearly been destroyed.

Now, those accursed heretics had returned, and the dark power they wielded this time was even more fearsome!

But the King's Court no longer possessed the strength it once had. Doni himself, worn down by injury, could no longer fight as he once had.

How could they possibly resist?

Was the fate of Urth to be total annihilation?

"Great God-Emperor, what should we do?"

Bishop Doni muttered in despair, his body hunched.

After a moment, he seemed to realize something and stood up, grabbing his staff and hurrying out.

Of course, he had asked a foolish question earlier.

The God-Emperor had long since given them guidance and chosen the savior of Urth—the young ruler, Eden Grant.

He would lead them all to the path forward!

Bishop Doni immediately went to the Spire Manor to find Eden, urgently informing him of the gravity of the situation.

The heretics had returned!

Looking at Eden, Bishop Doni anxiously awaited his decision:

"Governor, this is a matter of life and death for the King's Court and all of Urth. We must act swiftly…"

Eden's face was solemn. He had already foreseen the dark, overwhelming Chaos power long before Bishop Doni.

He had been nervously preparing, making the final war mobilizations.

The Defense Forces had been expanded to sixty thousand strong, most of them equipped with the latest laser rifles and new gear.

However, the speed at which the Chaos forces were growing had caught Eden off guard—it was too fast.

If the transformation completed and Chaos descended upon the upper hive, there would be no way to stop it!

There was no time left.

Eden quickly made his decision, turning to Bayev:

"Notify all departments—the plan is moving up. We launch the final battle at dawn tomorrow!"

With the order given, the entire district was mobilized overnight, preparing for war.

They had to ensure that all armed forces were ready to deploy on schedule.

No one dared to be complacent.

Everyone knew that this would be the final battle.

The outcome of this war would determine the fate of the King's Court and the entire planet of Urth!

(End of Chapter)