Chapter 838 - 837
"Today, the fate of the galaxy and the Warp is not in my hands, nor is it in yours.
"It will be decided by humanity and by countless living beings together."
Eden stared at the Dark Emperor as he spoke.
The tight furrow of his brow eased considerably, and he gained even greater confidence in this campaign to resist the Dark King.
The dark rifts were decreasing.
Countless humans and countless living beings were uniting as one, stopping the black tide and defending their homes...
The Charadon Sector.
Seen from afar, the sector was extraordinarily prosperous. Dozens of voidports connected many of the major trade routes.
The lights of ships coming and going glittered brilliantly, illuminating the river of stars.
Charadon was like a pearl in the galaxy, impossible to ignore, and it was also the most important industrial zone and trade hub in the Segmentum Pacificus.
Oms.
This planet was the sector’s primary inhabited world, home to hundreds of billions of people. Its buildings pierced straight into the clouds.
Even more rarely, almost no pollution could be seen on the planet. Between the towers were abundant green zones.
Every residential district had its own central park. Although this could not compare to a true garden world, it was still extremely precious.
The residents of Oms relied on its industrial zones and trade network to live relatively comfortable lives.
Even among the Imperium’s middle class, they counted as wealthy.
Chirp, chirp, chirp...
As the gentle sun rose, the birds in Central Park of the Third Industrial Group’s Thirteenth Residential District began their usual morning clamor, their calls pleasant to the ear.
A beautiful, colorful bird flew onto the terrace of a residential tower and chirped toward the interior.
It was like a natural alarm clock.
The entire tower, dozens of kilometers tall, consisted of family housing for the workers of the Third Industrial Group. Most units had two bedrooms and one living room.
Although the building was still the Group’s property, it was enough for every worker to build a warm home.
As an Imperial public enterprise in the Charadon Sector, the Third Industrial Group had always treated its workers generously.
This made related institutions in nearby sectors extremely envious. After all, who could blame them? The Third Industrial Group was responsible for core engineering industries.
Inside one of those warm two-bedroom homes, the bird did not wake anyone.
The lady of the house had already been awake for some time.
Smoke rose from the small kitchen. Beans bubbled in a pot on the stove, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.
They were good things from the Akenya Agri-World.
For the citizens of the Imperium, they counted as high-end ingredients, not something everyone was willing to buy.
Because the Charadon Third Industrial Group had cooperative business with that local world, it had obtained a large supply of food as well. This, too, was one of the Group’s employee benefits.
It was enviable.
Marianne carefully stirred the beans in the pot, then hummed a tune as she went to the side and sliced white bread and fruit.
Even for a worker family like theirs, this was an extremely lavish breakfast.
"Savior above, why have those Sophin finches come again? How many beans do they think my house has for them?"
When Marianne heard the birdsong, her brows drew together slightly, as if she were complaining.
But even as she spoke, she turned around and carefully took some beans from the bag, then walked toward the terrace.
This apartment had been awarded to her husband as a reward for being a model worker. It even came with a small terrace, which made the other colleagues in his unit very envious.
Marianne placed the dish of beans on the terrace. The fearless Sophin finch quickly flew down.
It pecked at the beans, its colorful feathers stretching out. It seemed long accustomed to this.
In fact, it was not only here. The terraces nearby often received visits from Sophin finches asking for food.
These beautiful birds came from garden worlds and had been introduced to Oms. They would only stay in places where food was plentiful and there were no threats.
They were extremely delicate.
Among the workers of Oms, these Sophin finches represented luck. They were also a symbol of a good life.
Whichever community had the most Sophin finches symbolized that its people lived better lives and had more abundant food. It was a source of communal pride.
Because of this, people rarely harmed these precious Sophin finches and were happy to give them food for good fortune.
People also envied communities with many Sophin finches and discussed them with great interest.
If the Sophin finches of a certain community migrated away together, people would talk. It proved that something had gone wrong with that community’s environment and with the lives of its residents. It was considered a bad omen.
"Eat slowly. Don’t choke."
Marianne smiled at the bird before her as she spoke.
She would rather eat a little less herself than deny this bird its beans, hoping to receive some kind of blessing. It was her yearning for a better life.
The Sophin finch seemed to understand. It nodded, then continued pecking at the beans.
After it finished eating, it circled in place and chirped again. Its voice sounded even more pleasant, as if it were singing to thank Marianne for her hospitality.
Then the Sophin finch flapped its wings and flew toward the blue sky.
"Come back next time!"
Marianne was in a slightly better mood as her gaze followed the colorful little bird.
But when she saw the black patterns speckling the blue sky, she lowered her head again, lost in thought.
"Ah, my beans!"
After several seconds of silence, Marianne remembered something and hurried back to the kitchen, afraid the beans had burned.
She quickly turned off the heat and stirred the beans again before finally relaxing and dealing with the rest of the food.
Once she was almost done, Marianne checked the time. Her husband and children should be waking soon.
She knew her husband was exhausted, and that he was the pillar of the household. She never disturbed his rest, and she handled everything at home.
Soon, a melodious and slightly stirring piece of music came from the alarm servitor in the bedroom.
It was sacred music praising the great deeds of His Majesty the Savior, Emperor of the Imperium.
"Praise the Savior."
When Marianne heard the sacred music, she could not help clasping her hands before her chest in prayer.
She was deeply devout.
By the time she finished praying, rustling noises and the children’s chattering voices had already come from the living room.
"You little troublemakers, keep it down, or there won’t be any delicious beans for you."
When Marianne heard the children’s voices, her smile grew even gentler. "You two little things never calm down all day. If the priest sees you, he’ll scold you again..."
That was what she said, but the corners of her mouth would not go down no matter what. She liked this noise. It meant the children were growing up.
Both boys had already passed their exams and obtained admission to the affiliated kindergarten of the Third Industrial Group.
Barring any accidents, they would also become workers of the Third Industrial Group in the future, perhaps even senior technicians.
Maybe the children would do better than their father and enter one of the Group’s business divisions, securing an official career post in the Charadon Sector.
That was something countless people could only envy.
Marianne sank into that beautiful fantasy, only for the children’s noise to break it.
She mocked herself a little. "What am I thinking? It would already be good enough if the children could become workers, unless they can test into the Schola Progenium.
"That would be far too difficult."
Marianne stopped thinking about such distant matters.
As she urged the children to wash up, she carried the cooked beans, bread, and fruit to the dining table.
"Wow, there’s so much good food. Is today Savior Thanksgiving Day?" The elder boy looked at the feast on the table and could not help drooling.
"You’re wrong. Savior Thanksgiving Day is on the first day of July. There are still several weeks left!"
His younger brother spoke like a little adult. "I bet it’s because our Third... Third Industrial Group opened up another new trade zone and chased away all those pirate bad guys, so we’re... celebrating!"
He turned to his mother, hoping for praise. "Mom, tell me I’m right!"
"Smart boy."
Ork, the man of the house, finished washing up and came over, rubbing the younger boy’s head.
"Those things were indeed issued earlier to celebrate the opening of the trade zone. The Group Army’s security forces drove away the vicious xenos there."
This could be considered a kind of tradition among related units. Whenever they seized an opportunity, they issued all sorts of benefits.
And those benefits were all natural foods from agricultural regions, far better than industrial food.
Only wealthy group units could afford to hand out such things.
What he did not say was that these things had been issued half a month ago and had nothing to do with this lavish breakfast.
But there was no real point in explaining all that clearly to the children. Proper encouragement was enough.
Afterward, the family sat down for the pre-meal prayer, giving thanks for the Savior’s gifts, then enjoyed this hard-won meal.
Although the children were at a mischievous age, they still followed dining etiquette. They did not make trouble again and instead ate heartily.
They did not notice at all that the atmosphere at the table had grown somewhat subdued. Ork and Marianne both remained quiet.
They did not talk about work and community matters as they usually did. It was as if both had something weighing on their minds.
After the meal was finished, Ork told the children to return to their room and pack their things so they could go to kindergarten.
Then he looked at his wife. The two of them faced each other in silence.
"My application was approved.
"Today, I’ll depart with the Group’s engineering team for the Korvax Zone to carry out a mission."
Suddenly, Ork spoke, his voice a little hoarse.
"I may have to stay there for some time. We have to stop the black tide, or it will come toward Oms..."
The model worker and foreman of the Oms Third Industrial Group said this, doing his best to explain why he had done it.
He had not dared tell his wife the news before.
Although the Charadon Sector had been fortunate enough not to be corroded by the black tide, it had still been significantly affected.
And the black tide raging through nearby sectors was showing signs of expansion. It was extremely likely to spread into this sector.
That was why the Oms Third Industrial Group had responded to the governor’s call by sending workers and technical teams to assist the disaster-relief engineering fleets.
They would resist the black tide and carry out post-disaster reconstruction work. Ork belonged to the Group’s second batch.
It was said that many of the Group’s senior leaders had also followed the governor to the disaster zones. This was the highest decree. Every sector had to participate in disaster relief.
Even areas that had not been attacked by the black tide were no exception. Before the black tide receded, no high-ranking personnel were permitted to withdraw from the disaster zones.
Otherwise, what awaited them would be the gun barrels of the Departmento Monitorum’s judges.
To relieve the pressure on disaster relief, Charadon’s administrative bodies, like those of other sectors, had mobilized more personnel in addition to the Group Armies of each region to make up for the manpower shortage.
Of course, what they needed were skilled workers. Ordinary people would not be of much use there.
As a model worker, Ork had volunteered and passed the review. Today was the day he had to report in.
He would follow the disaster-relief engineering team to the disaster zone and would not return to Oms until the catastrophe was over.
Of course, during that time, the Group had a duty to care for the volunteers’ families and provide generous compensation. The Imperium would also grant them corresponding honors.
That was why volunteers had been extremely eager to sign up.
"Of course I knew you would sign up. You’ve always been like this."
Marianne muttered as she lowered her head and cleared away the dishes. Without looking back, she entered the kitchen, clearly not in a good mood.
She was unhappy that her husband had kept it from her, and even more unhappy that he was leaving her just like this to go to such a dangerous place.
Ork followed her and hugged his wife, guilt in his voice.
"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hidden it from you. I just didn’t know how to tell you.
"You know His Majesty the Savior is fighting against the black disaster. He brought everything to Oms. We have to stand up too.
"No one can stay out of this. I have to go. That is my duty as a model worker. I cannot fail the great Savior’s grace."
Everyone knew what His Majesty the Savior had brought to Charadon.
This place had once been trapped deep in war, ravaged by Chaos and xenos, and the Savior had saved this planet.
He had destroyed the terrifying Greater Daemon Be’lakor, known as the chosen of all Four Gods, driven out the xenos, and ended the war.
The radiance of the Savior, Emperor of the Imperium, had shone upon Charadon, allowing it to prosper and develop.
He had also been the one to choose Oms, making it an important pilot world for reconstruction under the great Charadon development plan and pouring vast resources into it.
It was precisely because of this that descendants of refugees like them had the chance to live the lives they now had.
People dared not forget any of this, nor did they want to lose it.
Ork took a deep breath and tried to comfort her.
"Don’t worry, dear. We’re only going to assist the engineering team with equipment adjustment tasks. There won’t be too much danger.
"I’ll come back as soon as the mission is over. I’ll definitely come back and spend Victory Day with you."
Marianne was silent for a while. Then she suddenly covered her mouth and began sobbing.
"Ork, do you know? The Sophin finches in the Fourteenth District all flew away. They all left..."
The residents of that district had been the first batch of volunteers sent to the disaster zone. So far, no news had come back.
Clearly, that was not a good thing.
To this lady of the house, the departure of the Sophin finches was undoubtedly an omen of misfortune. The lives of many people in the Fourteenth District were about to collapse.
Now her own husband was going to that terrifying disaster zone, where he would face an unknown fate.
She was very afraid.
Ork’s eyes reddened slightly. He had indeed hidden some things.
Those black-tide disaster zones were simply hell on earth, more terrifying than any Chaos invasion.
Many engineering teams had been completely swallowed when they pushed deep into the black tide, yet new engineering teams still charged forward one after another.
Unless the black tide ended, the Imperium’s disaster-relief engineering fleets would continue filling the gap batch after batch until final victory was won and the disaster zones were rebuilt.
His emotions stirred.
"I have to go. There’s no room to discuss it. I... I’ve seen what the disaster zones look like.
"I don’t dare imagine what you and the children would suffer if that hateful black tide reached this place.
"I have to take the initiative and stop all of this. I have to protect you. We can’t just sit here and watch disaster descend on us..."
For the Imperium’s devout citizens, defending their homes and caring for their families were duties that everyone had to bear. Even His Majesty the Savior was on the most dangerous front line.
How could they retreat?
Ork spoke with his wife for a long time. In the end, Marianne accepted it. She could only accept it.
Marianne wiped away her tears and tried to make herself strong. She, too, had to shoulder her own responsibilities.
She stared at her husband, her tone firm.
"Savior above, you don’t need to worry about things at home. I’ll take care of the children. I’ll handle everything."
"And... I’ll go feed the Sophin finches every day. I’ll feed them the best beans until you come back.
"I won’t let them fly away from the Thirteenth District. I absolutely won’t!"
That was what Marianne said.
Very soon, Ork put on his work uniform, shouldered a simple pack, and prepared to depart. He told the children he was going to work in a new trade zone.
When he came back, he would bring them lots of delicious things, just like before.
This model worker finally left to the cheerful singing of his children. It was a song taught in kindergarten, one that praised nameless heroes.
It was just that, for the moment, the children did not quite understand what it meant.
...
Not long after, Ork boarded the space elevator and headed to the port of his residential district.
A transport ship was already waiting there. One Oms volunteer after another silently boarded the cabin.
There was no time now to hold a farewell ceremony. They had to reach the relevant region as quickly as possible.
Before long, the transport ship arrived at the route hub—an enormous voidport.
"Savior..."
Ork raised his head and could not help gasping in awe.
In his field of view, the Imperial disaster-relief fleet spread in dense ranks all the way into the endless distance, blotting out the stars.
Kilometer-long banners and honor flags hung in the void.
"United as one, with one will and one heart!"
"The Savior watches over us! We are his hands and his shield!"
"Resist the black tide! Fight to the final moment!"
Countless people were shouting. Their voices surged like a tide, their slogans rolling like thunder. They poured from the portholes of transport ships, from the hatches of engineering craft, and from the temporary orbital camps where they had gathered, merging into a burning wave of sound.
People had gathered from every region and thrown themselves into this anti-black-tide disaster-relief campaign to save their homes.
They were so resolute.
Ork felt a vast, blazing momentum—almost like faith itself—rush toward him.
His blood began to boil.
(End of Chapter)
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