He grinned, confidence radiating from him like a clear aura.
"Noble angel, there is no need to dirty your hands. The rebellion has been put down. Most of the rioters have been eliminated, and a few have been punished."
This is the city's council hall, where landowners and city councilors quarrel and vie for power in this area, and where they lay out all kinds of sinister plots.
Soshyan stood on the high platform where the speaker was, just an arm's length away from West.
The other Space Marines stood behind Soshyan, not as close to West's dais as he was.
All the landowners in the city, including the council members, also gathered here, with hundreds of people in total.
After hearing West's words, Soshyan, who had taken off his helmet, took a deep breath. Perhaps he didn't realize it. At that moment, she was like an extremely irritated lion, and her black hole-like eyes were even more...
It intensified his scowl.
But West still smiled.
"My lord, you don't know that after you left, those thugs tried to start a rebellion in the city again, and the Ministry of Justice sent us a suppression order."
He said this, took out a data pad from behind and handed it to Soshyan.
But the Space Marines still stood there without any movement, and naturally did not pick up the opponent's data pad. This made West feel a little embarrassed on his face, but he quickly covered it up.
As a chapter leader, Soshiyan has only taken over the chapter for a short period of time, but he already has the authority of a superior. When he looks directly at West, everyone can feel his rising anger.
Obviously, the mayor got his position completely wrong.
But soon that won't matter much.
"Our oath."
Soshyan let out an unhappy growl.
"Do you still remember?"
Several people coughed, as if the Astartes had said something scary.
His dissatisfaction suddenly became stronger.
But of all the people present, only Thor could feel how much Soshyan wanted to pick up the bolt gun and end this confusion, but he was still restraining himself. The rules and dogma he had been taught were the last chains on his body.
Once the chains are opened, no one knows what a tragic ending it will be.
"That... I also feel very sorry, but it is my duty to protect the city."
West held his hands in front of his chest, looking pitiful and resigned to death.
"I'm willing to bear any consequences!"
Thor then sneered.
However, in just a few days, he had a good understanding of the current situation of the empire.
For example, the city hall in front of us seems to be exaggeratedly luxurious even for a planetary governor, let alone a miniature city.
Mechanical cherubs decorate the edges of the town hall, carrying sacred flags declaring the state religion.
These accelerated-growing cloned babies fly with antigravity wings made of white iron, and when they're not singing, they just talk and giggle to each other in monosyllabic hums.
They were used by those who were obsessed with worthless decoration, and Saul was sure that the production of such things in his day was undoubtedly a sacrilegious and abominable waste of resources.
Is the human body used to produce these soulless replicas of living creatures?
Obviously not, and it shouldn't be.
A guard of honor composed of marble sculptures lined up in the center of the red carpet, each one a complete representation of a useless division commander from past generations.
This is a pile of false authority engraved on stone, looking down at the assembled lawmakers with a proud and complacent expression.
The decorated armrests of the speaker's chair are connected to the curved back of the chair, and the entire chair body sits heavily on twelve pegs.
For a moment, Thor wondered what kind of mind could find such a thing beautiful.
To him it looked like something flawed and half-processed.
No matter how much gold is added to this ugly structure, it cannot change the fact that this chair is an ugly incarnation of low wealth, guarded by a red ocean of hypocritical men and women.
"Noble angel."
West continued, his silk coat looking baggy with his unexercised body.
For as long as he could remember, Saul had always had a hard time maintaining respect for people who allowed their bodies to become infirm, unable to fight age except with money and reconstructive surgeries - when one could.
The fight against laziness.
A corrupt body is the result of a fragile soul.
"Cut down your pretense."
Soshyan said to him, his voice as cold as ice.
"S-Sir..."
West reluctantly smiled again. It was not that he didn't know that his silly smile angered the other party, but his behavior.
"We are overjoyed by your arrival, and I am sure you have enjoyed your stay here so far? The harvest season is coming soon, the season of praising the great Emperor."
"Do you still remember our oath?"
Soshyan turned firmly to face the entire hall.
"Do you know the consequences of making us break our oath!"
More coughs came, and even West's jaw trembled as he suppressed fear.
But he still held on and humbly whispered:
"All of this is authorized by the Ministry of Justice, and we are only executing orders."
Thor couldn't guess whether this man was pretending to be confident on the outside, or whether he really felt that an official document from the Ministry of Justice could intimidate an Astartes.
"Actually speaking, strictly speaking, it was those traitors and murderers who broke the oath. Your honor, my lord, has not been damaged at all. Absolutely not, and no one will publicize what they saw."
His honey-like voice struck a chord in Thor's mind, reminding him of the speech he had delivered to the assembled crowd.
Regardless of his moral character, there is no doubt that this man is an excellent speaker.
"That's enough, I've heard enough."
Soshyan still had no intention of moving his weapon, but lowered his head slightly and stared at West.
"Repent, and you will die a happier death."
West stopped smiling. The other landowners and councilors still murmured and grunted, but stopped laughing.
"Sir, we have not committed any crime, nor have we violated any imperial laws."
West whispered, but he was no longer humble.
"And officials from the Ministry of Justice will be arriving soon."
This fool - Saul's final evaluation of him in his heart.
His words became the last factor that broke the chains on Soshiyang.
The chapter leader of the Astral Knights, Soshyan Alexei, had an extremely cruel smile on his face that was full of guilt not long ago, and he breathed heavily between his exposed teeth.
"Then no one will walk out of this room alive. In any case, the city council and agricultural federation of Thetis will cease to exist at sunrise."