The sages sent by Angustorm were stationed in an almost abandoned factory area. It was obvious that the Red Pirates did not treat the original facilities on the planet well, but they did not destroy them too much. The most urgent task was to restore their production capacity, because the logistics lines of the Expeditionary Force were shifting further directions, and the forces on this planet must be "self-sufficient" as soon as possible.
Although the war zone had strict traffic control, the identity of Alni's regiment allowed him to enter and exit most areas freely, so when his armored vehicle arrived at the factory, he was not hindered along the way.
It is said to be a factory area, but because reconstruction requires a lot of manpower and material resources, a small city has been formed. Various shacks and dilapidated houses spread outside towering chimneys like leeches. Dirty slave workers wearing metal collars trek through the narrow streets, their skins are covered with oil and pass by scribes, servants and priests of the mechanics.
Most of the slave laborers here are surrendered prisoners, and those who await them are the last time they atone for the emperor with their fragile lives.
Of course, there are also "ordinary people" living here. Most of them are low-level technicians or affiliated personnel serving mechanical education, and even small merchants, as well as priests representing the state education.
The state priests in ornate silk walked past the stall surrounded by slaves and servants. They sang chants sparsely, trying to attract the attention of the crowd. The skulls of private clothes hovered over their heads and whispered wildly.
"The people from the state religion are here too?"
Arni noticed the national education team outside the car window, and Suhrab beside him nodded.
"This planet needs more population to develop in the future. The National Church has organized many jihadists this time, and they are the main force in the future colonization and regaining the world."
"Ha, the National Church probably just wants to divide one more piece of the big cake after the war."
Arni sneered. No one knew better about the quality of these state priests and so-called state culprits. They pretended to be simpler than the other, but lived more than the other. He knew that there were more than thirty illegitimate children in a "respected" bishop alone.
At this time, Suhrab also laughed and said:
"By the way, young master, the Werner family members are here, and they can also contribute to this operation."
Hearing the name of his future marriage family, Alni frowned.
"They? What do they do? They will only cause trouble."
"Hey, I can't say that. What we need most this plan is the military strength. Their crazy believers may not have enough combat power, but they are definitely enough. And... Master, your fiancée, Danica, is here too."
Alni's brows were locked tighter.
"What did she do?"
"Look at you, you are her future husband, isn't this a matter of course?"
Alni curled his lips and said nothing, but when he recalled the other person's face, he was vaguely expecting it. After all, he hadn't seen a serious woman for a long time.
The armored vehicles moved forward without slowing down. The splashes of water splashed on the slave workers when they passed by the puddles, but they didn't even have the strength to be angry. They just glanced numbly and continued to walk under the urging of the whipkeeper.
Soon, they arrived outside the factory owner's door. The driver parked the car and opened the rear hatch. Arni and his entourage got out of the car. They were each wearing breathing masks. The mechanical teachings' disregard for environmental safety is well known. They were used to the clean air on the nest and were very resistant to most toxic gases.
There were fewer people here, and the stupid servants paced back and forth, carrying fuel buckets, or dragging huge tool boxes with their hydraulic robotic arms.
One or two of the servants were equipped with bionic electronic eyes, and when the light began to dim, they stood out like shining gems.
Then, the heavy factory gate opened, and Alni felt a chill as soon as he stepped into the threshold. The air conditioner surrounded the place and subconsciously made him wrap his military coat tightly.
"Captain Arni, welcome."
A male mechanical priest with little transformation came over, and a servo skull floated above his shoulders.
"My name is Lux-13, and I am the second-order attendant of the Sage of Phipatrick."
"Hello, Father Lux-13, I have something to talk to the sage."
"The Sage is checking the progress in the machine servant manufacturing workshop, please come with me."
Following the priest along the way, Alni discovered that they needed to go through a food processing workshop first.
If it weren't for those termite boring machines, he wouldn't have been willing to set foot in this dirty environment. This place was so dirty that it didn't look like a place where food could be produced. There was a thick layer of oil dirt on the walls and floors. The porters were dull in their eyes to pack the produced food, most of which were corpse starch and ration sticks.
And these things were transported from several noisy huge machines, rows of raw materials were put into the machine, and then they were made into the most boring protein food for the Astral Army with technology he did not understand.
But that's not all.
Alni tried his best to prevent himself from watching the process, but he could still see the servant who was throwing a large number of corpses into the meat grinder.
Those corpses of ordinary humans are simply ordinary people, and some of them have scars hit by laser guns, but most of them appear to be destroyed mobs.
Suddenly, Alni felt something he stepped on, and he stopped and looked down, in the black stain.
At first he thought it was just a piece of metal, but then he realized that it was a wing made of black iron, a sky eagle emblem divided into two, with its style and size as the most common type in the Astral Army.
Because he suddenly stopped, the priest who led the way turned his head and his light green mechanical prosthetic eyes stared at him.
"Is there anything wrong, Captain Arni."
Alni's heart was pounding, trying his best to restrain the urge to vomit, but he restrained it and moved his feet away.
"It's okay, keep going..."
Then they passed through the food processing plant and came to a deeper facility where the light was very dim, only the illumination balls in the sockets of the servo skull shone in the darkness and flashed with despair in the cold.
Compared to before, the place is much cleaner, and military boots creak while walking on smooth floors.
After entering here, the servo skulls also began to play binary hymns in a loop.
Although Alni just felt a little harsh.
The servant was not unfamiliar to him, but he had never thought or seen how the living machinery that obeyed the instructions was made.
The overall structure of this place is very large. The main body is made of cut rocks. The walls and columns are dark gray, and the top is covered with frost that shows that the temperature in this place is very, very low.
"A Throne!"
Chapter completed!