Warhammer: Starting with Industrial Revolution

At the Spire district atop the hive, the area had been cleaned to near-spotless perfection under Governor Karl's leadership, with the Imperial flag fluttering in the wind, exuding unparalleled majesty.

The planetary defense forces kept watch, and under their watchful eyes, nobles and high-ranking officials entered the arena to welcome the other officials who accompanied the tithe tax collector.

Governor Karl repeatedly confirmed the status of the tithe supplies with Ronin, so nervous that he was almost delirious.

"Governor, please rest assured, everything is ready. Although some ammunition was wasted due to Hiro's disturbance, I have already raised more, so there is no need to worry."

Ronin tried to reassure Governor Karl, but the latter was clearly not as calm as Ronin. "Really? You've checked it all? Should we check it again? The court and the Ministry of Justice will be here this time. If there's any mistake, we'll both be dead on the spot."

"Don't worry," Luo Ning patted him on the shoulder, "I even personally checked the supplies just now, and there's more than enough."

Hearing Ronin's words, Governor Karl, who had been on edge, finally relaxed. "That's good. I'm relieved to hear that."

In fact, Ronin was aware of the situation regarding the tithe supplies. Although he was very nervous and had wasted some in the battle with the Hero Pirates, he eventually managed to replenish them by allocating some from the defense force's inventory.

As long as the cultists hidden at the bottom of the city and the enemies lurking on the periphery don't cause trouble on this important day, everything will be fine.

The only thing that worried him was the chromium vein they had discovered and hidden in the mining area. It could be said to be the key to Luo Ning's turnaround, but at the same time, it was also the biggest factor that could cost them their lives.

After all, concealing a strategic resource like chromium is a serious crime of treason in this world.

While the two were talking, the sky had already quietly darkened.

The massive warships, blotting out the sky, entered the atmosphere, their enormous shadows seemingly engulfing the entire city, and stopped in near-Earth orbit above them.

The imperial corps arrived to collect tithes.

Under Governor Karl's leadership, the nobles and officials held a grand welcoming ceremony.

It must be said that Governor Karl did a much better job than Ronin in this regard; the etiquette cultivated by the nobles from childhood left the imperial tax officials with no faults whatsoever.

Even his oath of loyalty to the human empire, which he shouted, was so powerful and resounding, completely devoid of the panic he had shown just moments before.

The surrendered ammunition proceeded smoothly under the supervision of the legal arbitrator, and the mechanical priest in charge of sampling inspection nodded repeatedly in satisfaction.

The tax officials expressed high praise for Governor Karl. Although Vatos VII had been found to be in arrears in tithes twice in a row, this time they not only successfully paid the outstanding taxes, but also took the initiative to request an additional tax amount from the sector governor, which could be considered as making amends for their mistakes.

However, amidst this peaceful scene, Luo Ning noticed a completely discordant gaze.

A woman scanned everyone present, and as if sensing her icy gaze, Luo Ning noticed her immediately.

Her military uniform was perfectly wrinkle-free, and her exquisitely beautiful face looked dashing against her neat short hair. The gold-rimmed glasses on her face added a unique touch to her overall look.

If it weren't for her icy, aloof face that seemed to imply the whole world owed her a hundred dollars, Luo Ning would be absolutely certain that this woman was exactly to his liking.

However, Luo Ning could not possibly have any ulterior motives, since he knew that this woman was the court representative who had accompanied the tax official.

With a single word from her, she could decide the life or death of the entire Nest City.

Luo Ning only made eye contact with her for a moment before nodding slightly in acknowledgment, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But to his surprise, the judge walked straight through the crowd and headed towards him.

"Are you the Governor's Assistant, Luo Ning?" she asked coldly, while scrutinizing him from head to toe and comparing him to the data panel in her hand.

"It is I. May I ask what instructions Your Honor have?" Luo Ning bowed respectfully, not wanting to offend such a powerful figure.

The other person's cold eyes remained fixed on Luo Ning's face for a long time before continuing:

"According to official records, your planet's output is low, and the yield rate is abysmal. This time, with the payment of the tithe, you not only made up for the arrears of the tithe, but even increased it, and the yield rate has also improved dramatically."

She paused deliberately, her eyes behind her glasses narrowing slightly as she stared coldly into Luo Ning's eyes.

"This is completely abnormal. What have you been up to behind the scenes?"

Faced with a question that would have made most nobles collapse to the ground, Ronin calmly answered:

"To better serve the Empire and bring glory to the Divine Emperor, under the leadership of Governor Karl, the Divine Emperor's loyal servant, we have purged this planet of centuries-old internal strife, indolence, and corruption, ensuring that every rank and every subject in the Nest City can fulfill their duties and sacred obligations to the Empire. Today's productivity and efficiency are vastly different from the past. Thanks to the Divine Emperor's protection, long live the Human Empire!"

Luo Ning spoke with great passion, and he looked exactly like a fanatical believer of the God Emperor.

But the judge opposite her didn't relax her furrowed brows at all; she stared intently at Luo Ning's performance, as if searching for any flaw in him.

"Everyone doing their own job?" She smiled slightly, glancing down at the data panel in her hand. "I happen to have another question for you. According to your report, the local nobleman Baron Hark died in a recent pirate attack. Is this true?"

Unexpectedly, the other party would ask about this, and Luo Ning's heart sank, but he immediately relaxed.

He was ready; he had risked so much to capture Hero alive for this very day.

"That's right. At the time, the pirate gang came with great force, and the Planet Guardians fought bravely and relentlessly. Many officers died on the battlefield before they were able to barely repel the enemy. But when we took stock of the battlefield, we found that Baron Hack had died a violent death. It's such a pity."

Luo Ning was talking nonsense with a straight face, because even if the court wanted to investigate, it wouldn't be able to find any results.

"However, in another battle later, we successfully captured the pirate gang leader, Hiro. If you need it, sir, we can provide the interrogation records."

As he spoke, he pulled up the records from his data panel.

This included their own interrogation, and data extracted directly from Hiro's brain by a data priest sent by Victor at his request, which even bore the signature of Victor, the chief priest of the Mechanic Church.

Of course, a large portion of them have already been tampered with.

She took the data panel, but only scribbled a few times and barely glanced at it.

However, most of their attention was focused on Luo Ning's face, which gave him a huge headache. He couldn't understand what this woman was thinking at all.

At that moment, Ronin noticed that Governor Karl had completed the handover of the tithes, and both parties had signed an official certificate confirming the successful delivery.

He smiled politely at the judge and said slowly, "Does Your Excellency have any other questions? The Governor's Mansion has prepared a welcoming banquet. Your Excellency has traveled a long way and must be tired. If Your Excellency does not mind, please come to the Governor's Mansion and we can eat and talk."

"Okay." The woman nodded surprisingly readily, as if nothing had happened before.

Although somewhat bewildered, Luo Ning still bowed politely, and under his leadership, the team collecting tithes entered the banquet hall of the governor's mansion.