The Emperor’s Angel of Death

The woman's cries were like needles pricking at Sorkhyan's heart, also making the surrounding well-dressed representatives restless, wanting to say something, but not daring to open their mouths.

After a long while, Sorkhyan looked at her, at those eyes soaked with despair and sorrow, and nodded.

"I believe you, I believe everything I have heard and seen."

As he spoke, he extended his hand.

"What is your name?"

"My... my name is Melia."

"Ms. Melia, I am very grateful that you brought all of this to me today. Please, stand up."

After a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand on Sorkhyan's gauntlet, and they both stood up.

"Your school is located in a factory, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. It primarily serves the children of the managers and overseers in the nearby factories."

"How did you come to know these children?"

"One day, after finishing my evening class, I was packing up when I noticed a child peering through the window. I went over and learned his name was Asnar. He was only six years old at the time, and he wore a slave collar around his neck. He was very curious about the things on the blackboard. I let him into the classroom, and after asking, I learned he was an orphan. Both of his parents died in a factory accident when he was six. He had an uncle, but he only adopted him for a month before selling him to the factory. He said he wanted to learn to write. I asked him why, and Asnar said he wanted to write a letter to his uncle, asking him to take him away, even if it meant scavenging for garbage in the underhive."

"So you teach them without compensation?"

"Yes."

"Does your family support this?"

Melia was silent for a moment after hearing this, then quietly replied:

"My husband thinks I'm wasting my time, but... but after he gets off work, even though he's very tired, he always tries his best to find food for the children."

"Do you have children?"

Melia nodded.

"Two boys, one eight years old, one nine years old."

After hearing this, Sorkhyan tilted his head slightly, turned, and walked up the steps.

When he arrived before the magnificent marble throne, he suddenly drew the sword from his waist and, amidst the trembling of the crowd, cleaved it in two.

Then he turned to face Houma.

"Go, do what you want to do."

Houma nodded, returned the photos to Melia, and strode out of the reception hall.

"The rest of you, go back for now. Ms. Melia, please stay for a moment."

After the five trembling representatives left, Sorkhyan immediately summoned the leaders and managers from all aspects of the hive, and had Melia read the letter in front of everyone, including the Governor—

The Governor's face was pale throughout the entire process, his forehead covered in fine sweat, and he repeatedly looked as if he wanted to defend himself but didn't dare.

But Sorkhyan was too lazy to listen to any defense. He was waiting for someone.

A few minutes after Melia finished reading the letter, Houma, who had left, returned to the reception hall, but he was carrying a woven bag commonly found in factories.

When he threw the bag on the ground, all the dignitaries present were startled and screamed.

Inside were fifty-odd bloody heads, some still connected to spines.

These heads came from Asnar's factory, including all the managers, from the factory director to the supervisors.

Many people finally had a clearer understanding of Sorkhyan for the first time. This seemingly "gentle" Chapter Master was still, at his core, an Astartes, an Astartes who possessed absolute power of life and death in the Imperium, who could dominate the fate of most people, an angel representing war and death. They usually chose the most direct way to solve problems.

Afterward, Sorkhyan told the Lord Marshal to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of all factories, businesses, and production lines in the hive. All factory owners who used child labor under the age of 7 or child slaves under the age of 12, regardless of their background, were to be arrested, held accountable, and imprisoned. If a factory had more than ten deaths of underage child laborers or more than twenty injuries to child laborers, the factory owner would be sentenced to hard labor for life, along with the supervisors and workshop foremen, and all property and factory ownership would be confiscated.

In addition, all orphanages and welfare institutions were to be raided. If any records of child trafficking were found, the person in charge would be executed on the spot. At the same time, all pornographic entertainment venues were to be raided. If child prostitutes were found, all persons in charge, managers, and thugs of the venue would be executed, and the owner's family would also be sentenced to hard labor.

At the same time, Sorkhyan, in his capacity as the Governor-General of the Naisen system, promulgated several temporary regulations—

Any factory, institution, or enterprise was prohibited from using child slaves under the age of 16 for any reason. If found, the Department of Justice could directly execute them, confiscate all property, and sentence their families to hard labor. If supervisors, foremen, etc., knew about it and did not report it, they would also be sentenced to hard labor.

Any factory, institution, or enterprise was prohibited from using child labor under the age of 12 for any reason. If found, half of the factory's annual income would be fined. If supervisors, foremen, etc., knew about it and did not report it, they would be sentenced to hard labor.

Any transaction involving the ownership of a child's person was prohibited. If found, both the buyer and seller would be sentenced to a Class Three felony.

Any crime involving physical harm, inducement, or sexual assault against children would be sentenced to a Class Four felony, usually resulting in a frontal lobotomy and conversion into a servitor.

Working hours for child laborers under the age of 16 must not exceed 6 hours, and compensation must be maintained at the original level. If violated, a fine of 100 times the individual compensation standard would be imposed for each child laborer.

If a child laborer under the age of 16 died in a work-related accident, the supervisor and direct manager would be handed over to the Department of Justice for sentencing on charges of dereliction of duty, and the factory owner would have to compensate the child laborer's parents. If a child laborer was injured in a work-related accident, they must be provided with medical treatment, and if they were disabled, they must be provided with prosthetic installation services and compensation for a series of losses. If a child laborer died due to delayed treatment, all managers would be handed over to the Department of Justice for sentencing on charges of dereliction of duty.

These were just temporary drafts. Sorkhyan ordered the magistrates of the Department of Justice to immediately formulate a complete set of laws to protect the rights and interests of children and child laborers. The only requirement was that the penalties be more severe than those for adults.

After announcing these measures, many people euphemistically advised Sorkhyan that the scope of the crackdown was too broad and that it might affect tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of people. Even the Lord Marshal believed that these measures might be too hasty and too fast, and that some of the penalties could not be based on Imperial law.

But Sorkhyan told them that this was a campaign-style enforcement, and he very bluntly told everyone—

"If anyone thinks the scope of the crackdown is too broad, then I can tell everyone one thing: the Great Emperor eliminated nearly one-tenth of the population of Terra during the unification of Terra! And this was the price to be paid to save humanity and shape the Imperium! Since the Emperor has this determination, then I, as His messenger, also have the same determination! In order to transform Naisen Five, in order to give everyone a bright future, in order to prevent more similar tragedies, I am willing to be a butcher. Don't talk about affecting forty million, even if it's four hundred million, four billion people, I still have the same determination! What everyone has to do is try to avoid becoming one of them. Remember, everyone, including those of you present!"