The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Standard Terra Calendar, 989.M41, Tempest Sector, Saint Caspalen Diocese, Sixth War Zone, Giovanni System.

After taking over the Arch-Diocese, in order to better deploy defenses and command, Ustad imitated the pattern of Soshyan in the Great Whirlpool Expedition, cutting the front of the Arch-Diocese into several war zones. Each war zone was set up with a war zone commander, who was either a company commander of the Astral Knights or the White Templars. This ensured that his will as the Legion Governor could be carried out. After presiding over military and political affairs, Ustad finally realized that deployment and decision-making were actually easy, and the difficulty always lay in execution.

Originally, he had quite a bit of confidence in mortals, but after countless prevarications, delays, and even deceptions, he gradually lost patience with mortals. Therefore, even knowing that dispersing the Astartes would weaken his mobile forces, Ustad was determined to implement the war zone division.

However, Astartes in charge of war zones also needed to use a large number of mortals, and some problems were still unavoidable.

"...Sir, due to the rupture of several main pipelines and damage to some facilities during the last operation at the refinery, the promethium supply for the next quarter is expected to decrease by 14%. Some factories may face the risk of a complete power outage."

In the temporary office, Bakhram listened to the report from the Mechanicus priest. The hall was not luxurious, only containing many communication devices and screens, and a large round table. It used to be an abandoned castle. Bakhram chose this place in order not to disturb the people or occupy other people's property. When he held a meeting in his first month, it happened to be raining. Because the roof had not been completely repaired, everyone could only meet in the leaking hall, but Bakhram didn't care that he was stepping in the mud, and the armor and ornaments on his body were wet.

The Sixth War Zone has jurisdiction over 2 star systems, 14 inhabited planets, and 28 uninhabited planets, with a total population of approximately 7.6 billion. Most of the inhabited planets are relatively backward agricultural worlds and feudal worlds, with only 3 worlds having a certain industrial base. The comprehensive strength ranks relatively low among the several war zones, but the frontal defense pressure is not small. The tendrils of the Tyranids have already stretched into the war zone. Fortunately, Bakhram commanded properly and successfully blocked the Tyranids in the Elgre System.

Subsequently, he formulated the war zone's defense strategy. Bakhram did not blindly promote the militarization of the war zone because the resources that could be provided from the rear were very limited, and most of them needed to be invested in the front line. He understood that a strong fortress needed a strong heart, and the name of this heart was industry.

To fortify an area, it must first be industrialized. This is also the biggest difference between Bakhram and other war zone commanders.

However, this was not easy to do. Although he was given great autonomy, the allocation of resources still had to obey the Legion Governor Ustad of the Cardinal World and the Saint Caspalen Diocese Headquarters he led. According to the requirements of the headquarters, each war zone had to provide a certain amount of war preparation tax for the rear to allocate. Bakhram did not have many resources to use, and the Sixth War Zone itself was weak. Most agricultural worlds were even serfdom societies. The vast majority of tenant farmers and serfs lived below the poverty line. Bakhram had personally visited the people. He took off his armor, put on a tattered robe, disguised himself as a bio-slave of the Mechanicus priest, and came to the broadest and most easily unnoticed bottom layer, witnessing the tragic and difficult lives of the vast majority of people.

The most cruel was the life of the slaves. They were often whipped by slave owners during the day, with ropes around their necks, and locked in dungeons at night with wooden shackles. To prevent them from escaping, the masters would brand the owners' marks on their faces. The Arch-Diocese currently has a very vague attitude towards slavery because Soshyan handed over too many political affairs to Ustad without dealing with them. Ustad had discussed this issue at a legion meeting. Most company commanders felt that internal stability was necessary now to concentrate on fighting the Tyranids. Therefore, they did not choose to completely abolish the slave system like the Nason System or the Bracato System.

In addition, due to the recent wars, many people have become slaves due to debt or other reasons. Even many refugees who fled from the occupied star systems actively sold themselves or their children into slavery because they had no food or clothing. This led to a sharp drop in the price of slaves. Bakhram went to the largest slave market on this planet. It was very lively and prosperous. People were displayed like objects. Some people bought beautiful female slaves and couldn't wait to carry out cruel rapes in dark alleys. Of course, under such cruel oppression, slave riots were common. Many slaves who killed their masters and escaped had nowhere to go, so they could only become bandits and hide in the jungles and mountains. To survive, they could only rob homes and steal.

The situation of serfs was a little better than that of slaves, but only a little bit. They had their own economy and families, but it also meant that they had to bear the most obligations. They not only had to pay very high land taxes, but also had to perform corvée for their lords on a regular weekly basis. Many people lived in semi-buried caves, and the whole family could not put together a complete set of clothes, barely making a living on meager land. But even so, life was difficult to stabilize. Multiple children, famine, harsh taxes, diseases, bandits, and gentry all seriously threatened their fragile lives.

The situation of tenant farmers was a little better, but they still had to pay extremely high land taxes to the landlords. In addition, they also had to pay taxes to the rulers, often not earning a penny throughout the year, and even owing a lot of usury.

After spending half a month visiting hundreds of different families, Bakhram had a bottom line in his mind and began his plan.

First, slavery. He issued several decrees in his capacity as the war zone commander. He did not recklessly abolish slavery, but requisitioned all slaves in the war zone under the pretext of "war preparation needs." Those who were requisitioned would receive a certain percentage of tax reduction. Subsequently, he ordered a ban on private slave and population trading. Only the Mechanicus and the Ecclesiarchy had limited power in this regard.

Then, he introduced the Rent Reduction Law, stipulating that after serfs paid 25% of their output as tax, the remaining 75% of the output should be equally divided with the landlords. Landlords shall not collect land taxes higher than this percentage.

However, this still could not fundamentally solve the problem. Bakhram then turned to the Holy Flame Order and asked them to take the lead in establishing multiple mineral development enterprises and large-scale industrial entities within the war zone. Then, using the shares of these industrial and mining enterprises as bait, he attracted those landlords to exchange land for greater profits. Because the strength and background of the Holy Flame Order guaranteed it, this did not arouse any suspicion, so Bakhram soon gathered a large area of land in his hands.