Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 454 The Inquiry of the Judge
Almost simultaneously, Figesina's brow, hidden behind the helmet visor, furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his fingers, which were lightly resting on the handle of the explosive pistol at his waist, tightened slightly.

Chen Xi took in all of this.

Instead of reprimanding the guard, he took two steps forward, closer to Sister Figesin, his voice low yet clear as if discussing a matter: "Your vigilance, Sister Figesin, is an indispensable pillar of this sector."

He paused briefly, his gaze becoming as deep and unfathomable as a still pool.

“But we must always remember the nature of this policy.” He raised his hand and pointed to the cowering figures below, bearing the scars of mutation: “They are not our enemies at this moment.”

Figesin stood silently, his body as straight as a gun, only the subtle ripples behind his eyepiece revealing the turmoil in his heart.

Chen Xi continued, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable weight, like a mentor instructing a student: "Sister Figsin, they are first and foremost citizens of the Empire."

This is something that cannot be changed, no matter what misfortunes they bear or what shadows they are shrouded in.

Their blood still flows with the roots of humanity.

His gaze swept down, carrying a deep sense of contemplation.

“You must see that every hand that can work for the Empire, every mind that can understand basic order and basic needs—no matter how simple—is a precious and irreplaceable resource for the Rostov sector.”

Excessive fear and oppression, Figesin, will only produce two results: either hasten their descent into chaos, or… allow their spirits to wither completely in despair, leaving them useless shells. He sighed softly, his voice carrying a heavy sincerity: “Wasting life is to gradually erode the very foundation upon which we stand.”

His gaze was fixed on Figshin's eyes, with a gentle yet penetrating scrutiny: "Our duty, Figshin, is to guide them onto the right path, not merely to deter them from acting rashly."

The glory of the imperial state religion needs to shine in every corner, but how this light is received requires wisdom.

A tough approach is the framework, essential, but above that framework, there also needs to be guiding flesh and the skin of hope.

Try to feel their fear, even if it's just the most superficial level.

Beyond the cold, hard rules, a touch of... the emperor's compassionate warmth for all his lost subjects is also needed.

His voice carried an inspiring inquiry: "Imagine if, in the deepest darkness, they felt not only the chill of the bombs, but also a trace of care from their 'fellow humans' that conformed to the Imperial doctrine, perhaps that small difference could build a dam on the edge of the abyss of despair?"

Chen Xi's gaze finally settled gently on the twin pistols at Figesen's waist, and her tone turned into a heartfelt reminder: "Keep your vigilance, Sister. There's nothing wrong with that; it's a necessary shield to protect purity."

But it must be remembered: the Empire's punishments, especially burning at the stake and the purifying flames, should only be directed at unmistakable traitors and heretics.

He paused for a moment, then spoke clearly and firmly: "When suspicion is unclear and evidence is insufficient, abusing punishment will not only fail to purify the situation, but will also create injustice and panic, shake people's morale, and may even push the confused to the real enemy."

His voice carried a profound warning.

“However,” his tone suddenly turned somber, taking on a cold, resolute quality befitting a judge, “once the fact of heresy is branded as clearly as a mark, the crime of traitor is indisputable, leaving no room for evasion…”

He looked directly at Figsin and said, word by word, "...then the final purification must be carried out with thunderous force! Without the slightest hesitation, without the slightest mercy! This is the ironclad rule for maintaining the sacred order of the Empire!" Finally, his words returned to a gentle tone with a sense of entrustment: "Distinguish between these two—use punishment cautiously when suspicion is unclear, and purify decisively when the evidence is conclusive—Figsin, this is the wisdom and authority bestowed upon you by His Holy Majesty, and it is also my deepest expectation of you as the judge and the governor of this place."

The moment Chen Xi finished speaking, the air in Sector D-7 seemed to freeze for a moment, heavy and quiet.

Only the low, sigh-like hum emanating from deep within the ventilation ducts, and the faint, whispering crackling of cheap fuel burning in the distance, echoed in this space.

Figueir stood motionless, like a statue cast in steel.

Although her face remained expressionless, her right hand, covered by a terracotta glove, was gripping the handle of the explosive gun called "Fiona" behind her with unusual force.

The knuckles were taut and their raised outlines were clearly visible under the hard protective gloves.

Chen Xi's gentle yet weighty words, especially the core principles of "wasting life weakens the foundation" and "use punishment cautiously when suspicion is unclear, and resolutely purify when the evidence is conclusive," were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples in her deeply ingrained belief—that all mutations are sources of pollution that must be purified immediately.

Just then, a soft, childlike sucking sound came from the direction of the distribution point, breaking the heavy silence.

Figsin's gaze was unconsciously drawn to the faint sound.

At the edge of the line, a little girl, about four or five years old, was being held tightly in her mother's arms. She was clutching a piece of "Holy Radiance Candy" that she had just received, which was printed with a simple double-headed eagle, in her small hand covered with tiny gray-green scales.

These slightly bitter sugar cubes, made from cheap syrup and starch, were used by the state religion as a symbolic atonement to appease the lower classes.

The little girl seemed to have forgotten the fear and cold around her, and was focused and cherishingly licking the rough candy with her tongue, her dirty little face blooming with a pure, childlike smile of satisfaction.

The small hand, clutching a cheap candy and covered in mutated scales, clashed violently with the words "citizens of the empire," "precious resources," and "human warmth" that Chen Xi spoke of.

Figesin's gaze lingered on the child for far longer than was necessary to examine any potential threat.

Inside the helmet, her breathing seemed to pause for a moment.

Chen Xi's abstract admonitions have now transformed into the image of this mutated child in the abyss of despair, who temporarily forgets his suffering because of a piece of insignificant, coarse candy.

An unprecedented, complex, and unfamiliar thrill, like a faint warmth seeping into the cracks of a cold deck, pried open an almost imperceptible crack in her steely will.

She still gripped Fiona's gun handle tightly—a symbol of her oath, a source of her vigilance and strength—but for the first time, her gaze, truly scrutinizing rather than purely hostile, fell upon the smallest and most vulnerable of these "imperial outcasts."

Chen Xi didn't say anything more, just stood there quietly, her gaze also fixed on the child licking the candy.

His deep eyes reflected the dim, flickering lights of Sector D-7, and a profound, indescribable solemnity.

Whether the seeds of admonition he sowed can take root and sprout in this cold soil composed of fear, steel, and mutation can only be revealed by time and the test of the future.

(End of this chapter)