Chapter 43: A Request!

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“Commander, there’s no time to lose. Put on these clothes and evacuate at once!”

As he spoke, Commander Eugen handed over a Zeon military officer’s uniform. The other members of the delegation received identical uniforms, though there was no guarantee they would fit. They had to negotiate among themselves before awkwardly forcing them on.

“Commander Eugen, why can’t we send troops to suppress them by force?” demanded a civilian official who was struggling to breathe because his uniform was too tight.

“There are already so many Zeon civilians outside. Do you want the garrison to come here and massacre them?”

The Minister of Military Administration glared at his subordinate. Their lives were in the hands of these people, yet he still dared to speak in that tone. Couldn’t he see that the minister himself was being as polite as possible?

“What’s wrong with that? Anyone bold enough to surround the Federation delegation is no longer an ordinary mob! The garrison should be deployed. Use tanks, fighter aircraft—no, bring in a Magellan-class battleship and blast them to pieces!”

“That’s enough, First Secretary Humphrey. Be quiet. We’re leaving.”

When they emerged from the building, the Federation military guards outside were lowering the flag. As the Earth Federation flag, which had flown high above them, slowly descended, the crowd outside the estate erupted in a deafening roar. They were celebrating.

And when the convoy drove out through the estate gates, the Zeon civilians surged forward, rushing into the now-unguarded grounds.

The estate gates collapsed with a thunderous crash beneath the weight of the crowd. Countless Zeon civilians poured inside, searching everywhere for traces of the Federation delegation. But the estate had already been emptied. Not only had the delegation fled; even the Zeon police stationed there had departed. Unable to find anyone to attack, the civilians turned their attention to the estate itself.

First, they smashed every window that dated back to the early days of the colony. Then they tore apart the doorframes and decorative furnishings. During the chaos, someone opened a cupboard and revealed the silver tableware stored inside. A frenzied looting began.

The utensils reserved for Federation dignitaries were limited in number. Once they had all been carried away, those who had gained nothing shifted their attention to anything else that looked valuable.

Before long, the clocks, curtains, and even the tablecloths had vanished. The entire estate was stripped bare in an instant. Even the cooking pots in the kitchen were taken, after which the Zeon civilians began prying up the wall tiles and floorboards.

In short, by the time the civilians departed with their spoils, nothing remained. Even the flowers and grass in the courtyard had been dug up and carried away.

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Afterward, someone set fire to the estate, reducing it to ashes.

Towering flames rose into the sky. The Zeon civilians had returned home laden with plunder, and in theory, the matter should have ended there.

In reality, however, the crowd did not disperse after burning the estate. Instead, the rising flames awakened a destructive urge in many of them, releasing the darkness within their hearts. When one man began walking toward the city center, the entire mass of people began to move as well.

That night, Zim City did not sleep. Having tasted success in their assault on the Federation delegation, the Zeon people immediately turned their attention to the Federation merchants and ordinary Federation residents living in Zim City, as well as civilians from Side 2 and Side 5.

These people enjoyed considerably better lives than the average Zeon citizen. In ordinary times, the common people might curse them behind their backs, but now, with a vast crowd numbering in the hundreds of thousands, they intended to do far more than merely curse.

“What are you doing?”

A sleeping Federation merchant stared in stunned disbelief as hundreds of Zeon civilians stormed into his courtyard and began smashing, looting, and setting fire to everything in sight. He tried to stop them, but dozens of people surrounded him and beat him mercilessly. His own employees and the workers he had brought with him were also driven roughly into the courtyard.

Then, from somewhere unknown, a so-called court appeared and declared that these Federation citizens and their Zeon employees were guilty of stealing property belonging to the people of Zeon.

The Federation citizens were seized, beaten, and thrown into the street. The Zeon employees, who had merely wanted to earn a living, were branded traitors and hanged by fanatical Zeon mobs in front of the burning mansion.

Over the course of a single night, the Federation citizens and pro-Federation residents of Zim City suffered a calamity through no fault of their own. Their property was looted, their wives and daughters were assaulted, and their homes were set ablaze.

Several Federation offices, agencies, and even joint ventures in Zim City were attacked as well.

By this point, the situation had passed beyond anyone’s ability to control. The Federation Speaker and the President held a video conference with Federation Military Command through the night. In response to the vicious violence in Zim City, the Federation announced that it would enforce a policy of zero tolerance.

The President even sent Gihren a stern warning, demanding that the Zeon authorities pacify the situation within forty-eight hours. Otherwise, the Federation would intervene personally.

The Federation garrison on Side 3 was then placed on the highest state of combat readiness. Weapons, ammunition, and protective equipment were brought out of storage. Wills and body bags were distributed as well. For a time, the entire Guardian District was enveloped in a grim, murderous atmosphere.

The garrison’s full mobilization was only natural. Zeon’s mobs would not be easy to deal with. Because the Zabi family had frantically expanded the military and conducted widespread reserve training, Zeon could now be considered a nation in arms. Almost every adult male knew how to use a firearm.

The Federation military therefore had no choice but to prepare in earnest.

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In addition, the garrison’s tank units were ordered to deploy.

Within the Guardian District, the only ones not placed on combat readiness were the military police and the cadets who had been forced to remain there after their exercises were canceled.

“Your mission won’t be easy either!”

Commander Eugen summoned John and Macarius to his headquarters.

“Once the combat units depart, the transport ships won’t be able to take you back. You’ll have to remain here and take over the duties of the personnel under my command. But there’s no need to worry too much. Besides you, there are military police and other personnel stationed here. You won’t be in any danger.”

“Understood. Then, Commander, may I ask you to do something?”

“Go ahead. As long as you’re not asking me to bring you Gihren’s head, there’s nothing I can’t do!”

After the rescue mission, Commander Eugen had taken an extraordinary liking to Macarius. When he learned that Macarius intended to serve under his command, he had even thumped his chest and declared that he would hand over the entire tank force to him in the future. So now, he nodded without hesitation.

“Have one platoon from the deploying tank force paint the Red Dragon Team insignia on their vehicles,” Macarius said bluntly.

“What are you preparing for?”

Eugen seemed to suddenly understand something, and his expression changed.

“Our neighbors!”