Chapter 1377: Celebration Methods on Other Planets of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance (1)

Valuntisi Star, in the southeast quadrant of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance territory.

This planet was once an agricultural colony of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance, where three hundred million Human slaves farmed on this fertile land, the food they grew feeding the Alien armies.

One year ago, the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance arrived at Valuntisi Star, and the officials of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance were all purged within a week.

Three hundred million Human slaves regained their freedom.

Today is the third anniversary of the founding of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, and Freedom City, the capital of Valuntisi Star, has been bustling since early morning.

Singing, dancing, drinking, basking in the sun.

In the Central Plaza of Freedom City, a simple stage decorated with wildflowers and wheat ears has been set up, made of a few spliced wooden boards and old speakers salvaged from a warehouse.

The music playing from the speakers is the anthem of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, the melody echoing over the plaza.

The area below the stage is packed with people; their skin is tanned dark by the sun, and their hands are calloused, but their faces are full of smiles.

An old man with graying hair stands at the edge of the stage, holding a crude megaphone in his hand, his voice hoarse but powerful.

"Fellow Human compatriots of Valuntisi Star! Three years ago, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance was founded! One year ago, we became free men! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance!"

A thunderous cheer erupts from the plaza.

The old man lowers the megaphone and wipes the corners of his eyes.

His name is Horatius; he was once a slave, and now he is the honorary mayor of Freedom City.

A young woman holding a child pushes her way to the front of the stage, and the child speaks up to ask.

"Mayor Horatius, will the Emperor come here to see us?"

Horatius crouches down and looks at the child.

"Child, the Emperor will not come. The Emperor is very busy; he has to manage the entire Star Alliance. But the Emperor knows we are here; he knows the people of Valuntisi Star are celebrating."

The child blinks.

"How does the Emperor know?"

Horatius points to the sky.

"The Emperor is watching us from the stars."

The child looks up at the sky; although he cannot see the stars during the day, he believes Horatius's words.

Long tables on one side of the plaza are laden with food.

Fresh bread, roasted vegetables, cured meat, fruit, and several large barrels of homemade fruit wine.

A middle-aged woman wearing an apron is slicing bread, her knife moving quickly, the slices of bread even and uniform.

Her name is Clara; a year ago, she worked as a kitchen hand on an Alien farm, cooking for the overseers every day while she herself could only eat leftovers.

Now she has opened her own bakery, and business is incredibly good.

"Clara, today's bread is especially fragrant!"

A man takes the bread from her hand and takes a bite.

Clara smiles.

"Today I used the new wheat! The harvest was good this year, the flour is fresh, so of course it smells good when baked."

The man takes another bite, chewing with satisfaction.

"Delicious! Better than anything I ate a year ago!"

Clara cuts another slice of bread and hands it to him.

"What you ate a year ago, of course it can't compare."

The man takes the bread.

"Let's not talk about things from a year ago. Today is a good day!"

In the center of the plaza, a group of young people are dancing.

A seventeen or eighteen-year-old lad is dancing the most vigorously; his dance steps are not elegant. His name is Titus; a year ago, he was still pushing ore carts in the mines, thin as a rail.

Now he has grown a head taller and is sturdy; he has signed up at the recruitment station of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, wanting to become a soldier for the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance.

"Titus! Do a dance!"

His companions nearby egg him on.

Titus spins around and performs an exaggerated salute.

"Wait until I become a soldier of the Emperor, then I'll dance for you all to see!"

"Aren't you one now?"

Titus pats his chest.

"Not approved yet, but soon!"

The companions burst into laughter.

The laughter drifts across the plaza, reaching the distant wheat fields, the valleys, and the sky.

Aoliyang Star, in the northeast quadrant of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance territory.

This planet was once a mining planet of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance, rich in a rare metal ore that is an important material for manufacturing warship armor.

Five hundred million Human slaves labored in the mines, and dying in the tunnels every day was a common occurrence.

One year ago, the Salamanders Legion of Vulkan liberated Aoliyang Star, and the slaves in the mines saw the sunlight.

Around the mines of Aoliyang Star, there were only simple worker dormitories; a year ago, they were still a Shanty Town, but now they have become simple yet sturdy brick houses.

The central plaza refers to a leveled open space paved with gravel, with several flagpoles stuck around it, flying the flags of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance.

A simple shed has been set up on the open ground, and under the shed are a dozen long tables, on which are placed food made by the miners themselves: coarse grain cakes, salted meat, wild vegetable soup, and homemade inferior wine.

The food is coarse, but there is plenty of it.

A burly, stubble-faced middle-aged man stands in the center of the open ground, holding a bowl of wine in his hand.

His name is Draco; he used to have some prestige among the slaves.

A year ago, Vulkan rescued him from the tunnel, and now he is the miners' representative of Aoliyang Star, responsible for liaising with the procurement department of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance.

"Brothers! Sisters!"

Draco's voice was loud and clear, echoing among the mountains.

"Three years ago today, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance was founded! It is precisely because of the founding of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance three years ago that we can stand here as free people! This bowl of wine, a toast to the Emperor! A toast to the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance! A toast to ourselves! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The miners raised their bowls and drained them in one gulp.

A young miner slammed his bowl onto the table and wiped his mouth.

"Big Brother Draco, does the Emperor know we are here?"

Draco patted him on the shoulder.

"Of course, the Emperor knows everything."

The young miner asked.

"Then why hasn't the Emperor guided us to build a city?"

"Child, we have nothing but ore. The Emperor spends resources where they are needed most; it is not favoritism. Furthermore, although we are miners, our work is more glorious than growing food.

The armor of warships is smelted from our ore, and the weapons of the Space Marines are forged from our ore. Without us, how would the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance fight?

Besides, every time we receive extra material supplies here, and everyone gets a month of annual leave; a city will definitely be built later."

The young miner lowered his head.

Draco patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't think too much; life will only get better."

In the distance, several miners' wives were setting the dining tables.

A woman in her forties straightened her back and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Her name is Sera, and she is now a cook at the miners' canteen.

"Sera, is there enough food for today?"

A woman nearby asked.

Sera looked at the dishes on the table.

"Enough."

The woman smiled.

"It's much better than a year ago; at this time last year, we were lucky just to have something to eat."

Sera said.

"It's different now, praise the Emperor."

The woman sighed.

"If only there were a place to look after the children. The children shouldn't always be running around the mining site."

Sera looked at her.

"There will be. Didn't Lord Perturabo say that a primary school will be built on Aoliyang Star next year?"

The woman's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

Sera nodded.

"Lord Perturabo never lies."

In the distance, children were chasing and playing in the open space; a seven or eight-year-old boy ran after a kite, fell down, got back up, and kept running.

The kite drifted high in the sky, its tail snapping in the wind.