Supreme Paragon Reborn: Humanity's Rise To Galactic Supremacy-Chapter 224: Zero Tolerance

"You got appointed as the minister of defense?" Ava gasped in awe.

With a sigh, Livia nodded. "Yes, somehow the backlash that Michael managed to create by creating these viral videos spread to such a point that it uncovered a scandal with the last minister. Long story short, I was deemed the most worthy to inherit the position."

"That is certainly better than I expected." Michael nodded in approval. It appeared that he had to extend his thanks to Skylar and Luis once again.

"HAHAHA!" Meanwhile, Richard broke into laughter.

"So effectively we managed to shape the political landscape of a city with half a billion people in less than two Earth days, getting our ally into a key position of power and securing strong influence over how the capital is governed?"

Chuckling to the point he choked, Richard patted Michael on the shoulder.

"Way to go, Boss! Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful to be following your lead!"

Enzo’s eyes sparked in eagerness. "Does that mean you would be able to help us with the investigation of the tunnels?"

Livia didn’t answer immediately, her eyes trailing over mountains of documents.

"Most likely... I haven’t had a chance to dive deep into the capital’s affairs yet, but even from a quick look, it’s clear something’s off. Soldiers are being misdeployed, and there’s been a mysterious disappearance of large sums of credits."

Her eyes darkened, matching her gothic style.

"The corruption that the ex-minister had been running doesn’t end with him but extends down the chain. It’ll take time to root them out and determine their fate. Fortunately the prime minister has given me full authority to handle this as I see fit."

Michael arched an eyebrow. "For the catching part I understand, but how to decide their fate? Isn’t it obvious already?"

Victoria shook her head. "The justice system is complicated, Michael. People like this know how to twist things to their advantage. Livia can’t be reckless, or she might come off as an overly hard ruler if she doesn’t judge them fairly."

"More or less." Livia agreed with Victoria’s assessment.

Turning to Michael, she asked.

"Why do you say it’s obvious? You know how to deal with them?"

"Of course." He said with a blank expression. "Just execute them all."

"..."

"A—All?" Livia asked, taken aback.

"Yes. Let’s not act like they didn’t know what they were doing. Intentionally taking advantage of our system to aid their wealth and status, causing destruction in their wake. These aren’t teenagers or young adults that have made genuine mistakes due to their lack of knowledge. No, they used their fully developed minds and consciously chose to betray humanity."

His tone remained unnervingly calm.

"So it’s better to kill them all."

Richard’s smile widened, remaining silent.

Livia cleared her throat awkwardly. "Still, killing them all can be a bit extreme, don’t you think?"

"Of course, this is just my opinion. Even if I played a minor role in you getting your position, I wouldn’t try to force my views upon anyone." Michael shook his head, adding a second later.

"But just think about it. A child walking back from school only to find its parents have perished, never to return. A mother losing her child never truly getting over her grief, or perhaps... Father watching his wife and child get slaughtered. All because of the corruption at the top of the system. You might try to soothe them, tell them how you have ’punished’ the ones responsible for their misery... But to them that means nothing. They want blood."

He sighed.

"Magmorious is vast, after all. There are bound to be countless similar cases across the capital. Is it not the perfect chance to outright execute those responsible for the populace’s demise? Three birds with one stone. You deal with the corruption in a heartbeat, you make it clear any similar criminals will be treated the same way, reducing the chances of corruption spreading, and you gain the approval of the masses by showing you’re a leader who takes action, not just talks."

To mortal civilians, Michael’s assessment might have sounded overly harsh. However, thanks to his two lives, he knew very well how humans thought. While most didn’t want to admit it, humanity was currently ruled by a dictatorship. A single man, the Emperor, held absolute power and decided what was just.

People such as this shouldn’t be given the benefit of the doubt. By their very nature, they don’t care about anyone’s well-being, placing their own interests even above their race’s prosperity, uncaring if their goals could lead to the demise of their kin.

’One shall not show mercy to cancer. For if it’s not eradicated, it would inevitably spread, killing the whole system and itself in the process.’

Remaining silent, Livia’s eyes fell on the missing reports that were stacked across her office. This was less than 10% of all cases, and they numbered in the thousands.

If the capital’s resources had been distributed better and not stolen, how many kidnappings would have been prevented?

How many people wouldn’t have lost someone dear to them?

Was it really just if the ones that exploited the powerless were given a slap on the wrist while the others suffered?

And finally, if the system allowed such corruption to thrive, wasn’t it time for a change?

"I... will consider your suggestion." Livia met his gaze unfazed. "But that doesn’t mean I will go with your suggestion."

Michael smiled warmly. "That is more than enough for me. This, after all, was just my personal opinion."

The crew weren’t surprised. By now they had seen how merciful and generous Michael could be to unfortunate people, almost like an angel, and how merciless he could get with those that held humanity back for their own self-interests, treating them no differently than the alien races.

From the very beginning until now, he had made sure to make his mindset clear. Never obscuring his intentions, never spinning them into what he wasn’t, and never misleading others.

"Leaving aside the matter of how to deal with the corruption that had been running rampant until now. We need to investigate the illegally dug tunnels and uncover the source of the AIs going rogue and what their goal is." Livia’s back straightened.

"Actually, about that." Michael said, exchanging glances with Robert, before shifting his attention to Ruby, who was wearing a hood over her head.

"Since Robert knows, we might as well show you." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

At that moment Ruby took a step forward, revealing her feline features under the hood.

"..."

Twice in one day, Livia was rendered speechless.