Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 230 - 052. Elf Island

Chapter 230: 052. Elf Island

Elf Island’s guards checked the cells every ten minutes. Each criminal was housed in a separate cell, and they were moved to different rooms every few days to prevent the prisoners from uniting and organizing a mass escape.

All enemies opposed to His Excellency the President and extremely dangerous Transcendent criminals were detained here. Not a single person had successfully escaped in a decade. Helicopters occasionally circled overhead, and even during prisoner labor and yard time, the stationed Air Force would fly low in bomb-laden fighter jets, delivering a terrifying auditory and visual shock with their deafening sonic booms.

However, compared to the Air Force, an even more direct deterrence came from the prison guards here.

The prison guards were all selected from Third Rule operatives, utterly loyal to Frost Plated and the President. They accepted no form of bribery, had undergone chemical surgery to erase personal emotions, and each had reached the Alpha Stage in strength. The Warden himself was a Gamma Phase powerhouse—’Zero Point’ Froster.

Of course, many political prisoners detained here had vast influence and wealth, so President Madeleine dared not liquidate them in one go.

A prison guard clad in the most advanced Exoskeleton Armor approached cell number 92, knocked on the door, and delivered a newspaper:

"092, David Lyn, here’s the book you requested."

"Thank you."

David Lyn’s voice was gentle, and he was a well-built middle-aged man with a handsome, dignified face. If one only looked at his face, he didn’t seem much like a soldier but rather like a singer with an operatic background. Even while in prison, he maintained the habit of reading and studying, keeping himself updated with political news.

He took the newspaper and sat down on the bed. His gold-green eyes flitted across the page, and with his strong reading ability, he took in lines at a time, rapidly gaining a clear and objective understanding of the international situation.

"The interest rate hike period for the Red Arrow Empire has arrived. Fortunately, Frost Plated has some foreign exchange reserves, but why fix the prices? Is Madeleine aiming to stabilize public sentiment by striking at the colonies and overspending their resources in the short term?"

"The internal conflicts in Sky Ring Country have intensified, forcing them to divert attention through war. Their goal is to use Triangle Town as a springboard, then turn to attack Frost Plated. A war between the two countries is inevitable."

"Three of the Four Nations have announced their recognition of the Grante Republic’s government... The Duke of Grante was killed by Li Aozi."

David Lyn put down the newspaper and fell into deep thought.

There were many significant international events recently, but he could clearly discern that behind these events was the shadow of one man.

"Li Aozi, why is it always this Li Aozi."

David Lyn knew about Mingji Humanity. Local reports on Li Aozi in Frost Plated were scarce, only bitterly cursing him as a national traitor.

David Lyn thought differently.

The experiments of Mingji Humanity were not designed to fulfill the health and prosperity of the population but were purely a distorted product of Madeleine’s delusion of a ’female-dominated nation.’ Only women possessing Arcane Energy expanded the difficulty of law enforcement and only served to deepen the enmity between already divided citizens, detrimental to both national production and society.

There was no humanity in Mingji Humanity, David Lyn knew this from the start. But trapped as he was, he was powerless to do anything. If Li Aozi could remove this cancer, of course, it was a good thing.

At the time, he simply thought Li Aozi was a courageous yet limited man.

But now, David Lyn’s view of Li Aozi was more appreciative.

Helping Grante attain independence, what did that imply?

Grante was Frost Plated’s breadbasket, surrounded on all sides by satellite states, allies, and colonies of Frost Plated, with no industrial base of its own.

Undoubtedly, this was a severe blow to Frost Plated’s interests. As a pure Frost Plated person, David Lyn naturally could not be pleased with this outcome.

However, it did not prevent him from admiring Li Aozi himself.

A vocational graduate who decisively left his homeland to develop in the Outer World and in turn freed oppressed people and struck at organizations that were a scourge to humanity—if such acts were not to be called heroic, David Lyn doubted there were many heroes in the history of Azure Star.

"Li Aozi, this guy is really extraordinary," David Lyn thought, feeling somewhat sad. "The talents our country cultivates either become the backbone of other nations or parasites; or, like Li Aozi, they flee their homeland. If the Twin Queens were alive to see Frost Plated become like this, they would surely be devastated."

Even before Madeleine took office, at least a hundred years ago, Frost Plated was already like this.

Originally, women, who were bestowed with the significance of progress, tolerance, and compassion, suddenly became a symbol for politicians to curry favor with voters. They kept clamoring for better rights and higher status for women, using the media to sensationalize the original sin of men. During President Madeleine’s time in office, this reached its peak.

In David Lyn’s view, this completely betrayed the founding belief of Frost Plated Country that ’women are the embodiment of bravery and intelligence’.

President Madeleine and her ilk not only failed to make progress but instead imposed the persecution of women from the patriarchal society onto men instead. That was all.

David Lyn simply couldn’t understand why male soldiers, who were bleeding and sacrificing alongside women on the battlefield and even suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in greater numbers, had to endure repeated humiliation when they returned to their homeland.

Frost Plated Country has always been promoting independent women, which is certainly good. David Lyn enjoyed working with patient and meticulous women. Everyone was a worker, yet people insisted on distinguishing between high and low, noble and deplorable.

But if Frost Plated Country’s society could truly guarantee women’s rights, then what was the purpose of having the Fourth Rule Agency?

If the Fourth Rule was truly effective, then why has domestic violence not stopped?

If it’s said that Frost Plated Women are truly independent, then why does marriage and family still exist?

If it’s said that women hold a high status, then why are there still female figures among the poor in the relief stations?

"Our country is not one that is friendly to women, it’s just a country that serves a minority of women and an even smaller minority of men."

This was David Lyn’s verdict.

In terms of personality, David Lyn was a very simple and mild person, although he had killed quite a few Sky Ring Ghosts, he has always had a simple and kind filter towards the citizens of his own country. This was because he was adopted by the military as an orphan, and without parents, he regarded the nation as the direct nurturer that raised him.

David Lyn firmly believed that the citizens of Frost Plated Country were always the best, the kindest, and that everyone deserved better education and living standards. As a staunch nationalist, David Lyn was even reluctant to openly arrest President Madeleine, who regarded herself as an enemy and was directly captured and brought here.

After all, as a child of Frost Plated People, she should always consider the nation’s interests and the benefits of Frost Plated People in everything.

In prison, he repeatedly read some philosophical books, even the woman’s economy advocated by Madeleine, hoping to understand the other party. He believed that Madeleine, after all, was the President elected by the people and should at least represent the expectations of part of the nation.

Later, when he fully understood Madeleine’s advocacy and thoughts, he completely gave up this illusion.

Madeleine was a madwoman.

David Lyn simply could not believe that someone who could shamelessly say in her autobiography, "It doesn’t matter how many men die, there are plenty of men from the Outer World and colonies who want to come." — Someone who could utter such anti-humanitarian remarks was no different from a terrorist.

Yes, it doesn’t matter how many men die, but what about boys? Male infants? The elderly? Aren’t they human beings?

If all the men in the entire country died out, and people from the Outer World or even from abroad came to Frost Plated Country to freely reproduce with the women — how is that different from being defeated and colonized by foreigners?

Does Madeleine think that as long as they are foreign men, they are acceptable?

Madeleine had lost her mind. In her view, the whole world had no nations, no countries, only men and women, and only by eliminating men could women save themselves.

Perhaps in the future, when technology has advanced, such thinking might be understandable, but what era is it now, on what planet does she think she lives?

On Azure Star, where people can’t even see the sun, can’t even fly into space.

David Lyn completely gave up the last shred of sympathy for Madeleine. To her, Frost Plated Country was not her homeland, but just a tool for her to realize her own world of women.

This was something David Lyn could not tolerate; he could not bear to see someone taking the country he loved and using it as a tool and weapon.

"At this point, there’s only one way to save our beautiful homeland, and that’s to fight."

David Lyn’s gaze fell upon the photograph of Li Aozi on the front page headline:

"Li Aozi, although I’m very reluctant that you have taken the colonies, if we are to topple Madeleine, we might truly need you."