The servants on the lower deck primarily rely on religion to fulfill their spiritual needs.
The accompanying ship priests who occasionally descend to the lower level spread the faith in The Emperor through their preaching and enthusiastically praise the great deeds of the Interstellar Warriors, known as Emperor Angels.
And these legends naturally are the most attractive to the youngsters.
The admiration for Interstellar Warriors is quite strong among the people.
Not just Russell, most of the young people conscripted this time are extremely excited and looking forward to possibly becoming Phoenix recruits.
Russell is quite satisfied with the spiritual attitude of the youngsters. But what he is not satisfied with is their physical condition.