Landing Port

Gao Yi donned the lavish attire of a Rogue Trader, assisted by the attendants.

Escorted by a phalanx of guards, he stepped onto the bridge once more.

Though the news of the Rogue Trader's death had shocked and unsettled everyone aboard the vessel, the voices opposing Gao Yi's succession were far fainter than anticipated; even if there were any, Veil's hidden iron fist forced them to shout only loyalty!

Gao Yi's performance conquered everyone.

Peril loomed throughout the exploration process, and Warp travel was a matter of life and death—no one would reject a leader who could guide them through alive.

Not to mention that Gao Yi already held the right of inheritance.

Amidst the watchful gazes of the crowd, Gao Yi took his seat upon the captain's throne, while Veil beside him looked out at everyone and spoke.

As the master of the dynasty, I regret to inform you all that the Lord Rogue Trader, Ludwig Mongert, has tragically fallen. He died in battle while defending human dignity and his loyalty to the God-Emperor; may his glorious deeds never fade from the annals of the dynasty.

In accordance with Lord Ludwig's dying wish, and with not a single blood kin aboard this vessel possessing the qualifications to overrule this decision, I solemnly announce, per the Law of Bloodline Succession, that Gao Yi Mongert shall become the rightful heir to the dynasty, the sacred holder of the Trade Warrant, and inherit the title of Rogue Trader.

It was through his valiant combat that we survived until now! Rejoice, everyone, and welcome your new captain!

At Veil's words, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Gao Yi's ears were filled with the praises of others.

Gao Yi then placed his hand upon the Thinker before him, which pricked out a needle to collect and record his biological sample.

Bloodline test passed.

Authorization changed: Gao Yi Mongert.

From this moment on, Gao Yi was the master of this warship, possessing the highest authority.

Congratulations, my captain. The Golden Ram is about to approach Landing Port. The Astropath has already sent a astropathic message to Landing Port, and King of Landing Port Tantos Molos is ready to greet your arrival.

Have the warship dock; the crew needs rest as well. Distribute some Throne Cents to all the soldiers and have them take turns going to Landing Port for shore leave. Their heroic contributions deserve reward. Allocate an extra five days of rations and fuel cells to the shipworkers!

Everyone will remember your mercy!

As the warship slowly drew near Landing Port, Gao Yi gazed through the bridge viewport at this renowned port.

The entire Landing Port was even larger than he had imagined. A glance across the starport revealed numerous fleets docked there: Imperial Navy warships, exploratory fleets of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and, most numerous of all, vessels belonging to Rogue Trader dynasties or massive commercial conglomerates from within the Expansion Zone.

The Imperial Navy protected this place from the encroachments of xenos and other enemies of humanity.

Among them, the most majestic areas were the Court of the Monarch and the Imperial Effigy. Within the Court of the Monarch, the massive throne was inscribed with the great victories the God-Emperor once achieved, and it served as a venue for receiving important figures. The Imperial Effigy, on the other hand, was a colossal God-Emperor Statue where countless humans faithful to the God-Emperor traveled to pray and pay homage.

The Ecclesiarchy, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Imperial Navy all maintained offices here, and the Inquisition possessed a multitude of overt and covert spies hidden within Landing Port.

They hunted down unpardonable heretical acts for the Inquisition; even a Rogue Trader would fare poorly if targeted by these fellows, and quite a few Rogue Trader families had been branded as heretics and utterly purged in the end.

Yet they likewise adhered to the unspoken rules of the Expansion Zone, remaining somewhat more lenient here compared to the Inquisition within Imperial borders, provided one did not touch the crimson thread of Chaos.

Such illicitly permitted commerce was known as the Cold Trade.

Moreover, the vast distances caused the local Ecclesiarchy, Cult, and Inquisition to develop their own distinct traits, yet a unified faith remained: the God-Emperor, while submitting to the leadership of the Imperium.

A saying went in Landing Port: everything had a price within Landing Port, but if one asked for the price, one could not necessarily afford it. This highlighted just how exorbitant the trade profits were here, and nearly any fleet wishing to return to the Imperium from the Expansion Zone would first undergo refitting and rest here.

The massive Golden Ram approached the starport under tow. Many recognized the warship, for there were only a handful of Lunar-class vessels belonging to Rogue Traders.

When they laid eyes on the battle-scarred warship, they were also filled with curiosity as to what this flagship of the Mongert Family had endured.

Gao Yi arrived at the airlock, followed by a throng of soldiers clad in combat suits, with Veil accompanying him in his capacity as master.

Gao Yi had never entertained the notion of concealing equipment like combat suits; sometimes, displaying one's might saved a great deal of trouble.

When the airlock opened, Tantos, the King of Landing Port, came to wait outside the portal accompanied by his own retinue of guards to await Gao Yi's arrival.

Seeing the combat-suited soldiers emerge first filled him with curiosity, yet he maintained his composure, for fortunate souls occasionally acquired lost technologies from some unexplored world.

Yet upon seeing Gao Yi step out, escorted by Veil, his pupils suddenly constricted.

Anyone who managed to attain the position of King of Landing Port was exceptionally shrewd. From Gao Yi's attire and Veil's deferential demeanor, he deduced only one possibility: some massive upheaval had occurred within the Mongert Dynasty. He knew Veil and was well aware of his status, and he had likewise received the previous Rogue Trader, Ludwig, on numerous occasions.

Gao Yi looked upon the man before him without displaying a shred of timidity. Grand as the title of King of Landing Port sounded, the true rulers of Landing Port were the Rogue Traders; so long as a Rogue Trader was present in Landing Port, the ruler of Landing Port was that Rogue Trader.

Should multiple Rogue Traders be present in Landing Port, the one with the greatest influence was the ruler.

The title of King of Landing Port sounded impressive, but he was at best a mere tool used by the Rogue Traders to distribute cargo.

Any major faction entrenched in Landing Port could manipulate him at will.

Gao Yi had no doubt that if he were to execute Tantos on the spot, while it might cause minor trouble, it would not give rise to any real problems; he could simply elevate a new King of Landing Port to the throne.

Indeed, the tenure of certain Kings of Landing Port lasted only days or months before someone liquidated them, and no one knew exactly how many holders the title had seen—at least a few hundred, and Tantos was already considered a remarkably long-serving incumbent.

That was precisely why, upon hearing that a Rogue Trader was approaching, Tantos had set aside all matters at hand to wait right here and quietly welcome Gao Yi.

Respected Rogue Trader, Tantos humbly welcomes your arrival!

Watching Gao Yi walk up to him, Tantos lowered his head in salute.

Tantos, this is the current Rogue Trader of the Mongert Family, Gao Yi Mongert. Please remember his noble visage and fulfill all of his demands, introduced Veil.

Master Veil, please forgive my presumption, but what has become of Lord Ludwig?

Lord Ludwig has ascended to the Golden Throne; you need not inquire further into other matters, Veil stated with displeasure, his expression turning sour toward anyone prying into Ludwig's fate.

Tantos, this is our first meeting, is it not?

I believe so. Tantos congratulates you here on your succession to the position of Rogue Trader; I shall do my utmost to accomplish your tasks.

Very well, Tantos. I have no interest in changing the King of Landing Port. So long as you execute your duties well, you may retain this position. I require skilled crewmen and various supplies, and I also need my warship repaired. Furthermore, help me contact the local bishop of the Ecclesiarchy; my warship was assaulted in the Warp, and many areas require purification.

I shall have people attend to it immediately. However, I have a most critical piece of intelligence I wish to report to you.

What intelligence?

It would appear that some trouble has arisen within your family. Word has reached us that certain chaos is unfolding within your dynastic capital, Agathos, seemingly connected to the seat of the Rogue Trader?