This was Yunmen City, a space city on the outskirts of the Heavenly Domain and home to a major trade starport. It was also the largest space city in the Empire's "Five Rings."
The date was May 13, 835 of the Common Era, and the time was 7:14 a.m. by standard time. It had been just over half a week since Yu Lian's fleet captured Chenxiao Fortress.
Of course, since the Privy Council had already imposed a news blackout, ordinary citizens in the capital had no idea what was happening in the outer star regions. All they knew was that their brave, fearless, invincible imperial army was marching across the universe. It had reconquered Terra and Earth, brought the Dawn Star Sector and the Ring of Miracles under its control, and was about to swallow Femor whole.
The Empire was moving from one victory to another. There was no crisis, no unrest—nothing of the sort. Any reports of enemy attacks in the outlying star regions were despicable rumors.
Under these circumstances, ordinary merchant and pleasure ships entering and leaving the capital were simply going about their business.
So how could it be anything but a crime for armored grenadiers to seal off the trade port and obstruct the ordinary movements of imperial citizens?
That was why the passengers gathered before the cordon across the gangway, though they had 9mm electromagnetic rifles pointed at their heads, erupted into a clamor after a brief silence.
"Blasphemy!" A white-haired old nobleman tapped the ground with his ruby-headed cane. "This is Yunmen City's Number One Spaceport. Every passenger aboard the ships about to depart is a gentleman of noble birth. Who gave you the right to stand here, yapping like dogs?"
"Blasphemy! Blasphemy!" The nobles echoed him one after another. They had no idea