The City Wall

The Gladstone Type VI stopped twenty meters from the western city wall. Beyond that point was a restricted military zone.

"David, this stretch of wall isn't as tall as the southern wall. If you're interested in city walls, you should go see the southern one!" Myron said as he climbed out of the car, addressing David as he got out.

"I just want to admire the scenery outside the city and see the wall that protects us for myself!" David naturally didn't tell him the truth. He smiled as he replied.

"Suit yourself. But you'll probably be disappointed. The scenery outside the city isn't very nice. Once we get to Na'an City, the land outside that city will be paradise!" Myron said wistfully.

David smiled. The previous day, he had sent Myron a message asking to visit this stretch of the wall.

He had thought it would take a few days to arrange, but Myron had messaged him that morning to say he'd already pulled some strings and secured permission for them to go up on the wall.

David's father, Hans, held the title of deputy director at the Department of Justice, but it was only a figurehead position. Besides, if David used Hans's connections to arrange this, it could cause trouble for his father.

Myron was different. His father, Mayor Bernard, was Peilan City's highest administrative official, so he could smooth over minor problems.

Most importantly, David could guarantee that even if someone grew suspicious, there would be no evidence to prove anything.

"Please show your identification!" A young sergeant who had been waiting at the entrance to the restricted zone saluted them before speaking.

"David, bring up your ID on your Identity Bracelet. Security checks are very strict here!" Myron said as he tapped his own Identity Bracelet. An ID bearing the Interstellar Federation's insignia appeared on its screen.

David activated his ID as well. The sergeant scanned it with the Identity Bracelet on his wrist, then relaxed slightly.

"Mr. Myron, Mr. David, I'm Sergeant Emery. I received orders from Lieutenant Eaton to accompany you throughout your visit to the city defenses. Please follow the rules of the military zone!" Sergeant Emery said, forcing a not particularly convincing smile.

The smile on his rigid face looked extremely awkward to David. It was clear that Sergeant Emery had spent a long time in the military and was used to being stern. He wasn't at all comfortable entertaining two young men who had connections.

"Sergeant Emery, thank you very much. We understand the rules. We're only here to look around. We won't touch anything or ask too many questions!" Myron replied with a smile.

"Follow me!" Sergeant Emery led the way, with the two of them behind him.

"Lieutenant Eaton is the commanding officer in charge of Peilan City's defenses. I had my father contact him," Myron quietly explained to David as they walked.

David couldn't help looking at the twenty-meter wall looming ever closer. It was a military fortress made entirely of steel, part of a massive project that enclosed all of Peilan City. Yet the highest-ranking officer in charge was only a lieutenant.

But David quickly shifted his train of thought. A military structure like this would have been an unimaginable feat in his previous life, but this was the interstellar age. Perhaps such city defenses were nothing more than a minor military installation in this world.

They had reached the foot of the steel wall. Sergeant Emery scanned his Identity Bracelet at the door in front of them, revealing a huge elevator.

The military elevator looked incredibly rugged, with its raw steel exposed and almost no decoration. Yet there wasn't a trace of rust.

The elevator rose smoothly and swiftly. It took barely more than a second to reach the top.

"Gentlemen, don't walk in front of any weapons or equipment, and don't talk to the soldiers. They may not be friendly!" Sergeant Emery scanned his Identity Bracelet again, then turned to warn them.

After he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened. They stepped out and found themselves atop the city wall.

The wall was ten meters wide. Other than a Long-Range Sniper Cannon at regular intervals, there were no other weapons.

"Be careful not to step into the red zones!" Sergeant Emery stopped Myron, who was about to take a step forward, and warned him.

Only then did David notice the different colors covering the floor of the wall. There were green lines and yellow and red sections. Sergeant Emery led David and Myron along the green lines.

David was curious about what lay beneath the red sections. The Shadow Servant beside him flew out and sank into the red steel floor.

Through the Shadow Servant's vision, he saw a huge Heavy Laser Cannon. Unlike in the pictures he'd seen, the real thing gave him a sense of just how massive these weapons of war were.

The Shadow Servant took only a glance before flying back and returning to its place above David's head.

"Sergeant Emery, did you bring a little kid up here to play?" A mocking voice came from nearby. The speaker was a soldier wearing the same sergeant's uniform.

But his uniform didn't just bear a sergeant's insignia. It also displayed a tiny telescope badge.

"Sergeant Harold, this is an assignment from the captain. We have official visitation documents from the city government!" Sergeant Emery reminded him sternly.

"Those kids haven't even grown their first whiskers. Let's see if they piss themselves when the cannons fire," Sergeant Harold muttered. He didn't bother provoking the two young men again, since they clearly came from influential families.

Anger flashed in Myron's eyes, but although his father was the mayor, he had no authority over the military. There was nothing he could do about Sergeant Harold.

David had been an ordinary person in his previous life, so he wasn't bothered by the provocation. He was more interested in the telescope badge on Sergeant Harold's chest. It was the insignia for military snipers.

Sergeant Harold was a sniper. Since he was here, he was obviously one of the people who operated the Long-Range Sniper Cannons.

Watching Sergeant Harold hum a tune as he headed toward a distant sign marked with a restroom symbol, David could tell that he was going to relieve himself.

David looked toward the way Sergeant Harold had come from. There was a passage leading downward, and its door had been left open.

"These technicians are used to slacking off. Sorry you had to see that," Sergeant Emery explained. He didn't want the two of them to think all the soldiers were like that.

Because of Sniper Armored Warriors' special status among Armored Warriors, the profession of sniping had an especially prestigious reputation.

Every sniper dreamed of becoming a Sniper Armored Warrior, but in reality, most snipers would never make it. A Sniper Armored Warrior needed more than just Sniping Talent; they also needed talent as an Armored Warrior.

Even if someone had both kinds of talent, they still needed a calm mind and strong will. Abbott, the Sniper Armored Warrior from the Sirius Mercenary Group, was a fallen Sniper Armored Warrior. That was what happened when someone's will wasn't strong enough.

In any case, the snipers in the military all seemed to think they were a cut above the rest.

On top of that, they were stationed at crucial posts, which led some of them to think they were more important than they really were.

A proper soldier like Sergeant Emery wasn't fond of Sergeant Harold's attitude, but he had no authority to discipline him.

As they talked, they reached the edge of the city wall, where they could see the scenery beyond the city.

This was the first time David had seen the true wilderness. The images from Illusions and videos he'd watched hadn't felt nearly as real as this.

The scenery really was awful. Or perhaps most of Panshi Planet's land was simply bleak.

As far as the eye could see, the land was desolate. It was covered mostly in rocks and patches of gray soil exposed to the air.

There wasn't a single plant, nor could he see any water.

Only then did David, who had lived in the city, understand what it meant for Panshi Planet to be described as an administrative planet with a low quality of life. The city provided a steady supply of energy and water, so he'd never experienced the planet's true harshness.

"David, every time I see this, I feel like leaving," Myron said softly beside him.

"Then let's work hard together and get into Na'an University!" David said with a nod.

He thought of the captivating scenery in the video images, of the green ecological environment outside Na'an City. That was where he might have the chance to gain higher permissions, leave this closed-off world, and see the wider universe.

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