Hum—Psshh—
The Void Shield synchronized with the Stargate Spaceport’s defensive array, its systems connecting seamlessly. The ship’s airlock emitted a loud hiss, and the massive armored hatch disengaged, perfectly aligning with the docking point at the port.
Following the flagship, a multitude of warships docked at the Stargate Spaceport in an orderly fashion. Soon, countless imperial navy vessels, large and small, filled the previously empty military docks.
As the engines fell silent, what followed was exactly what the imperial officials had anticipated—a vast procession.
The Imperial Guard, Sisters of Silence, high-ranking Auxiliary officers, and nurous Astartes Chapter masters were all present.
On the docks of the massive spaceport, imperial officials had been waiting for so ti. Each group approached their designated counterparts, ready to execute their assigned responsibilities.
Despite the overwhelming numbers, the scene was neither chaotic nor crowded. Everything operated with practiced precision, each official knowing exactly where to go.
Why? Familiarity breeds efficiency.
However, among the reception team, a delegation of high-ranking imperial officials stood in so confusion. They had been eagerly awaiting their primary guest, who had yet to appear.
anwhile, Kiana and the others disembarked the boarding ramp alongside Esdeath and mbers of the Jaegers unit, their eyes wide with curiosity as they looked around.
"So this is the Imperial Capital?" Durandal couldn’t help but exclaim in amazent.
Durandal valued order and cleanliness, and the Pride of the Empress Stargate Spaceport surpassed her every expectation of an ideal working environnt.
The spaceport was a massive, castle-like structure—the largest among the orbital facilities surrounding the Imperial Capital in near-Earth orbit. It boasted nurous tactical short-distance teleporters, mobile floating ports, and dedicated orbital elevators connecting directly to the planet’s surface.
After its second-phase expansion, the spaceport could now accommodate nearly a 100 million people and dock every type of imperial starship imaginable. Expansion and fortification efforts were still ongoing.
Beyond its sections designated for imperial officials and military purposes, the spaceport also included areas for trade, immigration, and tourism.
Tourism was a two-way exchange: Imperial citizens could visit beautiful planets classified as "tourist worlds," while residents of imperial-controlled planets could make pilgrimages to the Imperial Capital (though permanent residency was forbidden).
"Wow! I can’t wait to see the Imperial Capital, the Imperial Science Bureau, and Dr. Stylish! I’m itching to get started!"
Mobius walked out from the ship’s airlock with brisk, excited steps. She marveled at the Astartes honor guard standing before her, clad in power armor embellished with intricate colors and symbols.
Her heart wasn’t filled with the reverence of a pilgrim but the anticipation of a scientist. Beyond her awe at the grandeur, she was driven by an eagerness to work within the Imperial Science Bureau.
For Mobius, everything else paled before her pursuit of evolutionary mysteries. Her gaze fell on a formation of golden-armored giants standing on the deck not far away, and her eyes practically burned with excitent.
The immaculate, opulent golden armor glead, adorned with a massive ruby-carved eagle emblem on their shoulder plates. The intricate twin-headed eagle insignia on their chest plates and the red-bordered gold capes flowing behind them signaled their status.
These were the Imperial Guard—more than just soldiers, they were the pinnacle of biological perfection, even surpassing Astartes warriors.
Ahhh! I want to study them. I want to bring them to my operating table...
Mobius’s unique mark was [Infinity], a testant to her pursuit of limitless evolution and possibilities.
Now, that pursuit of infinite evolution and infinite possibilities...
...was within reach.
She couldn’t wait to challenge the so-called Dr. Stylish, to compete for supremacy in scientific prowess. Who was truly the top scientist of the Imperial Science Bureau?
From the mont Mobius had sworn allegiance to Selene, she had her sights set on ousting Dr. Stylish from his seat of authority.
"Sebas!"
"Alyssa, be graceful. You—sigh, forget it." Watching the little girl bouncing toward him, Sebas covered his face with one hand and sighed deeply. Another failure in his plan to cultivate a proper lady.
"Where is Her Majesty?" Sebas glanced left and right, furrowing his brow slightly. His expression quickly returned to calm, revealing no emotions as he asked in a steady voice.
Where could soone as significant as Her Majesty have gone?
"Uh..."
Rushing up quickly, one of the Imperial Guard Commanders, Dalrenster, looked like a wilting eggplant. Removing his helt, he stood straight and lowered his head, his tone brimming with guilt.
"After Her Majesty ordered us to return to the Imperial Capital, she left alone, saying she had to move a small item and would be back shortly...."
"And she hasn’t returned to the flagship since, correct?"
Dalrenster, responsible for guarding Selene during her travels outside the capital, had lost track of the Empress. This was disgraceful.
"You didn’t think to ask..." Sebas began, but then shook his head. Why bother? Even though the Imperial Guard was among the highest-ranking military units, if the Empress wanted to leave on her own, who could stop her?
Her strength as the highest authority, combined with her unpredictable movents, made matters challenging for subordinates.
Without blaming Dalrenster further, Sebas continued, "Did Her Majesty ntion anything else...?"
As the two conversed, an elegant woman, as radiant as a flower, quietly crossed the long line of officials and approached Sebas. She stood on tiptoe to whisper sothing in his ear.
Judging by her attire, she was a mber of the Empress’s personal attendants, and of considerable rank at that.
"Hey, Rita," Li Sushang whispered, nudging her companion. "Don’t you think she looks a lot like you? The mannerisms, the air about her—it’s uncanny."
Although there were so differences, the short haircut, wine-red eyes, the teardrop mole at the corner of her right eye, and the rose-thed adornnts were strikingly similar. Both were dressed in black-and-white maid-like attire. At least five or six features matched.
"Rita is just as surprised..." Rita murmured. No wonder General Esdeath said I’d get along well with the Imperial Court staff. So, this is why.
"What?! Her Majesty is already in the royal chambers... currently dining?" Sebas straightened in shock.
Upon hearing this, a faint stir ran through the assembled officials, but it quickly settled. Their expressions were clear: If the Empress has returned to the palace, there’s no point waiting here. Back to work.
Sebas wasted no ti. After a few gestures, most of the governnt officials bowed, received their orders, and began to leave the spaceport in an orderly fashion.
Turning to Esdeath, Sebas beckoned. "Esdeath."
"These are the young ladies Her Majesty ntioned as having promising potential..." As Sebas spoke, the aged lines on his face softened slightly.
"Kaslana, Ataegina, Rossweisse..." His gaze lingered on Rita’s poised and graceful deanor, and he nodded approvingly.
"Take them to the auxiliary courtyard in the palace. Settle them in for now." With that, Sebas turned and left.
As Sebas departed, the tall Imperial Guards broke their statue-like stillness, their synchronized, heavy footsteps creating a resounding echo. Kiana and the others opened their mouths but didn’t manage to say anything.
Who is this old man?
Turning her head, Senti was the first to speak, "Who is he, with such an imposing presence?"
"He’s your other teacher... the Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace, Sebas, who is also the High Inquisitor of the Imperial Inquisition."
With her arms crossed, Esdeath glanced at Rita. "Didn’t I say you’d get along well with Sebas?"
Rita responded with a humble smile.
At this mont, the court attendant from the palace stepped forward, wearing a faint smile. With a slight bow, she said, "General Esdeath, everyone, please follow ."
Following the attendant, Kiana and the others murmured quietly amongst themselves.
"Sebas? His position in the Empire must be pretty high, right?" Raiden i asked.
"Very high," Durandal confird. "He’s the Empress’s personal steward, the Grand Chamberlain of the palace, and the head of the Imperial Inquisition. All of this is public information."
"Inquisition?" Senti blinked curiously.
"In other words, he’s equivalent to holding positions like Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonies, Head of the Eastern Depot, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Master of the Palace Workshops, and Minister of Justice..." Fu Hua explained.
Frowning slightly, Fu Hua paused, recalling from the Imperial military-provided docunts that Sebas also seed to oversee the construction of palace chambers. "...And Minister of Public Works?"
Senti imdiately understood.
"Wait, wait... doesn’t that make him a grand power-holder?" Skipping over the title of Minister of Public Works, Senti interpreted that in ancient Shenzhou, holding so many important positions at once would make soone a supre authority.
Would the next step be to grant him the Nine Bestownts, a ten-tiered crown, the privilege of walking into court with a sword, bypassing ceremony, and receiving imperial decrees without naming them? Wasn’t this heading straight for the template of seizing the throne?
Hearing this, Esdeath, walking at the head of the group, chuckled and shook her head. It seed Her Majesty Selene had risen to power step by step from being such a grand power-holder herself.
Arriving at a designated teleportation hall, Durandal’s gaze swept through the towering Gothic arched windows of the spire, gazing far into the distance.
The boundless, magnificent supercontinent unfolded before her eyes, encompassing all the world’s wonders. From the edges of the earth to its remotest corners, it was all held within. Rolling clouds, dramatic weather shifts, and landscapes as diverse as snowy mountain ranges, necklace-like erald forests, and sprawling cities stretching to the horizon.
Buzz—!
Passing through the destination-calibrated teleportation gate, everyone reopened their eyes to find neatly trimd gardens and lawns, elegantly arranged lakes, and pavilions by the water. This must be the auxiliary courtyard of the palace.
While they were still observing their surroundings, a gentle breeze swept through. The soft green lawn rippled like water under the wind, lifting their hair and the hems of their clothes.
As they raised their heads with the breeze, the majestic palace walls revealed the grand, golden palace complex towering behind them. The sheer size and brilliance of the structure caught everyone’s attention at once.
It was enormous!
A tiered super-tropolis in the shape of a pyramid, extravagantly opulent. Even Fu Hua, who had seen much in her ti, was witnessing such grandeur for the first ti.
"Everyone, please rest here for the night. Her Majesty will summon you tomorrow." The court attendant’s words finally brought everyone’s thoughts back to reality.
"If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask; dedicated personnel will handle it." With that, the attendant bowed slightly and withdrew.
"This is making feel so uneasy," Kiana said as soon as the attendant left. She imdiately slumped down onto the platform’s balcony, intending to enjoy the breeze.
Kiana leaned over the balcony, initially intending to relax, but as soon as she did, she was startled by the view below. Their location seed to be right at the junction of several city districts, and the world beneath them suddenly opened up.
However... looking downward, the horizon several hundred ters below their position revealed countless square-shaped market blocks.
The expansive sky streets stretched in all directions.
Wide roads were packed with people, and even among the crowds, there were nobles and police moving amidst the throng. The streets were brightly lit, bustling with noise and activity, a lively scene of prosperity and grandeur.
"If there were only armies as instrunts of violence, then it would be a distorted society... When there are people living peaceful lives, at least there is hope," Durandal said, stepping forward and nodding slightly.
"The Imperial Capital, the Empire... this is a path where humanity coexists with the Honkai," Fu Hua added as she approached the white marble balustrade. Here, the wind blew fiercely, causing her robes to flap loudly.
The wind here was loud and forceful.
"Where is Her Majesty?"
This was the heart of the Imperial Capital, the core of the Empire—the sleeping quarters in the rear garden of Selene’s main palace, the Schonbrunn Palace.
Around the grand hall, flowers shaped like inverted bells adorned the surroundings. Their calyxes were pure white, with a translucent porcelain-like sheen, and their petal tips bore faint purples of varying shades, as if naturally dyed.
Amid the corridors filled with ancient treasures and adorned with cinerarias, lilies, irises, and snow-white blossoms, Sebas addressed a figure dressed in a chef’s uniform—[Susanoo].
"Her Majesty entered the bath after finishing her al," the humanoid Imperial Relic chef replied succinctly, pushing a food cart.
"Understood. You may go," Sebas said with a nod, then turned to the attendants at the palace entrance. "Please inform Her Majesty that Sebas requests an audience."
Within the palace’s sleeping quarters:
"Ah... so comfortable..."
Amid the rose-scented steam, Selene sighed softly, closed her eyes, and leaned her head back, resting it against a smooth stone.
Soaking in the specially prepared dicinal bath, she felt utterly refreshed, savoring the fine, delicate sensation of the water molecules against her skin.
The truth was, Selene was no longer entirely human. Though she maintained a human form, she had no sweat glands, no pores, didn’t perspire, and had no body odor—nor any fragrance. Her body was pristine and odorless, flawlessly clean.
The Honkai’s antiseptic, immaculate constitution, coupled with her self-cleansing ability, ant that Selene didn’t need to bathe to stay clean. Much like eating or drinking, bathing was rely a psychological habit for her.
When it ca to replenishing energy, absorbing the Honkai’s imaginary energy was far more efficient. If she needed to eat for sustenance, munching on uranium or nuclear warheads—or simply basking in sunlight—would be more beneficial than normal food consumption.
Her cheeks flushed faintly, Selene’s eyelids drooped in comfort, and a soft, contented hum escaped her lips.
She wasn’t worried about soaking too long—no matter how much ti she spent in the bath, her skin wouldn’t wrinkle or swell.
"Mm~"
The crimson rose petals floating on the water, set against her radiant skin, only accentuated Selene’s delicate and stunning appearance.
Finally, faint footsteps could be heard outside the ornate cloud-patterned screen.
"Your Majesty, Sebas requests an audience."
"Sebas?" Did I forget sothing...?
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