Having personally descended to micromanage the Holy Grail War, the primary consciousness of Selene returned. Dressed in her coronation robes, she came to the garden terrace adjoining her bedchamber, leaning lightly against the marble railing that rose nearly a thousand meters above the ground.
Night had fallen, and the starlight glittered brilliantly.
The evening breeze swept through the sprawling cityscape below. Lights illuminated the darkness, countless lamps aligned in perfect rows stretching endlessly along the imperial avenue in Selene's line of sight.
Standing at the exact center—and the highest point—of the Imperial Capital, Selene's gaze easily crossed the towering walls.
Under the night sky, the streets below bustled with life. The nightscape of the Imperial Capital was breathtaking.
Centered around the Grand Palace complex, the streets, bridges, and lanterns formed glowing arteries of gold and silver light, while the countless households radiated a warm brilliance. Together they painted a magnificent panorama—a sea of lights, layered and vibrant, intricate yet harmonious, bright yet serene.
Such splendor... she thought to herself with quiet pride.
Perhaps she truly was a competent ruler after all. A decisive, iron-fisted, enlightened tyrant was always better than a weak, benevolent fool. Tilting her head back slightly, Selene allowed herself a satisfied smile.
Even if the foundation of her empire had been built for her own sake, the process—though bloody—had yielded good results. In the course of constructing civilization, her people had indeed benefited from the order she brought.
"Your Majesty, this city will continue to grow. One day, I have a feeling it will surpass a continent—perhaps even a planet in size."
As Selene's thoughts wandered, Sebas' calm voice came from behind her, filled with genuine admiration as he gazed upon the Imperial Capital stretching beyond the horizon.
Standing three steps behind Selene with perfect posture, his right hand over his left chest, his back ramrod straight, Sebas looked immaculate even at night. His attire was spotless, his demeanor a textbook example of poise and refinement.
To some, such formality might seem excessive, even tiring—too rigid for the late hour. But for Sebas, this was simply his way of life. A lifelong habit, ingrained to perfection.
"Without the natural limitations of a planetary landmass, this city possesses infinite potential. This will merely be its beginning. With the nourishment of countless worlds, its splendor shall only grow brighter," Sebas remarked.
After being relocated by Selene into the Honkai Dimension, the Empire now stood like a metropolis at the very heart of the Honkai supercontinent—able to expand outward endlessly.
There were no longer any natural constraints. So long as Selene continued to annex and expand, it was not impossible for the Empire's landmass to one day rival the Solar System, the Orion Arm, or even the Milky Way itself.
"Eh?" Hearing this, Selene turned her head toward Sebas—and couldn't help but chuckle.
Sebas' expression was unexpectedly amusing. His face, usually stern and naturally intimidating, now wore an awkward smile as he tried to show joy. His eyes squinted into crescent shapes.
The result was... predictably off. Instead of expressing warmth, it looked rather strange, unintentionally comical. The sight instantly relaxed Selene's mood, her lips curving upward.
Clap, clap!
Smiling, Selene nodded and clapped her hands lightly. "Very well, Sebas. Let us strive together. The city's design and the palace's expansion will both be entrusted to you, my great architect."
Selene hadn't even finished before Sebas' entire demeanor shifted. The moment architecture was mentioned, he lit up with passion, his voice rising several notches. "Of course, Your Majesty! This old servant will give his utmost!"
He even began to turn toward his office, likely intending to fetch the new palace blueprints and the next phase of the capital's expansion plan for Selene's review.
"Stop, stop, stop! Sebas—eat first," Selene interrupted quickly.
"Oh, oh! My apologies, Your Majesty. Dinner will be served shortly. Please wait just a moment."
Snapping out of his architectural trance, Sebas bowed deeply, apologizing for his brief loss of composure.
Then, lifting his head, he asked softly, "Your Majesty, I trust that this time... you have gained much from your journey?"
Selene's lips curved into a faint smile. "Mhm... Sebas, take a guess—did I bring you a gift?"
At that, Selene cleared her throat softly. Clad in her ornate coronation robes, she leaned casually against the marble railing, her legs together and extended, her upper body slightly tilted as a smile tugged unbidden at her lips.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. Forgive this old servant's dullness, but I cannot guess," Sebas replied, spreading his hands with a faint smile. The words 'Milady, mind your posture' almost slipped out but he wisely swallowed them.
"Sebas, it's only a private dinner. There's no need to be so formal. This isn't a court assembly," Selene said with a chuckle.
"No, Your Majesty. As your personal butler, even though the victory ceremony has ended, propriety must not be abandoned. As you have said yourself—'Without rules, there can be no order.'"
"You... forget it, have it your way." Selene sighed helplessly at his unwavering adherence to etiquette.
"As for gifts... a master preparing gifts for her servant—Your Majesty's safety and wellbeing are the greatest gifts of all," Sebas said respectfully.
Though his words were modest, Selene could easily hear the faintest trace of expectation hidden beneath his tone.
"Oh? Really now?" she teased.
Turning around, Selene extended her right hand toward Sebas, tapping lightly in the air a few times. Rip—! A multicolored glow flared as space split open with a thin tear.
Moments later, a black-gold orb the size of an infant's fist slipped through, landing gently in Selene's palm, glowing faintly with violet-red light.
"This is?" Sebas asked, curious yet patient, awaiting his mistress' explanation.
"One of the spoils from the Holy Grail War I joined in another world," Selene said. "It contains the knowledge of the Assyrian Queen Semiramis—the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It's your gift."
Whoosh—
"The knowledge of the Age of Gods... In that world, it was an era when deities still walked among mortals. Its levitation mechanisms and magical formulae are worth studying, Sebas. You might be able to draw inspiration from them."
"With such knowledge, creating sky gardens, floating castles, or even airborne islands isn't impossible anymore."
With a gentle motion, Selene waved her hand, sending the black-gold orb drifting toward Sebas.
He caught it carefully with both hands, and instantly, a surge of unfamiliar knowledge poured into his mind. His eyes fluttered shut as he immersed himself in its depths.
"..."
After a few moments, Sebas opened his eyes, thoughtful. "I see... with this, large-scale floating constructs would become far easier to realize. Even sky fortresses or airborne warships could now be built on solid foundations."
"However, Your Majesty," he said hesitantly after a pause, "that Holy Grail War... through this, I now understand somewhat. But... leaving your Master behind, withdrawing unilaterally—wasn't that a bit improper?"
Selene shook her head slightly. "There's nothing improper about it. I merely fulfilled the promise I made upon descending—to grant victory in the Holy Grail War to the Yggdmillennia family."
"What happens after that is their internal matter. I've no desire to interfere. Whatever follows, let it unfold naturally."
Resting her chin against one hand, Selene adopted a languid pose.
As for the outcome of the Romanian Holy Grail War, one thing was certain: her Master, Celenike, had no chance left—her Servant was gone, after all.
Caules and Frankenstein's side, too, would never reach the Greater Grail. Only Darnic, Fiore, and Gordes remained potential candidates—and of those, Darnic and Vlad III had the highest probability.
"And most importantly," Selene added with a sly smile, "my withdrawal was all for the sake of—image."
Though she was genuinely curious about Darnic's contingency plans and the coming civil war, Selene had carefully crafted her persona from the start: a proud yet honorable God-Empress, indifferent to the Holy Grail itself, who had joined the war only for reasons beyond mortal understanding.
Thus, departing dispassionately from such mortal trivialities was perfectly in character—and even added to her mystique.
"With that event recorded and spread, I'm sure many magi will try to summon me in the future. That's the beauty of a good reputation, isn't it?"
Selene slowly walked toward the single-story pavilion at the center of the courtyard and reclined upon the main throne with an effortless, confident smile.
"It's no different from how entertainment companies market their stars—first, you establish a public persona, then promote it with the backing of a powerful parent company's resources and influence. As long as the packaged 'star' maintains self-discipline and plays along, the results can be remarkable."
"Star... persona..." Sebas murmured softly.
Only now, with Selene's reminder, did he realize that through the Assyrian Queen's perspective of the Holy Grail War, her strategy had become obvious.
Wasn't Selene simply establishing a persona appealing to magi?
"I see now," Sebas said at last, holding the orb carefully in both hands as he nodded toward her. "Then, Your Majesty, this gift..."
Just then—
"Gift?!"
Creak—!
The courtyard doors burst open as a dozen attendants entered, carrying trays of dinner dishes. And among them, a certain adorable figure darted in energetically.
Her waist-length silver-gray hair swayed with every step, and her sky-blue eyes sparkled with excitement—all signs of pure joy.
Wearing a small white vest-like top with feather ornaments on her head and purple high heels clicking against the marble floor, Arisa hopped her way toward Selene.
"Queen, you're back! Queen, Queen, where's mine? My gift, Queen—!"
"Hmm?!"
"Uh... Y-Your Majesty..." Arisa froze under Selene's sharp hmm, shrinking slightly as she stammered nervously, "Um... Your Majesty, m-my gift... where is it?"
"Gift, huh..."
Of course, there wasn't one. I completely forgot to bring you anything... And what would I even get you? Food? Selene thought helplessly, gazing skyward.
Using the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at Arisa's face—so hopeful, so adorably pitiful—that even she felt a headache coming on. How do I... talk my way out of this—uh, I mean, comfort this little fluffball?
Raising her fist, Selene cleared her throat lightly, signaling the attendants frozen in place to resume serving dinner. Then she stepped toward Arisa, gently patting her head.
Next, she pulled the girl close, crouched down, and said meaningfully—well, almost meaningfully.
"After much deep thought, my dear Arisa, I've decided to give you more responsibility. It isn't proper for you to keep wandering around among the attendants all day."
Before Arisa could respond, Selene wrapped her arms around her, drawing the girl into a soft press against her body. Arisa relaxed into the hold almost instantly, her head settling against Selene's chest, cheek nuzzled in the deep line of her cleavage.
Selene didn't comment, merely letting the contact linger as Arisa breathed out, eyes closing in contentment. Whatever she'd planned to say next faded into the background for a moment—quiet, wordless, but clearly effective.
"The First Legion under Alex has captured quite a few promising young female specimens in his recent world conquest, hasn't he?"
As she spoke, Selene turned her gaze toward Sebas, who was still examining the orb in deep thought.
Sensing her look, Sebas immediately understood, carefully putting away the orb infused with the Assassin-class essence of Semiramis. "Indeed, the first group of captives has already arrived," he confirmed.
"Those female subjects have been transferred to the Southern Lake Barracks of the Imperial Guard Legion," Sebas continued. "I've read the commander's report—they have great potential. With proper training, they'll make fine soldiers."
"Exactly. A force like that shouldn't be left without a worthy commander. Arisa, what do you think?" Selene asked.
"M-me? Can I really...?"
And just like that, under the smooth coordination of Selene and Sebas—and spurred on by the warmth of Selene's unexpected affection—Arisa completely forgot her original reason for barging in. Her heart swelled with newfound purpose as she stammered emotionally.
"Of course you can," Selene encouraged. "Little Arisa is my companion Honkai Beast, after all." Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss on the girl's cheek, then patted her back before standing and turning away.
Her words were half true, half convenient. This new military unit was indeed meant to be entrusted to someone close—and Arisa had been one of the intended candidates.
Selene had simply decided on the spot to use this appointment as a makeshift "gift." Well... it wasn't really given, per se, since Arisa was already meant for the role. It was just... naturally accelerated.
With her back turned to the still-dazed Arisa, Selene paused, casting a glance of approval toward Sebas.
"Still... this is an opportunity," she murmured.
After her experience in the Type-Moon world's Romanian Holy Grail War, Selene had realized that the Empire's military system still needed reinforcement.
At once, her voice rose in command.
"Orders!"
Thump, thump!
Everyone in the courtyard—including Sebas, Arisa, the attendants, and the golden-armored Royal Guards stationed nearby—immediately dropped to one knee.
"Convey my command to Kinshasa—no, summon every Astartes Legion Commander currently stationed within the Imperial Capital! Have them come before me!"
"As you command, Your Majesty!"