Busy spaceports saw transport ships, patrol craft, sightseeing vessels, and hover shuttles constantly taking off and landing. They traveled tirelessly between the surface and the orbital space stations, satellite platforms, and low-orbit decks. Countless blue engine flares flickered across the boundless, radiant starry sky as the galaxy flowed slowly.
Between the low-orbit deck and the planetary surface, when one looked out from the space station platform, hundreds upon hundreds of space elevators connected heaven and earth. Sightseeing cable cars and anti-gravity rail trains alternated at high speed along them—a truly flourishing and vigorously developing scene.
The powerful gusts stirred up by the high-speed rail train battered the white clouds in the sky. A long, continuous brown line had already appeared beneath the clear heavens. Seagulls circled and danced not far from the train. Land was already in sight.
Hachiman Hikigaya sat alone in the middle carriage of the legion train, quietly lost in thought. From the Star Gate spaceport to District 11 (the Japanese archipelago) and onward toward Tokyo on Honshu Island, most of the journey had already passed. Home was within reach. So why was his heart still unable to settle?
Was it nervousness at returning home? Or were his youthful feelings not yet extinguished? After several years away, was he anxious about the military merit title that was finally within his grasp? Or was it the three wives and four concubines he had once never even dared to dream of?
Thinking this, Hachiman Hikigaya felt his heart grow heated.
He might have been unlucky—throughout middle school, he had barely had a few friends he could truly talk to—but as a youth of Japan, raised on light novels and shounen manga, he was, in truth, a second-year syndrome patient who seemed mature precisely because of his experiences.
In short, he understood the complexity and malice of interpersonal relationships. A realistic, repressed romantic.
Well, whatever. He had come back alive. Komachi—aha... my foolish little sister—just wait until you see your big brother's magnificent physique after training. I guarantee you'll admire me!
Just as Hachiman Hikigaya began muttering to himself, suddenly—
Screech—!
The slowly halting sound of brakes pulled Hachiman Hikigaya out of his fantasies. To his surprise, in this Astartes Eighteenth Legion Salamanders Conquered World—No.11 World, one of the largest and highest-load space elevators connecting ground and orbit was actually under traffic control?
One had to know, the space elevator was a single direct line.
It was not only the military train he was on. The rail trains of other regiments were also giving way to a VIP luxury sightseeing vessel.
Was it some important figure from another war zone—or from the Imperial Capital?
Hachiman Hikigaya thought silently.
Such things were utterly commonplace in an Empire that practiced military merit titles and a noble system. There was no resentment in it. This was reality—hierarchy, ranks, distinctions. With the time spent complaining, one might as well improve oneself, climb higher, and after attaining a higher title, there would be plenty of those of lower rank—or none at all—bowing to you.
At least the Empire's class mobility seemed far easier than the old Japanese aristocratic society he had once lived in. Stake your life to seize wealth and status—that was all. There was no hereditary entrenchment.
Merit above all. Military achievement as the foundation.
The train stopped. At this point, the windows were allowed to open. Hachiman Hikigaya leaned forward eagerly, gazing toward the pure white city rising above the vast ocean. That was the seat of the planetary governor of the Salamanders Conquered World—No.11 World.
"It's been expanded even more..."
Located along the western Pacific coast, near the District 11 archipelago, there had originally been no land here. After the Imperial Forge conducted surveys and began construction—reclaiming the sea and raising new continental plates from the depths—the planetary governor's residence had been established atop it.
The buildings were ancient and grand in style, beneath pure white circular high walls.
The sea breeze swept between towering white stone pillars. Those snow-white columns were crystalline and smooth, like solidified mirrors standing within the magnificent colonnades. Reflected upon them was a majestic temple. Upon the soaring stained-glass windows of its lofty towers were carved reliefs of Astartes angels, the gods (Legion Commanders), and the God-Empress.
From afar, it appeared as a cluster of palace-like structures, like heavenly palaces suspended above the clouds—like a painting from a celestial realm. It was a grandeur of artificial magnificence that Earth's former civilization could never have achieved.
And indeed it was so. The architecture overflowed with vigorous vitality, no longer stagnant. Tens of thousands of dreamers had settled here alongside the planetary governor's residence. Whatever one's status in the old world, here only strength spoke. That fascinated him.
One day, he would bring his father, mother, and sister—his whole family—to live here together!
Hachiman Hikigaya silently made that resolution.
It might be a small goal, but it was grounded in reality. If you started off shouting about moving to the Imperial Capital, that would be far too distant.
For a tourist world like theirs, where aside from sightseeing and entertainment few extraordinary individuals were produced, not to mention immigrating to the Imperial Capital itself—even qualifying for the Imperial Auxilia was difficult. Their physical starting point was far inferior to the rugged brutes from those barbaric recruitment worlds.
At that moment, amid the noisy chatter of his hometown comrades beside him, the sightseeing vessel seemed to be approaching. Curious, Hachiman Hikigaya widened his eyes and looked over.
Then—
"Hiss—!"
In the instant the trains crossed paths, a pair of crimson eyes marked with a golden cross-ring met his through the window.
"..."
It lasted only a moment, yet Hachiman Hikigaya unconsciously clenched his fist. The fabric over his chest tightened and wrinkled from his grip. His heart pounded violently.
This was not some foolish flutter of romance. He had nearly been scared to death!
Like a small beast glimpsed by a predator from the abyss, that bone-deep terror plunged him into a frozen hell. Every cell in his body seemed to wail in agony. The sensation coiled around his heart, lingering, impossible to forget.
"Hey, Hikigaya, what's wrong?" a hometown comrade asked.
"...Ah, n-no, it's nothing..." Only then did Hachiman Hikigaya come to himself, patting his numb face.
So those dead fish eyes were irritating after all, Selene mused inwardly.
Through the new recruit assessment of the local Servitor Army in District 11 of this tourist world, he had been officially assigned to the Eleventh Regiment of the Servitor Army under the Astartes Eighteenth Legion Salamanders. He had participated in security operations, siege warfare, and urban street fighting. Enemies slain... wounds sustained... evaluations from comrades... evaluations from superiors... approval for home leave... awarded First-Class military merit title.
In an instant, Selene had turned Hachiman Hikigaya's entire history inside out.
At his age, his experiences were quite abundant.
And don't ask Selene why a high school student could enlist in the military.
One must remember that ever since ancient times, Japan had produced all sorts of extraordinary characters—especially high school students. Among them were countless spirited youths with astonishing bones and remarkable talents. How could Selene not relax her standards? Mechanical rigidity would never do. Flexibility was required, adapted to the realities of each region.
As long as the requirements were met, everything else was elastic.
One must never judge by age alone, nor by appearance... well, fine, perhaps appearance counted just a little.
Military officers were another matter. As for civil officials, take the four basic bonus standards for appointment as an example: first, physique—imposing bearing and dignified appearance; second, speech—clear and upright eloquence; third, writing—strong and elegant regular script; fourth, judgment—clarity and excellence in reasoning.
It was, in essence, a stitched-together bonus system Selene had devised after reading widely across history. Of course, it was not truly as appearance-oriented as its historical reference. Ability still came first. Only when assessment scores were equal would these bonus items determine who advanced ahead of whom.
"Here, Queen."
While Selene's thoughts wandered within the luxury suite that belonged exclusively to her aboard the sightseeing vessel, a crisp set of footsteps sounded. A cup of steaming black tea was placed upon the coffee table before her.
Dressed in a blue-and-white dress, her slender calves beneath the sunlight seemed softly luminous and perfectly smooth. Selene, meanwhile, wore a light dress that softened her usual sharp demeanor. The short hem and high-heeled sandals accentuated her fair legs, giving her a gentler and more graceful presence beside Arisa's delicate beauty.
Wearing simple low-heeled sandals, Arisa skipped over and flung herself onto Selene's thighs, nuzzling affectionately. A small tuft of hair atop her head bounced back and forth.
"Mm? What's wrong, Queen?" Arisa lay across Selene's lap, propping her cheek with one hand.
"Nothing. I encountered someone interesting. I couldn't resist taking a brief look into his memories."
With a faint smile, Selene lifted Arisa by the back of her collar with one hand and set her properly onto her lap. Then she reached out, unable to resist kneading her adorable little cheeks a few times, wiping away a trace of cream left at the corner of her mouth in the process.
"No courtesy without ulterior motive. You either want something—or you've done something. Weren't you sneaking off to eat ice cream? How do you suddenly have time to come here?" Selene glanced at the black tea on the table. "And you even brewed me a cup."
"Go on. What did you see? What do you want? Where do you want to go?"
The girl's body stiffened instantly. She first flared up, indignant. "What do you mean, 'ulterior motive'? Hmph! The way you put it, Queen, Arisa isn't happy. Can't Arisa brew tea for you just because she wants to?" she muttered angrily.
"It's just that I wanted... um... this, that... kind of... maybe... something like that."
Realizing she truly did have an ulterior request, Arisa lifted her head with an innocent expression and met the pair of ruby-like eyes above her. Embarrassed, she scratched the back of her head. "Haha... Queen, it's really nothing..." But seeing the faint curve at Selene's lips, her voice grew smaller and smaller.
Finally, throwing caution to the wind, she blurted out, "You said it yourself, Queen! Once I finish the reflection, I get to choose! You... you can't go back on your word!"
As she spoke, Arisa rummaged in her small pocket and pushed a data tablet in front of Selene.
"But didn't I tell you to hand it in tomorrow morning?"
"Hehe, ta-da! Arisa already finished writing it!"
She bounced up from Selene's lap, hands on her hips, chin tilted so high her nostrils nearly pointed at the ceiling—an unmistakable "praise me" expression.
Selene fell silent for a moment, then nodded. Arisa was not stupid. She simply did not like using her brain unless she had to.
Under Sebas' devilish elite education—even if it had been pure cramming—Arisa's breadth of knowledge and practical ability could never be weak. In front of Selene, she merely habitually played the meek card so she could act spoiled.
"Tōtsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy. The Tōtsuki Elite Ten Showdown. Moon Banquet Festival pre-opening warm-up?"
Selene tapped Arisa lightly on the head with the side of her hand while reading aloud the event she had found most interesting in the tourist world's guidebook.
"Yes, yes, Queen! That's the one!"
"When you arrive somewhere new, you absolutely have to try the local specialties. Look here, look here—Yukihira-style stewed beef, sanma mixed rice hotpot, Apicius-style roasted duck breast, seared sanma sashimi, bouillabaisse ramen, autumn sanma cartoccio... And I have to say, just looking at them makes them seem unbelievably delicious."
"It's like they're glowing."
Clutching Selene's arm and swaying it back and forth, Arisa stood on tiptoe and pointed at the dishes displayed on the tablet—creations from the Tōtsuki Autumn Selection participants. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"Queen, don't you want to taste them too? Mm... Even though Mr. Susanoo's imperial meals are never repeated and are always delicious, the ingredients are always exotic delicacies from mountains and seas... Sometimes, shouldn't we change flavors? Like you said before... um..."
She wracked her brain for the right words and blurted out without thinking, "Yes! To share in the joy of the people! We shouldn't be too aloof and arrogant. The mortal world has its own beauty and its own meaning."
Bonk!
"Mm..."
"Is that really how you understood my words?" Selene said irritably, delivering a light chop to the little cutie's head and knocking her onto the sofa where she clutched it in protest.
Still, the place Arisa recommended was indeed one of the reasons Selene had come on this trip. As she had said, it had been a long time since Selene had eaten ordinary ingredients.
It was always Danger Beasts, Sea Kings, rare beasts, magical beasts, dragonkin, savage beasts—or various extraordinary lifeforms, even dinosaurs and ancient creatures from the Jurassic and Cretaceous eras.
As for ordinary chickens, ducks, fish, and vegetables—apparently, in the eyes of the imperial kitchen, they were not even worthy of appearing on the tables of the Grand Imperial Palace in the Imperial Capital.
Selene had never paid attention to such details before. But now that Arisa had mentioned it, upon reconsideration, it was true.
A trace of anticipation appeared on Selene's face as well. She lightly tapped the data tablet back into Arisa's arms.
"Tomorrow marks the start of the five-day Tōtsuki Moon Banquet Festival. Go on—five days of a gluttonous carnival feast."
"Yay!"
How exciting. Even if it was merely a tourist world, destined never to produce the highest-grade ingredients—such as Special-class Danger Beasts or Sea Kings exceeding 5,000 meters—countless agricultural worlds and primitive hunting worlds engaged in commercial exchange here.
With such an abundance of novel alien ingredients colliding in one place, with glowing cuisine, with the underlying laws of the world faintly favoring certain human organs, dishes, and chefs... what kind of sparks would be born?
Tōtsuki Academy. The Moon Banquet Festival.
Tomorrow, she would relax and unwind... The Medicine King... Saiba. Should she simply issue an administrative order and have them brought in? Hmm, forget it. A private visit in plain clothes—it would be better not to frighten them.
Oh, right. There was that chef previously recommended to the Imperial Capital to prepare meals several times... the one named Azami Nakiri...