I Am Honkai

After personally micro-managing the Holy Grail War, Selene's main consciousness returned. She strolled to the garden terrace outside her chamber, dressed in her ceremonial attire, and leaned against the marble balustrade a thousand meters above ground.

Night had fallen, the stars glittered brightly. The evening breeze drifted through the colossal structures across the skyline, where various lights illuminated the deep black of night. In Selene's line of sight, rows of lights stretched in neat formation, extending endlessly down the imperial avenues.

From this highest point in the empire's heart, Selene could effortlessly look over the towering city walls. The streets below bustled with life, the nightscape of the imperial city beautiful beyond measure. With the imperial palace complex at its center, the vast four avenues, bridges, and gleaming lanterns wove together to create an endless sea of lights, like an ocean dotted with countless, meticulously placed lanterns in every direction.

Such prosperous splendor… Selene mused with satisfaction. Perhaps she was still a qualified ruler after all—an enlightened tyrant who ruled with ruthless decisiveness and iron will. At the very least, that had to be better than some well-meaning but incompetent monarch, she thought, grinning in self-satisfaction. She had, after all, built her empire mainly for herself. But however brutal the methods, the people had benefited in the end.

"Your Majesty, this city will continue to grow. Someday, I foresee, it will expand to become even larger than a continent, and one day, perhaps even surpass an entire planet."

Lost in her thoughts, Selene turned to find Sebas beside her, looking out at the imperial city that stretched beyond the horizon with a faint look of admiration.

Standing exactly three paces behind her, Sebas had his right hand pressed to his chest and his spine as straight as a rod. Even at night, his attire remained immaculate, his every movement as impeccable as if taken directly from a textbook. While some might view such meticulous adherence to formality as stiff and uptight, Sebas had always lived this way, a habit he'd never thought to change.

"With no constraints from the lands of a planet, this city is one of limitless potential. This is its starting point. With countless worlds as its sustenance, its brilliance will shine even brighter."

After being moved to the Honkai Dimension, the empire was now positioned on a supercontinent at the center of that dimension, capable of limitless expansion outward. If Selene could continue absorbing and merging more realms, it was not impossible for her empire to one day reach the size of the solar system, the Orion Arm, or even the Milky Way itself.

"Oh?" Hearing this, Selene turned to look at Sebas, whose expression she found somewhat amusing. Usually, Sebas's face bore a solemn look, an aura of effortless authority. Now, he was trying to display his joy with a smile and narrowed, crescent-shaped eyes. Naturally, the result was far from joyful—it looked somewhat odd, and the incongruity put Selene at ease, bringing a smile to her face.

Clap, clap!

With a laugh, Selene nodded and clapped her hands. "Well then, Sebas, we shall work together. The city planning and the palace expansion—you'll oversee them as my Chief Architect."

Mention of architecture instantly ignited Sebas's enthusiasm, his voice rising a few decibels. "Certainly, Your Majesty. I will give it my all." He was already about to retrieve the latest palace blueprint and city expansion plans from his office.

Seeing this, Selene quickly stopped him. "Hold it, Sebas, let's eat first."

"Oh, right, Your Majesty. I've overstepped my bounds. Supper will be served soon; please wait just a moment."

Snapping back from his architectural daydreams, Sebas bowed deeply, apologizing for his lapse. Then, as he straightened, he asked, "Your Majesty, I trust you've returned with a great bounty from your journey?"

"Oh? Sebas, care to guess what I brought for you?"

At this, Selene cleared her throat, leaning against the marble rail in her extravagant regalia. She stood with her legs together, her body slightly tilted, a wide smile she couldn't suppress on her face.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I couldn't even begin to guess." Sebas spread his hands, smiling, his intended words of "Young Lady, please mind your posture" slipping away unsaid.

"Sebas, it's just a family dinner, no need to be so formal. This isn't court."

"No, Your Majesty. As your butler, the triumphant return ceremony may have concluded, but now we cannot dispense with etiquette. As you yourself have said, 'rules bring order.'"

"You… Fine, as you will." Seeing his rigid adherence to decorum, Selene laughed lightly, waving her hand.

"A gift…? Such as a ruler bestows upon their servants? Your safety alone is more than enough." Sebas replied.

Although Sebas declined modestly, Selene heard a hint of barely-concealed anticipation in his tone.

"Oh? Really?"

Turning, Selene extended her right hand and pointed toward Sebas. With a tearing sound, a prismatic slit appeared in the space between them. A small black-gold sphere, the size of a child's fist, dropped out and landed in her palm, emanating a faint purple glow.

"What is this?" Sebas, though curious, remained silent, waiting respectfully for Selene to explain.

"It's one of the spoils I acquired during the Servant war for the cup in another world. This orb contains the knowledge of Semiramis, Queen of Assyria, and the secrets of Babylon's Hanging Gardens. This is my gift to you."

Whoosh

"This artifact from the Age of Gods—a time when gods still roamed—is packed with floating technology and numerous magic arrays. You can use this as a reference point, Sebas. With it, creating floating gardens, flying castles, or even sky islands won't be out of reach…"

With a wave of her hand, the black-gold sphere floated gently toward Sebas.

Sebas received the sphere with both hands, and immediately, a torrent of knowledge flowed into his mind, compelling him to close his eyes to savor the wonders within.

"…."

After a moment, he opened his eyes, looking thoughtful. "So this will make large-scale floating structures far more feasible. Indeed, with this knowledge, even sky fortresses and floating battleships have a foundation."

"Still, Your Majesty, I can't help but wonder. In the Holy Grail War, you left your Master and withdrew alone. Was that… prudent?" Sebas hesitated.

Selene shook her head, unconcerned. "Nothing was amiss. I fulfilled the vow I made upon arrival—to grant victory in the Grail War to the Yggdmillennia clan. From here, it's simply their own internal conflict. I have no interest in their squabbles, nor do I need to involve myself."

She placed her chin in her hand, taking a relaxed posture.

Given the state of things after the Romanian Holy Grail War, Selene's Master, Celenike, was undoubtedly out of the running. With her Servant gone, she had no chance. And Caules and Frankenstein, who played such a minor role, also had no hope of securing the Grail.

Those with a real shot at claiming the Grail's wish were Darnic, Fiore, and Gordes. And of them, Darnic and Vlad III had the best odds.

"And most importantly, my departure was all about—image."

Though curious to see Darnic's plans and the resulting fallout, Selene had a persona to maintain—the arrogant and honor-bound, Grail-indifferent, Divine Empress who had entered the Grail War for reasons beyond mortal comprehension.

A disinterested exit from a trivial human affair fit perfectly with the character she'd cultivated from the beginning. It was wholly logical, and her reputation could only benefit.

"With a recorded incident like this out there, I wouldn't be surprised if plenty of magi started trying to summon me. There are perks to a good reputation, aren't there?"

Selene strolled to a small pavilion at the center of the garden, settling comfortably into the main seat, a calm smile playing on her lips.

"It's no different than a talent agency promoting its stars. First, you create an image for them, then you roll it out using the parent company's abundant resources. With the celebrity's own self-discipline and willingness to play the part, the results are guaranteed."

"A celebrity… an image…" Sebas murmured.

In hindsight, recalling the information he had just gleaned about the Holy Grail War through Semiramis's perspective, he suddenly realized the cleverness of Selene's approach. Wasn't she simply creating an image that would appeal to mages?

"I understand." Cradling the sphere in his hands, Sebas turned to Selene and nodded.

"Then, Your Majesty, about this gift…"

"Gift?!"

Creeeeak

The doors to the garden pavilion burst open as a line of attendants entered, carrying trays of food. With them came a small figure darting through.

With gray hair swaying to her waist and her sky-blue eyes gleaming in excitement, a girl skipped up to Selene.

"You're back, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, Your Majesty—did you bring me anything? Did you?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh… Your Majesty…" Selene's heavy nasal hum froze Alyssa, who then cautiously mumbled, "Uh… Your Majesty, m-my gift…?"

"A gift, huh…"

Naturally, there was no such thing—I'd completely forgotten to bring anything back. Besides, what would I even bring? Food? Selene gazed skyward.

Glancing sideways at the adorable yet pitiful Alyssa, who was brimming with anticipation, Selene felt a slight headache coming on. How would she bluff—no, comfort—this little troublemaker?

Fine, I'll try reasoning with her. And if that doesn't work, well…I'll just use some 'charms.'

Ahem

Selene cleared her throat, motioning for the attendants to proceed. She approached Alyssa, gently patting her head, and knelt down, speaking to her in a serious tone.

"After some very careful thought, my dear Alyssa, I've decided it's time to give you more responsibility. All this running around with the attendants isn't doing you any good."

She cast a glance at Sebas, who was deep in thought, absorbed by the knowledge in the sphere.

Noticing Selene's gaze, Sebas instantly understood, seamlessly slipping the Semiramis-imbued sphere into his coat. He nodded and added, "Indeed, the first group of captives has arrived."

"Yes, and Alex's First Legion recently captured a promising batch of young women with good potential. They've already been transferred to the Imperial Guard's South Lake camp and are awaiting further training. I think they would make fine soldiers with a bit of conditioning."

Selene continued, "It wouldn't be right for such a force to go without a leader I trust. What do you say, Alyssa?"

"I—I really can do it…?"

With Selene and Sebas acting in concert, Alyssa completely forgot about her original request for a gift. Her heart filled with a sense of duty as she answered, her voice trembling with excitement.

"Of course, you can."

Selene encouraged, "After all, you are my personal Honkai Beast, Alyssa." She hugged Alyssa, patting her on the back before rising to leave.

These words were half true, half teasing. Selene did indeed need a trustworthy person to lead this military force, and Alyssa had been one of the top choices from the start.

Turning her back on Alyssa, Selene nodded slightly, shooting Sebas a look of approval.

"Besides… this is an opportunity."

The Romanian Holy Grail War had confirmed Selene's suspicions—the empire's military system needed an upgrade.

"Attention!"

Boom

Everyone in the garden—Sebas, Alyssa, the attending servants, and the golden-armored imperial guards stationed nearby—all dropped to one knee.

"Send word to the Astartes stationed in the capital—all legion commanders, report to me at once!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven