Beneath the solidified gold lay a diamond-shaped commemorative piece centered around an exquisitely crafted double-headed eagle sculpture.
Small and delicate, every feather and every line interwove and fused together, forming a complex outline like a finely woven rattan handicraft. Its entire body shimmered in gold, radiating a faint violet-gold glow.
"Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia..."
"How very cautious of you..." Selene gently stroked the double-headed eagle emblem with her fingers, falling into thought. She already had some ideas in mind.
After such a long time without any response, to be honest, even Selene felt somewhat surprised.
"Let me think. It seems that after the Romanian Holy Grail War, that fatty Gordes probably recognized his own limits and fled far away, never participating in another Grail War."
It was within Selene's expectations that the interesting fatty Gordes could resist temptation. But the Yggdmillennia family and the Musik family as well?
There was no need to elaborate on the nature of magus lineages.
Could it be that the pressure she had given them was simply too great?
Impossible. With a magus' arrogance, I was merely a temporarily manifested familiar. Even if I was a deity downgraded into a Heroic Spirit, in their eyes, a tool is still a tool.
The pressure Selene had brought was time-limited. Once she lifted her manifestation and returned to the Throne of Heroes, what binding force could her words possibly have?
To them, the Age of Gods had long passed. The fading of Mystery was the grand trend. Could a god suddenly jump out and cause trouble for them?
Selene knew this clearly. No matter how humble and obedient the Yggdmillennia clan, led by Darnic, had appeared before her, it had merely been mutual exploitation.
"Unless after I returned to the Throne of Heroes, the Yggdmillennia clan began an internal war over the sole wish-granting right of the Greater Grail, and Gordes relied on Siegfried's protection to withdraw successfully."
In the end, who did the Greater Grail fall to? Was it Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, the clan head who had schemed for many years? Or Vlad III? Or perhaps Jeanne blew the whistle and, under guidance from the Counter Force, burned the Greater Grail to ashes in one stroke.
"Forget it. It has nothing to do with me. If I have the fortune to meet those 'old friends' from the Romanian Holy Grail War again, I'll ask them then..."
Tap! Tap!
Tapping lightly on the table, Selene could not help but smile. "In that case, during that Romanian Holy Grail War, that fatty Gordes might very well have been the biggest winner."
One must know, although Selene had stored the portion of alchemical knowledge related to forging Shingu and Teigu within the double-headed eagle commemorative sculpture under the pretext of a knowledge transaction and handed it to Gordes, that did not mean others could not snatch it.
Aside from some considerate protective measures she had added for Gordes—such as 'bloodline recognition,' 'hardening,' and 'knowledge consolidation'—she truly had not tampered with anything else.
'Hardening' was self-explanatory. 'Bloodline recognition' meant that only those with a magus bloodline, or rather, those possessing a sufficient number of Magic Circuits, could use it.
'Knowledge consolidation' was the most crucial point. In Selene's design, it did not directly transmit the knowledge into the wielder's mind. Instead, the wielder had to actively read and study it. The knowledge was stored inside, and there was no limit to the number of times it could be accessed.
In other words, this item could entirely serve as a family heirloom, possessing the potential to create a magus lineage specializing in mechanical alchemy—different from the Einzbern family's homunculus-focused alchemy.
And beyond that, Selene did not believe that the magi would fail to recognize the additional layer of value hidden within that small double-headed eagle sculpture.
What was Type-Moon's specialty product?
Heroic Spirits.
What was required to summon a Heroic Spirit?
A catalyst.
A catalyst—within the Holy Grail War system, or more precisely, the summoning ritual system of the Holy Grail War's evocation thaumaturgy—was, under certain circumstances, a required medium in the ritual to summon a Heroic Spirit.
It could be an item once held by the Heroic Spirit or something closely related to them. The compatibility between the Heroic Spirit and the summoner, both mentally and physically, went without saying, but most important was a medium with deep ties to the Heroic Spirit. That medium was precisely the catalyst.
In other words, the double-headed eagle sculpture Selene had handed to Gordes could be considered Selene's 'holy relic' within the Type-Moon world—and the only catalyst deeply connected to her.
After concluding her debut in the Type-Moon world and leaving behind her own data entity within the Throne of Heroes, how to have the natives of that world voluntarily invite her descent became Selene's next step in her plan for the Type-Moon world.
After all, at that time, Selene had not been confident in swallowing the entire Type-Moon world without smashing it to pieces. To drive a wedge into it, she had transmitted quite a bit of false information.
According to her arrogant God-Empress persona, after reaching an agreement with the Counter Force of the Type-Moon world and completely incinerating the physical bodies of her people who had 'accidentally' fled into that world—leaving behind only obsessions, soul fragments, and data entities upon the Throne of Heroes—Selene no longer had the motivation to actively return.
Although the current Selene could directly resort to force and dispatch legions from beyond the star domain to shatter the barriers of the entire Type-Moon world, such an action would inevitably provoke its desperate resistance.
The Type-Moon world as a whole was not weak at all. Though the countless living beings all nestled upon a small Earth, and the various Heroic Spirit wars seemed limited in scale, there were plenty of hidden monstrosities slumbering within bounded fields, the void, the galaxy, and the gaps between worlds.
From what Selene knew in passing, among the gods of the Type-Moon world's primordial universe was 'Space Ishtar'—Ishtar Ashtart.
The primordial universe referred to a cosmos more ancient than the Shining Blue Galaxy (the Servant Universe, the present cosmic world)—a universe in which humanity existed as humanity.
And in even older times of that old universe—before mammals were born upon Earth—the goddess worshipped by prehistoric ancient civilizations in cosmic antiquity was Ashtart.
At that time, life did not possess the concept of faith. The term goddess represented a star domain[1] in which life could survive.
Although it was impossible to determine whether that concept had gained form, or whether that mode of existence had transformed into a concept, Ishtar Ashtart of the primordial universe ultimately became a humanoid galaxy.
Her true body, like Selene's, was an existence beyond human control and could not become a Servant.
She was a cosmic deity transcending the stars.
There were also beings such as Velber, Chaos, and the true body of Buddha.
If they were to awaken together...
Within a composite-dimensional world possessing its own operational consciousness, united in shared hatred and resistance, even Selene would be unable to complete a conquest while preserving the Type-Moon world intact.
If she fought those hidden monstrosities, the data entity she had left upon the Throne of Heroes would be utterly useless.
And if Selene's true body descended, the outcome would mean that not only Earth, but the countless parallel worlds within the Type-Moon world would likely be reduced to ruins, utterly annihilated.
Therefore, adopting a cautious approach and playing it safe was never wrong.
A battle was inevitable—but only after Budo's Second Legion had fully occupied Universe 117 and Selene had completely digested her newly acquired subjects.
"No rush. There is time to make arrangements slowly."
Rising to her feet, Selene stretched slightly. Pointing to the stack of approved documents on the desk, she waved a hand toward the attendant beside her.
"Distribute them to the respective departments and urge them to complete their quotas as soon as possible."
"Also, bring me the recent tax report compiled by the Bureau of Statistics."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The attendant bowed respectfully to Selene, responded, and then retreated in small steps.
"Your Majesty, Great General Budo and Supreme Fleet Commander Xytan 'Jar Wattinree have already begun the trial of the captured San'Shyuum."
Appearing as the projection of a graceful sky-blue woman, Cortana clasped her hands behind her back and continued her report.
"At the same time, the truth has been publicly revealed—that the San'Shyuum Prophets consolidated their power by betraying the Sangheili, their allies under the 'Writ of Union,' and that the so-called 'Great Journey' was a complete fraud."
"In accordance with your will, the entire San'Shyuum race has been sentenced to death. Would you like to observe the live feed?"
"I have no interest in listening to a flock of 'ostriches' wail before death."
Crossing her arms, Selene asked, "Cortana, after the Battle of the Solar System, what is the current operational strength of the UNSC's defensive forces?"
...
Meanwhile, after leaving the central control chamber where Selene was located, the attendant was about to head toward a fixed-point teleportation gate when he encountered a group slowly ascending the steps under guard escort.
"Meow... huff, huff... Why build it so high? How many steps is this? Going up and down all day—doesn't it get tiring? I can't do this anymore..."
"Not tiring. Others use spatial teleportation. But Pardo, you really should train your stamina."
Behind Li Sushang, a pair of large ears twitched upward—fluffy brown cat ears bouncing as if searching for something. The cat-eared girl hiding behind Li Sushang finally peeked out halfway, her heterochromatic eyes—left blue, right green—half-lidded as she stared at the final step ahead.
"Durandal and Rita couldn't come because they're reorganizing the Valkyrie units. What a pity," Li Sushang said.
"Lady Kaslana, ahead is Her Majesty's central control chamber. Her Majesty has been waiting for you for quite some time."
The guard led Kiana to a wide-open metallic door and gestured for her to enter alone.
"Thank you."
After nodding to the guard, Kiana stepped inside. The moment she entered, she saw Sebas and Mendicant Bias engaged in an intense discussion in the hall. At the far end of the room, atop three steps, Selene sat behind her desk, speaking with a female AI.
Looking at the stacks of folders piled on the desk and the dozen or so red pens with their caps removed...
At that moment, Kiana felt that the sight of Selene—right now—might remain unforgettable in her memory forever.
Beneath the crystal chandelier, Selene's features were clearly illuminated. The light fell upon her face as though she herself were glowing. The faint smile in her eyes and the seriousness she displayed while working...
So Sister Selene was this diligent in governance. She had only just returned from the front lines, barely finished her meal in a palace still under construction, and had already thrown herself impatiently back into work.
Thinking of herself, Kiana could not help but feel ashamed.
When she had served as the acting governor of a certain native small kingdom in the 5th Trial World under the Imperial Ministry of War—Goblin Slayer—she had handled administrative affairs with complete reluctance, the light gone from her eyes.
I've been far too lax!
No, Kiana, you have to change!
"???"
Seeing Kiana's eyes sparkling as though some strange filter had been applied, Selene was momentarily bewildered. What exactly was she getting emotional about?
Another sudden enlightenment?
Selene found herself at a loss.
"Kiana, what is it? Is there something on my face?"
Selene observed her reaction with interest. Startled out of her imagination by those words, the girl instantly widened her eyes slightly, her expression shifting adorably.
Perhaps because she regarded Selene as true family, Kiana would always unconsciously reveal a childish side in front of her.
"Selene-sis... no, Your Majesty. I've made my decision."
"Valkyrie Unit member Kiana Kaslana has completed the assessment. I request permission to engage in battle."
Snapping to attention, Kiana hurried forward and knelt on one knee below the steps before Selene.
"Oh? Requesting battle?"
Gesturing for Cortana to withdraw, Selene's expression turned solemn. She uncrossed her legs, rose from her chair, and stepped forward.
An intangible aura enveloped her. Kiana felt as though a vast shadow had fallen over her, heavy as a mountain.
"Are you certain?"
"I am," Kiana replied without hesitation.
"...Very well."
"Huh? That's it? I thought you would—"
"You thought I would test you again?"
With a slight lift of her hand, invisible force raised Kiana to her feet.
"I do not have that much spare time. You are responsible for yourselves. At most, out of duty, if you die in battle, I will exterminate that world entirely as a sacrifice in your honor. That is all."
"Besides, my tests consist of beatings—until you improve. Would you like to try?" Selene asked with a faint smile.
"Uh... no, thank you, Your Majesty."
"Good. Then we end that topic here."
Leaning against her desk, Selene shook the small double-headed eagle sculpture in her hand.
"As it happens, there is a mission with considerable combat intensity. The opponents are all highly competent. It will allow you to gain experience and taste the edge between life and death—yet the risk is extremely low, with no threat to your lives."
"There's really such a good deal in this world?" Kiana asked skeptically.
"Of course. Aren't you heroes who uphold lofty and noble ideals?"
"The Hero of Guardianship... will not refuse."
"Huh?"
[1] A region of space that can range in scale from a single star system to a vast cosmic expanse, potentially encompassing countless galaxies, and in some contexts may even refer to an entire universe; in the future, this term will frequently be used for territories ranging from the scale of a solar system to that of an entire universe under the control of the Holy Selene Empire.