In the 4th millennium since the birth of the new civilization.
"Kiana."
A loud, forceful knock on the door sent the "Ai-chan Nameplate" hanging on the handle—a green, twin-bunned, and currently very popular item—clattering noisily.
"If you don't get up now, you're going to miss the entrance ceremony for St. Freya Academy."
"Ughh~"
"Mom, just let me sleep a little longer—"
"..."
"Mei is already waiting for you downstairs."
"I'll be right down!"
"——"
After a chaotic scramble, Kiana Kaslana and Raiden Mei were walking side-by-side on the road to school.
"We're leaving, Mom!"
"Be careful on your way."
Letting out a huge yawn, Kiana turned to her friend.
"Ah~"
"Kiana, didn't you sleep well?"
"Nope, I didn't sleep at all!" Her Excellency, the Tuna, declared with righteous indignation.
"?"
Raiden Mei, dressed in a black sailor uniform and holding her schoolbag with both hands crossed in front of her, looked at her childhood friend with a hint of confusion.
"I was watching the livestream of Valkyrie Squad 17 last night," Kiana said, throwing a few energetic air punches. "It looks like they've already pushed to the 12th floor of the Abyss."
"A livestream..." Raiden Mei gently pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Kiana, if you want to learn combat experience, you'd be better off watching Aun— I mean, Sister Cecilia's 'documentaries'. I remember when she was at St. Freya, she won the 'All-Rounder King' award for three consecutive years, right?"
"And she cleared the 18th floor of the Abyss in 30 seconds or something..."
"Ehh~?"
"I watched all those when I was a kid."
"Mom's fighting style is too rigid. Stacking Q-skills and all that is totally outdated. You've got to keep up with fresh, new tactics."
The Abyss.
A simulated battlefield created by the Thirteenth Apostle during her tenure as "Regent," designed to mimic the environment of the Quantum Sea (a bubble universe).
It could project any being whose strength did not exceed her own into it as a mental entity, completely replicating a real combat scenario.
For the students of St. Freya Academy, it was the most common and effective method of training.
Incidentally, the graduation requirement for St. Freya Academy was to survive the seven-day "Quantum Sea Summer Camp." The mortality rate wasn't high, but even with the quality of St. Freya's students, the graduation rate never exceeded fifty percent.
Kiana's mother, Cecilia Schariac, had been the former top student of St. Freya Academy... both during her time as a student and in her graduation exam.
"..."
"Alright."
Raiden Mei didn't bother to retort. After so many years of growing up together, all her desire to complain had been completely worn away by her white-haired friend.
Kiana's father was Siegfried Kaslana, who belonged to the same family as her own mother... a family that carried the bloodline of the "Regents."
However, unlike the powerhouse union that formed Kiana's family, Mei's parents, while also married for love, had a different story. Her father, Raiden Ryoma, had not inherited much of the bloodline's (genetic) power. Instead, his achievements were numerous in the field of technology... which he accomplished closer to middle age.
Simply put, in his youth, he was just a poor programmer with a little bit of talent.
This was also the reason the two girls had met. Cecilia's decision to withdraw from the "battlefield" early to get married and have children had caused some dissatisfaction within the family. However, because of the "status" of her partner, they did not interfere.
This allowed the two "ordinary" girls to get to know each other from a young age.
Incidentally, from a genealogical perspective, the two were actually sisters with a relatively close blood connection.
"We're here."
"The Doorway is just ahead."
At the end of the road was a large, silver-gray portal set into the ground in the shape of an archway.
This spatial technology, known as the Doorway, could instantly transport citizens who entered it to any desired location within the Empire—provided it matched their genes (identity) and they paid a certain amount of Imaginary energy (the Empire operated on a 9:1 system, requiring users to pay an amount of Imaginary energy equivalent to 1/10th of the total teleportation cost).
The two had already obtained their status as new students of St. Freya Academy, so they naturally had the right to direct access. As another side note, the portal access rights for ordinary students were only valid before classes and after school. If you were late, you'd have to take the "long way."
"What are we waiting for~"
Kiana grabbed Mei's wrist and leaped forcefully toward the portal, which rippled gently like the surface of water.
"Let's go!"
Swoosh.
---o---
"Whoa!"
Kiana craned her neck back as far as it would go.
"Is that the Throne?"
"It's so much bigger than I imagined!"
As a portal designed for the general public, it had been optimized to the point where it caused almost no dizziness.
Kiana and Mei, who couldn't be considered "ordinary people" to begin with, were naturally unaffected. The moment they stepped out of the portal, they were stunned by the sight before them.
St. Freya Royal Valkyrie Academy.
This was a high-level academy directly under the jurisdiction of the Throne. St. Freya's headmaster was directly responsible to the "Regents."
And from within this massive academy campus... one could look up and see the Throne.
The Throne.
A floating castle over 100 kilometers high, with a structure that leaned toward a rhomboid shape.
It was the nerve center and core of the Empire.
The "Regent-Consuls," a council of seven chosen by lot from the Apostles and the Flame-Chasers, were jointly responsible for formulating the Empire's policies and direction under the leadership of the Monarch (who generally didn't interfere).
Around the sun at the very top of the Throne were three silver pillars that soared into the clouds, symbolizing the Three Pillar Gods who guarded the Monarch.
Starting from the area around the pillars, spires of varying shapes and angles extended outward in a regular pattern. They corresponded respectively to the Four Holy Temples, the Six Apostles, and the Fourteen Flame-Chasers, as well as the Primordial, Machine, and Newborn Species they commanded.
This all comprised the upper half of the Throne.
In the lower half were the departments responsible for the various specific affairs of the Empire, collectively known as the Ninety-Nine Chambers. All "Chamber Heads" of the Ninety-Nine Chambers were required to possess the combat power of a Primordial Species.
If you couldn't fight, or at least didn't look like you could, you couldn't become a leader in the Empire.
And further below the Ninety-Nine Chambers was the entrance to the Quantum Sea.
That's right.
The entrance to the Quantum Sea was located directly beneath the Empire's central hub.
To say the Son of Heaven was guarding the nation's gate was somewhat inappropriate, but the Throne had indeed been established in such a position from its very inception. It allowed the legions to travel more conveniently between the Tree and the Sea, and also allowed the Monarch to personally intervene and suppress any uncontrollable problems that might arise.
Just as Kiana and Mei were left breathless by the sight of the Throne—
"Well now☆~?"
"Isn't this the Kaslana family's silly goose?"