Besides those two, the Student Council President's appearance was hardly surprising. After all, wherever St. Freya Academy was involved in recent years, the President was almost always present.
But...
"Why is Teacher Himeko here too?"
Murata Himeko.
As a science officer, Teacher Himeko was an exceptionally rare breed within the brute-force-majority environment of St. Freya. This was the first time Mei had seen her at an event outside the academy.
And beside Teacher Himeko stood—
The Head of the Eighth Chamber, Walter.
There was no special reason Mei recognized him. For members of the Empire's major families, being able to identify the aura and appearance of all ninety-nine Chamber Heads was considered a basic skill.
Kiana was an exception... and so was Sirin.
"I see."
Mei recalled the school annals she had browsed through.
Mr. Walter had once served as St. Freya Academy's science officer. In that case, Teacher Himeko was likely his former student.
Further beside Walter, or rather, at the very forefront of the entire "lower-level team," was a solitary—no, "aloof" would be a better word—blond man:
The Head of the Fifth Chamber, Otto Apocalypse.
He was the husband of Headmaster Kallen, currently the most influential man among the Ninety-Nine Chambers, and a man who had never bowed his head even to the Kaslana family.
Even more astounding was the proposal he had put forth during a joint meeting of the Ninety-Nine Chambers, which was the very reason they had traveled to the Teyvat continent—
It was a proposal approved by His Majesty the Monarch himself.
On a side note.
Both Kiana and Mei could refer to Otto as their "grand-uncle-in-law."
Aside from these two unfamiliar faces, the one-sided "acquaintances" from the last trip to Teyvat were also gathered here: Wendy and Ana.
A total of 12 people.
---o---
"Sorry~"
"To keep you all waiting!"
The voice that spoke was brimming with energy, carrying an enchanting allure that was almost dizzying. Even without a hint of malice, the mere sound of it caused exaggerated mental fluctuations in everyone below the rank of [Higher Primordial Species].
This tone, which sounded nothing like that of a superior, instantly dispelled everyone's doubts due to the special status of the speaker:
[The Second Flame-Chaser · Elysia]
The intense vertigo vanished without a sound just as Mei was about to stumble forward.
"Oh my~"
"Congratulations, everyone, on passing this little test."
The voice was identical, but it no longer possessed that strange "charm" from before. Yes, "charm" was the perfect word for it. It was the first time Mei had ever heard a voice that could be addictive. After the initial discomfort faded, an impulse to "hear her speak again" immediately arose.
However.
After regaining her senses, Mei was struck by a wave of fear. The test was surely directed at everyone below. If she, at her level, felt the mental pressure of a [Higher Primordial Species], then the Legion Commanders not far from her...
The very existence of beings at this level was too "terrifying," down to their every frown and smile.
"Aren't the members of the new generation even 'cuter' than their files suggest?"
"..."
"Elysia, business."
The previous question was clearly not directed at the people below, and Mei's response was well beyond their perception.
"Alright~"
"Then let's make this quick."
Snap.
As Elysia lightly made a star shape with her fingers—literally conjuring a sparkling golden star between them—a brand-new contract appeared in everyone's hands.
The content consisted of only a few lines.
But the signature at the bottom was...
"His Majesty the Monarch!?"
---o---
That was right.
This was the highest level of "contract" in the Empire. In other words, it was a mission issued directly by His Majesty the Monarch!
No one cared about the source of the earlier outcry anymore—Kiana and Sirin both clamped their hands tightly over their mouths. After the initial excitement subsided, everyone began to carefully scrutinize the contract's contents.
"Travel to a parallel world to 'assist' our counterparts?"
After reading the contract, Mei remained composed and... well, there was no need. Kiana, completely oblivious to the concept of subtlety, held the contract bearing the Monarch's signature right in front of Mei's face.
"Everyone..."
After quickly scanning the contents on the (traditional) paper.
Mei discreetly observed the other participants around her. A fleeting glance exchanged with Bronya confirmed her suspicion:
"It's the same mission for all of us."
Parallel worlds were common.
All citizens of the Empire received a basic education on the subject: somewhere in the cosmic sea, they would one day encounter their counterparts.
But to dispatch so many people at once to "assist" the counterparts of a parallel world...
"That's right~"
Elysia's voice quelled all the fluctuating mental energies.
"This is."
"A parallel world that 'once' had a similarity of over 99%."
"Its civilization has already been destroyed by Finality once, but for some reason, it did not fall into the Sea and was granted an extra chance for the exam."
"You should all be very clear."
"In a situation where the Monarch is not the 'proctor,' it is incredibly difficult to pass the exam under such conditions."
"Therefore—"
A dimensional star chart appeared directly above the conference hall.
"The Monarch has decided to give them a little 'help'."
"Hmm..."
Elysia gently poked her cheek, thinking for a moment.
"For both civilization and Honkai."
That last sentence absolutely needed to be highlighted—anyone who heard it would have the same thought.
"This operation is different from previous ones. The sea's environment in that star region is a bit chaotic."
"So, you will all begin your actions at different points in time. The specific plan and objectives are already written in your contracts. You are free to improvise during the process. As long as you can complete your objectives on time, you can even treat it as a vacation."
"By the way."
"Don't interact too frequently with your counterparts."
"The Monarch still hopes they can be as self-reliant as possible, so don't give them too many 'fish,' okay~?"
"Well then—"
The star chart, shimmering with points of silver light, rapidly coalesced above the conference hall.
A radiant, circular portal simply materialized before everyone's eyes.
"You have one day to prepare. You can go out and relax for a bit first."
"The Monarch has already locked onto the 'origin point.' The mission will last for six Imperial days."
"Oh, right~"
Elysia made a small gesture with her hand.
"The three of us will also be participating in this operation."
"So don't feel any pressure about 'dying'."
"Go and enjoy yourselves!"