Time flew by inside the pocket universe.
After countless cycles of sunrise and sunset, the capital of the Starsea Empire finally welcomed the sunrise of its second day.
To the people in the capital, the Commander's return had only happened the previous day. Inside the pocket universe, however, an unknown number of days and months had already passed.
"Wake up. It's time to head back."
"Weren't you making a fuss about boarding the Astral Express and trailblazing through other worlds?"
Setsuna sat up in bed and pinched Elysia's cheek beside him.
The girl was sleeping soundly. Her pink sidelocks lay messily across her beautiful face, lending her a uniquely disheveled charm.
"Commander, let me sleep a little longer~..."
Ely did not even open her eyes. She burrowed deeper into the pillow, her voice full of coquettishness.
"I'm so tired. It's all your fault."
Firefly and Topaz were also sleeping soundly nearby. The blankets thrown haphazardly over them revealed glimpses of exquisite scenery.
Belfast, Sirius, and several other Royal Maids had already begun washing and dressing themselves.
They put on their maid uniforms, tidied their hair, and gathered the clothes that had been strewn all over the floor the previous day.
Then they cleaned the room and removed the traces left on the table and floor.
Finally, they rose onto their toes and planted a kiss on Setsuna's cheek.
The Royal Maids' duties were not limited to caring for the Commander's daily needs. From time to time, they also participated in his parties.
Setsuna had nothing but praise for his highly trained maid corps. He casually pulled Belfast into his arms and spent a few affectionate moments with her.
"Commander, I still have work to do..."
The head maid chided him softly.
Before long, everyone had finished getting ready.
They passed through the pocket universe's entrance and returned to the capital.
"Oh..."
Tingyun, Firefly, and the others looked somewhat dazed. It was their first time experiencing the sensation of distorted space-time.
Although it felt as though a very long time had passed for them, from Earth's frame of reference, only a single night had gone by.
"Husband, this humble girl is rather tired."
Tingyun looped an arm around Setsuna's, a faint blush coloring her face.
Even after undergoing the MANTIS surgery, her physical constitution could not compare with Setsuna's.
Even when they all rushed him together, they were still routed so badly that they lost their armor and weapons and could no longer get back up.
"You'll get used to it after a few more times."
Setsuna stroked Tingyun's ears and tail, drawing a series of sweet cries from the foxian girl.
After arriving at the administrative center, he continued arranging the next stage of work.
"In that case, the new members of the Starsea Empire should begin by touring the capital and familiarizing themselves with it."
"Anyone who hasn't undergone the MANTIS surgery and genetic enhancement should have Mobius arrange the procedures first. This is one of the Starsea Empire's standard benefits."
"Oh—"
Although the Starsea Empire regarded MANTIS surgery and genetic enhancement as exceedingly simple technologies, as commonplace as universal vaccination...
To most people in the Star Rail universe, their value was immeasurable.
MANTIS surgery meant escaping the restraints of lifespan and obtaining near-eternal life, while genetic enhancement greatly strengthened one's physical constitution.
The people of the Xianzhou had paid a terrible price in pursuit of immortality and still failed to obtain what they wanted. Only a handful of people, such as Herta, could preserve their youth through other methods.
"Thank you, Sacrosanct."
Fu Xuan, Guinaifen, and several other Xianzhou girls hurriedly bowed in gratitude.
"After that, take some more time to rest. Then we can prepare to dispatch the Astral Express fleet to explore other universes."
Setsuna opened the star chart and examined it.
Five Astral Expresses meant they could trailblaze through five worlds simultaneously, making exploration far more efficient than before.
He could choose one to board or visit another universe.
"Also, wasn't there still some unfinished business in Frieren's world?"
"Uh, Commander, didn't you send Serie and a research team to handle the remaining matters?"
Grey checked the report.
"The time span over there isn't especially long. It shouldn't take them much longer. I estimate they'll be back soon."
Just as she spoke...
Hum—
Above the capital's starship landing base, a small spacecraft broke through the clouds and slowly descended from the sky.
It was a shuttle belonging to the Eternal Snowfall. Like its mothership, it possessed the ability to unfold into higher dimensions and traverse space-time.
Click—
After the hatch opened, the first to descend was an elven mage with blond hair, golden eyes, and a short white robe.
"Wow, this place really is huge. It's much bigger than our world—"
Serie yawned and waved behind her.
"We're here. Come on down."
"Mm—"
A green-haired girl wearing a black pleated dress and a side ponytail landed on the ground.
A trace of laziness lingered on her face as she curiously observed her surroundings.
"Oh... So this is the Starsea Empire's homeland?"
More mages followed at Serie's call and stepped onto the soil of the Starsea Empire.
Most of them wore matching white mage robes with blue shawls and carried staffs in their hands.
"Übel, don't recklessly use your cutting magic here. There are many people in the Starsea Empire who are stronger than us. You'll cause trouble."
Another mage with long, light brown hair spoke.
"I know—"
"I'd be troubled too if I could casually cut just anyone in half, all right?"
Übel tilted her head as she replied.
"Master, is this where we'll be pursuing our advanced studies?"
"Follow me."
Tap, tap, tap—
Serie led the group of female mages over to Setsuna.
"Here. Mission accomplished."
"I established a Continental Magic Association over there as you requested, then recruited several students."
"Mm... A few of them genuinely possess impressive talent, but some are pitifully weak. How did you know about them?"
When they had first arrived in Frieren's world, it had still been the childhood era of the first Hero. Those mages were either children or had not yet been born.
Setsuna had simply entrusted the task to Serie and the research team, asking them to find a way to gather everyone else. Judging from the results, they had done a good job.
"Commander, I am Fern, a second-class mage. I have come with my master to pursue further studies."
"Good day. My name is Sense, and I am a first-class mage..."
"Lawine. Um, I haven't passed the mage examination yet. Am I... really allowed to be here?"
"..."
The mages stepped forward one after another and introduced themselves.
Frieren's world had already been completely conquered by the Starsea Empire. Thus, while studying at the Continental Magic Association, they had learned that a supercivilization existed in another universe.
They also possessed some understanding of Setsuna and the Starsea Empire's system.
After a brief period of magical study and once everyone on the list had been gathered, Serie had bundled them all together and brought them here.
"Mm."
Setsuna swept his gaze across the newly arrived mages. Perhaps due to his imposing presence, they all lowered their heads, somewhat intimidated.
"Very good. From now on, you will study at the Starsea Empire's Magic Academy."
He snapped his fingers and summoned Mio.
"Show them around the capital, then handle their enrollment procedures."
"As for what subjects you'll study... that will depend on your talents and interests. We have magical systems from many different worlds. Take your time choosing."
"Understood."
"Everyone, please follow me."
The Spirit of Origin revealed a beautiful smile, clapped her hands, and beckoned to the girls.
These newly arrived mages finally looked like proper spellcasters.
The academy's previous batch of Crimson Demon lolis possessed considerable talent, but they were far too rowdy.
Since Frieren's world itself was not especially powerful, even Frieren and Flamme had to begin as students and learn the fundamentals.
"What about me?"
Serie pointed at herself and stared at Mio.
"By the way, are you the person in charge of the Magic Academy? What kind of magic do you use?..."
As a great mage born during the Mythical Era, she was intensely interested in the Starsea Empire's magical systems and the mages who lived here.
"Spirit magic. Would you like to spar with me?"
Mio asked with a smile.
It was obvious that Serie was something of a battle maniac. She wanted to challenge Mio, the dean of the Magic Academy.
"Spirit magic? Are you an elf too?"
Serie could not detect a single elven characteristic on Mio, but she agreed without hesitation.
"I'd be delighted. Let's begin."
Half an hour later, inside the capital's training grounds...
Whoosh—
[Ain Soph]
The world turned black and white in Serie's eyes. Every spell she cast was effortlessly dissolved into nothingness by Mio's domain of arbitrariness.
Even magic from the Mythical Era was erased by the Spirit of Origin with casual ease.
Bang—smack!—
"Ah—"
The battle had been completely one-sided from the very beginning.
"Wow—"
Seeing Mio beat Serie senseless, the newly arrived mages below erupted into waves of admiration.
As expected of a mage from their suzerain nation. Their horizons had truly been broadened.
Before this, they had only known about things like flying magic, sealing magic, and flower-field magic. They had never heard of anything called Spirit magic.
They promptly pulled out small notebooks and recorded their first observation after arriving in the Starsea Empire.
"The Grandmaster encountered the Spirit of Origin by chance. Her domain of arbitrariness was monstrously powerful, and the Grandmaster could not defeat her even after giving it everything she had."
...
"Now then, welcome to the Magic Academy."
After the grandmaster, Serie, was thoroughly beaten, the mages from Frieren's world followed Mio aboard a spacecraft. They passed through the capital's residential district and arrived before a vast complex of magnificent buildings.
Looking up, they saw castle-like structures countless times larger than the Continental Magic Association. Among them were numerous antigravity buildings floating in midair in exaggerated poses.
Perhaps to distinguish it from the Research Department, the Magic Academy's design bore some resemblance to classical medieval architecture.
Once they stepped inside, however, they found completely modern facilities.
There were Crimson Demon lolis wearing pointed hats and mage robes, as well as personnel devoted purely to research.
"All magical information possessed by the Starsea Empire is stored here. Every student may choose what type of magic to study according to their interests."
Mio guided the newly arrived mages through the academy.
"Of course, some forms of magic have extremely demanding learning requirements. A Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm, for example, is the manifestation of their personal legend, making it difficult for outsiders to master."
"Spirit magic can only be controlled by someone who possesses a Sephira Crystal. Should any of you wish to become a subordinate Spirit, I can help her with that."
"Our curriculum mainly focuses on easier-to-master systems, such as magecraft from the Type-Moon worlds and magic collected from Konosuba, Overlord, Goblin Slayer, and other worlds."
"Oh—"
The assembled mages stared around them in fascination.
After conquering many worlds, the Starsea Empire had divided magic into different systems according to their worlds of origin.
Many different casting methods could produce the same effect. Common flame spells, for example, existed in nearly every world.
There were also magic scrolls, which were the easiest to use and had been issued in large quantities to expeditionary teams. Serie and Frieren stared at them in utter astonishment.
"Simply activating this will release a spell powerful enough to destroy a city?"
"Are these the tools you used when subjugating the Demon King's army?"
Frieren picked up a scroll and examined it.
She had trained for more than a thousand years, yet she had never seen such convenient magical tools. Both their range and destructive power exceeded any magic within her understanding.
"Mm. These contain the super-tier spells Fallen Down and Sword of Damocles. They're also the ground-strike spells most commonly used by our teams."
"You need to pass the corresponding examinations to qualify for using super-tier magic, but I doubt that will be difficult for you."
Mio answered with a smile.
"Can I learn Spirit magic? The one you used earlier? Mm... Could it be described as magic that lets you do anything inside your domain?"
Serie asked.
"I want to learn the spell that creates a spaceship out of thin air."
Lawine pointed at a spacecraft flying overhead. It was the hull of one of the shipgirls.
"I want to learn the spell Silver Wolf used to create weapons from thin air when fighting Aura."
"Can we learn the Commander's space-time traversal magic?..."
The group voiced one strange request after another, leaving Mio unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"No. Those are authorities possessed by specific individuals or species, not magic that can be learned later."
"Your elves and the Starsea Empire's Spirits are not the same thing either. Even if I wanted to teach you, it would be impossible."
"Mm..."
The grandmaster looked somewhat disappointed.
This was also their first time encountering such a concept.
Most magic in Frieren's world could be learned, while many of the Starsea Empire's most powerful abilities were bound to specific individuals.
Beings such as the Spirit of Origin and Tiamat had starting points that ordinary mages could never hope to reach in their entire lives.
"Begin with the basics. Even the standard curriculum contains more magic from other worlds than you could ever master."
Before long...
With the exception of Serie, every mage from Frieren's world was assigned to the same class.
Although their strength varied, ranging from third-class to first-class mages, with several who had not passed the examination at all...
From a broader perspective, their entire world was not especially powerful, so they remained on roughly the same level.
"Welcome, new classmates~"
Megumin, Yunyun, Arue, and the other Crimson Demon lolis cheered as they welcomed the academy's newcomers, noisily crowding around them.
"Mm... Before formal instruction begins, I would like to understand your specialties and the magic you have mastered. Then we can decide the direction of your future training."
Mio looked toward the girls from Frieren's world.
Inside the training grounds, they stepped forward one after another to demonstrate their skills.
Magic from Frieren's world was not especially destructive, but it was closely connected to daily life and filled with all kinds of strange and unusual abilities.
The naming conventions were also extremely simple. Most spells were named directly after their effects.
"My specialty is magic that controls my own hair."
Sense stepped forward expressionlessly. The beautiful light brown hair behind her extended and spread as though it had come alive.
It helped Serie remove her coat, formed itself into the shape of a clothes hanger to hold it, then skillfully poured two cups of tea and passed them to Sense and Mio.
"Wow—"
"That's amazing!"
The Crimson Demon lolis found it extremely novel. They stepped forward to touch Sense's hair and rubbed it between their fingers.
When reinforced with magic, her hair could become incomparably tough while possessing strength, speed, and destructive power.
"Explosive magic."
Flamme spoke concisely and extended one hand.
Boom!—
A violent explosion thundered through the air.
The target on the testing grounds was instantly blasted to pieces.
"Ooooooh—"
"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson... Explosion!"
Megumin reacted as though she had found a kindred spirit and became overjoyed.
She grabbed Flamme's hand and enthusiastically insisted on discussing the path of explosion magic with her.
"?"
Next, Übel stepped forward with her staff in hand and gazed lazily at the others.
"Reelseiden, the spell that cuts through anything. I can sever any object I believe can be cut, without exception."
Crack!—
A nearby tree was cleanly severed through the middle, leaving behind a perfectly smooth cut.
"Oh..."
Everyone had some impression of this problem child. Her magical talent was highly unusual and even possessed some characteristics reminiscent of orks.
"As long as you perceive something as an object that can be cut, you can cut through it?"
Mio pointed toward a small spacecraft nearby.
"What about that?"
"What? How could anyone possibly cut through that thing?!"
Übel exclaimed and shook her head. She could not even imagine what cutting through a spacecraft would look like.
The size of a starship alone exceeded the effective range of her magic.
"What about me?"
The Spirit of Origin pointed at herself.
"...I can't understand you. That person is the same."
Übel shook her head again and looked toward Serie.
She held no particular respect for the grandmaster. She had tried cutting her before, but unfortunately, it had not worked.
"Interesting. Improve your mana and mental strength, and that spell will become far more useful."
Mio found the girl highly unusual and worthy of special attention.
The remaining mages proceeded to display all kinds of bizarre magic.
Not all their spells were offensive or defensive forms of combat magic. A considerable proportion consisted of everyday utility spells.
Some were extremely useful, while others were rather questionable.
Whoosh—
"This is a spell that turns sweet grapes sour. It makes grapes taste sour."
"This is a spell that creates hot tea. It can produce a cup of tea."
"A spell that creates shaved ice! Uh, unfortunately, we haven't developed a jam spell yet, so we can't make ice cream..."
"A spell that turns red apples green! Using it in reverse turns green apples red!"
"..."
The vast assortment of strange spells drew wave after wave of admiration from everyone present.
They might not have been especially powerful, but they were certainly entertaining to use.
"Perhaps these minor spells could be popularized among ordinary people?..."
Mio considered the matter. They were easy to learn and unlikely to cause problems if misused. In a sense, they could also enrich the Starsea Empire's magical systems.
"Oh, there's also an X-ray spell that lets you see through clothing and equipment to view the surface of someone's body."
Frieren raised her hand.
"I heard that all men want to learn this spell. Is that true? I can give it to you."
"..."
Mio paused and thought for a moment.
"Uh, I don't think the Commander has much need for it. He prefers a more direct approach."