Even among the notoriously troublesome institutions of the Lands Between, the Academy of Raya Lucaria's Star Faculty was an oddity of its own.
Not merely because its dean was the legendary "Former Queen," but because its research diverged completely from that of every other faculty. While others fixed their eyes on the present and the earth beneath their feet, the Star Faculty turned its gaze to the heavens above.
In their own words, they were "those who look toward the future and progress—the guiding light of the Lands Between."
But to everyone else, they were simply a bunch of pompous sky-watchers who did nothing of substance. Aside from a handful truly capable of reading the stars and glimpsing fate or disaster, the rest were just stubborn, self-important eccentrics who couldn't even find work after graduation.
As for how the dean herself saw it…
"I don't have an opinion."
In the Star Faculty's dean's office, the blue-haired woman replied as she quietly brewed tea.
Gone was the youthful air she once had. The witch before them had become something altogether different—mysterious, distant, and deeply unfathomable.
And this mystery extended even to those within the academy itself. Few had ever met her face-to-face, let alone spoken with her. To this day, there were still those who whispered that the dean of the Star Faculty might not even exist.
As for why…
"So, how did this 'Journey of the Stars' go?"
"Don't even bring it up."
Ranni took a sip of tea, her expression relaxing as she exhaled.
"Alice dumped another pile of work on me—stellar alignments over here, anomaly checks over there. Halfway through, I even ran into two Astels clawing at each other and had to mediate…"
"Doesn't sound pleasant."
"Not unpleasant—exhausting. Mentally and emotionally both."
After a brief pause, Lloyd spoke again.
"How does it compare to being Queen?"
"I'd rather mediate ten Astel fights a day."
The Princess of the Dark Moon—or as she was known now, the "Queen of the Stars"—had long ago given up her throne. After enduring the chaos of her fellow sorcerers until she finally understood why her mother had gone mad, Ranni had resigned for the sake of her own sanity.
Freed at last from the burden of responsibility, the blue witch finally had time to pursue her long-cherished dream—to journey into the starry expanse she had so long yearned to see.
Thanks to Alice, she no longer had to slip out of the Lands Between under false papers. This time, she had legal travel rights, Lloyd's company, and even a token from Alice herself—one that granted her safe passage and partial authority over the powers of the stars.
Ranni was, of course, delighted with the gift.
What she didn't yet realize was that every gift from fate carries a hidden price.
A gift freely given often costs more than one bought.
In other words, Ranni was later drafted into service by Alice. What should have been a leisurely "journey among the stars" turned into one business trip after another.
At first, she was genuinely excited. She'd never left the Lands Between before—never seen the stars up close. The thought of being the first to reach them made her inner child burn with pride. She even imagined how coolly she'd boast of her travels once she returned.
But as time passed and the novelty faded, the so-called "journey" turned into little more than work.
One day she was calculating irregular star patterns. The next, fixing celestial malfunctions. Even random quarrels between creatures by the roadside somehow ended up requiring her intervention.
"The stars… aren't as mysterious as I thought."
Ranni sighed.
Over time, she came to accept the reality of the starry realm. Her demeanor steadied, her temperament matured... and her once-slender figure grew softer, fuller, more radiant.
"This time, I'm on top."
"Didn't you just say you were tired?"
"That's different."
After confirming that Ranni had no other concerns and advising her to get some rest, Lloyd gently pinched her cheek, then left the Star Faculty.
Turning right after stepping outside, he passed Leon, who was hurrying off to handle the Blood Therapy faction incident.
A short walk later, he arrived at the classroom of Force Field Sorcery.
Looking up, he saw a familiar bald figure at the lectern, sketching models across the board while explaining and debating with the students before him.
"Master Thops, what's this model about?"
"Master Thops, look at this formula."
The classroom was alive with energy, so Lloyd chose not to interrupt. He glanced around briefly, then quietly slipped out.
Light shifted. Shadows flickered.
After making a slow circuit around the academy, Lloyd's figure appeared in Limgrave.
Nearby, two people were talking.
"Did you hear? There's some Grafted lunatic on the front lines lately—killed a ton of people already…"
"No one's handling it?"
"They've issued a bounty. Plenty of people signed up, but this can't go on forever. You know how it is—ever since prosthetic grafting became common, half the so-called 'surgeons' don't even have licenses. And fools still go to them because they're cheap. Some even do home modifications themselves…"
"So that's why the higher-ups suddenly want stricter laws on grafting…"
"Yeah, and that's not all. I heard they're forming a special rapid-response unit just to deal with grafted maniacs. Good pay too. I'm thinking of signing up."
As the two continued chatting, Lloyd walked past and left them behind.
Compared to before, Limgrave had changed dramatically. The landscapes still held their old beauty, but more and more of it had been replaced by towns and cities.
Smooth paved roads stretched ahead, lined with twin rows of trees. People bustled beneath them, carts rattled past, and merchants driving steam-powered magitech vehicles waved cheerfully at the townsfolk.
"Yo, Laka! What're you selling this time?"
"Good stuff! Twelve fourth-grade arms, one third-grade tail, six fresh kidneys, and a 'Big Steel Cannon.' Anyone interested, come to Laut's Grafted Clinic! All genuine high-grade products from Stormveil's Artificial Cultivation Institute—certified and insured!"
Thanks to the profits brought by grafting technology, Limgrave had not only urbanized rapidly but also become famous across the Lands Between as the "Center of Grafted Treatment."
Of course, with such rapid growth came problems—cheap knockoffs, botched surgeries, and, inevitably, graft-induced madness.
But progress never comes without scars. Lloyd understood that, and he had no intention of interfering too much.
After wandering for a while, he eventually reached Stormveil Castle, where he met Godrick once again.
The demigod sat on a high platform, covered in a patchwork of mismatched limbs, watching the contestants below present their grafted creations. Sometimes he nodded, sometimes shook his head, occasionally even holding up scorecards.
"Welcome to Limgrave's most popular reality show—The Grafting Championship!"
"Today's match will decide the Top 16! Each contestant has brought their proudest creation. Our live audience here, and those watching the Magic Web broadcast, can vote for their favorites with a single click! The winning design might even go into mass production!"
Though Godrick had been useless at fighting, useless at grafting, and embarrassing in temperament, not long after Lloyd's coronation, an unexpected talent of his was discovered—showmanship.
As a noble from the Royal Capital, Godrick's taste wasn't entirely hopeless, and he had a surprising knack for hands-on work and public engagement.
He couldn't run a city to save his life, but when it came to entertainment—hosting shows, organizing festivals, planning events—he was a natural. Before long, he became one of the Magic Web's biggest celebrities. His livestreams and reality shows were wildly popular across the Lands Between.
As for Godefroy, in the early days he personally managed most of Stormveil's affairs, working diligently and sparing Lloyd no small amount of trouble. But after years of overwork, and once the administration stabilized, Godefroy retired from his post as Lord of Stormveil, keeping his pension and spending his days traveling the Lands Between like a leisurely old man.
...
After finishing his walk through Limgrave, Lloyd teleported again.
This time, he arrived in Caelid.
Blessed with abundance, the region had once suffered terribly, yet its recovery was swift and prosperous.
He entered the Equine Academy, leaned casually on a railing, and looked up.
Before him stood three colossal statues—those of the red-maned pony, Torrent, and Loretta's horse.
In time, these three came to be known as the academy's founders. To all the other equine maidens, they were the first of their kind—the origin of the lineage.
Over generations, they were revered as the "Three Goddesses," and the legend endured even now.
As for Lloyd and Radahn—
Lloyd's statues were everywhere, though due to the perception filters he'd left behind, no one except those close to him could recognize his likeness.
Radahn's statue, meanwhile, stood tall beside the Great Colosseum, worshiped as the Guardian God of Warriors.
As for Radahn himself—well, even after peace returned, he was too restless for quiet life. So Lloyd sent him—and the equally battle-hungry Redmanes—beyond the Lands Between to wage war elsewhere.
Of course, he left a teleportation sigil behind. Whenever Radahn grew bored, he'd return for a visit.
In short—everything was just as it should be.
"Battle! Glorious!"
Aside from Radahn, the flying dragons that once roamed this land had long since reconciled with the ancient dragons. Yet for many reasons, only a small number chose to return. The rest stayed behind in Caelid or in their original territories.
And because Lloyd had created an anthropomorphization system and removed the reproductive barriers between species, pure-blooded flying dragons had become rare—but creatures bearing dragon blood were now everywhere.
There were even strange beings like dragon-horse girls.
But that was no concern of Lloyd's.
After inspecting the Colosseum and confirming through the Golden Branch that all was well with Radahn, Lloyd teleported once more.
...
This time, he appeared in the Royal Capital, Leyndell—silently materializing on an unnoticed chair within a conference room.
At the head of the table sat a woman with dusk-colored eyes. Fingers interlaced, she swept her gaze across the gathered officials before tapping the desk lightly, her tone cool and calm.
"So, can someone explain why this quarter's budget has exceeded its limit again?"
"And as for these new technologies and legislative proposals—I've said this many times: it's not that they can't be approved, but that we must approve as few as possible.
"We still haven't fully absorbed the results of the last wave of innovation. If we rush into another, it won't bring prosperity—it will bring instability, maybe even madness."
Melina sat where Marika once had, presiding over the ministers and administrators as they discussed and distributed responsibilities.
After Marika's abdication, with Godwyn off working for Nito and others unfit to take her place, the council had chosen Melina as her successor—making her the chief administrator of the capital and one of Lloyd's principal aides.
Unlike Ranni, though her workload was heavy, Melina didn't mind the constant busyness. She did it not only to assist Lloyd, but also to protect the stability of the Lands Between.
Even so, in this new age of technological explosion, faced with mountains of reports and endless reforms, even Melina began to feel suffocated by the weight of it all.
A dull pain throbbed behind her temples.
"...Enough for today. Return to your posts."
Once the meeting was dismissed, Melina returned to her office. But before she could sit down, an arm slid around her waist.
Then—
"Need me to help?"
Lloyd's eyes drifted toward the stack of documents on her desk.
But the Melina resting in his embrace wasn't looking at them.
"Mhm. You can help."
He nodded, reached for the papers—and her hand caught his midair.
"The kind of help I meant," she said quietly, "isn't with the paperwork."
Then came the soft sound of something falling onto the bed.
And after that—There was nothing more to say.