"Oh? So you are saying that young man who is about to become one of the Ten Wizard Saints has come to Alvarez of his own accord and wishes to join the Empire?"
Inside her bedchamber, Irene, her long hair loose and flowing, dressed in nothing but a thin layer of black silk, gently closed the book in her hand and looked toward Heine and Juliet, who had come to deliver the report.
Juliet said, "Yes. Since Lady Irene was so interested in him before, the moment we heard news about him, we came to report it at once."
Heine added, "By now, he should have already arrived. Lady Irene, would you like me to arrange for him to come and pay his respects?"
Turning slightly to the side, her full, fair legs crossing over one another, Irene propped her head up with one hand and thought for a moment before making her decision.
"Then make the arrangements.
It just so happens that I would like to see what he is truly capable of, and at the same time find out what exactly he is plotting.
I do not believe a genius from Ishgar would come all the way here to join the Empire for no reason.
Perhaps this will prove amusing."
As she spoke, Irene rolled over and sat up on the bed, stretching languidly.
Juliet and Heine exchanged a glance, then stepped forward in perfect unspoken coordination to help her dress and prepare herself.
At the same time...
"Lord Kabe, welcome to Vistarion, the capital of the Alvarez Empire.
I am Bask, the one assigned to receive you. From here on, I will be guiding you."
Having just stepped off the magic airship, Kabe looked at the middle-aged gentleman standing before him with a hand pressed to his chest in a respectful bow. With his arms folded arrogantly across his chest, Kabe did not even bother responding.
Even after receiving no answer for a long time, Bask did not get angry. He simply rose as though nothing had happened and politely extended a hand in invitation.
"Please come with me. I will first show you around and let you appreciate the grandeur of the capital."
"No need. I came here to see His Imperial Majesty. As for everything else, I refuse."
Kabe deliberately put on a difficult, arrogant attitude, one that fit perfectly with the image of a young genius.
Though inwardly annoyed, Bask did not dare offend a distinguished guest whom his superiors had specifically ordered him to treat well.
Still, when it came to Kabe's request to see the Emperor, he hesitated, clearly finding it difficult to explain.
Just as he was struggling to think of a way to persuade Kabe to give up on that idea, a cold, emotionless female voice entered both their ears.
"His Majesty Spriggan is not in the capital. You will not be seeing him anytime soon."
Bask turned toward the voice. The moment he recognized the newcomer, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.
"Lady Brandish. This is Lord Kabe, the honored guest who wishes to join the Empire. I am currently receiving him under the orders of Minister Ajeel."
"Yes, yes, I know. But you are no longer needed here. I will take over from this point on."
"Ah? R-right. Understood. I will leave him in your care, Lady Brandish."
Bask was stunned for a moment, but he quickly accepted it and withdrew on his own, thus bringing his task to an end.
After he left, Kabe and Brandish remained where they were, staring at each other.
Neither of them spoke first.
Tilting his head, Kabe looked over the green-haired girl in front of him and thought to himself,
'Green hair, and that name too... so she really is Brandish, the future Spriggan Twelve.
But why is she barefoot and dressed in a nightgown?
Did she seriously come out to receive a guest like this?'
Across from him, Brandish, wearing a pale yellow slip nightdress, was grumbling inwardly as well.
'What is even going on here? I was sleeping just fine, and they had to drag me out to receive some traitor from Ishgar.
They say he is some genius mage, but aside from being somewhat good-looking, he does not seem like much at all.'
With that thought, Brandish covered her mouth and let out a huge yawn.
'I am so sleepy. I should hurry and bring this idiot to Lady Irene, then go right back home and sleep.'
"...Hey. You just said your thoughts out loud."
"Ah, did I?" Brandish scratched her head with lifeless eyes.
"But since I already said it, then whatever. A weakling like you would not be able to beat me anyway."
"...What exactly are you here for? That kind of obvious provocation would not even fool a three-year-old, okay?"
"Is that so? So you saw through it."
Brandish did not look embarrassed in the slightest.
"Actually, Lady Irene wanted me to test your strength first.
But since you already figured it out, there is nothing I can do.
Let us just count it as my defeat."
After saying that, Brandish turned around without the slightest hesitation and waved a hand casually.
"Sorry. Since I failed my mission, I have to go home and accept punishment. You can deal with the rest yourself."
Watching Brandish leave with such astonishing decisiveness, Kabe was left standing there in utter disorder.
"What kind of joke is this?
You chased away the person who was supposed to receive me.
Then you came over, said a bunch of random nonsense, and now you are quitting to go slack off.
So what the hell am I supposed to do now?!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Kabe started walking forward on his own.
As the capital of Alvarez, Vistarion showed Kabe not only its prosperity, but also, more clearly than anything else, the severity of its defenses.
Walking down the broad streets, he could see heavily armed royal guards patrolling almost everywhere.
And yet the civilians here seemed to have long since grown used to such a sight. Each of them went about their own business, showing little fear of the soldiers moving back and forth around them.