Crocus, the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore.
Because flowers of every kind bloomed all across the city, it was also known as the City of Blossoms.
For Kabe, this was also his first time visiting the capital of his own country.
Riding in the magic car, the group saw the towering white-painted city walls from far away.
At the city gate, a squad of spear-bearing guards stood firmly at their posts with full diligence.
From time to time, they stopped passing wagons and checked whether the merchant caravans were carrying any prohibited goods.
Overall, however, the conditions for entering the capital were still fairly relaxed.
That was precisely what had created the prosperity of present-day Crocus, where merchants and travelers came and went in an endless flow.
After waving yet another merchant convoy through, the captain of the gate guard squad, Kuro, raised his hand to stop the magic car slowly approaching him.
Ordinary magic cars were usually like horse-drawn wagons, with the driver seated outside.
But this one was completely different. It had a fully enclosed cabin, with both driver and passengers hidden inside.
Kuro had never seen this kind of magic car before, so out of professional duty, he decided to step forward and question them properly.
Inside the car, Kabe was speechless.
Who would have thought that he, a newly appointed Wizard Saint, would get stopped right at the city gate?
This was all Crawford's fault for insisting on making the exterior of the magic car so low-key.
The man had been terrified that the outside world might think he was someone who loved luxury and indulged in pleasure.
While Kabe was inwardly complaining about that, Kuro had already reached the car.
Through the windshield, he looked at Heine and Juliet in the driver and passenger seats, but saw nothing particularly unusual.
Then he walked over to the rear window and knocked lightly on the curtain-covered glass.
"My apologies. Routine inspection."
After he spoke, there was silence for a few seconds.
Only then was the curtain slowly drawn aside.
Irene's face appeared before him, beautiful, exquisite, and cold.
Kuro instinctively held his breath and froze where he stood.
But then the red-haired beauty leaned slightly back, avoiding his direct gaze while at the same time revealing someone behind her, someone Kuro recognized instantly.
"I-it is you...!"
Before the excited guard could shout out his name, Kabe raised a hand and made a gesture for silence.
Kuro hurriedly covered his own mouth, but his eyes still widened into circles as his astonished gaze landed on Kabe's face, then on the silver cross badge gleaming on his chest.
The moment he saw that badge, the shock and delight in his expression deepened even further.
It was only at that point that he realized Irene's face also seemed strangely familiar.
Sure enough, when he looked at her again, he also saw the badge on her body, the one symbolizing the highest honor an Ishgar mage could receive: one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
At once, he stepped back two paces without the slightest hesitation, pounded a fist respectfully against his breastplate, and frantically waved them through.
After doing all that, he saw Kabe inside the car give him a small nod. Then the curtain was drawn shut again, and the magic car started forward once more.
Watching the vehicle smoothly drive into the city, Kuro remained rooted in place for a long while, unable to calm down.
What kind of ridiculous luck had he stumbled into today? He had actually met two newly appointed Wizard Saints in person.
It was a shame he was on duty.
Otherwise, he absolutely would have gathered the courage to ask both of them for autographs and then gone home to show them off to his friends and family.
Seeing Kuro standing there grinning foolishly to himself, one of the guards walked over in confusion and called out softly,
"Captain?"
"Ah, right. This is too important. I need to report it immediately!"
Muttering to himself, Kuro shoved the spear in his hand at the subordinate who had come to ask, then turned and ran toward the guard post without looking back.
Using the sentry booth's communication magic crystal, he immediately reported to his superiors that Kabe and Irene had entered the royal capital.
...
At the center of Crocus stood Fiore's royal palace, the Mercurius Palace of the Eternal Light.
The current king, Toma Fiore, was strolling through the palace gardens with his fifteen-year-old daughter, Princess Hisui E. Fiore, surrounded by attendants.
Because of the good news in recent days, King Toma was in unusually high spirits, a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth from time to time.
Hisui naturally knew what her father was so pleased about, and she could not help teasing him with a grin.
"You ought to calm down a little, Father. It has already been several days since that lord was granted the title of Wizard Saint."
Instead of restraining himself after hearing his daughter's teasing, Toma's smile only widened.
"You do not understand, Hisui. The Ten Wizard Saints are not merely a symbol of honor. They are living, breathing human strategic weapons.
Every one of them possesses magic power mighty enough to change the color of heaven and earth, existences so powerful that even kings must treat them with great respect.
And Lord Kabe, on top of that, comes from our own country. He is a genius mage even stronger and younger than Jose of Phantom Lord once was.
With him around, Fiore's stability is even more assured.
And among the surrounding nations, our kingdom will have a stronger voice as well."
As the only daughter of the king, and the crown princess destined to inherit the kingdom one day, Hisui naturally understood the logic behind her father's words.
But she still felt there was something odd about it.
"Father, before this, the kingdom also had Lord Makarov and Lord Jose standing at its side.
Now it is only a matter of replacing one person with another. The impact on the kingdom should not be so great that it makes you this delighted.
Could it be that Lord Kabe has some special ability that makes you value him so highly?"
The moment he heard that question, Toma suddenly became visibly unnatural and began trying to cover it up.
"It is nothing. I simply admire how young Kabe is and feel that he has tremendous potential ahead of him."