She wore a pure white strapless gown stitched with golden trim, with a golden flower crown resting atop her head, and sat neatly at her father's left side, waiting together with him for the guests to arrive.
At last, after an anxious wait, the figures of Kabe and the others finally appeared beyond the wide-open doors of the banquet hall.
Toma rose to his feet at once and went forward to welcome them.
Hisui reacted a little more slowly, trailing half a step behind her father.
The moment he saw the king and princess, Fernando immediately stopped, bent forward at a perfect ninety-degree angle, and offered a formal salute.
"Great sovereign of the Kingdom of Fiore, benevolent and wise guardian of the realm, His Majesty King Toma IV of the House of Fiore.
And Her Highness Princess Hisui, symbol of beauty and purity, the Princess of Blossoms, the unquestioned heir of the kingdom.
Your loyal servant Fernando, in accordance with Your Majesty's command, has brought before you these honored guests.
Lord Kabe and Lady Irene Belserion, both numbered among the Ten Wizard Saints, as well as the beautiful and wise Miss Brandish."
Brandish: Not even trying to hide the favoritism now? Why do I only get beauty and wisdom?
"Rise, Fernando, my trusted right hand."
Toma lifted a hand as though helping him up from afar. After bowing once more, Fernando straightened and quietly stepped aside of his own accord.
The instant he withdrew, both Toma and Hisui turned their attention fully to Kabe's group.
Naturally, Kabe was not about to use words that ceremonial.
But the man before him was still, at least in name, his sovereign, so Kabe still gave him a fairly proper greeting.
"Your Majesty, may your banner forever fly high."
Irene and Brandish were even more direct. They simply lowered their heads and lightly lifted their skirts as a sign of greeting, nothing more.
If an ordinary noble had dared show such perfunctory disrespect toward the king, Fernando and the palace guards nearby would have drawn their swords and cut them down before Toma even had to say a word.
But the three people standing before him were anything but ordinary.
There was no need to explain Kabe and Irene. As Wizard Saints, their status alone was enough to stand on equal footing with a king, so they had no need to follow such etiquette.
Brandish too was a powerful figure acknowledged by the Magic Council, and was even said to be a reserve candidate for the Spriggan Twelve of the western continent, a genius who would almost certainly possess Wizard Saint-level strength in the future.
Forget being merely a little perfunctory. Even if the three of them had ignored Toma completely, he still would not have dared feel the slightest displeasure.
And in any case, Kabe's greeting had already given him more than enough face.
In an instant, a warm smile bloomed across Toma's somewhat childish-looking round face.
"Lord Kabe, I have long heard your name. Please forgive the abruptness of my invitation."
Then he nodded politely toward Irene and Brandish as well.
"And Lady Irene, Miss Brandish, please do not take offense either. To show my sincerity, I have specially ordered the royal chefs to prepare delicacies and wine unique to Fiore."
"You are too courteous, Your Majesty. As it happens, I also have a few matters to discuss with you. So let us talk while we eat."
After riding all the way to the capital, Kabe was already feeling a little hungry.
With the rich fragrance of food lingering under his nose and constantly teasing his appetite, he simply got straight to the point instead of wasting time on more formal pleasantries.
Toma himself was not fond of all those complicated rituals either. Hearing Kabe say that, he immediately turned sideways and gestured toward the seats.
"Exactly. Please, all three of you, take your seats. I will have the servants bring in the dishes at once."
Kabe and the others readily agreed. Fernando, without needing any further instruction from the king, began directing the servants on his own.
Hisui remained by her father's side, yet from the very start, her attention had fallen entirely on Irene.
But as a mage herself, she quickly noticed something strange.
From Kabe, she could not sense even the slightest trace of magic power.
By contrast, from Irene and Brandish, even with Irene slightly suppressing her magic, Hisui could still feel a terrifying depth like an endless abyss.
That discovery immediately made it hard for Hisui to look away.
And on top of that, Irene carried the title of the strongest female mage. As a woman herself, Hisui naturally found Irene even more captivating.
It was only after everyone had sat down that Toma finally noticed the unusual state his daughter was in.
And the moment he did, he was so alarmed he nearly fell out of his chair.
'No, no, no! My foolish daughter, you are looking at the wrong person! There is a young, handsome, perfect man sitting right in front of you. Can you seriously not see him?!
Lady Irene may indeed be extremely impressive, but she is still a woman just like you. No matter how much you keep staring, it is not going to help!!
Still dreaming of having Hisui marry Kabe, strengthen the throne, and produce an excellent heir for the kingdom, Toma immediately coughed and tried to guide the conversation.
"Ahem. Come to think of it, Hisui, you have not yet greeted our three honored guests properly, have you?"
Hisui froze, then quickly realized that she really had been neglectful in her manners. She immediately rose and offered her greeting.
"My apologies. Hisui greets Lord Kabe, Lady Irene, and Sister Brandish."
Brandish: ? So now I get singled out differently too?