Turning on her heels, Mujikka-sensei came face-to-face with the convoy of the empire. At the forefront was an ethereal beauty, the imperial princess, and by her flank was Grafiya, one whom I had confronted last summer in the Rising Star Event. 

They're followed—which was my guesstimate—by a clique of mages, possibly the representative of each nation under the guidance of an adult. 

I had heard today was supposed to be reserved for participants to take a look around the heart of the empire, so either they'd leave together with Yuglia's Royal Academy's participant, or the tour had already taken off, and this railway station happened to be one of the attractions. 

I was with Justin-senpai, who happened to be giggling to himself, his face drawn in his signature mischievous expression. He whispered to me as he pointed at Grayfia. She'd been hurling quite a glare for a while in our direction.

"*Whistle* It seems like someone has hots for you, Allen-kun! It's a gentleman's conduct to not keep a lady waiting, you know? C'mon, wave your hand... pfft!"

She must have heard him as a vein popped on Grayfia's forehead, and stepped out of the convoy. She closed the distance with Justin-senpai in a mere jump, throwing a power-packed punch at him.

"Whoops!"

A dull sound echoed as the punch crashed on the upper arm of Justin-senpai.

"Do you have a death wish, Justin Lock? Wipe that smirk from your face, it's creepy."

"Uh-huh, you're just as sharp as I remember, Grayfia-chan. But are you sure you should be doing that? You know you just suddenly attacked a knight of a different nation. Remember, we're no longer students?"

...What, what's with that unexpected meet up? 

No wait, Justin-senpai had graduated at the top of his class from Royal Academy, and his prowess was widely known. They could have clashed in one of the New Rising Star Cup, I guess? They're barely a year apart, so they could've become acquaintances sometime there.

"Or perhaps... you're trying to use a ruse, and display you're no friend of ours to someone, hmm?"

Justin-senpai gave a playful smirk, and darted his eyes around, trying to capture something. Grayfia's brows twitched as soon as she heard him, and quickly retracted her fist. 

"...Tch. Still as smug and insufferable as ever.”

Then, cutting between Grayfia and Justin-senpai, the Imperial Princess walked up to us with a leisure gait.

"Cease your antics, Grayfia. I hope you can pardon her reckless behaviour, Sir Justin Lock. And It's a pleasure meeting you, Allen-sama. I'm Arish, the fourth imperial princess of reigning emperor Raul. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

She pressed her palms together in a formal gesture, fingers interlaced, and gave a slight curtsy.

It was an old-fashioned knight’s salute—fitting for a princess of an empire that holds martial valor in high regard—and yet, with just that simple movement, she exuded a kind of grace a half-baked countryside noble like me could ever hope to imitate.

"It's nice to meet you, Your Highness Arish. It is a rare pleasure to be addressed so kindly by a princess of such beauty. I am deeply humbled.”

Justin-senpain returned the courtesy with a hand on his chest. I was totally clueless about etiquettes, so I quickly copied his manner, and chimed in.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, your highness. I'm Allen Rovenne."

Then, perhaps it was their signal, the remaining representatives closed up to us, introducing themselves in order.

Though the tournament had yet to begin, these were clearly national representatives, Each of them carried themselves with the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from true strength and experience.

Frankly, I had expected to stumble into a ferocious vibe, but it appeared my thoughts were no more than figments of my imagination as I gazed at the quiet, harmonious exchange. 

Or had I raised the flag? As soon the greetings were over, Grayfia-san uttered a monologue and murked the vibrant atmosphere. 

"Tch! Look at how everyone's acting like a sheep, rising their tails. Pathetic. Hah, are you all blind or have you not seen the arrogance of Yuglia? The next one to end up on their chopping board might as well be your nation next."

It was like an ice wave had swept past us, freezing everyone on their spot when her ludicrous remark reached everyone’s ear.

"......What had I said earlier, Grayfia? Do not make me repeat myself."

With a quiet, but authoritative tone, Arish-san rebuked Grayfia-san for her conduct. 

Well, she wasn't entirely incorrect. After all, it's a fact Yuglia had been taking remarkable strides in bringing up national strength. 

The present king—King Patrick had been a man of brilliant tactic, earning the recognition as a wise king by the rest of nations for his performance in solidifying Yuglia's internal structure, while he also mended the fractures caused by his predecessors’ aggressive territorial expansions, restoring order and stability across the kingdom. 

Ever since his coronation, King Patrick never once showed a desire for dominion over other lands, and from my understanding of his character, I could make a good guess that he would rather skip the war if the situation permits at all. However, the neighbouring nations might not share the same sentiment.

It wasn't just the empire. Many more nations had begun to watch Ygulia with growing unease.

"Nevertheless, your speech can benefit from more tact, grayfia-chan. After all, isn't this kind of occasion a perfect occasion to make more friends than enemies? Keeping a balance of the forces is quite an important aspect."

Justin-senpai flashed a wry smile, though grayfia-san's response remained mere scornful huff. 

“Hmph. Spare me the platitudes. You think playing nice on the surface actually turns enemies into allies? Negotiation only works when both sides have equal footing. If you're the weaker one, you're not negotiating—you’re submitting.”

Well... her words were rough, but I could catch the gist of her implication. 

It's true that no one would entertain the word of a powerless leader, and definitely not when they're locked in a power struggle. But in the end, it’s still people—representatives of those nations—who sit at the negotiating table.

Though, let the emotions get the better of you, and you risk provoking a vain war. In the worst case, ignorance could also turn a neutral power into an enemy, and upset the entire power dynamic. That's why maintaining good relations, wherever possible, is always the wiser path.

As I mulled this over, tilting my head slightly in thought, Grayfia-san suddenly shot me a glare sharp enough to cut steel.

"And you're in this too, Allen Rovenne! What was with bowing and scraping like some bootlicking merchant! Where’s your pride as a descendant of the Dosperiar bloodline, one of the Original Five, for crying out loud?!"

What? For a quiet minute, I had no inkling what caused her to train her outburst on me, but once I saw through it, I only shook my head in response.

"...No, I do not have any pride. I'm whom my parents raised to be—Allen Rovenne, the 3rd son of some hinterland viscount."

She had lived long enough to have her value, and I wasn't going to be some boorish moralist, trying to correct her, but in the same vein, I would never shift my values to anyone.

Perhaps she was right, and my ancestors were some super hot-shot, but that was all there to it.   The praises wouldn't make me great just because.  

grayfia-san gnashed on her teeth when I firmly refuted her words. A veil of mana floated around as she gave me an intensive glare.  

But I didn’t flinch. I had no intention of backing down. I wouldn’t compromise on that—nor would I bend to someone else’s expectations.

Before I knew it, we were locked in a silent standoff, tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Then, just as the atmosphere was tightening to a breaking point… the master of provocation himself broke the silence.

With a firm hand on my shoulder and a voice full of irreverent glee, he spoke.

"Hey, you shouldn't try to pick a quarrel with everyone you found, you know? There's always heaven above heaven, and... or you will find yourself in tears much like last time, eh? I mean by Allen of course... pfft!"

Hey, don't gag over the situation. You're only pouring oil in the fire! 

Unsurprisingly, everyone found themselves in an awkward situation, aware of the happening, and looked away. 

"I-I didn't cry, alright! And no, if we fight again, it will be my win no doubt! But if you're inclined to insist, try me now, you perverted bastard!"

Grayfia's face went bright red like an apple as she blaze in fury, and the control of her mana—which she had been operating with precision—turned erratic. 

"W-What're you saying, Justin-senpai?  Obviously, it was grayfia-san who'd won. And even then, whatever happened that day was mere trick of wind, an accident if you may—"

"Oh? So I reckon you've made a full proof plan against Sylph, do you? Still, I am not sure I would be so bold if I had been dressed that way... go Allen, try her defense out!"

"Good heavens, can you stop pouring oil on the matter, Justin-senpaig? What was the test even supposed to be for?!"

I practically leapt in to shut him down before he made things worse.

That whole thing was accidental! And yet somehow I got a reputation for being a skirt-lifting menace in front of VIPs of other nations! 

She’s probably wearing something safer now—shorts or something—but that doesn’t change the optics! Just imagining the scene again is already too much. If anything worse happened, I could kiss any chance of getting a girlfriend away, at least in this continent.

But in response to Justin-senpai’s cheap provocation, Grayfia-san just grinned—a bold, defiant smile—and planted her feet, arms thrown wide as if to say come at me whenever you like.

“I would've wanted nothing else. Allen Rovenne, you\re definitely going to regret this. Hehehe."

"F-Fia, do no tell me you've broken the seal on—"

Beside her, the Imperial Princess seemed to have an inkling as she spoke the line straight out of an 8th-grade syndrom's fantasy, her face bright red like a tomato. It seemed to have brought up everyone's attention, and they all quietly watched with baited breath.

"Wow, look at that confidence. It appears you've some tough competition, Allen. Come on, it's time to show off!"

◆◆◆

Soon, Justin-senpai and I were escorted to the awaiting carriage by princess Arish. The carriage was meant to drop us at the guest house his majesty was staying at.

The carriage itself was drawn by two magnificent horses, their coats shimmering with well-bred luster. I had heard some say that the nobles of the empire weren't very much fond of cars. 

Imperial warhorses, many of which were magically breeded through a strict guideline, were famously high in quality. The Empire's cavalry, backed by the steady supply of these enhanced beasts, had earned a reputation for being one of the strongest on the continent. 

Naturally, in this society, the kind of horses you own—and how many—speak volumes about your status and influence. And the military saw these tireless, power-packed monster-horses as superior to any three or four-wheeler mana-machines, at least this was true in the current  scenario.

Besides, when it comes to rough terrain, long-distance travel, speed, raw power, and even maintenance, mana-vehicles were still far behind. 

Well, *for now*, that is. 

I wasn't surprised. In fact, even in Yuglia, those who believe the advancement of mana-vehicles could supersede the role of horses in the army one day were in minority. So indifference was to be expected from the empire when they'd hailed as one of the best in cavalry. 

On the way, Justin-senpai did most of the talk with Arish-senpai, much of it revolving around art, history and so on. 

He skillfully avoided anything overtly political, yet every phrase carried subtle undertones—an elegant verbal fencing match, where veiled meanings and gentle prodding revealed quiet insights into each side’s capabilities. It was diplomacy disguised as small talk, the kind that only true masters could pull off.

I only watched them quietly, astonished at their eloquence of touch. Despite how casual he was with his words, I was gobsmacked at his expertise in leading around the conversation, even though the barbs within words were so quietly veiled in nonchalance. 

That said, not everyone shared the same feelings, or were even displeased with current status-quo, like grayfia-san right in front of me. She hadn't uttered a word since we boarded the carriage. 

And no, I didn't let myself be swept up in the instigation of Justin-senpai, and firmly refused to follow through. 

But grayfia-san? She had been completely rolling in Senpai's palm, and for a moment, I had even wondered if she just wanted someone to flip her skirt. She kept taunting me, like 'what, got the cold feet now, Allen Rovenne?', but a true gentleman doesn't fight back.

However, my refusal just continued to take a hammer to her spirit, and at the end—'Today's one's design is quite plain, you know? Though Arish's one is more bolder,' she even began to give commentary over the imperial princess's underwear design. Of course, she immediately faced the wrath of Arish-san's embarrassment, her scolding, 'Is this supposed to be the conduct of the former public morale committee president!?.' reducing her to tears. 

And yet, somehow I was at the receiving end of everyone's reproach. I didn't get it, and neither did I know what to say without making the situation even more awkward... 

*Sigh*... anyway, I was here for sightseeing, right. I turned my gaze to glance at the flowing town's scenery.

T/N - Changing Princess name. Arichi —» Arish.