A Dinner Banquet

It was late afternoon in the city of Edenia. 

A servant from the Turelina family's residence arrived to deliver a message from their master, inviting Kirana and Luis to a dinner banquet.

In response to the message, Kirana sent the servant back, assuring them that she would arrive before dinner. 

She immediately began preparing herself for the event, taking a shower and dressing in her military uniform. This sight left the servants and the children of C-Owl in awe.

"Ah! How can the Young Miss look like this?" one of them exclaimed.

Isabelle, who witnessed this, immediately pulled Kirana into the dressing room. 

She forcibly removed the military uniform and replaced it with an elegant light blue and white gown. 

Not stopping there, Isabelle transformed Kirana's hairstyle, which had been in a simple ponytail, into flowing locks, with two side braids that were gathered and tied at the back.

Kirana had been silently complying with a vacant look, occasionally wanting to resist and rebel but receiving stern scoldings from Isabelle.

"Is this necessary, Isabelle? I'm just going to Uncle Rene's house."

"What are you saying, Young Miss? Don't forget, you are now a Princess of the Kingdom. You must display the dignity of royalty!"

"Ugh, but Arcadia is just a small kingdom..."

"What's the problem then? Even though it's small, it's still a kingdom. Besides, Arcadia has a Champion. No one would dare underestimate Arcadia and Young Miss in Kastia."

"Sigh... I don't know why my life has changed so quickly. I can't adapt to things like this royal status."

"What can you do? Grand Master's thoughts are too complicated to comprehend. He immediately made waves in Kastia as soon as he appeared. He truly deserves to be the founder of C-Owl," Isabelle retorted.

Hearing that, Kirana felt a bead of sweat trickle down her neck. She believed that Isabelle had just misunderstood.

Kirana was confident that her father hadn't been thinking about establishing a kingdom at all. 

She was even certain that he would still refuse to be addressed as a king, even though such a refusal would be futile.

"But Young Miss... I don't think you need to adapt and change your attitude. Miss Kirana remains Miss Kirana. It's just that I don't want others to look down on your family just because of inappropriate clothing."

"...hm, I understand."

"Yosh! With that, we're done. Look, Young Miss looks like a fairy from a book."

"Sigh..."

Kirana sighed softly, feeling uncomfortable with the breeze under her skirt. Kirana rarely wore dresses, skirts, or women's clothing. She was more comfortable in pants and a T-shirt.

When she returned to the front hall, those who saw her were now in awe, nodding repeatedly with teary eyes. They were truly delighted to see their Young Miss finally willing to wear a dress.

Their reactions only made Kirana's expression even more sour.

"These people...!"

"Hoho, Princess Kirana, you look stunning!"

Luis, who had arrived, immediately bowed and greeted Kirana. 

He was impressed by the attire of the Arcadian Princess. He then guided Kirana out of the house and into the carriage to head to Count Turelina's location.

Kirana and Luis certainly didn't go without protection. There were six guards who were members of the Moon Squad assigned to ensure their safety. 

One of the guards even carried Kirana's Moonice and Fire Sword.

Upon their arrival at the Turelina residence, Kirana and Luis were welcomed by a lineup of servants in the front hall. 

They led Kirana to the dining room, where Count Rene Turelina and five others were sitting on one side of the dining table.

Kirana knew all of these individuals. Count Rene Turelina, his wife, and their two sons, as well as one last person who was the late Count Turelina's brother, effectively Rene's uncle.

"Welcome to Turelina, Princess Kirana."

Rene Turelina and his family immediately stood and approached Kirana and Luis.

"Hahaha," Kirana chuckled dryly in response to the title of "Princess" in front of her name, "Long time no see, Uncle Rene. And Aunt Delina as well, you look lovely as always."

"Oh, dear, this little princess knows how to flatter. How was your journey, Kirana? I heard you've truly established a kingdom in that cursed place?"

Kirana chuckled once more, then took her seat, and the dinner banquet commenced. Throughout the meal, Kirana and Luis shared their experiences in Arcadia and talked about her father.

Hearing the story about Cien, Rene, who had been a close friend of Cien's, burst into hearty laughter. 

He never expected to hear the name of his old friend, who had been unheard of for the past ten years, suddenly resounding throughout Kastia as the king of a new kingdom in Death Valley.

Rene truly hadn't imagined that his friend had been alive all this time. 

He lowered his head and rubbed his eyes, holding back tears. After regaining his composure, he turned to Luis.

"How is Cien doing now, Uncle Luis?"

"Other than his power and knowledge in various fields, his nature and behavior haven't changed at all. He still enjoys avoiding responsibilities, but..."

"...he still fulfills his responsibilities well," Rene continued.

Luis laughed at that. During his time in Arcadia, he saw that Cien remained just as he remembered him from two years ago.

A man who disliked status and responsibilities, detested work, and preferred playing and pursuing his hobbies. 

However, even though he appeared lazy, he still carried out every duty and responsibility excellently, developing his small territory in the south and making it even more prosperous. 

Unfortunately, Cien was somewhat gullible when it came to those close to him, which made him a victim of his own family's conspiracy.

Although Luis claimed that Cien was still the same as before, there had been a slight change in Cien's demeanor now, a change that might have occurred due to the power he currently possessed.

During the old days, Luis recalled that Cien was always cautious not to provoke those who were stronger and had higher status than him. 

He would often devise plans in a roundabout way to avoid detection by his enemies and to stay out of trouble.

But now, Luis saw that Cien no longer did that. 

Cien was now more direct in confronting those who were stronger and held higher status than him. 

For example, Princess Sravati, Fenrir, and even the Incarnation of the Demon God.

Cien's self-confidence had grown significantly, changing the image of Cien in Luis's memory. Now, Cien was a powerful figure respected by those outside.

"But his weakness remains the same..."

Luis thought to himself, confirming that Cien was still too trusting of those close to him.

He believed he wasn't the only one who had noticed this. Ethel, Mia, and several Division Heads had also realized this issue. They knew that Cien was very vulnerable to betrayal.

That's why one of the reasons Luis joined Arcadia was to prevent such a situation from occurring. He didn't want to see the child of his close friend (Cien's father) suffer again.

Dinner proceeded peacefully with laughter and shared stories. 

After it concluded, Kirana and Luis began explaining the purpose of their visit. 

They not only brought news of Cien safety but also aimed to discuss the relationship between Arcadia and Edenia.

Luis handed over a business proposal document that had been prepared by Ethel and Mia.

When Rene received it and began reading, he couldn't hide his surprise at what was written inside. 

It stated that Arcadia was willing to sell highly rare and essential materials, including a Mana Core, to the Turelina territory each year.

Not only that, Arcadia was willing to sell some of the magical weapons they produced and provide a place for researchers from Turelina who wished to study the Death Valley region. 

Another tempting offer for Rene was the mention of numerous unique plants that were currently unknown to Kastia. As the ruler of the Garden of Kastia, this particular offer greatly intrigued him.

As a condition for Turelina to accept this offer, Arcadia only requested a few things. 

The most important was the allowance of a trade route between Arcadia and Edenia, as well as no taxes imposed by Edenia on Arcadia when their people conducted business in Edenian lands.

"A trade route?"

Luis grinned, "We've constructed a tunnel in the north of Edenia that directly connects to Death Valley."

"Hah?! You've made a tunnel?! Through that massive mountain?"

Luis nodded.

"Hahaha! You people are truly insane!"

Luis and Rene immediately began discussing the initial stages of this matter between their territories. 

The finalization of the agreement will be conducted tomorrow in a more formal setting, led by Lilinette. 

Not only Count Rene but also his trusted advisors would be present to discuss this matter.

Kirana allowed Luis to handle the tasks for the day and excused herself to the backyard to enjoy some fresh air.

Following her from behind was Rene Turelina's second son, Innis Turelina.

As they reached the backyard, Innis wore a sly smile and lunged at Kirana swiftly. Hidden beneath his clothing was a knife ready to strike her shoulder.

Swoosh!

Kirana evaded by leaping into the air and conjuring a sword made of Ice Magic. She smiled at the man who failed to harm her.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

They clashed weapons, dancing under the moonlight with wide smiles on their faces. Their faces glistened with sweat as it reflected the moon's glow.

Tang!

Eventually, Kirana's ice sword shattered, and Innis's knife rested against her neck.

"Sigh... I give up." 

Kirana said, surrendering by raising both hands. Her ice sword transformed into water and moistened the grass at her feet.

"Haaa, I'd lose if you were using a real sword," Innis said, sheathing his knife and shrugging his shoulders. 

He seemed somewhat unsatisfied with this particular duel. 

"But what matters most is the tally of my victories. So, my score now stands at 12 wins, 15 losses, and 4 draws. Just three more wins to even it out."

"Tsk, most of your wins come from sneak attacks, like this one," Kirana grumbled, unable to wield her sword as she was currently wearing a dress.