Astro stood by the window, looking out at the snow-covered city beneath the night sky with a bored expression, while Laxus was snoring on the bed behind him. Astro did not mind it much, since he himself had managed to sleep plenty during the journey, but Laxus had suffered from motion sickness the entire way.
Astro had occasionally used Troia during the trip, mainly to practice his spells, since many spells in his spellbook were meant for very specific situations, and he doubted he would ever again have a motion-sickness patient accompanying him for so long. Because of that, poor Laxus had been forced to constantly switch between feeling miserable and feeling perfectly fine throughout the whole journey.
"But it's almost time for the gala, I'm surprised nobody's coming to get us," Astro muttered while still looking outside, and as if on cue, he heard footsteps climbing the stairs from a distance. A few minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.
Astro took a glance at the still-sleeping Laxus before walking over and opening the door, where several maids and guards stood outside and bowed respectfully in unison.
"Is it already time?" Astro asked, crossing his arms while leaning against the door.
"Yes, with the Queen of the Sin Kingdom present, all guests have now arrived," one of the maid said calmly. "The summit gala will begin in two hours. Please prepare yourselves. We will escort you to the venue when everyone is ready.."
"Got it," Astro replied with a nod before closing the door.
He turned back toward the room while his gaze briefly lingered on Laxus, who woke up as well. Then, a thought crossed his mind that, if he remembered correctly, the Sin Kingdom was not located in the west of Ishgar; it was right by the Inca Kingdom in the far east . Though it was possible they were here for official business as well. But Astro could not dwell on these thoughts for long.
Laxus stirred on the bed and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes with a sleepy expression.
"You heard them, don't be lazy and get up already," Astro said while looking at him. "We're supposed to be bodyguards, and you're acting as if we are on vacation."
Laxus let out a huge yawn while stretching his arms lazily. "Why do I even need to work when you've got that ridiculous sensory ability?" he said casually before his expression shifted with interest. "So what's the update? How many strong people are here?"
"Do dragon slayers really share their love for fighting everywhere they go?" Astro asked back in a flat voice. "Why would I spy on people and breach their personal space?"
"Come on, you're the same," Laxus replied with a smirk as he reached for his long, luxurious white coat and slipped it on. "I know you love the thrill of battle, too. A wizard who has tasted battle in its full glory can never really escape it."
Astro was about to refute him out of habit, but after thinking about it for a moment, he realized Laxus was not entirely wrong. He had never considered himself a battle junkie or something, but after experiencing fighting against one powerful opponent after another, he had grown strangely attached to that feeling.
Astro let out a small sigh before answering as he rubbed his hair. "There are quite a lot of strong people here, judging by their magic levels alone. Not surprising since the guests are supposed to be the strongest wizards their kingdoms can offer."
Logically speaking, the strongest wizard in Fiore would be Master Makarov and the Guild master of Phantom Lord, but both of them were tied to the council, which was a continental organization not under any single kingdom's jurisdiction. Because of that, the next strongest legal representatives were usually the strongest wizards from their guild.
Astro did not know whether he and Laxus could really be considered the strongest in Fiore, but they were definitely near the top. It is probably similar for all the other kingdoms' participants as well.
Laxus noticed Astro drifting back into his thinking mode during the explanation and frowned. "Why are you being so vague? Just tell me if there are people worth fighting."
Astro blinked as he snapped back to his senses. "Well… Most of them are formidable, I would say. I don't think we could beat them easily, at least. If we're talking about the weakest, they'd be around Natsu or Gray's level, but if we're talking about the strongest, then there—"
He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes widened slightly and he sharply turned toward the direction of the entrance gate, far away.
"What happened?" Laxus asked as he noticed Astro tense up, his own posture also instinctively became more alert.
Astro did not answer as he focused on two presences slowly entering through the entrance gate in the distance. From what he sensed, they were being guided by the Iceberg King himself. As Astro concentrated on their magic levels, the woman suddenly turned her gaze in his direction, and to his horror, a mature woman's voice echoed directly inside his head.
"Sorry, honey, but can you stop doing it," she said gently. "I'm just a guest here, so you don't have to worry about me being your opponent."
For some reason, her voice felt familiar to Astro, though he could not pinpoint where he had heard it before. A sudden pain shot through his head, but it eased quickly as he felt a trace of the woman's foreign magic seep into his mind, soothing the discomfort.
"Sorry, that was probably because of me," her voice followed softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Astro blinked and replied subconsciously in his thoughts.
'It's okay. It was my fault to begin with, sorry.'
"You are as polite as ever, Astro…oops gotta go, he is getting jealous," she said in a sweet tone before closing the connection without waiting for an answer.
'What do you mean by—" Asto blinked, sensing that the connection went off.
Laxus watched him closely before speaking. "Hey, Astro, are you okay? What happened?"
Astro blinked again as a brief thought crossed his mind about whether she had read his memories to know his name, but after seeing the seriousness in Laxus's expression, he shook his head and composed himself. "It's fine, I was just lost in thought," he said calmly. "Don't worry about strong opponents, don't you like the suspense?"
After making sure Astro really was alright, Laxus continued fixing his hair, "I guess you're right, it wouldn't be fun knowing all the opponents in advance, Anway I doubt anyone there could defeat me there," he said confidently.
Astro stared at the large man with a speechless expression before waving it off. "Yeah, yeah, now hurry up and wash your face," he said. "We have to escort the king and princess according to the schedule, so don't go there drooling on your face."
"What do you mean? I don't drool while sleeping." Laxus replied while grumbling lightly.
"You do…and you also snore so loudly. The whole castle probably knows now that the bodyguard of Fiore is a useless, lazy person."
"Oh, I get it, you are projecting yourself, aren't you?"
"Huh? Do you think everybody is like you?"
As Astro and Laxus prepared for the gala, Astro found his thoughts drifting back to the man and the woman who had entered earlier. They should be from the Sin Kingdom if Astro's theory was correct. Hibiki told him that the royal family of the Sin Kingdom was especially gifted in mind magic, so he was not particularly surprised that the woman had been able to intrude into his mind so effortlessly.
What unsettled him was not that.
While adjusting the white attire prepared for him for the gala, Astro could not stop thinking about the sheer density of ethernano he had sensed from that pair. He had encountered wizards far stronger than himself before, and among all of them, Master Makarov possessed the most overwhelming magic presence he had ever felt. Yes, that old man who always sits on the bar table and complains all day could easily level a whole kingdom by himself if he ever wanted to.
And the two who had passed through the gate earlier felt kind of similar. Even though Astro had only been able to sense them for a brief moment and could not fully assess their magic, it was more than enough to tell that their level was at least comparable to Master Makarov's. There was even the unsettling possibility that they might surpass him.
Astro pushed those thoughts aside quickly. tightening the white coat around his body as he finished preparing. This was not the time to dwell on things that served no purpose. He would see them again at the gala anyway, and as long as they showed no hostility toward him, he saw no reason to pay them any further attention to them. The Sin Kingdom is so far away from Fiore that he doubted they would ever cross paths after this summit.
"Let's go, Laxus." Astro, for some reason, felt a bit of pain in his chest, but he masked it quickly with a small smile as he looked back at Laxus. "If something feels off, don't start a fight. Let me handle it. Except for the main event, we don't have to show dominance to anyone there through fists."
Laxus twitched his mouth but did not argue; he was not fond of looking for trouble anyway. It's always the troubles that find him for some reason.
Astro, who was blissfully unaware of Laxus's inner thoughts, opened the door, and together, they made their way to the room on their left and nodded toward the guards stationed by the door. There was a connecting door directly linking their room to the royal family's quarters, but Astro had figured it would be more appropriate to approach from this side instead
The guard knocked on the door for them, and a childish voice answered from inside.
"Come in."
The guard pushed the door open, and Astro and Laxus stepped inside, immediately noticing that this room was far more luxurious than the one they had been given. Warm light from crystal lamps reflected off polished marble floors, and thick carpets softened each step. Ornate curtains framed the tall windows, and finely crafted furniture filled the space without making it feel cramped.
The king, already dressed for the gala, was seated at a large desk near the window, going through a stack of documents with a quill in hand. From a single glance, Astro could tell the papers were reports detailing the quality of service and arrangements for the summit.
Nearby, two maids who had traveled with them from Fiore were carefully adjusting the princess's attire, making sure every detail was perfect. One smoothed the folds of her skirt while the other adjusted her jewelry on her neck.
"Astro-sama….Laxus- sama.." The princess waved her hand toward them.
"Um… should we come back a little later?" Astro asked while glancing at the princess, then directing the question toward the king.
Before the king could respond, the princess waved her hand lightly, and the maid nearest to her stepped back gracefully, returning to stand quietly by the wall.
"It's okay, we're already done," the princess said as she looked at herself in the mirror. "They were just helping me with some jewelry."
She stepped forward until she stood in front of Astro and Laxus. "How do I look?" she asked while turning once, letting her skirt fan out slightly as it flowed back into place. She was wearing a white dress suited for a twelve-year-old, elegant without being revealing, and cute without looking childish. Its simple design accented with delicate embroidery on her jade green hair and neck.
"You look lovely, Princess. The dress suits you very well," Astro said sincerely.
"Really?" she asked with a small smile before her expression shifted slightly. "I originally wanted something more mature like the one I wore on the way, since I'm supposed to represent the women of Fiore, but it was uncomfortable when that prince kept looking at me, at the welcome ceremony."
Astro blinked at that. A prince? Had there been another prince there that he was unaware of? The only princes the princess had met today were—
The sharp crack of wood interrupted his thoughts as the king's quill snapped in his hand.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" The two maids asked immediately as they went to check the king. Astro, from where he was standing, noticed that the broken quill scratched the king's palms quite a bit. He stepped forward and nodded to the maids, "Let me take care of it."
The maids knew that Astro was a wizard, so they gave way to Astro without wasting any time. Astro came near the king and raised his hand slightly above the injury.
A soft purple light glowed from his right palm, and the scratch vanished almost instantly as if it had never been there.
"Oh… This is my first time seeing it…the lost healing magic art is truly remarkable," the king said with widened eyes as he examined his hand. "Thank you, Astro."
Astro nodded and stepped back. The king looked back at Princess Hisui, and a second later, his expression hardened as he remembered the source of his anger, and he slammed his fist onto the desk.
"What does that prince think he is?" the king growled. Although his voices were not loud. "He's already an adult, and he dared to look at my daughter with those filthy eyes."
Astro's expression stiffened. The second prince of the Iceberg Kingdom was only fifteen, so he could not be considered an adult even by this world's standards, which left only one possibility. The first prince. The one who had shaken his hand earlier.
Astro suddenly felt the urge to wash his hands again and disinfect them with sky magic, vaguely recalling that there was probably a spell for that in his spellbook.
"Well, weren't you also much older than my mother when you married her, Father?" Princess Hisui asked, sensing the mood in the room and quickly changing the subject. She knew this place was not the best place to talk about those stuffs.
"She was already thirty-two when I met her, and she was the one who fell in love with me first," the king said proudly as he stood up from his chair.
"Anyway, you are right, we shouldn't talk ill about them in this place, kabo."
He did not seem upset that his daughter had mentioned her late mother. They spoke of her often, after all, usually with lighthearted jokes about the memories they had shared.
The king instead looked at Astro and Laxus and motioned for them to lean closer.
Astro, whose hand stopped glowing purple, and Laxus did not really need to, but they leaned in anyway.
"My daughter tends not to care about herself at events like these," the king said in a low voice. "If that prince asks her for a dance, find a way to stop it, even if you have to offend him. I will take care of the aftermath."
Astro and Laxus exchanged a glance before nodding.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. We'll keep an eye on it," Astro replied sincerely.
"What are you whispering about?" Princess Hisui asked curiously.
"Nothing important, Princess," Astro answered smoothly. "Just making sure everything's in order. Anyway, it looks like you're ready. Shall we go?"
The princess took one last look at herself in the mirror before nodding. "Yeah, we should go now.. Father, make sure you don't drink too much at the gala.."
"Haha, don't worry, I won't kabo," the king replied with a laugh.
"Astro-sama, Laxus-sama, I give you full authorization to stop my father if he drinks more than one glass at the party. You don't have to care about the aftermath," the princess added seriously.
"We'll make sure of it, Princess," they answered together.
"Alright, let's go," she said with a content smile as she took her father's hand and led him toward the door.
Astro and Laxus followed as they exited the room and moved through the brightly lit hallway. The maids and guards from the Iceberg kingdom guided them to the event. their footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor. As they walked, Astro glanced sideways at Laxus and asked casually, "Do you know how to dance?"
"Huh? I'm not dancing with you," Laxus replied with visible disgust.
"And what makes you think I'd ask you?" Astro shot back with equal disgust.
"Then why are you asking?"
"There is nothing wrong with asking, idiot."
The guards escorting them subconsciously moved a little farther ahead, seeing them arguing.
Once Astro confirmed the guards were far enough away and that there was no foreign magic lingering in his mind, he leaned closer to Laxus and whispered, "Laxus, no matter what happens, don't interact with anyone from the Sin Kingdom unless it's necessary."
Laxus was about to ask why, but seeing the seriousness in Astro's expression, he simply nodded.
"Got it."
Astro watched him for a moment to make sure the message was understood before quickening his pace to catch up with the princess and the king.
When they arrived in front of a massive door, the guards with them signaled to the ones stationed there. One of the guards by the door took out a magic lacrima and murmured a few words into it.
After a moment, Astro could hear the voice from the other side of the room…
"Ladies and gentlemen, on this luminous night where borders fade, and hearts gather beneath the same lights, we welcome esteemed guests who have crossed lands and rivers to stand among us," the announcer's voice echoed smoothly through the hall.
"Please extend your warmest welcome to the royal family of Fiore… His Royal Majesty King Toma E. Fiore and Her Royal Highness Princess Hisui E. Fiore."
As the doors slowly opened and a flood of golden light spilled outward, the guards stepped aside in practiced unison, and King Toma and Princess Hisui entered the hall with graceful steps, the soft music weaving around them as if it was guiding their path.
Laxus and Astro followed a short distance behind, Astro's eyes moved calmly across the vast gala room already filled with nobles and foreign dignitaries. He also caught familiar figures from Fiore among the crowd, Darton, the Minister of Defense, standing rigid near a marble pillar with some other nobles, and Zash Caine, the Secretary of State, conversing quietly nearby.
Though they had traveled to the Iceberg Kingdom together, they stayed in separate groups from the royal family for security reasons. Astro noticed that only the royal family of the Iceberg Kingdom was present here right now. As Astro and Laxus were following behind the king and princess.
Astro could hear that the other kingdom's royal family was also walking through the hallway outside the door. Seems like the gala will begin soon. Hopefully, no one would be dumb enough to make a scene here while so many important people are present. Astro's mouth suddenly twitched.
Laxus, who was beside him, noticed and whispered, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah….No….I think I just set up a dangerous flag."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Laxus whispered in a confused voice.
"Hopefully nothing."
"Huh?"
"Shut up, just don't let your guard down."