"We're finally here..." I smiled.
Right before me was the door that led to the throne room.
Behind the massive door were the people who would be attending the meeting—all waiting for my appearance.
I made sure to brace myself, ensuring everything was in place one final time.
To my left and right were the only people I could count on at the moment.
—My parents.
With my mom's encouraging smile and my father's stern expression, they waited for me to make the first move.
Two guards waited till I was ready, and then, when I nodded to them, they opened the large doors to allow me entry.
A forerunner moves ahead of us, announcing our presence to the already waiting audience whose gazes were fixated on the open doors.
"Presenting members of the Leonard Alphonse Sereth Household: Damien Leonard Alphonse Sereth. Anabelle Leonard Alphonse Sereth. Jared Leonard Alphonse Sereth."
As we were introduced, we hastened our steps and made ourselves known to the Royal Court.
The first thought that flashed into my mind as I entered the massive hall was...
'... How elegant!'
The chandeliers, the glistening colors, luminous gems, tiled grounds—everything was the epitome of perfection.
Even the regal carpet that welcomed us was only of the finest quality.
Other than the obvious Magic Spells and enchantments that filled the whole building, it was beautiful beyond compare.
The Kingdom's flag was firmly placed behind the throne, as well as the drapes of the Great Noble houses.
This was the centralization of power within the whole Kingdom.
"They humbly seek the audience of His Majesty, King of the Eastern Kingdom; King Albion Lestrome Indiavel." Our forerunner announced, before completely moving out of the way.
Bowing my head slightly, placing my hand on my chest to display noble etiquette, and placing my foot backward, I perfectly imitated my father and gave the greeting expected of me.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted the graceful display of my mother's salutation as well. It was perfect.
With our heads bowed, none of us could supposedly see the faces of anyone around. Of course, it was easily achievable with Magic, so my action was nothing more than superficial.
I could see everyone.
Ten of the twelve members of the Council that stood before us—in their respective chairs.
They represented the great houses of the Kingdom—a majority of which were Magic Users.
Of course, the four Ducal houses were among them.
Other than them, there were representatives of the Imperial Forces, the Research group, and the representatives from the Western Border.
I could even spot Ivan, Cephas, and... Alphonse?
He was standing right there! I wasn't expecting him to be around, but... it was quite a pleasant surprise.
'Looks like almost everyone is here...'
Last, but not least, was the Royal Family.
The King sat on his elegant throne, with the queen seated beside him.
His three sons—the princes—stood behind him, and the daughter was by her mother's side.
Standing in a corner of the room was someone I recognized, thanks to their robe and distinguished position.
My father had briefed me on his existence, so I couldn't be mistaken.
'The Court Mage...'
He was one of the Eastern Kingdom's only three Grand Mages.
The man was adorned in quite a number of Magic Tools, and their quality was extremely high.
As expected of someone of his level.
Of the three Grand Mages, I could only spot him among the audience.
The head of Ainzlark Academy was still missing.
And finally, I intentionally made sure I excluded Serah Crimson from the list of people my father pulled his strings for.
It would be foolish of me to ignore Neron's advice.
Of the four Ducal Households, only two were present—besides us.
One was the Helmsworth Family, and the second was the Crimson Household. For some reason, the last family couldn't make it.
The Imperial Forces had the Vice Head representing the group, along with someone I recognized quite well.
Her flowing silver hair and clear blue eyes were so remarkable that I couldn't blot them out of my memories even if I tried.
Her pale face was expressionless, but she was intensely staring at me for some reason.
'Maria Helmsworth... it's been a while.' A smile formed on my face.
'Why isn't she staying with her family, though?'
"Raise your heads."
Once this was said, all three of us obeyed in a seemingly choreographed stroke.
I was simply imitating my father, but my parents were incredibly adept at this.
'Even though I took courtesy and etiquette training, it's not like I really practiced...'
Still, although the atmosphere in the Royal Palace was quite heavy, I was determined to remain composed at all times.
This wasn't the time to flop.
As we raised our heads, I finally got a good look at the one who sat on the throne and wore the crown.
King Albion Lestrome Indiavel was a man who looked to be in his thirties, even though his actual age was supposed to be somewhere around his fifties.
His youthful appearance was most likely due to the effects of magic and the royal pampering, plus skincare given to high members of society.
His wife had a similar, if not younger, look. In terms of face value, the Queen was similar to my mom, even though she was meant to be way older.
'Anabelle is prettier, though...' My thoughts trailed.
Their four children all had blank expressions on their faces—as expected of properly trained Royals—though one of them seemed awfully dissatisfied with me.
'Fabian Lestrome, uh? It's been a while.' I shot him a confident smirk.
He was the youngest prince among the three of them, yet it seemed like his ego was the biggest.
The princess—about my age—maintained a graceful display. In terms of beauty, she was very appealing, but... courtesy couldn't allow me to stare at her for very long.
Still, their family's staple blond hair looked even more regal than my family's.
'Well, they are royalty, after all.'
"We greet your Majesty, King Albion Lestrome Indiavel. Apologies for this late audience with you." I let my father handle the greetings, and he did so splendidly.
"Oh, please. Now is not the time for such boorish displays. I believe the situation was urgent, which was why you requested an audience. I permit you to speak."
As expected of a King. His charisma was enough to quell the unease in the massive hall.
A smile formed on my face as I read the room even more.
'This shouldn't be too hard!'
