Apple Pie

"Try some of this apple pie. It's the most popular delicacy where I come from."

Using Mage Hand, Pale Ghost passed a candied pie filled with jam toward the seated maiden goddess. At this moment, he behaved like a chef simply waiting for a diner to appraise his food. Neither his smile nor his words contained the slightest mockery or hostility; his sunny friendliness was like a ray of sunlight illuminating the empty palace.

Azterlan truly deserved to be called a professional of the Good alignment. Even when facing a potential enemy, he could still greet Smile, who had entered the banquet, with a sincere and friendly smile.

Although "tolerantly entertaining guests who came with any purpose" was a widely known basic virtue at noble banquets, very few nobles could truly accomplish it in reality.

By comparison, the White-robed Mage's conduct could be called the highest standard of a "benevolent noble." When he said, "All who come are guests," he was not merely paying lip service like ordinary nobles. Azterlan truly harbored not the slightest hostility or unfriendliness toward Smile, the stalker.

However... regardless of whether this spellcaster hosting his enemy maintained a friendly attitude, Smile, as the "invited guest," would never lower her guard.

Even if Azterlan currently seemed unable—or unwilling—to attack the maiden goddess after she had revealed herself, that did not mean Smile had lost her hostility toward the enemy before her.

Faced with Azterlan, whose schemes she could not discern, the maiden goddess remained ready for battle at any moment. She had no interest whatsoever in tasting the piece of apple pie before her.

Thus, after glancing at the sweet-smelling, jam-filled food, Smile gently reached out and pushed the plate holding the apple pie aside. Then she raised her head and coldly said to the White-robed