When King Yuen first looked at Qiyana, his gaze had been full of delight. Now, however, there was only helplessness.
When Yuan Chen and Qiyana had come to see King Yuen, he had been listening to a close attendant recount Yuan Chen's classroom records.
Based on that, Yuan Chen could more or less guess that the admiration in King Yuen's eyes stemmed from Qiyana's elemental talent, which far surpassed that of ordinary people... and even all Yuentar.
But now, having heard Qiyana's request, King Yuen looked at her with solemn eyes.
Tall and thin, with deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge, King Yuen was incomparably imposing when serious. If it had been Qiyana's sisters—the other Alai—they would surely have backed down.
But Qiyana was different. She looked earnestly at her father before her, and what she said even surprised Yuan Chen—
"Father! Don't call me childish! I know Yuan Chen is a foreigner! I also know the people of Ixtal will never acknowledge Yuan Chen's status—"
"Then why are you still asking?"
King Yuen sighed. Looking at his youngest daughter, the only one who had dared to argue and quarrel with him, and who had finally displayed talent worthy of her pride, he said:
"Since you won't let me call you childish, then prove your maturity instead of standing here and loudly arguing with your Father King, your father, me!"
"Have you forgotten what Sage Sem said last night? Or do you want Yuan Chen dragged into the vortex of the succession struggle? Open your eyes, my child."
King Yuen said, "Yuan Chen is a master from Ionia... If your talent truly is as outstanding as the classroom records suggest, then you should know that Ionian spirit theory can greatly advance and improve the Yuan Chu Axiom."
"And through