The special envoy sent by the Pope of the Holy Light Empire was a Scepter Archbishop named Aster. Although this Scepter Archbishop's rank was not particularly prominent among the Holy Light Empire's high-ranking archbishops, his position as the Pope's personal secretary clearly marked him as one of the Pope's trusted confidants. This time, Aster had come as the Pope's full representative to discuss a resolution to the conflict between the two nations with Zhang Tie.
Before Zhang Tie met the envoy, Golden Roc Bank had already provided the Sacred Ice Island Kingdom with a thorough explanation of his identity.
Aster arrived in the Ice and Snow Wilderness aboard a Golden Roc Bank airship on April 19. It was not until the 20th that Zhang Tie received him in a pavilion within the Summer Palace gardens.
By diplomatic custom, after arriving in Saint Petersburg, Aster first met Elder Gulas of the College of Cardinal Elders, who handled foreign affairs for the Sacred Ice Island Kingdom. He then met with the College of Cardinal Elders again, and afterward paid a visit to Empress Aurora, who was serving as regent. Only after resolving the matters of releasing and compensating the Sacred Ice Island Kingdom's merchant ships that had been detained and intercepted by the Holy Light Empire since the second half of last year through March of this year, as well as the merchants who had been arrested and imprisoned, did he finally meet Zhang Tie in the Summer Palace gardens.
Aster was in his fifties, somewhat plump, with a warm smile on his face. If not for the Holy Light Empire clerical robes he wore, along with the faint knightly fluctuations and aura emanating from him, he would have looked just like an ordinary tavern owner.
All important figures were either handsome,