A Banquet Invitation

As dusk settles over the cobblestone streets, the cityscape of Luen Nore appears to be bathed in a thin layer of blue.

The prop shops along the roadside had already turned their signs to "Closed," and as the warm yellow light streamed through the shop windows, you could see the shop owners bustling about inside. The corner café was just finishing its last business, and several magical girls walked out in twos and threes, carrying coffee cups, chatting and laughing as they went, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Sitting in the slowly moving Fairy carriage, Larkspur was fiddling with the gloves that made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The main body was cyan, with white lace gloves neatly fitting her wrists, letting in a few streaks of starlight through the gaps, and the pearl buttons occasionally reflecting the streetlights that flashed by. The hem of her princess dress almost reached her heels, the taffeta soaked with twilight, flowing like solidified milk on the cherry wood bench.

Such an overly lavish outfit was clearly not in Larkspur's style. Her original intention was to find a more fitted women's suit, but after telling Emerald the idea, Emerald rejected it and then rather stubbornly chose the current outfit for her.

Since the other party has made this choice, then Larkspur will wear it too.

She has her own set of ideas for choosing clothes, but that doesn't mean she adheres to them. Rather, it's more accurate to say that Larkspur doesn't really care what she wears. Unless the clothes are too revealing and indecent, or too complicated and restrictive, most clothes don't seem to make much difference to her.

The princess dress she was wearing didn't cross either of those two lines of decency. Although its structure was somewhat complex, it was still within the acceptable range for Larkspur. In addition, the "dinner" she was going to was organized by Emerald, who was undoubtedly more aware of the etiquette and rules involved. So, going along with her wishes shouldn't cause any problems.

As for the instigator of all this— Emerald herself—she was wearing the same long, flowing coat she had worn when she first met Larkspur, sitting opposite him. Her head was tilted back slightly, resting against the headrest of the chair, and her body was leaning slightly to the right, half-resting on the armrest. Her soft, even breathing and the slight rise and fall of her chest indicated that she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Emerald made no mention of where she went next or what kind of occasion it took.

Even when Larkspur asked, she only vaguely referred to it as "a gathering of a few friends" or "a place to eat and chat casually," without uttering a single word about the other person's specific identity.

So, at this moment, Larkspur still didn't know who she was going to meet, and the necessary social etiquette prevented her from interrupting Emerald's sleep. After all the work-related communication had been handled via mobile phone, and there was no reason to even turn on her phone, Larkspur could only turn her head to look out the window and admire the street scenes along the way.

The suspense left by the Emerald continued until the carriage passed through the Mana-Free District and stopped at a secluded takeoff point. When the Larkspur looked towards the takeoff point, the first thing it saw was an airship docked there.

"Ah... um, looks like we've arrived."

Emerald had woken up sometime earlier, yawned, looked at the scenery outside while holding onto the car door, and then sat up and lazily and slowly walked to the grass at the takeoff point.

"Get off the bus, that's our destination." After a while, she seemed to suddenly remember that there was someone following her, and turned around to say to Larkspur.

"Destination? Could this be...?"

As Larkspur stepped off the car, she stared at the airship in front of her, momentarily at a loss for words. "You mean, the so-called dinner party is on this ship?"

"Yes, although I don't quite understand the intricacies of this, it seems to be something that young people these days come up with."

Emerald rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears that had welled up from a yawn, and muttered, "They call it something like 'Flying Kitchen' or some kind of chain restaurant. Anyway, it's just a few airships carrying a group of chefs who claim to have graduated from the Royal Court, flying around and making some really unremarkable dishes. Apparently, it's quite famous among some rich people, but it's just something novel."

"A chef from the Royal Court?" As Larkspur walked forward, she carefully lifted her skirt to avoid tripping over its excessive length. A moment later, her attention was drawn to a key phrase in Emerald's words. "That must be very expensive, right?"

"It feels like they're exaggerating. I've been invited here twice, and the food there can't compare to the Rose Palace restaurant."

Emerald walked forward, straightening her collar, which was slightly creased from sleeping in. "As for whether it's expensive or not, it certainly is. But since it's someone else's treat, we don't have to pay, so we don't need to worry about it."

"Would you take a casual get-together with friends to such a high-end restaurant?"

Having a general idea of the level of consumption associated with the airship before her, Larkspur couldn't help but ask again, "So, who exactly will I be meeting later?"

"Of course, it's to fulfill the promise I made to you."

They strolled leisurely to the airship's boarding gate, merely glancing at the attendant at the entrance, who then respectfully ushered Emerald and Larkspur inside. As they proceeded, Emerald composed herself, adopting a dignified demeanor rarely seen in Larkspur, and strode forward.

"After all, when we made the deal, there was another condition besides helping you solve the Heart Gem problem."

"... Oh, I see."

With just this one sentence, Larkspur understood what Emerald was trying to express.

Similarly, upon learning this answer, she fully understood why Emerald was displaying this seemingly "majestic" demeanor and why she herself was dressed in the same way.

Several months ago, when he used the Beast Source as a bargaining chip to trade with the Emerald, the other party mentioned that she had some "friends" in the Magic Affairs Institute of the Magic Kingdom.

The term "friends" is, of course, a euphemism. The position of the Sapphire Scepter has been vacant for many years, Magic Affairs Institute, which has been without a leader, has long been divided up by the evolution of power. Although it is nominally directly under the Royal Court, it is actually controlled by a small number of Royal Court and the Gem Scepter of the other four academies.

Amidst the power struggles, most members of the Magic Affairs Institute cannot remain unaffected. Whether by choice or by force, they will inevitably end up siding with one side or the other.

Therefore, as the chief of the Research Institute, the Emerald Scepter, Emerald, one must also have a certain number of "connections" within the Magic Affairs Institute.

Stepping into the airship, they walked one after the other through a corridor that was more about formality than substance, ornately decorated but not actually very long. Larkspur and Emerald arrived together before a large door.

Although separated by the gate, the sounds of laughter and chatter could be heard behind them, indicating that quite a few guests had already gathered.

Without being told, the servants standing on either side bowed to the two most distinguished guests and then gently opened the door.

Inside the door, in that rather spacious "dining room," a dozen or so magical girls of various appearances were sitting around.

Unlike the concept of a "banquet" in the Material Realm, none of the magical girls gathered here were wearing formal banquet attire or evening gowns. Most of them wore glamorous dresses with a girlish style, or cute yet appropriate everyday clothes.

They were still chatting and laughing until the door opened. The lighthearted atmosphere, along with the sweetness of the pre-dinner desserts, filled the room. If one didn't know the truth, one might think this scene was a young girls' evening salon.

However, once the door opened and Emerald entered, the magical girls quickly stopped their conversation, put away their slightly frivolous manner, and stood up in a rather orderly fashion.

When Emerald stopped and Larkspur gracefully lifted her skirt and walked into the restaurant, the last remaining faint noises completely subsided.

Larkspur looked at the magical girls, and they looked at Larkspur in return.

Without any communication, at a certain point, led by one of the taller magical girls who was closer to the head of the table, everyone left their seats.

They performed a fairly standard skirt-lifting bow towards the Larkspur, a gesture that evolved into a variation where they not only bowed but also gradually knelt on the ground, their skirts spreading out on the wooden floor like a cluster of splendid bouquets.

No further words or explanations are needed.

This is the most solemn etiquette in the Magic Kingdom, representing the loyalty of subordinates to their superiors.