Xu Yi strolled through the royal palace of the Rulson Kingdom as if he were sightseeing, looking around as he walked with an air of complete ease.
Back at the relay station outside the city, Ambassador Hakane had refused to let the matter rest, but none of his people could do anything to Xu Yi. Xu Yi had been equally unwilling to back down, leaving the situation at an impasse.
That stalemate had only been broken when the Kuraka City Defense Force and the palace Guards Corps arrived after receiving word of the incident.
Yet to everyone's surprise-and Ambassador Hakane's in particular-although the gravity of the matter had brought it to the attention of the Rulson Kingdom's reigning monarch, His Majesty King Trutz, his response had been different from what most people expected.
To everyone present, the facts had seemed plain: Xu Yi, a mere low-rank mage, had actually dared to challenge Ambassador Hakane's convoy. Out of consideration for the Candel Empire, His Majesty King Trutz would undoubtedly favor Ambassador Hakane and, at the very least, arrest this brazen, arrogant mage and throw him into prison.
Barring anything unexpected, His Majesty might even hand the mage over to Ambassador Hakane to deal with, thereby appeasing his anger.
It was perfectly normal for a small country like the Rulson Kingdom to bow in submission before the Candel Empire.
The reason Ambassador Hakane behaved so arrogantly and imperiously within the Rulson Kingdom was entirely due to the attitude the kingdom had always taken toward him.
Yet the royal decree brought by the palace Guards Corps contained no suggestion of punishing Xu Yi. It merely summoned Ambassador Hakane and Xu Yi to the palace for an audience together.
This outcome took everyone completely by surprise.
His Majesty's handling of the matter actually placed