Brilliant lanterns shone as ceremonial music filled the air.
"Great Mage Lionel Kano has arrived! Mage Rorschach has arrived!"
As the announcement was relayed from guard to guard, Rorschach submitted to a security check and followed Kano into the Royal Palace. He felt the security inspection was little more than a formality—better than nothing, he supposed. For instance, they hadn't confiscated his Storage Ring. And with his Casting Ability, he could easily spirit away an ordinary person, though the guests here were anything but ordinary.
The high collar of his formal attire chafed Rorschach's neck, and the whole procession into the palace felt rather uncomfortable. They passed through the Mirror Hall, where the marble floor radiated a chilling cold. It wasn't until they reached the banquet hall that things finally warmed up; opening its great doors was like stepping into springtime.
