In the small Kingdom of Monarch, it was a very special day currently; it was the founding day of this small European country.
Today, a ceremony called the Blue Star Day will soon be held.
"The philanthropic princess Sophie sponsored it for peaceful coexistence with the five percent of the population that are espers, and hopes to change the current system in society." Minamoto explained to Sakaki with a worried look on his face.
After they stepped out of the limo that had picked them up, Sakaki lazily stretched his whole body.
They were now both wearing suits to attend the princess's event.
"Count on a princess to pick you up in a limo." Sakaki said, a smirk on his face, as he glanced at the massive building in front of them where the ceremony would be held.
"Sakaki, please don't try to hit on the princess. We're here as representatives of Japan. Remember to stay respectful and act with dignity." Minamoto warned him; he couldn't help but readjust his glasses, seeing how Sakaki was leisurely strolling toward the entrance.
It looked like he had completely ignored his words of advice, with a heavy sigh, he also made his way toward the entrance to keep an eye on him.
After the both of them entered the large building, they were immediately met by a magnificent sight; people from all over the world had come today to celebrate this day.
The two Japanese representatives looked around and recognized a lot of familiar faces.
"There are a lot of people here, huh?" Sakaki casually remarked.
"Every country with an ESPER agency was invited. So that makes sense." Minamoto explained to his less educated friend.
"..." Sakaki stared blankly at Minamoto. "I know that much, you know. I might not be as serious as you, but on important missions like these, I properly read through the files and information we get."
"That's good, so you know they might show up as well, right?" Minamoto inquired, looking around for a certain group of people.
"Yeah..." Sakaki's earlier laid-back attitude shifted when Minamoto mentioned them; if they were coming here, that could only mean major trouble, and they might even have to mobilize the children then.
"Well, just keep an eye open for them; headquarters isn't certain if they are coming or not yet."
"Alright, will do." Sakaki said, his features visibly relaxing.
Then, without hesitation, Minamoto went straight back to explaining about the ceremony. Even though Sakaki had said he read the file, he couldn't trust his word.
"The ceremony is meant to give a peaceful coexistence between espers and normals, but everyone is sounding each other out. Also, don't you dare use your psychometry, okay?!" Minamoto stood face-to-face with Sakaki, staring him dead in the eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I won't." Sakaki said, putting his hands in his pockets.
***
In a hotel close to the venue, all the members of Pandra were gathered in front of Hyoubu.
"It's been a long time since I've been here," he casually said, looking out the window straight at the venue where Senzo had been assigned his first mission of the day.
"Um, major? I know you trust him and that he is powerful, but was it such a good idea to assign him this mission solo?" Magi asked, looking at the young man that was casually strolling toward the large building where the ceremony was currently ongoing.
"It's a sort of test as well; is he really loyal or just acting like it? After a solo mission we will know a lot more about his motives. And we're all here, aren't we? If anything goes wrong, we just swoop in and fix it." Hyoubu replied, without turning around.
The others nodded; that made a lot of sense.
"He won't fail! And he also won't betray the major!" Yugiri suddenly shouted, her cheeks puffed out.
The moment they heard her, everyone turned to look at the angry little girl, but they couldn't help but break out in a smile.
She was just too adorable; with her cheeks puffed, she looked like a cute little squirrel.
Hyoubu appeared next to her and took a seat. "I know, but I have to make sure the others know that as well," he said, patting her head.
"We know you like him, Yugiri, but what if he only joined to protect or be with you? Then he wouldn't have any loyalty to Pandra. You know we can't have those kinds of people on board; they would bring the whole operation into danger." Magi explained, trying to soothe her anger.
Momiji and Yo just nodded along; they agreed with Magi's points but would never voice them in front of Yugiri. She was, after all, just a little girl.
Andy stared at the others in wonder; how could they be so relaxed when a newcomer was about to do something so big?
He started rubbing his temples but didn't say anything; he just turned around and saw Senzo enter the large building.
***
Once he entered the large building, Senzo immediately made his way toward the place where all the food and drinks were placed.
"Heh, this food is looking great." He muttered to himself, a silly smile on his face.
It was like he wasn't being tested at all; he felt totally relaxed and was even comfortable enough to taste all the delicacies the princess had prepared for this grand event.
So those two are the guys from Babel. He mused, staring straight at Sakaki and Minamoto.
When he was deep in thought with all kinds of dishes being devoured, he suddenly heard everyone applaud.
The time has come, huh?
Princess Sophie appeared on a high balcony in a beautiful white dress with a small golden tiara in her long brown hair.
Turning around, she started waving toward all her guests with a beautiful smile on her face, her beautiful blue eyes grabbing the attention of most of the men in the audience.
Heh, she's even more beautiful in person. Senzo commented, still stuffing his mouth with food.
"So, that's Princess Sophie." Miyamoto remarked, staring at the beautiful woman standing on the balcony.
"Such beauty!" Sakaki added, rubbing his chin with a grin on his face.
Sophie cleared her throat loudly, and then the whole building quieted down.
"Thank you all for coming to this grand occasion." She started her speech, a blooming smile on her face. This was a massive opportunity for her to further improve the esper treatment in the world, and she would grab it with both hands.