we caught up with the test chapter
In the forest of Hage Vilge, beneath the shadow of the massive demon skull, the air pulsed with the sound of a heavy collision. A young man gripped a bckened stone sword—a bde so massive it towered over its wielder.
"Nine-hundred ninety-eight!"
*Swoosh!*
With every arc of the heavy bde, the air screamed, dispced by the sheer force of the swing. He didn't pause.
"Nine-hundred ninety-nine!"
*Swoosh!*
This was Asta. Five months had passed since his "Job Change," and every day since, he had woken up to a grueling regimen. His quests had shifted once again; this time, the goal was simple: swing the sword until it felt like an extension of his own arm.
"One thousand!"
*Swoosh!*
He finally halted, the tip of the bde resting in the dirt as a glowing screen shimmered into existence before him.
[Quest Complete]
[Rewards: 10 EXP 0.1 STR 0.1 DEX]
[Skill Level Up: Greatsword Mastery (C)]
"Finally... it really is hard to master a bde without a manual," Asta panted. He wiped his forehead, sweat pouring off his brow. He stood topless, a habit formed from years of training under his master's watchful eye.
He turned his gaze toward the grimoire resting atop a nearby rock. It had appeared the morning after that night, manifesting alongside the massive sword. After catching his breath, he whispered, "[Observe]."
Translucent screens hovered over the items:
Five Leaf Clover Grimoire (M)
Type: Book/Relic
Rarity: Mythical (M)
Level: Scales with User
Ki Conductivity: (M)
Soul Bound: Cannot Be used other than user/ Will Automatically Return to the user
Attributes:
+1 STR, +1 AGI, +1 STA
Effects: Grants. [Anti-Magic Coating],[Growth], [Devil's Choice]
Anti-Magic Coating: Grants [Anti-Magic] to weapon, Makes Weapons target Enemy Mana first. Changes any weapon type change to blunt
Anti Magic: Dispels [Magic] type effect on anything. effect is calcuted based on [STRvsInt]
Growth: Automatically Grants skills depends on the users [css]
Devil's choice: Coats deposited [Item] to the grimoire, [item] will be imbued with [Anti-Magic] effect. results depend on the devil within.
Description: Magical Artifact that record of the user's soul and personal growth, stored within is a devil from the underworld with the help of [?]
Demon-Syer Sword (S)
Type: Greatsword
Rarity: Special(S)
Level: 10/10
Ki Conductivity: (S)
Attributes:
+5 STR, +2 STA
Description: a huge sb of stone shaped into a rge sword, its origin is unknown but it it's coating with anti-magic negating anything with magic. it is also incredibly dull as it's better to use it as a club than a sword.
[Liebe Notes: Just a simple Greatsword I found at some pce centuries ago]
Asta recalled that morning clearly. With the help of Nash, his fellow orphan, he had tested the [Anti-Magic] properties for the first time. It worked—the bde truly nullified magic.
Then after days of relentless practice, he had unlocked a new mastery. He pulled up his skill tab to check the details:
[Greatsword Mastery]
Rank: C (1/100)
Type: Martial
Effect: Boosts movement and attack speed when wielding Greatswords.
Skill Granted: [Reflection] — Deflects enemy projectiles. Success rate scales with STR/DEX.
As he sat to rest, a notification pinged in his peripheral vision. It was a message from Noelle.
[Noelle: [When are you guys getting here?]
Asta: [Yuno and I will start traveling tomorrow.]
Noelle: [So, five days then?]
Asta: [Yes.]
Noelle: [Okay, see you!]
Asta: [Okay.]
He smiled and closed the chat tab. He moved to grip his sword again, but a new window fred a bright blue:
[Daily Quest]
Perform 100 Skill Chains]
Quest fails if a combo is broken or an error occurs.
Reward: 100 exp, +Skill Mastery
Asta smiled when he read the screen, then changed his sword to his spear, yes this was the same spear he wielded since he was nine but after depositing it (Liebe took it) the once silver spear changed to a new item
Demon Coated Spear (R)
Rarity: R
Type: Spear (Weapon)
Level: 5 / 5
Mana Conductivity: B-
Attributes:
+5 Agi
Effects: [Anti-Magic Poisoning: Infuses the opponent's body with Anti-Magic upon contact. Success rate depends on [Opponent STA vs. User STR/DEX].
Description: A formerly silver spear coated in Anti-Magic by an eccentric devil. Though its properties have shifted to [Blunt], it can still "poke" enemies, though piercing armor is now difficult.
[Liebe's Note: This is the best effect this junk could achieve. I can take it back if you don't want it.]
Smiling at the snarky note, Asta settled into a low stance. He drew a deep breath, concentrating his Ki until his vision sharpened.
[Skill Chain Activate]
He thrust the spear into the air twice. Suddenly, a flickering afterimage of himself appeared; in a blur of motion, he was now wielding his massive greatsword. He swung the heavy bde twice before smming it into the earth. Another afterimage fred, and he was back to the spear, mid-thrust. He repeated the cycle twenty times, the air whistling with the speed of his transitions, until his concentration finally faltered.
[Quest Compete]
Received: 20exp, 0.2% [Pierce], [Iron Crusher]
Drenched in sweat, Asta dismissed his weapons, depositing them back into his storage gloves. Just then, he felt a familiar Ki enter the clearing.
It was a bird—the kind rumored to peck at those with low mana—but this one was different. It nded on the rock right next to his Grimoire. Asta had used [Observe] on it months ago, and the results still baffled him:
Name: ? [Nero] Level: ? HP: ? MP: ? SP: ?
Title: [Sealed Right Hand of the First Wizard King]
and so without a name to call it he used the first name it came to his head.
"Hello again, Nero," Asta called out.
The bird stared back with its signature deadpan expression. Whatever its true identity was, Asta knew it was far beyond his current level; the System couldn't even calcute its stats.
"Wanna watch me train?"
When the bird offered no response, Asta took it as a 'yes.' He dropped to the dirt, powering through sets of push-ups and sword swings until the sky began to bleed into the deep oranges of sunset.
That night he and yuno took a st feast with the people of the orphanage, even with father orsi crying as he said to asta that when he fail he should quickly return to home which he just shook his head.
"Goodbye, everyone!" Asta and Yuno yelled in unison, waving until the Hage Vilge orphanage was nothing more than a speck on the horizon.
Both traveled light, carrying simple bags packed with only water and the bare necessities. As they pushed toward Kikka Town, they formed a natural rhythm: Asta acted as the compass, using his Ki to sense the path ahead, while Yuno navigated by the stars and the general direction of the capital.
Their journey took them through the heart of the kingdom. They traveled day and night, spear-fishing in rushing rivers and taking down wild boars for dinner. They even braved a stretch of desert, their boots kicking up dust as they pushed through the heat. Eventually, the wild terrain gave way to man-made paths, winding through small vilges until they reached the crest of a final mountain.
Below them, sprawled across the valley floor, y the bustling stone streets of Kikka.
"How long did we travel, Yuno?" Asta asked, wiping the dust of the road from his face.
"About five days," Yuno replied, his voice calm despite the distance they'd covered.
"So we made it... right on the brink of the deadline."
"Yes," Yuno nodded, his eyes fixed on the distant spires of the capital. "Just in time."
The transition from the quiet greenery of Hage to the stone-paved chaos of Kikka was jarring. The air here didn't smell of rain and soil; it smelled of expensive perfumes, street-vendor spices, and the faint, hum of thousands of people using minor magic. Buildings towered over them, their polished surfaces reflecting a level of wealth Asta hadn't seen in years. But it was still low for what he saw in their [instances] the towns there was on a whole other level.
Yuno adjusted the strap of his bag, his golden eyes scanning the intricate clock towers and bustling storefronts. "You've been here before, right Asta?"
"Yeah," Asta replied, his hand instinctively moving toward the hilt of the Demon-Syer sword hidden in his glove. "Six years ago. Back when father orsi took me in one his runs."
"How much has it changed?" Yuno asked, his voice calm despite the chaotic energy of the crowd pressing in around them.
Asta looked at a fountain where a group of young mages were showing off basic water spells. "Nothing much," he said with a wry smile.
As they wove through the throng toward the massive shadow of the coliseum, a translucent blue pane shimmered into existence only inches from Asta's nose.
Noelle: [Did you guys enter the town yet?]
Asta: [We just got here. How about you?]
Noelle: [I'm just arriving as well.]
Asta's fingers moved rapidly, tapping at the invisible interface as he walked.
Asta: [Wait—I can sense you now.]
He closed the tab with a flick of his wrist, a genuine, warm smile spreading across his face as his Ki picked up a familiar, royal vibration in the distance. It was like a sharp, cold spark amidst the dull hum of the crowd.
"Are you talking to Noelle again, Asta?" Yuno's voice was dry, a hint of a tease lurking beneath his usual stoic mask.
Asta jumped slightly, nearly tripping over a loose cobblestone. "How can you tell?"
"Because," Yuno said, gncing sideways at his rival, "you always stare into thin air and smile like an idiot whenever you're messaging her. It's a dead giveaway."
"What? I could just be... looking at the ground! Checking for traps!" Asta countered, his face heating up as he looked down at his boots.
"Sure you are," Yuno replied, a rare, genuine chuckle escaping him.
Their ughter was cut short as they rounded the final corner. The street opened up into a massive pza, and there it was—the Great Coliseum. A literal sea of people waited at the entrance, a colorful tapestry of robes, capes, and shining grimoires. The sheer weight of the collective mana in the air was enough to make a normal person dizzy, but Asta just tightened his grip on his bag, his eyes narrowing with focus.
The atmosphere inside the coliseum was electric. Thousands of citizens lined the stands, their cheers echoing off the high stone walls like rolling thunder. Even Asta and Yuno received a wave of appuse as they stepped through the arched gateway, though the sound seemed to fade into the background the moment Asta crossed the threshold.
Asta froze, his feet rooting to the spot. His Ki wasn't just sensing people anymore; it was being bombarded by massive, towering signatures—some felt like raging bonfires, others like deep, crushing oceans. One of those signatures, sharp and predatory, seemed to flick toward him for a split second, acknowledging his presence.
"What is it, Asta?" Yuno asked, stopping beside him. He noticed the way Asta's jaw had set tight.
"The ki in here…" Asta breathed, his eyes scanning the high balconies where the Captains would soon sit. "There are so many monsters in this pce."
Yuno gave a small, confident huff. "Well, it is the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. It'd be a waste of our time if there weren't a few strong people here."
Asta nodded, shaking off the chill, and joined the registration line. As they shuffled forward, a very familiar, royal Ki signature drifted into the space directly behind him. Then, a scent—a mix of expensive sea-salt lilies and something distinctly 'Noelle'—hit his senses, jolting his system.
"Hello, my love," a voice whispered barely above a breath, the warmth of it ghosting against his ear. "It's been years, hasn't it?"
Asta didn't turn around. He kept his gaze fixed on the back of the person in front of him. "Physically, yes," he whispered back, his voice low and steady.
"Look natural," Noelle murmured, her tone regaining a hint of that familiar, haughty discipline. "I can't be seen talking to 'peasants' just yet. Even my brothers are here today."
Asta felt a slight tug at the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry. I've got this."
"Who are you talking to, Asta?" Yuno asked, gncing back with a suspicious narrowing of his eyes.
"No one! Just… practicing my breathing!" Asta blurted out, a bit too loudly.
Yuno looked past Asta and saw a stunning girl with silver hair tied in pigtails, her expression a mask of noble indifference. He opened his mouth to say something, but the clerk at the desk barked at him, breaking the moment.
"Next! Grimoire, please."
Yuno stepped forward, sliding his book onto the counter. "Here."
The clerk's bored expression vanished instantly, his eyes bulging as he stared at the cover. "A… a four-leaf clover?!"
"Yes," Yuno replied simply, his calm voice cutting through the sudden hush that fell over the nearby applicants.
The crowd erupted into a low roar of whispers as Yuno stepped away. The clerk, still shaking slightly from the sight of the four-leaf clover, scribbled a number onto a slip of parchment.
"Number 164!" the man called out, his voice cracking.
Asta stepped forward next, pcing his grimoire on the wooden counter with a heavy thud. The clerk squinted, his nose wrinkling as he looked at the weathered, soot-stained cover of the book.
"Is this... actually a grimoire?" the man asked, his confusion turning into a look of disdain. "It looks like a piece of junk you found in a gutter."
"Of course it's a grimoire!" Asta countered, jabbing a finger at the faded, dark clover on the front. "Look, it's even got the symbol of the Clover Kingdom. It's just... well-loved!"
"Fine, fine," the clerk sighed, clearly not wanting to argue. "Number 165. Move along."
Asta hurried to join Yuno in the center of the arena, but the moment he stepped onto the dirt floor, his entire body went rigid. That massive, predatory Ki he had felt earlier was no longer distant—it was right here. It surged, a violent fre of pressure that felt like being pinned down by a mountain.
Instinctively, Asta dropped into a low combat stance, his muscles coiling like a spring.
"Hoh? You actually know Ki," a deep, gravelly voice rumbled from directly behind his ear.
Asta spun around, his heart hammering against his ribs. A tall, muscur man with a bck bull-embroidered cape stood there, exhaling a thick cloud of cigar smoke. His presence was suffocating.
"Where did a kid like you learn to read the breath of things?" the man asked, his dark eyes boring into Asta's soul.
"A-Asta, who is this?" Yuno asked, his own hand drifting toward his grimoire, sensing the immense power radiating from the stranger.
Asta opened his mouth to answer, but the pressure of the man's Ki made his throat feel tight. It wasn't as crushing as his master's, but it was definitely the strongest he had felt in the real world.
Suddenly, the man's attention shifted. He stepped past Asta, looming over Yuno. "So, you're the brat with the four-leaf, huh?"
As Asta tried to find his voice, a flurry of small, high-pitched Ki signatures entered his immediate zone—the Anti-birds. Without even looking, Asta began to move. He swayed his torso, bobbed his head, and shifted his feet in a rhythmic, blurred dance, effortlessly evading the pecking beaks of the birds that were swarming every other mana-less applicant.
The rge man paused, watching Asta's fluid movements with a raised eyebrow. "What a marvel. You've mastered Ki to the point of having unconscious evasion skills? Interesting."
Before he could say more, two figures in matching bck capes rushed over. One was a energetic boy with messy blond hair, looking frantic.
"Captain Yami!" the blond boy shouted, waving his arms. "What are you doing down here? You're supposed to be in the observation lounge!"
"Nothing much, Finral," Yami grunted, taking another long drag of his cigar and casting one st look at Asta. "I just found someone worth looking at."
"Please, just go back to your seat before the other Captains compin!" Finral pleaded, ushering the massive man away.
As Captain Yami disappeared into the tunnel with his subordinates, Asta let out a long, ragged breath. Even while his body continued its rhythmic, unconscious dance to evade the persistent anti-birds, his mind was reeling from the encounter.
Seeking a moment of grounding, his gaze drifted toward the shadows of the massive stone pilrs. There, partially hidden from the crowd, stood Noelle. She was watching him, her regal poise momentarily softening as she gave him a small, encouraging wave and that particur smile he loved—the one she only showed him.
Suddenly, the anti-birds scattered, sensing a shift in the atmosphere. The scattered, chaotic mana of the arena began to align as nine titanic Ki signatures converged on the high balcony.
"Thanks for waiting, invited examinees!" a booming voice echoed, shaking the very floorboards of the coliseum.
Asta looked up, his heart racing. Around him, the other applicants were erupting into hushed, frantic whispers.
"Look! All the Captains of the Magic Knights... they're all here together! This is incredible!"
Asta's eyes narrowed. Instinctively, he began to focus his mind to trigger [Observe], wanting to see the numbers behind those towering presences. But before the skill could activate, a sharp blue ping fred in his vision.
Noelle: [Don't use Observe, Bakasta!]
Asta blinked, his gaze snapping back to the pilr. Noelle was staring directly at him, giving a sharp, barely perceptible shake of her head. She knew his habits all too well—using a detection skill on mages of that caliber was a death wish. They would feel his mental "gaze" instantly.
Nodding his silent thanks, Asta turned his attention back to the balcony. A man in an intricate, winged mask stepped forward, his presence commanding total silence.
"It's him!" a boy near Yuno whispered. "The Captain of the Golden Dawn, William Vangeance! The man closest to becoming the next Wizard King!"
The air grew heavy, saturated with a refined, ancient power. Asta watched as William's grimoire flipped open, its pages glowing with a soft, emerald light.
"World Tree Magic..." William's voice was calm, yet it resonated through the entire pza. "[Magic Tree: Descend]!"
The sky seemed to darken as massive, glowing roots tore through the clouds, weaving together to form a colossal tree that hovered over the examinees. From its branches, individual broomsticks lowered themselves toward the hands of every stunned applicant.
"We shall now begin the Magic Knights Entrance Exam!"
The moment the words left William's lips, a familiar chime rang in Asta's ears. A bright, golden interface fred to life, momentarily obscuring his view of the captains.
[Main Quest Received]
Join a Magic Knight Squad
Reward: 1000 Exp ,1000 tokens, Title: [Rookie Squad Member]
Asta's eyes widened. One thousand tokens? That was the highest reward he had ever seen. He shot a quick gnce toward the pilr where Noelle was hidden, hoping her quest carried the same weight. Even if they both cleared their goals and bagged two thousand tokens, the thought of their debt loomed over him—they were still ninety thousand in the red.
We've still got a long way to go, Asta thought, his jaw tightening with renewed resolve.
William Vangeance's voice pulled him back to the present, resonating with a calm authority that silenced the entire arena.
"You will undergo a multitude of tests designed to measure your potential," William announced, his masked gaze sweeping over the sea of hopeful faces. "The nine Captains of each squad will serve as your judges. Once all the trials have been completed, we shall select the members. Should two or more squads desire you, the choice of which path to walk will be yours."
He raised his hand, and the mana in the air seemed to hum in anticipation.
"Now... let us begin!"
To the other examinees, the first few trials were a spectacle of glowing lights and soaring broomsticks. To Asta, they were an exercise in frustration. He had tried to hover on the broom, but after two attempts at "willing" it to move with no result, he stepped off, refusing to make a mockery of himself.
When it came to magic shooting, he simply stood with his arms crossed as others fired bolts of fire and ice. During the transfiguration test, while others reshaped wood with spells, Asta simply grabbed the training tree and bent the thick trunk with his bare hands until it creaked, ughing sheepishly when Yuno sighed in exasperation at his side.
"And now, for the final test!" William's voice boomed, pulling the scattered examinees back to the center of the arena.
"We will conclude with one-on-one combat. You are free to choose your opponents. Remember, winning or losing is not the sole criteria; we are looking for your battle prowess and potential. We are Magic Knights, after all—combat is our calling. Now, who will be the first to step forward?"
Asta stood among the crowd, his Ki sensing the eyes of the Captains on the balcony. Suddenly, a slick, oily Ki signature approached his back.
"What do you want?" Asta asked, not even needing to turn around.
"Want to battle me?" a voice asked, dripping with a fake, friendly charm.
Asta turned to see a tall, smug-looking boy with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Are you sure about that?"
"Of course! The name's Sekke, by the way. Bah-ha!"
"Asta."
"Well then, Asta... let's give them a show."
"If you say so," Asta replied, his voice dropping an octave as his combat instincts took over.
The two walked to opposite sides of the arena floor. The crowd went silent, curious about the "magicless boy" who had failed every test so far. Sekke flourished his wand, his mana fred as he prepared to end the fight in a single fshy move.
"This is going to be easy!" Sekke shouted, his voice echoing. "[Bronze Creation Magic: Sekke's Magnum Cannonball]!"
With a complex flick of his wand, a massive, ornate sphere of bronze mana materialized, surrounding Sekke in a shimmering, spiked fortress. He looked out from behind his defense, his face twisted in a mocking sneer.
"Try to beat this, you magicless rat! Bah-ha!"
Asta sighed and looked at and used observed and when a screen appeared Infront of him Sekke just involuntary moved backwards much to his confusion.
Name: Sekke [Bronze Creator]
Level: 25
HP: 275/275
MP: 1050/1050
SP: 120/120
Css: Defense Mage (15/40)
Race: Human
"You're pretty rude, you know that?" Asta said, his voice ft and unimpressed. He didn't even bother to take a fighting stance. "We just met, and you've already resorted to insults. To be honest... I don't even need my skills for someone like you."
The crowd began to jeer, but their voices were cut short.
Asta didn't just move—he disappeared. To the average examinee, he seemed to use invisibility magic He vanished from his starting position and reappeared instantly behind Sekke's massive bronze sphere. In his grip, the Demon-Coated Spear materialized, its bckened surface drinking in the light of the arena.
With a casual, lightning-fast thrust, Asta drove the blunt tip of the spear through the "impenetrable" bronze magic. The shield shattered like gss. The tip didn't kill; it merely nicked Sekke's cheek as he spun around in terror.
Within seconds, the effect of the [Anti-Magic Poisoning] took hold. Thick, bck veins webbed across Sekke's neck, and his bronze magic evaporated into thin air.
"What... what did you do to me?" Sekke gasped, his knees buckling. He cwed at his throat, his breath coming in ragged, desperate hitches as his internal mana was forcibly suppressed.
"I just took your magic away temporarily," Asta said coldly. The spear vanished back into his storage as quickly as it had appeared. "See what it feels like to be the 'magicless rat' for a second."
Before Sekke could even stammer out a response, Asta's fist connected with his cheek. The impact sent Sekke spinning across the dirt, unconscious before he hit the ground.
The coliseum fell into a stunned, deafening silence. As the medical team rushed out to escort the shivering Sekke to the sidelines, Asta calmly walked back to his spot next to Yuno, dusting off his hands.
"That was fast," Yuno remarked, though his eyes showed a flicker of genuine impressed recognition.
"He was weak," Asta replied with a shrug, his gaze already wandering toward the Captains' balcony. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to end it so quickly."
Yuno simply shrugged at Asta's comment as the battles continued. The arena became a chaotic, colorful kaleidoscope of magic; torrents of fire cshed with earthen walls, and jagged ice spikes shattered against glowing shields. Yuno eventually took the field, ending his match in seconds with a literal tornado that swept his opponent off the ground. The crowd roared in surprise, but Asta's attention was already shifting.
It was Noelle's turn.
Asta watched with bated breath as Noelle stepped into the center. Her opponent was a noble—arrogant and draped in fine silks—who wasted no time leveling his staff at her. But Noelle didn't flinch. Her grimoire hovered beside her, pages fluttering, and much to the confusion of the spectators, she reached her hand into the glowing book.
When she drew her hand back, a sleek, metallic glint caught the light.
"Is that... the rumored relic?" a voice whispered from the crowd.
Mounted on Noelle's forearm was a small, elegant crossbow. She stretched her arm, the mechanism clicking into pce as she tested the tension with a slight, nimble hop.
"Relic?" Yuno asked a boy standing near them.
"Yeah," the boy replied, his eyes wide. "Six years ago, there was a huge fuss. A relic rivaling the power of the Wizard King was discovered at an auction. Rumor says she's the one who cimed it—and that it houses an ancient spirit."
Yuno gnced at Asta. When Asta remained silent, another voice drifted over: "Why is it so small? I heard it was as rge as a person!"
Asta kept his gaze fixed on her. He knew the truth—with Liebe's help and her own Css Change, the once-massive ballista had been compressed into a weapon of lethal efficiency. Since it couldn't be brought into their [Partner Room], he hadn't seen its new form in years. He focused his mind, activating [Observe].
Noelle's eyes flicked toward him instantly, sensing his mental probe, before she turned back to her opponent with a confident smirk.
Water Princess Crossbow (N)
Rarity: Ancient (Current Level: N)
Type: Arm-Mounted Short Crossbow
Rarity: Ancient (EX)
Level: 1 / 5
Mana Conductivity: C (up to EX)
Soul Bound: Cannot Be used other than user/ Will Automatically Return to the user
Attributes
+2 Agi, +2 Int
[Growth Logic: The spirit Kowalski demands both mental acuity and speed fortitude.
Passive Skills
Elemental Spirit [Sir Kowalsk (N): Adapts to Users Elemental Affinity, 1% Mana Regen per 10 Seconds
Water Mastery: 10% Speed in water; allows for underwater breathing
Custom Bolts: Attacks Adapt to User Elemental Affinity, All shots will Consume Spells Mana, All Shots Must Be Manually Loaded Except For Micro Ballista
Active Skills:
Load (N): Stores (1) Spell in the body, All attacks will Fire Stored spell Regardless of what spell equipped. (Current Load: None) (Attack Speed is Based on agi)
Simple shot: Single Bolt that can be fired at regur speed (all Aoe Spells will be Single Target) [5% mana Spell cost per shot)
Micro shots: Small bolts that can be rapid fired at fast speeds all Aoe Spells will be Single Target) [0.5% mana Spell cost per shot)
[Spirit Dive: Water Princess Dress: Merges Noelle's mana with the spirit and the environment.
Buffs: 100% Speed, Stats x3, Mana Pool x4.
Penalty: HP reduced by 50%, Mana Regen disabled.
Special: All shots gain [Auto-Aim].
Next Level Requirements: 100 AGI, 300 INT, 150 WIS, Mana Attunement (C).
Asta whistled under his breath. The weapon had evolved perfectly to complement her new fighting style.
The match began with a crack of thunder. The noble fired a jagged bolt of lightning, but Noelle simply tilted her head, the spell whistling past her ear. He snarled, unleashing a barrage of electric strikes, but Noelle didn't even raise her weapon. She walked toward him casually, her movements fluid and blurred as she wove through his attacks like a dancer.
When she closed the gap, her boots suddenly glowed with a deep, oceanic blue. She delivered a devastating kick to his midsection, followed instantly by a point-bnk burst of water that smmed him into the stone wall. The noble slumped to the ground, unconscious before he could even scream.
"That... that's Noelle, right?" Yuno asked, his voice rare with disbelief.
"Yes," Asta said, his chest swelling with pride.
"She's strong. Terrifyingly so."
"Of course she is," Asta grinned. "She's been working just as hard as I have."
The silence that followed Noelle's match was heavy with disbelief. The Captains on the balcony leaned forward, their eyes lingering on her arm-mounted relic, but William Vangeance eventually broke the spell.
"That marks the end of the examinations," William's voice resonated through the stone arena. "Each examinee will now come forward as their number is called. If a squad captain wishes for you to join their ranks, they will raise their hand."
The process moved with ruthless efficiency. Some applicants broke into tears of joy when a hand went up; others walked away in a daze of silence, their dreams crushed. When Yuno's number was called, a collective gasp swept through the coliseum. For the first time that day, all nine Captains raised their hands in unison.
Asta grinned, not surprised in the least. "Go get 'em, Yuno."
"I choose the Golden Dawn," Yuno decred, his voice steady.
"An excellent choice, Yuno," William replied with a thin, satisfied smile.
Then, the mood shifted. "Number 165. Step forward."
Asta walked into the center of the arena. He stood small but firm under the collective gaze of the most powerful mages in the kingdom. Seconds ticked by. One by one, the Captains remained still. Not a single hand was raised.
"I expected as much," Asta said quietly, his voice carrying a strange, calm acceptance that seemed to baffle the crowd.
"Is that so, kid?" Yami's gravelly voice boomed from the Bck Bulls' seat. He leaned over the railing, his cigar smoke trailing into the air. "You already expected to be rejected?"
Asta looked up, meeting the Captain's gaze without flinching. "Well, yeah. I have no magic, and this is called the Magic Knights. I just put two and two together."
"Hah! So if that's your logic, why the hell did you take the chance in the first pce?" Yami asked, his Ki fring slightly as if testing Asta's spirit.
"Because my dream is to become the Wizard King," Asta replied, his voice growing louder, more certain. "I figured there had to be other ways to get there, and this was the fastest path I could find. If I can't even stand here, I'll never make it."
Yami threw his head back and ughed—a loud, boisterous sound that echoed off the walls. "You? The Wizard King? You've got guts, kid."
"I do," Asta said simply.
"You're strong, kid. Really strong," Yami said, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious. "I'd love to meet this master of yours one day. But if you want to be the Wizard King, you're right—you have to be a Magic Knight first. It's a job requirement."
Asta nodded. "I see."
"So," Yami said, a smirk pying on his lips as he finally raised his hand. "How about joining my squad instead? The Bck Bulls could use a monster like you."
Asta stepped back, his heart racing with relief, as Yami's boisterous ughter filled the arena. But the tension didn't stay settled for long.
"Number 166. Step forward."
Noelle walked to the center, her chin held high and her royal silver hair shimmering under the coliseum lights. The atmosphere shifted instantly. Based on her overwhelming dispy with the relic, everyone expected a repeat of Yuno's success—a clean sweep of all nine hands.
However, as the seconds ticked by, only one hand rose into the air.
Nozel Silva, the Captain of the Silver Eagles, looked down at his sister with a cold, piercing gaze. It wasn't an invitation; it was a command. He expected her to fall in line and return to the family fold.
Before the selection could be finalized, Noelle turned her head, ignoring her brother entirely. She looked directly at Yami.
"Captain Yami," she called out, her voice clear and unwavering.
Yami leaned back, blowing a plume of smoke into the air. "Hmm? What is it, young dy?"
"That promise you made years ago…" Noelle began, her hand tightening slightly on her arm-mounted crossbow. "Is it still valid?"
Yami blinked, rubbing his chin as if trying to clear the fog of time. "What promise?"
"That you would let me join your squad," she reminded him, her eyes fshing with a spark of defiance.
"Oh, that promise!" Yami ughed, spping his knee. "Right, right. I almost forgot about that one."
The temperature on the balcony seemed to drop as Nozel's magic fred, his silver mercury shimmering dangerously around him. "I hope you realize what you are doing, foreigner," Nozel hissed, his voice like grinding metal.
"Well, you heard the dy, Nozel," Yami replied, completely unfazed by the royal's killing intent. "I gave her my word, and I said it right in front of the Wizard King himself. I've got to honor a promise like that, or I'll look like a chump."
"You dare...!" Nozel's mana surged, but William Vangeance pced a steadying hand on the air between them.
"Now, now, Nozel," William said smoothly, his eyes smiling behind his mask. "If Yami made such a vow in the presence of the Wizard King, he is duty-bound to honor it. The choice ultimately rests with the examinee."
William looked down at the arena floor. "So, Miss Noelle. To which squad do you wish to belong?"
Noelle didn't hesitate for a single second. She looked over at Asta, a small, triumphant smirk tugging at her lips. "Let me into the Bck Bulls."
"Then it's final!" Yami roared with a grin.
Nozel fell silent, his face a mask of cold fury, but he couldn't argue against the word of the Wizard King. As the selection continued, Asta and Noelle shared a look—the first part of their mission was complete. They were in.
[Quest Complete]
[Received: 1000 Exp, 1000 Token]
Asta's grin didn't fade even as he stepped out of the stone arches of the coliseum. He felt the afternoon sun on his face, but his focus was on the vibrant, rhythmic Ki approaching from behind. He stopped and turned just as Noelle caught up to them.
"Hello... Asta, right?" Noelle asked, her voice carrying a hint of her "Royal" persona, though her eyes were dancing with mischief.
Yuno sighed, adjusting his bag as he looked between the two. "Please don't pretend, Noelle. I already know about you two."
Noelle blinked, her mask of noble indifference slipping for a second. "Really? How?"
"Asta mutters your name in his sleep," Yuno replied ftly, his voice as deadpan as ever.
"Oh? Is that so?" Noelle's expression shifted into a dangerously sweet smile, her eyes locking onto Asta, who began to turn a bright shade of red.
Yuno watched the two of them for a moment, a rare, soft look in his eyes. Without a word of drama, he gave a casual wave of his hand and began walking toward the Golden Dawn's waiting carriage. "Don't fall behind, Asta."
"You too, Yuno!" Asta shouted back.
Leaving the two of them alone for just a heartbeat, the air was light—until Asta felt it. A heavy, smoke-scented Ki was leaning against a nearby wall. With a natural movement, Asta reached out and took Noelle's hand, leading her toward Captain Yami, who was standing with Finral and the blond boy from earlier.
"Good. You're here on time," Yami grunted, taking a long drag of his cigar. He looked down at their joined hands, his dark eyes squinting curiously as if he were looking at a puzzle he hadn't quite solved yet. "Hmm..."
He didn't press them on it, instead letting out a thick cloud of smoke. "Let's move. Finral!"
"Yes, Captain Yami!" Finral yelped, his hands moving in a practiced, circur motion.
"[Spatial Magic: Fallen Angel's Gate]!"
A shimmering, pitch-bck hole tore through the air, swirling with purple energy. Asta felt a hum of power from the portal—a gateway to his new life.
"Can you please hurry it up?!" Finral squealed, his knees knocking together. The strain of holding a long-distance portal open was visible in the beads of sweat on his forehead.
"You really think you can order me around?" Yami growled, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. "Tough it out, Finral. Go past your limits. Right here. Right now."
"Whaaaat?! That's not how spatial magic works!"
Asta and Noelle exchanged a bewildered look but didn't wait for the portal to colpse. They jumped through the shimmering violet gateway together. After a brief, gut-wrenching moment of weightlessness, they tumbled onto a grassy field.
They stood up and froze. Towering before them was a massive, asymmetrical bck castle that looked more like a collection of stone ruins held together by spit and prayers. They began to admire the sheer scale of the fortress, but the moment was shattered when the front doors literally exploded off their hinges.
Asta's Ki immediately fred, sensing a dozen chaotic signals inside. Through the smoke of the doorway, he saw the madness of his new home:
One woman was slumped on a sofa in nothing but her underwear, clutching a bottle of liquor.
A boy with messy blond hair was ughing maniacally while dodging a barrage of fireballs.
A delinquent-looking guy with sungsses was the one screaming and throwing said fireballs.
A small girl was hidden behind a mountain of snacks, while another person sat silently, obsessively polishing a pair of gsses.
One rger person with a smoking face but the ki suggested she was smaller
One was sleeping on a bed on the very top of the castle.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you two," Yami's voice rumbled from behind them as he stepped through the closing portal, looking entirely unbothered by the riot in his living room.
He let out a puff of smoke and gave a booming, dark ugh. "Welcome to the Bck Bulls—the absolute worst squad in the Kingdom! Hahaha!"
The moment they stepped over the threshold, a massive golden notification pulsed in the center of their vision.
[Quest Received]
Objective: Formally meet all members of the Bck Bulls (Progress: 3/12).
Rewards: 5,000 EXP 5,000 Tokens.
Bonus: Use [Observe] on every member and give them their stat board
Note: Do not Tell them about the System
Bonus Reward: 10 Instance Selection ticket, 5000 Tokens
Asta's heart nearly skipped a beat. Five thousand tokens! And with that bonus ten thousand token each! He shot a look at Noelle; she was staring at her screen with wide eyes, her mental calcutor likely already subtracting that from their massive debt. Without a second of hesitation, Asta sprinted into the middle of the chaos.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance! My name is Asta, from Hage Vilge!" he roared, bowing so low his forehead nearly hit the floorboards.
The squad, however, was far too busy destroying the building to care. A stray fireball—rge enough to incinerate a carriage—streaked directly toward Asta's face. Without breaking his bow, he tilted his head an inch to the left, letting the heat singe the air where he had just been.
The fireball continued its path, flying straight at Noelle. She didn't flinch. Her hand glowed with a sharp, oceanic blue light as she casually smacked the projectile sideways, sending it crashing into a suit of armor.
Yami let out a low whistle, a smirk pying on his lips. "Wow. That little girl from six years ago really grew into a powerhouse, didn't she?"
As the noise levels reached a deafening peak, Yami's patience finally snapped. His Mana and Ki fred simultaneously, turning the air heavy and thick. He stepped forward and smmed a massive fist into the nearest stone wall.
BOOM!
The wall shattered into rubble, and the shockwave silenced the room instantly. "Will you idiots STOP BREAKING STUFF?!" Yami bellowed, his voice vibrating in their chests.
Instead of stopping, the squad's focus shifted instantly to their captain. Every single one of them—save for the massive, silent figure whose Ki felt strangely small and trembling—scrambled toward Yami. In a blur of movement, Yami delivered a series of rapid-fire overhead chops.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
The room went silent as the rowdy mages were suddenly seated on the floor, rubbing their bruised heads while Yami gred down at them, exhaling a thick, menacing cloud of cigar smoke.
"Now," Yami grunted, gesturing with his thumb toward the duo. "These two are our new recruits."
"I'm Asta! From Hage Vilge!" Asta roared, bowing so low his forehead nearly clipped his knees. Beside him, Noelle adjusted her arm-mounted relic, her posture radiating a practiced, frosty elegance.
"Noelle Silva. It is… adequate to meet you all," she added, her voice a mix of royal discipline and a hidden, nervous energy that only Asta could sense.
"Eh? A Royal?" A man with sharp gsses and a delinquent's pompadour asked, his jaw dropping. "The Silver Eagles actually let one go?"
"Hage?" The woman in her underwear—Vanessa—slurred slightly, leaning back on the sofa. "Isn't that out in the boonies? Right on the edge of the Forsaken Realm?"
She moved then, crawling across the back of the sofa with a feline grace. Her movement was fluid, her silk undergarments swaying as she closed the distance to Asta. She leaned in, her scent—a mix of expensive wine and sweet jasmine—filling his senses as she gave him a sultry, lopsided grin.
"You're from the sticks and yet you made it into the Knights? You must have worked hard, kid," she teased, trailing a finger near his colrbone. "How about I give you a special reward?"
Finral's eyes nearly popped out of his head, his face turning a shade of envious red. But Asta didn't blush. He didn't even flinch. He just looked at her with a ft, puzzled expression, as if she were asking him to solve a math problem he didn't understand.
"Pass, Miss," Asta said bluntly. "I've already got someone who does stuff like that."
The room went deathly quiet.
Vanessa paused, her predatory smirk faltering. She gnced past Asta toward the silver-haired girl. Noelle was standing there with a smile that didn't reach her eyes—a look Vanessa recognized instantly. It was the look of a woman marking her territory.
"Wow," Vanessa whispered, a pyful spark returning to her eyes. "A scoop already."
Before the chaos could spiral, the man with the gsses stormed up to Asta. His Ki fred, hot and erratic like a roaring bonfire.
"You're the new Bulls? A nobody from nowhere and a runaway Royal?" He smmed a fist into his palm, sparks of fire dancing off his knuckles. "I don't know how you two sucked up to Mister Yami to get in here… but if you want to wear our robe, you've gotta earn respect from me! Mister Yami's top underling, the man among men—Magna Swing!"
Asta's eyes widened, and he began to cp enthusiastically. "Whoa! Your spirit is incredible, Magna-san!"
Magna's tough-guy act wavered for a second under Asta's genuine praise. He cleared his throat, puffing out his chest. "Come on! Follow me outside! It's time for your baptism!"
As the two rookies followed Magna toward the training grounds, Yami caught Magna's shoulder.
"What is it, Boss?" Magna asked, his fire-bat already manifesting in his hand.
"Don't take it easy on 'em," Yami said, his voice dropping to a serious rumble. "Those two are the strongest of the bunch this year."
"Seriously?!" Luck chirped, appearing at Yami's shoulder with a manic, lightning-filled grin.
"The Captain is right," Finral added, looking worriedly toward the field as Yami walked away. "You'd better be careful, Magna. I don't think they're the ones who are going to be doing the praying today."
They stood in the center of the wide, dusty clearing behind the hideout. Asta stood on one side, his feet pnted firmly in the dirt, while Magna faced him, bouncing on the balls of his feet with a delinquent's swagger. The rest of the Bck Bulls crowded the entrance, Noelle among them, her eyes narrowed as she watched Asta's form.
"The game is simple," Magna shouted, his grin widening. "Just evade my attacks. Dodge, block, do whatever you gotta do—just don't get toasted. If you pass, you get this!"
He reached into his pocket and waved a folded, bck short-robe. The gold embroidery of the Bck Bull emblem caught the afternoon sun.
"Oh, a simple one," Vanessa yawned, leaning against the stone doorframe. Luck, however, wasn't bored; he was vibrating, his blue eyes locked onto Asta's ck of a mana signature.
"Then let's begin!"
With a sharp snap of his fingers, Magna's grimoire glowed a fierce, flickering orange. A condensed ball of fire materialized instantly, streaking toward Asta's face like a meteor.
Asta didn't even flinch. With the casualness of someone swatting a fly, he tilted his head an inch to the left. The fireball whistled past his ear, the heat singeing the air.
"Wow," Finral muttered. "Fast reflexes."
But Magna wasn't finished. "Don't look away yet, kid!"
The ball of fire suddenly curved in mid-air, defying physics as it looped back toward Asta's blind spot. But before the fmes could connect, the air around Asta's hand seemed to distort. In a fsh of bck iron and weight, the Demon-Syer Sword appeared in his grip.
With a single, violent horizontal swing, Asta caught the fireball on the ft of the bde.
CLANG!
The fireball didn't just dissipate—it was reflected. The projectile soared into the distance and smmed into a nearby cliffside, erupting in a massive plume of smoke and dirt.
"That's funny," Luck said, his voice dropping an octave as his excitement spiked. "I don't feel any mana in him at all. Usually, I can sense the spark of a spell before it happens, but he's just… empty."
"That's because he doesn't have a drop of it," Yami said, exhaling a plume of smoke as he watched his new recruit.
Magna stared at the crater in the cliff, then back at Asta's massive, bckened sword. "You don't have any magic?! Then how the hell are you doing that? How did you see my curveball coming?!"
"I just used Ki," Asta said, resting the heavy bde on his shoulder as if it weighed nothing.
"Ki?" Magna blinked, looking confused.
"Yeah, Magna. The same thing I use," Yami interjected. The squad turned to their Captain in shock, then back to Asta. To use the same sensory technique as Yami—without even having a squad robe yet—was unheard of.
Luck's mana began to crackle around his feet, little bolts of static jumping through the grass. "Now," he whispered, his eyes wide and hungry for a fight. "I really want to fight you."
"I guess it's my turn, then," Noelle said, stepping forward. As she passed Asta, he gave her a bright, encouraging smile, which she answered with a subtle, confident nod.
"The rules are the same, young dy!" Magna called out, resetting his stance. "Don't let the commoner outshine you!"
"I'm ready," Noelle replied calmly. "But since the objective is defense, I won't be needing this."
With a soft, sapphire pulse from her grimoire, the arm-mounted crossbow dissolved into light, depositing itself back into the book's storage.
"Whoa, wait a second," Luck interrupted, his hair standing on end as if caught in a static field. "What was that? That thing has a mana signature that feels… heavy."
"Yeah," Vanessa added, leaning forward, her eyes sharpening. "It felt alive. Like there was an eye on the end of that bolt looking straight at me the whole time."
Finral rubbed his chin, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face. "Wait… do you guys remember that rumor? The one that had the Royal Capital in a frenzy about six years ago?"
"Nope," the majority of the squad chorused, looking bnk.
"Well, I was still back at my family's house then," Finral expined, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "There was a story about a noble who found a relic at a random stall in Kikka Town for a handful of coins. When it was finally appraised, the mana readings were so high they supposedly rivaled the Wizard King's own archives."
"Seriously?!" Luck's eyes were practically glowing now.
"Yes. They said it housed an ancient spirit so powerful it could mimic any magic it touched. It was a weapon that could learn." Finral turned his gaze toward Noelle. "So… is that it?"
"Care to answer that, Noelle?" Yami asked. He already knew, but he wanted to see how much the girl was willing to reveal.
"It is the same relic, Captain," Noelle said, her voice steady. "But I've modified it. I realized I didn't like just standing in the back lines. I wanted to be in the heart of the fight. The spirit, Kowalski, approved of my resolve. It took months of resonance training, but the form you saw earlier is its new design."
"So it's built for melee now?" Yami puffed a cloud of smoke, looking impressed.
"Yes, Captain. It's a combat-hybrid now."
"Hey, hey! Fight me next! Please!" Luck chirped, appearing in Noelle's personal space in a blur of lightning.
"Next time, Luck," Yami growled, gncing at the horizon where the sky was bleeding into deep oranges and purples. "The sun's setting, and I'm hungry. You two, finish this up!"
"Yes, Captain!" Magna shouted, his grimoire fring to life one st time. "Alright, Noelle Silva! Let's see what a Royal can do!"
Noelle nodded, her eyes sharpening as Magna unleashed his next volley. This time, the fireballs were even faster, blurring into streaks of orange heat. But the result was the same. Noelle moved with a rhythmic, liquid grace, evading every bst. Even as the fireballs curved back with increased speed, she drifted through the gaps in the fmes like a leaf on the tide. They circled her three times, trailing smoke, before finally losing momentum and fizzling out.
"You move just like Luck," Magna commented, wiping sweat from his brow, clearly impressed.
"Yeah! Wanna fight? Right now?" Luck chirped, his lightning crackling in anticipation.
"Maybe some other time," Noelle replied, smoothing her hair back with royal composure.
Vanessa, still in her underwear and clutching her wine, wandered over and gave Noelle a long, curious sniff. She circled the girl like a cat. "You know, I was expecting a pampered, incredibly rude Royal. Are you sure you're a Silva? You act… different. It's like you're actually comfortable around commoners."
"I was wondering the same thing," Finral added, crossing his arms. "I've met the Silvas before. They usually look at people like below them like they've stepped something on the street."
Noelle's face flushed a deep crimson. "W-What if I'm just different? Is that so hard to believe?"
"Isn't she always like that?" Asta piped up, looking at the squad with a confused tilt of his head. "Noelle acts the same as she always has."
"Asta, my man," Magna said, slinging an arm over Asta's shoulder. "What do you mean 'always'? I thought you two just met at the exams today?"
"Huh? Why are you asking that?" Asta asked, genuinely baffled. "I've known her for a very long time."
"How is that even possible?" Finral interjected, leaning in. Asta was looking at Magna and didn't see the look of pure, soul-crushing panic freezing Noelle's face.
"Well, we've been together for years," Asta said casually. He pulled off his bck gloves, and with a subtle flick of his Ki, a ring appeared on his finger. It was made of polished silver, and it caught the dying rays of the sun, glowing with an ethereal light.
"I'm her husband."
"STOP, BAKASTA!" Noelle shrieked, her voice reaching a pitch that probably shattered windows in the next town over.
"Huh? Why, Noelle? They're our teammates now. We shouldn't lie to them."
"I know, but—!"
"IT'S NOT REAL!" Finral screamed, his soul seemingly leaving his body. "A peasant and a Royal?! Married?! My life is a lie!"
The silence that followed was broken by a sound no one expected. Captain Yami threw his head back and let out a roar of ughter so loud it shook the trees. The man obsessively polishing his gsses—Gauche—was so stunned that his hand slipped, and the gss fell to the dirt with a dull thud.
"Tell me, Miss Noelle... tell me he's lying!" Finral wailed, clutching his face as if he were mourning his own romantic prospects.
Noelle looked around. Every single member of her new squad was staring. Vanessa had stopped drinking; Luck had stopped vibrating; even Charmy had paused mid-chew. She looked at Asta's face—honest, open, and utterly unapologetic.
With a deep breath, she channeled a thread of mana into her left hand. Shimmering into existence against her pale skin was a silver band that matched Asta's perfectly, sparkling with a faint, oceanic light.
"Asta is not lying," she said, her voice small but firm. "I am his wife."
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Finral's scream echoed across the cliffs of the Clover Kingdom.
Yami let out a low whistle, his eyes widening behind his veil of smoke. "Wait a second, young dy... is that the real reason you chose my squad over your brother's?"
Noelle looked down, her face a bright shade of peony. "Well... that's partially the reason. I couldn't exactly be a Silver Eagle if I was married to a 'peasant' from Hage, could I?"
"Hahaha!" Yami roared, spping his thigh with a sound like a thundercp. "I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face when I tell him the news. He'll probably turn into liquid mercury!"
But then a voice interrupted him.
"Please don't tell her brother, Captain," Asta interjected.
The ughter stopped. The air grew heavy. Yami looked down at Asta and felt his Ki. The boy wasn't joking or being humble; his presence was steady, sharp, and intensely serious. It was the Ki of a man protecting his home.
Yami stared at him for a long beat, then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Don't worry, you brats. I'm not in the business of selling out my own members. Your secret's safe in this dump."
"Thank you, Captain!" Asta bowed so low his forehead nearly touched his boots.
"Well, it's night," Yami grunted, turning back toward the fortress. "Let's eat and get some rest. We've got work to do tomorrow."
"YES, CAPTAIN!" the rest of the Bulls shouted, finally shaking off their shock—though Finral was still mumbling "impossible" under his breath as they shuffled back inside.
As the group entered the castle, Asta reached out and caught Yami's sleeve.
"Can I ask a favor, Captain?"
Yami stopped, looking over his shoulder. "What is it now, brat?"
"Can Noelle and I have the same room?"
Yami's gaze flicked from Asta's determined face to the back of Noelle's head—she had clearly heard him, as her ears were turning bright red—and then back to the boy.
"Sure. I don't care," Yami grunted, not even slowing his pace. "Just don't break the bed. Repairs come out of your sary."
"THANKS, CAPTAIN!" Asta cheered, his voice echoing through the stone hallway.
"Really, Captain?!" Finral sputtered, scurrying after Yami with his arms filing. "You're just going to let two teenagers share a room? Without a chaperone? In a Royal-sanctioned squad house?!"
"Is that a problem, Finral?" Yami asked, stopping to look at him with a deadpan expression.
"Of course it is! Think of the paperwork! The scandal! The morality!"
"Nah, let 'em," Yami said, turning back around. "We're the Bck Bulls. What's the worst that could happen? Besides, if they're married, they're married. I'm not a priest."
As the squad filtered toward the dining hall, Asta stood in the corridor with Noelle. Suddenly, he felt a sharp thud against his ribs. He'd sensed the blow coming a mile away—her Ki was flickering with annoyance—but he stood his ground and took the hit.
"Why would you just blurt it out like that?!" Noelle hissed, her face still radiating heat.
"I just wanted us to sleep in the same bed," Asta said simply, rubbing his side. "I couldn't think of a good excuse to give them if we didn't tell them we were together. It's better to be honest."
Noelle bit her lip, her gaze flickering toward the shadows where the others had disappeared. "What if news of this reaches my brother? If Nozel finds out I've… I've married a commoner without the family's permission…"
"I don't think anyone here would tell," Asta replied. He looked at her, his green eyes steady and calm. "I trust them."
"Really? After five minutes?"
"Yeah. I trust their Ki," Asta said with a nod. "It's chaotic and loud, but none of it feels like betrayal."
Noelle exhaled, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. "If you say so, Bakasta." She paused, the silence of the hallway wrapping around them. "Hey, Asta?"
"Yeah?"
"It's been six years," she whispered. "Six years since we've seen each other like this. In the flesh. Outside of the [Partner Room]."
Asta stepped closer, the soft glow of the magic nterns reflecting in his eyes. He reached out and brushed a stray silver hair from her face. "I know. I was just thinking that, too. And I wanted to say… you've become beautiful, Noelle."
Noelle's eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked like that girl he always meets at their room, comfortable not hiding from anyone, just his girl. She reached out, her fingers cing through his, squeezing tightly.
"You've grown up, too," she murmured, a small, genuine smile tugging at her lips. "Even if you're still a noisy idiot."
Next update tommorow
