Two days later…
Royal Palace...
Within the grand walls of the Royal Palace,
The eastern wing buzzed with quiet intensity—
The Experimental Wing, a secluded sector recently allocated to Lady Cremelle and a handpicked circle of ritual magic experts.
The air smelled faintly of incense and alchemical reagents.
Sigils glowed across the tiled floor beneath their feet, and several enchanted crystals hovered midair, gently pulsing with blue light.
Ben, clad in a dark navy coat embroidered with subtle golden runes, stood at the edge of a large ritual circle.
His arms were folded as he listened intently to Lady Cremelle,
Who moved her wand across a blueprint hovering midair?
The ethereal diagram showed a complex magical grimoire-binding seal in motion.
"Your Majesty,"
Lady Cremelle spoke, her voice composed and scholarly,
"If we can successfully integrate this ritual into the grimoire creation process, the result will be a bonded grimoire—a tome that can be summoned, lifted, or activated only by its chosen owner. Even teleportation spells or forbidden magic wouldn't allow a thief to wield it."
Ben raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"And the cost?"
The blueprint shifted into a list.
Cremelle waved her hand, and several ingredient names floated upward—
Mana-weaved vellum, blood of the caster, star-forged ink, soul anchors…
"Estimates are high,"
She admitted.
"We'll need at least six months and access to three leyline nodes. But if successful, it could change how grimoires are protected in this kingdom forever."
Ben was about to reply when—
"____"
Knock. Knock.
The heavy oak door creaked open.
Entering first was Harry,
Ben's ever-polite and ever-efficient butler, followed closely by the towering form of Darius,
Captain of the Royal Knights.
Behind them, walking with calm purpose, was Fred—
No longer bearing the anger that had once simmered in his eyes.
His gaze toward Ben now carried something different—
Respect, even admiration.
Darius offered a crisp salute before speaking.
"Your Majesty, the Royal Carriage is ready. The route to the arena has been secured. We can depart at your command."
Harry added in his soft tone,
"Today marks the beginning of the Magic Knight Selection Exam. The entire city is abuzz. Many promising candidates are expected, including the ones you spoke of… Asta and Yuno, from Hage Village."
Ben gave a slight nod, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
Nod~
"I see. The next generation is stepping forward…"
His gaze drifted for a moment, perhaps toward the distant memory of a simpler time—
Or the weight of the future resting on young shoulders.
Fred took a step forward.
"I wanted to thank you, Your Majesty,"
He said, his voice clear.
"I may not have understood your actions before, but… I do now. I've seen the changes. And the people feel it too."
Ben glanced at him, a rare flicker of warmth in his usually composed expression.
"No need for thanks. Just walk with me into the future."
Darius straightened, awaiting the order.
Ben turned to Lady Cremelle.
"Prepare the first phase of your ritual. Begin the groundwork. We'll talk again after the exam."
With a final glance at the blueprint,
Ben turned on his heel, his cape sweeping behind him as he walked out with Darius, Fred, and Harry in tow.
Outside, the Royal Carriage—
Adorned in shimmering silver and royal blue—
Awaited.
Guards lined the palace steps.
The streets were cleared.
Clover Kingdom Capital...
The golden sun bathed the Clover Kingdom Capital in a brilliant glow as Asta and Yuno stood on a tall hill overlooking the sprawling cityscape.
Wide-eyed and filled with excitement,
Asta practically bounced on his heels.
"WHOA! Look at all this! Is this really the capital? It's HUGE!"
Asta yelled, arms flailing like a windmill.
Yuno smirked, his arms crossed, cloak fluttering in the breeze.
Smirk~
"Yeah. It's impressive. But don't get too distracted. We came here for the exam."
"Yeah, yeah! But come on, Yuno, we can take a tiny detour!"
Asta grinned, already sprinting toward the bustling marketplace before his friend could protest.
A short montage followed—
Grand Market Square...
The Grand Market Square was alive with music, merchants shouting deals, and magical gadgets on display.
Cloaked nobles and adventurers alike wandered between stalls.
Asta stared in awe at a levitating fruit stand, nearly knocking it over before being shooed away.
Yuno sampled a slice of honey-glazed roasted boar from a food cart.
Asta devoured five meat skewers in a row, face stuffed like a chipmunk.
"Best… food… ever…"
Asta said, collapsing onto a bench, clutching his stomach.
"We should go,"
Yuno reminded calmly, wiping his fingers.
Later…
Near the Wizard King's Palace
The towering silhouette of the Wizard King's Palace cast its shadow across the majestic Examination Arena nearby.
Magic Knight Selection Examination Arena...
Massive marble pillars framed the grand structure, and giant banners bearing the crest of the Clover Kingdom fluttered in the wind.
Just outside the arena stood a long, winding line of eager participants—
Teenagers and young adults from every corner of the kingdom.
Some wore finely crafted robes,
While others looked rugged and underdressed.
Excited murmurs filled the air.
"____"
"____"
Asta and Yuno approached the entrance.
"Man… look at this line!"
Asta exclaimed.
"There's gotta be hundreds of people here!"
"They all want the same thing."
Yuno replied, eyes sharp.
"To become a Magic Knight."
As they took their place at the end of the line,
A few nearby candidates cast curious glances their way.
Some sneered, noticing Asta's lack of magical presence.
One boy in an expensive cape scoffed.
"Tch. Look at that one. No mana at all. What a joke."
Asta didn't flinch.
He looked straight ahead, clutching the hilt of his massive sword that rested on his back.
"Let them talk, Yuno."
He said, grinning.
"Let's shock the hell out of them once we're in."
Yuno gave a small nod.
Nod~
"We will."
As the gates to the arena slowly creaked open, the crowd ahead began to file inside.
The Magic Knight Selection Exam was about to begin—
And with it, the lives of these two boys would change forever.
Grimoire Inspection Station...
The line to enter the arena slowly crept forward as Asta and Yuno stood shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for their turn at the Grimoire Inspection Counter.
The air buzzed with excitement and hushed conversations as each participant handed over their grimoire for validation and received a numbered ticket in return.
Asta fidgeted impatiently, tiptoeing and craning his neck to peek at the front.
"This is taking forever! What if we miss our turn? What if they run out of numbers?!"
Yuno remained calm, gaze focused ahead.
"Relax. We'll get there."
Moments later...
Yuno stepped forward.
The Magic Knight official,
A man in uniform with a clipboard and monocle-enhanced spectacles reached out.
"Grimoire, please."
Yuno silently handed over his grimoire.
The official opened it casually… then froze.
His pupils widened. His hands trembled slightly.
"Wait a second… this… this is a—!"
He abruptly stood up, his voice rising before he could stop himself:
"A four-leaf grimoire!"
A stunned silence washed over the surrounding crowd.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Then, like a wave breaking, murmurs erupted from every direction.
"Did he say four-leaf?!"
"No way, I've never seen one before!"
"That kid must be a prodigy…"
"Four-leaf grimoires are said to bring incredible luck—and power!"
Some gawked in awe, others with jealous scowls.
"____"
The Knight quickly realised his outburst and cleared his throat, flustered.
"Ahem. Apologies, that was… unprofessional."
He hurriedly composed himself, inspecting the grimoire once more with careful reverence.
"Everything checks out."
He gently closed the book and handed it back with a respectful bow.
"Here is your roll number—164. Proceed forward."
Yuno gave a polite nod and took the slip.
Nod~
He walked off without a word, but the confident stride in his step said it all.
As Yuno stepped aside, the crowd was still buzzing about the four-leaf grimoire,
Asta eagerly dashed forward.
"Alright, it's my turn! Just you wait, I'm gonna be the next Wizard King!"
He slapped his grimoire down on the counter with a big grin.
Grin~
"____"
The Magic Knight inspector raised an eyebrow and looked at the dusty, worn-looking book.
The leather was aged, edges slightly torn, and the binding looked fragile.
The man sighed quietly, already judging its owner.
'Tch… looks like this kid drew the short straw.'
He opened the grimoire half-heartedly, gave it a cursory glance—
Failing to notice the faint, shadowed fifth leaf on the clover etched deep within the first page, hidden beneath grime and age.
"Hmph. Nothing unusual. Here."
He slid the grimoire back to Asta and handed him a token.
"Roll number 165. Move along."
Asta clutched the grimoire like it was the most precious treasure in the world.
"Thank you, sir!"
With stars in his eyes, he turned to face the arena entrance, bouncing on his heels.
"YUNO!! JUST WATCH! I'M GONNA PASS THIS EXAM AND BECOME THE NEXT WIZARD KING!!"
And just like that, he bolted ahead, full of fire, completely unaware of the secret power resting in his hands—
The mysterious five-leaf grimoire, misunderstood and overlooked by all.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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