Zura had spent the last two weeks inside the Black Bull base — and somehow, it was the most chaotic yet productive stretch of his life.
The mornings were loud. No alarms, just Luck chasing someone or Manga screaming his lungs out during his own training. The afternoons? Smoke, explosions, strange smells. And nights were peaceful only if no one accidentally opened Gordon's door.
But Zura trained through it all.
After the last mission with Vanessa and Magna — when his mana had run dry and they had to cover him — he realized something bitter.
He was still weak.
Not in skill. He had that. His spellwork was clean, precise. He could copy and absorb spells through his nine clover Grimoire, and he had already taken a few during the bandit mission.
But his stamina, his raw mana pool — it was paper-thin. Like having an ocean of techniques but only a bucket to cast them with.
So he focused.
Magna sparred with him almost every day, throwing fireballs until both of them were drenched in sweat. Vanessa watched from the sidelines, wine bottle in hand, tossing comments like, "Tighter stance, Zura," or "You're burning mana too fast," or "Damn, Magna's shirtless again."
Luck tried to pull him into random fights every few hours. He called it combat sensing.
Finral offered to teleport him mid-air and drop him for reflex training. Zura said no. Repeatedly. But Finral still did it once, saying, "Accidental mana slips build instinct."
Even Yami joined in, though he did not use mana. But training with someone who moved like a bullet and swung like a truck forced Zura to stop relying on magic and focus on movement, reactions, and physical rhythm.
And slowly, he changed.
His casting got faster. His stamina grew. He even began fusing absorbed spells with his own — tweaking them, shaping them. Not just copying, but refining.
One day, he sat in his room, flipping through his grimoire. The pages shimmered with new spells — some clearly from Vanessa and Magna.
‣ Thread Bind - Rapid Stitch Variant
‣ Fireball Cluster - Spiral Scatter Mod
‣ Minor Mana Leak Detection (passive)
‣ Thread Trap - Illusion Layering Add-on
Some were raw techniques, others were support-based.
But the key was that he wasn't just collecting anymore. He was understanding them.
Yami tossed a pouch at him one morning.
"Go get some damn supplies, rookie. We're outta meat, paper, ale, soap... and Gordon's weird purple plant."
"…That's a hell of a combo," Zura muttered, catching the bag.
Yami scratched his stubble. "And don't pick fights in town. I don't wanna hear you got into a duel over tomatoes."
It was the first time Zura went back to the kingdom since the Magic Knight entrance exam.
Last time, the streets were half-closed. He barely had time to look around before getting shoved into the tournament ring.
But this time…
The capital was alive.
Street vendors yelling over each other. Knights marching in their squads. Kids chasing after flying brooms. A nobleman getting scammed at a dice stand.
It was loud, messy, and warm.
He bought what he needed — and a bit extra. Skewers. Dried meat. A cloak that was too expensive but looked badass. A sketchbook for himself. One weird voodoo doll that looked suspiciously like Gordon.
He didn't realize how much he missed just living.
That night, he returned with a full satchel and a calmer heart.
Vanessa raised a brow. "Shopping or looting?"
"A little bit of both."
Magna laughed. "Man's startin' to look like a real Bull."
Even Yami didn't scold him.
That night, Zura sat on the rooftop of the base, watching the stars. He felt tired but fulfilled. For the first time in a while, he wasn't rushing.
But something itched inside him.
Like a whisper of a shadow that didn't belong.
A piece of memory that didn't fit the story he knew.
And he just had a feeling…
Something big was coming.
A few days later.
It was raining.
Not hard. Just a slow, steady drizzle that made the wooden floorboards of the Black Bull base creak and groan with old comfort. Everyone was indoors. No explosions. No fireballs. Just quiet for once.
Zura sat near the window, grimoire open in his lap, watching the rain blur the edge of the world.
Two weeks.
Two weeks since he'd joined this insane, messy squad.
And he felt… different.
Not just stronger. Settled.
His spells flowed smoother now. His mana still thinned after long sessions, but it didn't collapse. He had control. He could cast in a fight and still breathe after.
He looked down at his hands. They were calloused now. A few burn marks here and there. Scars that would fade. But they meant something.
He had earned them.
"It has almost been like a month since I was summoned in this world… but back in my world, only a few minutes would have passed. I wonder how Lucy is holding up. I was summoned right in front of her eyes. She must be worried sick."
"Whatcha doing, quiet boy?"
Vanessa's voice drifted from behind him, playful and soft. She wore a thin robe over her usual outfit, barefoot, wine in hand.
"Thinking."
She walked closer, eyes on the grimoire pages glowing faintly in the candlelight.
"You've changed," she said. "When you got here, you looked like a stiff little bookworm who'd puke if someone swore too loud."
Zura chuckled.
"I still might."
She snorted. "Nah. You're one of us now."
She paused, then added, "Proud of you, y'know."
He looked at her.
It wasn't sarcasm. Not teasing. Just simple, honest words.
And something about that… hit deeper than it should have.
"…Thanks."
When Zura joined the Black Bull, he had assumed that he would be spending more time with Noelle. He had expected them to go on a date (mission) together, train together, mess with each other, and maybe even sleep together.
But Zura could count on his finger how many times they had interacted with each other.
Noelle was always on a mission one after another, and if she wasn't she spent her time training.
Honestly, Zura didn't mind it. For the past two weeks, he was busy training himself. Once he had gotten the hang of it, he couldn't just give up.
For him, it was like going to the gym and getting the results on the same day.
His training was that effective.
Either way, Zura once again looked at Venessa and thought to himself. 'I have spent more time with her instead of Noelle. Well, it's not like I am complaining.'
*****
A/N- Two more chapters coming up in a few minutes. Let's catch up on the missed updates! It's mass release today!
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