Chapter 193 : The Advancing Commander (Part 3)
"They're fighting again."
"How brutal!"
"Why does that guy always hit the Captain of the Silver Eagles in the face? Captain Jack... has been hammered into the ground again!" Sekke watched the fierce battle in the distance, frowning and covering his eyes from time to time.
Although he knew from last time that the two Captains were no match for the Masked Man, he never expected that once the real battle began, the two Captains wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.
The battle was completely one-sided.
Blood was splattered everywhere.
*Gulp.*
Sekke instinctively swallowed hard, his thoughts racing; if he were on that field, he would likely be finished in a single exchange.
But... thinking about it differently, just as that masked guy said.
If he could learn something from these people, his progress would be immense.
From taking the Magic Knights exam to his mission experiences after joining the Emerald Mantis, past events surfaced like a tide. Sekke clenched his fists; he had to seize this opportunity to change.
It wasn't possible to have an opportunity to save the King every time like before.
The wind from the battle's aftershocks flipped through the notebook in Sekke's hand.
Almost everything the Masked Man said had been recorded by him, even interspersed with many of his own insights.
The concepts for new Magic, combined with detailed notes and drawings, looked professional and concise. The notebook was thick, and before the current pages were other things—some already completed Bronze Magic.
Someone who could successfully join the Magic Knights and survive repeatedly on missions was definitely not just lucky... The first light of dawn broke through the dark haze once more, and an ocean of orange light rose over the empty ruins where the dust had settled, a peaceful scene that only appeared after a fierce battle had ended.
A new day had arrived.
The Masked Man's figure had already vanished; he had ended his battle with the Captains before the first light of dawn.
Sekke, just like yesterday, picked up the two Captains who were lying there like corpses and, riding his bronze-model flying broom, rushed back to the Royal Capital of the Clover Kingdom in the orange light.
This time he had learned his lesson; before reaching the Silver Eagles' base, he dropped off Nozel, who still had a bit of spirit left.
In a groggy state, it wasn't until the sunlight became blinding that Nozel climbed up from a street corner. He checked his surroundings and, clutching his stomach, walked laboriously toward the base step by step.
He muttered through gritted teeth, "That bastard, he specifically targeted my stomach and face."
"One day, I'll give you and that guy from the countryside a sound thrashing."
Nozel looked quite pathetic walking hunched over. Fortunately, not many people lived near the Silver Eagles' base, and since he took an extremely secluded path, almost no one saw him.
If he had been seen, gossip about him would likely have spread throughout the Royal Capital.
After all, Nozel was famous among the Magic Knights for being noble and aloof.
"Why Is a Grand Royal Captain Walking While Clutching His Waist at Dawn?"
"A Self-Proclaimed Noble Royal Appears Pathetically on a Street Corner: Is It the Depravity of Human Nature, or a Hidden, Unknown Secret? What Is the Truth Behind It All?"
Approaching the base of The Silver Vulture Group.
Nozel looked at the massive structure bathed in sunlight. He pulled himself together and forced his chest out. Although he still looked pathetic with his bruised face and body covered in dust and blood, his sharp, cold eyes still held his usual intimidating presence.
Walking calmly into the building, Noelle and Solid were already waiting at the door of the Captain's office. The squad had morning training requirements, and as core members, they arrived earlier than the other members.
The moment the siblings saw Nozel, they asked in a panic.
"Brother Nozel, why are you like this again? What on earth happened?"
"Exactly! Who did this? I'll definitely kill that guy! To injure my respected elder brother like this?! Damn it!" The siblings stepped forward to support Nozel, their words full of concern.
Nozel maintained his usual cold demeanor. His narrow eyes swept over the two of them as he replied indifferently, "Nothing happened."
With that, he strode toward the door of the Captain's office. At the doorway, his pace faltered slightly. "On my way here today, I didn't see a single member of The Silver Vulture Group. It hasn't been long since the Chaos of the Royal Capital, yet as Magic Knights, everyone is being far too relaxed."
"From now on, move our collective training time up by half an hour."
"Is that clear?"
Noelle and Solid looked up and happened to meet those cold silver eyes at the door. An overwhelming pressure suddenly struck them, and the leaking Mana made their bodies stiffen.
"U-Understood."
The crisp sound of footsteps gradually entered the room, and that suffocating pressure vanished completely.
Solid panted heavily. He looked at the room where the door had been closed again. For some reason, a strange thought surfaced: Brother's aura... has changed.
Though he was injured, he had become stronger.
And... previously, that cold sense of oppression only radiated from him. This time, it was different; the feeling of suffocation was drowning them from all sides like water.
"Is it just my imagination?"
————————————————————
Four months later.
Clover Kingdom, Royal Capital, Meeting Room.
Sunlight refracted through the floor-to-ceiling glass into the room. Under a Magic chandelier carved with intricate patterns sat an oval conference table. The ten seats around the table were not all filled.
This was a meeting of the Magic Knight Captains convened by Wizard King Julius.
It was obvious that many people were missing from the meeting.
Julius's confidant, the mushroom-headed Marx, reported the list of absentees. "For this meeting, Captain Rill of the Aqua Deer is studying in the Heart Kingdom and is therefore absent. Captain Yami of the Black Bulls, Captain Nozel of the Silver Eagle, and Captain Jack of the Emerald Mantis have all requested leave and are absent."
"That is all. Please take note."
Before Wizard King Julius could speak, Fuegoleon, who had regained his position as Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings Squad after waking up, murmured, "Is this already the sixth time those two have requested leave?"
"Since three months ago, they haven't attended a single Captains' meeting."
"Truly strange."
"I don't know Jack and Yami very well, but for Nozel to be absent repeatedly is truly a first. Could something have happened?"
Hearing Fuegoleon's question, Charlotte, who was sitting to the side in female armor, spoke up: "Yami went to the Ultime-Volcano Mountain. I heard he's undergoing secret training. As for Nozel and Jack, I have no idea."
Her bright blonde hair was tied in a scorpion tail and hung to the side. The refracted sunlight falling on the tips of her hair looked very warm, making her already fair skin appear even whiter.
In the months since recovering from the Elf Possession, Charlotte's condition had improved significantly, and she had also gained some previously unknown insights into the deeper secrets of 'Mana' and 'Magic'.
Julius, in the form of a twelve or thirteen-year-old child, looked at the empty seats and, after a moment of reflection, slowly began to speak...
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