The journey from Hage to the Royal Capital was longer and more tedious than expected, with them braving the elements and sleeping outdoors.
"Hooah!"
At times, Asta would raise his great sword high, performing sets of slashing exercises.
"Ha!"
Other times, he would stick his sword into the ground and start doing push-ups, muttering numbers under his breath.
"Nine hundred ninety-seven... nine hundred ninety-eight..."
Ryoma's gaze was always scanning around, observing the strange things of this world.
"Hey! Ryoma! Look what that is!"
Asta suddenly stopped training and pointed at a small grove of trees not far away, shouting excitedly.
Looking in the direction he pointed, they saw a magical beast, similar in size to a wild boar but covered in rock-like armor, rooting around in the dirt.
"It's a Rock-Armored Boar, a common magical beast, not worth much." Yuno said indifferently, not even pausing his steps.
"A magical beast? Perfect for me to practice with."
Asta instantly became excited, shouldering his demon-slayer sword and about to charge over.
"Save your strength, Asta." Ryoma reached out to stop him.
"Our goal is the Royal Capital, not to wrestle with a pig here. Besides, its meat is said to be old and tough, as unappetizing as a rock."
"Eh? Is that so?"
Upon hearing it wasn't tasty, Asta immediately deflated, shouldering his sword again and muttering, "Alright then, I'll let it off for now."
The journey passed day by day in such a noisy and peaceful atmosphere.
At night, the three lit a bonfire in the wilderness, the flickering flames dispelling the darkness and cold.
Asta was still doing his endless physical training, his clothes soaked with sweat, but he seemed to be enjoying it.
"When I become the Wizard King, I will definitely go back and marry Sister Lily!" Asta loudly declared his grand plan while doing sit-ups.
Yuno sat nearby, roasting meat over the bonfire. Hearing this, he merely let out a disdainful "Hmph" from his nose.
"What kind of attitude is that?!" Asta immediately sprang up from the ground and pointed at Yuno's nose, yelling.
"A nun is a clergy member, it's impossible for her to marry." Yuno didn't even lift an eyelid.
"You'd be better off thinking about how to pass the entrance exam."
"Do I even need to think about that?! I'll definitely pass!"
Ryoma looked at these two clowns and smiled helplessly. He added a few dry branches to the fire, making it burn brighter.
After a long period of braving the elements and sleeping outdoors, when a majestic silhouette appeared on the distant horizon, all three stopped.
It was a magnificent city beyond description. The entire Royal Capital was even larger than Ryoma had imagined, and the class divisions were very obvious.
From afar, they could see the Royal Capital divided into three areas by several towering walls.
At the very center were the castle complexes where the King, the Wizard King, and the two major royal families resided.
The middle area further out was the living area for the various nobles of the kingdom.
The outermost area was the residential area for commoners, the most expansive, and this area was called the "Common Realm", it encircled the outermost perimeter, protecting the entire Royal Capital.
"Woahhh!"
Undoubtedly, Asta was the first to break the silence. He opened his mouth wide, letting out the most exaggerated gasp of astonishment ever.
"So... so big! Is this the Royal Capital? It's ten thousand times bigger than I imagined."
He bolted towards the city gate like an untamed dog, shouting and yelling as he ran.
Although Yuno didn't lose his composure like Asta, he also clenched his fists tightly. This was the stage where he was about to show his skills.
The three walked through the massive city gate, as if entering another world.
The wide streets were paved with smooth flagstones, lined with various ornate shops and buildings, and people came and went in a continuous stream.
"Oh! So lively!"
"What's that? The smell of roasted meat? It smells so good."
Asta was like a country bumpkin who had just entered the city, finding everything novel, pointing here, looking there, his shouts and exclamations never stopping.
His actions quickly drew scornful glances from passersby. Various whispers and undisguised laughter drifted over.
Asta, however, seemed to not hear any of it, still immersed in his excitement.
Seeing Asta wanting to try everything, even gnawing on a skewer of what looked like questionable roasted purple snake without a care, it seemed he was destined for this mishap.
Ryoma couldn't help but stop Asta, "Let's find the registration place first."
Following the directions, they wound through several turns and finally arrived at the venue for the Magic Knights entrance exam. It was a huge circular building, similar to a Roman coliseum, with several registration points set up at the main entrance.
The plaza in front of the venue was already packed with people.
Hundreds of young people gathered here, coming from all corners of the kingdom, each harboring the dream of becoming a Magic Knight. They all held their grimoires, and the air was filled with tension, anticipation, and the occasional undisguised arrogance.
Everyone who came here was a talented individual recommended by Grimoire Towers in various regions.
But the gathering of so many peers also put considerable pressure on many.
So, before entering the inner arena, people gathered in twos and threes to chat, constantly surveying the grimoires of others around them.
On the outskirts of the plaza, even more citizens came to watch the excitement, offering blessings to the young mages heading to the registration desk.
Asta, always carefree and single-minded, readily accepted the cheers from the crowd outside. He even actively waved back in response.
This made Yuno and Ryoma, who were walking ahead, involuntarily quicken their pace.
His overly social personality was a bit embarrassing, making them unconsciously want to pretend not to know Asta.
Asta, despite knowing he had no mana, could still maintain such a mindset, his heart was truly large.
However, Asta would eventually get his wish. As long as the original plot developed without any surprises, Yami should take this interesting fellow into the Black Bulls.
Ryoma was even more relaxed. He knew all the specific test contents, and they posed no difficulty for him.
However, his grimoire was not a four-leaf clover, but besides the Golden Dawn, Silver Eagle, and Aqua Deer, other Magic Knight Squads should be quite willing to accept him.
At this moment, in the inner and outer rings of the massive arena, numerous staff members were individually registering the grimoires of the mages preparing to enter the arena.
"You are number 163."
After completing registration, the number was given.
"Alright, next."
The staff member waved, signaling the next Mage to step forward and register.
"I am Yuno from Hage."
Yuno, who was walking at the front of the trio, calmly stepped forward and announced his name.
The staff member then searched through the documents to confirm the recommendation list and asked Yuno to present his grimoire.
"A four... four-leaf clover..."
Seeing the emblem on the grimoire handed over, the staff member was greatly surprised.
As the staff member's words fell, the previously orderly registration area instantly caused quite a stir.
Amidst continuous gasps of surprise, all eyes simultaneously focused, turning towards the grimoire in Yuno's hand, and whispers rose and fell.