*Underground Prison, Clover Kingdom — The Same Day*
"I'm glad everyone came out safe from the dungeon. Those places can be quite unpredictable…" Julius said as he read the mission report Marx had just handed to him.
They stood in the castle's underground prison. Mars and Lotus were imprisoned there along with five other Diamond Kingdom mages, all of them bound with heavy earth shackles. Marx had only just finished reading their memories.
"We learned quite a lot about the Diamond Kingdom's internal situation from General Lotus's memories." Marx reported calmly.
His gaze shifted toward the unconscious light purple-haired boy.
"This boy, Mars, is quite pitiful. The magical enhancements placed on him by the Diamond Kingdom mages have made him difficult to control but Anti-magic seems to have undid them all." Mars spoke.
"Yes… once he wakes up, I would like to speak with him," Julius said thoughtfully. "I'm also quite curious about his crystal magic. They say it's harder than steel."
Marx let out a weary sigh, watching the "Magic Nerd" side of the Wizard King emerge. He quickly cleared his throat to get the conversation back on track.
"The treasure and artifacts they recovered are also substantial," Marx continued. "It's enough to support the commoner and forsaken realms for an entire year."
"That's wonderful!" Julius said enthusiastically. "Give one star each to the Black Bulls and the Golden Dawn. We'll reward them separately during the upcoming Magic Knight promotion ceremony for their exceptional performance."
Marx frowned slightly.
"That would be excessive. Other squads may not take it well," he said after a moment of consideration. "Perhaps we should simply praise and allow them to attend the ceremony, and leave it at that."
"And one more thing…" Marx added. "Prince El requested that you assign a healer to his squad. When I suggested it to be someone from the medical staff, he rejected the idea and said to discuss it with you."
"A healer for his squad… ahh youth, i wish i was younger." He hummed thoughtfully, the gears of his mind turning.
"I see. I was planning to meet William anyway to discuss exchanging these prisoners for the Clover Kingdom hostages being held in the Diamond Kingdom. It seems both matters can be handled at the same time."
Marx immediately complained.
"You can just call Captain William here. You already have a mountain of work to do. Don't tell me you're planning to go visit him personally."
But Julius had already disappeared, His voice echoed faintly through the window as he cheerfully replied—
"Where's the fun in that?"
***
*Golden Dawn Headquarters — The Next Day*
"So that's what happened…" William said quietly.
Klaus had just finished recounting everything that had occurred inside the dungeon. William listened in silence, contemplating the impact these new variables might have on the future of the Clover Kingdom.
"The Wizard King visited me yesterday," William continued after a moment. "He praised all of you for your exceptional performance. The prisoners you captured will be exchanged for one hundred Clover Kingdom citizens who were abducted by the Diamond Kingdom in the past. Because of this mission, our squad has also been awarded a mission star."
A cheerful expression appeared on the faces of Klaus, Yuno, and Mimosa.
"We thank you for your praise, Captain!" Klaus declared loudly. "We pledge to continue serving the squad and the Clover Kingdom to the best of our abilities!"
William gave a small nod.
"Klaus, Yuno—you may leave now. Mimosa, please stay behind. There is something I would like to discuss with you."
"Yes, Captain."
Klaus and Yuno took their leave without question, the door closing softly behind them.
Once they were gone, William spoke again.
"Yesterday, the Wizard King requested that you be temporarily transferred to the Black Bulls," he said calmly. "They are currently in need of a capable healer—someone who can also fight. I told him I would have no objections… provided you agreed to it."
"What…? The Black Bulls?" Mimosa's eyes widened in shock.
The suddenness of the news left her momentarily speechless.
Yet at the same time, a quiet sense of excitement bloomed within her.
This means… I could spend more time with El.
And perhaps… This was the surprise he had mentioned before.
'She's truly surprised, It seems she didn't know anything about this,' a voice echoed inside William's mind.
Patri.
"I believe you should accept this temporary transfer request, Mimosa," William continued after a brief pause.
"In fact, I have been considering proposing similar arrangements to the other captains as well. An exchange program between squads could help Magic Knights better understand one another and improve future cooperation among them."
"I will follow your orders, Captain," Mimosa replied with a serious expression.
William nodded slowly.
"However… this transfer will not simply be a training arrangement."
Mimosa looked up.
"I will also be assigning you a confidential information-gathering mission."
Those words made her expression stiffen.
"You see, things within the Clover Kingdom have begun to change quite rapidly. We must be prepared for any uncertainty that might arise in the future."
Mimosa frowned slightly, confusion evident on her face.
"Recently, two very unusual individuals joined the Black Bulls," William continued.
"One is a demon host… a boy named Asta. The other is a powerful mage who appeared this year."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"While I do not currently believe either of them to be a threat, I cannot ignore the possibility. The intentions of the devil residing within Asta remain unclear… and the political motives of the queen of heart kingdom."
William looked directly at Mimosa.
"Therefore, while you are with the Black Bulls, I would like you to gather as much information as possible about them and report it back to me."
Silence filled the room.
For the next few minutes, Mimosa simply stood there, stunned.
The request felt dangerously close to betrayal—spying on people she had already begun to consider friends.
Inside William's mind, Patri's voice spoke again.
'She won't agree to this request, William… Tell her what I told you.'
William heard the voice inside his head again.
It was the same voice whose instructions he had been following reluctantly all this time. Though he resisted it in his heart, he had convinced himself that he was doing it for the sake of the future.
"I did not intend to reveal this information to you," William said calmly, "but you deserve to know the truth. After all, if you are discovered… this mission could endanger your friendships."
Mimosa raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.
"The truth is," William continued, "I would never ask you to do something like this under normal circumstances. This is a direct order from the Wizard King."
He paused before speaking again.
"If it were simply a request from me, I would never risk your friendship. But if it is an order meant to protect the kingdom's future… then as Magic Knights, we must place the kingdom above all else."
His voice remained calm, but his words carried weight while Mimosa stood silent for a moment.
The conflict on her face slowly faded as she steadied her resolve remembering her oath.
"As a Clover Kingdom Magic Knight, I will follow your orders and fulfill my duty, Captain."
William nodded slowly.
"Very well. I expected nothing less from a Royal Magic Knight such as yourself."
"I will inform Captain Yami about your temporary transfer. Please begin preparing for it. The transfer will take place after the upcoming Magic Knight Award Ceremony, where you and the others will be recognized for your achievements."
He paused briefly.
"And please inform the others as well. I forgot to mention it earlier."
"Yes, Captain!"
Mimosa saluted cheerfully before leaving the room.
The moment the door closed behind her, a knock echoed through the office.
"Captain William, may I enter?" Yuno's voice came from the other side.
"You may."
The door opened and Yuno stepped inside.
"I have a request, Captain… if you are willing to consider it."
William leaned slightly forward.
"Speak your mind."
Yuno's eyes sharpened with determination.
"During my first mission… I felt powerless for the first time in my life."
The memory clearly still weighed on him.
"I want to become stronger. Captain… would you be willing to train me?"
The intensity of Yuno's emotions caused the mana around him to swirl slightly.
William watched him quietly before answering.
"I would prefer to train you myself," he said, "but as the captain of the squad, my duties leave me with little time."
He paused thoughtfully.
"However, after hearing Klaus's report, I understand the situation you faced. While I cannot train you personally, I can assign someone reliable to help guide your training."
Yuno bowed slightly.
"Thank you for considering my request, Captain."
After saluting respectfully, he left the room.
Once the door closed again, silence filled the office.
William leaned back in his chair, exhaustion evident in his expression.
"Are you still planning to go through with your plan during the ceremony, Patri?" he asked quietly.
Patri's voice echoed immediately inside his mind.
'You do not need to feel burdened by what is coming, William.'
'On the day of the ceremony, we will distract the Wizard King… and make an example of the Clover Kingdom.'
William lowered his gaze, doubt stirred in his heart, was he truly doing the right thing?
These were young Magic Knights—loyal to their kingdom, trusting in their captains. And yet he was using that loyalty for his personal gain.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"May God be with you."
His eyes drifted toward the stack of paperwork on his desk.
Patri's voice returned, colder this time.
'God abandoned us long ago, Now the elves will decide their own fate.'