Two days passed in a blur with nothing particularly noteworthy occurring. El and the others spent most of their time training, occasionally traveling to harsh environments to temper both their bodies and their magic.
On the morning of the third day, the group arrived at the entry gateway of the royal capital. The entire city was protected by an immense magic array that either prevented intruders from entering or immediately alerted the mages of any unauthorized presence.
El had visited this place many times before to meet with nobles and even the Wizard King himself, yet the sight of it still left an impression every time.
The royal capital of the Clover Kingdom was an architectural marvel rarely seen in any other land.
Towering white spires pierced the sky like spears of marble, their golden tips gleaming under the afternoon sun. Vast roads of polished stone spread throughout the city.
Far ahead stood the massive structure that dominated the skyline — the Magic Knights Headquarters. The enormous fortress-like building was surrounded by towering banners bearing the emblems of each squad.
And rising even higher beyond it all was the royal castle itself, perched atop the capital's central plateau like a palace.
"Wowwww… wow wowowowww! That is the hugest building I've ever seen! And so less people live here!" Asta shouted excitedly as he ran around, drawing strange looks from the people passing by.
"How… how embarrassing. Bakasta, come back here and show some manners!" Noelle yelled, grabbing Asta by the ear and dragging him back — which only attracted even more attention.
"Hiii El!"
A cheerful voice called out from behind.
El turned and saw Mimosa running toward him, happily waving her hand. Klaus followed behind her, adjusting his glasses with a noticeably friendlier demeanor than usual, while Yuno walked silently beside them with his usual stoic expression.
However, both of Yuno's hands were tightly wrapped in bandages.
'Maybe he's started pushing himself harder after seeing Asta's progress.' El thought.
"Hey El, I know you were the one who pulled the strings to transfer me to the Black Bulls. Is this the surprise you were talking about that night?" Mimosa asked as she pulled him aside to a quiet corner.
"So it's done, huh… I only nudged things a little. I didn't know it would actually work." El leaned slightly closer as he lowered his voice. "Now I can have my way with you anytime."
"You jerk…" Mimosa whispered with a mischievous smile. "I want to kiss and bite you right now for teasing me… if only we were alone. And keep it a secret. I want to surprise everyone."
With that, she casually walked back to the others as if nothing had happened.
Watching her leave, El felt a strange warmth stir in his chest.
"We should get going," he said.
El took the lead while Klaus walked beside him. Mimosa, Asta, Noelle, and Yuno followed behind.
Soon they arrived at the entrance of the Magic Knights Headquarters, where a man was already waiting to welcome them.
Everyone instantly recognized him.
"It's the Wizard King," Klaus said quietly.
Without hesitation, everyone dropped to one knee — including El.
"Hello there, young people. It's good to see you all in good health," the Wizard King greeted them warmly.
"We greet the Wizard King," they replied respectfully.
"I heard about your exceptional performance during the dungeon mission," the Wizard King said warmly. "I thought it would be better to personally congratulate you."
"Thank you, Master Julius," Klaus replied respectfully.
"I also heard that you obtained some remarkable magic items from the dungeon," the Wizard King continued, his eyes suddenly sparkling with excitement. "Would you mind showing them to me?"
"Yes… please take a look at this spell." Yuno said calmly as he presented his grimoire. "I'm not able to activate it at will yet."
"Hm…" The Wizard King leaned closer, carefully examining the spell formation. His expression quickly shifted from curiosity to fascination.
"This isn't just a spell," he muttered thoughtfully. "It's more like a contract… But it will take time for you to fully master it."
"The spell activated accidentally while Mr. Alecdora of the Golden Dawn was training with me," Yuno explained.
"The moment it triggered, time itself seemed to stop. A small green creature—something like a fairy—appeared beside me. It created a powerful tornado that destroyed his Earth Guardian and sent him crashing into the wall. But it disappeared shortly after… and soon all of my mana was drained."
A look of realization appeared on the Wizard King's face.
"You have unknowingly formed a contract with one of the Four Great Spirits," he said. "The Wind Spirit—Sylph."
Everyone around them stiffened in surprise.
"But you are still far too weak to summon her freely," Julius continued calmly.
He then glanced toward El with an amused smile.
"Besides… El here might know more about the Great Spirits than even I do."
"Well… that might be true," El said with a slight shrug. "The Queen of the Heart Kingdom has contracted one of the Four Great Spirits herself—the Water Spirit, Undine."
In truth, El was also curious about meeting the Wind Spirit Sylph.
"There are many spirits that exist in this world," El continued calmly, "but most of them no longer interact with humans. Except the Four Great Elemental Spirits, ancient beings that have maintained ties with other races throughout history."
"The first is the Water Spirit: Undine. For the past twelve hundred years, she has remained contracted to every generation of the Heart Kingdom's queen without leaving her side."
He paused briefly.
"Though… her personality is absolutely the worst. I sincerely hope the Wind Spirit doesn't resemble her."
A few people blinked in surprise at the blunt comment.
"The second is the Fire Spirit: Salamander. Unlike Undine, it doesn't stay with one lineage. It appears from time to time, always seeking the suitable fire mage of any era before forming a contract."
The Wizard King listened with intense focus, absorbing every word.
"The third is the Wind Spirit: Sylph," El continued. "She hasn't appeared in the world for over five hundred years. The last recorded contractor was an elf…"
"The Fourth Great Spirit is Gnome the earth spirit," El continued. "In the past, it only formed contracts with the dwarves. But after their extinction, it eventually made a contract with one of the Shining Generals of the Diamond Kingdom."
The Wizard King blinked in surprise.
"That is quite the revelation… Even I wasn't aware that the Earth Spirit had appeared in the Diamond Kingdom."
"I'm glad to know," Yuno said quietly. "Thank you, El."
El simply acknowledged him with a small nod.
"Yuno's spirit might be awesome and all," Asta suddenly cut in, "but look at my grimoire! Some weird writing appeared in it, and this thing came out of it."
He pulled out a worn, short sword from his grimoire and presented it to the Wizard King. Despite its battered appearance, the blade looked unusually antique.
Curiosity shining in his eyes, Julius carefully reached out and grabbed it.
The moment he did, the sword began devouring the mana from his body.
"—Oh?"
Julius immediately handed it back to Asta with a fascinated smile.
"It seems you're the only one capable of wielding this sword," he said. "It actively drains the mana of anyone else who touches it."
"Though I must admit," he added while examining the markings on the blade, "I don't quite understand the writing engraved on it."
"C-can I ask you somethhinng…?" Asta suddenly spoke.
For the first time, everyone saw Asta looking genuinely nervous while asking a question.
"Of course," the Wizard King replied kindly. "Ask away, Asta."
At that exact moment, both Yuno and Asta spoke simultaneously.
"How does someone become the Wizard King?"
The blunt question stunned everyone present, yet at the same time, many seemed curious about the answer themselves.
Julius chuckled softly.
"I see… so you both wish to become the Wizard King."
He paused briefly before answering.
"The answer is actually quite simple."
"Merit… and power."
"I would normally explain it in more detail," Julius continued, "but unfortunately, we don't have much time right now."
He turned and gestured for them to follow.
"Why don't you think about it while accompanying me to the Magic Knight Awarding Ceremony? You'll get the chance to meet many of the people who may one day become your competition for the Wizard King's seat."
Not long after, they were led into the grand royal hall.
The chamber was filled with Magic Knight captains, their squad members, and many other distinguished knights invited to the ceremony.
With the Wizard King personally leading them inside, the group immediately became the center of attention.
Every eye in the hall turned toward them.
El could hear faint laughter from certain corners, while others watched with thinly veiled mockery. Through the subtle fluctuations of their qi, he could sense arrogance, disdain, and quiet calculation from many of the knights present.
Some clearly looked down on them.
Others simply didn't care.
Just like El himself.
"But can you produce results better than theirs?" the Wizard King asked suddenly.
His gaze shifted between the rookies beside him and the experienced knights already gathered in the hall.
Most of those knights had years of accomplishments and were far ahead in both rank and reputation.
They had a massive head start, yet as El quietly observed the rookies beside him, he remained certain of one thing.
All the knights including the captain in this hall would eventually be surpassed by them.
"We will," they replied firmly.
With that, the ceremony began.
The entire program was just as dull as El had expected. Only about half of the captains were present, along with members of their squads. One by one, knights were called forward to receive various titles and medals.
To them, those small pieces of metal represented pride, honor, and the recognition of their achievements.
To El, they were little more than polished scraps.
Still, he casually swept his gaze across the hall, observing the knights standing near the podium. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone particularly promising candidate among them. Some of them even possessed less talent than the average member of the Black Bulls.
Disappointing.
Before long, the Wizard King excused himself in a hurry, leaving the rest of the ceremony to continue.
And soon after, the most awkward feast of El's life began.
Asta was devouring food like a starving beast, stuffing his mouth without the slightest care for etiquette. Several nearby knights openly whispered and mocked him, but Asta paid them no attention whatsoever.
If anything, El found that attitude somewhat admirable.
Even he didn't quite have the audacity to behave so shamelessly in a place like this.
Soon enough, gossip began spreading among the squads. Conversations shifted toward Asta and Yuno — their origins, their sudden achievements, and the audacity of two peasants rising showing off.
But neither of them bothered to argue, It seemed they were already used to it.
But before long, the attention shifted again.
This time, the target was Mimosa and Klaus.
"Mimosa, I heard that during the dungeon mission, you and Klaus were injured while black bulls were the one carrying your weight?"
The voice belonged to a tall blonde knight — Alecdora Sandler of the Golden Dawn. His tone carried clear disbelief as several other knights nearby formed arrogant expressions.
"I… I apologize, Sir Alecdora…" Mimosa said hesitantly.
"I didn't expect much from the four-leaf peasant," Alecdora continued, clearly referring to Yuno, "but I expected better from you and Klaus."
His gaze hardened.
"You've brought shame upon the reputation of the Golden Dawn."
Mimosa lowered her eyes slightly, absorbing the criticism like she always did.
El, however, leaned slightly closer to her.
"Mimosa," he said quietly, "talk to him the same way you talk to your brother Kirsch. He's not your senior anymore."
She blinked in surprise.
"Would that really be okay?" she asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry," El replied calmly. "If things escalate, I'll handle it peacefully."
A small, warm smile appeared on Mimosa's face.
Then her expression slowly shifted.
The usual clumsy hesitation vanished, replaced with quiet irritation.
"Contrary to your assumptions," Mimosa said calmly, lifting her head, "Captain William personally praised our squad's performance. In fact, he said it was the most impressive result for a first mission that he had ever seen."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"So if you have any complaints, Sir Alecdora, you are welcome to bring them to Captain William."
A brief pause followed.
"Unless, of course… you are implying that Captain William's judgment is wrong."
Asta burst out laughing from the side, nearly choking on his food as he stuffed his mouth with one hand and gave Mimosa a thumbs-up with the other.
Alecdora's face immediately flushed.
"I—You—! I'll report your disrespectful behavior to Captain William!" he stammered angrily.
Before he could say anything else, another voice cut in.
"Well, now… if we're discussing useless squad members…"
A tall man with long silver hair stepped forward casually.
"The most useless misfit here would be you, wouldn't it… Noelle?"
Noelle froze.
Her older brother casually brushed his hair back while looking down at her with contempt.
The moment his words reached her, Noelle instinctively shrank back.
Her shoulders lowered as she retreated slightly into the shadows behind the others, like a frightened cat.
Old instincts from her childhood resurfaced instantly.
"Why are you being so wary, Noelle?" El said calmly, sipping the lemon juice from his glass.
"Are they really more frightening than the demons we fought in the underworld? Don't forget—you now represent the Black Bulls. Don't drag the squad's reputation down by surrendering to some roadside bully."
His words echoed through the hall.
Half of what he said made little sense to those present, but the message struck its mark.
"Outsiders should stay out of matters that don't concern them," Nebra Silva said coldly, eyeing El with clear displeasure. Still, she made no move due to fear or his status, the reason unknown.
Noelle slowly lifted her head.
"Your taunts don't scare me anymore, Solid," she said, her voice far steadier than before. "I've improved a lot since joining the Black Bulls."
She turned slightly.
"Why don't you spend your time improving your magic instead of bullying juniors?"
She began walking toward Asta, but before she could take even a single step—
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Serpent Coil."
A whip of water shot toward her face, ready to bind her in front of everyone and humiliate her, but before the spell could land—
El clapped.
In the next instant, Solid and Noelle switched places.
Solid suddenly appeared directly in front of his own spell.
The water whip wrapped around him instantly, binding him tightly before slamming him onto the ground.
The hall fell silent.
The spell unraveled a moment later as Solid glared furiously at El, already gathering mana for another attack.
But before he could complete it—
A massive sphere of water engulfed him.
His spell struggled against the sheer density of the mana noelle imbued in her attack, failing eventually. He choked inside the sphere, glaring outward in disbelief.
Standing before him was Noelle, her wand pointed at his face which infuriated him more.
This time, there was no hesitation in her eyes.
"You are no brother of mine," she said coldly.
"All you've ever done is make my life miserable."
The water sphere grew larger and denser as her mana surged.
"But contrary to your belief… I will become the strongest water mage the Clover Kingdom has ever seen."
Her voice rose.
"I will surpass even our mother—"
"And I will make you acknowledge me!"
The water bubble expanded violently—
But suddenly, thick white mist began to spread through the air, and within seconds, the water sphere collapsed.
A dense fog surrounded Noelle from all directions. Voices echoed inside it, distorting reality around her.
Mist magic.
She was trapped.
"Come now, Noelle," Nebra's voice echoed through the fog. "You'll break your big brother's heart."
"Is this the influence of the Black Bulls?" Nebra's voice echoed mockingly through the mist. "It seems that a squad of delinquents has at least taught you how to dream big."
"And sorry to shatter that dream so early but today we will make an example out of you."
Sensing incoming danger toward Noelle El was about to act but before he could intervene—
Asta swung his broadsword.
The massive blade carved through the air, releasing a powerful gust of non-magical wind.
The mist scattered instantly.
When the fog cleared, Noelle stood in the center, stunned.
"Men really are dumb, eh… sis?" Sol Marron from Captain Charlotte's squad commented casually.
"Manners, Sol," Charlotte corrected lightly.
Many knights in the hall were quietly enjoying the spectacle.
But then, a crushing pressure suddenly descended upon the entire room.
The laughter stopped instantly.
From the far end of the hall, a lone figure walked forward.
Each step carried overwhelming authority.
"Don't waste your spells on that peasant," the man said calmly. "Didn't you hear her? She's no longer one of us Silvas."
His cold gaze fell upon Noelle.
"I suppose she has finally realized her place."
It was Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagle Squad and the eldest son of the Silva family.
"Brother Nozel…" Noelle whispered.
The others hadn't affected her much, But Nozel…
He was different.
He had always been the one she admired the most.
Nozel raised his hand slightly, preparing to strike Asta for interfering earlier.
But suddenly, an even greater pressure filled the hall from behind him.
"Things are never quiet when you're around, are they?" Leo spoke.
A powerful voice echoed through the room.
Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion stepped forward, his presence burning like a contained inferno, Beside him stood his younger brother, Leopold.
The tension in the room eased slightly.
"Asta… El… how have you been?" Leo asked with a cheery smile.
"Oh! You're that Leo guy from the Magic Knight exam!" Asta replied. "We're doing fine… for now at least."
Even as he spoke, Asta was still struggling under the invisible pressure radiating from Captain Nozel.
Just as El was about to step forward and defuse the situation—
A Glowing white card suddenly appeared in front of him.
His expression immediately changed.
It was a rare A Ranked system Mission.
The reward displayed was extremely generous, but the task was equally dangerous.
Worse—
His senses had failed to detect the threat until now if not for his card.
El's eyes narrowed.
"Everyone…"
His voice cut through the tense hall.
"We're under attack."
The words shattered the stalemate instantly.
Every knight in the room turned toward him.
***
Author Note: A 3.1K words chapter enjoy the upcoming fight and please leave a review, comment, suggestion and power stones thank you for reading look forward to the mission reward and upcoming fight.