The Star Festival ceremony continued.
Yuno, who awed the entire venue with his powerful wind magic, and Asta, who effortlessly shattered Yuno's wind arrow attack, proved their undeniable strength, solidifying their positions as rising stars of the Magic Knights!
From their vantage point, they looked down upon the bustling crowd below the castle, the colorful awnings, and the houses standing in the distance... The expansive view stirred their hearts.
"Yuno."
"Hm?"
"We've advanced this far, haven't we!"
"Excellent!" Magic Emperor Julius continued his speech for the ceremony. "Riding this wave of high spirits, let us now announce the remaining rankings—!"
"Third place, Aqua Deer! With 100 stars!"
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"This year's dark horses aren't just the Black Bulls Squad; the Aqua Deer have also made significant leaps, actually surpassing the Crimson Lion Kings and the Silver Eagle, two royal Order of Knights Squads."
"That's right, that's right. They're only one star behind the Black Bulls Squad."
"It seems that young noble master from the House of Povamoltia, who became a Captain at 18, is not only powerful but also possesses excellent leadership. It won't be long before another strong candidate for the next Wizard King emerges."
Walter, dressed in a sharp suit, stood beside the colorful awnings, holding a steaming white porcelain cup. Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes: "Has the young master grown this much? I am truly relieved."
"I must inform the Madam of this news immediately!"
Rill, the fluffy-haired Captain who had been spacing out on the castle, suddenly widened his eyes when he heard his squad's ranking: "What, what? Our squad is third?"
"Although I expected some improvement, I never thought it would be this significant. We are truly amazing!"
"Mr. Nozel, Mr. Jack, look, look!" Rill leaned out and shared the good news with the two Captains nearby: "Our Aqua Deer is in third place!"
"A huge improvement, you know!"
"Hehehe..." Jack licked the curved long blade on his arm, saying sinisterly, "The kid did well, huh? I didn't think you had such a talent for work besides drawing your stupid pictures... You even surpassed the Silver Eagle, who's been the perennial second place."
"Hehehe..."
Nozel's brow furrowed slightly, the faint glow of a silver cross swaying on his long braid. He glanced sideways at Jack and Rill, saying nothing, but his expression was somewhat gloomy.
The discussions in the crowd did not cease.
"I heard the Aqua Deer Squad's Vice-Captain also changed this year; it's a newcomer who just joined not long ago... Counting their age, they should still be 15 or 16, a year or two younger than their Captain."
"Really? Are they a noble?"
"No, no, it seems they're a commoner? Just like those two on stage... Maybe they're from the same place..."
"Eh?"
Bai En stood in the crowd, listening to the discussions, his gaze slowly shifting from the Captains to Yuno and Asta. "They must be very happy right now, right? They've taken another step closer to their dream of becoming the Wizard King."
"But don't get complacent because of this joy."
"After all... it's not just those in the spotlight who are making progress."
With that, he turned and walked against the flow of the crowd towards a stall selling various masks. 'It's time to prepare for the upcoming actions.'
"Fourth place, Silver Eagle, with 95 stars!"
"Fifth place, Blue Rose, with 83 stars!"
"Sixth place, Crimson Lion Kings, with 76 stars!"
"..."
"...Those idiots!" The newly appointed acting Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, Mereoleona Vermillion, her eyebrows, adorned with fiery eyeshadow, slightly furrowed. She cursed those Crimson Lion Kings Squad members who had been dispirited by their Captain's injury, in a low voice.
To have the Crimson Lion Kings' star count ranked third from the bottom among the nine Order of Knights Squads was unforgivable.
Her slightly curly fiery red hair and sharp canine teeth gave her a fierce and aggressive appearance. Standing still with her arms crossed, she exuded an aura of authority without needing to be angry.
Mereoleona Vermillion is the elder sister of Fuegoleon, the current Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings Squad. Not long ago, during the Midnight Sun's attack, Fuegoleon was injured and fell into a coma. As there was no one in the squad capable of taking charge, Magic Emperor Julius sent someone to find Mereoleona, who was training in the wild forest.
So, just yesterday, Mereoleona, having received the message, returned to the Crimson Lion Kings Squad and became the new acting Captain.
As for why she was asked to take over as the acting Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings Squad?
The reason was simple: an absolute genius among the royals. Before even obtaining a grimoire, she had already defeated everyone in the Magic Knights except for the Captains. She had never been defeated on the battlefield and was known as the "Uncrowned Undefeated Lioness."
"Haha—the announcement of the rankings has been successfully completed! Now, please welcome the long-awaited King of our Clover Kingdom!"
Magic Emperor Julius continued his speech, following the order of the ceremony.
From a dark passage emerged a man holding a golden scepter. Wearing a pumpkin-shaped crown, he wasn't particularly majestic or imposing; instead, his golden handlebar mustache on his upper lip gave him a somewhat lewd appearance.
"Come, my people, praise me now!"
He waved his golden scepter, making a gesture of receiving praise, imagining the sea of cheers and accolades from the populace.
But... there was silence both on and below the castle.
...The man's silence prompted Julius to step back a bit, and then he introduced himself: "Hm—hmph..."
"My dear citizens, I am the King of the Clover Kingdom, King A. Kira Globa XIII!"
Saying this, he suddenly exclaimed excitedly, his face somewhat contorted: "Quickly, praise me more! I am the King! I am the greatest existence in this country! My thoughts! My etiquette! Everything about me is correct!"
"I am far greater than the Wizard King!!"
People seemed accustomed to this exaggerated scene, and murmurs began to rise: "Oh, oh... Can the Wizard King be King...?"
"Can the Wizard King be King?"
"..."
The man's veins bulged on his face. Suppressing his anger, he turned to glance at Julius, cursing in his heart: 'Damn it! Damn Julius...! Only this guy gets all the popularity!'
'Phew... Stay calm. Today, I'll put him in his place here and win the support of the people!'
"Hm—I have something to announce to everyone today. The location of the Midnight Sun's base has been identified!"
The silent crowd, upon hearing the words "Midnight Sun," seemed to awaken from a slumber, exclaiming in surprise!
"Until now, we have always been on the defensive, suffering their attacks. But this time is different. Now, it's finally our turn to launch a full-scale assault on the enemy!"
"To this end—I will gather outstanding members from the Magic Knights to form the strongest selection squad, to be named the Royal Knights Squad!"
"In one week, a trial will be held for all Order of Knights members. Only those who pass this combat trial will qualify to join the Royal Knights Squad!"
...