Raque Town, seaside.
Fine, soft sand stretched beneath gentle waves that rolled in one after another. Far out at sea, the ocean surface glittered under the sunlight, dazzling and rippling like a mirror reflecting the sky.
Yuuki lay sprawled on a lounge chair, dressed in loose beachwear like an ordinary tourist. Sheltered beneath a sun umbrella, he looked utterly lazy and relaxed.
Raque Beach was one of the rare vacation spots in the Clover Kingdom. Many nobles made a point of visiting here every year.
At the moment, Yuuki wasn't showing his true appearance. Using transformation magic obtained from an assassin squad member, he had altered himself into a thin, ordinary-looking young man with an unremarkable face.
Since the Black Bulls hadn't yet entered the Underwater Temple, Yuuki wasn't in any rush. He had spent the recent period training nonstop—this was the perfect chance to unwind, conserve his strength, and prepare himself.
After all, his next target was no ordinary opponent.
Vetto of Despair.
One of the Third Eye—an unquestionable Zero Stage powerhouse. Even without a complete reincarnation, Vetto could still unleash Zero Stage–level combat power.
At this stage, he was absolutely among the top-tier fighters, and a pure close-combat type who excelled in physical battle.
Stealing Vetto's magic would be nothing like secretly acquiring Fugeoleon's grimoire without anyone noticing.
When Vetto fought the Black Bulls, it would be utter domination. Even with Asta and the others working together, they'd only gain a bit more room to resist—nothing more.
In the end, it was only because Yami surpassed his limits on the battlefield and struck while Vetto was mentally unstable after activating the Forbidden Magic Eye that he managed to finish him off with Dimension Slash.
Which meant—
Yuuki wouldn't just be facing Vetto. There was also the invisible threat known as Yami.
He had to defeat Vetto before Yami could break through the spatial lock set up by the Eye of the Midnight Sun's spatial mage.
That required precise timing.
Even without absolute confidence, Yuuki had no intention of giving up on Beast Magic. He had to try.
Among all powerful magics, it was the only one focused primarily on enhancing physical capabilities.
"Ahahaha!"
"Get lost, Luck!"
"Beautiful ladies, care to join me for dinner?"
"..."
The noisy voices of the Black Bulls echoed across the beach, snapping Yuuki out of his thoughts. He lifted his head slightly and looked toward the shoreline.
Asta was sprawled on the sand doing push-ups nonstop, training his body. Nearby, Noelle was releasing her magic to form water spheres around herself—clearly training as well.
Yuuki watched Asta for a moment, then gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Asta's explosive growth later on wasn't due solely to Anti-Magic. More importantly, it was his sheer perseverance. In a sense, Asta was a genius in his own way.
This Underwater Temple incident marked the point where Asta's strength truly began to surge, starting to catch up with Yuno.
It also connected to future events involving the Witch Queen. Vanessa's acquisition of Fate Magic stemmed from Asta being injured here.
Most crucially, Asta would have his body reinforced by the Witch Queen and, through Blood Magic, gain a deeper understanding of the Anti-Magic power within him—finally learning how to truly wield it. That was a massive leap in strength.
Yuuki hadn't forgotten that he himself still bore the sacrificial Forbidden Magic Eye mark.
Only Anti-Magic could erase it.
Watching Asta train on the beach, Yuuki reclined lazily once more.
"It looks like you're quite interested in my companions."
A pleasant, smiling voice came from beside him.
Yuuki withdrew his gaze and turned his head. Standing there was Vanessa, dressed in a bikini that accentuated her curves—fair skin, flat abdomen, and an alluring figure impossible to ignore.
"'Interested' might be a stretch," Yuuki said with a mild smile, shrugging. "I just find it a bit novel that someone would train in such a relaxed, carefree setting."
Vanessa nodded as if enlightened. In truth, she didn't care all that much. The young man before her might look average, but he was clearly wealthy.
The beachwear he was wearing had been bought from a nearby shop and cost a full 30,000 yul.
That didn't even include the lounge chair, sun umbrella, or the small table beside him stacked with fruit and drinks—all of which were expensive.
This beach was a famous tourist spot often visited by nobles, driving prices sky-high. Most people brought their own supplies. Someone who casually bought everything on-site was obviously not short on money.
"Hey, handsome," Vanessa said with a bright grin, flicking her pink hair back. "Care to buy me a drink?"
Yuuki froze for a moment.
He had deliberately transformed into an utterly average man—yet he still ended up in this situation. Quickly, he realized she probably just wanted someone to pay for her alcohol.
"Sure," Yuuki replied with a light chuckle.
Before long, a brand-new lounge chair was placed beside his. Vanessa stretched lazily, wine glass in hand, her expression relaxed and seductive.
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
Yuuki smiled faintly and clinked his juice glass against her wine.
Before he realized it, dusk had arrived.
Yuuki stood up from his chair and rolled his neck, glancing at Vanessa beside him. She looked thoroughly drunk, as though she'd already fallen asleep.
Shaking his head slightly, Yuuki turned and walked toward the inn across from the beach—the closest one to the shore, with a clear view of the sea from its windows.
As for Vanessa, he had no intention of taking advantage of the situation. Just because she looked drunk didn't mean she'd lost her ability to fight back.
After Yuuki left—
Vanessa suddenly opened her eyes, clarity flashing within them.
"Has big sister's charm really declined that much?"
She lifted a hand to touch her flushed cheeks, muttering softly.
Night fell. Inside the tavern.
After the last group of customers left, Mariella—disguised as Yuuki—began clearing the tables, her movements smooth and practiced.
After nearly seven days, Mariella had fully adapted to the tavern's work.
Though the tasks were somewhat tedious, for someone raised and trained from childhood within an assassin organization, this was effortless.
To Mariella, this assignment felt more like a break than a mission.
Rebecca walked over with a gentle look in her turquoise eyes, handing her a cup of water.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Thank you."
Mariella accepted the cup with a smile.
"Big Brother Yuuki!"
"Big Brother Yuuki, tell us a story!"
Marco, Luca, and the others came running over after helping clean up, their faces full of anticipation.
"No problem."
Mariella smiled warmly at the children, a hint of tenderness flashing through her eyes.
When Yuuki had asked her to impersonate him, he had deliberately provided her with several days' worth of stories. Ever since, she'd been telling them one almost every night.
At first, it had been purely a mission.
But after spending time with these children, Mariella had grown fond of them. They reminded her of her own childhood.
Come to think of it, Lord Yuuki really was amazing—able to come up with so many interesting stories. Some of them even captivated her.
"Today's story is called—"
Mariella took a sip of water to wet her throat, smiling as she looked at Mar and the others, just as she began—
Rebecca's voice cut in.
"It's already quite late. We'll save the story for another day. You all should hurry up and go to bed."
"Huh—!"
"That's not fair, sis!"
"Please, sis!"
The children immediately put on disappointed faces, then looked at Rebecca with pitiful expressions.
"Mm—"
Rebecca's tone shifted, her expression turning stern.
Seeing that, Luca stuck out her tongue and was the first to dash upstairs. The others scattered in an instant, like startled birds.
Only after the sound of doors closing echoed from the second floor did Rebecca seem to let out a quiet breath.
"What's wrong, Rebecca?" Mariella asked, noticing she had deliberately sent the children away. "Is something the matter?"
Rebecca turned back to her.
The gentleness in her turquoise eyes was gone—replaced by vigilance. Her face was tense, lips pale as she bit down slightly.
"Just who are you?"
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