Outside the Castle.
On the lush green lawn, a large round table had been set up. A gentle breeze blew, carrying a hint of coolness and comfort through the air.
Rebecca sat in a chair at the table, her cyan eyes widened, lips slightly parted, staring in disbelief at the adorable sheep busily preparing dishes on one side of the lawn.
Before long, the sheep were placing the finished dishes onto the table.
Rebecca snapped out of her daze and carefully glanced at the others seated around the table.
Apart from Yuuki sitting beside her, there were three others: diagonally across was a white-haired boy who seemed a little reserved; on the left sat a woman with a ponytail and golden hair, looking very capable. Noticing Rebecca's gaze, the golden-haired woman smiled and raised her hand in greeting.
Rebecca quickly forced a stiff smile in return, while her peripheral vision flicked toward the black-haired, cold-looking girl who had previously impersonated Yuuki.
So, these three were Yuuki's companions?
Rebecca clasped her hands tightly under the table, her mind full of questions.
But more than her curiosity, what truly concerned Rebecca was whether she could actually help Yuuki.
Even if her intuition was slow, through observing the cold girl, Rebecca could guess that the other two were likely highly skilled magic users.
Yuuki noticed Rebecca's tension and smiled, addressing the three at the table:
"This is Rebecca. She'll be joining us as our new companion. Please introduce yourselves."
"I'm Neige. So, you're the new friend," Neige said softly, his eyes glinting with interest.
"Mariella,"
Mariella said calmly.
"Hello, Rebecca. I'm Dominante Code, a magic tool artisan. If there's anything you want crafted, just tell me," Domina said with a bright smile, then immediately reached for the food the sheep had brought:
"I'm starving. I won't wait."
Seeing Domina's carefree attitude, Yuuki could only shake his head helplessly before turning to Rebecca:
"They're all my companions.
"I know you have a lot of questions. Don't worry—we'll talk as we eat."
Yuuki picked up a special sauce from the side, drizzled it over the pork cutlet, and, taking his knife and fork, smiled lightly.
Mealtime was the most relaxed moment; discussing matters now made it easier.
"Mm,"
Rebecca murmured softly, quietly picking up her utensils.
"Besides those here, there's actually another companion, but their identity and position are special. I'll introduce them another day."
Yuuki spoke slowly, deliberately.
Mariella's eyes flickered with surprise—she hadn't expected there to be another companion beyond the group.
"I told you back at the tavern: what I intend to do is stand against all the royalty and nobles. This isn't a joke."
"Because I'm still a core member of the Eye of the midnight sun," Yuuki's voice sounded again.
Rebecca froze mid-motion, snapping her gaze to Yuuki, her face a mix of shock and disbelief.
Eye of the midnight sun!
She knew immediately—it was the terrifying organization that had attacked the royal capital not long ago!
Rebecca instinctively glanced at the other three and found them surprisingly calm.
"T-This…"
Her voice stammered, a slight tremor betraying her shock. She had suspected Yuuki had secrets, but she hadn't imagined they would be this immense.
As a normal person suddenly thrust into such revelations, Rebecca felt not just alarm but an inexplicable stir deep in her heart.
"Of course, though I'm part of Eye of the Midnight Sun, I don't actually agree with the current leader Licht's methods," Yuuki continued, seemingly oblivious to Rebecca's shock.
"Therefore, my enemies aren't just the kingdom's nobles and royalty—they include the Eye of the Midnight Sun. I have no interest in destroying the Clover Kingdom; what I aim to change is a 'perception.'"
"Perception?"
Rebecca frowned, confused.
"The perception that royalty and nobles are forever above, while commoners and the lower class are forever beneath them," Yuuki said earnestly.
At this, Domina, Mariella, and Neige all paused their eating, their eyes fixed on Yuuki.
"Lord Yuuki, that's even harder than destroying a kingdom," Domina said, brushing her golden hair back from her forehead with her fingers, her eyes wide with surprise and admiration.
She had suspected Yuuki's plans were dangerous, but she hadn't imagined he intended to change everyone's perception—this was beyond mere danger.
Looking at this young man—seemingly overconfident but terrifyingly powerful—if anyone else had said it, Domina might have scoffed, even at her husband, Vangel!
Come to think of it, Vangel's unrealistic attempt to reform the Diamond Kingdom's martial factions now seemed almost practical compared to Yuuki's ambition.
Yet for some reason, Domina found herself believing Yuuki could actually succeed.
"Precisely because it's difficult, it needs someone to do it. If it were easy, it'd be boring," Yuuki said with a light laugh, responding to Domina.
Bang!
Mariella raised both hands, a surge of magic overflowing her body. In her left palm, ice condensed into a crystal floating above it, while her right hand manifested a ball of space magic.
The presence of these two magics exuded overwhelming pressure from Mariella.
Neige mirrored the action, forming a snowball in his left hand and a water sphere in his right, his face lit with a smile.
"take this!"
Rebecca felt that the day's events had surpassed all her expectations, and she instinctively glanced at Domina.
"Don't look at me—I'm just logistics," Domina said, noticing Rebecca's gaze and shrugging.
Rebecca felt a flush of embarrassment on her cheeks, quickly followed by a pang of insecurity.
Until today, she finally truly understood Yuuki, and the magnitude of what he intended to do.
Mariella and Neige wielded powerful magic, even dual magic; Domina lacked strength but could craft rare, expensive magical tools.
And she… could only cook?
Rebecca's mind flashed to the sheep preparing food, and she felt utterly useless.
"Rebecca, do you like fire magic?"
Yuuki's voice rang out.
Rebecca froze, instinctively nodding.
"Ssshh!"
Before she could react, Yuuki tore a page from a spellbook and placed her own grimoire atop it.
A terrifying surge of magic exploded from her, and scorching flames enveloped her body, forming a towering pillar of fire that spread outward.
In just a single breath, the entire lawn had become a sea of flames. Mariella, Neige, and Domina quickly retreated to the lawn's edge.
"Wow, such incredible flames… the magic is so strong!"
Neige exclaimed, staring at the center of the fire.
"She simply couldn't control her magic, so the sudden influx of power went completely out of control," Mariella said calmly.
"Every time it's astonishing. If Lord Yuuki wished, he could easily become the Clover Kingdom's Wizard King," Domina added, shading her eyes from the heat and marveling.
"Lord Yuuki's goal isn't a mere Wizard King," Mariella said, raising her chin and speaking seriously.
Domina laughed lightly: "Not long ago, careful little Mariella would never have ignored a Wizard King like this."
"Ahem, Lord Yuuki said that people can change," Mariella said, placing her fist near her mouth and clearing her throat.
"Mm, mm," Domina nodded in mock understanding.
In the center of the lawn, flames surged from Rebecca, flowing uncontrollably. She could feel the unprecedented strength within her, but she had no control.
"Stay calm, like when you're cooking. No rush,"
A familiar, gentle voice reached her ears, bringing her inner peace.
Yuuki stood amidst the flames, protected by his magic-infused skin. At this scale, the fire could not harm him.
"Feel this surge of magic. Control it.
"It is your power now."
Under Yuuki's guidance, the flames slowly receded, eventually disappearing entirely. Her reddish-brown hair now shone vividly, like a living flame.
"This is…"
Rebecca stared at the flames, materializing at her mere thought, in disbelief.
"This is your confidence," Yuuki said softly. He stomped on the scorched ground, and emerald green magic radiated outward from his foot.
Plant Magic—Growth!
Within a few breaths, the scorched lawn sprouted fresh grass, restored to its original state.
"This isn't a dream, is it?" Rebecca felt the magic surging within her and sensed a surreal wonder.
"From today on, you're no longer just a tavern owner—you are a mage capable of becoming a Magic Knight Captain-level power. Don't disappoint me, Rebecca."
Yuuki spoke gently.
"Yes! I'll help you!"
Rebecca's cyan eyes glimmered with admiration as she nodded firmly.
From that point onward, knowing the situation, Yuuki no longer needed to hide anything. The tavern's affairs were directly entrusted to Rebecca and Mariella.
Mariella would train Rebecca in combat techniques and magic control to quickly build her fighting strength, especially with the Elf Reincarnation approaching.
Neige assisted Domina in organizing magical texts.
As for Yuuki, he spent most of the days in the royal library, researching countless materials. While he still found no records on upgrading Clover Grimoires to Four-Leaf Grimoires, the books and notes gave him a fresh perspective on magic and mana.
He also reported recent intelligence to White Night Demon Eye, observing them discreetly.
Vetto's death had made the atmosphere tense at their base.
However, since Licht had shown no reaction, it seemed Yami had not leaked any information about him.
Unfortunately, he had not seen Salik.
In an open field,
Yuuki smiled at Mars through a magical projection.
"There's an assassination squad in Clover Kingdom that recently lost all contact. Was this your doing?"
Mars' cold expression appeared first on the projection.
Yuuki shrugged, feigning helplessness: "So long without contact, I thought you'd forgotten me."
"So it was you… silently taking out the entire squad. Your power has grown."
Mars already knew the answer, his gaze complex.
"After all this time, you're only now receiving intelligence. Your kingdom's internal situation is far more complicated than expected."
Yuuki crossed his arms, smiling thoughtfully.
"That assassination squad belonged to a noble faction. Thanks to you eliminating them, those nobles have quieted down quite a bit," Mars said in a low voice.
Yuuki's eyes flickered with realization.
"I'd heard your Diamond Kingdom's king was ill… so it's true," he raised an eyebrow.
Mars nodded.
Yuuki's tone turned playful: "What's your plan?"
"Over the next few days, the Eight Shining generals will issue orders to deploy troops and attack Kiten Town on the Clover Kingdom border," Mars said, not answering directly.
Attack Kiten Town?
Yuuki's expression flickered. He recalled the event from the chronicles—this seemed far from simple.
"To change the Diamond Kingdom, absolute power is needed. Without it, one must rely on authority, striking while the nobles' forces are weakened."
"Tch… seems there are internal issues in the Eight Shining generals as well," Yuuki muttered thoughtfully, smiling lightly.
"Therefore, I need your help," Mars said, his cold face serious and solemn.
(End of Chapter)
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