El slept like a Snorlax that night in the withered, broken Black Bull quarters.
The next morning, he woke to a violent bang shaking his door.
He didn't need to guess who it was, Asta.
The reason became clear soon enough—the drunk queen Vanessa herself had decided to take the new recruits on a tour of the Royal Capital.
Captain Yami handed them months worth of stipends, gave a lazy warning not to die, and the next moment space twisted. Instant Transmission carried them straight to their destination.
The Clover Kingdom was divided into three regions.
The Noble Realm, where nobles lived in comfort.
The Common Realm, where most people struggled to get by.
And the Forsaken Realm, where peasants were pushed and forgotten.
They arrived in Kikka Town, a massive settlement in the Common Realm. Its size alone drew people from both the Common and Forsaken Realms, leaving the streets crowded at all hours.
Their first stop was the market district.
For Asta, it was overwhelming. Crowds filled the streets, stalls were packed tightly together, and magic tools were openly displayed. But once people noticed the Black Bulls moving through the area, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations died down.
Even commoners looked down on them.
El noticed—and dismissed it.
Vanessa dragged the group from bar to bar. Every bottle she bought ended up stored in El's storage after she promised, with suspicious enthusiasm, to take them to a secret place nobody knew about.
That secret place turned out to be the black market.
Artifacts lay scattered along the roadside, most of them looking like junk. Still, the slim chance of finding a diamond in the rough was enough for him to inspect each one carefully, as expected there were none.
There was even a casino Inside, El spotted Magma already losing his entire monthly stipend.
Some habits were hard to break. Just a day ago, he had nearly lost his life—if not for Captain Yami.
The area was full of strange sights—thieves blending into the crowd, beggars watching from the sidelines, and Magic Knights gambling against old women whose mana reserves were uncomfortably large.
Then something caught El's attention.
An old woman.
And the boy beside her—he recognized him. The one Asta had defeated during the Magic Knight entrance exam.
More importantly, the Old woman.
El focused his scouter on her.
??
That meant she was stronger than him.
Before he could think further, a thief he had noticed earlier made his move, snatching all of the woman's winnings and sprinting away. She didn't panic. Didn't react at all because asta did.
He took off immediately, charging after the thief without hesitation. Given Asta's physical abilities, El had no doubt how it would end.
As expected, the thief was caught. Asta returned the stolen winnings to the old woman before leaving to search for El so they could head back to the hideout.
El remained hidden.
Perfectly hidden.
Or so he believed.
A chill ran down his spine as he felt eyes on him, the old woman was staring directly at his position, wearing a slow, knowing smile. El didn't see past her disguise—but he knew that smile all too well.
He stepped out.
"Hello there, Wizard King," El said.
The old woman laughed softly.
"How did you find me?" he asked. "I thought my disguise was quite perfect."
"That damned smile of yours," El said. "I thought Wizard Kings were supposed to be busy. Yet here you are, gambling and extorting young Magic Knights out of their stipends. That's a new low, Wizard King— even by Black Bull standards."
The Wizard King burst out laughing. His disguise melted away, revealing Julius in his usual form. Almost immediately, a magic window opened in front of them.
"Wizard King, are you again wasting your time by disgui—" Marx's voice rang out before cutting off mid-sentence.
"Oh. Prince El." Marx adjusted his glasses. "I thought you were wasting time in some forgotten corner of the kingdom, but it seems you're actually working for once."
El greeted Marx but didn't bother correcting him.
"Never mind that," Marx continued quickly. "We have an abnormal—"
"Situation on our hands, yes," Julius interrupted calmly. "I'm already aware, and I'm handling it. There's no need to worry."
With that, the communication window closed.
Julius turned back to El. "I received Nacht's report regarding your visit to the underworld. Your contribution and performance during the fight were exceptional."
"It was a team effort," El replied evenly.
"I'm glad all of you returned safely," Julius said, his expression growing serious. "Still, the consequences of your actions may escalate the war situation."
"I fear that may be true," El admitted. "But it was an unforeseen development."
"Then we'll need to expedite our preparations as well," Julius said.
El nodded. "The Heart Kingdom is doing everything it can to prepare for what's coming."
"So are we," Julius replied. "However, we've encountered a few obstacles that may delay our plans."
He paused, clearly arriving at the real point of the conversation.
"This," El said, tossing a pink gem toward Julius. "Captain Yami recovered it yesterday after fending off an extremist attack."
Julius examined the gem carefully.
"An internal extremist group at a time like this…" he murmured. "Do you think they're proxies for the Spade Kingdom?"
"I don't think so," El said. "I believe this is the Clover Kingdom's past coming back to haunt you."
Saying this El disappeared.
The gem remained in Julius's hand. Even though El had handed it over, the count on his mission card still read (01/11).
The pink gem was a hot potato, and El had no intention of getting involved with the Eye of the Midnight Sun. That trouble belonged to the Wizard King.
The others hadn't gone far. After regrouping, the team had lunch at a high-end hotel before finally returning to the Black Bull hideout.
"Hey, Noelle. I need your help with something."
El asked it out of the blue, immediately catching Vanessa's attention. She had just entered the Black Bulls' base, and as always, her gossip sensors were frighteningly sharp.
"Well now," Vanessa said with a grin, leaning out. "Little prince, don't tell me you've fallen for our noble missy here? Hehe~"
El stared at her blankly.
"…You're no fun."
Vanessa clicked her tongue, clearly disappointed. "Fine, keep your secrets." She vanished soon after.
Noelle took a breath. "What do you need my help with?"
She sounded calm, but there was a hint of nervous curiosity in her voice.
"By now, you probably know I have a lot of… unusual abilities," El said. "One of them has a condition. A rather absurd one."
He looked away, visibly uncomfortable.
Noelle tilted her head. "What kind of help are we talking about?"
Instead of answering, El placed a hand on her shoulder—an action she had grown used to by now. The scenery warped instantly, and the two of them reappeared in a remote location within the Clover Kingdom.
A quiet lake stretched out before them, surrounded by greenery. Peaceful. Beautiful.
El took a breath.
"I want to summon a Spirit and ask him a question," he said quickly. "But it will only answer if a beautiful girl kisses its cheek as a tribute."
The words spilled out all at once.
Noelle froze.
Her face turned bright red.
"In exchange," El added hurriedly, "I'll give you the ring I promised earlier."
"What—what kind of perverted spirit is that?!" Noelle blurted out, instinctively snatching the ring from his hand.
"I'm sorry," El said immediately. "If you're uncomfortable, we don't have to—"
"I'll do it," Noelle interrupted, still flustered. "If it helps you. But only on the cheek."
El's eyes widened.
"I can't express how grateful I am," he said sincerely.
This opportunity was too important to waste. Making his 'Boogie Woogie' ability permanent this was the perfect moment to save his coins.
He also intended to ask the remaining two questions he had prepared.
El retrieved the card and activated it.
The air distorted and a portal opened in front of them above the lake making waves on the surface.
One by one, six doll-like beings stepped through. Their bodies were small, heavily decorated, not even reaching El's waist. They parted slowly, making way for something larger.
Much larger.
A massive doll-like figure emerged, its head grotesquely oversized—larger than anything El had ever seen on a living being.
"Understand this, mortal. Never in history have we traveled to answer a question. Know that you are blessed—Zuno-sama has bestowed his presence upon you only because of an arrangement with His Majesties, the Omni Kings."
"You are to offer the Tribute of Adoration to Zuno-sama by kissing his cheek," one of the doll-like attendants declared. "The one offering the tribute must be a beautiful woman. From this moment on the one who performed the tribute must ask questions and any words heard by Zuno-sama will count as a question."
Noelle opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could, El covered it with his hand.
He'd already understood what was happening. These underlings were laying traps—twisting rules, baiting careless words, waiting for a mistake.
A moment later, a telepathic link formed between them.
'Stop,' El said calmly in her mind.
Noelle froze, then slowly nodded.
'Go and give him the tribute first,' El continued. 'I'll speak the question directly into your mind. Don't say anything else out loud.'
'You can talk freely in your thoughts,' El added. 'We're connected.'
There was a brief pause.
She took a few deep breaths, steadying herself.
Then she stepped forward.
Grand Zuno floated silently before her, massive and unmoving. Noelle hesitated for just a second before leaning in and lightly pecking his cheek, then quickly retreating.
The air shifted.
"You may ask three questions, young lady."
El spoke into her mind.
'Ask him this.'
The question hit Noelle like a lightning bolt.
Her face went red instantly. For a moment, El was worried she might actually pass out.
"My first question is—what type of woman does Aoi Tōdō like?"
She said it so fast that even El wondered if Zuno had caught every word.
Silence followed.
Then Grand Zuno spoke.
"That is an easy question."
"Aoi Tōdō exists in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, a reality where curses are real and violence is a daily occurrence."
"He stands at one hundred ninety-one centimeters tall and weighs one hundred twenty-two kilograms—a mass of muscle and poor impulse control."
"He is intensely brotherly and aggressively violent. He bonds instantly and measures people not by rank or power, but by a single question."
Grand Zuno's lips curved slightly.
"He believes a man's taste in women reveals his true character."
"If the answer matches his own, that person becomes his Besto Friendo."
He paused.
"The correct answer is this: I like tall girls with big butts… like Jennifer Lawrence."
Noelle's mouth hung open.
Her thoughts immediately spiraled in a direction El did not miss.
'D-do you prefer that kind of woman too, El?' Noelle spoke in her mind forgetting it was connected with El.
'No,' El answered instantly.
The thought cut off just as fast.
'World Memory, I wish to make the Boogie Woogie ability permanent by answering the question asked by its original owner.'
As El spoke and a card materialized in front of him.
[Boogie Woogie]
Card Rank: B
Ability Holder: Aoi Tōdō
Effect: By clapping his hands, the user instantly swaps positions with a target.
Weakness: Effective range limited to 200 meters.
Condition to Make Permanent: Correctly guess the type of woman Aoi Tōdō prefers.
(Max attempts: 3 — Remaining: 1)
"Aoi Tōdō prefers tall girls with big butts," El said calmly. "Like Jennifer Lawrence."
The card shimmered and merged into his body and El secured his second permanent ability—Five more to go.
He had questioned the need for Boogie Woogie more than once. On the surface, it seemed unnecessary when he already possessed Instant Transmission. But in actual combat, the ability was invaluable—far more flexible and deceptive than simple teleportation.
Then El focused again.
Second question.
'Ask him how the Dark Triad intend to open the gate to the underworld.'
Noelle repeated the question aloud.
"How do the Dark Triad plan to open the gate of the underworld?"
Grand Zuno remained silent for several seconds. It was as if he were listening to something unseen.
Then he spoke.
"They intend to activate the Tree of Qliphoth," Grand Zuno said evenly. "To do so, they require the unique arcane magic of two mages."
"First is Dark Magic of Captain Yami of the Black Bulls," he continued, "and World Tree Magic from Captain William Vangeance of the Golden Dawn."
"By combining their magic, the Tree of Qliphoth may be activated. However, there exist several other contingency methods as well."
He paused.
"I believe that sufficiently answers your question."
El absorbed the information quickly.
'That explains their delay,' he thought. 'They aren't confident enough to move yet. Not against the Clover Kingdom as it stands.'
"For my final question," Noelle repeated El's words, her voice tight, "I want to know if there is any way to remove the curse from El's sister, Lolopechka… other than killing Megicula and her host."
Grand Zuno's lips curved slightly, as though relieved he wouldn't have to give more spoiler.
"I perceive only the past and present," he replied. "What I can tell you is this: the curse has fused with her soul."
"To forcibly remove it—or try to nullify it entirely—would cause it to detonate instantly."
"The only confirmed method is the destruction of Megicula and her host."
He paused.
"Even anti-magic cannot erase it. At best, it may suppress the curse temporarily."
"Perhaps, in time, someone may discover a way to sever the curse from the soul with precision. But as of now—at least within your universe—no such person or method exists."
Silence followed.
Then Grand Zuno turned—not toward Noelle, but toward El.
"I will take my leave now, Ascended El," he said. "Let us hope we never meet again."
A portal opened behind him.
Grand Zuno vanished along with his attendants, leaving the lake quiet once more.
"I have one more thing to tell you, Noelle…"
El said as he turned toward her.
Seeing his serious expression and hearing those words, Noelle's heartbeat quickened. Her face flushed red as a sudden thought crossed her mind.
Is he going to confess…?
The idea came so abruptly that she almost froze.
"Don't make that expression. I'm not about to confess to you…" El said with an innocent smile.
Noelle's expression relaxed slightly, though a faint hint of disappointment remained.
"H-Hey, I wasn't thinking about that!" she protested.
El sensed the lie instantly by reading her Qi, but he decided not to tease her further.
"I wanted to thank you for your assistance and for giving everything you had in that fight against the demon. Even though it wasn't your battle, many people I know who are stronger than you would have run away at the first sight of it."
El bowed in front of her in a gesture of respect.
Noelle's eyes widened and she hurriedly stepped forward.
"You don't have to do that!" she said, quickly trying to make him stand.
El straightened and nodded in thanks before moving to the main reason for their conversation.
"I also wanted to apologize, Noelle… for kissing you at the end of the fight. But that was the only way I could feed you the medicine to save your life."
He spoke hesitantly.
"Kyaaa—! You don't have to bring that up!" Noelle exclaimed, her face turning red again. "I understand… and I don't mind it…"
She repeated the last part a little more seriously.
El smiled faintly.
"I'm glad you didn't feel bad about it. We can return to the Black Bulls now and continue our training. I look forward to seeing you become a spectacular mage like your mother, Noelle."
El finished with a proud expression and extended his hand toward her.
Noelle hesitated for only a moment before taking it warmly.
The next instant, both of them disappeared.
***
Author Note: Back with 2.7K word Chapter sorry for the delay... please donate power stones to this fanfic and leave a review...
Next Chapter: Dungeon & Diamond Mages...