"Who's there?"
Captain Rill pulled away the tablecloth, revealing a small girl clutching her head and wailing in pain: "Ow, ow, ow!"
Light streamed in, and the girl looked up, meeting Captain Rill's eyes. "Oh no, I've been discovered."
With that, she took another bite of the half-eaten cake in her hand, white cream smudged on her lips. The girl crawled out from the other side of the tablecloth. She was about as tall as the dining table and greeted Bai En and the other two opposite her.
Her small eyes, still blissful from the cake, narrowed into a line: "Hello everyone~ I'm Charmy."
She noticed that there was no one else around and that the gazes from the people opposite her were a bit strange.
'...Huh? They don't think I'm an enemy, do they? Although I don't know what happened, it's better to explain clearly.'
"Um~" Charmy pointed to her cape, which had a black bull's head emblem: "I'm a member of the Black Bulls. I came with Asta and the others."
"Black Bulls? Then why are you hiding here by yourself?" Nancy asked, puzzled.
Charmy rubbed her nose. "It's a secret."
She couldn't tell them that she had secretly followed Asta into the Royal Capital, aiming for food, could she?
During the four people's silence, a faint aroma drifted in from outside. Charmy stood on tiptoe and sniffed, her eyes becoming distant: "This smell... is it delicious food?!"
"Although I don't know what big event is happening outside, I still need to fill my stomach before going to the battlefield!"
She started running in the direction of the food's aroma, but when she turned her head and saw Bai En and the other two behind her, Charmy turned back, grabbed Nancy, and ran outside with her.
"Huh? What are you doing?"
"Let's go fill our stomachs before making an appearance. If we perform well then, maybe we'll get to eat even more advanced dishes. It'll be hard to do alone, so let's go together..."
After Charmy inexplicably dragged Nancy away, Captain Rill also eagerly went off to find his 'inspiration,' leaving only Bai En behind.
The purple grapes at the entrance were crystal clear, truly the finest selection from the Royal Capital—large, sweet, and seedless, a true delicacy... 'Originally, I didn't plan on much action when I came to the Royal Capital. Heaven knows if Patry and the Three Eyes will be watching the whole situation. If things get desperate, they might deploy all their forces at once or target me directly. Right now, I don't have the ability to win with 100% certainty.'
'Yuno awakens Wind Spirit Magic... the Wizard King discovers the stone tablet and the magic stones... Fuegoleon loses an arm, then obtains the Fire Spirit during the Elf Reincarnation... After this battle, the Clover Kingdom will definitely see a significant improvement.'
'But all problems stem from my current weakness. If I were strong enough to slay the final boss, Lucius Zogratis, with a single sword, I probably would have acted already. For now, I must gradually grow stronger, step by step, through the upcoming challenges.'
'Especially during the Elf Reincarnation...'
As Bai En pondered, he had already left the room. The corridor outside was empty; it seemed everyone had gone to provide support. 'Tsk, did I forget to ask Captain Rill where the King is?'
'...Never mind.'
The distant explosions brought smoke. Bai En changed his mind: 'I once heard about a treasure vault in the Royal Capital that collected artifacts. Now the entire Royal Capital is in turmoil. If I could go and steal... *cough*... investigate, there might be a chance to find materials for smelting kitchenware?'
'Or should I look for it? Anyway, as far as I remember, the King of Clover didn't suffer any danger during this turmoil. It's quite normal for me, a commoner from the countryside, to get lost in the Royal Capital, isn't it?'
'It's perfectly normal.'
Just as Bai En was about to act, a mushroom-headed man who appeared from around the corner called out to him, "You are... a Magic Knight, aren't you?"
--------------------
In the Clover Kingdom, within the inner walls of the Royal Capital, in the topmost castle, a room with a clover emblem. The room was exceptionally spacious, with bright white flagstones on the floor and opulent decorations. Many exquisite patterns were carved into the walls.
In the center of the room, a silver-white stone platform with railings protruded. Above the platform was a large bed draped with white curtains. This was the residence of the King of the Clover Kingdom.
Bai En and the mushroom-headed Marx knelt on one knee, performing the Knight's salute. Compared to Marx, who kept his head bowed, Bai En was much bolder, his bright eyes unreservedly surveying the surroundings and the figure visible on the large bed on the stone platform.
Beside the somewhat corpulent figure were two graceful silhouettes, their jade-like bare calves swaying slightly outside the white curtains.
'Damned aristocrats.' Bai En grumbled in his heart.
"Where is the Wizard King?" The figure within the curtains questioned, his tone filled with anger. "During such an extraordinary time, staying by the side of Us, the King of this nation, should be the highest priority for the strongest Mage in the kingdom!"
"It seems he has become arrogant, forgetting his place because he holds power equal to Ours in wartime, hasn't he? No matter what, We are still the head of this nation!"
Marx recalled what Wizard King Julius had said to him before leaving: "I'm just stepping out for a bit. I'll leave everything to you guys~"
His heart was filled with sorrow and tears. 'Where on earth did that guy run off to? He's always running around as he pleases!'
Helpless, he could only brace himself and respond to the King: "Your Majesty, rest assured that I, a trusted aide of the Wizard King, will serve as your guard, and elite Magic Knights have been dispatched from the Magic Knights."
"Oh, have the Magic Knights arrived as well?" The King's anger subsided slightly. He had always hoped to cultivate an elite group of Mages loyal only to him, and Magic Knights were quite a good choice.
Marx subtly gestured to Bai En. After a long pause, Bai En finally managed to blurt out: "Greetings... Your Majesty."
It was really quite awkward.
"What is your name? Which Magic Knights are you from?"
Bai En simply introduced himself. Contrary to his initial expectation of coldness, the King was quite enthusiastic towards him. After a moment of thought and recollection, Bai En roughly understood the King's intention—he wanted to recruit him... After a brief chat, silence fell upon the room.
'Granting Magic Knight rank... being able to choose an item from the Royal Vault. The rewards for winning me over are quite generous. I might as well take them.'
'The royalty of Clover... they are clearly a bunch of good-for-nothings, yet throughout history, they have managed to bring down several generations of Wizard Kings and maintain their revered status. What secret do they hide?'
'Magic tools that seal the Wizard King's magic... and even suppress the magic of the entire Elf Tribe...'
'The Royal Vault is worth a visit.'
...
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