At sunset, dark-winged birds flew over the mountains, and the evening breeze rustled the sky-blue and crimson semi-circular building, which was the Aqua Deer Squad's base.
Two streaks of light, one white and one yellow, flew from the horizon, landing lightly in front of the Aqua Deer Squad's base.
As Bai En and Nancy put away their flying brooms, they noticed a strange figure standing in front of the base. The two exchanged glances, and Nancy asked, "Excuse me... who are you?"
Hearing the movement behind him, the gray-robed figure, who had been staring at the fawn statue in the water basin, slowly turned around. The tall robe, which had been stretched by his body, began to collapse the next moment... The hood fell back, revealing a handsome young boy. The newcomer greeted Bai En and Nancy with a grin, his golden pupils particularly striking. "Hello~ Nice to meet you for the first time, I am—
Aqua Deer Squad, Vice Captain Thor Durin, please take care of me!"
"Aqua Deer Squad... Vice Captain?" Bai En was slightly startled, muttering.
Nancy, beside him, suddenly interjected, "He looks so short."
Please remove "looks so." He is genuinely very short, much shorter than 158cm Asta.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
At night, the Aqua Deer Squad's base was brightly lit, like a bonfire burning in the dark night, giving a warm feeling. The members were holding a dinner party to celebrate the Vice Captain's return.
The dining table in the living room was laden with various foods: fragrant mushroom soup, golden-brown roasted meat glistening with oil, bread slathered with jam... The outermost layer of food also had freshly cut fruit.
"Cheers!"
"Welcome back, Vice Captain!"
The aroma of fruit juice and wine wafted from the clinking glasses with ice, and the members of the Aqua Deer Squad began to toast and chat after Jie Kai and Bai En served the last dish.
Sesk held up his wine glass, one foot on a stool: "Alright~ To celebrate Vice Captain Thor's return, I'll take you to gamble big tomorrow. Don't worry, Vice Captain Thor, my Luck has been super good lately~"
"Tch, how could Vice Captain Thor, who just finished a mission, go with you? I say..." Gu Sen showed off his recently styled new haircut, flaunting his charm: "Why don't you come to a mixer with me? I've recently met several beautiful noble girls."
"I believe that under my guidance, Vice Captain Thor, you'll definitely find a partner quickly!"
"Gu Sen, Vice Captain Thor isn't like you. Tomorrow, why don't you try the new dishes I've prepared at the base?" Jie Kai's brows relaxed as he recalled the look of satisfaction on his daughter's face when she ate his cooking at her last birthday. He was full of confidence: "Times have changed, I'm no longer the guy who cooked badly!"
Rill stood excitedly beside Thor, his fluffy silver hair seeming to glow. He made two fists, looking very agitated: "Hey, hey, hey, Thor, you haven't painted with me in a long time. I'm sure I'll get new inspiration with you."
"How about we go paint together?"
"Vice Captain, come gamble big with me, you'll definitely win a fortune!"
Gu Sen retorted: "Sesk, your Luck hasn't been good lately at all. You've almost lost all the salary you just received last month, haven't you? Going to a mixer with me is the best option."
"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting? With Vice Captain Thor joining, I'm sure I'll recoup all my losses in one go. What's a mixer? It only hinders the progress of us Mages!"
Gu Sen, who was about to retort, was pressed on the face by the bald Uncle Jie Kai, who interrupted: "What's so promising about what you guys do? My delicious food made my daughter show joy and satisfaction, something you'll never understand. We still need to plan for the future!"
"Oh, oh~ Come paint with me?"
"A big gamble!"
"...Going to a mixer with noble girls is the best!"
"New dishes! Those are wonderful things that can make a little girl smile!"
The few fell into an endless cycle of arguments. Beside them, Fragil, wearing a fluffy hat, quietly drank the purple fruit juice in her cup like a fawn, while Uncle Walter, in a suit, sat at his seat elegantly sipping the hand-ground coffee he made.
As for Bai En and Nancy, who were farthest away, they seemed somewhat lost in thought, perhaps due to their earlier conversation at the restaurant, wondering about something.
In the chaotic atmosphere, Thor finally found a chance to speak: "So, you missed me this much when I was away?"
"But... it's not time to rest yet~ We'll be setting off early tomorrow morning to handle a new mission."
"Mission?"
Thor's words silenced the arguing group.
"Vice Captain Thor, didn't you just return from a mission? Why... are you going on another one?" Sesk asked.
"Difficulties and dangers always come one after another, and... this time, I won't be alone. Everyone has to go," Thor said calmly, sitting in his seat.
"Everyone?" Fragil, who had been silent, questioned.
"That's right."
Thor's golden eyes looked at Rill, who was standing beside him, and at Bai En and Nancy across the table: "Whether it's Captain Rill or the new members who recently joined... Bai En and Nancy, all of you must go."
"The Captain is going too? Is it a vacation by the sea? I heard that the entire Black Bulls went to Rakue, a vacation spot for nobles and Magic Knights. If that's the case..." Gu Sen was already fantasizing about ladies on the beach.
"No, it's not."
"You should know the importance and danger of a great Magic Knight... a Captain going on a mission, right?"
Thor's words plunged the originally joyful dinner atmosphere into silence, but the next few sentences added frost and snow to this desolate quiet: "People will die on this mission."
"..."
"We're not going to deal with ordinary thieves or the enemy forces of the Diamond Kingdom; we're going to confront—a Demon God!"
"A Demon God?" Everyone murmured.
The first to speak was Francis, who had been enjoying his food in the corner: "Vice Captain Thor, are you sure you didn't misspeak? We're going to fight a Demon God?"
Thor nodded: "That's right, the Demon God you know, the one killed by the First Magic Emperor five hundred years ago in the stories passed down in the Clover Kingdom."
"But wasn't it already killed by the First Magic Emperor? Even its remains are in that remote End Village. Could it be that all of that was false, and the true Demon God was never killed?"
"That Demon God was indeed annihilated by the First Magic Emperor Lumiere... But who said there's only one Demon God capable of destroying the world?"
...
💎 Power Stone Bonus: Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
🌟 5-Star Review Bonus: Every 5 (5-Star) Reviews = +2 Extra Chapters
💬 Comment Speed-Up: If any chapter reaches +10 Comments = The Next Chapter Will Be Released Faster!
🔥 Want to Read Ahead? If you want to read advanced chapters, check out my buymeacoffee(.)com/Oyunbozan