Under the combined efforts of the Golden Dawn and the Black Bulls Squad, the battle in Qitan Town ended quickly, just as Magic Emperor Julius had said; the enemy forces were merely feigning an attack to probe their defenses.
Root-like tendrils covered the houses of Qitan Town, and at its very center, a magnificent and majestic World Tree grew.
Two small figures stood on the tree, facing each other. The wind rustled the green leaves of the World Tree, creating a sound like crashing waves. Overlooking mountains and houses, it was an excellent vantage point.
"Hmph…" Yami, holding the katana at his waist, softly exhaled a puff of smoke. "Your World Tree Magic is still as spectacular as ever, Vangeance."
Standing opposite him was William Vangeance, the captain of the Golden Dawn, wearing a golden mask.
"…It's nothing… merely a byproduct of the enemy's magic. You know, my World Tree Magic can grow by absorbing others' magical power."
"That's true, but your magic is World Tree Magic, isn't it?"
Vangeance felt a slight surprise. He paused and asked, "That's correct. What are you trying to say, Yami?"
Smoke from the cigarette dissipated in the wind. Yami slowly began, "…I'm the type of person who trusts my instincts, Vangeance. Can you take off that mask?"
"…My face… isn't really suitable for others to see…"
"Huh? Why? Are you incredibly ugly? Oh, it's fine, it's fine! I absolutely won't laugh at you, wahahaha!"
Vangeance's gaze sharpened. He said in a deep voice, "You're suspecting that I might be the leader of Midnight Sun, aren't you?"
Hearing this, Yami no longer concealed his true intentions. He answered directly, "To be honest, yes."
"Although Light Magic and World Tree Magic are different types of magic… for some reason, I just can't shake it. The physique… the voice… and most importantly, the feeling of the 'ki' is the same!"
"But… I've known you for almost ten years, haven't I?"
"We met on the battlefield, and since then, we've occasionally fought side-by-side on battlefields… then both became captains at the same time… Back then, Nozel's three braids on his forehead were still trembling—"
"While our relationship isn't particularly close, we've known each other for a long time, haven't we? I just feel like there's something similar about you, so please, let me see your face."
Hearing this, Vangeance remained silent for a long while. Finally, he agreed, "Alright."
He removed the golden mask with both hands. Looking at the face of the person before him, Yami suddenly froze. From the nose upwards, encompassing the eyes and forehead, was a large black scar, so severe it looked as if it had been fiercely burned by flames.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The Diamond Kingdom, one of the four major kingdoms on this continent, is located to the east of the Clover Kingdom.
In a barren valley, there was a large expanse of flat-roofed houses built along the valley's contours, nestled against the mountains. The buildings were numerous and layered, grand beyond compare, with an ivory-white castle palace situated in the center of the valley.
This was the capital of the Diamond Kingdom. Conversations echoed in a spacious room within the castle.
"I see—a Wind Spirit, just like the Earth Spirit!"
"And offensive Spatial Magic… World Tree Magic that absorbs others' magical power…" Morris, wearing a white lab coat, turned and walked to the French window where sunlight streamed in. He lightly touched the light as he repeated the information Lotus had brought.
The Clover Kingdom was attacked not only by the three Eight Shining Generals; Lotus, known as "Lotus of the Abyss," who had fought Asta in the Magic Palace, also rushed to Qitan. Compared to those three reckless generals, Lotus was clearly more cautious.
He had consistently used his Smoke Weakening Magic to conceal himself on the battlefield, attempting to find an opportunity to capture the Golden Dawn captain alive. After realizing the situation was unfavorable, he immediately withdrew and rushed back to the capital to report the news.
"Forget it," Morris said indifferently. "To deal with the Clover Kingdom's strongest Magic Knights, the Golden Dawn, the older generation of generals did play some part."
"From now on, it will be the era of us Magic Warriors, our new generation of commanders."
The current king was in critical condition; the magic scholar Morris controlled the present Diamond Kingdom, and standing behind him were the test subjects he had cultivated.
Mars observed the few people standing beside him, his gaze lingering on the woman with her back to them. 'Philemona… her magical power has grown stronger after her trip.'
'To complete the reform of the Diamond Kingdom, I either have to persuade her to join me, or… I have to find an opportunity to eliminate her…'
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Several days passed quietly; it was now the third day since the Qitan battle.
Rill, feeling he had been tricked by Bai En, did not give up his job of serving dishes at Moli Restaurant. Instead, through diligent work, he quickly adapted.
Of course, if he still had to personally deliver dishes to tables, a young master born into nobility would certainly not have recovered. Thus, during the busiest times, he had an inspiration and replaced his work with a new magic, "Earth Deliverer."
Now, Rill set up an easel in front of the restaurant, painting on the street and discussing his artwork with tourists, improving his painting skills and contemplating how to paint something different from his usual style.
The proprietress of Moli Restaurant was delighted by this situation. The restaurant, which had originally become very busy due to one less server, now hardly needed any servers because of Rill's arrival. She was considering whether to dismiss the other few and then hire Rill with a high salary.
Fortunately, Shelly was not heartless; the old employees who had stayed still worked at the restaurant, and she had also communicated with Bai En that Rill was only working out of interest and might not come back someday.
It was also on this day that the Aqua Deer Squad received a letter from Vice Captain Thor. It contained mostly greetings, as well as news that he had resigned from his position as captain of the Aqua Deer Squad to the Wizard King and had recommended Bai En as the new vice captain to the Wizard King… The letter also stated that he had only come to the Clover Kingdom because of the Demon God incident, and since the Demon God had been eliminated, he should return to his own country. He wished everyone peace and happiness in the future and hoped they would visit the Dwarf Kingdom.
Regarding the position of Vice Captain of the Aqua Deer Squad, based on Bai En's feat of eliminating the Demon God, and the fact that the squad members were not arrogant nobles or royals, everyone expressed their agreement. The official appointment was also issued from the capital today.
Very smoothly, Bai En took a step ahead of Asta and Yuno, though his dream was not to become the Wizard King…
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