Chapter 10 – Hiding Fear Behind Mockery
Just then—
A stiff, nervous voice broke through the crowd.
"Uh… why didn't a grimoire come to me?"
It was Asta's voice.
The atmosphere inside the tower froze instantly.
Every head turned toward him—toward the boy standing empty-handed, his palms open in disbelief.
Even the Grimoire Master squinted further, his tone calm but indifferent.
"Then come back next year."
"Ahhh!!"
Asta's cry of despair rang out, echoing across the hall.
"Pfft—hahaha!!"
"You're kidding me, right?!"
"That's hilarious!"
"Did this shorty come here just to make us laugh?"
Laughter and jeers erupted from all sides, flooding the entire Grimoire Tower.
Asta's expression stiffened. Yuuki noticed right away—the boy's hands were trembling ever so slightly.
"This guy… that must've hit him hard."
Yuuki sighed quietly. He knew it wouldn't end there—Asta's real heartbreak was yet to come.
At that thought, Yuuki's gaze shifted toward Yuno, who stood not far from Asta.
Almost at the same instant—
The pale-blue grimoire hovering before Yuno suddenly burst into brilliant golden light!
At the same time, his mana surged violently, waves of invisible energy sweeping through the hall!
The overwhelming pressure immediately drew everyone's attention.
"A four-leaf grimoire…"
Yuuki's eyes narrowed as he watched Yuno bathed in that golden glow.
From this close, he could clearly sense it—Yuno's mana was skyrocketing, far beyond normal limits.
When Yuuki had received his own grimoire, his mana had grown gradually, steadily.
But Yuno's growth—was explosive.
This was the difference between nobles, royals, and commoners in this world.
And that difference couldn't be bridged by effort alone.
Before obtaining their grimoires, Yuuki could've fought Yuno to a draw with pure technique.
But now, after the ceremony—the gap between them had widened beyond reach.
In the original timeline, Yuno had taken just two years to reach the level of a squad captain. His talent was terrifying.
Still—
The power Yuno was displaying now didn't belong solely to him.
"The power of the elves… it's even stronger than I expected."
Yuuki frowned.
Indeed—neither Yuno's overwhelming mana, nor his wind magic, nor even the four-leaf grimoire itself were purely his own.
This power originated from the spirit of an unborn elf child—born of Licht, leader of the Elf Tribe, and Tettia, princess of the Clover Kingdom five hundred years ago.
It wasn't that Yuno lacked magic of his own.
Rather, his own power had been suppressed beneath the might of that elven soul.
In truth, Yuno carried two souls—his own, and the elf child's.
The latter had no consciousness, merely dwelling within Yuno as a passive presence.
Which meant… Yuno effectively possessed two grimoires.
A literal walking cheat code.
Yuuki could only sigh inwardly.
Having someone like that as your rival—it was hard to even comment.
"The gap between people really is huge…"
He muttered to himself, a trace of pressure settling in his chest.
Yuno—wielder of Wind Magic and Star Magic.
Asta—destined for Anti-Magic and Sword Magic.
Both with dual magic attributes.
Yuuki couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
As the golden light slowly faded, Yuno's grimoire came into full view. The four-leaf clover gleamed proudly upon its cover, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
"A four-leaf grimoire…!"
Even the old Grimoire Master's eyes widened fully, his wrinkled face frozen in disbelief.
Everyone—except Yuuki—was utterly astonished.
After all, this ceremony wasn't attended solely by the fifteen-year-olds receiving their grimoires. Villagers from the surrounding areas had also gathered to watch, including the priest and Sister Lily.
The priest, who had raised Yuno since childhood, nearly dropped his jaw despite knowing of the boy's exceptional talent.
"A four-leaf… Isn't that the same kind of grimoire the First Wizard King once had? The one said to hold immense power and symbolize good fortune…?"
Sister Lily gasped, covering her mouth.
The light around the grimoire faded, and the pale-blue book drifted gently down into Yuno's hand.
He caught it effortlessly, a faint, confident smile tugging at his lips.
"I will become the Wizard King."
His voice was calm—but resolute.
"That guy…"
"Impossible! That's a four-leaf grimoire!"
"A mere commoner?!"
The tower erupted again, voices filled with disbelief, shock, and awe.
Yuuki rubbed the back of his head.
To make a declaration like that in front of everyone… the guy really knew how to steal the spotlight.
He sighed inwardly at Yuno's dramatic flair. But then, Yuno turned his head and met Yuuki's gaze, his eyes deep and unflinching.
Yuuki blinked, puzzled.
"I'll catch up to you soon, Yuno! Because I'm your rival!"
Asta's voice boomed across the hall, full of unyielding determination.
Silence fell once more—followed by a wave of even louder laughter and ridicule than before.
Yuno glanced briefly at Asta, then walked past him without a word, leaving the tower.
The crowd instinctively parted to make way for him.
Asta stood frozen, motionless, as if turned to stone.
And with Yuno gone, the sneers and mockery only grew louder.
Every word dripped with scorn, stabbing at Asta's heart.
Slowly, his head lowered again.
"Asta. Don't mind the cowards who hide behind mockery."
The voice that cut through the laughter was calm and steady.
It carried no hostility, no fear.
Everyone in the hall heard it clearly.
Asta blinked in surprise and looked up—Yuuki was standing before him.
"What did you just say?!"
"You picking a fight, huh?!"
"Who're you calling cowards?!"
"My fists are itching to teach you a lesson!"
One by one, the angry shouts rose from the crowd.
They were fifteen-year-olds—hot-blooded, freshly empowered by their new grimoires, yet still shaken by Yuno's overwhelming display.
They needed someone to vent on.
Asta, who had received nothing, was the perfect target. And Yuuki—by defending him—had just painted an even bigger target on himself.
"Yuuki…"
Asta forced a strained smile, clearly worried for him.
Yuuki ignored the glares and said evenly:
"A boy without a grimoire dares to challenge the one who wields a four-leaf. And you—"
He swept his gaze across the crowd.
"—you mock him to hide your fear. Compared to Asta, aren't you the real cowards here?"
The hall went dead silent.
Then—
Boom!
It was as though his words had dropped into a vat of boiling oil.
The crowd exploded with fury.
Some even pulled out their newly acquired grimoires, ready to fight.
Yuuki only smiled faintly.
So much for a peaceful ceremony.
(End of Chapter)
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