Sekke wore a slightly awkward expression. He raised a hand to his mouth and gave a light cough.
"That goes without saying."
As he spoke, the glint in his eyes sharpened with excitement. He looked up toward the nine captains seated high above, each occupying a grand chair.
"That man in the blue cloak and silver hair—that's Nozel Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagles."
"The one in the red cloak is Fuegoleon Vermillion, Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings. Just like the name implies, he uses Fire Creation Magic."
"That beautiful lady in light armor is Charlotte Roselei, Captain of the Blue Rose Knights… Truly stunning, isn't she?"
Sekke's voice grew animated, his eyes shining as he spoke—but he quickly snapped back to himself and continued his introductions.
"The one in the purple cloak is Gueldre Poizot, Captain of the Purple Orcas."
His tone noticeably flattened when he mentioned this name.
Asta blinked. "That's it?"
"I've got no interest in slobs like him," Sekke muttered under his breath, shrugging.
Yuuki's gaze, however, sharpened. Gueldre Poizot, Captain of the Purple Orcas… The magic that man wielded was precisely the one Yuuki was most curious about—Permeation Magic.
Unfortunately, given his current ability, it was impossible for him to get close, much less replicate such a technique.
But later… there would be an opportunity.
If he could seize it, he might not only copy Gueldre's magic—he could even devour his grimoire and fully master it.
Still, that captain's reputation isn't exactly spotless, Yuuki thought. No wonder Sekke's tone went flat when he brought him up.
"That one there," Sekke went on, "is Dorothy Unsworth, Captain of the Coral Peacocks—another beautiful lady."
"Wait, she's sleeping?" Asta blurted out.
"They say she spends the entire day asleep," Sekke replied with a shrug.
Dorothy hailed from the Witches' Forest. She wielded an incredibly rare form of Dream Magic, capable of pulling people and objects into a dream world of her own making.
It was somewhat like spatial magic—but entirely different in nature.
Yuuki recalled the information he knew about her. In terms of sheer power, she ranks among the strongest even within the nine captains.
"That's Jack the Ripper, Captain of the Green Praying Mantises. His Severing Magic is said to be able to split the very earth in two."
"And of course, that one's your old acquaintance—the Captain of the Black Bulls, the 'God of Destruction' himself, Yami Sukehiro."
"The last one there is Rill Boismortier, Captain of the Aqua Deer. He's only nineteen years old—the youngest of all nine Magic Knight Captains."
Asta's eyes went wide. "Nineteen?!"
Even Yuno, usually calm and composed, showed a flicker of surprise.
A nineteen-year-old captain was certainly extraordinary.
Yuuki remembered: Rill's magic was Painting Magic, which could bring his drawings to life—creating spells with any elemental attribute he could imagine.
"Nineteen, huh? Only four years older than me!" Asta said, his expression bright with determination. "Guess the path to becoming Wizard King isn't as far off as I thought!"
"Oh? Wizard King, is it? That's quite the dream," Sekke said, smirking with a trace of mockery before his face turned serious again.
"The next Wizard King, though… that position already has a strong contender."
Almost as soon as those words left his mouth, one of the captains stood up—and the entire stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.
"That's William Vangeance, Captain of the Golden Dawn, the strongest Magic Knight Squad of them all! He's deeply trusted by his subordinates, and during the last war, they say he personally took the enemy commander's head!"
Sekke's tone brimmed with admiration.
As he spoke, both Yuno and Asta's expressions grew serious—each more intense than the last.
Yuuki nearly laughed. For those two, who aspired to reach the peak, it was clear that William had already become the first great mountain they aimed to surpass.
But…
Yuuki's eyes lingered on William, who now stood at the front of the viewing platform, his face calm and dignified behind that golden half-mask. Outwardly, Yuuki's expression was the same as everyone else's—excited and respectful. But inside, a deep wariness stirred.
If the most dangerous and unpredictable person in the Clover Kingdom is the Wizard King himself, then second place undoubtedly belongs to this man—William Vangeance.
Few could even imagine that this celebrated leader—so beloved by the masses, the one whose reputation nearly equaled that of the Wizard King—was actually two souls sharing one body.
Within him resided the spirit of an elf.
Much like Yuno, who also hosted an elven soul. But Yuno's was the spirit of a deceased infant—lacking self-awareness and entirely subservient to Yuno's will.
William's case was different. The elf within him possessed full consciousness… and had long since seized dominance.
On the surface, William was the captain of the Golden Dawn.
But in the shadows, he was also the true leader of the Clover Kingdom's most dangerous organization—the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
"Candidates," came William's calm voice.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting. This year's exam will be overseen by me."
He stepped forward to the very edge of the platform, his golden half-mask glinting under the light. His gaze swept across the crowd below, tranquil and steady.
His tone was soft—yet each word carried effortlessly through the entire arena, silencing the restless murmur in an instant.
There was no need for idle talk.
William reached for his grimoire, and in an even, measured tone, spoke four simple words:
"World Tree Magic: Magic Tree Descent."
Before anyone could react, a radiant green light burst from his grimoire, and an overwhelming surge of mana roared upward into the sky.
BOOM!
The clear blue heavens darkened in an instant, as if swallowed by a great shadow. Dense clouds formed overhead, swelling with magic so thick it made the air tremble.
Then—at the heart of those clouds—a dazzling emerald glow ignited. A tiny sapling appeared, swelling and expanding in mere seconds, its roots spreading and plunging downward at terrifying speed.
A shockwave of raw mana swept across the entire arena, forcing gasps and cries from the crowd.
Yuuki clenched his fists unconsciously, his gaze locked on the breathtaking scene above.
Even knowing from the anime how powerful the captains were, seeing it with his own eyes still sent a shiver through him.
The gap… it's enormous.
And this—this was only William's casual display of magic.
Crack… rustle…!
The colossal roots continued to extend downward—until, just before they touched the heads of the gathered examinees, they split into countless thinner tendrils.
Each delicate root extended precisely to the front of every single candidate.
Such incredible mana… such perfect control!
Yuuki swallowed hard as one of the roots stopped before him.
If William wished it, he could wipe out every examinee present in an instant.
Even Yuno, the strongest among them, wouldn't stand a chance.
(End of Chapter)
⭐ Enjoying the story?You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon!Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects.Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims
PS: Even if you don't intend to pay for advance chapters you can join as a free member to get access to updates and any news on current and future translations (Please join guys I really enjoy seeing those numbers go up.)🙏