Finding a place to stay in Kikka on a commoner's budget was its own kind of battle. The inns near the central plaza were priced for nobles and wealthy merchants, costing more for one night than a Hage farmer made in a month.
After two hours of searching the winding backstreets, they found a place called The Rusty Tankard. It was a leaning timber-and-stone building tucked in a narrow alley between a blacksmith and a spice merchant.
"One room," Lencar said to the innkeeper, a stout woman with a permanent scowl. "Three beds. Or one bed and two mats. Whatever is cheapest."
The room was tiny, smelling faintly of old cedar and damp wool. Asta didn't care; he immediately threw his bag onto the floor and began doing push-ups. Yuno claimed a small corner near the window, sitting cross-legged to meditate.
Lencar sat on the edge of the only bed, his mind running through the local variables. "We have four days. We need to conserve our coin for food. No unnecessary spending."
Over the next few days, the three of them explored the Capital like ghosts. They avoided the Noble Realm, sticking to the bustling markets of the Common Realm. They ate cheap purple snake meat grilled over charcoal and shared bags of hard, sun-dried tatoes.
"Asta," Lencar said, watching the boy's rapid movements. "If we're going to survive these next four days, we need to be smart. This city isn't like the village. In Hage, people help you because they know you. Here, people look at your clothes and decide if you're worth talking to."
Asta stopped, his face dripping with sweat. "So what? I'll just work harder! I'll show them that a commoner from Hage can be the best!"
"It's not just about work, Asta," Yuno interjected, his voice cool. "Lencar is right. The discrimination here is thick. You saw the way those noble candidates looked at Dax when he opened the portal. They didn't see a mage; they saw a servant."
Over the next three days, the three orphans of Hage explored the belly of the Capital. They kept to the markets where the commoners lived, tasting food that Lencar's former self, Kenji Tanaka, would have found fascinating.
"Try this!" Asta shoved a stick of charred meat into Lencar's hand. "It's purple snake! The guy said it makes your mana flow better!"
Lencar took a bite. The texture was rubbery, but the spice was intense. Analysis: Slight metabolic spike. Trace amounts of mana in the meat. Nutritious, but the 'flow' claim is 98% marketing.
"It's acceptable," Lencar said.
They sat on a stone bridge overlooking a canal where small mana-powered barges ferried goods.
"Yuno," Asta said, his tone unusually somber. "When we get into the arena... what if we're not enough? What if the noble kids really are that much better?"
Yuno looked at his four-leaf grimoire, which sat silently in his lap. "They have better teachers, Asta. They have better food, better equipment, and centuries of bloodline mana. But they don't have what we have."
"And what's that?" Asta asked.
"Hunger," Lencar answered for him. "Nobles treat magic like an inheritance. We treat it like a weapon. They defend their status; we fight for our existence. That difference in intent changes the output of a spell."
"Yeah!" Asta cheered, punching the air. "I'm gonna eat so much of this snake meat that I'll be able to punch through a mountain!"
"Asta, the snake meat doesn't work that way," Lencar sighed, but a small, rare smile touched his lips.
As they walked through the crowds, Lencar practiced his Concealment Stealth Magic: "[Void Pulse]". He found it was easier to hide in a crowd than in a forest. The background noise of thousands of mana signatures acted as a perfect frequency-blur. He experimented with hiding his heartbeat and suppressing his Ki, moving through the marketplace like a ghost. He even managed to walk within three feet of a patrolling Magic Knight without the man even turning his head.
Status: Concealment efficiency reached 96%. Probability of bypassing Junior Knight sensors: Absolute.
On the third day, the atmosphere in the city shifted. More candidates arrived—nobles in silk capes riding on mana-powered carriages, looking down at the commoners with undisguised contempt.
Lencar spent the afternoon in a crowded park, sitting beneath a massive tree. He wasn't resting. He was refining his Concealment Stealth Magic: "[Void Pulse]". He practiced muting his heartbeat until it was almost imperceptible. He watched a group of noble teens practicing light-flashes nearby, siphoning their small, inefficient spells into his collection.
Entry: Light Magic - Flash. Entry: Earth Magic - Barrier.
"The data density here is incredible," Lencar whispered.
On the final night, the atmosphere in the tiny inn room was heavy. Tomorrow was the harvest. Tomorrow, Lencar would have to stand before the Captains and try his best to not be selected there.
"I'm going to join the Golden Dawn," Yuno said into the dark. "It's the squad closest to the Wizard King. I'll be watching you both from the top."
"Don't you dare!" Asta yelled from his mat. "I'm gonna be the one at the top! I don't care if I have to join the worst squad in the kingdom—the Black Bulls or whatever—I'll make it the best!"
Lencar lay on the bed, staring at the dark wooden beams of the ceiling. "I just want a squad that offers the most data. The name doesn't matter."
"You always talk like that!" Asta grumbled. "But I know you're excited, Lencar! I can feel it! Your mana is all... twitchy!"
Correction: It's not excitement, Asta. It's the hunger of the blank pages.
That night, back in the room, the silence was heavy. Asta was snoring, but Yuno was awake, staring out the window.
"Lencar," Yuno said softly.
"Yeah?"
"I know you're holding back. Even in Hage, you were always calculating. But tomorrow... don't hold back too much. The Captains can see through lies."
Lencar looked at Yuno's silhouette. "I'll do what I have to, Yuno. We all will."
The next morning, the sun rose over the Royal Capital with a cold, clear light. The three of them walked toward the massive stone arena at the center of the city. Thousands of candidates were already streaming through the gates of the grand colosseum. The air was a chaotic storm of mana—fire, water, earth, and wind all clashing in a desperate display of ego.
As they stepped onto the sandy floor of the arena, Lencar felt the weight of nine massive presences above them. He looked up to the high balcony.
The morning of the exam arrived with a cold, biting wind. Lencar woke up at 04:00. He performed a final audit of his physical state.
Physical: 8x. Mana: 2x. Control: 10x. Soul: 3x.
He walked with Asta and Yuno toward the massive stone arena at the center of the city. Thousands of people were streaming toward the gates—a sea of hope, ambition, and arrogance.
As they reached the entrance, Lencar felt a sudden, massive surge of mana from above. He looked up and saw nine figures standing on a high balcony overlooking the arena floor.
The Magic Knight Captains.
Lencar's grimoire pulsed with a dark, golden hunger.
"Phase Five: Implementation," Lencar whispered to himself as they stepped onto the arena floor, thousands of eyes watching them from the stands. "The harvest begins now."
The Magic Knight Entrance Exam... is officially ONLINE.