Yuno stared intently at Asta—the young man before him was a brother, a rival, and the milestone he was bound to chase for the rest of his life.
“So it’s the Golden Dawn group we saw from afar last time!
But that blonde girl turned out to be Mimosa…” Noelle shifted uncomfortably under Mimosa’s innocent gaze, feeling an immediate spike of internal pressure.
“Noelle!
Greetings!” Mimosa offered a warm, radiant smile, then let out a gentle sigh.
“I haven’t seen you since last year’s family gathering!”
“Noelle, looks like you ran into someone you know,” Asta observed with mild curiosity.
Mimosa’s soft golden hair curled gently around her face, and her large, pure eyes reminded him of a calm forest fawn.
“Uh…
there’s a family connection,” Noelle muttered, ducking her head slightly.
She couldn’t bring herself to admit to Asta that since childhood, everyone in the House of Silva had compared her to Mimosa.
One was the beloved prodigy praised by every noble, while the other was treated as a family disgrace.
Yet Mimosa had never once looked down on her, which made Noelle completely unsure how to act around her cousin.
“I am Noelle’s cousin, Mimosa Vermillion.
It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mimosa bowed politely to Asta before turning back to Noelle with genuine concern.
“I heard you joined the Black Bulls.
People say it’s quite a chaotic squad…
are you doing alright there?”
“Hmph!
You should worry about yourself, Mimosa!
With your slow reaction time, I wonder if you can even keep up with the Golden Dawn,” Noelle huffed, crossing her arms.
“I’m fine!
Everyone is very kind, so we get along smoothly,” Mimosa replied gently, stepping closer.
“More importantly, Noelle…
you used to have so much trouble controlling your mana.
How are you holding up now?”
“I…
I’m making progress!
Step by step!” Noelle felt a pang in her chest.
Mimosa spoke without a single shred of malice, leaving Noelle with no way to snap back—it left her feeling completely stifled.
“That’s wonderful!
By the way, we were awarded a star by the Wizard King during our last mission!” Mimosa shared with bright enthusiasm.
“Hmph.”
Klaus Lunette finally felt this trivial conversation held a bit of dignity.
After all, receiving a star directly from the Wizard King on a first mission was an elite achievement.
But to his utter surprise, the Black Bull rookie—who should have been green with envy—simply snorted in disinterest.
“What’s so impressive about that?
Our squad earned stars too,” Noelle declared, tossing her silver hair triumphantly.
For once, she felt she had gotten a clean hit in against her brilliant cousin.
“Stop bluffing!” Klaus snapped instantly, pushing his glasses up his nose.
“How could mere bottom-tier rookies from the Black Bulls earn a star?!”
Asta raised an eyebrow at Klaus’s arrogant posture.
“Hey, four-eyes.
Is it really that hard for you to admit that other people can perform well?”
“Four-eyes?!
Who are you calling four-eyes?!” Klaus recoiled in disbelief.
Was this how a commoner spoke to a senior nobleman and Golden Dawn elite?
“Obviously whoever is wearing glasses,” Asta said dryly.
“Is this the kind of manners the Black Bulls teach their recruits?!” Klaus scoffed, looking around with disgust.
“Where is the senior member leading your squad?
Did he abandon you, or did he already die in a trap magic circle?”
“You know we’re in a hostile zone where enemy mages could attack at any second, right?” Asta sarcastically retorted.
“Even if someone’s out protecting your flank, you should at least keep a shred of gratitude.”
Klaus’s expression hardened.
“You mean your team leader is already engaged with enemy combatants?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Antler shrugged.
In truth, he had no idea what Luck was doing, but knowing that battle maniac’s personality, he was almost certainly picking a fight with someone from the Diamond Kingdom.
Well said, Asta!
Noelle celebrated secretly in her heart.
In this silent war of words, the Black Bulls had comfortably taken the upper hand!
“Hmph!
What a clumsy lie!
Let Mimosa expose your nonsense!” Klaus flicked his wrist, signaling his junior.
“Understood!
Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Guidepost!”
Mimosa raised her grimoire with practiced ease.
A brilliant flash of green and pink light burst forth, blooming into an exquisite, glowing flower.
From the heart of the petals, an intricate 3D magic map of the entire Dungeon manifested in mid-air!
In an instant, every corridor, chamber, and floating water stream was mapped out, complete with pulsing points of mana light!
“Incredible detection magic…” As soon as he observed the floating hologram.
If he had someone like Mimosa around on reconnaissance missions, tracking enemies would be effortless.
“Let’s see…” Mimosa tapped her chin with a slender finger, carefully reading the mana signatures.
“There is indeed a battle taking place in the eastern wing, but the situation is totally one-sided.
It seems the Black Bulls’ senior member has engaged a squad of foreign mages…”
“They really are fighting enemy mages?!” Klaus stared at the map in total shock.
How was this possible?
Since when were the notoriously undisciplined Black Bulls this proactive?
“Hmph!
Now you see how dedicated the Black Bulls are,” Noelle raised her chin proudly.
“Even though the Wizard King assigned both our squads to this Dungeon, it’s our team holding off the invaders!”
“Tch!
Look at the layout!” Klaus quickly recovered his composure, pointing at the map.
“The enemy forces engaged with your teammate are just vanguard scouts meant to draw attention!
Their true elite squad is already advancing deep into the central vault.
The real battle will happen at the treasure hall.
When we get there, the Golden Dawn will demonstrate the absolute difference between the top Magic Knight order and the bottom-dwellers!”
With a sharp turn of his cloak, Klaus commanded Yuno and Mimosa to step back onto the magic ark and speed toward the center of the ruins.
“Asta, what should we do now?” Noelle asked, looking at the floating mana map before it faded.
“Should we find Luck first, or head straight for the treasure chamber?”
“Luck isn’t far from our current position,” Asta replied calmly.
“We don’t have long-range detection magic like Mimosa, so finding Luck first is our best option if we want to navigate this maze efficiently.”
“I agree…
but do you actually remember the route to his location?” Noelle asked cautiously.
Asta smirked, his eyes briefly flickering with sharp focus.
“Don’t worry.
I memorized the layout the second her flower bloomed.
Finding Luck will be a breeze—and we can explore these ancient ruins along the way.”
Meanwhile, aboard the fast-moving plant ark, Klaus frowned deeply.
“That silver-haired kid…
Asta, was it?
What is wrong with him?
Why couldn’t I sense a single drop of mana coming from his body?”
“Now that you mention it, I couldn’t sense any mana from him either,” Mimosa added, her eyes wide with curiosity.
“My sensory magic covers a wide radius, but he felt completely like a blank void.”
“If even Mimosa can’t detect anything, it proves he has zero magic power!” Klaus sneered, crossing his arms.
“I cannot fathom what Captain Yami was thinking recruiting a magicless defective.”
“Asta was chosen by four captains during the exam,” Yuno stated in his usual flat tone, not even bothering to look back.
“Including Captain Vangeance.”
“What?!
That actually happened?!” Mimosa gasped, covering her mouth in genuine astonishment.
Having witnessed Yuno’s incredible talent firsthand, she found it hard to believe that four captains would raise their hands for someone with no mana.
“Yes,” Yuno replied plainly.
“The reason people don’t talk about it much is because Captain Yami stepped in and took him forcefully before anyone else could.”
Klaus frowned in shock, pushing his glasses up his nose.
“Even if Yami Sukehiro is a captain…
can he really just do that?”
“Well…
the other captains didn’t stop him, so…” Yuno trailed off without finishing his sentence.
Klaus and Mimosa exchanged a quiet glance, instantly catching his drift.
If the high captains themselves didn’t have a problem with it, who were they to complain?
Still, Klaus turned back toward the path ahead, silently digesting the realization that the magicless boy was far more mysterious than he had assumed.
At the same time, deep within the Royal Capital of the Clover Kingdom, an emergency council convened in the grand hall.
“Reporting latest intelligence!” A gray-robbed intelligence officer knelt before the high council.
“Members from both the Golden Dawn and the Black Bulls have entered the Dungeon at the border.
Furthermore, we have confirmed an active infiltration by armed military mages from the Diamond Kingdom!”
“The Diamond Kingdom again…” a nobleman muttered anxiously.
“They’ve been aggressively expanding their borders for years!”
“Are the knights we feel truly capable of handling this?
If ancient magical artifacts fall into the hands of Diamond mages, it could disrupt the regional balance of power!”
“Who is leading the Diamond Kingdom’s detachment?” the Wizard King, Julius Novachrono, asked smoothly, a relaxed smile on his face.
“The enemy commander has been identified as…
Lotus of the Naraku,” the scout reported.
“What?!
That notorious veteran?!” The council room erupted into nervous murmurs.
“Ah, Lotus!” Julius chuckled softly, folding his hands.
“I actually ran into him on the battlefield years ago.
He’s quite a tricky and powerful mage!”
Marx, standing beside the Wizard King, instantly lost his composure.
“Lord Julius!
Please take this seriously!
We only sent rookies into that Dungeon!”
“It’s fine, Marx,” Julius smiled warmly.
“While Lotus’s smoke magic is exceptionally versatile, the young man Yami sent on this mission is far from ordinary.”
Julius recalled Asta’s intense demeanor and mysterious anti-magic weapons.
“Without prior knowledge of Asta’s abilities, any traditional mage who underestimates him is in for a devastating surprise.”
“You’re always far too optimistic…” Marx sighed heavily, rubbing his temples.
“It’s called having faith in the new generation, Marx,” Julius replied mildly.
He knew the Dungeon would be a grueling test—filled with ancient traps, spatial distortions, and lethal foreign mages.
But true gems were only polished under immense pressure.
Back at the Black Bulls hideout, Vanessa slouched on the couch, sipping red wine from a glass while looking out the window.
“Those two are still so young,” Vanessa murmured, turning to Yami, who was sitting at the table reading the daily newspaper.
“Is it really alright to leave a border Dungeon mission to Asta and Noelle?”
“Relax,” Yami said without looking up from the paper.
“Luck is with them.
That kid’s sensory abilities are top-tier—better than most high nobles.
If it weren’t for his unhinged battle personality, half the captains in the kingdom would have fought over him.”
Yami let out a rough laugh, quite proud of his eye for talent.
“That’s exactly why we’re worried!” Magna shouted, pacing back and forth while juggling a small fireball in his hand.
“The second Luck smells a strong opponent, he loses his mind!
He probably ditched Asta and Noelle the moment they stepped inside!”
“He wouldn’t be that irresponsible…
right?” Yami took a slow drag from his cigarette, imagining the completely exhausted, exasperated faces Asta and Noelle would make if left behind.
“Well…
even if he did, it builds character.
And he will push past his limits.