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"You have a lead on the Magic Stones?"
Upon hearing George's words, Secre became instantly agitated. For centuries, she had searched in vain for any trace of the stones. Without their power, she was helpless to undo the forbidden seal and restore the First Wizard King from his state as a cold stone statue.
"Not a clue," George replied, waving a hand dismissively. In truth, he had only heard the term "Magic Stone" from her moments ago.
"Then how do you expect to save him?" Secre stared at him, her small head filled with large doubts.
Without the stones, how could one possibly undo a forbidden seal fueled by their very essence? It was a paradox—a lock that required its specific key. But then, she remembered: George had just casually dispelled the transformation curse on her own body, a curse born from that very same forbidden power.
What did that imply? It meant George possessed a unique form of magic capable of bypassing the requirement for the stones entirely.
"Let's go."
George made a casual swiping motion, and a spatial portal flickered into existence within the room. Over the past few days, while "researching" the grimoires of the Black Bulls, he had already replicated their spells. He could use any of them at will. Right now, he was utilizing Finral's Spatial Magic.
"Spatial Magic!" Secre's eyes widened again. This was the fourth distinct attribute he had displayed. This boy was certainly no ordinary recruit from the Forsaken Realm.
Stepping through the portal, they arrived at the site of the Ancient Demon's skull and the Wizard King's statue outside Hage Village. While Finral's magic usually required the user to have physically visited a location, George had simply extracted the coordinates directly from Secre's memories.
"So, this is Asta's hometown," George remarked, glancing at the peaceful village in the distance. He walked up to the statue, flipped open his grimoire, and snapped his fingers.
A faint blue light struck the stone. The grey, weathered surface receded rapidly, revealing the living man beneath. Handsome features, short blond hair, and a gentle smile—Lumiere Silvamillion Clover, the first Prince of the Clover Kingdom and the First Wizard King, looked exactly as he had in his twenties.
"Welcome back, Prince Lumiere!" Secre whispered, tears pricking her eyes as the man slowly opened his eyes.
Lumiere reached out and pulled Secre into a warm embrace. "You've worked so hard these five hundred years," he said softly. He knew the loneliness she must have endured, watching over the world as a bird, guarding against the devil's return.
"How touching. A happy ending at last," George remarked, clapping his hands lightly. Both Lumiere and Secre felt a slight flush creep onto their faces.
"Thank you for your help," Lumiere said, turning to George and offering a formal bow. Secre quickly whispered a summary of George's identity and recent actions into his ear.
"Don't mention it. My help wasn't entirely selfless; I just wanted to study your Light Magic," George replied with blunt honesty. "And I'm also a bit curious about that Word Soul Devil."
Lumiere blinked, surprised by the lack of pretense, but he quickly nodded. "If you're interested in Light Magic, I'd be happy to discuss it. I've always been a bit of a magic nerd myself."
"So, what's your plan now?" George asked.
Lumiere thought for a moment. "The Word Soul Devil manipulated Licht into using a reincarnation spell; there's bound to be a lingering trap. Currently, I have less than a tenth of my peak power. I need time to recover."
He didn't know the exact nature of the devil's plot, but he knew it wouldn't be simple. He needed to investigate the reincarnation of the Elves and stop the devil before his scheme reached fruition.
"I have a suggestion, if you're interested," George said, a plan forming in his mind.
Lumiere smiled. "Please, go ahead." Though George's origins were a mystery, Lumiere sensed no malice. If George wanted him dead, he could have easily destroyed the statue while he was still sealed. Even now, though George's mana felt "weak" to his senses, Lumiere's intuition screamed that he wouldn't win a fight against this youth.
"Disguise yourselves and join the current Magic Knights," George suggested, tossing them a spare Black Bulls cloak. "It'll give you a place to recover while staying at the heart of the kingdom's affairs. My squad never cares about backgrounds or pasts; you'll fit right in."
By bringing them into the Black Bulls, George could study Lumiere's magic easily and bolster the squad's strength. He intended to turn the Black Bulls into a team where every member was Wizard King-level; Lumiere would be a perfect first addition.
After Secre explained the current state of the kingdom and the reputation of the Black Bulls, Lumiere made his decision. "Then we shall join the Black Bulls."
He had always believed that everyone had infinite potential if given the right environment. Yami Sukehiro's recruitment style suited his philosophy perfectly. Furthermore, hiding in plain sight within the Magic Knights was the best way to intercept the devil's next move.
Snap.
George conjured a perfect stone replica of the statue to take Lumiere's place and opened a portal back to the capital. "It's late. Stay at an inn for tonight and come to the castle tomorrow morning."
Back in his room, George finally opened Asta's five-leaf grimoire. He condensed a sliver of his consciousness and entered the book's internal space.
It was a world of absolute darkness. Within it stood three black swords and a winged demon. Sensing a human presence, the demon opened his eyes, looking bewildered. No mage had ever entered this inner sanctum before.
"Good evening, Liebe," George said casually.
In a blur of black light, Liebe appeared behind George, his demonic claws pressed against George's throat. "How do you know my name?"
Liebe's senses had been blocked ever since Asta handed the book to George; he was blind to everything that had happened since.
"I know your name, and I know about your foster mother, Licita." George's form dissolved into mist and reappeared in front of Liebe. "I'm not here to fight. I just want to learn about the Underworld."
"An illusion?" Liebe didn't buy it. He unleashed a surge of Anti-Magic that flooded the space. "Anti-Magic!"
For fifteen years, he had cursed the name of Lucifero, the devil who killed Licita. That hatred had birthed his Anti-Magic and the Demon-Slayer Sword. In this space, he was god. Any magic should have been nullified instantly.
"I suppose everyone needs a demonstration," George sighed. He understood Liebe's caution, but he wasn't going to play along. "Fooling."
The Authority of Fooling hit Liebe instantly. The devil's thoughts stagnated; his ability to reason crumbled, leaving him standing there like a simpleton. Anti-Magic was effective against spells, but it was useless against a higher power like an Authority.
George placed a hand on Liebe and read his memories from before he met Licita.
The Underworld was a seven-layered realm of boredom and cruelty. Devils lived to torment those weaker than themselves just to pass the time. They longed for the human world, seeing humans as playthings for their amusement. However, the Gates of the Underworld barred their path, requiring a forbidden ritual or a sacrificial contract to cross.
Strength in the Underworld was determined at birth. There were Lower, Intermediate, Upper, and Supreme ranks. The bottom-most layer housed the three Rulers, the Three Pillars: Lucifero (Satan), Beelzebub, and Astaroth. Five years before Liebe left, Astaroth had disappeared and was replaced by Megicula.
Liebe had been born on the highest layer as a mana-less Lower Devil, a literal punching bag for his peers. One day, a devil threw him at the gate, expecting him to be shredded by the barrier. Instead, because he had no mana, he slipped through the barrier entirely and fell into the human world. He was hunted by humans until Licita saved him and showed him what happiness was.
"So, the Word Soul Devil from five hundred years ago was just an Upper Devil? Hardly a match for the Rulers," George mused.
"By the way," George added, looking at the reacting Liebe. "Asta is Licita's biological son. You'll never beat Lucifero alone, even with Anti-Magic. Work with Asta. That's the only way you'll avenge your mother."
George glanced at the three swords—the Demon-Slayer, the Demon-Dweller (which could absorb and fire mana), and the Demon-Destroyer (which could nullify causal effects like curses and poisons). With a final look, he vanished from the grimoire.
Liebe stood in the darkness, stunned into silence. His plan had been to slowly take over Asta's body to hunt Lucifero. But if what that man said was true... he couldn't kill Licita's son. Licita would never forgive him. Moreover, George had just proven that Anti-Magic wasn't the invincible trump card Liebe thought it was.
"No wonder... no wonder they look so much alike," Liebe whispered.
George's strength was so great that there was no reason for him to lie. And Liebe had always seen a reflection of Licita in Asta's stubbornness and his smile. They were both from the same area, both outcasts. The pieces fit.
(End of Chapter)