Morning sunlight spilled across the white-bricked streets, catching on the hanging banners and market stalls that lined the main avenue. The air carried the smell of fresh bread, roasted nuts, and faint traces of mana drifting from distant spells.
Everywhere, people talked — about the Magic Knight Exams, about nobles arriving from distant towns, about luck and fate.
Asta and Yuno moved through the crowd side by side. One looked like he'd drunk five cups of coffee too many; the other moved like the noise didn't exist at all.
Asta's eyes shone like stars. "Yuno! We're actually here! The royal capital! The Magic Knight Exam!"
He spun around, arms wide. "Look at those walls! Look at those magic lights! Even the air smells nice!"
Yuno gave him a calm side glance, his tone steady. "You're loud, even for you."
Asta grinned. "It's called enthusiasm! You should try it sometime!"
But even Yuno couldn't hide the small flicker of wonder in his eyes as he looked up at the palace.
They turned onto one of the wider streets leading toward the central plaza. The air here was livelier — merchants setting up stalls, children darting between carts, the smell of fresh bread and ripe fruit drifting on the breeze.
That was when a few voices nearby caught Asta's attention. A small group of men stood beside a fruit cart that hadn't opened yet, idly chatting as they waited for the vendor to finish arranging his wares.
One of them, a wiry fellow with a cap pulled low, spoke in a half-whisper that somehow carried above the din.
"Hey… did you hear? Something big's happening today."
The man beside him — older, broad-shouldered, and clearly unimpressed — didn't even look up from inspecting an apple.
"Yeah. The Magic Knight Entrance Exam. Everyone knows that."
The first man shook his head with a knowing grin.
"That's big, sure… but it's not the biggest."
That made the others glance over, interest piqued.
"Oh? Then what's bigger than the exam?"
The man leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice just enough to make the others lean closer.
"Ever heard of Nova Ashbourne?"
The name slipped out so casually, but it was enough to make Yuno's eyes flick toward them. Asta froze mid-step, his ears practically twitching like a curious fox.
A customer near the cart frowned, trying to recall.
"Isn't he the one rumored to have a four-leaf clover grimoire… and mastery over all kinds of elements?"
The first man nodded eagerly.
"That's him. According to my source, he's the last heir of an old but fallen noble house — the Ashbournes."
Several of the men nodded in recognition, though one frowned.
"Alright, but what about him?"
The man's grin widened as if he'd been waiting for that question.
"I heard the King himself arranged Princess Seraphina's hand in marriage for him — because of his talent."
The others blinked, stunned.
"The princess? You've gotta be joking."
"No joke," the man replied, puffing up with pride at having such juicy news. "The King's decision stirred up quite the storm in the noble courts. I heard it straight from my cousin — her brother-in-law's cousin's wife works as a cook for the Blue Rose Magic Knight squad."
He barely got the words out before Asta's voice exploded across the street like a thunderclap.
"NOVA'S MARRYING A PRINCESS!?"
Half the street turned to stare. Even the fruit seller froze mid-motion, his knife hovering above an apple.
Asta threw both arms into the air, eyes wide in scandalized disbelief.
"You're telling me that Nova… NOVA… is getting a princess?!"
Yuno gave him a flat, unimpressed look.
"You're shouting again."
Asta ignored him completely, stomping a foot for emphasis.
"That's it! When I become Wizard King, I'm marrying Sister Lily too!"
The silence that followed was almost physical — one long, awkward heartbeat. Then someone in the crowd snorted. Another broke into laughter. Soon the street was buzzing again, the gossip drowned out by chuckles and chatter.
Yuno let out a quiet sigh through his nose.
"Idiot."
Asta whirled on him, face red.
"Hey! Don't call me that! I'm serious!"
But Yuno had already started walking again, pretending he didn't know him.
Behind them, the gossip by the fruit cart continued in lowered, eager tones.
"Anyway," the first man said, voice tinged with awe now rather than glee, "that's not even the craziest part. Four of the old noble houses — Thorne, Alderay, Velnir, and Lorin — have all protested the royal marriage. They've challenged Lord Ashbourne to a series of duels at the Royal Mausoleum right after the Magic Knight exam."
Another man's eyes widened.
"All four heirs? One after another?"
"That's right. If he loses even a single match… he loses the princess."
For a moment, the street seemed quieter, as if the words themselves carried weight.
"Four heirs…" one of the onlookers murmured under his breath. "That's practically a death sentence."
The older man with the apple let out a slow whistle.
"Duels at the Royal Mausoleum aren't child's play. They're fought with everything you've got — no restrictions, no mercy. It's as good as a war challenge."
Another of the group crossed his arms, frowning deeply.
"Those houses aren't weak either. Thorne and Lorin alone have produced some of the strongest combat mages in the kingdom. And now he has to fight all four heirs back-to-back?"
"Most men wouldn't last past the first," someone muttered grimly.
The wiry man who'd started the gossip shook his head, though his grin hadn't quite faded.
"Still… they say Ashbourne's no ordinary mage. Four-leaf clover grimoire, multiple elements at his command… people say he's got the makings of a Wizard King himself."
A younger boy near the cart, wide-eyed from listening, tugged at his father's sleeve.
"Papa, do you think he'll win?"
The father didn't answer right away. His expression was unreadable, caught between skepticism and reluctant hope.
"…If he does, it'll be a story they'll tell for years."
A low murmur of agreement passed through the little crowd. Some were doubtful, some curious, and a few looked quietly excited — as if they were witnessing the start of a legend in the making.
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A circular portal unfolded midair, its edges shimmering like liquid glass. The magic rippled outward in perfect silence before stabilizing into a gleaming, mirror-like surface.
From it, Nova Ashbourne stepped through first — black boots landing lightly on the dirt. His robes were all black, sharp-lined and modern, a sleek design that looked like it belonged in another world entirely. The long coat swayed with each step, faintly reminiscent of a swordsman from a sci-fi epic — almost like Kirito out of Sword Art Online, but darker, meaner.
A moment later, Celise emerged behind him. Her attire stood in stark contrast — elegant, measured, and noble. A fitted dress coat, long gloves, and polished boots, her posture refined and deliberate. Every inch of her screamed poise and class, the kind of aura that made people automatically move aside.
The air was still for a second — quiet, save for the faint hum of residual mana fading from Nova's portal.
Then another portal tore open a few meters away, this one entirely different. Its edges pulsed with uneven light, like someone had forced space open rather than persuaded it. The swirl was untidy, raw — Finral's signature gate.
Out stepped Finral himself, adjusting his coat, followed by the broad, shadowed figure of Captain Yami Sukehiro. A faint cloud of cigarette smoke followed him out, curling in the morning light.
The two groups froze for a moment, facing each other.
Yami's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the recet hot news of Clover Kingdom.
Looking at Yami, Nova smiled and greeted," Greetings, Captain Yami."
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SORRY GUYS FOR NOT POSTING THESE PASY DAYS. I WILL TRY TO MAKE UP FOR ALL THE CHAPTERS THAT WERE LEFT UNPOSTED.
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CHAPTER:- [127 - FIRST DUEL] IS AVAILABLE ON MY P@TREON