"Thank you all for coming today!" Julius said with smile.
"Wizard King!!" the crowd roared.
Julius Novachrono stood on the city wall. The moment the people below saw him, a thunderous cheer erupted.
Julius Novachrono said, "I will now announce the ranking of this year's Magic Knight squads!"
A member of the crowd whispered, "The Wizard King is announcing it himself?"
The crowd's excitement reached a fever pitch. To them, it was a great honor to have the pillar of the Clover Kingdom preside over the ceremony.
Julius continued, "The King will appear after the announcement, so stay tuned!"
The crowd shouted in unison, "Wizard King!"
The cheers continued nonstop. For the people of the Clover Kingdom, there was only one true figure they trusted—the Wizard King who protected them.
Some didn't even know the name of the current king. After all, there were too many royal family members to care about a figurehead.
The will of the people!
"As expected of the Wizard King. He's really loved by everyone," Adam muttered.
Watching Asta practically bouncing with excitement, Adam's mouth twitched slightly. The man's charisma and persuasive power were unmatched in the entire kingdom.
"As expected, people yearn for strength. Absolute power is everything in the magic world."
Adam sighed softly.
"Now, let us welcome the pride of our nation—the captains of the nine Magic Knight squads!"
The Wizard King spoke at length about how, even though the Clover Kingdom had been through a period of crisis, he decided not to cancel the Star Festival.
Instead, he would use this special moment to reward the warriors who fought bravely to protect the kingdom.
"Mereoleona… we meet again."
The moment the seven captains stepped onto the stage and Julius put on a solemn expression, Adam's face curled into a strange grin.
The new captain of the Crimson Lion Kings—Mereoleona Vermillion.
On stage, Mereoleona suddenly shuddered, a cold chill running down her spine.
Someone was staring at her. And it wasn't in a good way.
"Trouble's already starting," Yami muttered, exhaling smoke.
"That trouble is you," Finral shot back, stunned by Yami's shamelessness.
"Let's keep the momentum going and move on to the ranking announcement!" Julius said with a slightly helpless smile.
"The champion of this year's Magic Knights is—Golden Dawn! With an astonishing 125 stars!"
"That's insane!"
"Unstoppable!"
"Captain William is so handsome!"
The crowd cheered wildly. Golden Dawn was the most prestigious squad, loved by nobles and commoners alike.
"Let's go meet Mereoleona after the ceremony," Adam muttered.
He honestly didn't care much about the rankings. The Black Bulls were always last… though their number of Black Stars usually offset everything.
He just wanted to eat something. He'd been running around all afternoon—collecting materials, eliminating pests, helping villagers. Not even a moment to pamper his precious body.
"Captain, I'll retreat first—"
"The runner-up is… Black Bull!"
"Ah?!"
The entire commendation ceremony fell silent. Even the Bulls themselves were stunned.
Nozel Silva's expression was priceless. He'd assumed that with Fuegoleon out of commission, his Silver Eagles squad would take second place like every year. But out of nowhere, the Black Bulls had shot to the top.
Nobody expected the Black Bulls to be the dark horse.
"Captain Yami… I'm genuinely moved to tears," Adam said, giving Yami a weird look. He could already imagine how much political weight Yami must've thrown around to get this many stars.
"Kid, wipe that creepy look off your face. Black Stars don't even count…" Yami muttered.
"The Black Bulls earned 102 stars!" the Wizard King declared loudly.
Adam's face froze. "…I wronged him. Julius really is fair after all."
Murmurs broke out in the crowd.
"How could those guys get second place?"
"They must've threatened someone!"
"It's gotta be cheating!"
The prejudice against the Black Bulls ran deep.
Adam listened to their accusations, and his expression slowly darkened.
…He was a Black Bull too.
"For us, the Black Bulls fought a desperate battle against the Eye of the Midnight Sun!"
"They saved us!"
Kahono, Rebecca, and others shouted from the crowd, slowly changing public opinion.
"Idiots…" Adam clenched his jaw.
He'd worked his ass off on his day off exterminating pests, and this was the thanks he got?
"Shut up."
A wave of terrifying magic power exploded outward, sweeping across the entire square. Everyone felt as if a dragon was looming over them, crushing them beneath its presence.
"It's that devil!" Mereoleona muttered.
Even civilians knew the name Adam. Something big was happening.
They forced themselves to look at him out of the corners of their eyes… and then immediately lowered their heads, terrified.
Even Julius stayed silent. If the Wizard King didn't interfere, no one else dared to move.
The other captains on stage weren't surprised either. As long as Adam didn't go completely berserk, none of them would pick a fight with a maniac.
"That's enough, Adam. You're only making the misunderstanding worse," Julius's voice echoed directly in Adam's mind.
"Afraid?" Adam shot back. His gaze locked on Julius, and the air grew tense.
Xiaolan, the little spirit, floated out of the grimoire and hovered above him, turning Adam's oppressive aura into something demonic.
"Adam, stop. We'll prove ourselves with strength," Asta pleaded quickly.
"Adam!" Yami barked.
Yuno stood on stage, fists clenched. Was Adam… about to rebel? He wasn't ready for that—not with captains and the Wizard King all present.
"Haha, I am proving it with my strength."
Adam gently patted Xiaolan's head. Instantly, the pressure lifted, and everyone let out a collective breath.
"I possess more magic than any royal. That's your proof."
So arrogant.
Some clueless onlookers stayed silent. But those who knew better were quick to cheer.
"The Black Bulls deserve their place!"
"Lord Adam is so handsome!"
"Amazing!"
The Black Bulls awkwardly looked away, embarrassed by the sudden flattery.
Others joined in the bandwagon without even knowing why.
"That's right!"
Adam nodded in satisfaction. Asta beamed. He hadn't expected their squad to be this popular.
Finral was already hiding behind someone, and Yami just sighed. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
"Adam!"
On stage, Mereoleona Vermillion was sweating. She'd actually forgotten Adam was a member of the Black Bulls.
Ever since she took over the Crimson Lions, she'd been swamped with responsibilities.
She'd completely blanked on this bastard.
Adam's eyes locked on her. He casually turned the ring on his finger with a smirk.
"Damn it…" Mereoleona's heart skipped. She instinctively hid her right hand behind her back.
Shameless.
"Let's talk after the ceremony," her voice echoed in Adam's mind through the telepathic connection of the matching rings.
When dragon and phoenix meet, their bond activates—though last time, it hadn't had the chance to.
"Wash up well…"
"Get lost!" Mereoleona snapped back mentally.
"I meant a date," Adam teased.
"…" Mereoleona.