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Most people in the world have dreams.
Some want to earn a lot of money to provide a comfortable life for themselves and their families; some strive to become stronger to protect those they care about... Nois also had a dream, just like Asta and Yuno from Hage Village: to join the Magic Knights and become the Wizard King.
The Wizard King was the hero in storybooks who defeated the Demon God and saved the world, a figure his mother spoke of every night to lull him to sleep... Over time, naturally, when asked what his dream was as a child, the Wizard King became the hope in his heart, and the answer that tumbled out.
It was like... 'When I grow up, I want to be a scientist.'
Time is a cold thing; it can almost erase all the sharp edges of the world, including that thing called a dream.
Children, as they grow up, come to feel the disparities between people and understand the difficulty of accomplishing certain things. This leads to those who once wanted to become the Wizard King no longer pursuing that dream, nor even speaking of it.
However, there are always some who are unconventional among the crowd.
For example: Yuno, Asta... or Nois... Nois was relatively ordinary; compared to Yuno, he didn't have such strong magic, and compared to the magic-less Asta, he was a normal guy.
But did you know?
In fact, mediocrity and ordinariness are the worst things in the world.
Unable to soar freely in the sky like the outstanding, yet unwilling to sink into the earth like a good-for-nothing; possessing the ambition to gaze at the blue sky, but lacking the body and talent to carry that ambition, one can only drift up and down in the world, going with the flow.
It's like the old saying: some exhaust themselves but cannot stir up a storm, while others, with a single thought, turn the world upside down... When children of Nois's age in Mohat Town stopped talking about the dream of being the Wizard King, Nois, pursuing his dream alone, seemed very lonely.
But for that dream, that ambition, he practiced magic tirelessly, from spring to winter, and from winter to spring, in an endless cycle.
At 15, after receiving his grimoire at the grimoire Tower, most children his age in town chose to inherit their family businesses, following their fathers and mothers to the mines to dig ore, starting to support their families. Nois, however, trained himself even more diligently.
His behavior, out of step with the crowd, naturally drew criticism and mockery.
"Nois, you haven't given up yet? For commoners like us, living on the border of the Common Realm with magic power no different from the Hui Wai Realm's lower class, isn't it better to face reality sooner? The Magic Knights is only for royalty and nobles... let alone the ethereal fantasy of the Wizard King."
"There's nothing wrong with going to the mines to dig ore like us. You can support yourself and your family, and make your parents' lives a little easier."
"I always feel like I have to try it to know, right? Whether I can do it or not." Nois would always look up at the clear blue sky as he answered those critical words.
His efforts earned his father's praise, and his father even made time to offer Nois some magical advice and guidance.
From the days when fireflies and dandelion fluff danced to September when yellow flowers bloomed in the mountains, Nois, with his parents' expectations and his own dream, traveled to the Royal Capital to participate in the Magic Knights selection exam.
The grandeur of the Royal Capital did not disturb Nois's resolve; instead, it further solidified his expectation of joining the Magic Knights.
During the Magic Knights selection exam, Nois tried his best to perform. Although he wasn't exceptionally outstanding, he wasn't terrible either. In the first round of the practical exam, a guy from an even more remote place than him, who had performed very poorly in previous assessments, actually defeated his opponent with a single strike of a large sword.
Afterward, his boisterous declaration of wanting to become the Wizard King made Nois feel as if he had met a kindred spirit.
'If he can defeat his opponent and move towards the dream of becoming the Wizard King, then I can definitely do it!'
Nois was full of enthusiasm, believing he would surely stand out in the upcoming practical exams. His opponent also came from the Common Realm. After the battle began, he suddenly realized he had miscalculated something.
Anyone confident enough to come here and participate in the Magic Knights selection exam was either royalty, nobility, or an outstanding individual from a village or town.
His opponent's spell-chaining speed and magic power were significantly stronger than his. In a pressure-filled duel, Nois lost the exam.
During the Magic Knights Squad Captain selection process near dusk, only that boisterous guy who wanted to become the Wizard King, who had performed exceptionally well in the practical exam, was chosen by the Black Bulls. Many members who failed the practical exam were still chosen by the Magic Knights.
This sparked a glimmer of hope in him. Perhaps... there was still a chance.
But reality is always cruel. When it was his turn, not a single Squad Captain raised a hand to choose him. In fact... even the guy who had defeated Nois in the practical exam failed to be selected.
The twilight glow of dusk was like a tragic flashback.
'I've been working hard for this exam since I was a child, and I trained diligently after getting my grimoire. I finally made it to the Royal Capital for the exam, but I failed. Is it... really over here?'
The guy who defeated Nois but wasn't selected complained nearby: "Sure enough, even the Magic Knights Squad Captains still prioritize talent? Even if I performed well in every assessment, I still wasn't chosen in the end... The results achieved with all my might can't overcome the innate talent of royalty and nobles."
"How can we choose something that's decided from birth! Damn it!"
The vast majority of nobles and royalty who participated in the Magic Knights selection exam were chosen, but commoners and lower-class individuals whose performances were comparable to theirs were all rejected. Amidst the rising questions from the crowd, the Squad Captains gave their answer—"potential."
Under similar performance conditions, nobles and royalty had more magic power and superior magic perception. Commoners relied on "techniques" learned through hard work, which they could compensate for later through effort.
In the sunset's glow, the rejected Nois fell into confusion. He didn't know what he should do, but when he saw that black figure being chased wildly by an Anzhi Bird after the exam... "Even if it doesn't work this time, I'll come again next time. If it doesn't work next time, I'll come the time after that. One day, I will become the Wizard King!"
That was that guy's answer.
"That's right, just like that guy said."
Nois took a deep breath and decided to return next year.
Having failed the Magic Knights exam, he did not return to Mohat Town. Instead, he found a job at a restaurant on the border between the Royal Capital and the Common Realm, supporting himself while preparing for the next Magic Knights exam.
After receiving his weekly wages, Nois went to Moli Restaurant to celebrate his initial stability there.
The story that followed is well-known to everyone: Grace, a noble who came to poach a chef, used magic to pin Nois to the wall.
His full resistance was as ridiculous and pathetic as a tiny ant.
Pinned to the wall like a dead dog, powerless, Nois felt despair for the first time. The magic that easily defeated him was of an attribute he was weak against—a gap he could never bridge, no matter how hard he tried.
But what happened next stunned Nois again: Grace, who had easily defeated him, was then defeated by Bai En with a single strike.
Thus, for the first time, he questioned his dream of becoming the Wizard King, 'Can I really do it?'
Facing the morning sun, the injured Nois walked away alone.
When misfortune strikes one person, all troubles rush in at once. Due to his injury, he accidentally spilled food on a noble during work, and what awaited him was merciless scolding and beating.
"Hmph, where did this lowlife come from? Do you know how much yule the clothes I'm wearing are worth?"
"Are you going to fight back? Then come and try... Is that all your magic? Your magic power is truly... pitifully weak. Let me show you where the difference between nobles and commoners truly lies!"
"Try to be reborn into a better family in your next life! Die for me!"
"Simmons, the Magic Knights are here!"
"Hmph, damn it, I'll spare your life this time, you lowlife. Don't let me meet you again..."
The cold rain falling from the dark clouds hit Nois's face. It was on this day that he recognized reality and gave up on the dream of becoming the Wizard King.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
His story did not end there.
Nois, returning to Mohat Town to prepare to inherit the mining tradition, just happened to catch the sudden collapse of the outer mine. Amidst the massive sound of the earth cracking, he ventured deep into the mine to search for his parents and thus encountered—Eye of the Midnight Sun.
He was a man enveloped in light, suspended in the air like a god, with devout subordinates revering him and working for him.
At Nois's request, the man, who appeared like a god, saved his mother, even though she had already lost both her legs. For this, he gladly joined Eye of the Midnight Sun.
During an accidental discovery that Sally was conducting human experiments to enhance magic power, he did not stop her but instead participated, simply because he no longer wanted to feel helpless; he wanted to become stronger!
Surprisingly, while almost all previous human experiments had failed, Sally's modifications to Nois's body succeeded. Thereafter, Sally continuously conducted small experiments on Nois.
Nois's magic power was greatly enhanced.
He found a Magic Knight, defeated him without the help of Eye of the Midnight Sun, and stole the Magic Knights' cloak. He returned to town as a Magic Knight, publicly claiming to care for his injured mother, while secretly coordinating with Eye of the Midnight Sun's actions... "Luring the townspeople one by one here, you truly are cruel, Nois." Ladis couldn't help but mock Nois.
Nois was already indifferent: "This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Hiding in a corner, living a life of poverty and suffering—wouldn't I be providing a release by letting them die sooner?"
"You truly are disgusting, but... I don't dislike it."
"Hey, hey, hey, Nois, isn't that guy the little one who's always playing in town and shouting about wanting to become the Wizard King? You brought him today... Haha, truly deranged!"
"The weak can only suffer humiliation in this world. If he can survive Sally's experiment, he'll be one step closer to his dream."
Ladis spared no effort in taunting Nois: "Do you think everyone is like you, a pervert, who can survive that madwoman's hands? Don't worry, when this guy dies, I'll turn him into a corpse puppet like Jimmy!"
"Hurry up, the Magic Knights are about to find this place."
"What are you afraid of? We'll just take them all out and prepare for the upcoming invasion of the Royal Capital!"
...Nois quietly watched the woman sleeping on the bed. He hesitated, then slowly walked forward, and with a swift, sharp dagger, he slit the woman's throat, so fast that one could barely feel any pain.
"Sometimes I would complain about you and Father, why I was a commoner of mediocre talent, why my talent couldn't be better,"
"Why wasn't I a noble or royalty with strong magic, why couldn't I even take the first step towards my dream..."
"Did you give birth to me just so I could be like you? I hate..."
"But... I don't hate you."
"If I left you alone in this man-eating world like this, you would surely perish on your own, so, I'm sorry, this is the only way... Don't worry, I'll be with you soon..."
...When he injected the medicine Sally gave him and struck down the genius he once could not reach, Nois looked at the disheveled figure in the scorched earth, an infinite emotion welling up in his heart. Could it be that even a genius would have a day when they were defeated by him?
If it were the current me wanting to become the Wizard King, it would surely be within reach, wouldn't it?
"St-stop!"
Nois looked at Walden, who was standing beside him, pointing a stick at him. In his dark eyes, Nois saw his own reflection, looking like a monster.
The cowering figure was trembling, but it showed no sign of backing away.
Watching the little boy cover his stick with his ice magic, Nois remembered that he had taught him that.
He vaguely remembered it was before he went to the Royal Capital to participate in the Magic Knights exam.
"Wow~ Nois, is this your grimoire? So cool~"
"Of course it is~ After all, I'm going to become the Wizard King!"
The little boy shouted: "I want to become the Wizard King too!"
"But, if my magic isn't strong enough, can I still become the Wizard King?"
"Of course, the Wizard King exists to protect others. Even if your magic isn't strong, you can still become the Wizard King! But..." Nois drew out his words, "you still need to be able to use your magic, right? Good~ I'll make time to teach you when I can."
"Really?"
"Mm."
"Protecting others... instead of becoming stronger?" Nois murmured, "Have I been wrong all this time?"
'Little guy, you did pretty well... much stronger than me...'
The heat dissipated, and the wind blew gently. Nois sensed his own state.
This is probably where it ends.
Little guy, I'll give you one last lesson. It's not about teaching you new magic; it's about keeping your original intention, don't be like me.
The fallen body was just a pile of ashes, slowly scattering with the wind... The owner of the ashes had an untold story. In truth, after much effort, failing to achieve one's dreams is often the norm in life...