"No, I'm not the type to meddle in other people's business."
Bai En said, turning to leave. There would be battle after battle in the Royal Knights Squad selection… and possibly even a tough fight. He didn't intend to waste his stamina here.
But after only a few steps, a hand skillfully rested on his shoulder.
Bai En raised an eyebrow and looked sideways… It was still that red-haired weirdo. He knew this guy's identity very well — Zora Ideale.
A guy who often punished Magic Knights who committed evil in the name of justice, stood up for commoners and peasants, and aspired to become a Super Mage.
Overall, he was a good person.
Zora said sheepishly, "Since you're not going to meddle, I suppose you wouldn't mind if I borrowed the identity of Zax Lyugner, the Saint of Beautiful Ice, right?"
"Aren't you Zax Lyugner?"
"...Haha, so that's how it is."
Zora laughed, extending his hand towards Bai En: "Then I hope we can keep to ourselves from now on. Please take care of me."
"Oh, please take care of me."
Noticing the strangeness in Zora's hand, Bai En thought for a moment and still chose to shake his hand.
The brief handshake ended.
Zora walked forward without looking back, his teasing voice ringing out: "Nice to meet you. Enjoy the welcoming gift I gave you. It's the Clover Kingdom's stinkiest bug, the Rainbow Fart Beetle!"
"The smell is quite pungent. Don't get knocked out on the spot… hehe…"
As he spoke, he suddenly noticed a seven-colored gas lingering at his nose, and the pungent smell of a dry toilet mixed with stale food instantly bloomed.
"How disgusting!"
Zora looked down to see the ladybug, with its flapping wings and multi-colored spots on its body, perched on his collar. This was undoubtedly the Rainbow Fart Beetle he had secretly placed in the hand of the Aqua Deer Squad Magic Knight during their handshake.
"When did he put it back? I didn't notice at all."
He turned to look behind him, only to find that Bai En, who had just been standing there, had already disappeared. The empty street was deserted.
Zora put away the Rainbow Fart Beetle from his collar, gazed at the magnificent arena in the distance, and a slight smile played on his lips: "It seems… there are some formidable guys here, worth my effort!"
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Inside the wide, circular arena, the morning sun cast shadows through the hollowing out architecture.
With only five minutes left until the designated gathering time, the arena was already filled with Mages who had signed up from various Magic Knights to participate in the Royal Selection.
The leading figures for the opening ceremony had not yet appeared, but logically, they would make their entrance at the last minute of the gathering time, as aces always make their grand appearance at crucial moments.
The Mages gathered in the arena chatted casually.
"Wahahaha! Royal Knights Squad selection! I don't know what the selection method will be, but it's really exciting!"
"It's time to show my true strength!" The uncle wearing the Purple Orca cape laughed excitedly, unleashing his magic. His bright magic was like a shimmering, dazzling piece of gold.
"Um…" The golden-haired girl beside him gently patted his shoulder, "If you release magic so recklessly, it will bother the people around you."
"Could you please calm down a bit?"
"Ah ~ Sorry…" The uncle from the Purple Orca Squad turned to the girl behind him and apologized.
The girl maintained a ladylike smile. She wore a Golden Dawn cape and a red cloak, with knee-high brown boots and exposed fair legs, making her appear tall and extremely charming.
She was Mimosa, one of the members who had previously explored the Magic Palace with Bai En.
Not far away, Klaus, as a senior, adjusted his glasses and kindly reminded her: "Mimosa, the selection is about to begin. Don't cause unnecessary disputes."
As the number one ranked Magic Knights, the Golden Dawn attracted the attention of the surrounding Mages, and murmurs of conversation subtly rose.
"That seems to be Mimosa Vermillion. She's an expert in recovery magic and support-type magic, but it's said she's recently learned offensive magic too."
"Truly worthy of royalty."
"Oh, that's Klaus Lunette… I heard he's been working very hard these past few months. His steel magic is very difficult to break through."
"The one next to him is Yuno, the number one rookie of this year, the Wind Spirit User… My, my ~ there are so many strong people! It seems many from the Golden Dawn will pass the selection!"
The short, spiky-haired boy suddenly ran over and greeted the Golden Dawn members: "Klaus! Mimosa! Long time no see!"
"Long time no see, Black Bulls Squad kid."
During the last Magic Knight Star Ceremony, Asta jumping onto the table and shouting that he wanted to become the Wizard King left a deep impression on Klaus and Mimosa.
Although he always loudly proclaimed unrealistic dreams, he could stand up to protect his companions… and despite having no magic, he could ensure that the Silver Eagles and his own squad's seniors gained no advantage.
He was a good, hot-blooded kid.
After a simple greeting, Asta looked at Yuno, who was standing coldly to the side: "Oh! Yuno! So comfortable soaking in the hot springs last time, and we tied in the volcano climbing competition. Today, I'll definitely defeat you in one go!"
"...Asta, so you don't cry, have you properly rehearsed imagining what it would be like to be eliminated?"
"Huh? What are you talking about, you guy?" Asta angrily fired questions at Yuno, but after a moment, his eyes sharpened, and a smile appeared on his lips: "...Hehe, you look quite eager, Yuno."
"You too, Asta ~"
Flashes of electricity and flames seemed to flicker in their eyes. After a brief clash, Asta suddenly turned his head to look around: "By the way, where's Bai En? I haven't seen him much lately."
"Could it be because he's sad about the Star Festival? Is he not even participating in the Royal Knights Squad selection this time?"
He stroked his chin in thought: "It's just that I surpassed him, there's nothing to be ashamed of, right? After all, I'm going to be the Wizard King."
"Ah ah ah ~ Beautiful lady, would you do me the honor of having dinner together after the Royal Selection?" Gosen, wearing an Aqua Deer cape and a new hairstyle, suddenly ran over with a large bouquet of flowers, inviting Mimosa on a date.
"Our brief meeting in the Magic Palace left a deep impression on me, young lady."
"You are… from the Aqua Deer Squad?" Mimosa, facing this enthusiastic guy, slightly retreated two steps. Although she maintained a smile, her words were somewhat cold: "I'm sorry, we're not very close, and… I don't particularly like peacocks that display their feathers so casually."
"..." Gosen froze in place: "Why is it a peacock again?!"
"Bai En!"
He shouted as he walked towards the edge of the crowd, "It's all your fault for that stupid nickname. Now even the royal lady knows it! If I can't find a date, you damn guy will be fully responsible!"
A cold reply softly came: "Don't you think the description is quite apt?"
"..."
"Hey, those guys are from the Aqua Deer Squad, right? It seems quite a few of them came too ~" Murmurs rose again from the crowd.
"That's true, they are indeed quite strange this year. They used to always be in the bottom six or seven, but this year they've changed their ways. If it weren't for the Black Bulls Squad, they might have been the biggest dark horse."
"Heh heh, you still don't know, do you?" Someone whispered, feigning mystery.
"Today's strongest rookies aren't just those two guys from the Golden Dawn and the Black Bulls Squad… The Aqua Deer Squad also has a super powerful rookie. Although he didn't make it to the main stage of the Star Festival because his Order of Knights ranked third, if you compare them properly, this guy is probably even stronger, right?"
He paused, "You should know that the vice-captain of the Aqua Deer Squad has changed, right?"
Many in the crowd nodded. They had heard about this more or less, but since it wasn't an internal matter of their own squad, they didn't know who the specific person was who became the vice-captain of the Aqua Deer Squad.
"Could it be?!"
"That's right, the current vice-captain of the Aqua Deer Squad is a rookie who just joined the Magic Knights last year, at only 16 years old. And… once, when I was handing over a mission, I overheard the Wizard King's Imperial Knight talking about the reason he became the new vice-captain."
"One was the recommendation of the previous vice-captain of the Aqua Deer Squad, and the other was…" His voice grew louder: "During a certain mission, he led his squad members to successfully subjugate a demon god!"