On the day of the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony, the Grimoire Tower was bustling with people.
"Wow! So many people!" Asta's characteristic loud voice pierced through the crowd, making Ryoma's ears buzz.
He had been yelling since before dawn, clamoring about wanting to become the Wizard King, full of boundless energy.
"After all, it's an annual grand event." Yuno's voice was as calm as ever.
But in his golden eyes, as he looked at the tall tower, an undisguised confidence burned.
Ryoma looked up at the ancient stone tower. It looked ancient and enormous, its body covered with the marks of time, witnessing the birth of generations of mages.
He could feel a peculiar magical power fluctuation within it, as if the entire tower was a giant magical power container.
Many people had already gathered around the tower, most of them teenagers around Asta's and Yuno's age, along with their accompanying family members.
Every face was filled with nervousness, excitement, and anticipation for the future.
"I'm looking forward to this big show today." Ryoma said, a faint smile present on his lips.
Asta and Yuno, one a destined tragic opening, the other a chosen spectacular debut, were both excellent appetizers prepared for him.
Entering the tower, the space was much wider than imagined.
From the walls all the way to the dome, there were densely packed bookshelves, filled with countless grimoires.
Nearly a hundred teenagers, all fifteen years old, gathered in the center, their faces filled with tension and excitement, while their families stood around the periphery.
"Silence!"
A white-haired elder in a magic robe slowly descended from above, his voice old yet resonant, instantly quieting all the noise.
He was the Master of the Grimoire Tower in Hage, an important figure responsible for presiding over the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony.
"Everyone, welcome to the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony!"
His voice, old and resonant, echoed throughout the entire tower.
"May you, who are about to embark on a new journey, be filled with honesty, hope, and love!"
Drouot, who had stopped on the high platform, took two more steps forward.
"I am the Master of this Grimoire Tower. Here, not to mention a Wizard King, we don't even have anyone who has achieved merits after joining a Magic Knight Squad."
"I hope that one day, one of you will become the Wizard King."
As soon as his words fell, his expression immediately changed, showing a strange look as he emphasized loudly, "Seriously, I beg you!"
Ryoma found this scene quite interesting. Was he getting a commission? Or a promotion?
"Ahem!"
Drouot cleared his throat, his expression returning to solemnity.
"Now, let the Grimoires be granted!"
As his words fell, the entire Grimoire Tower instantly burst into brilliant light.
Buzz—
The dormant bookshelves erupted with dazzling light, and Grimoires broke free, one after another, floating into the air.
The Grimoires, as if alive, simultaneously emitted various colored lights and began to dance slowly in the air.
Ryoma watched this magnificent scene before him, his heart involuntarily quickening its beat.
Even though he had known this scene would happen, experiencing it firsthand was a different feeling.
Soon, the Grimoires began to fly towards their respective owners.
"Look! It's mine!"
A boy shouted excitedly, as a Grimoire emitting green light steadily landed in his hand.
"I got one too!"
"Great! My Grimoire is even bigger."
One by one, Grimoires found their homes, and the cheers of the boys and girls rose and fell, their joy quickly infecting the entire tower.
Time passed minute by minute, and most people in the tower had already received their Grimoires.
Only two spots remained empty.
Ryoma stood still, his expression calm, like an outsider watching a play. He even wondered if he would actually receive a Grimoire.
Meanwhile, Asta's expression had changed from anticipation to anxiety. He kept turning his head, searching fruitlessly in the air, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Nervous sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Uh... the Grimoire hasn't come to me yet!"
Asta finally couldn't hold back and shouted with his characteristic loud voice.
This shout instantly caused the entire hall to erupt.
All eyes focused on him in unison.
At first there were whispers, which soon turned into undisguised sneers.
"What's wrong with that guy?"
"This is too funny."
A nobleman-dressed teenager even mocked him without reservation, "Laughable, this is even more impressive than getting some rare Grimoire, hahahaha!"
The mockery and snickering stung Asta like needles, making him genuinely embarrassed.
"How pitiful."
He muttered softly, but his voice held no sympathy, instead carrying a hint of playful amusement, "However, your task is complete."
Just then, a dazzling golden light erupted without warning. The source of the light was Yuno, standing beside Asta.
Everyone's laughter stopped abruptly, all drawn to that sacred golden light.
A thick grimoire, radiating a golden glow like the sun, was quietly suspended in front of Yuno. Most striking was the four-leaf clover pattern on its cover.
"A four... four-leaf clover!"
Drouot exclaimed in disbelief, "The four-leaf clover Grimoire of legend, said to be owned by the first Wizard King, housing good luck."
The entire hall fell silent.
Then, a tumultuous roar erupted like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.
Envy, jealousy, awe, fanaticism...
All eyes converged on Yuno. He became the sole center of the world at that moment.
Under the gaze of all, the four-leaf clover Grimoire gently landed in Yuno's outstretched hand.
Yuno calmly took the Grimoire, his gaze sweeping across the hall, and announced in a clear and firm voice, "I will become the Wizard King."
The hall erupted in even more thunderous cheers and exclamations.
The four-leaf clover Grimoire was a legendary existence. Without a doubt, from this day forward, the name Yuno would resonate throughout the Clover Kingdom.
Asta was completely engulfed by this immense wave of sound, his entire body seemingly drained of its soul, standing dazed on the spot.
Ryoma patted Asta's shoulder, saying nothing. Some words were useless now.
The ceremony seemed to have concluded and Drouot was about to announce the end of the ceremony.
However, just when everyone thought everything would come to an end, another anomaly occurred.
Buzz!
A peculiar hum echoed out of thin air in the center of the tower.
The sound was not loud, but it clearly pierced everyone's ears, instantly quieting the noisy tower once more.
"Another grimoire?"
Drouot showed a surprised expression.
Under everyone's gaze, a silver-white light appeared out of thin air in the center of the tower without warning.
Within the light, a Grimoire, entirely silver-white, its cover devoid of any clover pattern but instead covered with complex runes that no one could decipher, slowly emerged from the void.
"This is... what kind of Grimoire?"
"It actually doesn't have a clover pattern?"
"Those runes... just looking at them makes me dizzy."
It quietly floated in the air, and in the restless crowd, Ryoma's body trembled slightly. He felt a strange power calling to him, and he subconsciously took a step forward.