Lorne and the two others walked out of the Grimoire Tower together.
"Damn it all—!"
Asta raised his hands, letting out a roar with all his might, startling several birds on the plaza.
Loss and unwillingness clashed in his chest, but it only lasted for three seconds.
He suddenly turned around, looked directly at Yuno, and his roar sounded again:
"Yuno! Wait for me, I'll catch up to you right away!"
"I'm your true rival!"
"Even without a grimoire, I will train! Train! And train again! I will absolutely not let you have the position of Magic Emperor!"
His voice echoed and reverberated across the plaza.
Yuno tilted his head and glanced at him, uttering six words.
"That's impossible."
Lorne, meanwhile, leaned against a stone pillar nearby, arms crossed, watching the scene with interest.
This was Asta, a fool who never gave up, and also a fool who could create miracles.
And Yuno, this guy also had a bit of a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
He knew very well what was about to happen.
Rebuchi, the former Magic Knight whose mind was clouded by desire, was probably already lurking in the shadows, like a venomous snake, eyeing the four-leaf grimoire in Yuno's hand.
And that was precisely the beginning of Asta's own opportunity.
Asta's emotions came and went quickly; he nodded heavily.
"I'm going back first! Today's training mission isn't finished yet!"
With that, he ran off towards the forest where he usually trained, without looking back, as if to shake off all his disappointment.
Watching Asta's receding figure, Lorne mused to himself.
With his current strength, dealing with a Rebuchi would be effortless.
Forget Rebuchi, even if individual Magic Knight Squad Captains came, he was confident he could contend with them.
After awakening his second magic source and integrating the magic systems of two worlds, his total mana had reached a terrifying level.
There might still be a gap in skill and experience compared to some Captains, but that didn't prevent him from contending with Captain-level opponents.
However, he couldn't intervene in this matter.
At least not now.
The butterfly effect was terrifying; if he dealt with Rebuchi prematurely, would Asta still be able to burst forth with his potential in despair and obtain the five-leaf grimoire inhabited by a devil?
Lorne dared not gamble.
That was Asta's destiny, the starting point for him to become the protagonist.
As a transmigrator, he could go with the flow, push things along, and change some plots he couldn't stand.
But a crucial node like Asta obtaining his grimoire should not be easily interfered with.
After all, there was no enmity, and their relationship was quite good!
Thinking of this, Lorne turned to Yuno and said:
"I just got my grimoire, I'll also find a place to get familiar with it first."
This reason was logical and reasonable.
Yuno nodded; he could understand that feeling, and he also needed time to adapt and comprehend.
"Alright!"
Yuno said, valuing his words like gold.
Lorne smiled, then turned and walked in the opposite direction from Asta.
He didn't go far, but instead circled around to the side of the Grimoire Tower.
His figure flickered, like a ghost, making several quick movements, and silently climbed to the top of the tower.
The view here was excellent, offering a panoramic view of the entire plaza and the several small paths leading to the village.
He concealed all his mana fluctuations, and the ice element magic within him subtly circulated.
A thin, almost transparent layer of ice crystal covered the surface of his body, refracting light to perfectly blend him with the surrounding environment.
This was an application of ice-water illusion magic, not particularly brilliant, but more than enough to conceal his figure against most people in this world.
"Alright, the best viewing spot is ready."
Lorne sat down cross-legged, watching below at his leisure.
"Rebuchi... Let me see what you, this 'Chain Mad Dog,' are truly capable of."
Just as Lorne expected, Yuno stood in place for a moment before preparing to return to the church.
However, as soon as he stepped down the stairs, he was blocked by two figures in a small alley.
It was the noble youth who had been scared by Lorne earlier in the Grimoire Tower, accompanied by a follower.
At this moment, the fear on the noble youth's face had long been replaced by even stronger jealousy and resentment.
He stared intently at the four-leaf grimoire in Yuno's hand, his greedy gaze seemingly wanting to devour the book whole.
"Stop, you country bumpkin!"
His tone was arrogant, his chin so high he could see the sky.
Yuno stopped, looking at him expressionlessly, without even a hint of extra emotion.
This attitude of disregard completely enraged the noble youth.
"What kind of look is that! A mere commoner actually got a four-leaf grimoire!"
He shrieked, "That crappy book... let me burn that crappy book of yours."
The noble youth directly opened his grimoire, and a surging flame swept towards Yuno.
Yuno merely watched calmly, not even bothering to speak.
He simply raised his hand slightly, not even using his grimoire.
A gust of cyan whirlwind appeared out of thin air, forming a rapidly spinning small tornado that enveloped Yuno.
The surging flames were split to both sides by the whirlwind, completely unable to penetrate the area where Yuno stood.
Seeing Yuno easily block the attack without even using his grimoire, the noble youth quickly wanted his follower to join in.
However, just as the two were about to attack together, a sudden change occurred!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several thick iron chains shot out from the shadows in the corner of the wall like venomous snakes.
The targets of these chains were not just Yuno, but also the two noble youths!
"Pfft!"
The chains precisely wrapped around the two unsuspecting youths, pulling them back violently!
"Ah—!"
Screams of agony rang out; the two were slammed heavily against the wall, spitting blood, and instantly suffered severe injuries.
"If this book were really burned by you, I'd have a headache."
A sinister laugh came from the shadows, and a man wearing a tattered cloak with a hideous scar on his face slowly emerged.
"Hehehehe... Resistance is useless. Creation Magic 'Magic Binding Iron Chain Array' can seal the mana and movement of those captured."
His eyes were murky and greedy, and several chains encircled his body.
"Not long ago in the Magic Knight Squad, 'Rebuchi of Chain Magic' was still somewhat famous."
Rebuchi grinned.
His gaze fell upon the four-leaf grimoire in Yuno's hand, his greed no longer concealable:
"That's right, this is it! The legendary four-leaf grimoire! It's mine now."
A chain, like a nimble snake emerging from its hole, precisely coiled around the four-leaf grimoire in Yuno's hand and yanked it violently!
The grimoire flew out of his grasp and landed in Rebuchi's hand.
Yuno, bound by several chains, calmly looked at Rebuchi and spoke:
"Even if you snatch that grimoire, it's meaningless. Only those who can use magic..."
Rebuchi caressed the grimoire's cover, a sickly smile on his face.
"Only those chosen by the book can use a grimoire, but a four-leaf grimoire can fetch sky-high prices among black market collectors."
"If you must blame something, blame your good luck. But then again, the feng shui of this place today is truly excellent."
He changed the subject, his sinister gaze sweeping around, seemingly searching for something.
"Originally, I planned to catch both you and that kid with the silver-white grimoire. That strange grimoire without even leaves, it's clearly not an ordinary item, and might even be more valuable than this four-leaf one! If I sell both at once, the price will definitely multiply several times!"
Rebuchi licked his chapped lips, saying with some regret:
"Too bad, he got away. But it doesn't matter, after I deal with you, the chosen one, it won't be too late to slowly look for him!"
From the top of the tower, Lorne took everything in, his expression unchanged.
He looked at Yuno, trapped by chains and despairing after losing his grimoire, then glanced at the small path leading to the village.
"The groundwork is pretty much laid."
Lorne murmured to himself.
"Asta... it's time for you, the true 'protagonist,' to make your entrance."
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