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*****
"But that kid has no mana. The Magic Knights have always prioritized magical power and spells above all else."
Before Yami could respond, Finral, standing beside him, voiced his own opinion. Given his perspective, he couldn't see that the short boy was utilizing Anti-Magic; he assumed the boy had simply defeated his opponent through raw physical strength honed by intense training.
But the physical body has its limits. No matter how strong one becomes, they are merely a powerful warrior. Such a person could join the regular army, but they weren't suited for the Magic Knights. Without mana, you can't cast spells—and if you can't cast spells, how can you become a powerful mage?
"I'm actually quite interested in the kid. Let's watch a bit longer," Yami said, stubbing out his cigarette. "If he truly has that kind of perseverance, he's worth considering."
A person without mana likely faced a lifetime of discrimination. To endure that much prejudice without turning to darkness—while maintaining such a positive attitude and a steadfast belief that he could become the Wizard King—was something Yami respected. He had a soft spot for that kind of "idiot."
As for Finral's concerns, other Captains might care, but Yami never did. If he cared about norms, he wouldn't have recruited so many misfits in the first place. Not a single member of his squad would likely be accepted by any other Captain.
"It seems I won't need to use any psychological suggestion after all," George noted, seeing Yami's attitude. He knew the matter was largely settled.
"Next, Number 165!"
Hearing his number, the short youth stepped out from the crowd. The outcome, however, seemed obvious: not a single Captain raised their hand to claim him. The other eight Captains shared Finral's sentiment. A mage without mana, even one who defeated a decent candidate, had a limited ceiling. He simply didn't meet the standards of the Magic Knights.
"Alright, alright, get down from there! Stop making a scene, it's our turn now!"
The boy, unchosen, was clearly devastated, but he didn't surrender to despair. Instead, he let out a defiant roar:
"I won't give up! Even if I wasn't chosen, I'll keep going. I'm going to become the Wizard King!"
"Become the Wizard King? You mean to say that you, a kid with no magic, are going to surpass the nine of us to become the Wizard King?"
Yami leapt down from the high platform, releasing a terrifying burst of mana that made every candidate in the arena tremble. He stood directly in front of the boy, looming over him.
Feeling Yami's overwhelming pressure, the boy didn't back down. Struggling to overcome his fear, he gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. "No matter how much people laugh at me, no matter what anyone says, one day I'm going to become the Wizard King and show you all!"
"Hahaha! Good! You're an interesting brat. Join my squad!"
Yami retracted his mana and slapped the boy on the shoulder. "But if you dare to refuse, I'll kill you."
"..."
The boy stood there, stunned, while the surrounding candidates wore expressions of utter disbelief. On the observation deck, the other eight Captains shook their heads in unison.
"That Yami... he's gone and picked up another useless piece of junk," Jack the Ripper sneered.
George, overhearing this, smirked. "The candidate you picked was just one-shotted by the 'junk' our Captain chose. Doesn't that make your pick the junk of all junk? If you have an eye for that kind of trash, maybe your judgment is the one we should be questioning."
Truthfully, George suspected this boy, Asta, might be the protagonist of this world. That hot-blooded personality, the lack of mana resulting in widespread discrimination, and a grimoire hiding a literal demon—it suggested extraordinary potential. Add a persistent, unshakable dream, and he fit the mold of protagonists like Natsu, Touma, or Luffy.
"George!"
Hearing George talk back to Jack the Ripper, Finral's legs shook with terror. He quickly pulled George back and offered a fawning smile to Jack. "Captain Jack, please, he's new to the squad and doesn't know the rules. Don't take it to heart."
Jack was famous for his foul temper; he had once sliced a mountain apart in a fit of rage. His strength was on par with Yami's. If truly provoked, he might just slice someone in half on the spot.
"Hmph!"
Jack narrowed his eyes and flicked his finger, sending a streak of green light flying. He wasn't going to commit murder, but he felt the need to teach the brat a lesson. The light wasn't meant to kill; it was aimed to shear off the boy's hair as a minor humiliation.
However, a moment later, Jack's expression froze. The green light vanished into thin air the second it touched George's hair.
"Interesting..."
Seeing his attack fail, Jack didn't lose his cool or escalate. He had enough dignity to leave it at that. George didn't press the issue either; he had only spoken up because Jack's "junk" comment had technically included him as well. He wasn't so extreme as to want Jack dead over a single remark. Of course, if Jack had continued the assault, George wouldn't have been polite.
With his current body's mana, it would be difficult to handle Jack using standard magic. However, George could always utilize his Authorities—a single "Fooling" would be enough to turn the Captain into an imbecile.
After Yami returned to the stands, the selection continued. Several talented candidates were picked up by the other eight squads. None were commoners; they were all nobles.
"Number 512, no hands raised. The Magic Knights Entrance Exam is officially over!"
As the result for the final candidate was announced and the sun began to set, the annual exam concluded. Those who didn't pass would have to try again next year—or abandon their dreams to become farmers, merchants, or ordinary nobles.
"My name is Asta! I'm from Hage Village in the Forsaken Realm. Please take care of me!"
Outside the venue, Asta excitedly introduced himself to George and the others.
"Hello there, 'The Man Who Would Be the Wizard King,'" George greeted him with a playful wink. Asta's constant declarations reminded him of Luffy. One wanted to be the King of the Pirates; the other wanted to be the King of Wizards.
"By the way," George added, "the Wizard King is a man. If you want to be 'The Wizard King's Man,' you might want to check if he's into that first."
"Hahaha! You brat, don't make jokes about the Wizard King!" Yami roared with laughter. He decided he had to tell that joke to the Wizard King next time they met.
"It's lucky you're with us," Finral muttered, his face turning purple from trying to stifle his laughter. He didn't dare laugh out loud like Yami, marveling at George's audacity. "Any other Captain would have executed you."
"They say the Wizard King is still single, so who knows? You might have a shot, Asta," George said, patting the boy's shoulder and ignoring Yami's mock warning.
Asta looked completely baffled, having no idea what George was implying. Finral, however, finally lost his composure at the last comment and burst out laughing.
"Brat, I'll remember you!"
Not far away, the actual Wizard King—disguised as an old woman using transformation magic—twitched his lips. How could he miss such a lively event as the Magic Knights exam? He might even see some interesting new magic. He had snuck away from his secretary, leaving behind a mountain of paperwork, just to watch.
Indeed, two people had caught his interest: Yuno, with his four-leaf clover grimoire, and Asta, with his anti-magic weapon. Even as the Wizard King, it was his first time seeing the rare five-leaf clover grimoire.
He hadn't expected to hear someone joking about his love life. He remained single only because of his dream: a Clover Kingdom where social classes no longer existed and everyone was born equal. He dreamed of a day when nobles and commoners could sit at the same pub table discussing magic over drinks. He dreamed that these examinees wouldn't be judged by their place of birth.
Through his efforts, the kingdom had changed. The exams were fairer now, and Captains weren't exclusively nobles anymore. There was Yami from a foreign land, Jack the commoner, Dorothy from the Witches' Forest, and Gulder the merchant. Nearly half the Captains were non-nobles. Under his influence, the stigma against commoners had lessened, but the deep-seated prejudices of the nobility remained a long-term challenge.
"So that's the Wizard King," George thought, glancing at the "old woman" with a slight smile. Despite the disguise, George could sense a mana pool far exceeding that of the nine Captains. He had also seen through the transformation. Since he didn't know the King's face, he had tossed out the joke as a test. The old woman's emotional reaction confirmed his suspicion.
"Time Magic, then." From the fluctuations in the mana, George deduced the Wizard King's primary attribute.
"Ah! I've got to go! Bathroom emergency!" Asta suddenly shouted, clutching his stomach and sprinting toward the latrines just as Finral was about to open a portal.
"Captain, he definitely shares your style," George teased.
Yami shrugged it off, turning his attention to the Captain of the Golden Dawn approaching them. "Wait for the kid here. I'm going to go have a word with an old friend."
He and William Vangeance had been in the same squad under the Wizard King; they were close comrades and fierce rivals.
Three people approached from the Golden Dawn: Captain William Vangeance, Vice-Captain Langris Vaude, and the new recruit, Yuno Grinberryall. They had come so Yuno could say goodbye to Asta. Both were orphans from Hage Village, best friends, and ultimate rivals. They shared the same dream, though one was now in the top-ranked squad while the other was in the bottom-ranked Black Bulls.
As Yami and William reminisced, Langris walked over with an arrogant air, looking at Finral with pure disdain. "I heard they call you the 'Black Bulls' Porter.' You haven't completed a single combat mission yet. You're an absolute disgrace to our family name."
"I just don't like hurting people or being hurt," Finral replied with a gentle smile. "Besides, I never really had much talent."
Finral wasn't angry at his brother's insults. Compared to his genius younger brother, he felt like a failure who couldn't adapt to their family's survival-of-the-fittest rules. He was content to let Langris lead the family.
Langris's expression stiffened at Finral's smile before he turned away with a cold snort. He couldn't understand why his "useless" brother was so kind to everyone, even after a lifetime of rejection from their parents. Deep down, Langris knew his parents' love was conditional on his magic. If he lacked talent, he might be worse off than his brother, who at least had friends and the affection of the family servants. He felt he had to keep getting stronger so that Finral could never catch up—because if the "failure" ever surpassed him, everything Langris had would vanish.
"What a twisted case of sibling rivalry," George thought, piecing together the psychology from their expressions and Finral's past stories.
"You know, Finral, your spatial magic isn't just for transport. With a little creativity, your power wouldn't be inferior to your brother's."
"George, you're joking! How could I ever compare to him?" Finral waved his hands dismissively.
George smiled. "Your mana control is excellent, and you can teleport to any place you've seen. Think about it:
First, when an enemy attacks with magic, you can open a portal to redirect that attack right back at their own head.
Second, if they try close-quarters combat, you can instantly warp them away—into a volcano, off a cliff, or high into the sky. If there are multiple enemies, you can warp one person's strike to hit their ally.
Third, you could open a portal high above an enemy and drop heavy boulders through it. Gravity and acceleration would do the work for you. You could even warp a dangerous magical beast's nest right into their lap.
And if your control becomes precise enough, you could use the closing of a portal to literally shear through space, cutting an opponent in half."
(End of Chapter)