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*****
"It... it can actually be done like that?"
Finral stood there, utterly dazed, as George rattled off one practical combat application after another for his Spatial Portals. He had always viewed his magic as a simple means of transportation—a pure utility spell. He never imagined it had so many offensive and strategic branches.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible they seemed. If he hadn't known George specialized in recovery magic, he would have suspected the boy was a secret scion of his own family, given his profound insight into spatial mechanics.
"You know me, I just like researching all kinds of magic," George explained with a smile, as if reading Finral's mind.
George had realized that since he couldn't reveal too much of his own overwhelming power in this world, he might as well cultivate the members of the Black Bulls. If he could turn every member into a Captain-level or even Wizard King-level powerhouse, they could handle any minor nuisances that cropped up. It would allow him to focus entirely on his research and the replication of this world's laws without distraction. It was a small investment of his time for a significant return in convenience.
"And here I thought you were just playing around," Finral muttered, a look of realization dawning on him.
On his first day with the squad, George had claimed he enjoyed studying others' magic to inspire new spells in his own grimoire. At the time, no one believed him; they assumed it was just a child's curiosity. Creating new spells was notoriously difficult—most mages spent their entire lives mastering just one or two.
However, they hadn't refused his "research" because George always found ways to persuade them. Even Captain Yami was no exception—mostly because Yami had lost thirty-two consecutive games of cards to George, effectively gambling away the next three years of his salary. George was currently the only member of the squad the Captain didn't dare lose his temper with.
Finral hadn't expected that George truly had a genius for magical theory.
"Forget it. I'm fine just being the porter. If there's danger, I'll just run away," Finral sighed. He knew that if he followed George's advice and trained hard, he could transition from support to offense. But his gentle nature, which loathed harming others, ultimately won out.
George shrugged. "I'm just giving you suggestions. Whether you act on them is up to you. Sometimes, violence isn't scary. What's scary is whether you use it for selfish desires, or to protect the weak and uphold justice."
"George is right," Yami said, walking over. He had overheard the tail end of the conversation. "As long as you're fighting for the justice in your heart, it isn't 'violence.'"
Finral scratched his head, looking at Yami skeptically. "Coming from you, Captain, that sounds a bit rich." This was the man who threatened to "kill" people every five minutes and was known as the Clover Kingdom's primary loose cannon.
"I'm back!"
Five minutes later, Asta finally emerged from the bathroom. Yami, whose patience was infamously thin, already had a vein throbbing in his forehead.
"Making me wait for you? You've got some nerve!" Yami reached out, grabbed Asta by the head, and lifted him off the ground. "Just how long was that crap you were taking? I've got half a mind to kill you right now!"
"No, wait! It was a massive one! It was this long, and super thick—" Asta started gesturing wildly to explain.
Yami looked at him with pure disgust. "I was talking about the time it took, you idiot! Who cares about the dimensions of your leavings?!"
Finral quickly opened a portal. "Captain, it's ready. We can go back now."
"Who do you think you're giving orders to?" Yami barked, casting a glare that made Finral break into a cold sweat.
The four of them stepped through the portal and returned to the Black Bulls' headquarters. What followed was the standard introduction of the rookie to the rest of the squad, followed by Magna's "initiation" for Asta—which was essentially a duel.
Once the festivities concluded, George took the initiative to lead Asta to the second floor to find a vacant room. "Asta, this will be your private room from now on."
"I... I actually have my own room?" Asta stared at the dusty, spiderweb-filled space, his eyes welling with tears of joy. "Back at the church, we all slept in one big pile on the floor. This is amazing! I'm going to go get a bucket of water and scrub this place top to bottom!"
"No need for all that trouble," George said, pulling out his grimoire. "Cleanse!"
An invisible breeze swept through the room, and in an instant, every speck of dust and cobweb vanished. The room was spotless.
"Wh-What kind of magic was that?!" Asta's eyes turned into sparkling stars. He had never seen magic used so practically for chores.
George waved it off. "Just a minor utility spell. By the way, could I borrow your grimoire to study for a bit? I'll return it tomorrow."
"Of course!" Asta didn't hesitate. He pulled out his battered, soot-colored five-leaf grimoire and handed it to George with total innocence.
Typically, a grimoire is tied to its owner; no one else can use the spells within. If someone else took it, it would be nothing more than a paperweight or a collector's item. Yuno's four-leaf grimoire was a prime target for thieves because of its legendary status, but Asta's book looked so wretched that no one would bother stealing it. More importantly, Asta trusted everyone in the Black Bulls—especially George, who had been nothing but kind and helpful.
"Like I said during the introductions, I like studying magic. If I find anything useful in here, I'll let you know," George said as he turned to leave.
Asta bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior George!" He was desperate to grow stronger to keep his promise to Yuno, and he genuinely appreciated the help.
Walking down the corridor, George shook his head with a smile. "You're the first person to actually believe I can help you. What a naive kid. Still, since you trust me that much, I suppose I should give you a real hand."
Back in his room, George had just sat down when a Nero bird (Anti-bird) landed on his windowsill. These birds were common in the kingdom; many had appeared during the exam. Most people would have ignored it, but George looked at the bird with genuine amusement.
"Interesting. A transformed bird... what are you doing here? Spying on me?"
The bird, which had been peeking inside, froze. An incredibly human expression of shock appeared on its face. Realizing it had been spotted, it flared its wings to fly away. For five hundred years, no one had seen through its form—not even the various Wizard Kings. Who was this kid?
Snap.
Before it could take flight, George's hand closed gently but firmly around its body. "This doesn't seem like a normal transformation spell. It feels more like a curse. Let me fix that for you."
His mental energy swept over the bird, and his grimoire flipped open. "Finite Incantatem!"
A blue light enveloped the bird. It expanded rapidly, transforming into a beautiful young girl with small black horns, wearing a dark, sleeveless dress. George had seen the Wizard King's transformation magic earlier, but this was different—it was the "backlash" of a forbidden seal.
"I'm... I'm back!" The girl stared at her human hands, her face a mix of shock and intense emotion. She had spent five centuries looking for a way to revert to her true form, yet this boy had undone the backlash of a forbidden spell as if it were nothing.
"Now then," George said, sitting back in his chair with a pleasant smile. "Why don't you tell me why you were a bird, and what you're doing here?"
The girl calmed herself and shook her head. "I can only tell you that I wasn't spying on you. I am the guardian of that black grimoire in your hand."
For five hundred years, she had watched over the book that once belonged to the leader of the Elves. When the grimoire chose Asta, she followed him—all the way until George borrowed it.
"Forget it, I'll just look for myself."
George's silhouette flickered, appearing instantly in front of her. He placed a finger on her forehead and began reading her memories. A moment later, he pulled back, looking surprised. "I didn't expect you to be the personal maid of the First Wizard King."
The girl's name was Secre Swallowtail. She was born five centuries ago in the Clover Kingdom. Despite being a noble, her magic was deemed "useless," and she was assigned to serve Prince Lumiere Silvamillion Clover—the First Wizard King. She was eventually won over by his character and, with his help, became a powerful Sealing Mage.
Lumiere had befriended the leader of the Elves, Licht. They dreamed of peace between humans and elves, a bond sealed when Lumiere's sister fell in love with Licht. But on their wedding day, the Elves were massacred by a human ambush that utilized Light Magic—the same attribute as Lumiere's. Lumiere himself had been trapped in the capital by a high-ranking devil disguised as a minister.
Secre's magic eventually freed Lumiere, but by the time they reached the Elves, it was too late. Seeing his people and his pregnant wife slaughtered, Licht succumbed to despair. His four-leaf grimoire transformed into a dark five-leaf grimoire of the devil. To prevent the devil from taking his body, Licht used the magic stones to turn himself into a mindless Ancient Demon, begging Lumiere to kill him.
Secre used the magic stones to seal the Word Soul Devil who had orchestrated everything, but the cost was a curse that gave her horns. Lumiere, heartbroken, slew the Ancient Demon and was left mortally wounded. To save his life, Secre used forbidden magic to seal him in a statue, preserving his life force at the cost of turning herself into a magicless Anti-bird.
She had spent the next five hundred years guarding Licht's grimoire and searching for the magic stones to finally unseal Lumiere. Fifteen years ago, the grimoire fell into the hands of a woman named Licita. Because of her unique constitution—she drained the life and mana of anything near her—she lived in isolation and had been forced to leave her son at an orphanage. That son was Asta, who was born without mana.
Licita had eventually adopted a mana-less devil named Liebe, but the King of Devils, Lucifero, discovered him and tried to manifest in the human world through Liebe's body. Licita sacrificed her life to drive Lucifero out and sealed Liebe inside the five-leaf grimoire to protect him. Secre had followed the book until it finally chose Asta, leading her here.
"You read my memories... what kind of mage are you?" Secre stammered, backing away. Cleaning, breaking ancient curses, and mind-reading—this boy had displayed three completely different high-level attributes in minutes.
"That's not important," George smiled. "What's important is that I can help you unseal the First Wizard King."
He hadn't expected to uncover so many secrets from a single bird. He now understood the origin of the grimoire and the devil within. But his real interest now lay with the First Wizard King himself.
(End of Chapter)