Time passed little by little.
Yuuki still wandered through the bustling streets, sometimes picking up his pace, sometimes slowing down. He would even linger for quite a while when something caught his interest.
The royal capital was enormous. Not to mention the outskirts—those suburban towns were ridiculously large.
No matter where he wandered, there was always something new to see. Unfortunately, everything was expensive. With only 170 yul left in his pocket, he could afford little beyond food.
Before he knew it, it was already noon.
Yuuki was enjoying his stroll immensely. Meanwhile, the four mages tailing him were suffering terribly.
"This clueless bumpkin has been wandering all morning! What the hell is he trying to do?"
One of them finally growled under his breath.
The other three showed equally frustrated expressions.
A whole morning had passed, nearly exhausting their patience, and yet they still couldn't strike.
Yuuki had been deliberately wandering the busiest streets, where any sudden attack would immediately draw the attention of the Magic Knights.
That sense of frustration and impotence!
It left the four mages simmering with anger. Earlier, they might have just wanted to kill him—but now, they wanted to torment him first before ending him.
Each of them was boiling inside.
"Keep watching him!"
"I want to crush every bone in that brat's body!"
The eldest mage took a deep breath, gritting his teeth.
Meanwhile, Yuuki remained leisurely. He crouched in front of a small street stall, inspecting a bizarre assortment of items.
Broken half-blades, fragments of armor, and various other scraps—a chaotic collection of goods.
The stall attracted more than just him. Several other curious customers were carefully inspecting the items.
Of course, Yuuki was interested, but only to look. Despite their dilapidated state, none of these items were cheap.
"So they came after me too, huh?"
Yuuki muttered under his breath as he examined the items.
He hadn't just been wandering aimlessly all morning. As he had suspected, the four mages who attacked him last night were trailing him again, silently keeping tabs.
He deliberately stayed in the crowded streets to prevent them from attacking. One against four—even with his powerful magic, he would be at a disadvantage.
If he was outnumbered, he would at least use the terrain to his advantage. That was why he stopped and started repeatedly—observing the layout of the streets and surroundings.
Truthfully, the four mages themselves weren't the real threat. The real problem was Meath, lurking in the shadows. Those four were merely pawns.
Yuuki's concern was figuring out how to deal with Meath. If Meath remained hidden, there was little Yuuki could do.
What surprised him was that, besides those four, someone else was secretly tailing him.
At first, he was puzzled, but he quickly realized: the only person in the entire capital he had offended was Meath. The two groups must both be Meath's people.
The situation wasn't hard to guess.
The four mages failed to finish him off last night, leaving Meath uneasy—so he sent more subordinates.
"They really do take me seriously."
A faint smirk appeared on Yuuki's lips.
They weren't giving him a single chance—but instead of worrying, he relaxed.
The less chance he had of turning the tables, the more likely Meath would eventually appear.
A noble being humiliated—killed by a commoner—during the entrance exam? That would be a deep insult to Meath's pride.
There was no way he would let Yuuki escape that sight.
"Heh… I'm not worried if you show yourself. I just hope you aren't hiding."
Yuuki smiled lightly and stood, merging back into the crowd.
If Meath refused to show himself, Yuuki would have no choice but to rely on Yuno or Asta eventually. Meath wasn't foolish; he would understand this. That urgency to kill Yuuki came from pride and necessity. The grudge was already set.
Yuuki continued his leisurely stroll through the streets, scouting terrain suitable for casting magic, all while leading his pursuers on a long chase.
From morning into noon, and then toward evening.
Even taking breaks to recover his strength, he felt fatigue setting in. The same went for those tailing him.
"I'll kill him!"
"This commoner's been leading us in circles all day! He knows we're here!"
Anger and frustration erupted in their voices.
Even the slowest to react realized something was wrong.
Being toyed with by a lowly commoner all day? Anyone's temper would boil over.
At this moment, even the eldest mage—normally calm—was consumed by a nameless fury, wanting nothing more than to tear Yuuki apart.
"Even if we find him… the streets are getting emptier, he can't possibly…"
"Not good! He's running!"
One mage shouted in alarm. Yuuki, who had been strolling casually, suddenly sprinted forward.
The four mages gave chase without hesitation. Their anger, building from morning till now, left no room for strategy—only the single thought of killing Yuuki.
Yuuki ran with incredible agility, yet without using magic to boost his speed. He still had a tough fight ahead, and every bit of magic saved mattered.
Fortunately, years of training in Haji Village had given him a solid physique and endurance—enough to keep up with the chase, even if not as impressive as Asta.
After a day of careful observation, he knew the terrain well. Yuuki weaved down side streets, emerging from alleys, nearly shaking off the four mages behind him.
(End of chapter)
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