Outside the town, in an open clearing.
Noelle still looked hesitant, even doubtful.
"You're sure you can actually help me?"
Even after learning how well Yuuki had performed during the entrance exam, he was still a commoner. How could she not question it?
In the worldview she'd been raised with, commoners were people with weak mana—barely enough to handle simple daily life magic.
"I'm not sure."
Yuuki shrugged, answering without hesitation.
"What—?! Then why did you take my money?! Do you have any idea what happens to people who deceive a royal!?"
Noelle hadn't expected such a blunt response. Her expression instantly shifted, her amethyst eyes flashing with anger.
She felt like she was being played with.
But Yuuki remained perfectly calm in the face of her fury.
Asta, standing beside them, immediately panicked at the sight of things falling apart.
"Ah— Yuuki, Yuuki! She's a royal— a royal, you know!"
Yuuki's brow twitched. Before Asta could continue yelling, Yuuki grabbed him and clamped a hand over his mouth.
The world suddenly became much quieter.
"You're a member of the Magic Knights now. Even if she's royalty, she's also a member of the same squad as you."
"Don't sell yourself short, Asta."
Yuuki's tone was serious.
Asta blinked in confusion, but still nodded firmly.
Yuuki sighed inwardly.
The Magic Knights represented the highest combat force of the Clover Kingdom. They weren't just a path toward becoming the Wizard King—they carried real authority and influence.
But knowing Asta… he definitely didn't care about any of that.
Yuuki turned back to Noelle, no longer wasting time.
"With your royal status, I doubt you've ever lacked powerful mages willing to train you one-on-one."
"If all of them couldn't help you, then coming to me means you're just trying your luck, isn't it?"
His voice remained calm.
Noelle's face stiffened. Yuuki was right. With a Magic Knight captain for a brother and the prestige of the royal House Silva, finding instructors was never an issue.
The results, however… were another story.
'Useless. You can't even control your mana.'
'A royal who can't handle basic mana control—how disgraceful.'
'Pathetic.'
'You don't need to attend the entrance exam. I've already spoken with Yami. You'll join the Black Bulls.'
Voices echoed through Noelle's mind, making her complexion pale.
"Let's begin."
Yuuki's calm voice pulled her back to reality.
"Begin?" Noelle blinked in confusion.
"You may not have much confidence in yourself, but I took your money. I can't very well do nothing."
"Start releasing your mana the way you normally do. Don't hold back."
Yuuki extended a hand, motioning for her to proceed. As if anticipating her hesitation, he added:
"Relax. Asta's ability nullifies magic. You won't have to worry about your mana going out of control."
His tone was clean, efficient—almost impatient.
Faced with that attitude, Noelle's pride bristled.
Even if she still felt unsure, she absolutely refused to show weakness in front of two commoners.
So she straightened her posture, raised her chin, and prepared to begin.
"Hmph. I'd love to see what you plan to do."
"If anything happens, I'm not taking responsibility."
Noelle flicked her silver twin-tails with a huff, then lifted her chin proudly.
Then—
Her expression sharpened. She raised both hands toward the empty space ahead.
Splash.
Water rapidly gathered in midair, forming into a sphere within seconds.
Asta tensed instinctively. He still remembered getting pummeled senseless by Noelle's completely inaccurate water blasts.
Following Yuuki's instructions, Noelle didn't stop. She continued pouring mana into the water sphere.
It began to swell rapidly—within two or three breaths, it had grown to nearly half a meter across.
Gulu… gulu…
As the sphere grew, Noelle's mana began slipping beyond her control. Ripples shuddered violently across its surface.
It looked like it could burst loose at any moment.
Not good!
Noelle's face paled. Panic flashed through her amethyst eyes—her mana was about to lose all restraint.
"Magic Binding—Iron Lock Array."
A calm voice cut through the air.
Clatter—clatter—clatter!
Chains shot forth with a metallic rush. Noelle didn't even have time to react before she was completely bound, and the mana that was about to run wild instantly vanished.
Pa—
Without mana to sustain it, the water sphere crashed to the ground and burst apart into a splash.
Swish!
The chains wrapped around Noelle recoiled instantly and vanished.
"Just now… that was…?"
Noelle stared wide-eyed, her expression dazed as she turned toward Yuuki, unable to process what had happened.
"Continue."
Yuuki clearly had no intention of explaining.
Noelle nodded reflexively—then realized what this meant, her eyes lighting up with surprise.
The excitement only lasted a heartbeat before she schooled her expression, pretending to be calm. Sneaking a quick sideways glance at Yuuki, she lifted her hands again and resumed releasing mana.
Compared to earlier, when she'd been tense and cautious, Noelle was noticeably bolder this time.
As water spheres formed one after another, Yuuki's "Magic Binding—Iron Lock Array" sounded repeatedly.
Time passed.
The sun dipped low.
Evening approached.
Noelle braced her slender arms against her knees, forehead dripping with sweat, gasping for breath as she stared at Yuuki.
"Again!"
Her earlier dejection was nowhere to be seen.
She was brimming with fighting spirit now.
"Stop. I don't have much mana left to keep doing this with you."
"If you want to continue, go ask Asta."
Yuuki refused without hesitation, even putting on a weak, overtaxed expression.
Of course, it was all an act.
"Magic Binding—Iron Lock Array" barely consumed mana compared to "Storm Tower." And after devouring multiple grimoires, Yuuki's mana reserves were vast.
Besides—
Seeing Noelle get more and more fired up, Yuuki had no intention of doing all the boring work alone. Time for Asta to shoulder some of it.
In Yuuki's mind, mana control wasn't all that complicated. Using a simple analogy, it was like picking up food with chopsticks.
If your control was shaky, your hand might tremble and fling the food—Yuuki's binding magic was like catching the food before it fell.
Asta's antimagic, on the other hand, was the equivalent of smacking the chopsticks out of your hand. Crude, less effective… but technically workable.
"Then forget it."
Noelle subconsciously glanced at Asta, then pursed her lips.
Asta could interrupt her when she lost control, but compared to Yuuki's method, it didn't help her understanding at all.
At the same time—
She quietly let out a breath of relief.
She'd actually reached her limit a while ago. But because Yuuki never called for a break, how could she, a proud royal, be the first to admit defeat?
"Hmph! And here I thought you'd last longer."
Noelle lifted her pale hand, flicking her silver twin-tails with a tsundere huff.
"But for a commoner, you held out pretty well."
After speaking, she realized there was no response. She turned her head—
—only to find Yuuki gone.
Asta, too, was nowhere to be seen.
"Ugh! I am a royal!"
"You two bastards!"
Noelle stomped the ground hard, cheeks flushed red with frustration.
(End of Chapter)