The three abilities of Replication Magic flashed through Yuuki's mind one by one.
"Huh… I'm starting to feel some different reactions in my magic."
A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
The appearance of the third ability had transformed his Replication Magic completely.
If before, Yuuki had not been fully confident in facing the Eye of the Midnight Sun and the Nine Magic Knight Squads, now that confidence had firmly settled in his mind.
He lifted his head, and with a thought, the water barrier in front of him dissipated instantly.
If he hadn't reacted quickly earlier, the unconscious thug would have been obliterated by the three surging magics, splattering blood all over him.
Now, in the place where the thug had been, a grimoire and two pages hovered silently in midair.
A magic knight's life was intrinsically linked to their grimoire. Normally, if the knight died, the grimoire would vanish as well. But here, though the thug was dead, the grimoire remained.
Such a phenomenon would be abnormal for most—but for Yuuki, it was perfectly natural. He had created that grimoire himself!
Holding it, silver light shimmered across its cover.
The Hound Magic grimoire and the two pages quickly returned, reintegrating into Yuuki's own grimoire.
"Finally… I can go all out."
A gleam of sharp determination lit Yuuki's eyes as he surveyed the cliffside, littered with blood and fragments. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Fire Magic—Scorching Flame."
A ping-pong-ball-sized fireball appeared and dropped to the ground.
Boom!
In an instant, the fireball expanded. Boiling flames erupted from within, sweeping across the entire cliffside.
The stronger the magical power, the more amplified the spell's effect!
Within just a couple of breaths, all traces of the thug were incinerated, leaving no sign he had ever been there.
Yuuki's figure had already vanished from the cliff.
The Next Day, in the Dining Hall
"Wow! This is so good!"
Asta's mouth was stuffed full as he spoke with unbridled satisfaction at a temporary old dining table.
"No need to rush—nobody's going to steal your food," Yuuki replied across from him, casually teasing.
"But seriously, it's delicious! Rebecca, your cooking is amazing. You're almost at Sister Lily's level!"
Asta gave a thumbs-up while chewing, grinning at Rebecca.
Rebecca blushed at the praise, shaking her head shyly. "Asta, thanks for helping taste-test."
Her gaze then fell on Yuuki, clearly curious about the Sister Lily comparison.
"It's a bit complicated to explain. For Asta, very few people in this world can match Sister Lily. That was the highest compliment he could give."
Yuuki shrugged lightly, smiling.
Rebecca nodded, understanding.
"I'll become the Magic Emperor and marry Sister Lily!" Asta suddenly declared, putting down his plate.
Rebecca blinked in surprise. "But… she's a holy cleric. Isn't marriage forbidden?"
Yuuki was about to explain when a voice came from outside the door.
"So that's why this guy's an idiot."
Yuno stepped into the hall, a faint smile on his face.
"Yuno?"
Yuuki paused, surprised.
"You bastard Yuno! Who are you calling an idiot?!"
Asta's face lit up in surprise at seeing Yuno, then quickly shifted to irritation.
Yuno ignored the fiery Asta, instead letting his gaze settle briefly on Yuuki with a faint smile before turning to nod politely at Rebecca.
Rebecca returned the gesture.
Yuno had visited the dining hall before, but usually only for a brief greeting. To Rebecca, the usually cool, somewhat distant Yuno seemed hard to approach compared to the straightforward Asta.
Yuno ignored this, placing a cloth bag on the table as he sat down.
"Why do you have time today?" Yuuki asked, surprised.
As the leader of the Golden Dawn and the Nine Magic Knight Squads, Yuno's schedule was usually packed with missions.
"I passed by a village on a previous mission, so I brought back some local specialties."
Yuno laughed lightly, placing the bag on the table.
"Sweet potatoes!"
"Ah! Feels like it's been forever since I had these!" Asta's eyes lit up at the sight of the bag.
"You just ate so much… can you still manage more?" Yuuki gestured at the empty plate before Asta.
"If it's sweet potatoes, even if I'm full, I can still eat them!" Asta declared loudly.
Yuuki glanced at Yuno. Their eyes met, and they shared a quiet smile.
"I've been craving sweet potatoes too," Yuuki said with a light chuckle, turning to Rebecca. "Rebecca, could you make some for us?"
"Of course, not a problem," Rebecca smiled, picking up the bag and asking the three,
"How would you like them prepared? There are a few ways to cook them."
After a brief exchange of glances, they answered almost simultaneously:
Yuuki: "Fried sweet potatoes!"
Yuno: "Sweet potato tempura!"
Asta: "Roasted sweet potatoes!"
Rebecca couldn't help but smile at the spirited disagreement. She could feel the close bond between the three.
"Alright, I've got it." She headed to the kitchen, holding the sweet potatoes.
The three chatted idly while she cooked.
Asta dominated the conversation, occasionally recounting amusing stories from the Magic Knights. Yuuki and Yuno mostly listened.
Soon, Rebecca returned with three plates of sweet potatoes, each prepared as requested.
During the meal, no one brought up the dangers encountered on previous missions.
Yuno also kept quiet about the village mission—an ambush arranged by a defeated noble during his entry test.
Yuuki, of course, was keeping an even bigger secret to himself.
At the restaurant's entrance:
"Ugh… my stomach's way too full," Asta groaned, clutching his midsection.
"Well, you ate too much at once. If you burst, one less competitor for the Magic Emperor title," Yuno teased in his usual sharp tone.
"Damn it! I'm not giving up the Magic Emperor title!" Asta shouted in defiance.
"Hmph. That title will be mine," Yuno replied seriously.
Yuuki watched the familiar bickering with a resigned expression.
"You two…"
"Don't leave yourself out, Yuuki!" Asta suddenly said, his turquoise eyes locking on him.
"If you fall too far behind, future Magic Emperor me would be ashamed to have you as a companion."
Yuno also turned, golden eyes fixed on Yuuki.
Caught between their pointed attention, Yuuki was momentarily dumbfounded.
Yuno finished speaking and left down the street, Asta chasing after him, loudly proclaiming that he would become the Magic Emperor, attracting the attention of passersby.
Watching their departing backs, Yuuki muttered, lips twitching slightly before settling into calm:
"Those two… I'll be waiting at the front. Hope you're not too shocked when the time comes. Otherwise, even I won't be able to win. Becoming Magic Emperor will be difficult."
He chuckled softly, adding to himself,
"The Magic Palace should be opening soon. Don't let anyone beat you up too badly."
Turning, he returned to the dining hall.
"Dirty dishes from sweet potatoes are tough to clean. Leave these to me."
Yuuki's voice echoed from inside.
(End of Chapter 70)
⭐ Enjoying the story?You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon!Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects.Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims
Next bonus chapter at 400 powerstones!