(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Hearing Asta's loud exclamation,
Gauche (the one disguised as Yami moments ago) slowly turned his head, eyes half-lidded, voice flat and monotone.
"____"
"Don't even think about peeking at my sister's picture, Asta…"
Asta blinked, confused.
"Eh?! I wasn't even—"
But then—
"Don't… peek at Marie…"
The same voice came again, this time from behind Asta.
He whipped around, jaw nearly unhinging from his face.
"____"
There stood another Gauche—
This one with a handkerchief pressed to his nose, blood dripping like someone had socked him in the face.
"HUHHHHH?! TWO GAUCHE-SENPAIS?!"
Asta screamed, eyes spinning like pinwheels.
Completely ignoring the commotion,
The second Gauche trudged toward the dining table.
Charmy, humming happily, slid another plate piled high with food in front of him.
He sat down, muttering softly as he forked food into his mouth.
"…Marie… forgive me… Marie…"
His bleary eyes stayed glued to the picture frame in his hand,
Whispering apologies to his little sister between every bite.
Meanwhile, the first Gauche still stood with his mirror, glaring at Asta like a hawk.
Asta's brain short-circuited, smoke practically puffing out of his ears.
"____"
"W-w-wait… so there are TWO of them now?! Is this… a nightmare?!"
Charmy, still cheerfully refilling bowls, shrugged.
"Relax, Asta. The more Gauches, the less food for you. Better eat quick."
Asta collapsed face-first onto the table in despair,
While the two Gauches continued in eerie synchronization:
One glaring, one sulking, both muttering about Marie.
Hearing Charmy's words,
Asta's eyes darted back and forth between the two Gauches.
"____"
He jabbed his finger dramatically.
"B-but what if this second Gauche is a spy sent by the enemy?!"
Charmy froze mid–bite of her meatball stew, spoon dangling from her mouth.
"Hmm… that's actually… possible? but..."
Before she could finish the thought,
A burst of loud laughter rolled through the room.
BWAHAHAHA!
"Oh man, you're killing me, Asta!"
Magna swaggered in, an arm slung casually over Luck's shoulder.
With his other hand, he clapped down on Asta's back so hard the boy nearly choked.
Putting on his best "mysterious cool guy" face,
Magna leaned closer and pointed toward Gauche.
"Nah, kid. Those two? Totally different people."
"Totally!"
Luck jumped in, practically bouncing with excitement.
His eyes sparked with manic glee as he gestured at the still-brooding mirror mage.
"Isn't it amazing?! He can transform into someone else completely—and he even gets their magic during the transformation!"
Asta's jaw dropped.
"____"
"Whaaaaaat?! You mean… copy magic?!"
The "second Gauche," still seated at the table, tilted his head slightly but said nothing, mumbling Marie's name under his breath as though the entire world around him didn't exist.
Meanwhile, the original Gauche scowled at Magna and Luck.
"Tch… idiots. Stop running your mouths."
But that only made Asta lean forward, veins popping on his forehead.
Frown~
"S-so you're saying… one of these Gauches is actually someone ELSE with magic that lets him transform?!"
Luck's grin widened.
"Exactly. And if she can copy our powers too, imagine how fun it would be to fight him!"
Magna scratched his chin with a sly smirk.
smirk~
"Or a pain in the butt… especially if she copies me. The squad couldn't handle two of me running around."
"NOOOOO, PLEASE, ONE MAGNA IS ENOUGH!"
Asta cried, shaking his head wildly.
Magna, grinning like a devil, kept leaning into Asta's ear.
"Oi, you better be careful, kid. What if both of these Gauches decide they like you instead of Marie, huh?"
"Whaaaaaa?! NO WAY!!"
Asta yelped, waving his arms like a windmill.
Before Magna could add more fuel to the fire,
"____"
The thud of a heavy barrel dropped onto the table.
Thud.
Everyone turned to see Vanessa—
Casually strolling in wearing her bikini top and shorts, a wine mug already in her hand.
Without a word, she twisted the tap connected to the barrel.
Wine splashed into her mug, and she sank lazily into the couch, one leg over the armrest, sipping like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Exhaling happily, she raised her mug toward the two Gauches.
Sigh~
"Well, well… two Gauches, huh? Things just got interesting."
Her eyes flicked to the mirror-obsessed pair.
"Grey, darling, why don't you introduce yourself to our squad's new member?"
For a moment, both Gauches stayed silent.
"____"
"____"
Then one of them—scowling—spoke up.
"Tch. I already greeted him."
A soft chuckle slipped out, but it wasn't Grey's.
Chuckle~
The voice carried a playful lilt.
"That was when you were pretending to be Captain Yami, wasn't it?"
The second Gauche froze, his shoulders stiff.
"____"
Vanessa smirked and wiggled her mug at him.
"If you don't introduce yourself properly… maybe I'll let slip a little secret about who went around impersonating the Captain."
Immediately, that Gauche shivered, clutching his mirror tighter.
Shiver!
Meanwhile, the real Gauche didn't even lift his eyes.
His voice was monotone, as if reciting sacred scripture.
"Don't disturb me. I'm talking to my sister."
He began muttering softly to Marie's image again, completely unfazed by the madness.
Grey, caught in the middle of all this, squeaked.
Her form shimmered, and the bold, confident "Yami copy" vanished, replaced by her shy, stammering self.
She twiddled her fingers nervously.
"U-um… n-n-nice to meet y-you…"
And in a blink, she panicked and morphed right back into Gauche again.
"Stop copying me!!"
The real Gauche snapped, springing up with annoyance.
He stomped toward the stairs, muttering about idiots who didn't respect Marie's picture.
Vanessa snorted into her mug, watching him disappear.
Snort~
"Heh. Sensitive as ever."
Asta, still spinning in confusion, pointed at the remaining Gauche nervously.
"SO… this means Grey can just… become Gauche whenever she wants?! Isn't that… dangerous?!"
Luck leaned forward with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
"Dangerous? It's AWESOME."
CLOVER'S KING'S PALACE...
King's Chamber...
Meanwhile, in the royal palace,
Ben sat in his office, his eyes narrowing as he reread the report in his hands.
The flicker of torchlight across the parchment made the words seem heavier.
"____"
Slowly, he set the report down on the desk and turned toward Harry,
Who stood at attention beside him.
"Harry,"
Ben's voice was calm but edged with steel,
"is what's written in this letter true?"
Harry gave a firm nod.
Nod~
"Yes, Your Majesty. I've confirmed it through investigation. Four villages reported their farmland reduced to ash just yesterday—burned beyond saving. As new law passed, the crown compensated them with gold coins, enough to sustain the villagers until next year's harvest."
Ben leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the armrest.
His sharp gaze returned to the letter.
"And yet, today, an anonymous message arrives at the Royal Knights' base… accusing the very chiefs of those villages of orchestrating the fires themselves."
Harry's tone lowered, laced with concern.
"If this is true, they exploited the kingdom's mercy, deliberately burning their own fields to claim gold. If others follow their example, it would… unravel order. Chaos will spread faster than wildfire."
Ben's jaw tightened.
"____"
He stood, the long cloak on his shoulders sweeping as he turned toward the chamber doors.
"Summon Royal Knight Captain Darius."
Moments later...
The knight captain entered, bowing deeply.
"You called for me, Your Majesty?"
Ben's voice carried authority, measured but firm.
"Yes. I want a covert investigation into these four village chiefs. Use only the most trusted men—no rumors, no noise. If the accusations are false, we will know soon enough. But if they are true…"
He paused, his eyes narrowing with resolve.
"Do not apprehend them. Instead, send word to me directly. I will come in person. There are lessons that need to be spoken face-to-face—especially to men foolish enough to think they're cleverer than the crown."
Darius placed a fist over his chest and bowed.
"As you command, sire."
As the knight captain departed,
Ben looked back down at the letter one last time, the parchment crumpling slightly in his grip.
His thoughts echoed in the silence.
'Mercy should never be mistaken for weakness.'
As the chamber doors closed behind Darius, silence returned to the office.
Ben sank back into his chair, reaching again for the stack of reports on his desk.
Just then, a familiar translucent panel flickered into view before his eyes—
His system.
[Ding...]
[New Task Generated]
[Mission: Teach a lesson to the four village chiefs.]
[Objective: Confront the perpetrators and ensure order is maintained.]
[Reward: +150 FP]
Ben's lips curved into a low chuckle.
Chuckle~
"____"
He leaned back, exhaling slowly, a sigh hidden beneath his amusement.
"So even the system thinks they need a good lesson…"
He murmured under his breath, shaking his head.
Closing the panel with a thought, he pulled the next document from the pile.
His expression steadied once more—firm, focused, the weight of a ruler settling over him again.
There was always another fire to put out, whether in the fields… or in the hearts of men.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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