A warm and soothing magical aura filled the entire alley.
Yuuki, who could sense the natural flow of magic in the air, for the first time truly felt the vitality of natural mana.
Unfortunately, his sensing range was very limited—only about half a meter around him. If his perception were greater, he would have noticed all the surrounding natural mana gathering around Licht, celebrating in silent joy.
It was mana's favor—
the blessing of natural magic itself!
drip～
drip～
The blood trickling from the wounds of the middle-aged butler dripped to the ground, plunging the alley into an eerie silence.
Yuuki's body tensed, disbelief coursing through him, and he instinctively stepped back.
It wasn't cowardice.
The power of the figure before him was simply terrifying. In the entire Clover Kingdom, before the elves reincarnated and before the demons appeared, only the Magic Emperor could rival this level of strength.
This person was also one of the only two holders of a four-leaf clover grimoire in the kingdom, wielding a rare Light Magic.
Most importantly—he shouldn't even be here!
The leader of the White Night Magic Eye, Licht, also had another identity: William, the captain of the Golden Dawn. Normally, Licht rarely appeared in person.
Even if it were William appearing here, Yuuki might not have been so shocked.
"Run…"
The middle-aged butler, unconscious and limp, murmured the word "run" repeatedly as Licht held him aloft.
Click!
With a slight movement of Licht's hand, the murmuring ceased, and the butler's head slumped.
Thud.
The body hit the ground, producing a dull sound, making Meath flinch in fear and stiffen.
"Who are you?! I'm a noble!"
Meath's face went pale, his voice trembling with false bravado.
Licht's warm expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward calmly.
Meath's face drained of color, panic overtaking him as he tried to use magic—but his grimoire had just begun to levitate.
A flash of golden light.
Shuah!
Meath felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant.
Looking down, he discovered a light sword had pierced his chest.
Licht had already passed by Meath and was walking toward Yuuki, never once glancing at Meath.
Too fast!
Yuuki's eyes stayed fixed ahead, yet he still couldn't discern how Licht had struck.
All he saw was the golden light flash—and Meath had already been pierced by the sword.
So strong!
A single casual strike—not even blockable or traceable, let alone dodged.
When Licht reached Yuuki, Meath's body finally collapsed, the light-sword wound dropping him to the ground with a soft thud, kicking up dust.
Yuuki's throat moved slightly as he looked at Licht, now only a few steps away, and for the first time, he didn't feel the same tension as before.
"I know your name, Yuuki. And I understand the magic you wield."
Licht's golden eyes looked gently at Yuuki, his voice filled with kindness and softness.
Yuuki's heart skipped a beat.
He quickly realized that Licht likely only meant he understood Yuuki's replication techniques.
"Don't be nervous. The Magic Knights' entry test isn't exactly a secret."
Licht seemed to notice Yuuki's tension, smiling gently as he explained, "I am Licht, leader of the White Night Magic Eye. I wish to invite you to join us."
Yuuki froze in shock.
He had considered all sorts of reasons for Licht appearing—but never had he expected this!
Inviting him to join the White Night Magic Eye?
Why?
His face remained cautiously wary, and he took a step back.
Of course, this wasn't just for show—Yuuki genuinely feared and respected Licht.
The Clover Kingdom was dangerous. The White Night Magic Eye was even more so!
Seeing Yuuki's cautious expression, Licht wasn't surprised. Instead, his face took on an even more sincere look.
"The arrogant noble captains looked down on you. They did not choose you because they didn't understand your magic."
"I, however, understand the strength of your magic better than anyone, because a close friend of mine possesses similar magic to yours."
Licht spoke warmly and sincerely, his tone full of respect and acknowledgment for Yuuki.
If Yuuki didn't know Licht's other identity as William—one of the captains who had refrained from raising their hand during the entry test—he might have been moved by these words.
After all, after experiencing the disappointment of no captain acknowledging him during the test, to suddenly meet someone powerful who truly recognized his magic… many mages would have been emotionally touched.
A close friend?
The only ones Licht could consider a close friend were elves.
Yuuki briefly wondered if he might somehow be a host for an elf like Yuno or William. But he quickly dismissed the thought.
If that were the case, his mana would not be so limited.
The close friend Licht spoke of was likelyRhya, one of the Three Magic Eyes of the White Night Magic Eye, a magic imitator whose abilities resembled Yuuki's.
Yuuki fell silent.
The moment Licht extended the invitation, Yuuki realized he had no choice. Despite Licht's gentle, kind demeanor, he was just as merciless when killing.
Was he only to passively accept this choice?
Yuuki lifted his head once more, meeting Licht's golden gaze full of expectation.
"I want to know exactly what the White Night Magic Eye does," he said, taking a deep breath.
He knew the organization's purpose well enough—but he had to ask, to avoid suspicion.
At the same time, Yuuki realized something else:
Though he still didn't know why Licht invited him, the timing of his appearance was too precise…
almost as if it had been carefully orchestrated.
Had he not known that Licht and William shared a dual soul in one body, he might not have even suspected.
The result of the final hand-raising in the Magic Knights' entry test was likely William's doing, causing no captain to raise their hand.
Though it was only a guess, to Yuuki it was the only explanation for the apparent coincidence.
(End of Chapter)
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