The combination of the magical tool Communication Magic Box and tracking magic was extremely discreet. For the unsuspecting members of the Black Bulls, detection was virtually impossible.
However, the events of last night would undoubtedly make the Black Bulls wary—especially their captain, Yami.
You could underestimate anyone, but the captain of a Magic Knight squad was not one of them.
Yuuki didn't consider himself arrogant, either.
So, after completing the magical communication with the Black Bulls last night, Yuuki had already considered the worst-case scenario: that the tracking magic mark on Noelle might be discovered.
Even in that case, he felt only mild regret—no real concern.
Marking a spell on Noelle without her noticing was never particularly difficult.
Add to that the fact that she frequently interacted with many people during consecutive missions, and tracing it back would be nearly impossible.
Now, the tracking mark on Noelle remained. From Yuuki's perspective, there were only two possibilities:
One: Yami hadn't suspected the problem lay with his own squad members and assumed only that the Black Bulls' base had been discovered, which is why the communication spell was transmitted directly to them.
Two: Yami had guessed, but chose to do nothing for now, intending to first understand the mysterious Black Robe figure's motives rather than alert him—playing the classic "lure out the snake" tactic.
Either way, from Yuuki's point of view, it made little difference.
Before long, the Eye of the Midnight Sun's attack on the capital would draw the attention of all Magic Knight squads. As a so-called mysterious figure, Yuuki was likely to be suspected of being one of their members.
Of course… he really was one of them.
Yuuki guessed that Yami probably regarded his words last night—"The burning lion will fall"—with a mixture of doubt and suspicion. After all, who could fully trust a mysterious person whose identity was unknown?
Yuuki's goal wasn't just to see what changes would occur in the capital after his warning. More importantly, he needed to find a temporary balance between the Clover Kingdom and the Eye of the Midnight Sun—one that would allow him to remain unnoticed.
The more he acted, the more attention he would inevitably attract, so he had to divert focus carefully, avoiding scrutiny from both the Magic Knights and the Midnight Sun.
Several thoughts flashed through his mind.
"Noelle is my rival… if nothing happens to me, how could anything happen to her?"
"And you, Yuuki, I'll defeat both of you and become the Wizard King! You can't fall behind!"
Asta's voice rang out boldly.
Hearing this, Noelle looked exasperated, Rebecca maintained her gentle smile, and Mar and the other children's attention was entirely focused on the large bowl of soup Yuuki had brought out.
"I've been training seriously too. When the time comes, I won't let you win easily."
Yuuki sensed the sincerity in Asta's words and replied just as earnestly.
He knew Asta was expressing his feelings in his own way. Asta feared that Yuuki would focus too much on the tavern, widening the gap between their abilities.
Even without joining the Magic Knights, in Asta and Noelle's eyes, Yuuki was a formidable rival—a fact mutually recognized since their time in Harge Village.
Asta's reminder before Noelle left had carried the same meaning.
As expected, hearing that Yuuki had been training diligently energized Asta.
"You're injured, so you should try the soup I made—it'll restore nutrition and help your wounds heal faster."
"Also… it's good for beauty and skin care," Yuuki added softly, smiling.
At the mention of "beauty and skin care," both Rebecca and Noelle's eyes lit up. For women, those words carried immense appeal.
Noelle had already been curious about the soft, white, unfamiliar tofu.
However, all three plates of tofu on the table had been eaten. As a royal, how could she possibly eat someone else's leftovers?
The aroma of the soup filled the air, capturing her attention.
Noelle's light purple eyes focused on it immediately. The creamy white soup, paired with the soft tofu floating in it, looked irresistible.
Yuuki served portions to everyone present.
"I'll try just a little," Noelle said, though inwardly tempted, still maintaining the appearance of generosity.
Yuuki smiled lightly, unfazed.
Moments later, the sound of everyone swallowing reached him.
"This is delicious, Yuuki! I didn't know you could cook this well!"
Asta nearly drained his bowl in one gulp, eyes wide as he looked at Yuuki.
Yuuki shrugged. "You know the church's situation—there weren't many extra ingredients, so I experimented a little."
"That's true," Asta nodded, recalling the meager meals they usually had at the church.
"How do you make this?"
Noelle, impressed by the soup's rich aroma and the tofu's unique texture, cupped her hands near her mouth in surprise.
"The soup is simple. Fry top-quality fish until golden, mash it and simmer into a broth. Remove all the fish bits, then slowly cook the remaining soup over low heat. Add tofu, and it's done," Yuuki explained with a smile.
"So this white food… it's called tofu," Noelle murmured slowly.
Before long, the large pot of soup on the table was completely consumed.
"Seems like everyone's satisfied. Noelle, what do you think?" Yuuki asked.
"Huh? You mean me?" Noelle, caught off guard, felt a slight nervousness in her voice.
Yuuki nodded. "You're royalty and have tasted many kinds of exquisite food. I plan to make this soup a signature dish for the tavern, so naturally I need your opinion."
"It's… very good," Noelle said, cheeks slightly pink, nodding in approval.
"That's great then," Yuuki replied with a smile, glancing at Rebecca and motioning for her to keep it quiet.
Rebecca's expression was slightly odd. She knew that this tofu, made from cheap, almost disregarded beans, had earned praise from a royal lady. A strange sense of satisfaction swelled within her.
(End of chapter)
⭐ 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 700 powerstones.