With that thought in mind, Yuuki grew even more vigilant.
Yami was not someone easily fooled. Though he appeared rough and careless on the surface, his mind was in fact extremely sharp.
"So he can sense ki…"
Yuuki pondered for a moment, then returned to his usual demeanor and headed toward the kitchen.
He had just heard the sound of tableware falling to the floor.
—
Meanwhile, at the Black Bulls' hideout.
Vanessa, reeking of alcohol, toppled backward onto the sofa and fell fast asleep without the slightest concern for appearances.
The rest of the group wore looks of deep satisfaction. The meal at Yuuki's tavern had clearly left everyone thoroughly pleased—everyone except Asta, whose mood was noticeably lower.
He had been hoping to join the same Magic Knight squad as Yuuki.
Yet Yuuki had refused.
"I really don't understand what Yuuki is thinking at all…"
Asta muttered softly, both hands resting on his swollen stomach.
Yami, a cigarette clamped between his lips, swept his gaze across the squad, pausing briefly on Asta before turning and heading upstairs. As he went, he called Finral along with him.
"I've got a task for you."
"Eh? No way, Captain—we just got back. And it's not like I'm good at fighting either!"
Yami's footsteps halted. He slowly turned his head, his expression dark and oppressive.
"N-no problem, Captain!"
Finral instantly straightened, patting his chest in a hurry.
"Hahaha, relax. It's nothing dangerous."
Yami's gloomy expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a hearty laugh as he slapped Finral's shoulder a few times.
Finral's face immediately fell.
Based on his experience with the captain, even if it wasn't dangerous, it was guaranteed to be a massive hassle. For someone who lived by the creed 'if you can slack off, do it', this was anything but good news.
"Your spatial magic makes traveling easy, and you're the most suitable for this. Set aside some time each day and keep an eye on that kid—Yuuki."
Yami's eyes carried a hint of speculation and doubt as he flicked away the nearly finished cigarette and lit a fresh one.
"Yuuki?"
Finral froze, looking at Yami in confusion.
He had a good impression of Yuuki, yet now the captain was telling him to monitor him. Was there really something wrong with Yuuki?
"Born a commoner, wanting to change your fate—the simplest and most direct way is to join the Magic Knights. With an opportunity like that, could you really refuse?"
Yami looked straight at Finral.
Finral imagined himself in Yuuki's position and had to admit—it was an almost irresistible temptation. More than that, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
"But—"
Finral tried to say more.
Yami raised a hand, cutting him off. "I know what you're about to say. Someone as unmotivated as you is pretty rare."
"No matter how well a person hides it, their eyes don't lie. The way that kid looked at us—it was too calm."
"That's not a mindset a fifteen-year-old should have."
Yami exhaled a cloud of smoke, his tone lazy and casual.
"…Understood, Captain."
Finral knew there was no room for negotiation once the order had been given, and nodded in acknowledgment.
It was only surveillance—nothing dangerous. And with spatial magic, even if something unexpected happened, he could retreat easily.
Yami nodded. "Only you know about this. Don't tell the others—especially Asta."
"Got it."
Finral flashed an OK gesture. For now, it was only the captain's personal suspicion. It really wasn't something Asta should know.
—
Nightfall.
Yuuki arrived at the border of the Clover Kingdom, at the edge of a strong magic region shrouded in dense thunderclouds.
Boom! Boom!
Thunder roared incessantly across the sky, exploding like artillery shells from within the strong magic zone—one after another, as dense as firecrackers.
Bolts of lightning struck down from above, illuminating the surroundings while blasting scorched craters into the ground.
Violent lightning-attribute natural mana saturated the entire area. Even standing at the very edge, without stepping inside—
Yuuki's clothes crackled faintly with electricity. His hair, though short, stood on end as if charged, every strand bristling.
"This strong magic region is far more dangerous than ordinary ones…"
Yuuki raised a finger and lightly touched the air. Instantly, an electric current snapped between his fingertips.
This wasn't lightning magic—it was the environment itself, saturated with static energy.
With both the Black Bulls and Golden Dawn having visited the tavern, Yuuki no longer needed to worry about business.
As long as it stayed open, customers would come.
And since both the Magic Knights and the Eye of the Midnight Sun were temporarily inactive after the royal capital invasion, Yuuki decided to use this window to consolidate and train his own strength.
His battle with Mereoleona had made one thing clear—
What he had developed, mana coating, and mana skin were fundamentally different techniques.
If he wanted to progress further, the first step was mastering mana skin.
It was also a prerequisite for learning Mana Zone.
"Too bad I don't know the location of the Yultim Volcano strong magic region…"
"That place would be far more suitable for training mana skin—and it even has hot springs that improve the body. You could practically call it a secret realm."
Yuuki shook his head with a trace of regret.
Yultim Volcano—the strong magic region where Asta and the Crimson Lion Kings trained in the anime—was a place only Mereoleona knew at this point.
Setting that aside—
Yuuki looked at the violent lightning-filled region before him. Among all the strong magic zones he had found, this one was the most dangerous—and also one of the most suitable for mana skin training.
Recalling Mereoleona's state during their fight, Yuuki stood at the edge of the region, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, calming his mind.
A pale silver glow surfaced around his body, loose and unfocused—this was mana coating.
Under his precise control, the scattered silver light began to contract and condense.
Mana skin, as the name implied, wasn't simply covering oneself in mana. It formed a layer like real skin—a magical barrier that completely isolated the body from the outside world.
It pushed the mage toward a state closer to harmonizing with natural mana.
In normal environments, this state was difficult to grasp.
But in a strong magic region, where mana was chaotic and overwhelming, natural mana could be felt far more clearly—making it easier to shape and control mana skin.
Yuuki already excelled at mana control. Combined with Replication Magic, his perception of ambient mana far surpassed that of ordinary mages.
In an environment like this, he quickly found the key.
Only a short while later—
The previously diffuse silver mana around Yuuki instantly solidified. A clearly visible layer of silver light enveloped his entire body.
At the same time, his hair, which had been standing on end from static electricity, fell back into place.
The electrical currents clinging to his clothes were dispersed instantly.
"…Got it."
Yuuki opened his eyes and clenched his fist, feeling his current state.
Beyond the overall boost to his body, the influence of the strong magic region on him had been greatly reduced—as if he had suddenly adapted to the environment.
A smile appeared on Yuuki's face, but there was no trace of complacency.
Mana skin itself wasn't especially difficult. Once you found the key, it could be learned quickly—Yuno had mastered it in a very short time as well.
It was a technique that was easy to learn, but difficult to perfect.
To develop it to the level of Mereoleona—
That was something only a rare few could achieve.
(End of Chapter)
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