Early morning, at the plaza of the town below the castle.
This vast square lay close to the royal capital, a place usually reserved for grand festivals or major public announcements. Now, it was packed to the brim with people.
The entire plaza was wrapped in a heavy silence. Countless gazes converged on the raised platform ahead.
Yuuki stood among the crowd alongside Rebecca.
Rebecca clasped her hands at her chest in prayer, worry faintly written across her cheeks.
Yuuki, on the other hand, gazed calmly toward the distant platform. Standing there were eight Magic Knight Captains—and at the very center, a single figure who drew every eye present.
Short golden hair. A crimson robe. Over it, a pure white cloak fastened with golden chains and adorned with several insignias representing the highest honor of the Clover Kingdom.
The Wizard King—Julius Novachrono.
Yuuki's eyes settled on that figure, his gaze deepening ever so slightly.
This was his first time truly seeing Julius in person. He simply hadn't expected it to be under circumstances like these.
After the royal capital had suffered such a devastating attack, it was only natural for the Wizard King and the captains of the Magic Knight Squads—those charged with protecting the capital—to step forward, offer an explanation, and soothe the public's fear.
That was precisely why citizens from all the surrounding towns had gathered here today.
Yuuki swept his eyes across the plaza, taking in the subtle shifts in the crowd's emotions, and let out a soft chuckle.
The moment the Magic Knight Captains and the Wizard King appeared before them, the fear left behind by the attack had already eased considerably.
"Thank goodness… after something so terrifying, the Magic Knights and the Wizard King are all safe."
"I was really worried, honestly."
"Those people who attacked the capital must've waited until most of the Magic Knights were away before launching their sneak attack."
"…."
Quiet murmurs rippled through the crowd, most faces visibly relaxing as they spoke.
Rebecca exhaled as well, tension draining from her shoulders.
"The captains really are all right…"
"Don't worry," Yuuki replied with a faint smile. "These captains aren't the sort to be taken down so easily."
"Huh?" Rebecca suddenly noticed something and leaned closer, whispering, "There are only eight captains. Why isn't the 'Crimson Lion King' here?"
"There's probably something more important keeping him occupied," Yuuki said calmly, glancing up at the platform.
The news of Fuegoleon's severe injuries and coma had clearly been sealed away. After all, he was one of the kingdom's strongest mages—if that information got out, it would only fuel panic among the populace.
"The invasion of the royal capital is a grave matter," the Wizard King's voice rang out, carried by magic so that every person in the plaza could hear it clearly.
"As the Wizard King, I bear responsibility that cannot be shirked."
"This incident was an attack carried out by anti-kingdom terrorist mages."
"..."
The tone was filled with apology and remorse.
In short, the event was being officially defined and explained—so formal, in fact, that it gave Yuuki the odd sensation of listening to a briefing from his past life.
The message was simple enough: the invading mages had been repelled; the kingdom would repair and compensate for the damages; as for why Fuegoleon hadn't appeared, it was brushed aside with a brief explanation before swiftly changing the subject.
Yuuki had little interest in the speech itself. Some of it was true, some of it wasn't—but it was all meant to pacify the masses. He understood the reality of the situation far better than most.
What truly caught his attention were a few other things.
His gaze first settled on William Vangeance, captain of the Golden Dawn. William stood there calmly, but Yuuki's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Without releasing his sealed magic, Licht had fought three captains at once. Even if he managed to retreat in the end, it was impossible for him to have escaped completely unscathed.
Yuuki strongly suspected that the "William" standing there right now might actually be Rhya, disguised through imitation magic.
If that was the case, then Yami's ability to sense ki truly was more suited to combat. And after everything that had happened, Yami was probably already looking for a way to get in touch with him.
And lastly—
The person Yuuki was most wary of: the Wizard King, Julius Novachrono.
A flicker of light passed through Yuuki's eyes, and a smile suddenly curled at the corner of his lips.
So it seems that even the future foreseen by time magic isn't always that accurate.
About ten minutes later, the Wizard King and the captains began to withdraw one after another.
After breaking into cheers, the crowd also started to disperse. With the Wizard King's personal reassurance, the gloomy atmosphere from earlier had lifted entirely, replaced by a sense of ease.
Walking among the people, Yuuki felt the shift in mood and grew thoughtful.
He suddenly realized that the title of "Wizard King" carried far more unifying power than he had imagined. In a society divided by rigid class lines, the Wizard King functioned almost like a lubricant, easing the friction between nobles and commoners.
"To separate the embodiment of prestige—the 'Wizard King'—from royal authority… without harming the interests of the royal family and nobility, yet still giving the people hope," Yuuki mused silently.
"That's an ingenious system."
"The First Wizard King, Lumiere, wasn't just powerful—his political acumen was exceptional as well."
The more Yuuki thought about it, the clearer it became: simply overthrowing the Clover Kingdom to eliminate class divisions would be nothing more than brute force—and might even backfire.
The so-called ideal nation the Eye of the Midnight Sun claimed to pursue felt increasingly hollow to him.
He was certain that, throughout the kingdom's history, there had been others who sought change. Yet from the present state of affairs, all of them had clearly failed.
What did the Wizard King represent?
In Yuuki's eyes, it was "hope."
And the ownership of that so-called hope still firmly rested in the hands of the royal family and the nobility.
If one truly wanted those lofty nobles and royals—who treated commoners and peasants like livestock or filthy insects—to feel fear, then overwhelming power alone wouldn't be enough.
You would need to light a fire.
"Another fire called 'hope.'"
Yuuki murmured to himself as he watched the dense crowd leave the plaza.
Then he shook his head.
What he sought was freedom—and the safety of the family and friends at his side. Troublesome ideals like that could be left to others.
Still, Yuuki wouldn't mind hanging a Sword of Damocles over the heads of those royals and nobles.
"What are you thinking about?" Rebecca asked, walking beside him with a curious expression as she glanced his way.
"Nothing much," Yuuki replied, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "It's just a shame. After something this big, I thought the king himself might show up."
"Oh—shh!" Rebecca quickly lowered her voice, darting a glance around before leaning closer, her tone tinged with gossip.
"I've heard the king and the Wizard King don't get along very well. They rarely appear together."
"So that's how it is," Yuuki said, looking surprised before breaking into a smile.
"Well, something like this doesn't really concern us anyway. Since the Wizard King says there won't be any more attacks, we can move up the tavern's opening."
Rebecca's face lit up. "If that's the case, that's wonderful."
"Then let's head back and start getting ready," Yuuki said, stretching lazily as he relaxed.
Rebecca looked at him, smiling as well—but a trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes, as if something weighed on her mind.
Yuuki walked ahead, while Rebecca lagged a step behind, gazing at his back with a look of unspoken thoughts.
(End of Chapter)
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