At this moment—
Inside the tavern hall.
Yami picked up another skewer and continued eating, but his distracted demeanor was obvious—even without close observation.
"If the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun dared to launch a surprise attack on the royal capital, and even confront the Wizard King directly," Yuuki said calmly, tapping a finger lightly against the tabletop,
"then he must have prepared something beforehand."
"Otherwise, such reckless behavior wouldn't match the Eye of the Midnight Sun's usual methods. More likely than not, they've left themselves another hidden move."
Yuuki paused briefly before continuing.
"What I'm unsure about is the situation on the Royal Knights' side—those currently attacking the Eye of the Midnight Sun's base. If things go wrong there, do you need my help?"
Clack.
Yami casually set the empty skewer onto the table, then raised both arms and rested them behind his head, leaning back in his chair.
"The best help you can give me right now is staying right here and doing nothing."
"Don't underestimate the Magic Knights. Even though the Royal Knights—the strongest group—have been dispatched, every squad captain is still guarding their own territory. With trouble breaking out in the capital, they'll arrive soon enough."
His tone was relaxed, almost lazy.
Faced with Yami's clear lack of trust, Yuuki simply smiled helplessly.
"Still… don't you think the fight in the capital is dragging on a bit?"
Yuuki spoke lightly, but his words landed with weight.
Yami's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
From the moment mana erupted above the capital until now, barely a minute had passed.
Yet for a man who wielded Time Magic, even a minute was already too long.
That meant one thing—
Neither side had managed to overwhelm the other.
This clearly conflicted with the intelligence they had on Licht's combat strength.
"In truth," Yuuki continued,
"what you're really concerned about isn't the duration of the fight, is it?"
"After the last attack on the capital, there's no way Licht could slip into the city again without being detected—between observation magic, barrier spells, and the Magic Knights themselves."
Yuuki's tone was calm, analytical.
Yami's face remained expressionless.
"What are you getting at?"
"I just find it unlikely that Licht could simply march into the heart of the capital and immediately clash with the Wizard King."
Yuuki paused slightly, then spoke again.
"If he didn't break in from the outside, then there's only one remaining possibility."
"He was already inside the capital from the beginning—and held a very high position."
Yami's pupils constricted sharply.
The relaxed posture he'd been leaning into stiffened in an instant.
Yuuki, as if unaware of the change, continued speaking.
"Do you remember when I first learned how to use ki?" Yuuki said casually.
"To avoid being exposed by you—since you also use ki—I deliberately disguised my presence."
"If I could do that, then so could someone else."
"I've long suspected that Licht might be a major figure within the kingdom itself. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the royal and noble families, so I couldn't narrow it down."
Yuuki sighed lightly, sounding almost regretful.
Bang!
Yami suddenly stood up, spitting the cigarette from his mouth onto the floor.
"Tch!"
"Are you trying to lead me on, you brat, Yuuki?!"
Dark-purple mana surged violently from Yami's body.
A crushing pressure instantly flooded the tavern, rolling straight toward Yuuki.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Under the invisible shockwave, plates, bowls, and wine bottles throughout the tavern shattered on the spot.
Yet under that overwhelming pressure, Yuuki showed no sign of panic.
Instead, he smiled calmly and looked up at Yami.
"Looks like you've thought of something, Captain Yami."
Yami didn't respond—only stared at Yuuki coldly.
Several long seconds passed.
Only then did Yami withdraw his mana, the suffocating pressure dispersing into nothing.
"…Huh?"
Just as Yami was about to speak, his expression suddenly shifted. His eyes sharpened.
"Where are they?"
"Hmm? Who are you referring to?"
Yuuki blinked, seemingly confused.
"Mariella. Neige. Rebecca."
Yami spoke each name distinctly, his voice growing colder with every word.
He had been so focused on Yuuki—and on what Yuuki was saying—that he hadn't even noticed the three of them leaving.
That realization left Yami deeply irritated.
"Ah, them?" Yuuki said casually, shrugging.
"I had them leave ahead of time."
Yami's eyelids drooped slightly as he looked down at Yuuki.
"Sounds like you know something."
"I don't know anything at all," Yuuki replied immediately, shaking his head.
But under Yami's increasingly icy gaze, he quickly added—
"Even so, if you openly formed the Royal Knights, there's no way the Eye of the Midnight Sun would just sit back and do nothing."
"The capital is very likely about to face another large-scale battle. I simply had them withdraw from the capital in advance."
Yuuki explained patiently.
Yami clearly didn't believe him.
But at this point, he had no patience left to argue.
"Before, it was because of Asta."
"Now, I don't care what your goal really is."
"As long as you move even one meter away from me, I'll cut you down without hesitation."
"So, you'd better do nothing."
Yami spoke the last sentence slowly, deliberately—each word filled with resolve.
The next instant—
Boom!
Yami grabbed Yuuki by the shoulder and kicked off the ground, blasting straight out of the tavern.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his hand, Yami hurled his katana into the air. Dark magic wrapped around the blade, suspending it midair.
He then leapt onto it, dragging Yuuki along as they shot toward the center of the royal capital at high speed.
Looking at the tavern door—barely repaired before being blown open again—Yuuki's eyelid twitched slightly.
Still, faced with Yami's clearly hostile expression, Yuuki wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and let himself be carried along.
How could one ever feel at ease without witnessing the Wizard King's "death" firsthand?
Yuuki narrowed his eyes, thinking silently.
The howling wind roared past them.
As they drew closer to the capital's center, the two overwhelming mana signatures grew clearer and clearer.
They could already see flashes in the distance—
Brilliant light swords and light whips tearing through the air.
(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
Bonus Chapter at 2800 Powerstones.
We're 60 powerstones away from the goal.