The wind rustled through the courtyard, carrying the distant sounds of celebration from the capital. Lencar looked at Yuno. He respected Yuno's perception. The boy was a genius, not just in mana, but in intuition.
Lencar sighed, letting a soft, wistful smile touch his lips. It was a calculated expression—Expression Set 4: The Reluctant Son.
"You always were sharp, Yuno," Lencar said quietly. "I can't hide much from you."
"Why?" Yuno pressed. "You have the power. You could have joined the Crimson Lions or the Silver Eagles. You could have stood on that stage."
"And then what?" Lencar asked, his voice dropping. "I join a squad. I get sent to the border. I fight the Diamond Kingdom. I fight terrorists. Every day is a roll of the dice on whether I live or die."
Yuno frowned. "That is the duty of a Magic Knight. To protect the Kingdom."
"I know," Lencar nodded. "And it's a noble duty. For you. For Asta." He looked up at the moon, which was just starting to rise. "But... my parents are old, Yuno. I'm not an orphan like you and Asta. I have a mother who worries if I scrape my knee. I have a father who worked himself to the bone in those fields."
Lencar pushed off the pillar, walking slowly toward Yuno. "Before I left, my mother grabbed my hand. She was crying. She told me, 'Lencar, please don't try too hard. Please don't be a hero. Just come back to us alive.'"
Lencar looked Yuno in the eye. "I failed because I chose to. If I join a squad, I put myself in the line of fire. I put myself in a position where I might leave them alone in this world. I don't want to make them sad, Yuno. The reason I learned magic... the reason I trained... was to make their lives easier, not to break their hearts by dying in some ditch for a King I've never met."
It was a lie wrapped in the skin of the truth. Lencar did care for his parents in this world, but they were not the reason he was avoiding the knights. He was avoiding them because he needed to become a monster before he could become a hero. But to Yuno, who cherished the family he had at the church above all else, this reasoning was a critical hit.
Yuno's expression softened. The suspicion drained away, replaced by a complicated mix of disappointment and understanding. He thought of Father Orsi. He thought of Sister Lily. He thought of how they cried when he left.
"I see," Yuno said softly. "You chose your family over your ambition."
"Is that so wrong?" Lencar asked.
Yuno closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. They were clear. "No. It's not wrong. It's... kind. You're a kind person, Lencar."
Lencar suppressed the urge to laugh. If only you knew, Yuno. I am about to go hunt a man and steal his soul.
"But," Yuno continued, his voice firming up. "I don't believe that's the end of it."
"Oh?"
Yuno stepped closer, the height difference negligible, but Yuno's presence towering. "You say you don't want to be a Knight. You say you want to be safe. But I look at you, and I don't see a coward. I see someone who is holding back a storm."
Yuno extended his fist. "Will you stop? Will you stop training? Will you stop getting stronger just because you aren't wearing a robe?"
Lencar stared at the fist. He smiled. This time, the smile was genuine. It was the smile of a predator recognizing another apex creature.
"If I said yes," Lencar whispered, "would you believe me?"
Yuno smirked—a rare, small thing. "No."
"Smart answer."
"I'm going to the Golden Dawn," Yuno said, pulling his fist back. "I'm going to become the strongest. I'm going to become the Wizard King. And even if you aren't in a squad... I know you're going to be climbing your own mountain."
Yuno turned to walk away, his cape billowing. He paused one last time. "You are still my rival, Lencar. Along with Asta. Don't think you can escape that just by failing an exam."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Lencar replied.
"Tell Asta," Yuno called back over his shoulder, "that I'm going ahead of him."
And with that, the wind carried him away, toward the noble district, toward his destiny.
Lencar watched him go. "You go ahead, Yuno. I prefer the back roads."
A moment later, the sound of frantic running echoed from the hallway.
"WAAAAH! I FEEL SO MUCH LIGHTER!"
Asta burst into the courtyard, adjusting his belt. "Man! That was a close one! I thought I was gonna explode!" He looked around, his eyes wide. "Huh? Where's Yuno? Did he leave already?!"
Lencar stepped into the light. "He just left, Asta."
"Lencar!" Asta ran over, grinning. "Did you see him? Did he say anything? Is he cool?"
"He's cool," Lencar nodded. "He blocked a snake, scared off a jerk, and left a message for you."
Asta leaned in, serious. "What did he say?"
"He said," Lencar paused for effect, " 'Tell Asta I will go ahead of him.'"
Asta froze. His face went blank. Then, a massive grin split his face.
"HEH! THAT JERK!" Asta pumped his fist. "He thinks he can just leave me in the dust?! I'm gonna catch up so fast he won't even see me coming! I'm in the Black Bulls now! I'm gonna work harder than anyone!"
Asta stopped jumping and looked at Lencar. He seemed to realize something. "Wait... Lencar. You... didn't get picked."
"Nope," Lencar said casually.
"Why?" Asta asked. It was the same question as Yuno, but asked with pure, unfiltered curiosity. "You're strong. You beat me in the tournament. You're way smarter than me. Why didn't any hands go up?"
Lencar looked at Asta. He couldn't use the "sad parents" speech on Asta. Asta would just yell about how making parents proud is the best thing ever. Asta operated on simple, absolute truths.
"I have my reasons, Asta," Lencar said, placing a hand on Asta's shoulder. "The Magic Knights... they have rules. They have paths you have to follow. I've never been good at following maps that other people draw."
Asta tilted his head. "So... you're gonna be a mage your own way?"
"Something like that."
"Are you gonna stop?" Asta asked, his eyes intense. "Are you gonna stop getting strong?"
"Never," Lencar replied instantly. "I will keep advancing. I will keep optimizing. And one day, when you look to your side, I'll be there."
Asta stared at him for a second, then laughed. "GOOD! I accept no less from someone who defeated me! If you got weak, I'd be mad!"
Asta turned toward the direction of the Black Bulls' base. "I gotta go! Captain Yami said if I'm late he'll kill me! See ya, Lencar! Don't slack off!"
"See you, Asta."
Lencar watched the loud, magicless boy sprint into the night.
Now, he was alone. The courtyard was empty. The exam was over. The protagonists were on their rails.