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A/N: I am now actively proofreading too. Previously, after writing, I would just use Grammarly to make sure that all of my spellings are correct, so I hope you will like the chapter.
And please, I request you to drop reviews and power stones. I need them so that the reception of my novel becomes good and more people read it.
Have a great day.
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"Okay, kid, it is time."
*Inhales*
'Create a consistent water barrier'
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle"
Noelle shouted as she reached her palms out in front of her. Immediately, water near her from the sea started to coalesce and envelop all of the Black Bulls in a giant water bubble.
"Huff…huff…done…" Noelle said, slightly out of breath, looking back at Yami, who was standing with a relaxed demeanor.
"Whoaa! Noelle, that was amazing!" Asta commented with his usual over-the-top manner.
"Yes, Noelle has come a long way from the previous girl who used to squirt water here and there like a dog with a bladder problem." Wilhelm said in a haughty tone behind his calm face.
"Pfft…!!!" Magna, Luck, and Finral tried to silence their laughter at this abrupt comment, but were failing as time went on.
"Heh, nice one Mr. Creepy." Captain Yami said, patting Wilhelm's back as he walked forward a bit.
"Stop spouting nonsense! Do you have no shame? Making fun of a lady using these vulgar words!"
"There is a lady!? Where is she? Tell me! Tell me! I need to know!" Wilhelm said in mock excitement in response to Noelle's reply, which caused her to fluster in response.
"Now now, let's stop fighting here and get back on our mission." Vanessa interjected but her amused expression did not fit clearly with her words.
"Umu, we also need to find fish too. Ehehe~ fish roll…fish fry…fish nuggets." Charmy said with a trail of drool flowing down her cheek.
"…"
But Noelle instead kept on looking at Wilhelm for a while, at which he just gave her a fake smile.
Then, with a "Hmph!" she turned around and waved her hand around. *THRP*
With a characteristic sound of shifting rocks beneath their feet, the water barrier surrounding them started to move forward with them inside of it, and finally under the water.
*TWOOP*
Like a knife cutting through butter, the cradle moved through the water.
"Umm…Captain Yami?"
"What?" Yami drawled in response to Asta.
"Where is that…umm…Seabed Temple?"
"…"
"Captain Yami, you do know where Seabed Temple is, right?" Finral asked, sweating from his brows as he stepped forward for the sake of Noelle who looked shaken at the lack of reply and was dreading the reply.
"Of course, I know it."
Noelle brightened.
"Where is it?" Finral asked with relief.
"Under the water."
Noelle dulled.
"That is not a proper location." Noelle shouted.
"Poor sod." Wilhelm said, clicking his tongue in the distance, standing with Vanessa and Luck.
"I think it is a talent that you don't mean anything you say." Vanessa commented, barely a whisper.
"You are making me blush." Wilhelm replied in his same pretentious tone. A bit more today than usual.
"Were you blushing too when I was beating you, or were you just bruised?" Luck quipped from the side, which made Wilhelm's gaudy smile twitch in response.
"I also remember the way you were acting like a docile cat when Noelle was looking after you." Vanessa said with a smug grin.
His smile twitched further.
"Yeah! A grown as* man acting like that, not cool!" Magna also butted into the conversation.
Smile twitched further…er.
"Hmm...let's keep the rain check on that thought, the girl who puked into a urinal & slipped into that urinal headfirst, the guy who walked naked from the gambling den to the squad, and the guy for whom I can definitely say something against but I am not going to say because it would be going way too far. You know what, I will say it. An unwanted retard!"
"…"
…
In a similar manner, they traveled further downward, and despite what Yami said, he did seem to know of the rough location of the seabed temple.
They kept on moving until they stopped in front of a gigantic, turbulent barrier of water.
"So I guess we are finally at the right place." Yami muttered at the sight.
"Wait, how are we supposed to pass through here?" Finral asked.
"With fire and guts!" Magna entered the conversation.
"Your fire is useless against it!" Finral shot him down.
"With lightning and punches!"
"Your hand will break before you can touch it!"
"With Asta."
"Wha-AAAAAHHH!!!!" Asta shouted at the top of his lungs as Yami took him over his shoulder and hurled him toward the water barrier like a dart. And surprisingly…this worked out.
"CAPT-"
*SHRRRP*
"-AINN!!!"
*THUD*
With a loud thud, Asta tore through the water barrier and crashed onto the ground with a loud thud.
"A..rgh…" An audible groan escaped Asta as he slowly got up from the ground.
*WOOSH*
"I didn't think that this would work." Vanessa said as she stepped out of the Water Cradle that Noelle led through the tear in the water barrier.
*ZOOM*
"Neither did I." Wilhelm said as he stepped out of the portal he created.
"Why did you not do this, if you could have since the beginning?" Noelle said as she leveled her breath.
"Because Asta cut the barrier, which allowed the use of Spatial Magic." Wilhelm replied with such honesty that everyone believed it.
"Whoaaa!!!! Look at that castle!!"
"It is not a castle! You idiot!!"
"How would a country bumpkin like you would know?"
"Well…because…"
"That's what I thought!!"
Asta, Magna, and Luck discussed within themselves. Each acting as if they knew better than the other, when none of them knew a thing.
"How don't they get…tired?" Finral said, himself getting tired just by seeing the trio.
"Well…guess that is one of the advantages of being…simple-minded." Vanessa suggested trying to find a proper word for them.
"You meant to say retard?" Wilhelm said with the self-control of a bull in a China shop.
"I didn't say that." Vanessa said keeping her finger on her lower lip. Noelle, who was seeing the interaction between them with a narrow eye, became a subject of attention of Finral.
'The Hell!!! What happened to Noelle!?! Is this what a girl in love looks like!?!' Finral screamed through his eyes, but Wilhelm ignored it.
Just like he ignored Noelle's stare.
'Yup, not dealing with this one. Leave the problem untouched and either it will resolve itself or become someone else's problem. Someone else's…other than me.'
Wilhelm thought, with his belief reinforced when Yami spoke, bringing everyone out of their reverie.
"If all of you had had enough of it, then let's move out of this place and complete our mission. It smells like fish all around." Yami said as he casually waved his palm in front of his nose.
"EHh! But we just reached here!! There is so much to do here. I have to get seashells for sister Li-"
"The faster we go, the more time you will have to eat. Treat is on me."
"YOSHHAAAAA!!!!! LET'S GO!!!!"
"FOR THE CHICKEN!!!"
"FOR THE CHICKEN!!!"X2
Suddenly, not only Luck and Magna, but Asta's hair too started to float in the air.
"How is it possible? Asta doesn't even have magic." Noelle said in exasperation.
"Never question the retards Noelle…never question the retards." Wilhelm replied as if it was supposed to explain everything, and much to Noelle's surprise…it did.
"Good to see that all of you are pumped. Now…move."
…
Soon, the Black Bulls made their way into the Underwater Temple, with Asta, Noelle, Magna, Grey, Vanessa, and Charmy moving like children in an arcade, while the rest of the members, particularly Yami, Wilhelm, Finral, Gordon, and Luck were vigilant, keeping in mind of their surroundings.
This kept on going until…
"Captain…" Wilhelm muttered.
"I noticed them too…They are observing us for now. Don't give any obvious indication." Yami replied back which was heard by those who remained vigilant.
Without any outward acknowledgment, everyone nodded internally, with Wilhelm, who created an illusion, slipped away from the eyes of all.
This kept on going until…Black Bulls finally reached a place with several structures with weird designs that suggested their purpose to be one of dwelling.
It was then…that the people following decided to come out.
Suddenly, a crowd that was hiding behind the building appeared and quickly surrounded them from all sides.
Seeing them gathering, Wilhelm, along with Luck, tensed up while Finral readied his magic at the tip of his fingers.
"All…these people? Who are they?" Asta asked with his voice floating around the group, but no one replied to his question and were observing the people that surrounded them with impassive faces that had hints of question in their eyes.
This caused the tension to rise in the atmosphere until…
"Hey, look at those robes!!!"
…it was broken by a stray comment.
"Yeah!! Those belong to Magic Knights."
"Magic Knights?? Are you sure?!!"
"Yeah!!!"
"Look at that man!! He looks so scary…"
"Those hairs are too red. Are they natural?"
"Doesn't that boy look too young?"
"That one looks like a hooligan."
"Nah, they look cool."
Such comments started to float around in the air which broke the tension in the atmosphere, so much so that Wilhelm could not help but scrunch his face in confusion.
'Eh!? That was anti-climactic.' Wilhelm thought as he could not help but shake off that weird feeling that seemed to gnaw at his side, just like when a peaceful moment appears in a horror movie.
But keeping his feelings to himself, Wilhelm kept on observing the people who started to compliment and dart around the Black Bulls like an animal.
A pair of women and a single man, all of whom appeared to be in their early 20s, approached his illusion too with undisguised excitement.
"Your hair looks really smooth, what do you use?" One of the women asked.
"A blend of milk, honey, and a bottle of unique flower extracts."
"Is that hair color natural?"
"Yes, it is."
"What type of magic do you have?"
"Fire magic."
"Oh, fire magic? Suits your hair color."
"Thanks." 'I wish I could say the same about you' He thought looking at the woman who had blue hair.
To him, blue hair was synonymous with a girl with daddy issues.
And in similar fashion, the natives of the Water Temple overwhelmed by the questions of the people, Wilhelm answered them all until Captain Yami bellowed.
"Oi!! Where is the way to the boss of the temple here?"
"Captain Yami!! You almost sound like a gangster. This is not going to make a good impression on the people here." Asta said, acting as the voice of reason.
"Oi…you want to meet the boss of this place, eh? It is right up there." The man in front of Yami replied in a tone similar to his.
"Oi, you there, I can get you up there if you want." Another man said mimicking Yami.
'It caught on!!!' Asta shouted internally, seeing the disease spreading.
''Then lead the way." Yami said in his gruff voice hearing which the people nodded and started to lead the Black Bulls up the flight of stairs…to the place of next confrontation.