They had barely rounded the next street corner when familiar faces came into view—Yuno, Klaus, and Mimosa walking in formation, likely heading toward their next assignment. The moment Saru spotted them, his eyes lit up with mischief.
"Well, well, if it isn't Four-Eyes, Mr. 'Nothing-Bothers-Me', and... Mimosa!" Saru shouted gleefully as he waved with both arms and sprinted up.
Before anyone could respond, he flung himself at Mimosa, wrapping his arms around her in an overly familiar hug, and began nuzzling his cheek against hers.
"S-Saru-sama!" Mimosa squeaked as her face turned the color of a ripe tomato. Steam practically puffed from her ears as she stiffened, overwhelmed by the sudden physical contact.
"Eh? Why are you calling me Saru-sama?" Saru paused mid-rub, pulling back slightly with a quizzical tilt of his head. "Just call me Saru, you weirdo."
Unfortunately, his face was still far too close for her to hear clearly. She nodded absentmindedly, barely registering his words, eyes swirling in a daze of panic and butterflies.
"Hey, you stupid monkey! Quit clinging to people like that!" Noelle scolded, storming over and yanking Saru back by the collar of his cloak.
"But—but she's so soft," Saru pouted, immediately leaning onto Noelle's shoulder instead, shamelessly seeking another victim for comfort.
Noelle sighed. This was becoming a daily routine. He's like a stray animal. An absurdly powerful, misbehaved one... Still, despite his constant chaos, when things turned serious, Saru always came through. In critical moments, he was dependable. The rest of the time… she rubbed her temples. At least my parenting skills are improving, she thought with dry amusement, before sneaking a glance at Asta—and blushing all over again.
Klaus, meanwhile, had adjusted his glasses with his usual dignified flair, pressing the frame upward with the ring finger of his right hand. He fixed Saru with a scolding stare.
"It's rude to call people such names. You should address others with respect."
"Oh?" Saru blinked, then stuck out his tongue and started pulling childish faces at Klaus, contorting his cheeks, crossing his eyes, and puffing out his lips mockingly.
"Stop that at once!" Klaus snapped, the vein in his forehead beginning to throb.
Noelle had turned her attention back to Mimosa, who was still in a dazed state, cheeks flushed and hands clasped over her heart.
"Oi, Mimosa… what's gotten into you lately?" Noelle asked, narrowing her eyes. "You've been acting strange ever since we got back from the dungeon. You keep spacing out and turning red every time he's around."
"I-I-I don't know!" Mimosa stammered, flustered, eyes darting around in panic.
"Nothing, really! I just—" Her gaze flicked toward Saru again, who was now dangling from Noelle's arm while making exaggerated gagging motions at Klaus. Her heart did a strange flip.
"It's just…" Mimosa murmured, clutching her cheeks, her voice dropping to a dreamy whisper, "whenever I see Saru-sama, my chest starts to hurt… Ever since that day in the dungeon, he's all I've been thinking about…"
She trailed off, breathless. "Wh-What's the matter with me…?"
Noelle's eye twitched.
Asta blinked. "Huh? Chest pain? Maybe you should go see a doctor—"
"Not that kind of pain, you muscle-brained idiot!" Noelle snapped.
"But why him?" Noelle hissed in disbelief, turning to Mimosa with an accusing finger pointed directly at the grinning Saru, who was currently trying to balance a stick on his nose while Secre dozed atop his head. "He acts like a kid, he's overly clingy, a total trouble magnet, and he's always causing chaos!"
Mimosa simply giggled, blushing as she held her cheeks. "That's all part of his charm, hehehe~."
Noelle sighed and gave her a sideways glance. "If you say so…"
Just then, a warm, authoritative voice called out from ahead. "Hey! Over here!"
Everyone turned sharply toward the castle gates. Standing there with an unmistakable smile and a sparkle in his eyes was none other than Julius Novachrono—the Wizard King himself.
"Come on in, young people!" he said cheerfully, waving them forward like a friendly neighbor rather than the most powerful mage in the Clover Kingdom.
For a moment, nobody moved. Then Klaus gasped and dropped to one knee, head bowed in reverence. "L-Lord Julius?! I never dreamed you would meet us directly!"
"Who's the fancy guy?" Asta asked flatly, squinting.
"You FOOL! You are in the presence of the Wizard King! Lord Julius Novachrono!" Klaus bellowed, gesturing wildly with both arms as if the words themselves weren't enough to describe the awe one should feel.
"WHAAAAAAT?!" Asta shouted in shock, his jaw practically unhinging. Yuno's eyes widened too, momentarily surprised.
Saru, however, tilted his head and frowned. "Huh? What's so great about this guy? I just wanna beat him up."
Before anyone could stop him, Saru sprang into the air, aiming a spinning kick straight for Julius' face.
But Julius simply smiled.
He tilted his head slightly, the movement so casual it was like dodging a falling leaf. From seemingly nowhere, he produced a soft, golden pastry and gently placed it into Saru's open mouth mid-air.
Saru landed on his feet in a daze, the pastry now lodged between his teeth. He took one bite—chewed—and instantly melted. His expression softened as stars shimmered in his eyes.
"Mmmm… Nom… Nom… Bliss…" he mumbled dreamily, eyes fluttering closed as he savored the flavor.
Julius patted his head fondly. "There, there. Long time no see, Saru. How are you today?"
"Grrrr—don't pat my head. I'm not a kid!" Saru swatted Julius' arm halfheartedly before immediately returning to munching, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.
"Woah…" Asta blinked in amazement. "He really is the Wizard King… He tamed Saru in one move…"
Noelle gave him a sideways look. "Ugh… You're way too impressed."
"So cuuute…" Mimosa murmured with a dazed smile, her gaze locked on Saru, who was swaying side to side in pastry-fueled bliss.
Klaus, arms crossed and chin raised proudly, adjusted his glasses with a practiced flick of his finger. "Hmph. What did you expect? He is the strongest in the kingdom. No one can match him."
Yuno, meanwhile, said nothing. His gaze was locked on Julius with a blank expression—but his sharp eyes watched carefully, studying every detail.
'So this is the Wizard King…' he thought. 'I can't sense his magic at all. It's like staring into a still lake… No ripples. No presence. But I know that's not because he's weak…'
His fists clenched slightly at his sides.