"…Mrs. Silva…?"
In the silent dungeon room, Will's whisper rang clearly in everyone's ears.
Colette turned to him in surprise the moment the name left his lips.
"W-Will, you know this lady?" This very pretty lady…
The Earth Princess couldn't hide the slight anxiety creeping into her voice as she looked between Will and the silver-haired woman standing above them on the cliff.
Feeling the weight of everyone's eyes shifting from the woman to himself, Will nearly broke into a cold sweat trying to form a coherent reply.
"Y-yeah, she's my—"
"I'm his guardian."
The silver-haired woman cut in smoothly, reclaiming everyone's attention as she stepped off the towering cliff.
Colette let out a breath of relief.
The woman was the only one who noticed, her brow twitched.
A heartbeat later, her slender frame shimmered with a silver-misty aura. Levitation magic turned her fall into a graceful descent as she landed silently in front of a near-panicking Will.
To everyone's surprise, her gaze fell not on Will, but on Professor Workner.
"At least one of them," she said, offering him a polite nod.
The magizoology and wind magic professor blinked in mild surprise as realization settled over him.
Does Will sneak off all the time to see her…?
Suppressing the question on his face, Workner returned her nod—both respectful and subtly grateful for protecting his ward and the other students.
Not everyone shared that gratitude.
Professor Edward, standing beside Workner, raised his wand and pointed it at her.
"You think that explanation suffices? Identify yourself! You are clearly not affiliated with the academy. Are you a Colorless from the Tower? A Watcher? State your name and affiliation—"
"Professor Edward!"
He froze mid-sentence as Workner grabbed his arm, forcefully lowering the wand. His expression was tight with restrained frustration.
"Calm yourself…" Workner nearly hissed.
Edward shot him a glare but held back. With a sharp exhale, he reluctantly pocketed the wand.
Still, his eyes remained locked on the woman, impatient and demanding.
She could feel the pressure from every direction and finally spoke—voice cold, precise, and elegant as a noble.
"My name is Noelle Silva. I am currently a citizen of Urbus Rigarden. I hold no formal affiliation with your academy or the Tower. Should you wish to verify my identity, you may send word to Terralis, my birthplace—my friends and family there will vouch for me."
Will blinked. Mrs. Silva is from the Western City…? I never knew that.
None of them noticed the faint flicker in Aaron's eyes at the mention of Terralis.
Edward's expression darkened even further. "Do you truly expect me to be satisfied with such an answer?"
"Of course," Noelle replied without hesitation.
The former Magia Vander candidate looked seconds away from exploding, but before he could, Workner stepped in front of him. He wore a friendly smile, raising his hands in a calming gesture.
"Now, now… Mrs. Silva, was it…?"
Noelle gave a nod.
Workner's smile softened. "Edward here is just very… enthusiastic and passionate about the safety of our students."
Will, Colette, Sion, Julius, Lihanna, and Wignall all blinked in unison. Huh? Him? Passionate about us?
If Workner noticed, he gave no sign—either unaware or choosing to ignore it as he kept smiling.
"He's simply concerned about your presence. This dungeon falls under the jurisdiction of the academy and the Upper Institute, which, as you've stated, you're not affiliated with."
"So, could you please explain how and why you're here?"
"And what exactly is the extent of your relation to Serfort?" Edward added sharply from behind him.
Noelle's expression darkened, clearly unamused, but she complied anyway. Crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently, she answered his second question first.
"My husband is Will's swordsmanship instructor. He took him under his wing not long after you first tried to get him expelled six years ago, and he's been under our care ever since."
She gave Edward a pointed glare, equally annoyed.
He snorted. "You're married to a dwarf?"
The disdain in his voice was impossible to miss.
Sion and Julius glanced Noelle up and down.
What a waste…
It wasn't just about her beauty. Prejudice made them associate dwarves with filth and crudeness. In Paradise, interspecies marriage was so rare and so frowned upon that it was practically unheard of.
If a Lyzance did marry outside their race, it was usually an elf—driven by their obsession with magic. But even most elves considered Lyzance beneath them, and wouldn't stoop so low.
A vein twitched on Noelle's forehead as she glared at Edward with unrestrained fury. Her mana surged, crackling in the air.
She looked like a volcano moments away from eruption.
"First of all, there is nothing wrong with being a dwarf. Second—although my husband may be short by our standards, he is very human."
The air shifted.
Everyone stiffened as the ground beneath their feet began to dampen. Water welled up, inching toward their ankles.
Will gulped and tried to move, desperate to calm her down—but thankfully, she hadn't lost control.
Before the water reached their knees, it vanished, fading back into the air.
Edward narrowed his eyes.
This woman is very dangerous. At the very least… adjutant level.
"A sword? Your husband's human and wields a sword?" His sneer curled. "Don't tell me he's magicless too."
The mockery was biting—both rhetorical and sarcastic.
Will fought to keep his anxiety hidden, while Noelle simply snorted, sidestepping the very accurate implication with practiced ease.
"There was a time when we Lyzance used swords before wands. Don't act so surprised."
She wasn't wrong.
Two girls standing in the group were living proof of that.
Lihanna Owezaus came from a lineage of knights. Once, her family had worn heavy armor and carried massive swords into battle.
As lightning mages, they had relied on speed. But when enchantments became mainstream—removing the need for speed-type magical beasts—and magecraft evolved to let them shape blades from magic, they abandoned the armor, blades, and steeds that once defined them.
As for Colette… it wasn't a coincidence that two of her family's secret spells allowed her to craft not just swords, but a whole arsenal of weapons.
Noelle all but spat at the Dark Viper Mage as she spread her arms wide in mock obedience.
"Just treat my husband as the old-fashioned type. Satisfied now?"
Edward clearly wasn't. His sneer deepened.
"Was it him putting foolish ideas into Serfort's head? If so, I suggest he stop. A sword can never best a w—"
"Yet Will has, countless times," Noelle interrupted coolly.
To Edward's increasing irritation, she then proceeded to ignore him entirely, turning her attention to Workner—and Workner alone.
"As for why I'm here—your academy wasn't exactly quiet about the ruckus down here. So I came to find Will and make sure he was safe."
"Mrs. Silva…" Will, still lying flat on the ground, paralyzed and stunned, looked up at her. His eyes shimmered, visibly moved.
Workner, however, remained skeptical.
"I don't mean to sound doubtful, but Mrs. Silva, I find it hard to believe you reached Will and the others before us. We were already inside the dungeon when the stampede began."
Noelle tilted her head toward Will's right hand, gesturing to the ring he wore.
"I gave that to him."
The other students glanced at Will, eyes widening.
It was from her? Then… that remote circle from earlier—was she the one who made it?
Noelle went on, unaware of their thoughts.
"It has several functions. One of them is that it's magically linked to mine, allowing me to track him."
A matching ring on her left hand lit up, casting a soft glow as it projected a map of their exact location.
"As you can see, it's far more accurate than a Carbuncle's mental relay."
"Mreow…" Kiki let out a small, pitiful sound and curled into a tight ball, visibly ashamed and dejected.
Noelle resisted the urge to scoop the familiar up, hug her, and apologize.
Instead, she continued speaking.
"The moment Will fell to the eleventh floor, I knew something was wrong and rushed here at full speed. I believe you two had to rescue several students along the way, so that's probably why I arrived shortly before you."
Edward snorted—this time with reluctant, begrudging acknowledgment.
Workner, however, only grew more puzzled.
Questions pressed on his mind.
How did she possess such a detailed map of the dungeon?
Where had that ring come from? He'd never seen anything like it—aside from the Caulis panel in the tower.
But he kept those questions to himself, wary of prompting another round of accusations from Edward. Instead, he focused on the one that mattered most.
"If I haven't said it already, Mrs. Silva, I'm very grateful you came to my student's aid. But there's one last thing I must ask."
Noelle held back a sigh and nodded again.
Workner took a slow breath. His tone turned serious.
"As mentioned before, the dungeon is property of the academy and tower. How did you get inside?"
Will tensed.
Noelle answered truthfully.
"It was a matter of importance. Forgive me, but I had no choice but to trespass through the academy entrance—"
"That's not what I mean," Workner cut her off, his voice sharp.
She blinked in surprise.
Edward, eyes narrowing, picked up where Workner left off.
"The only individuals allowed entry into the dungeon besides members of the academy or tower are either those granted formal clearance from Rigarden personnel… or illegal intruders."
He stepped forward.
"So? Which one are you?"
The air grew heavy with tension.
Surprisingly, a look of relief passed over Will's face.
Noelle reached for her waist, making the students and professors stiffen. The high mages watching from above began to move.
"Relax. I'm just getting my papers," she muttered.
From her shoulder-slung satchel, she pulled out a scroll.
Without a word, she handed it to Workner.
He took it with mild surprise and slowly unrolled it.
Edward leaned over to read it, and for a brief moment, both men paused. Their eyes widened—just slightly.
Then Edward snorted again and looked away.
Workner rolled the scroll back up and handed it back with an apologetic smile.
"Forgive the interrogation, Mrs. Silva. If Headmaster Caldron has vouched for you, then you have every right to be here."
Noelle gave a curt nod and slipped the scroll back into her bag.
The other students stared at her curiously.
She ignored them.
For a moment, silence returned.
The awkward kind—everyone standing still, unsure of what to do next.
Noelle sighed. She was just about to lift Will over her shoulder when movement stirred again.
From above.
With Aaron and the small cloaked figure in the lead, the Light Faction floated down toward the ground using levitation magic, descending much like Noelle had earlier.
Everyone instinctively began to prepare to kneel again—until one striking figure among the group stepped forward.
He was the only one unmasked besides Oldking and the cloaked individual, and he offered a warm smile.
"There's no need for that. Let's get you children fixed up, shall we?" he said gently.
Before long, Wignall's curiosity got the better of him. He pointed a shaky finger at the man.
"W-why is an elf with the Light Faction?"
The question drew everyone's attention to the figure in question. Even Noelle had to force herself to look surprised.
Thankfully, Will's too weak to use Ki right now, she thought, so he won't notice the lie.
Since their arrival in Paradise, elves had kept mostly to themselves in Alfswood. The few outside it—those in Urbus Rigarden or the Tower—were all part of the Fairy Faction, which was exclusively elven.
Even Wignall, once he graduated, wouldn't join the Wind Faction like other wind-users. He'd join his people's faction by default.
No other faction scouted elves. It wasn't just because they'd likely be rejected out of sheer arrogance—it was because elves rarely affiliated with anyone outside their own.
And yet, here stood an elf in the uniform of Masterias Noah.
He wore a patch over his right eye, and strange reddish markings—tattoos or something similar—encircled them as well as dotted his forehead.
Smiling calmly at Wignall, the elf said, "Well, our people can be quite stuck-up and arrogant, wouldn't you say? I find myself far more at peace with this company here."
Julius and Sion already liked him a thousand times more than Wignall.
Wignall, however, was fixated on something else entirely.
"W-wait, that's not what I meant…"
The elf tilted his head with an amused smile. "Oh? Then what do you mean?"
Wignall hesitated. "S-sir… sorry, what's your name?"
"Patri," the elf answered simply.
Part of him found it strange to be addressed so formally by someone twice his age, but he didn't bother correcting the misunderstanding.
After all, elves in his world—though long-lived—matured at the same pace as humans.
Patri was thirty-three years old, and mentally no different than a human of the same age.
Wignall on the other hand, despite being seventy-five, only had the mental maturity of a fifteen-year-old.
In that sense, Patri really was older.
Wignall chewed on his lip, voice cautious. "Sir Patri… you use Light Magic?"
Patri, already knowing where this was going, nodded with a faint, unreadable smile.
"I wouldn't be part of the Light Faction if I didn't."
With few exceptions, all factions only scout and accept members who share their attribute.
The only outliers are rare talents that certain factions want to give a second chance, or individuals admitted due to special connections—despite not meeting the standards of their rightful faction.
Even then, the latter is extremely rare. The Tower prioritizes ability and merit above all else.
Masterias Noah was the Light Faction—a group with a uniquely exalted place in the magical world.
It was the only Tower faction to have held a seat on the Magia Vander without interruption since the days of the Mage Queen.
That was because Light Magic was deeply revered in Paradise.
Not only was it essential to power the Great Barrier and sustain the false sky, but it was also incredibly rare. So few were born with the light attribute that the Light Faction functioned less like a typical faction and more like the personal guard of Aaron and his predecessors.
Light mages were precious. Protected not only by the Tower, but by the world itself.
They were one of the only exceptions permitted to join the Tower regardless of whether they met graduation or promotion standards.
So of course it made sense that Patri was a member of the Light Faction, right?
Wrong.
Wignall's hands clenched. "B-but that's impossible. H-how can an elf use Light Magic?!"
Everyone—save the members of Masterias Noah—froze. Their expressions twisted with disbelief.
Once again, Noelle had to feign shock alongside them.
Elves were widely known as the most powerful and gifted race in Paradise.
Many were Multos—individuals capable of wielding multiple attributes. And thanks to their long lives, they had the time to master them. Something Lyzance could only dream of.
Paired with their unique Illusion Magic, elves saw themselves as unquestionably superior.
But there were two things they could never do.
And no, it wasn't about lacking night vision—they had plenty of magical ways around that.
It was that they were born without two specific attributes.
The world began with darkness. And then came light.
They were known as the Primordial and Final Elements.
And no known elf in recorded history had ever wielded either.
Why? No one knew for certain. Scholars speculated that—dwarves—pitiful as they are, aside—the heavens were impartial to all life. That to compensate for Lyzance's short lifespans, the gods had granted them this unique power alone.
But one truth was widely accepted:
Only humans could wield Light and Darkness.
And yet, here stood an elf…
Patri grinned playfully. "Who knows? Maybe I'm special?"
Noelle rolled her eyes—thankfully unnoticed—while Wignall stood slack-jawed, unable to process what he was seeing.
He wasn't the most social elf, but he did know anyone of importance within his race. And there was no way someone like this could exist without word spreading.
If there were an elf capable of wielding Light Magic, his people would've never shut up about it. They'd trumpet it to the heavens—"See? There's nothing lowly humans can do that we cannot."
As for Darkness, most elves viewed it as a heretical power. They wouldn't want it, even if they could use it. Among his people, it was considered a sign of evil and corruption unique to the Lyzance.
Just another so-called sign of elven superiority. Another reason they believed themselves to be the most perfect race beneath the gods.
Patri didn't say anything more. He simply reached into his sleeve and drew a long white wand.
It still felt unnatural—stifling, even—to cast magic through a medium like this. But if he wanted to blend in, he had little choice but to follow the bare minimal standards.
The humans of his world weren't the only ones who had changed upon arriving in Paradise.
Just as they had mutated to resemble the Lyzance, Patri—and what few of his clansmen remained, given that Vetto and Rhya were gone—had transformed as well.
Their forms had shifted to match the elves of this world.
Which was odd, considering Paradise wasn't their home. But Patri had long since chalked it up to one last miracle brought about by that shogun's final words.
"Paradise is a place where you all will bloom anew!"
Or something along those lines.
His already long lifespan had extended even further, leaving him feeling and appearing more youthful than ever.
And most importantly…
"Elysia!"
He had gained the illusion magic of this world's elves—something he had never possessed before.
Suddenly, the dingy dungeon room transformed into a lush, green landscape.
The students and teachers watched in stunned awe as eternal trees rose high above them, crystal-clear rivers flowed between vibrant flora, and blossoms they'd never seen before bloomed before their eyes.
Above them stretched a clear blue sky—and Will's eyes widened as an orb of blinding yellow light shone overhead.
Is that... the sun?
While he was captivated by the view, the others found their attention drawn to one massive tree towering over the rest.
From its bark, a beautiful woman emerged—her ears longer than any elf's, her flowing hair interwoven with shrubs and blooming flowers.
"W-what is that?" Colette whispered in disbelief.
The woman made of nature only smiled mischievously and blew them a kiss.
A soft glow enveloped them all.
Their fatigue vanished. Will felt the pain in his bones and muscles melt away, his body lighter than it had been in days.
Their mana returned in full, leaving them wide-eyed and speechless.
"It's amazing every time I see it…" Workner murmured.
It had been years since he'd last visited the Tower, but during the Great War a decade ago, he'd seen the elves' healing magic firsthand plenty of times.
It was nothing short of miraculous.
Edward narrowed his eyes. Elysia? I've never heard—
—OF SUCH A SPELL! Wignall's thoughts picked up where his professor's trailed off. The young elf stood frozen, rigid with disbelief.
Elven illusion magic could conjure fantastical sceneries from the elves' old world—replicas imbued with real effects.
But Elysia?
That wasn't a name he recognized.
If memory served—
The Forest of Healing! Alheim! That was the known illusion for rejuvenation and recovery. So what in the gods' names is Elysia?!
As the illusion dissolved, the lush world faded, replaced once more by the grotesque stone and darkness of the dungeon.
Noelle noticed the confused looks Edward and Wignall exchanged, and couldn't help but curse inwardly.
Patri, you damn fool. Must you ruin everything with your showboating?
If the elf could hear her, he'd likely reply with something maddening like:
Royal girl, if you believe the Tower and this old man haven't already caught on to us, the only fool here is you.
Will's Ki twitched. He sensed something unusual radiating from Noelle—something he couldn't quite name—before his attention was yanked in another direction.
Standing before him, barely taller than a dwarf, was the cloaked figure he'd felt drawn to earlier.
The one who looked exactly like that man-child from his bizarre dream.
"So the sword is still alive... hmm," the figure murmured softly.
Will's ear twitched.
Even the voice is the same!
The cloaked figure smiled beneath the hood.
"Will, was it?"
Will swallowed hard. "Y-yes. And you are...?"
He tried to keep his voice respectful, despite the growing itch for answers.
Then, the figure lifted his hood—and for a moment, Will wasn't sure if he was looking at a man anymore.
He definitely put the "child" in man-child.
The stranger couldn't have looked older than seven, with messy blond hair and misty-blue eyes that stirred something oddly familiar in Will.
The boyish figure extended a hand to help him up, wearing a smile far too confident for his size.
"I'm Finn. Just Finn," he said pointedly.
Will hesitated only a second before taking the hand.
To his surprise, the grip was firm—solid, even. Before he could fully register it, he was already back on his feet.
Noelle narrowed her eyes.
She didn't like the way Finn was looking at Will—measuring him.
There was no hostility in his Ki, and clearly Will didn't sense any either.
But she knew that look.
It was one filled with expectations.
The kind that never tolerated failure.
She stepped forward.
"Ack!"
Will winced, letting go of Finn's hand to clutch his head in pain. His eyes teared up as he stared at Noelle in confusion.
"M-Mrs. Silva, what was—?"
"How many times have we told you not to overdo it?" she scolded, shaking several strands of graying hair between her fingers. "You're turning into an old man again!"
Will whimpered and lowered his head, properly chastised.
Wignall, still preoccupied with Patri, didn't notice a thing.
But Colette and Lihanna both snickered.
Sion, Julius, and Edward gave unimpressed snorts and looked away.
As for Workner and Finn?
Neither bought it for a second.
Both narrowed their eyes.
She knows.
Finn inwardly cursed Caldron, blaming her entirely, all while flashing Noelle a disarming, fake smile.
"Mrs. Silva, was it?"
Noelle suppressed a sigh and returned his grin with equal falseness. "Yes. What do you want, Just Finn?" she asked dryly.
The midget didn't flinch. "Funny. I've never heard of a mage named Silva."
"Well, it's a big wor—"
"I'm very well-read," he cut in smoothly.
Noelle's smile slipped just a fraction. "And what exactly are you implying?"
Finn's eyes curved into amused crescents. "You invented that annihilation spell, didn't you?"
The room stilled. All eyes turned to her, and among them, she felt Aaron's unreadable gaze pressing down.
No point in lying.
"So what if I did?"
Finn spread his arms, mockingly open. "Oh, I don't know—maybe the fact that a mage as talented as you should be in the Tower. Or at the very least, affiliated with it. And yet… here you are."
Noelle's fake smile returned, colder this time. "I enjoy my freedom. The Tower's far too stifling, suffocating, and—frankly—empty for my taste."
She'd just insulted the pride of the world right in front of a Magia Vander.
The King of the Magia Vander at that.
Edward Serfence quietly reassessed her.
He was starting to like her.
Finn placed a hand over his heart, adopting a mock-wounded look. "Oh, how selfish of you. We all must do our part to hold up the sky—"
"The Tower isn't so fragile it'll collapse without me," she snapped. "And if it is, then it's not worth being part of."
Now Edward was really warming up to her.
A certain savage back at the Tower would be howling with laughter.
For a split second, Finn looked genuinely caught off guard. His eyes widened when Noelle added, calmly:
"The 'Mrs.' in my name isn't for show. I'm a wife. A mother. The only thing I care about is caring for my husband and raising my child. Until the world actually needs me, I'll stay in my corner. Thank you very much."
Finn's grin returned, but this time it held something sharper beneath the surface. "Good. That's fine. Then don't interfere—"
"Interfere?" Noelle blinked innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Will stiffened, glancing nervously between the two. He could practically feel the invisible fireworks crackling between them—like they might erupt into violence at any moment.
He lifted a hand hesitantly.
"U-um, Mrs. Silva… Mr. Finn… I don't know what's going on, but let's all calm down, shall w—"
"Quiet!" they both snapped in unison.
"Eek!" Will flinched, lowering his head like a scolded child.
The rest of the group could no longer pretend not to notice the scene unfolding before them—especially as Noelle reached for her wand, and Finn, from who-knows-where, pulled out a sword.
Bam!
Aaron tapped his great staff once against the floor. The sound echoed like thunder, and both combatants froze immediately.
His gaze settled on Finn first.
"Don't cause trouble," he said, voice calm but absolute.
Finn snorted but relented, sheathing his blade with a sharp motion. As he stepped away, he made sure to give Will a lingering glance—one long and deliberate enough to irritate Noelle—before retreating to rummage through his backpack.
Then Aaron turned to Noelle and stepped closer, his expression unreadable.
"You don't wish to join the Tower?" he asked, tone casual despite his solemn appearance.
Noelle's eyes narrowed slightly, but she gave a simple shake of her head. "No."
Will nearly had a heart attack.
She hadn't bowed. She hadn't said sir. Not even a nod of basic respect. She answered him like he was just some old man on the street.
And yet… Aaron didn't look the least bit offended. He merely nodded thoughtfully.
"Don't be in such a hurry to say no," he said. "Think about it. The Tower has always lacked a Water Faction. Perhaps… it's time to change that."
His tone was light, even friendly—but the meaning behind his words froze the room.
Even Finn turned, blinking in surprise.
Well I'll be…
Noelle, for once, didn't have a ready comeback. She didn't look shaken, not exactly—but something in her stance shifted.
Because what Aaron Masterias Oldking had just offered wasn't just unexpected. It was unthinkable.
He had extended her—a complete stranger—an invitation to found a new faction in the most powerful magical institution in the world.
And he hadn't even seen her true abilities yet.
And that was only the beginning.
Currently, there are eight factions in the Tower of Mercedes Caulis.
The five Magia Vander factions:
The Light Faction – Masterias Noah
The Fire Faction – Incindia Barham
The Thunder (Lightning) Faction – Thorzeus Reinbolt
The Fairy (Fantasy) Faction – Elleaf Canaan
The Ice Faction – Albis Vina
And the three current non-Magia Vander factions:
The Earth Faction – Grantina L'Abysse
The Wind Faction – Solphis Neamhain
The Dark Faction – Tenebrias Noctane
The state of these factions directly influences the state of the magical world.
For example, the Earth Faction hasn't produced a Magia Vander in the longest time among them, resulting in stagnation in earth magic. Their ranks are filled with aging veterans—and one recent pervert who wasn't young to begin with.
The Wind and Dark Factions have also been in steady decline. As a result, most multos—young mages with potential to master these magics—tend to forgo training in those attributes altogether, instead focusing on those already supported by the dominant Magia Vander factions.
Even if they have a higher affinity for darkness, earth, or wind.
This self-reinforcing cycle causes the weaker factions to grow increasingly isolated and desperate, while the stronger ones consolidate more power, influence, and prestige.
One faction for each of the basic magical attributes in existence…
Except one: Water.
Ice magic is unofficially considered a derivative or sub-element of Water magic. Most Water mages can wield Ice, and all Ice mages can manipulate Water. Noelle herself had gained a slight affinity for Ice after her mutation.
And that is why there has never been a Water Faction—because the Ice Faction already monopolizes the element. Creating a Water Faction would risk redundancy and potentially cripple Albis Vina's influence.
Yet Aaron had just extended that very offer to Noelle.
And for a simple, pragmatic reason:
Many of the Colorless within the Tower—those unaffiliated with any faction—fall into three general categories:
Geniuses who hit their limit. Scholars who prioritize research over faction politics. Water mages—talented, but not worthy enough to be accepted by Albis Vina.
If a Water Faction were to form, it would offer hope. Not just to them, but to countless aspiring water mages across the world.
They would train harder.
Push further.
All in preparation for one thing:
The Fated Day.
Water magic would become more mainstream and celebrated—instead of being dismissed as merely a support attribute. It had long been seen as the most conventional, plain, and common element, not even deemed worthy of its own faction.
Ironically, in a world obsessed with mastering every form of magic to counter the Calamity, water magic had been the one most neglected.
Aaron wanted to change that.
He envisioned its users realizing the element's full potential—and perhaps even creating something powerful enough to tip the great imbalance with the enemy, if only slightly, in their favor.
Without waiting for a reply, Aaron turned and began walking away, gesturing for Finn to take the lead.
Not wasting a second, everyone followed obediently.
Noelle and Will lingered a few steps behind the group, the latter casting her a look that was both concerned and quietly thankful.
Noelle responded with a strained yet sincere smile, even as she felt the familiar throb of a migraine starting to build.
Dorksta… this is all your fault.
She cursed him inwardly.
Far away, Asta—having just put their son to bed—suddenly sneezed and shivered.
The poor man had no idea the next few days wouldn't be kind to him.
Happy wife, happy life, they say.
And right now, his wife was anything but happy.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Far Away:
At the entrance of Floor Twelve, Marze sat on a boulder, clutching a strange sword that looked less forged in a smithy and more born of the dungeon itself.
Veins covered the blade, writhing as if it were alive.
"Finally got the goods…" he muttered, still disheveled and visibly shaken from the earlier brush with death.
Headless, on the other hand, had already returned to his usual chipper mood, scrawling ominous words into the air.
"Anyways… mission accomplished. Time to throw a party from hell ಠ‿ಠ !!"
Marze twisted the sword in his grip, a devilish grin spreading beneath his mask.
I'll make that bitch pay.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Author's Notes:
[1] Well that kind of ends the first arc. The diverging from canon, and the appearance, or foreshadowing of the other Black Clover characters will slowly increase.
[2] Feel free to join the discord: https://discord.gg/s3MME8X8ar