Chapter Text
Quinn ended up collapsing from over exhaustion barely a few minutes after they received their cloaks. She had kind of expected it, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. When she woke up in the infirmary, her eyes hurt like hell and her entire body felt weak. She ended up having to spend what was left of the day resting in bed, and let Helena send her letter for her.
I wonder if Yuno and Asta are having a better time than I am…
“—though frankly, what the Captain sees in you, I’ll never understand. You’re merely a boy from the boonies, nothing extraordinary—“
Yuno held back a sigh as Klaus Lunettes launched into yet another derogatory speech.
“Put more weight.”
“Wait, what!?”
“Yeah, use that stone over there.”
“NO WAY! It’s gonna crush me!!!”
“Then be crushed.”
“WHAT!?”
Knowing their luck, they’re surely having the time of their lives exploring their new headquarters or making friends with their new teammates, she smiled to herself.
Having more time to herself however allowed her to think. After all, barely a few hours earlier, she had woken up in a cold sweat because of a particularly vicious vision. Those visions came to her more or less often, depending on how the ambient mana and the inner mana of the people around interacted. Since it was a completely new place and completely new people, Quinn had yet to grow accustomed to the new flow of mana, hence why she was that much more sensible to it. However, she knew for a fact that those visions of hers were never wrong—unfortunately.
Something was going to happen to Captain Fuegoleon.
Something bad.
I can’t let this happen.
But what could she do? She had no idea of when this was going to happen, or why. The Royal Capital had been under attack, that much she knew. She had seen Asta, a girl wearing the Black Bulls uniform, and another boy she briefly remembered seeing in the room earlier—probably a relative of the Captain, if the hair was anything to go by. But in what circumstances would those three end up together during such a grave situation? Where were the other Captains? Why were three kids left to deal with an apparent invasion, and such a gruesome one, at that? And of course, there was the matter of who was attacking and why they had apparently been targeting her Captain.
Blood. So, so much blood. He definitely lost an arm, and he looked… he looked…
He looked dead.
No, I definitely can’t let this happen. Come on, girl, think! Surely there is a reason why the Captain in particular was targeted. Notice the details! What’s different? What’s there that wasn’t there before? Is there anything that could indicate when—
The door suddenly swung open, snapping her out of her mild frenzy. Looking up, she saw Gareth and an unknown man carrying in none other than the young, orange-haired boy from her vision.
“Ah, I was careless this time around,” he cursed as the two lowered him on another bed. “You won’t get me next time, Gareth!”
“Ah ah, we’ll see about that, Leo,” chuckled the man, ruffling his hair. “Your ankle didn’t break, thankfully enough, but it’ll be sore for a while despite the healing spells. You’ll have to take the rest of the day off, I’m afraid.”
“It’s only natural for a Knight to rest after giving their all into a fight!” exclaimed the boy with an intensity that reminded her of Asta’s. “I’ll definitely beat you next time!”
“Looking forward to it. Now, we’ll leave you to rest…” The unknown man trailed off when noticing the girl watching them. “Oh, one of our prodigy rookies! How’re you doing, little lady?”
“I’m sore all over, but I’d rather be out there training,” she admitted, a tad miffed. “I’m bored out of my mind.”
That made him laugh. “Ah, that’s the spirit! Anyway, I’m Forte. It’s nice to meet you, little lady.”
“Quinn, and the same to you.”
They shook hands, Quinn instantly taking a liking to his earnest attitude.
“Ne, Gareth-san,” she then called, remembering something she had wanted to ask earlier. “Were you the one who created that maze, by any chance?”
“Mm? Yeah, the Captain asked me to do it last night,” he confirmed with a nod.
Her eyes began sparkling. “That’s amazing. You created an entire magical maze in a matter of hours and even managed to add some other Knight’s Magic to the mix in order to create traps! The sheer control that would require is simply astounding! You’re incredible, Gareth-san!”
He grinned, obviously pleased. “Maa, maa, it’s mostly thanks to my experience. After so many years in the field, you learn how to use your Magic in the most intricate of ways. It’s simply a matter of time and effort, really.”
“Well, that and you have a natural talent for it, thanks to your noble blood,” suddenly chimed in the boy. He glanced dismissively at the girl. “You’re not half-bad for someone from the boonies, but I don’t see why my brother saw fit to invite you into this squad.”
“Oh, great: another arrogant noble jerk,” deadpanned Quinn. “I already had my hands full with Cosmos, too. A shame.”
“Arrogant—I’ll have you know, I am not just a mere noble! I am actual royalty!” snapped back the boy, a tad offended.
“Royalty sucks too, so there’s not that big a difference.” Her eyes then glinted dangerously. “Though, since you seem fit to assume I’m not worthy of being a Knight merely because of my blood, I suppose you won’t mind if I do the same: you surely only managed to get into such a prestigious squad because of your oh-so-precious royal blood. No talent nor effort, just money and some peer pressure. That your brother is the Captain surely helped too, right?”
The two seniors flinched at that. They easily understood she was trying to get her point across, but even someone as easy-going as Leopold would take offense to that.
The boy was, in fact, pretty angry. “How dare you—“
“—insult you personally based on your origins instead of your actual abilities that I haven’t even seen?” she completed, unperturbed. “Well, I guess now you know how I feel. Sucks, uh?” Her eyes sharpened, and her mocking grin hardened. “Though, it’ll suck even more when I become the Wizard King and thoroughly kick those goddamn prejudices out of you! Your noble nuts won’t even see it coming!”
A stunned silence followed, the two adults following the exchange with amusement, surprise, and a tad of worry. After a few seconds during which the boy gaped at her, though… he grinned. Quinn blinked a few times, honestly taken aback by the sudden change of attitude.
“What—“
“Ah ah! For a commoner, you sure have a way with words!” he laughed boisterously. “I like your spunk! My name is Leopold Vermillion, but you may call me Leo! And, from here on out, we’ll be rivals!”
“We’ll be what now?”
“Rivals!” His grin only widened, if possible. “I am also aiming to become the Wizard King, so that makes us rivals for the tittle! You better live up to my expectations, Quinn!”
“Aa? Don’t go making decisions like that on your own!” she instantly protested. “I already have two rivals, and they’re a pain enough to deal with!”
“Well, now you have three! Ah, ah, ah!”
Quinn sighed heavily, not knowing what to say. After a moment, she decided to just give in and go with the flow. What was one more rival? For all she knew, it’d push her to become stronger.
“Well, one way or another, I won’t tolerate those dumbass prejudices of yours,” she then announced, more serious. “I don’t appreciate being disrespected merely because of where I come from. As fellow Knights, we stand on equal grounds, so you better remember it!”
He stared at her for a moment, before nodding. “An understandable feeling. You have just shown me what is it like to be judged based on one’s personal issues with a certain background, and I also didn’t appreciate it.” He grinned again, and she was startled by how genuine it was. “I understand, now. So, from here on out, I’ll try to be more mindful of my words. However! Know that I only respect those whose skills I have acknowledged!”
“Fair enough, I supposed,” she mused, leaning back in her bed. “And I guess I can’t just let any weakling become my rival, so I’m rather curious to find out what you can do. Shall we spar in order to gauge each other’s strength?”
“Ah! You’ve read my mind!” he laughed yet again. “Yes, let’s spar at once!”
“Great! Let’s go—“
“Now wait just a minute, you two,” stepped in Gareth, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. “You’re both in the infirmary for a reason. You can’t just go out and fight.”
“But—“
“Please, can we—“
“If you do that, the Captain will be angry,” quickly added Forte.
Instantly, the two paled. One because he knew what the Captain was like when he was truly angry, and the other because she didn’t want to know.
“W- well, how about we settle this tomorrow, then?” suggested Quinn, clearing her throat. “It wouldn’t be a good fight if we both weren’t at our best, after all.”
“Agreed,” eagerly nodded her new rival. “Haste makes waste, after all.”
“Well, now that you two are settled, we’ll leave you be,” announced Gareth, glad they had avoided this particular crisis. “We’ll come fetch you when it’s time to eat, alright?”
“Don’t do anything reckless!” added Forte, waving.
The two then left, and the teens fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence. After a while, Quinn decided to get rid of the awkwardness.
“How about we play a game?”
“A game?” he repeated.
“Well, we’ve got nothing better to do,” she shrugged, turning around so she could properly face him. “We could play Twenty Questions, or something.”
“What’s that?” he asked, growing curious.
“Well, it’s easy: I’ll think of a place, a person, or an object, and you have to figure out where, who, or what I’m thinking about. You can ask a maximum of twenty questions and, if you can’t find what it is after asking those twenty questions, I win. Easy, right?”
“It sounds… interesting. Very well! I’ll play with you,” he grinned.
Well, at least it’ll relieve me of my boredom.
Thus began their game of Twenty Questions. What more could they do, really?
Leopold ended quite appreciating the game, and they spent over an hour just guessing each other’s place, person, or object. After a while, though, they got bored again, and began talking about their childhoods instead. Chatting so openly with Leopold lead Quinn to understand that everything he said earlier about her background as a commoner wasn’t actually meant to insult her or patronize her, like Cosmos did, but that it was merely the result of years of nobility brainwashing, so to speak. Once he realized his mistake, he instantly tried to correct it, and she greatly appreciated his efforts. He was actually a very earnest and sincere person, with whom she surprisingly got along pretty well.
As for Leopold, speaking with Quinn lead him to understand the stark, more profound differences between their upbringings, and he quickly took a liking to her determination and her desire to protect those she cared about. She was brash and sometimes foul-mouthed, but she was also honest and loyal—Leopold could respect that. Now, all that was left was for them to fight. He truly couldn’t wait to see her abilities for himself! Sure, he had witnessed her power during her trial, but it wasn’t the same as personally experiencing it. Plus, she hadn’t been able to go all out because of the Grand Mana Zone, so she was surely stronger than what they had seen.
All in all, they ended up getting along great and, when they left the infirmary at last, Quinn was happy to realize that she had made another friend/rival. In the end, even Cosmos wasn’t too much of a jerk when he wanted to, so she had a pretty great feeling about the rest of the squad members she’d learn to know over time.
“Oi, Quinn!” Debra suddenly appeared, slinging an arm over the girl’s shoulders. “Finally up and about, uh? You sure took your sweet time, though.”
“Aa? I would have gotten out earlier had I actually been allowed to,” huffed the teen, before sending a smile at Leopold. “I ended up in good company, though, so it wasn’t all that bad.”
“Ooh?” The woman’s grin widened, and she leaned over the boy. “Already making a move on the newbie, aren’t you, Leo?”
“Debra, don’t—“
“Absolutely!”
Wait, what is he saying now!?
“… beg your pardon?” blinked Debra, taken aback. She was only teasing, she swears!
He nodded firmly. “Yes. From here on out, Quinn is my rival! We’ll be fighting tomorrow!”
Instantly, Quinn exhaled in relief. It would seem that romance was the very last thing on Leopold’s mind after all, and she could only be grateful for that. She wanted to get stronger, not get a boyfriend. Debra simply shook her head with exasperation before they finally reached the mess hall. When they entered, loud talking and laughter instantly hit Quinn, who blinked a few times at the sheer amount of people in red seated all around. She knew there were many people but seeing them now all seated together and enjoying their meal made her realize just how different everything was from the church. There were six tables in total, and all of the food scattered over them in golden and silver plates made her stomach grumble in envy. At last, she’d eat something other than tatoes every single day!
“Come on, the girls are waiting!” urged Debra.
Quinn waved to Leopold before being dragged away by the energetic blonde. As they went to sit with the rest of their fellow female Knights, though, she noticed the Captain. Much to her surprise, he wasn’t sitting at the front of the mess hall with his higher-ranking officers, nor at the end of a middle table. In fact, he was seated on the far left side of the room, smack in the middle of his Knights. In that moment, had anyone not from the squad tried to find him, they probably wouldn’t have managed, since he blended in so well with his men.
He’s a good leader, and a well loved one at that, mused the teen, taking her seat. He treats his Knights as comrades, not just soldiers under his command.
However, that brought her back to her vision. If he was such an appreciated Captain, who could possibly wish him any harm? Who would go that far? She instantly ruled out the members of the squad. While it was a tad risky to completely ignore the possibility of a traitor, her guts told her she’d have to look elsewhere in order to find the threat.
I’ll try meditating in my room tonight. Hopefully enough, it’ll trigger another vision and—
“Are you still tired, Quinn?”
“Uh?” She looked up to find all four women staring t her. “Oh, sorry about that. I tend to space out a lot, so don’t worry about it.”
“What’s on your mind?” wondered Daphne, handing her a small bowl of soup.
Quinn relished in the rich smell for a moment, before answering: “Nothing much. I was just thinking of the sparring match with Leo that’s planned for tomorrow.”
“Sparring match?” echoed Helena, lifting an eyebrow. “Already challenging older members in duels? I hope you know that this isn’t how one can climb ranks amongst the Magic Knights.”
“Ah ah, no, it’s just a friendly spar,” the teen quickly assured. “We became acquainted in the infirmary and we’re now rivals.”
“Rivals?” repeated Debra. “What for?”
“To become the Wizard King, of course!”
At that, Helena’s eyes widened, Daphne began coughing on the bread she had just swallowed, and Debra spit out the water she had been drinking smack on Astel.
“So- sorry, Astel,” coughed the blonde, cringing at the silent woman’s flat stare. She then turned to Quinn. “You can’t be serious. Right?”
“I’m more than serious,” huffed Quinn, a tad offended. “I may be from the boonies, but that’s exactly why I’ll work even harder than anyone else! My brothers and I have set our sights on the throne, and we won’t back down until one of us is crowned Wizard King. So, I’ll give it my all!”
“You can’t just become the Wizard King like that,” Debra replied, handing a small towel to Astel. “It takes a lot of work and a lot of time. You need to climb all the way up to Captain before even being eligible.”
“And then, there’s the matter of how the population sees you,” added Daphne. “No matter how you look at it, there’s never been a single Wizard King that wasn’t from one noble House or the other. Why? Because of connections. Connections and money will take you extremely far.”
“Of course, there’s also the matter of power,” pointed out Helena. “The Wizard King is the strongest mage in the kingdom. The Wizard King needs to be able to defend Clover and its people on his own if he has to.”
“And we say he because there’s never been a Wizard Queen before,” grunted Debra, a tad miffed by the fact. “Unfortunately enough, misogyny is still very much in place, especially in the noble Houses. There, women aren’t much more than decorations or means to make alliances. Why do you think Daph and I chose to become Knights? It was either that or get married off to random old geezers in order to unite our Houses.”
Astel suddenly shoved a paper in Quinn’s hands. On it was drawn a figure resembling her, standing atop a pile of… corpses? She easily recognized the emblems of every single squad scattered over the different bodies, though.
“Ooh, Astel’s right,” mused Daphne. “If you want to become the Wizard King, then you’d have to beat everyone else—including all of the current squad Captains. There’s no way that’s gonna happen anytime soon, really.”
“… so what if it isn’t anytime soon? What does it matter if it takes years or decades?” They all startled a bit when a fire suddenly lit Quinn’s gaze. “I’ll make it! I’ll definitely make it! I’ll become the strongest, strong enough to protect everyone! That’s what it means to become the Wizard King! And if I have to be the first from the boonies, if I have to be the first woman to make it, then I’ll gladly take you up on the challenge!”
“… Ah, ah, ah!” Debra suddenly slapped her back a few times. “Nice spirit, kid! You’re obviously a decade too early to even dream of beating me, but I’ll be rooting for you!”
“Well, considering how you’re still an Intermediate-rank Knight after all those years, she’ll probably shoot right past you soon enough,” deadpanned her twin.
“Aah!? It’s a choice, Daph! A choice!”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Deb.”
As they began bickering once again, and Helena tried to stop them, and Astel showed them a drawing of Daphne beating up Debra (which only added oil to the fire, obviously), Quinn couldn’t help but feel like she truly had made the right decision. Being apart from her boys was tough, but it would only lead her to become stronger and, when the time came for her to accomplish her mission and duty as the Champion, she’d be more ready than ever.
It would seem the word about Quinn and Leopold’s Sparring match had gotten around rather quickly because, next morning, the training grounds were filled with spectators. Not everyone was there, obviously, and Helena and Astel were gone, so she guessed they had been sent on a mission right after breakfast, but it was still quite the crowd. Even Fuegoleon was there! And, of course, many had already started betting on the winner. She was surprised the Captain allowed it but, then again, his men could do whatever they wanted with their money, as long as it wasn’t anything out of bounds. Quinn took a slight offense to the fact that no one actually betted on her, before rationalizing.
It’s a rookie from the boonies facing off the Captain’s little brother, who’s a royal and who has over a year of experience as a Knight to back him up. In their shoes, I probably wouldn’t risk betting on myself either.
“So? How do we determine the winner?” she asked, placing a hand over her hip.
“As soon as one of us is no longer able to fight or withdraws?” he suggested.
“Fine by me. Any rules in particular I should have in mind?” she asked, before offering a mildly apologetic smile. “I’m afraid this is the first official sparring match I’ve been a part of, so I’d prefer we clear things up before starting.”
“Aah? What do you make of our match at the Entrance Exam?” loudly protested Cosmos from the sidelines.
She didn’t even spare him a glance. “It was a one-sided beat-down, not a match.”
Her quick and witty dismissal earned a few laughs from the other Knights, while Fuegoleon slightly shook his head. Despite how they had worked together in order to pass the trial, it would seem it’d take a while before they truly learned how to get along. While Cosmos silently fumed in the background, Quinn reported her attention to Leopold, who grinned.
“The rules are simple: stepping outside of the perimeter of the training grounds will be counted as a withdrawal, and any kind of attack is allowed,” he resumed.
“Any kind?” she echoed. “Meaning physical attacks as well?”
“Physical? As in hand-to-hand combat?” he blinked, surprised. When she nodded in confirmation, he grinned again. “Well, if you can actually get close enough to force me into physical combat, then I see no issue with it. But, of course, lethal attacks are prohibited—it is a sparring match, not an honor duel.”
“Of course.” She then glanced to the Captain, who had so far been watching without saying a word. “Captain, would you accept to be our referee for this match?”
Everyone seemed a tad surprise at the suggestion.
“Leo is my younger brother,” he pointed out simply. “Are you not afraid I might show favoritism?”
She simply shook her head. “I trust your judgment. As our Captain, you wouldn’t let favoritism affect your decisions.”
He was obviously pleased by her answer. “Well said. Then, I accept to be the referee for this match. Are you ready?”
“Yes, nii-san!” exclaimed Leopold, taking out his grimoire.
“Yes, sir!” echoed Quinn, taking a stance.
Everyone instantly noticed how she didn’t bother pulling out her grimoire. In fact, they had yet to see it, since she never did use it in the trial yesterday. Maybe it was damaged?
“Then… begin!” barked Fuegoleon.
“Fire Magic: Spiral Flame!” instantly casted the boy.
Large, threatening spirals of fire burst out of palms like tornados, the heat making more than a few of their spectators step back. It was an incredibly powerful spell, and for him to use it right off the bat either meant her overestimated his opponent’s abilities—
“Too slow!!!”
—or that he greatly underestimated them. Leopold’s eyes widened when Quinn suddenly appeared behind him and quite literally kicked him away. He flew over a few meters but managed to spin midair and landed more or less gracefully on his feet. He narrowed his eyes when seeing she hadn’t moved again, simply standing where he had been previously, awaiting his next move with mild curiosity.
She’s toying with me! Had she gone all out with this attack, she could have kicked me out of the perimeter and ended the match in a second…!?
Apparently reading his mind, Quinn clicked her tongue, annoyed. “If you’re not ready to take me seriously, then don’t expect me to do the same.”
::
“Although I understand your doubts, Leo, never forget this: do not underestimate anyone. A no-name girl with no blood relatives or heritage has completely defeated this noble blood we’re so proud of, so don’t go judging her too quickly.”
::
“… Apologies.” Leopold straightened up, before grinning. “Rest assured that I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Good.” She crouched down, grinning back. “It wouldn’t be any fun if you did.”
She vanished again. This time, though, Leopold was ready and, while he wasn’t exactly fond of hand-to-hand combat, he had received rigorous training still. So, when she suddenly reappeared beside him and aimed a punch at his guts, he managed to block it. What he didn’t expect was the sheer strength behind it, which made him slide back a few more meters.
A spell? No, she can’t cast any. Then how—
::
“Her mana control is she sharpest I’ve ever encountered. She uses it to heighten her senses and her physical abilities, and she can, to a certain degree, bend her surroundings to her will.”
::
Using mana to enhance her speed and her strength… He had looked down on such a seemingly useless ability at first. Why bother with such means if you had strong magical power? However, he now understood the actual threat it represented: someone like him, who entirely relied on his Magic, simply couldn’t hope to keep up.
I won’t beat her like this, he thought, quickly thinking it over. She disappeared yet again, making him tense. If I can’t beat her with my power… I’ll beat her with her own!!!
“You’re done for!!!”
Following her exclamation was a much more powerful kick directly aimed at his head. However, he quickly lifted his arms to block her and, as soon as her leg contacted them, he gathered his inner mana to reinforce them. The impact of the mana-enhanced limbs was so strong it was Quinn fly backward and, though she landed on her feet, she was now avoiding putting too much weight on the leg she had just used.
“Eh, not bad,” she mused, rubbing it a bit. “It’s gonna bruise, for sure. Though, you might have found a way to ward off my attacks but be aware that it’s a double-edged technique.”
“Y- yeah, I noticed,” he grunted. His arms were now somewhat numb on the outside, while the inside burned like hell. “I think I overloaded my mana coils…”
She simply nodded. “A rookie mistake. You need a lot of mana control in order to enhance your physical abilities without hurting yourself. Though, I am impressed that you managed this much without crippling your arms.” Then, to everyone’s surprise, she unclasped the grimoire attached to her hip. “Since you’ve decided to take me seriously, it’s only natural that I return the favor. Earth Manipulation: Earth Gauntlets!”
It wasn’t a spell, but actual weapons. All of those watching could easily tell the gauntlets were completely made out of sheer mana, which made them wonder what exactly they could be used for. Leopold however braced himself, ready for anything.
“Here I come!” she exclaimed, getting caught up a bit in the heat of the battle.
She jumped, before crashing back on the ground. Instantly, the earth shattered under her fist, cracks snaking up to Leopold, who however jumped back just in time to avoid being caught in them. Quinn then began hitting the ground with one fist, then the other, drumming a somewhat ominous tempo. The earth began grumbling under their feet before it split open and rock columns burst out. They were coming up and down extremely fast and, if Leopold was hit, he’d definitely get knocked out. However, he was rather nimble, and he quickly picked up a pattern, thus allowing him to safely escape the dangerous attack.
“Leo’s completely on the defensive,” breathed out Forte, impressed. “He hasn’t lent a single hit yet!”
“Yeah, but Quinn neither,” pointed out Randall, rather entertained by the ongoing fight. “She used that kick at the beginning as a wakeup call, so he’d take her seriously, and she hasn’t managed to actually hit him after that—Leo’s blocked or avoided her attacks since then.”
Quinn honestly hadn’t expected much from her Earth Gauntlets. Now that Leopold was wary of her, he wouldn’t be taken by surprise anymore, which took the edge off of many of her attacks. So, she quickly got rid of her gauntlets, which would have only hindered her in the long run. After all, she couldn’t properly use her mana control when she used her weapons.
“Ooh? Giving up?” taunted Leopold. He was panting slightly, but nothing more.
“Changing tactics a bit,” she corrected, wiping some sweat from her forehead. “Though I do wonder: how did you manage to escape all of the columns? Even I can’t control their directions.”
“I also have a sensory ability,” he grinned smugly. “And while it may not be as sharp as yours, it is definitely nothing to scoff at! You’re the one who mistakenly underestimated me.”
“So it would seem. Though, I’ll leave you the opening move for round two. Shall we?”
“Well, if you insist… Fire Magic: Fire Wave!”
The name was a tad unoriginal, but it did describe the attack perfectly: a gigantic wave of sheer fire suddenly washed over Quinn’s still body. It was an attack normally used to get rid of more than one opponent but, this time around, Leopold had made an exception and had concentrated all of its power on the girl. However, just as it hit its target, the dangerous wave of fire was suddenly sliced in two, the flames parting on each side of Quinn as she held an imposing sword before her. Leopold’s attack vanished at once, and they both took a moment to gauge each other’s next move.
“… You have a weapon for every affinity,” he then realized. “You don’t use spells, but the elements themselves, in their most natural state.”
“Yup!” she confirmed, glad he had caught up. It was bound to make things more interesting, and it saved her the trouble of trying to make him understand. “With those, I can use the ambient mana and gain a certain control over the natural elements. Pretty neat, uh?”
With that sword in hand, there’s no way any of my attacks can reach her, he thought, slightly put off. How am I supposed to hit her if—
He suddenly had an idea. There he was, once again completely relying on his Magic. But… wasn’t she doing the same? And his brother had mentioned the same thing, too, during the trial… Quinn might be a unique and powerful opponent, but she also heavily relied on her special abilities.
I need to use this against her at once! Before she can pull out another weapon—
“Fire Magic: Wild Bursting Flame!”
—I’ll strike first and completely blind her!
Flames licked the ground around him, spreading over a few meters. Dozens of small balls of fire appeared in the midst of it, and instantly flew at the purple-haired girl. While Leopold couldn’t control the exact direction of those, just like Quinn couldn’t completely control her earth columns, he still could give them a general target. Most flew at her, which she was quick to dispel with her Fire Sword, while the others crashed around her, making a cloud of dust and smoke rise all over.
“You know your Magic attacks can’t reach me!” she taunted, slicing another ball of fire. “You can’t—whoa!”
For the second time during this Sparring match, Quinn was taken by surprise. Using the dust and smoke as a cover, and the attack as a distraction, Leopold had physically attacked her from her blind side, and landed his first hit. He was much, much stronger than Quinn had first anticipated, and the blow knocked her off her feet. She made a barrel, before slamming her sword into the ground in order to stop her mad slide. Panting, she placed a hand over her side. She could instantly tell it’d bruise, too. However, Leopold wasn’t that much better off. In her haste to defend herself, Quinn had still managed to land a blow of her own and had hit him with the blunt surface of the sword, which also sent him flying back.
“Not- not bad,” she praised.
“I- I could say the same,” he retorted, rubbing his sore chest.
“One- one last attack to settle it?” she suggested, rising back to her feet.
“Ah! You read my mind!” he laughed, mimicking her.
There was a moment of stillness during which neither of them moved. Then, Quinn lifted her sword, while Leopold’s grimoire glowed brightly. Then, at once, they pounced at each other, ready to finish the fight. However, just as they were about to clash in the middle of the training field, none other than Fuegoleon suddenly appeared between them. Quinn instantly made her weapon vanish, while Leopold released all the mana he had gathered at once. Too caught up in their momentum, though, they failed to stop in time and quite literally crashed into each other, before collapsing to the ground.
“Ow…” groaned Quinn, rubbing her head.
“N- nii-san, why…?” grunted Leopold, doing the same. Their heads had knocked together at the impact, which had been rather painful. “The- the match—“
“The sparring match is over,” announced seriously his brother, looking down at the two of them in mild exasperation. “Both of you stepped out of bounds in the previous clash. Therefore, this sparring match ends with a draw!”
“You- you can’t be serious…” The girl let out a small, disbelieving laugh. “Man, what a let down. I was really getting into it, too! I—uh?”
Leopold was already back on his feet and was now holding his hand out to her. Surprised, she then grinned back to him, and took his hand. Pulling her back to her feet, he then grabbed her forearm firmly, and she instantly recognized the gesture as the one the Knights used when greeting each other.
“You are a worthy opponent indeed, Quinn, and an even more worthy rival,” he stated earnestly. His smile was so bright it looked like he had swallowed the sun. “You truly belong in this squad. And next time we fight, it won’t end in a draw! I’ll definitely beat you!”
She returned the greeting at last, squeezing firmly his forearm. “Ah! I’ll be the one kicking your ass, Leo!” Her grin broadened. “I can’t let my rival get the best of me, can I?”
He seemed more than pleased that she finally acknowledged him as her rival, but the moment was then broken as loud cheers and exclamations echoed from the sidelines. Turning around, they found the other Knights offering them a standing ovation. It would seem they had been greatly entertained by the Sparring match.
“Leo, Quinn.” They both turned back to Fuegoleon at once. “You both gave your all into this fight. That’s good! As Magic Knights, you need to constantly push your limits! However, this sparring match will have been useless if you haven’t learned anything from it. Leo!”
The boy instantly straightened up. “Acting without thinking is what lead me to stay on the defensive! It’s only once I started analyzing Quinn’s abilities that I gained an edge!”
“Exactly. You’re not much of a thinker when you fight, Leo, but against Quinn, you were forced to step out of your comfort zone: in the end, you didn’t use power, but a strategy. Understanding an opponent’s abilities is understanding their weaknesses! That is what allowed you to land the final blow. Quinn!”
“I rely far too much on my Mana Manipulation,” she answered without missing a beat. “It’s a weakness I’m more than aware of thanks to what happened during the trial. However, I grew complacent during this fight and wrongly esteemed that Leo couldn’t do anything more against me. I ended up underestimating him after all, and that’s my mistake!”
The man nodded firmly. “That’s effectively the main issue. You have an excellent grasp of your abilities. You know what you can and can’t do, and you act accordingly. However, as a close-ranged fighter, you mostly lack stamina. If you don’t quickly put an end to the fight, it’ll put you at a disadvantage.”
“I understand!” she assured, unable to stop herself from smiling. “Thank you, sir!”
Finally some actual, useful advice! I can’t wait to get started on this!
He then placed his hands on their shoulders. “The two of you are opposites when it comes to battling. Quinn, you think too much, while Leo doesn’t think enough. It’s important that you both learn how to balance your thoughts and your instincts if you wish to grow stronger.”
“Yes, sir!” they nodded at once.
Finally, a small smile graced Fuegoleon’s lips. “It was a good fight. Good job, you two.” He then turned to the other Knights at once, his traits hardening. “What are you all still doing here? Get back to work! I don’t want any of you lazing around!!!”
“YES, SIR!”
Most of the Lions promptly scattered and, with an approving nod, Fuegoleon also left. As soon as he was gone, Debra, Daphne, Sirius, and a sulking Cosmos walked up to them. The latter was in an extremely foul mood because he had come to realize that Quinn hadn’t used even half of her true strength in order to beat him. She had effortlessly beaten him to a pulp, and he loathed the thought of a peasant girl getting the best of him so easily. However, he blamed it on her unusual abilities and the effect of surprise. Now that he knew what she was capable of, she wouldn’t be able to trick him again, and he’d definitely beat her! So, before any of the others could say anything, he went to stand before her, using the difference of three centimeters between their heights to try and tower over her.
“Peasant wench,” he snapped, gritting his teeth. “Fight me.”
“Sheesh, as rude as ever, uh?” she huffed, unperturbed in the least. “But not thanks.”
“What? Why!?”
“Don’t wanna.” With a casual wave, she then started walking away. “Anyone coming with me to grab a bite? I’m starving.”
“Stop at once!” ordered Cosmos, getting riled up. “I ordered you to fight me!”
“Take your order and shove it up your ass,” she replied crudely. Debra snorted in the background. “I don’t care what you want. Plus, it’d just be a waste of my time.”
His teeth gritted together. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Can’t even figure this out on your own?” she taunted flatly. “It means you’re not worth it. I’d just be losing a precious minute of my time, and my mana would be wasted, too. You’re not worth the hassle. Clear enough for that noble brain of yours?”
“How dare you…” he growled, clenching his fists. “Backing down from a challenge is dishonorable! Are you still going to refuse a fight knowing it’d taint your honor as a Knight!?”
She simply lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed. “A fight? Weren’t you listening earlier? I told you: it’s not a fight, but a one-sided beat-down. There’s no shame in refusing to crush those weaker than me. That’s all there is to it. Come back to me when you’ve become better.”
On that note, she left the training grounds, quickly followed by Debra and Leopold. Daphne glanced at at the arrogant boy for a moment, before shaking her head and following after them. After a moment of tensed silence, Cosmos snapped his eyes at the only one left.
“What are you looking at, failure?” he spat.
For the first time in his life, Sirius didn’t flinch at the insult. Instead, he stared at his half-brother for a few seconds, coolly evaluating him.
“… She said better, not stronger,” he finally remarked. “Think about it.”
“I don’t need advice from scum like you! Get lost already!!!”
Sirius sighed heavily, but did as told and left, too. Cosmos being the last one standing in the training field, he kicked the nearest rock out of frustration. He’d make that stupid girl fight him, and then he’d defeat her at once, even if that was the last thing he did!
“Oh my stars, this is amazing,” breathed out Quinn.
‘My stars?’ mouthed Debra to her sister, confused.
“Helena made us promise to show you the library, since she suddenly left on a mission,” informed Daphne, amused. “We thought of offering you a complete tour of our headquarters, too, but seeing your reaction now tells me we’ll have to delay those plans.”
“So- sorry about that,” apologized the teen, not even looking at them. She was busy eyeing the dozens of shelves surrounding them. “It’s just—there’s so many! We only had four books back in the church, since they’re so expensive.”
“They are?” wondered Debra, scratching the back of her head. “Considering the amount we have, I thought they weren’t all that costly.”
“No way,” instantly refuted Quinn, running her hand over one of the desks. The surface was so smooth she could barely believe she was touching wood. “Only nobles or wealthy merchants write books to begin with, so said books are priced accordingly—noble books for noble people, and all that. Why do you think it’s so hard for people from the boonies to find actual jobs in the main cities? They can barely write and read because of the lack of access to written works.”
“Can you?” couldn’t help but wonder Daphne, surprised. She had never thought about such an issue before. “Write and read, I mean.”
“It’s never really been an issue for me,” she shrugged. “I was a rather precocious child and my mother taught me a lot before she passed away.” Well, that and Avare forcibly taught me. He couldn’t have an assistant who couldn’t read and write properly. I guess that’s one good thing that came out of my time in the—
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Uh?” That finally snapped her out of her daze, and she looked back to the twins.
Debra cringed. “Your mother…”
“Oh. Well, I don’t… remember much, to be honest,” she admitted. The conversation was becoming a tad too awkward for her liking. “She died when I was four-years old, so I can’t even remember her face anymore.” Maybe not her face, but her bloody body is another matter entirely. “She was a kind woman, though, that much I know. It’s a shame I didn’t get to pass more time with her… Though, one way or another, it doesn’t really matter anymore. I have a place to call home, and I might not have any blood-relatives left, but I do have a family that matters beyond that stuff.” She offered them a small smile. “In the end, it turned out for the better. After all, I wouldn’t be here if things had been different.”
“Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it…” Debra obviously wasn’t the best to deal with such an awkward topic. So, she quickly changed subjects. “Anyway, we’ve got to get going, since we’re on patrol duty this afternoon. Enjoy your books, nerd!”
With a wave, she quickly left. Daphne simply sighed, offering an apologetic look at the teen.
“Sorry about her. You see, we also lost our mother when we were younger and, while she tries to act tough, I know she hasn’t fully gotten over it yet,” softly explained the blonde.
“O- oh. Sorry. I talked about what happened so casually, it probably came across as if I simply don’t care,” cringed Quinn. I really don’t, but I can’t tell her that, now, can I?
“Don’t worry about it. It’s been over two decades, so the wounds have long since scarred.” The woman smiled, a tad sadly. “They simply ache from time to time. Anyhow, I’ll go after her to ensure she doesn’t try and flee from her duties again.” She grimaced at the memory. “The last time she skipped a patrol, the Captain had her run laps around the headquarters for an entire day.”
Quinn sweatdroped. Note to self: don’t ever skip patrol duty.
Bowing slightly in goodbye, Daphne then left, too. Once she was gone, Quinn mulled a little over what had just happened. Seeing how cheerful and energetic Debra was, she hadn’t expected her to have suffered the loss of someone as close to her as her mother. It simply reminded her of how much experience they had, of how much longer they had actually lived in this world, that no matter how she and Daphne acted, they were actually older than her—in terms of body, at least. She felt close to all of the women in the squad because they were closer to her spirit’s age than anyone else, but in their eyes, she was still very much a child, and nothing would ever change that.
Maa, maa, drop it, she told herself, reporting her attention on the books surrounding her. In the end, as long as they don’t treat me like a kid, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just be careful not to bring that topic up with the twins around, is all.
Satisfied with her decision, she then grabbed a first book and quickly settled down on a windowsill that was covered with pillows. She didn’t know when would be the next time she could allow herself to relax like that, so she’d enjoy the peace while it lasted.
It took Cosmos almost two hours to find his target. Who would have thought the Crimson Lion Kings’ headquarters would be this big? He ended up lost more than once, though he would always deny it if someone asked, and no one actually knew where the peon girl went, so finding her had been like trying to find a needle in a stack of straw. However, he finally got wind of her whereabouts thanks to the loud blonde woman who kept whining about how her new protégé was actually a bookworm. Where could one find a bookworm? In a library, of course. Obviously, finding said library had also been a challenge, but he finally managed to get there.
Slamming the door open, he quickly found who he was looking for. The girl didn’t even bother with looking up from her book, comfortably settled amongst some pillows.
“Peasant wench,” he snapped, trying to get her attention.
She didn’t even acknowledge his presence, too immersed in her reading. He quickly stalked up to her, stopping only once he was right next to her. However, even then, she didn’t notice him.
“Oi, mongrel,” he called yet again.
This time, there was no denying it: Quinn had noticed him—she simply ignored him. Not appreciating the silent treatment in the least, he was quick to snatch her book away. Surely now that her precious reading material had been taken away, she wouldn’t be able to pretend he didn’t even exist anymore. However, against all expectations, Quinn simply grabbed another book from a pile he hadn’t even noticed until then and began reading this one instead. At that, Cosmos almost tore out his hair in frustration.
“Oi,” he called for the nth time. “Oi! Peasant! Oi! OI! QUINN!”
“Yes…?”
Of all the things—She had forced him to use her name! How more arrogant could that dumb peon get!? She’s so infuriating!!!
“Spar with me,” he instantly demanded.
“No thanks.”
She was about to return to her reading, but he took away her book again.
“Spar with me,” he repeated, annoyed. “I won’t leave you be until you agree.”
“You’ll find out I can have incredible patience. I told you, didn’t I?” Without warning, she took back the two books at once. “Don’t bother me until you’ve grown better.”
“And how could you know if I’ve grown better if you won’t even spar with me!?” he protested.
She stared at him for a moment, before looking back to her book. “I know, that’s all.”
“That’s not an answer! I’ll burn down every single one of those books if—“
“Do that and you’re a dead man.” She smiled at him, though it was cold and insincere. “You will definitely be punished by the Captain but be warned: try to singe a single page out of these books, and the Captain’s wrath will be a slap on the wrist compared to my own. Understood?”
“Then you—“
“Ah, you made me waste whatever time I had left in the sun,” she suddenly sighed, putting her books back on the pile. She then jumped on her feet and stretched. “I had chosen this spot because of how the sunrays lightened it up, but the sun’s going down, now.”
“Then let’s spar at once! We still have time, we—“
“Guess I’ll just bring those back to my room,” mused Quinn, once again ignoring him. Lifting up the entire pile as if it weighed nothing, she then stepped around him and began heading for the door. “I’ll simply have to bring them back tomorrow—“
“Enough!” Cosmos suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She didn’t even turn around to face him, simply waiting for whatever came next. “How dare you ignore me of the sort? How dare you look down on me!? You’re just a commoner, a no-name girl with no money nor family! Stop acting so high and mighty when you have nothing!!!”
“… You’re wrong. I don’t have nothing, as you put it. In fact, I have more than you could ever dream to possess.” She glanced over her shoulder, shooting him a sharp look. “I have a loving family, one that cares more about my wellbeing than about whatever wealth or fame I might bring them. I have friends who will have my back no matter what, in whom I place utter faith and trust. I have a wonderful, unique Magic that I’ve learned to master through sweat and blood, through success and failure.” Her eyes sharpened. “Or, I can always try looking at it your way! I don’t have a family that’s manipulative, money-obsessed and opportunistic. I don’t have fake friends who use me and actually hate me and who might try to stab me in the back as soon as a better deal comes around. I don’t have a terribly generic Magic with which I’ve learned how to do a trick or two thanks to the dozens of people who can also use it.” She offered him a bitter, taunting smile. “I’m not afraid of making mistakes. I don’t feel inferior to you in any way. I am where I am today thanks to my own efforts. I am proud of the Knight I am growing to be. Can you say the same?”
Her words acted like a whip, leaving a searing mark on his ego and his conscience. He released her arm, not really thinking as her words—her accusation, echoed in his mind. As for Quinn, she simply walked out without another look back.
“Hey, Quinn!” The girl stopped in her tracks as Randall, the Vice-Captain, quickly ran up to her. “You received a letter earlier this morning! Helena-san asked me to give to you after your match, so…”
“Oh, right!” she instantly perked up. She was about to take it, before realizing her arms were still occupied with the dozen or so books she had just borrowed. “Err, you can just put it on the top, ah ah.”
Instead, he grabbed half of her pile with a small smirk. “How about I help you out instead? Can’t let such a pretty lady trouble herself like that, can I?”
She snorted. “Geez, already hitting on the recruit, old man?”
“O- old man?” he sputtered out as they began walking together. “I’ll have you know that I’m still in my young twenties!!!”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess.”
“It’s true!”
She laughed, and he shook his head. As they turned to the right in direction of the women’s quarters, Quinn glanced to the man walking beside her. Her was tall, with ruffled straw-colored hair, and the way he carried himself was aloof. At first sight, nothing could have given away his status as the Vice-Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings Squad. However, Quinn didn’t need her Mana Eyes to see the tremendous power he actually possessed.
“So? What brings the Vice-Captain out here?” she wondered casually. “Surely you have better to do than deliver the mail of a rookie.”
“I was curious,” he simply shrugged. “I watched your Sparring match with Leo earlier, it was pretty impressive. I personally know of a few enhancement spells myself, but I’ve never seen someone with such acute control before.”
“It has its ups and downs,” she replied, rolling her eyes a bit. “It sure was a pain to learn, though. I still have a lot of training to do if I wish to truly master my abilities.”
“Well, at that point, it’s not really a matter of training, but of experience,” he then pointed out. They stopped, having reached the doors leading to the women’s wing. He now looked more serious. “We usually wait a week or so before sending new recruits away for their first mission, in order to let them settle and properly assess their abilities. Having so many members in our squad is a luxury when it comes to missions, since it gives us a wider range of abilities to pick.”
“You choose the members whose powers are more suited to certain missions,” she summarized, a tad confused. “But why are you telling me this?”
“Well, it turns out that I’ve got a mission tomorrow, and having someone with a sensory ability as developed as yours would be pretty useful,” he stated plainly. “So? Interested?”
She instantly brightened up. “You bet I am! I can’t wait to get started! Though… what is it, exactly? What will we be doing?”
“Well, the mission tomorrow is simple: a small party of Knights from the Purple Orcas squad was sent to investigate the Yume Forest five days ago, but they have yet to give any news. The forest itself is considered dangerous—it’s full to the brim with natural mana, and more than a few travellers have gone missing after stepping inside. So, this is basically a rescue party. Still in?”
“As if I’d back down now,” she scoffed, with no hesitation whatsoever. “As you said, it’s very simple: go to that forest and rescue the missing Knights. Piece of cake, right?”
“It’ll be dangerous,” he warned seriously.
“You think I put on this cloak just to look pretty?” she retorted, unimpressed. “The red clashes madly with my hair and it’s hot like hell under that thing. I’m certainly not wearing it for fun!”
At first startled, the man than laughed loudly. Giving her back her books at once, he ignored how she stumbled under the suddenly added weight and roughly ruffled her hair.
“You ain’t half-bad, Quinn! It’s good to have you onboard,” he grinned as he began to walk away. “Tomorrow’s first light, at the training grounds. Don’t be late!”
“Yes, sir!”
Excited, she then kicked the doors open in order to get inside, eager to get rid of the books. No more time for reading, she needed to get ready for her first mission!
Hello, Quinn. It is so good to hear from you!
Yes, we’ve received the good news from Asta and Yuno, too. Congratulations on passing the Entrance Exam! Everyone at the church is very happy and excited for you three, and we had a small party to celebrate your success. I heard that the Crimson Lion Kings is one of the top squads in the kingdom, too! That’s really amazing, Quinn.
We can’t wait to hear about your incoming adventures. Though, do take care when you go on missions, alright? Don’t do anything reckless!
With all of our love,
- Sister Lily, Recca, Nash, Aruru, and Hollo
PS: Father says hi, too!
At dinner, Quinn could barely contain herself. She was so excited about tomorrow’s mission, she couldn’t stop fidgeting in place and hoping for the night to pass more quickly.
“Oi, oi, what’s gotten into you, kiddo?” wondered Debra, amused.
“Ah, sorry about that,” the teen chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. “I just can’t wait for tomorrow’s mission. It’s gonna be awesome!”
“Tomorrow?” gasped the woman, startled.
“A- a mission!?”
Quinn quickly turned around to find none other than Cosmos and Sirius gaping at her. They had been sitting at the table just behind and had apparently heard her little revelation.
“No way! You’ve already got a mission?” breathed out Sirius, impressed. “That’s amazing, Quinn!”
“That’s preposterous!” snapped Cosmos, seeing red. “We’ve only been here for two days! Plus, if any of us rookies should be granted a mission this early, it’s obviously me! How could they dismiss my skills so easily!? A peon like you could never be as powerful as a noble like me!!!”
“This mission isn’t about power, you overconfident twat,” huffed Quinn, now annoyed. Did he have to go and ruin her good mood like that? “It’s just that my abilities are better suited for this mission—in this case, my sensory ability. That’s all there is to it, so deflate your ego a bit and chill out already.”
“This is ridiculous,” he replied, obviously angry. “I should have been granted that honor! Not you! Stop playing pretend already: a no-good peasant like you will never be successful as a Magic Knight!”
At that, though, she snorted. “Says the guy who got his ass kicked by that same ‘no-good peasant’. How about you actually back up all of that bark with some bite, for a change?”
“Then let’s fight! Right here, right now! I challenge you—“
“I refuse.” Rising back to her feet, she then offered a pleasant smile to Debra, Daphne, and Sirius. “I’ll think I’ll retire for the night. I want to be in top shape for tomorrow.”
“R- right,” nodded Daphne, her eyes quickly darting from the irate boy to the unfazed girl. She could definitely feel trouble brewing. “Well, we won’t be able to see you off tomorrow morning, so good luck.”
“Thanks. ‘Night, guys!”
With a cheery wave, the girl then headed out, brushing past Cosmos without even Sparring him a glance. The arrogant boy clenched his fists tightly. She kept on refusing him and ignoring him, she kept on treating him like- like a child!
I’m not! She’s the one who’s being too stubborn and I—
He suddenly stiffened as a harsh realization hit him, a cold sweat running down his spine. Because, no matter how much he loathed admitting it… it was true. Right now, he truly was acting no better than a simple-minded brat throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get what he wanted. He had been so intent on getting revenge and on clearing his name, he had completely failed to notice that Quinn, her, had long since forgotten about it and moved on. It wasn’t that she was acting all high and mighty like he had first assumed, but that she simply wasn’t bothered by his degrading comments and his patronizing attitude.
It’s true after all… All I’ve done until now was wasting her time, and mine.
“Cosmos…?”
The blond instantly snapped out of his thoughts. He glanced at his failure of a half-brother who, despite how he kept being mistreated by their entire family, seemed genuinely worried about him now. How more pitiful could Cosmos get, really?
“I’m retiring early,” he finally said flatly, heading out. “Good night.”
He had a lot of thinking to do.
Dear everyone,
I’m actually leaving for my first mission tomorrow morning, and I don’t know how long it will last, hence why I decided to write immediately. I probably won’t be able to give any news for a few days, but don’t worry about a thing, alright? When I write again, you’ll be hearing of my wondrous tales for sure!
Love you guys!
- Quinn
Quinn was now ready. She had packed for a few days, making sure to keep everything light, and her cloak was now neatly folded on her desk, along with her brand-new uniform she had just received earlier. She would have preferred to stick to her usual attire, but she couldn’t deny the new clothes were more than comfortable and perfectly suited for the battles she knew she’d be getting involved in. As ready as she was, though, she couldn’t help but worry a little. Not about the mission, no, but about her vision. What if the future she witnessed happened while she was away? No, she needed to try and see some more. So, settling down on her bed, she closed her eyes and began regulating her breathing. Once ready, she began reaching out the ambient mana, letting it flow freely through her entire body. She could feel every single particle of mana going in and out, floating around, lingering in the air in a constant, tumultuous flow—
::
Knights.
Dawns. Lions. Eagles. Roses. Bulls.
They were all gathered together in a richly decorated room. She recognized Asta, Yuno, Fuegoleon, Leo, and even Julius-san.
Stars. Golden Stars.
Pride and strength. Pride and strength and power and might and—
“The Royal Capital is being invaded!!!”
Fire. Fire everywhere.
The pride burned, the strength dwindled, the power faltered, the might got scorched and trampled and scalded and all that was left were charred bodies in the wakes of TRUE MONSTERS—
::
Inhaling sharply, Quinn snapped back to reality at once. The vision had been clear, vivid even, but erratic. The frenzied images that kept clashing against each other was a sign of how far away this future actually was. While not far enough for her liking, it did give her time to figure out exactly what and when and why. Letting out a shaky breath, Quinn slowly retracted her senses from the ambient mana, until she completely closed herself off once more.
I know it’ll happen on a specific day when Knights gather at the castle… Those golden stars looked like medals. An award ceremony? She did recall Julius-san mentioning a special ceremony during which he bestowed new ranks upon the Knights who had distinguished themselves from their peers during the year… I’ll ask Randall-san tomorrow. If my guess is correct, then finding out the actual date of the event should be a piece of cake. Plus, it won’t be suspicious for a rookie to be interested in climbing the ranks and asking about it.
Nodding to herself, Quinn then quickly blew the candles. She didn’t want to be tired tomorrow, after all. She’d surely end up overusing her Mana Eyes, so she’d rather gather as much strength as she could while she still had the opportunity to do so.
The next morning, Quinn was up and about long before the sun rose. Quickly gathering her things, she grabbed a light breakfast before heading out. The training grounds had been completely repaired, and not a single trace of her previous Sparring match with Leopold was left. Once again, she marveled at the sheer dexterity of the other members. She realized that, while her control was near perfect, only experience would allow her to truly grow stronger.
This is my chance! This mission will be the first time I actually put my skills to the test. If I fail now, I truly won’t be able to call myself a Knight!
“Oh, Quinn!”
The girl turned around. Randall had just stepped outside, followed by her very own brand-new rival, Forte, and another guy she faintly remembered having seen around before.
“Ah, it looks like you were faster than me!” exclaimed Leopold, running up to her with a grin. “But next time, I will be ready first!”
Well, there’s no need to turn everything into a competition, sweatdropped internally the girl.
“I’m an early riser,” she simply replied. She then noticed how small the bags they had brought were, which made her glad she had packed so lightly. “Anyhow, will it only be the five of us for this mission?”
“Aa. A bigger party would only be a hindrance,” confirmed Randall, ruffling her hair. “And pretty useless, too. Don’t worry your pretty head, Quinn. We’re more than capable of handling a few thugs from Diamond.”
“Don’t patronize me,” she huffed half-heartedly, lightly swatting his hand away. She then turned to the only member she had yet to meet and bowed slightly. “I’m Quinn. I look forward to working with you.”
“Ah! To think the only rookie who’s got some manners is the one from the boonies,” snorted good-naturally the man. “I’m Ruben, and likewise.”
“Quinn! I have heard from my brother that you are quite adept on a broom!” suddenly exclaimed Leopold. She only then noticed that each of the men was carrying one, saved for him, who carried two. “We’ll be using those to go to the Yume Forest. Don’t fall behind! Ah, ah!”
Grinning, she grabbed the broom he was handing her and twirled it a few times. Contrarily to Sister Lily’s, the wood of the shaft was polished and unblemished, and the fine twigs that the brush part was made of were all clean and straight. The overall balance was also good, and the entire thing was very light. She had grown used to flying a much older, less balanced, and slightly broken broom, so flying this one would be just like flying the one she had used during the Entrance Exam: extremely easy and effortless.
“I should be the one saying this,” she finally replied, smirking a little. “I happen to be quite the talented flyer, Leo. I’ll leave you in the dust!”
“Ah! As expected of my rival!” he laughed.
“Alright, kiddies, it’s nice and all to see you getting along, but we ought to get going if we want to reach Yume before tonight,” pointed out Randall, amused. He then looked at the purple-haired girl, more serious. “Quinn, this is only your first mission: whatever you do, don’t try pushing past your limits. If you need to stop in order to rest, then tell us immediately. I don’t want to hear any crap about not wanting to slow us down, nor do I want you to get hurt because you pushed yourself too hard.”
“I understand,” she assured, straightening her spine. “I’ll do my best!”
“Good. Then, let’s go—“
“Wait!”
At the sudden exclamation, all five Knights looked behind them, only to see none other than Cosmos running up to them. Quinn held back a sigh as the noble twat stopped just before her, looking more determined than ever.
“Cosmos, now really isn’t the time—“
“Quinn!” She startled as he used her name… and bowed deeply. “Once you have returned, would you grant me the honor of a Sparring match!? I beg of you!!!”
Of all the things to do and say…
She hadn’t expected him to go to such lengths just to have a revenge match. She knew how deeply she had wounded his pride, but there he was now, personally trampling all over it in order to get what he wanted. Really, there was only one answer she could offer after receiving such a heartfelt demand:
“No.”
He stiffened, and the four Knights beside Quinn exchanged confused looks. They had witnessed the many attempts of the boy before, and simply thought the girl had been refusing him in order to teach him a lesson on humility. However, it would seem they were wrong, after all: she simply refused him because she couldn’t care less.
“What!?” Cosmos instantly straightened up. He looked more confused, and maybe even a little hurt, than angry—though anger was obviously still very present. “I have just lowered myself and bowed my head before a commoner! I swallowed my pride and begged you—“
“But that’s exactly what I don’t want you to do!” she finally snapped, unable to stop herself any longer. She had been hoping he’d realize it himself, but it might have been too much to ask. “I mean, why do you feel the need to establish a hierarchic relationship? I don’t want you to think yourself above me, nor do I want you to lower yourself! I just want us to stand on equal ground.” She ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. “You don’t need to order me around nor do you need to beg me for it: you can just ask me. We’re teammates now, aren’t we? It’s only natural for us to help each other out.” At his dumbstruck expression, she allowed a small smile to grace her lips. “Ask me properly when I come back, and I’ll definitely say yes. Until then, make sure you don’t slack off, alright?”
Patting his shoulder, she then straddled her broom, which instantly took off a few meters in the air. Leopold quickly flew up to join her, soon followed by the other three.
“Alright, everyone in formation!” ordered Randall, taking the lead. “Forte, Leopold, bring up the rear. Quinn, take the right, and Ruben, take the left. Let’s go!”
“Yes, sir!”
Falling in line in a few seconds, the five of them then left, at last. As the Crimson Lion Kings’ headquarters quickly faded from view, Quinn couldn’t help but feel her impatience grow. She was excited to face this challenge and see what she was really made of. And, although her main focus was and would always be her duty as the Champion, she could allow herself to enjoy her time in this world a little, right?
Though, I do wonder how Yuno and Asta are doing…
“When do I leave for my first mission?”
“You’re just a rookie. Don’t think so highly of yourself!”
Yuno sighed, but returned to his reading under Klaus’s disdainful watch.
“Hey, you ought to be happy! You’re leaving for your first mission!”
“For real!?” gasped Asta.
“Yup!” Magna grinned. “We’re going boar hunting!”
“.. eh?”
I sure hope they’re having as much fun as I am!