"Wow! It’s the ocean!" exclaimed Asta, a country boy who’d never seen the sea.
"Yahoo! So many girls in swimsuits! Let’s go chat them up!" shouted the lecherous Finral.
"Marie, this is the ocean! Let’s get cozy here next time, sis!" declared the ever-doting Gauche.
"I’m fired up! I’ll swim my heart out wearing these loincloths Captain Yami loves!" yelled the enthusiastic Magna.
Luck was using sparks to set Magna’s loincloth on fire, chasing after the burning Magna.
Vanessa was lounging on a beach chair, enjoying a cold drink; Charmy was engrossed in a watermelon game; Grey was transforming into different people, enjoying himself.
Noelle was fidgeting; she’d carefully chosen her swimsuit. Her tsundere nature was acting up; she wanted Asta to see her but was too shy to say so.
Drake rubbed his head, looking at the chaotic beach.
"Do these guys think we’re on vacation? Did they forget the mission?"
The Black Bulls weren’t here for fun; they had a crucial mission.
This mission stemmed from the previous events. The fight against the Dark Triad hadn’t continued; three Magic Knight Captains had intervened: Nozel Silva (Silver Eagles), Jack the Ripper (Green Mantis), and Charlotte Roselei (Azure Deer).
Unlike the former Purple Orca captain, these three were powerful fighters, comparable to Yami. While Patri boasted that the Dark Triad surpassed the Captains, the situation was unfavorable for the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
The most problematic was Fana being completely countered by Drake; he alone kept her occupied. Patri, having used a lot of magic power, couldn’t help.
There were four Captains; Rhya and Vetto couldn’t handle them. Patri and the Dark Triad had more important missions and chose to retreat after a probing engagement. The Captains and Drake wanted to stop them, but they couldn’t.
This event significantly impacted the current mission. The Magic Knights hadn’t initially taken the Eye of the Midnight Sun seriously. In this world, magic power was decisive.
The Eye of the Midnight Sun had only revealed a small part of their strength during the capital’s unrest. They were seen as underhanded, scheming troublemakers who’d injured Fuegoleon. Such individuals weren’t uncommon in the Knights’ history; they weren’t considered serious enemies.
With Fuegoleon still unconscious, Drake’s report, as a low-ranking mage, wasn’t taken seriously.
This battle revealed the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s threat to the Clover Kingdom. The Magic Knights took them seriously; the recent Captain’s meeting focused on countering them.
From the prisoners, Wizard King Julius learned the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s target: magic stones. He’d found a stone tablet with embedded magic stones at their base. The Eye of the Midnight Sun needed to gather them to use a dangerous magic spell.
They only needed three more stones. Drake knew where they were: one was with Asta (from the Sosshi Village mission), one was with the Witch Queen in the Witches’ Forest, and the third, whose location Julius had learned from a prisoner, was in an underwater temple in a Mana Zone.
There was also a fourth stone, crucial for the demons’ resurrection, currently around Yuno’s neck.
Julius couldn’t be sure if other squads had Eye of the Midnight Sun infiltrators. He trusted the Black Bulls the most, so the mission fell to Yami’s squad.
This crucial mission was treated like a paid vacation. Yami had to bury everyone in the sand to get them to focus.
"But..." Drake facepalmed. "Why am I treated the same?"
Drake hadn’t been goofing off; he’d been gathering information about the underwater temple. Yet, Yami buried him in the sand.
Yami scratched his head. "I just buried you too. Don’t worry about it; the mission’s important."
He was changing the subject!
Before Drake could speak, Yami began briefing them, cutting him off.
"Listen up, idiots! I’ve gathered intel. The underwater temple is in this sea. The mana-induced currents are too strong; even high-level mages can’t approach. But only on the night of the full moon, when the mana weakens, might we be able to enter!"
The buried members weren’t focused on the intel but on...
"Captain Yami is actually working!"
They were shocked; Yami working seriously was unbelievable. His usual lackadaisical attitude was deeply ingrained.
"I’ll kill you all!" Yami yelled. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novｅlfire.net
Drake smiled; he guessed why Yami was serious. After the Captain’s meeting, Julius had kept Yami, Asta, and Drake, giving Yami the mission. Yami, usually informal, had saluted Julius. After telling Julius, "I want to prove you weren’t wrong," even Yami wouldn’t slack off.
Yami, unaware of Drake’s insight, continued. "The temple is underwater; it’s usually inaccessible. Noelle, you’ll use your magic to take us there!"
"Eh?" Noelle was shocked. "Sea Dragon’s Nest?! That requires precise magic control. I can’t do it! Let someone else do it! If I fail..."
"If you fail, we’ll all be swept away and drown," Yami calmly stated.
"This is a top-secret mission for the Black Bulls only; no one can replace you! You’ll do it!"
"The next full moon is in a week. Surpass your limits!"
For a week, Noelle underwent intense training. But the day before the full moon, she still couldn’t control her magic.
As the mission approached, Noelle grew anxious. Magic control couldn’t be rushed.
The water wall fluctuated, collapsing. She’d failed again.
Noelle saw Asta running with a greatsword, a crab pinched between his toes.
"This idiot! Still the same," Noelle muttered, relaxing.
Asta saw Noelle. "Noelle’s here! I’m training too; let’s do it together! Like before, if you lose control, I’ll stop you."
"Hmph! It won’t happen again, but training together... if you really want to..." Noelle’s tsundere nature emerged; Drake sighed.
Someone silenced Drake. The Black Bulls, except Yami, were watching Noelle and Asta.
Vanessa touched her face. "They’re so young! When did this start?"
Magna whispered, "What started? What happened between Asta and Noelle?"
Vanessa sighed. "They’re children. Don’t you sense the special atmosphere?"
Drake stroked his chin; it wouldn’t be easy for them to start. And it was strange that the Black Bulls would even think about it.
Drake realized he’d been sidetracked; everyone was here to help Noelle, not gossip.
This squad... is problematic in every way!
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