Charles really wanted to tell the three of them to be more careful with their flying—goofing around at that height was no joke.
Fortunately, nothing serious happened, and at full speed, the group quickly neared their destination: Sosshi Village.
Like Hage Village, Sosshi was also part of the Forsaken Realm—another remote, impoverished village.
While still in the air, Charles narrowed his eyes and turned toward the others. "Magna-senpai, something's up down there. Let's check it out first."
With a beat of his flame wings, Charles dove straight toward the ground.
"Tch! I'm supposed to be the senior here! I should be giving orders!" Magna grumbled, but he followed Charles down all the same.
Once on the ground, the three dismounted and found Charles kneeling and inspecting something.
"What is it, Charles? Did you find something?" Magna asked.
Charles raised his hand, showing them what lay in his palm.
"It's just a piece of ice," Asta said, puzzled. "What's the big deal?"
Indeed, in Charles's hand was a small fragment of ice, and more were scattered around the area.
Noelle let out an exasperated sigh. "Idiotsta, it's the wrong season for ice. Think!"
Asta slapped his forehead. "Oh, right! Then where did it come from?"
Magna's face turned grim. "It's magic. Someone used ice-based magic here!"
Charles nodded. "Right. And the caster wasn't weak, either. For residual magic to linger this long, their mana must be considerable."
"But… is that really a problem?" Asta asked.
Noelle whacked him on the head. "Use that empty head of yours! Why would an unknown, powerful mage appear in a place like this?
And more importantly, why did they come here?"
Magna's face darkened. "Sosshi Village is nearby…"
Charles suggested, "If we're concerned, let's go take a look. Our actual mission can wait."
Magna, never one to dither, was ready to move out immediately.
But Charles held him back. "You used up a lot of mana flying here with Asta and Noelle. If a fight breaks out, you'll be at a disadvantage. I understand how you feel—but we should recover first."
Magna knew Charles was right. With a heavy heart, he sat down to catch his breath and restore his magic. Charles joined him.
Mana is tied to life and soul—without recovery spells, it takes time to replenish. But strong willpower can accelerate it.
With his resolve blazing, Magna recovered quickly, then led the others at a fast pace toward Sosshi Village, telling them about his past along the way.
A tale of a delinquent youth changed by the guidance of a wise elder, who helped him find purpose and turn his life around.
"Other than Captain Yami, Old Man Sephi is the one I respect most," Magna said earnestly.
Soon, they arrived outside the village—and immediately saw that it was shrouded beneath a massive dome of gray mist.
"Mist-type barrier magic," Charles assessed. "It disrupts perception. If we enter carelessly, the caster can control our every move."
Magna grabbed Asta by the collar and held him up. "This one's for you! Get in there and slash that creepy fog apart!"
"Not sure what's going on, but I'm on it!" Asta shouted cheerfully.
He pulled out his Demon-Slayer Sword and charged into the fog. With one mighty swing, a wide swath of mist dispersed, revealing part of the village.
Thanks to growing up there, Magna knew every alley and side street. Even with limited visibility, he could guide them forward.
With Magna calling directions and Asta hacking a path through the fog, they reached the village center.
At that moment, the ambient magic interference seemed to lessen—their mana senses returned.
"Something's wrong!"
Flames erupted along Charles's arms, startling the others. But Charles didn't explain—he merged the fire into a massive blaze and hurled it forward.
"Fire Dragon's Radiant Flame!"
The torrent of fire scattered a huge section of the mist, finally revealing what lay ahead.
Dozens of villagers—young and old—knelt on the ground, faces twisted in terror and despair.
Above them, countless jagged ice spears hovered ominously in the air. Charles's spell targeted those spears.
The searing flames disintegrated the deadly ice, allowing the villagers to breathe a sigh of relief.
But what truly comforted them were the cloaks the four wore—the symbol of the Magic Knights, protectors of the realm. For people in the Forsaken Realm, their arrival meant salvation.
Magna's expression turned stormy. Among the villagers, lying still, was Elder Sephi. His eyes were closed, his clothes stained red around his stomach—no sign of life.
A child clinging to him choked out, "The Magic Knights are here! Grandpa, your prayers worked!"
Magna nearly lost control. "This… you bastards… was this YOUR doing?!"
Before them sat a scarred man in a gray-blue robe, clutching a pocket watch. Three others in similar robes, hoods drawn, stood behind him, their identities obscured.
The man glanced at his ticking watch and said, "The execution was scheduled for ten seconds from now. You've disrupted my timetable. Very well—everyone dies in ten seconds."
He opened his grimoire, summoning spiked ice spheres large enough to crush everything in their path.
Before Charles could react, Asta dashed forward. With a swing of his sword, he cleaved the massive ice ball in two.
Eyes blazing, Asta shouted, "Why would you do something so cruel?! Who the hell ARE you people?!"
Charles knew the answer—this man was part of an organization seeking to overthrow the Clover Kingdom.
The Eye of the Midnight Sun.
The first major enemy faction from the original story had finally appeared.
Charles's gaze fell on Sephi's lifeless form. Fire flared in his eyes.
He cursed himself for remembering the passionate highlights of the plot while forgetting the tragedies along the way.
If he'd recalled earlier… if he'd even mentioned the Eye of the Midnight Sun… perhaps Sephi's death could've been avoided.
Everything Igneel taught him, and the values instilled in his previous life, made one thing very clear:
Life is not to be treated so lightly.
"I'm burning up," Charles muttered. "But it's not excitement… it's rage. And I'll turn that rage into fire and burn you bastards to ashes."
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