"A mission by special request? Me?" Charles pointed at himself in disbelief.
He just couldn't understand why the Wizard King would assign him to such a task. Sure, Charles had planned to join the mission anyway, but being specifically named? Without knowing the reason, he couldn't shake the unease.
If there was any connection with the Wizard King, it had to be that encounter in the black market a few days ago. But Charles hadn't been rude—he hadn't exposed his identity.
Even when that thief stole the Wizard King's bundle, all Charles had done was trip the thief. In the end, it was Sake (a.k.a. Hoo-Hah) and Asta who caught him. Charles hadn't even used magic.
The Wizard King, being a complete magic fanatic, shouldn't have noticed him at all. Yet for this mission, he had named two participants: Asta and Charles.
While Asta was bubbling with excitement over having caught the Wizard King's attention, Charles just felt off-balance.
But once the journey began, Charles figured it out. He had underestimated the man who was, without question, the most powerful mage in the Clover Kingdom—Julius Novachrono, the Wizard King.
Not only was Julius powerful, he was especially skilled at discovering and nurturing talent. He was the one who had scouted and promoted both Yami of the Black Bulls and William Vangeance of the Golden Dawn.
Yami once said that Julius saw things others couldn't.
Charles, too, was aware of his own uniqueness. Whether it was the Dragon Slayer Magic taught to him by Igneel—magic that let a human wield the strength of a dragon—or his World Magic, a power imbued with the blessings of another world, both were unprecedented. That he would catch the Wizard King's eye was hardly surprising.
Julius's pattern was clear: to foster potential, he would give his protégés important and dangerous tasks. The mission ahead of them checked both boxes—dangerous and critical: the exploration of a Magic Dungeon.
So-called "Magic Dungeons" were ancient ruins or tomb-like structures where relics of the past were buried. These relics could be lost techniques of ancient magic, or powerful magic tools.
Since the people of this world focused more on developing their grimoires, research into magical theory and magical tools had largely stagnated—or even regressed. Only the Diamond Kingdom fared better, given its rule by magic scholars.
As a result, ancient magic tools far outstripped their modern counterparts in diversity and power. Some were strong enough to shift the balance of civilization.
An undiscovered magic dungeon was a massive find. Whether for research or weapon stockpiling, its value was immeasurable.
But of course, ancient mages hadn't made it easy—such dungeons were filled with magical traps to protect their treasures. That's why exploration missions were left to the Magic Knights.
To make matters worse, this particular dungeon was located right on the border between the Clover Kingdom and the Diamond Kingdom. That meant danger wouldn't just come from within, but from without as well—Diamond Kingdom mages were sure to come.
And the Diamond Kingdom was no friendly neighbor. Its land was mostly barren and mineral-rich, but poor in other resources. The people lived harsh lives, and the nation adopted a military-first mindset. The rich, fertile lands of the Clover Kingdom made a natural invasion target.
Border skirmishes were common. Fighting off Diamond Kingdom mages was one of the Magic Knights' primary duties.
There was no way rookies could handle such a mission alone. That's why, in addition to Charles, Asta, and Noelle, Captain Yami had assigned Luck Voltia to lead the team.
Luck was one of the most powerful mages in the Black Bulls. His lightning magic let him adapt to all kinds of terrain and situations.
More importantly, his mana sensing ability was the best in the Black Bulls, possibly the best in the whole Kingdom. He could detect enemies and magical traps with ease, making him the ideal person to explore a dungeon.
If only he didn't have that… personality.
That personality—laughing like a maniac and diving headfirst into battle—was exactly why Luck had such a fearsome reputation. Those who knew him well equated his name with "crazy."
It wasn't long before Asta and Noelle realized just how unhinged this "senior" of theirs was.
Using Finral's spatial magic, the team was transported to the borderlands and quickly located the entrance to the dungeon.
At first, Luck was surprisingly reliable. He led them through the dark corridors to the true entrance.
Once inside, their eyes widened in awe. The interior was filled with altar-like grand architecture. Even after who knows how many years, the water systems were still functioning.
They didn't even need torches—glowing motes of light floated through the air, brightly illuminating everything.
Those motes weren't ordinary lights. They were visible clumps of mana—the natural energy particles that, like magical power in people, filled the world.
The concentration of mana in the dungeon was so high it had become visible. It even warped the space inside.
From the outside, the dungeon didn't seem that large. But inside… it was like a small city.
Charles marveled at the mana-rich environment. For a mage, such a space could vastly boost magical growth—but mana this dense could also place extreme strain on the body.
And if this was considered a lot, he couldn't imagine what the so-called Forbidden Zones—the legendary "strong mana regions"—must be like.
As Charles absorbed the mana in the air, he also sensed a huge number of magical signatures scattered throughout the dungeon.
It was like a calm lake dotted with dozens of eddies—large and small.
Those were probably magical traps. And Luck, he was sure, had sensed them too.
Asta was banging his fist on the ground in frustration—he still couldn't sense mana.
Unfortunately, the exact spot where he slammed his hand was one of the traps Charles had detected.
A huge wall of earth suddenly rose from the ground. Asta yelped and jumped back in time.
Then, opening his grimoire, he pulled out his Demon-Slayer Sword and cut the earthen wall clean in half.
The activation allowed Charles to observe the trap's structure more clearly.
It turned out that magical traps were simply pre-set spells, sealed until triggered by outside contact.
The traps themselves weren't that impressive—but the sealing technique used on them was. Charles found himself wanting to stay behind and study them.
He was mid-research, analyzing one of the traps, when—
Bang!
Luck shoved Asta directly onto another trap.
Why? Just because he wanted to see how Asta's anti-magic sword would interact with more traps.
It was chaotic. And it didn't stop there—Luck activated all the traps in the vicinity, including the one Charles was studying.
All around them, explosions of magic rang out as ancient spells sprang to life.
Luck's delighted cackling echoed through the dungeon.
Meanwhile, the other three just stood there, utterly exhausted.
"Following this guy… is definitely going to get us killed." Charles couldn't help but think.
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