In the end, Charles and Luck weren't able to capture Lotus.
That old man really was on par with a squad captain—despite his injuries, he had no trouble shaking off both of them and escaping with ease.
Luck's last kick must've broken at least four of his ribs. And yet, when Lotus fled, he even took the ti to pick up his unconscious subordinates and retreat without a hitch.
He probably never intended to fight to the death. That was the only reason he had retreated so decisively.
After all, their true goal wasn't battle—it was acquiring the magical relics inside the dungeon. And accompanying Lotus was Diamond Kingdom's strongest human weapon.
Charles helped Luck—who had finally regained his breath—back to his feet. "Looks like Asta's side ran into trouble too. We don't have ti to rest."
Luck closed his eyes, sensing the surrounding mana. "Yeah... things look fun over there too."
Of course he could feel it—the powerful fluctuations of mana erupting from the depths of the dungeon. Besides Noelle, there were four unfamiliar mana signatures.
But Charles recognized one of them—it was Yuno's. So, he'd also been assigned to the dungeon exploration mission.
As for that overwhelming, almost inhuman mana presence… that had to be Mars.
Currently, Diamond Kingdom was being controlled behind the scenes by the magic scholar Morris, and under his direction, the kingdom had been conducting a horrific experint: creating artificial magic warriors.
The process began by selecting children with high mana reserves and forcing them through brutal training. Then, magical devices were implanted inside them to further amplify their power.
That alone would already make them dangerous.
But the goal wasn't simply to create powerful soldiers—they wanted emotionless weapons. So, at the final stage, the candidates were ordered to kill one another until only one remained.
Mars was the one who survived.
He had beco the weapon Diamond Kingdom dread of. And yet, as Charles sensed, his shattered heart still pulsed weakly beneath his imnse magical power—his soul ruined by the murder of his childhood friend.
Charles and Luck dashed through the maze of ruins, quickly reaching the gates to the treasure chamber.
And just as they arrived, Charles spotted sothing that made him do a double take.
Was that... Asta going full-on Jackie Chan against Mars?
Wearing a fur cloak and adorned with three gemstones embedded in his forehead and another large one in his chest, the boy was unmistakably Mars. His grimoire was equally strange—two halves sewn together, forming a grotesque fusion of two books.
Mars's primary magic was mineral-based. Other than Asta, everyone else had been pinned down by golems made of solid rock. Hovering at Mars's side was a titanic mineral sword several ters long, swinging down toward Asta.
With one strike, Asta cleaved through it.
"Out of my way, you little pebble!" Mars snarled—a line that perfectly matched his edgy, corrupted persona.
But if there was one thing Asta excelled at, it was smashing through people like this.
"I might be a pebble, but—"
Dodging Mars's attacks, Asta closed the distance in a flash and shouted:
"—I'm a pebble that can shatter diamonds!"
With a sweeping blow, his anti-magic sword smashed Mars's armor and sent him flying across the hall.
"This treasure chamber now belongs to us, the mages of the Clover Kingdom!" Asta roared triumphantly.
"Yo, nice speech, Asta." Charles strolled up and patted his shoulder.
Asta turned, beaming. "Charles! Luck-senpai! You're done over there?"
Charles nodded. "He got away, but we injured him badly. He shouldn't be a problem again."
Yuno also walked up. Charles glanced at him and said, "So you're on this mission too, huh? Pretty sloppy entrance, though."
"You're that Charles who refused Captain Vangeance's invitation and joined the Black Bulls?" ca a sharp voice from behind Yuno.
Charles turned to find the bespectacled knight from earlier—soone who radiated the unmistakable vibe of a guy who thought he was important.
And Charles? He didn't hold back.
"Ah, yes. This is the guy Asta rescued—so senior from Golden Dawn, apparently."
His words struck deep.
Though Charles knew this man would eventually drop his noble prejudice, he couldn't stand his current self-righteous attitude.
The man, Klaus Lunettes, flushed with anger and embarrassnt. Fortunately, the girl in Golden Dawn robes beside him gently held him back.
Yuno, pretending not to notice the tension, said, "This is Klaus Lunettes, a senior in Golden Dawn. He's a dependable ally."
Then, perhaps trying to smooth things over, he added a little praise.
The girl beside Klaus also stepped forward politely. "My na is Mimosa Vermillion. I joined Golden Dawn with Yuno as part of the sa class."
Charles, seemingly unaware—or perhaps just unbothered—by the royal weight behind the Vermillion na, replied casually, "Mimosa, huh? That's a nice na. As Yuno's family, I'll be counting on you to take care of this stiff-necked guy."
"O-Oh, not at all!" Mimosa flustered. "It's actually Yuno-san who's always looking after !"
Klaus opened his mouth as if to protest Charles's lack of deference to royalty, but for so reason… he didn't say anything.
Charles understood. Klaus's animosity likely wasn't personal—it stemd from his deep admiration for Vangeance. That Charles would refuse the man's invitation and join the most disreputable squad must have felt like an insult.
But after watching Asta fight, and spending ti with Yuno, Klaus's worldview was already beginning to shift.
Klaus moved off to one side and used restraining magic to secure the unconscious Mars.
Charles followed him, crouched beside Mars, and picked up the boy's strange grimoire.
"Cut the crap about destroying everything," he said quietly. "Can't you feel the other person's mana still lingering in this book?"
He gestured to the second magical signature—the fire-attribute one that had gently activated earlier to protect Mars when he collapsed.
"The one who gave you that power… they believed in you. Even I can feel how deeply they wanted to protect you. Are you going to waste that gift?"
Mars's eyes snapped open.
"Who… are you? What do you know?"
Charles shook his head. "Does it matter what I know? What matters is what you rember."
He placed the grimoire back on Mars's chest, completely unafraid of the possibility that the boy might rise and fight again.
He'd said what he needed to say. If Mars still chose to go berserk like in the original tiline—well, Charles had no problem putting him down.
But the grimoire pulsed softly, and the fire-attribute mana flowed out—not with hostility, but protectiveness.
"…Fana…"
Mars whispered the na, his gaze unfocused.
Charles could feel it too—Mars's mana had cald. Peaceful, almost gentle. His heart, at least for now, had found rest.
Which ant it was ti for the final step.
"Asta," Charles said, "the treasure chamber door is sealed with magic. You know what to do."
Without hesitation, Asta drew his sword and cleaved it open with a single swing.
As the magic dissolved, a dazzling light burst forth from inside. Everyone froze.
Piles of treasure, stacked in shimring mountains, cast golden reflections that nearly blinded them all.
Even Noelle and Mimosa, both of noble blood, had never seen anything like it.
As for Asta and Yuno? They looked like they'd just been hit with a million volts of joy.
Charles, too, couldn't keep calm. Not even across two lifetis had he seen anything like this—he'd only ever witnessed scenes like this on TV.
But this? This was real.
"Unbelievable…"
His words were weak—but then again, everyone else just nodded along. None of them could think of anything better to say either.
_________________________
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