Here is the ninth conversation Noelle has to have and the third one with someone who isn't a rival since realizing that she was in love with Asta. This is also the last planned conversation that Noelle is going to have with someone about this as I can't think of any more she needs to have. There is still two more conversation chapters, one special and one that isn't instigated by Noelle but for those who know the anime I am sure which conversation that will be, before I reach the end of what I think I can do before the biggest conversation of all and that one isn't clear yet. For those of you curious, this is set sometime around between the end of episode 150 and episode 152, as will the next conversation so there may be spoilers for the anime arc prior to the episode so y'all have been warned. That is all I have for now which means that it is time to sit back and enjoy Noelle's latest conversation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Black Clover franchise.
Summary - Since realizing she loves Asta, Noelle has been on a series of conversations with rivals; be they confirmed, suspected, or potential, as well as talks with those who need to know or who can give Noelle advice. At last, she has reached the end of those conversations as it is time for her last one and just in time before she goes to train in the Heart Kingdom. However, of all the talks, this is the one she's fearing the most. Not because it's with a rival. No. Noelle is afraid because this is a talk that requires her to ask for a favor from Mereoleona Vermillion. This won't be fun.
A Fiery Favor
Noelle grimaced as she neared the edge of the familiar volcano that was a strong magic region. There was no doubt that Mereoleona was here training for the invasion which meant that Noelle had to come here to see her, but she didn't have to like it. She'd already been kidnapped twice by the mad Vermillion and taken to this location for that maniac's version of intensive training and now she had to come her on her own just to talk to the woman.
Alas, Noelle knew that this was important and that she needed to talk to Mereoleona because she might be the only one who could help her, so she sucked it up and made the trip on her broom straight from Hage. She had to activate her mana skin as she got near, and the intense heat of the volcano hit her but that was second nature to her now, so it wasn't hard. Plus, it was a good bit of training.
This was the last conversation that Noelle knew that she needed to have before she went to the Heart Kingdom. All this had started because of Charlotte Roselei's invitation to tea where the Blue Rose Captain had confronted Noelle over her feelings for Asta, the real reason for the tea invite, and a lot had happened since then in Noelle's private life. None more important than the results of that confrontation, Noelle's realization that she was deeply in love with Asta.
It had been something she'd been denying ever since she started to develop feelings for him back in Saussy Village for multitude of reasons but after Charlotte had her push past her limits, Noelle had come to fully embrace her feelings for Asta. It had led her to confront all her rivals, be they real, potential, or suspected, in addition to her normal Black Bull adventures, and occasional kidnapping by Mereoleona that happened way to frequently to be normal.
Noelle had started with Nero, her friend and teammate who was a potential rival. Nero wasn't sure of what her feelings for Asta where beyond a deep sense of loyalty to him, still wasn't, but she hadn't ruled out them being romantic, so Noelle still considered her a rival and was sporadically jealous of the girl. After Nero it had been Mimosa thanks to a Mereoleona kidnapping and then Rebecca due to a Finral mixer, the two confirmed rivals, who had accepted Noelle's challenge and embraced their rivalry.
She'd then gotten a reprieve when circumstances forced her to confront her friend Kahono who was a potential rival but turned out to be an ally in complete support of Noelle being with Asta. Lastly, and least pleasantly, Noelle had been forced to confront Sally and in the process unlocked Sally's feelings for Asta, so she had made a rival out of nothing with the worst of the girls Noelle had suspected of liking Asta.
That last one still stung a bit as Noelle could have avoided a rival who was also completely insane and had penchant for brandishing sharp implements if she had kept her jealousy in check, but Noelle could never do that when it came to girls who were all over her Asta. That meant that she had ended up with a new rival from it but thankfully that rival was currently in prison doing work to atone for her crimes in the capital and thus not a major threat like Mimosa and Nero were.
After the rivals, Noelle knew that she still wasn't done with talking with people about her love for Asta as there were still a handful of people she needed to talk to like her brother Nozel who weren't rivals but who she still needed to tell about her love and plans for Asta. Well one was a rival but not in the traditional fashion, she was a rival because she held what Noelle wanted the most, Asta's heart. Sister Lily didn't want it as she was a Sister of the Cloth and Asta's mother figure, so Noelle had to break Asta of that strange obsession he had with her.
However, Noelle knew that she couldn't do it herself. She was too shy and bashful around Asta, especially when it came to matters of the heart as she wasn't even ready to tell Asta that she loved him so she couldn't try and get it through his thick skull that he'd never be with Sister Lily, so he needed to move on from her. To get through to Asta you needed stubborn determination, a steel will, and extreme violence. Thankfully all three of those things existed in one person: Mereoleona Vermillion.
That was why Noelle was here. She needed to ask Mereoleona to get through to Asta and get him to end his infatuation with Sister Lily so that Noelle could try and win his heart. She had always planned on Mereoleona being the third of her three non-rival conversations after Nozel and Sister Lily, but she hadn't known what it would be for.
She had known was either going to be for advice on how to get through Asta's skull or to ask for a favor to get him to move on from Sister Lily depending on how her chat with Sister Lily went. Alas it was the latter and that meant that Noelle was going to have to ask for a favor from the uncrowned, undefeated, lioness and a favor from that woman was usually paid for in blood and fire.
"Who's there." A loud, feminine voice called out as Noelle landed her broom before she crested the ledge near the bast of the volcano where the climb and descent to the hot springs in both locations began and saw Mereoleona in her usual attire in the middle of a workout there. "Noelle? This is a surprise. Come here for some last-minute training with me before going off? Good girl, your mother would have done the same."
"Probably but not right away." Noelle said hesitantly as she jumped down to land on the ground a few feet from the ginger woman that was now grinning at her with a wicked gleam in her eyes and trying to hide the pride she felt at being compared to her mother. "I need a favor from you, and I am well aware of what one of those would cost."
"Ha, you're a bold one just like your mother was, she too had no fear." Mereoleona laughed. "You are getting more and more like her as the days go by. It takes balls to come to me for a favor and my price is steep to begin with and that's not including what it will cost if it is a big one. Are you prepared to pay the price Noelle?"
"Yes I am." Noelle said seriously meeting Mereoleona's eye and not backing down despite the fear she was feeling at the moment. "Because this is something I can't afford not to ask because it is something I need but cannot accomplish myself. There is something I need with help with, and you are probably the only person who can help me Mereoleona."
"Ah so it is a serious one." Mereoleona said and her grin broadened as she had an idea or two on what it might be about and decided to test her theory. "It wouldn't have something to do with Asta now would it?"
"How'd you know?" Noelle asked before Mereoleona laughed and Noelle cursed herself. "You didn't, you were fishing and caught me with the easy bait. I really need to work on that."
"Pretty much." Mereoleona said still laughing. "I am not blind; I just don't care to intrude on things like that. I've seen the way you look at him and the reactions he get out of you, so it wasn't hard to deduce it. Now tell me, why do you need my help with that meathead."
"I need your help because I can't proceed without breaking him of something that is unhealthy." Noelle said as she took a breath and explained. "As you guessed, I have feelings for Asta. In fact, I'm deeply in love with him and have been for a while. I can go into the history some other time if you want but suffice it to say that I was in denial for the longest time, but someone made me face the music a few months back and since then I have embraced my love for him as much as I can, so I haven't confessed to him yet. However, there is a problem I am facing, and I am not the person who can overcome it."
"Well, I did suspect you liked him, he does have a certain appeal." Mereoleona said causing Noelle to gape at Mereoleona and her jealousy instantly flared up even if she would stand no chance against the Crimson Lion. "But he's half my age and I'd break him so not worth my time though he might last longer than most men. Very well, what do you need my help with? You clearly love him, and you are here to see me so there must be something only my skills can do for you."
"Yes there is." Noelle said as she came down from her brief flirtation with jealousy and got down to business with Mereoleona. "I was always going to come find you before I went to the Heart Kingdom because I wanted your advice for how to pierce his thick skull but on the way I had another conversation with someone about Asta as I had a suspicion I needed to confirm before seeing you. Well, that and she was someone I needed to talk to about Asta regardless."
"She?" Mereoleona asked. "So, a rival then. If it is a rival why not just fight her to show your superiority, that's how it is in nature and how I do it when I have a mate in mind. I beat the rival and claim my prize and the man never complains because he's got women fighting over him which most men want."
"Yes well I don't have your confidence or mentality." Noelle said with a slight blush at the idea of fighting Mimosa, Sally, and Rebecca for Asta, not that she wouldn't destroy them in battle if it came to it. "And while she is a rival, she isn't after Asta. No, the problem is that he is obsessed with her, and she can't marry him for various reasons. That and she is his mother figure who's not interested even if she could be."
"That is confusing and a little messed up." Mereoleona said bluntly before cackling at it. "But I find it hilarious and just what I'd expect from that shrimp. So, what is the problem then? Surely you can just seduce Asta away from her. Hell, she might even help. Don't you have some vixen on the Black Bulls, she'd be useful as well in teaching you how to use your womanly ways to get Asta to notice him. I'm too blunt to help on that front."
"This is Asta we're talking about." Noelle said shaking her head. "He's too stubborn and stupid to notice that even if I was comfortable enough to try and seduce him and I'm not, I could barely stand before him in a bikini despite desperately wanting him to notice and complement me, which he didn't. The problem is that he's been obsessed with this woman for years but, well, a Sister of the Cloth can't be married."
"He's after a nun, damn that boy isn't afraid of a challenge, if only he was a decade older and a little taller." Mereoleona barked with a grin that Noelle didn't like at all. "Still, I know Sisters, they take their vows seriously. He'd never get her to break them."
"Yes they do and this one in particular had a great mentor." Noelle said ready to drop the big ball that she had that would get Mereoleona to agree to help her. "Sister Lily was mentored when she joined the Sisterhood by Sister Theresa in Nean."
"Wait, really?" Mereoleona asked her eyes wide, and Noelle nodded in confirmation. "Damn, you know how to make it irresistible for me. I can't not help my mentor's mentee in the Sisterhood now. So, what do you want me to do? Bear in mind that what you ask will determine what you owe me for this and there is a line I won't cross in this matter."
"What is that line?" Noelle asked curiously.
"I won't help you get with Asta." Mereoleona said simply which Noelle understood and expected but Mereoleona continued before she could say anything. "For various reasons. The main one is that you have to win him yourself without any help from me in getting him to notice you like that. Landing a man is just like training, it has to be done by you and you are alone. If that's not enough, there is one more major reason."
"What is the other reason?" Noelle asked her curiosity now fully peaked. "I get the main one and I wasn't going to ask that as I understand that I have to do it alone. Initially I was going to ask for help on how I could get through to him but now all I am going to ask is that you persuade Asta to move on from Sister Lily and open his mind to the possibility of any girl he can actually have."
"Hmm, I can do that." Mereoleona said stroking her chin. "I can certainly try at least as this sounds like a fun challenge. I can see why you came to me. I am the only person who can beat it into Asta's thick skull that he can't marry a Sister of the Cloth and should move on from his mother figure, which is creepy as well. I can probably, with a little time and energy, get it through to him. That would also explain why you are here with time to spare before you go to the Heart Kingdom."
"Precisely." Noelle said with a sigh of relief that Mereoleona got it, even if she hadn't told her the other reason for her narrow help yet. "I came with at least a week to spare because I figured the price I'd pay for this was a few days training with you and you would need a few days with Asta both to get through to him and to have some training fun with him because that's just who you are."
"You're damn right on both fronts." Mereoleona said with a near feral grin. "I am going to need at least 4 days with you for this and I'll take the rest of the week with Asta. He's powerful and that anti-magic is unique, I really want to test myself against him at full power and see how good he is with it. It will be so much fun."
"You and I have different versions of fun." Noelle said shaking her head. "That sounds like hell to me."
"Well yes, your idea of fun no doubt includes a naked Asta and the hot springs here." Mereoleona said with a wink as Noelle went bright red at the improper but not unpleasant thoughts that suddenly invaded her mind at Mereoleona's words. "Thought so. Very well, you have your deal but only as far as getting Asta over this Sister Lily, who I will be asking Sister Theresa about when I next write to her as well so that I can get some extra information on her. After that you are on my own and have no support from me, nor do I want you to actual win."
"Huh?" Noelle asked confused. "You don't want me to end up with Asta?"
"Nope, I know someone else who likes him, and she takes a higher place for me which is the other reason why I am helping only as far as getting Asta over Sister Lily." Mereoleona said and Noelle groaned at that knowing exactly who Mereoleona was referring to. "Yup, I saw how Mimosa acted at that dinner. She'd never directly attack Kirsch that way no matter how annoying he was being unless she was showing off for someone she liked and that had to be Asta. Well, that and I saw how she blushed around him whenever he complemented her or the longing glances both of you have been giving him for a while."
"Great, someone who wants Mimosa to win." Noelle said though she couldn't complain too much as she had Nozel, Kahono and most importantly Sister Lily's support in her pursuit of Asta. "And yet you will still help get Asta over Sister Lily so I can't complain too much."
"Well, I figure he will need to be a blank slate for you two to properly compete for him over while you are in the Heart Kingdom, and yes I know that both of you will be going." Mereoleona said with a grin at the end. "I won't interfere at all because that is no fair, you have to have a fair competition for Asta's heart, and I will give you that but if Asta is to join a royal family then I would want it to be mine and not yours. Remember, I am related to Mimosa through our fathers, you are related to her through your mothers, so you and I aren't related that directly. Therefore, I'd rather he be a Vermillion and not a Silva."
"I understand." Noelle said with a nod, and she did, she couldn't fault Mereoleona putting her own family first in this matter. "And I can respect that and the fact that you will help both of us by doing this, but I will beat our cousin, I swear that."
"That's the attitude." Mereoleona said with a nod of approval. "Man, I wish I could watch this cat fight. Always a good time watching two females brawl over an alpha male and not many men get to have two royal beauties battle over him. Asta's done really well for himself, and he doesn't even know it."
"It's not just two of us." Noelle said with a sigh and ignoring Mereoleona's attitude as best she could. "There are at least 4 people, including myself, who have romantic feelings for Asta. Mine are probably the deepest though given how much contact I have with him."
"Really, damn, that boy must have something going for him to get that many women after him despite his status, just shows what a strong attitude and power can get you." Mereoleona said with a laugh while Noelle just groaned. "That is good to know, might help break through his skull to know that there are women into him that aren't this Sister Lily."
"I thought you weren't going to aid anyone?" Noelle asked now confused.
"And I'm not." Mereoleona said. "But knowing that he has other options couldn't hurt in at least cracking his dense skull and from there I can get my claws in and widen it until it breaks. All I need to do is tell him that an unknown number of women are into him, but I won't reveal any names."
"Huh, and here I thought you were just going to beat him until it was through." Noelle said surprised that Mereoleona actually had some sense of a plan for this."
"Oh, I am going to do that as well." Mereoleona said her grin wide. "He needs to learn, and violence should work well with Asta but any info you have will be good. So, tell me all you know so I can figure out how to use it. Who else likes Asta other than you and Mimosa. I won't give names, but I want to see who the players are and then make a bet with Yami."
"Wait, Yami doesn't know." Noelle said panicked as she wasn't ready to tell her Captain that she was in love with her squad mate. "Only 9 people know, and I want to keep it like that. It's just my rivals, my friend Kahono, Sister Lily, my brother Nozel and Charlotte Roselei."
"Charlotte knows?" Mereoleona asked surprised at that name cropping up. "The others make sense to some extent, but we will circle back to Nozel and though I don't know this Kahono person. However, Charlotte's the odd one out."
"Kahono is a friend a made at the beach before learning she's from the Underwater Temple who I thought was a rival because of past acts but who turned out to be fully supportive of me." Noelle explained. "She just tried to use my rampant jealousy, then fear, and lastly Asta's honesty to get me to admit my feelings to him during the Star Awards Festival but my denial was too deep."
"Smart girl, shame you're you or else it might have worked." Mereoleona said idly much to Noelle's annoyance at Kahono's behavior being endorsed. "So then how did Charlotte find out. She's not exactly the most accepting of men."
"She was actually the first to learn how I felt for Asta." Noelle admitted much to Mereoleona's surprise. "I won't go into details but suffice it to say that she figured out I had feelings for Asta thanks to Asta himself, though he doesn't know he did that, when I was still in denial myself. She used a ruse to get me to visit her, made sure we were private, and that I couldn't escape, before she confronted me on my feelings by bluntly calling them out. She wouldn't let me leave until I examined them, so I did. I used that time to push past my limits and I realized that I love Asta."
"Damn, the queen of thorns can be quite devious when she wants to be it seems." Mereoleona said with approval. "Who would have thought. Good for her. So, who are these other rivals?"
"A commoner called Rebecca from Nean who met Asta at a mixer and fell for him during it." Noelle said causing Mereoleona to raise an eyebrow at that. "I know because I followed him to it and got a job as a waitress to spy on."
"And you didn't realize that that wasn't normal behavior?" Mereoleona asked. "Not that I am disapproving of it mind you, surveillance of an enemy is important, so I commend you for it."
"Deep denial." Noelle reminded her while ignoring how crazy Mereoleona was. "And I was right in the end as Rebecca did fall for him. After that he saw her again on our day off and I followed again because I didn't know where Asta was going and wanted to know. That was the day those children were abducted, Sister Theresa almost died, and we first faced the leader of the Midnight Sun, so I made the right decision as I was able to call for help because I was there. Asta saved two of Rebecca's siblings during it and we became friendly but knew we were rivals even back then. Course she had to kiss Asta on the cheek in front of me."
"I see, well that was good that you were there then because it was your message that saved Sister Theresa's life." Mereoleona said with gratitude in her voice at that. "I heard of that scrap, shame I hadn't made it back to the capital before it or else I would have taken that trio down myself for what they did to my idiot brother."
"I don't doubt that seeing as I know your reputation at least and you can take down at least one of those three alone." Noelle said recalling Asta's recounting of how Mereoleona single handily beat Rhya. "Also, my last rival was present that day. The mad scientist of the Midnight Sun, a girl called Sally who is currently atoning for her crimes by developing items for the coming ware, liked Asta for his unique anti-magic as a research subject but Asta had to be Asta and get her to fall for him. Then I got in her face and made it worse by getting her to realize that she'd fallen for him."
"Well, a royal isn't the most diplomatic person." Mereoleona said simply. "I should know, I'm the least diplomatic of them all but I don't care for politics or status, so they never trust me with anything delicate."
"And that is why I need your help; you can get through to Asta." Noelle said. "Though there is one more person to contend with who may be an issue in some way."
"A final rival?" Mereoleona asked.
"Of sorts but it's more who she is and what she does that you have to consider." Noelle said. "Nero doesn't know if she likes Asta like that or not for various personal reasons, but I still consider her a rival because she's always with Asta and I'm worried something might happen. I'm not as afraid of him falling for her now that I know of his infatuation with Sister Lily, but she still gets me jealous at times."
"Nero?" Mereoleona asked. "She's that newest member you have, the one with horns who was on trial with Asta. Right?"
"That's her." Noelle confirmed. "She's from 500 years ago but because of her use of forbidden magic she has those horns and ended up sealing herself in to form of an anti-bird for five centuries. That seal broke when the Shadow Palace appeared, and she revived the first Wizard King with the Magic Stones, but she can now turn into the bird at will."
"Oh yeah, I remember the bird from the last time you were here." Mereoleona said recalling how she grabbed the bird as well with the other Black Bulls she'd conscripted to join the Crimson Lion Kings during the second training session she put those weaklings through. "She's often on Asta's head right?"
"Right and she is almost always by his side." Noelle said with a nod unable to suppress the jealousy in her voice at the closeness Nero shared with Asta. "Except when sleeping or bathing it seems though the former is only now that she can turn back into a human and as such has her own room as she used to sleep in Asta's room when she was stuck as a bird. She's as loyal to Asta as I am and believes fully in him hence why I'm worried she will develop feelings for him in time but, well, there is one other problem."
"If she's always with Asta then she will try to come with us when I take him in a few days, and this is something I need to deal with Asta alone." Mereoleona said with a nod of understanding. "Don't worry, I have a plan and I'll deal with her now that I know what to expect."
"Thank you." Noelle said with a sigh. "That concludes the rivals I have."
"Good to know about them." Mereoleona said before returning to something that Noelle had said about those who knew. "While I can understand why you told him, I don't understand why you felt that Nozel needed to know this. He doesn't strike me as the kinda person to accept his youngest sister wanting to be with a commoner."
"I had to tell him so that he wasn't surprised when I won." Noelle said simply. "And we have mended our relationship some, so he deserved to know. Regardless, he gave me his blessing to continue as he has deemed Asta worthy of me, not that I would have stopped had he refused it."
"Wow that is a surprise." Mereoleona said her eyes wide at that, it took a lot to change Nozel's mind. "Braid face wouldn't usually do something like that."
"Turns out that the Vermillions aren't the only royals Asta can impress enough to change their minds." Noelle said with a smile. "I'm not the only Silva who Asta has gotten the attention of. Nozel knows Asta is strong and has accepted him as a good match for me. Course, unlike you he expects me to win Asta's heart."
"And I expect Mimosa though I won't tell her more than that Asta is now a clean slate." Mereoleona said. "That is my plan with him, make him a clean slate and get him to reconsider others. Once that is done I will be writing to Mimosa to let her know that she has a chance now, especially with the pair of you joining him in the Heart Kingdom. After all, all's fair in love and war."
"I understand and I am grateful that you are willing to help me with this." Noelle said with a bow of her head. "It means a lot that you are willing to do this for all of us who love Asta."
"I like Asta, he's powerful and driven and he intrigues me." Mereoleona said before her grin grew large and her oddly fang-like right upper canine glinted. "And you know that this isn't going to be cheap. You are asking for something that only I can accomplish and even I will struggle with this."
"I know." Noelle said with conviction in her voice. "But this is for Asta and my love for him, I will pay anything to get a chance at winning him once he's broken of his Sister Lily obsession."
"Good because for the next 4 days you are going to be my bitch here Noelle." Mereoleona said as her eyes got crazy. "Not even your mother could last that long though at least your attribute is better for heat then hers was."
"I'll show you I can." Noelle said seriously. "I may not be at my mother's level yet, but I can do this because I love Asta, and this is for him. That will see me through it."
"You'd better." Mereoleona said as she closed the distance between the pair of them in a flash and grabbed Noelle by the front of her robes grinning like a maniac as she lifted Noelle off her feet. "Because it is time for your baptism by fire."
With that Mereoleona tossed a startled Noelle to the side with all her strength. Noelle knew that this was going to be bad, but she hadn't expected to be through over the side of a ledge and right towards the lava below them.
"Better get that armor on quick." Mereoleona called out. "You're going to need it."
Noelle swore but did as ordered and quickly activated her Valkyrie armor and covered herself in a condensed armor of water that protected her from the heat. She then used it to ride the mana currents as she flipped over to land on a nearby rock in the middle of the lave. Once steady, Noelle used her magic and enhanced strength with the armor to leap back, gliding through the air until she reached the relative safety of the far back of the lava lake.
"Not bad." Mereoleona said from above her and Noelle looked up to see the insane Vermillion grinning down at her and glowing with fire magic. "Now come at me and don't hold back. It's time to dance Noelle, your training has begun. Tell me why you love Asta and how you fell for him as you attack."
"I first fell for him when I saw how amazing he was and how he never gives up, just as I will never give up on him." Noelle yelled as she bent her knees and then launched herself at Mereoleona. "That was in Saussy Village, from there…"
Noelle continued her tale as she engaged Mereoleona in combat knowing she was outclassed and about to endure a brutal training regime that would beat several lessons into her but not caring. This was for Asta, this was for her love. She would survive anything for him, even Mereoleona Vermillion, all so that she could get that chance.
She was paying the price for Asta being cured of his infatuation with Sister Lily and getting her true chance to be win him. She was holding up her end. Soon, it would be time for Mereoleona to hold up hers. She couldn't wait for that. Asta was about to have his own conversation and it wasn't going to be fun.
Well, there was Mereoleona's conversation with Noelle. Probably the least expected chat from the beginning but as y'all can see it was one that had to happen as Mereoleona may be the only one who can help Noelle, if Noelle can pay her price that is. I think y'all can guess what the next conversation is, and it is a special, different one, from all the others in this collection. After that though, I only have one more that I can think of before the finale which I still haven't figured out how to do yet though I have an idea that will likely deviate from canon. Regardless, this collection is nearing its end I feel. It was never meant to get this far but thanks to all the support y'all have given me it has and I'm glad, it's been fun. Anyway, that is all I have for now so I will leave it off here and as always, please let me know what you think in your reviews and PMs as I do like hearing from y'all and don't forget to follow and favorite my work.
Stringdog