Colt has never had a more comfortable sleep in his life, all bad thoughts gone from his head and a peaceful mind, until 4:30am and a loud captain ruined it. "WAKE UP ROOKIE TIME TO START THE DAY!" Colt flung himself from his bed in a fright. "Well good to see your reaction timing ain't shit. Now hurry up, if you don't Charmy eats your breakfast. I am not kidding."

Colts ears were still ringing from his captains yelling, never before has he woken up this early for anything let alone breakfast, either way he got dressed and followed his captain to the food hall where he found Charmy munching away on an insane amount of food and a bunch of sheep in chefs hats cooking up a gourmet feast. Colt noticed other squad members sitting close to Charmy, including Deckard, Jack, Mads and Gordon all enjoying about five percent of the amount of food that Charmy was eating. Colt decided to sit next to his fellow rookie who had a stoic expression on her face and barely acknowledged him, Colt brushed it off especially when the captain decided to sit across from the two of them. "Today is going to be something of orientation for you two. When you finish breakfast Deckard here will give you guys a tour of the base while explaining your duties while your not on missions, won't be too much just cleaning and washing really, any free time you got you can spend however you want, I recommend you should spend some time training you guys might have passed our 'baptism' but trust me that's the easy stuff. Also, after Deckard shows you around you need to see our resident doctor for a physical, so we know you're in fighting shape and well… let's just say she likes new recruits." Asta's shrugged shoulders and squinted eyes made Colt worry about who this doctor is.

Deckard took the two rookies through the base which Colt had noticed had shifted since last night. Deckard told him it was the magic of the Ghost that roamed the halls of the manor, both Colt and Mads thought it was just a bad joke of a senior member. Deckard showed them all through the manor including library, rec room, toilets, and communal bath. Eventually they got to the basement where Colt heard a rather disturbing growling. "OK kids, here's the good part." Deckard led them to a cage filled with giant beasts. "Welcome to the beast room."

Colts eyes were bulging out of his head. "What the hell these things are huge."

"Yeah this was the former captains' little hobby, after he retired Captain Asta kept it going. Apparently, he developed a little bond with them when they finally stopped trying to eat him." Colt couldn't tell he if he was serious. "Also, they're very effective when the base gets attacked, they may be vicious but they can tell enemy from Bull, they just need an alpha to tell them who's who, in this case our esteemed captain. During a small attack from the Spades a few years back, we all stayed in the base while the Captain just strolled out with the one with the horn there and the big wolf there just stalking right behind him and the attackers just ran off."

Mads was just looking at the beasts with fascination "Cool." She begun to approach the cage.

"Hey careful rookie. You don't want to get to close those things will chew you…" The beast closest to the front of the cage put it nose down to Mads who gave him a pat. "Woah… that's a first. Normally they like to eat the rookies. I have never even seen them get so docile for anyone, even the Captain."

"I've always had a way with animals."

"No kidding."

Colt moved towards Mads and the beast. "Do you mind if I try." The beast started to snarl as he got closer.

Mads looked back at Colt with a smug look on her face. "I think he does."

Suddenly they heard a booming laughter from the end of the hall, they turned to see their captain walking towards the group. "Well this is a surprise. Fluffy here doesn't normally like people petting him and I remember when he used to take a bite out of me, guess that means your now in charge of feeding them."

"Love to sir."

"Well if that's the case later Deckard hear can take you two to the store from where the Bulls get the best meat in all the kingdom, but first doctor needs to see you two, Deckard make sure they get there."

"Yes sir, Captain." Asta stuck around to feed the beasts while the group ascended the stairs. They started moving through the manor and it was rather deep in the manor. "She likes the privacy and quiet frankly we like that about her."

Colt looked at Deckard. "Is she that bad."

"She's not bad… she's just… very passionate about her hobbies."

"Which are?" Asked Mads

Deckard stopped at a door "Various forms of scientific experimentations on people's biology and magical capabilities which normally lead to rather bizarre and invasive physical examinations." Deckard knocked on the door. "Sally!"

A woman with messy black hair and thick glasses wearing a white coat came out of the room. "Hello Deckard, finally come for that follow up." The very way she spoke made Colt nervous and from the look on her face Mads felt the same.

"For the last time Sally, stay away from my hands I need them for my magic. Anyway, that's not why I'm here, I bought you two new victims, I mean recruits that need their physical done. Just standard stuff."

"Okay then."

"Just standard stuff, nothing weird."

"I know."

"Remember Asta's rules."

"I remember. Come on in newbies." Colt and Mads followed Sally though rather hesitantly. Two hours passed and Deckard was sitting in a chair reading a paper when Colt and Mads finally came out of Sally's room. "Come back whenever you want kids, I'd love some follow ups. Deckard here's my report on the two of them, but honestly their both in fighting shape. I'm getting back to my experiments." She looked back at Colt and Mads with a devilish look. "Bye guys." She then closed her door behind her.

The pair looked at Deckard. "You know we lose more new recruits through her examinations than the baptism. C'mon we'll drop this off with Asta then I'll show you guys where we get our supplies from in the castle town."

As they made their way through the manor Colt couldn't help thinking about Sally's results… and a few of methods which included but wasn't limited to biting and soaking him in gel.

Flashback

Colt was putting his shirt back on covering bite marks and little puncture marks from needles. Sally sat down in front of him while she wrote down some results of the exam. "Thievery magic I haven't seen something this interesting since Asta's Anti-Magic, your actually capable of stealing not just magic but spells in real time, that's even more advance than a counter spell but what really fascinates me is that you're body is capable of holding an insane amount of magic compared to what you actually have."

"What do you mean. There are plenty of mages that have something of magic draining spells."

"That's true but when someone uses a spell like that it normally just replaces the magic that was used to cast it and maybe a little more. But with you it's almost like your body is designed to hold the amount of magic probably equal to that of the king, but your only equipped with a small fraction of that, it's so fascinating. Then there's your grimoire."

"What about it?"

"For starters it's cover is blank. I have never seen a grimoire without some form of a decorative covering, but you just have the clover, it's funny cause that is exactly how you would picture the perfect thief."

"The perfect thief. What's that suppose to mean."

"I used to run with some bad people before the Bulls took me in." She begun swaying in here chair as she reminisced. "during that time, I once met a thief who was the plainest looking guy I have ever seen, nothing about him stood out. I later learned that he uses that to his advantage because he didn't have transformation magic in his repertoire, so he used disguises so he could trick people he would steal from or avoid people who wanted to kill him and wow, I was convinced that I had met four different people before I realised it was all him. It's almost as if you're grimoire is plain so maybe it could be disguised or decorated with what it needs to be when the need arises."

"Actually, miss Sally I think I know why it's blank."

"Oh really, why's that?"

Colt looked over to Mads who was still sitting in a bubble of Sally's gel magic being examined but he figured after going through it himself she could probably hear him. "You know what, never mind."

"You know anything you say here stays a secret. Not just with me but all the Bulls. Not to mention as your doctor I may need to know this." Colt felt like she was just saying that because she was curious so he couldn't bring himself to tell her.

"Don't worry, it's not that important I'm probably wrong anyway." Sally was noticeably disappointed.

"Okay, okay let's finish up then."

End Flashback

Deckard led the pair out of the manor and passed them a pair of brooms. "Hope you guys can fly cos I don't share."

Luckily Colt could fly though in could still be a bit bumpy. "Where are we going anyway."

All three of them mounted their brooms and began to make their way to the castle town. "Where going to Kika, there's a store there where Captain Asta insists gets the finest meat in the entire kingdom, it's also where he gets the food for the beasts. Not only that but the owner also supplies most of the other knight squads and some restaurants in the noble realm."

Mads decided to chime in. "Must be a large place to supply all that."

"Actually, it's just owner that works there, he's a former magic knight and he gets his old squad to help him out from time to time."

Colt spoke next "He's a magic knight and a he runs a butchery?"

"Trust me when he retired there were a lot of people that were worried over how he was going to spend his time."

They spent the rest of their time in silence until they landed out front of the store, Colt noticed the sign. "Cap'n Jacks Fine Meats. This is the best place in the capital?" The store itself wasn't very impressive just a small brick store on the corner.

"Don't judge the place until you check it out, and for the love of all things holy do not I repeat DO NOT insult the place in front of Jack. The guy is quick to temper, and he will fillet you without a second thought." Deckard had quick shiver before entering the store. "Jack my good man, how's business?"

A very tall, thin man with a red mark on his face and an evil look appeared from behind the counter. "About the same since the last time you asked. If you're here for the Bulls standard order you're too early the boys won't be here for another…"

"Three seconds, Ha Haw." Colt turned around to see the captain of the Praying Mantis Squad enter the store. "Sorry we're late Captain the big boy gave my guys some trouble, so I had to step in." Jack stared daggers at the captain though Sekke just looked back with a smile on his face. "Captain Jack that look hasn't sacred me in years, just say 'take it around back' so I can get back to the squad."

Suddenly Jacks eyes widened and suddenly blades came out of his arms and he attacked Sekke who responded by drawing one of his machetes which had the hilt pointing down and blocking the blade. Colt couldn't help but noticed the unique design of Sekkes machetes, the front was a smooth curved blade while the back had large serrated notches on the back which Sekke was using to grip Jacks blade. Finally, Jack started smiling. "Third notch from the bottom, you're definitely getting faster newbie. Now take it round back, I got customers."

"Yes Captain." Colt looked outside and noticed two mantis squad members standing in front of what he thought was the largest wild boar he had ever seen, it was as big as a building. "Brox take it round back."

The larger of the two squad members, who had larger muscles than Captain Asta as well as darker skin and long shaggy hair, picked up the boar with his bare hands and carried it around the building. The other member was shorter with orange hair and think glasses, Colt recognised him from the selection exam, he was the Mantises new member. He saw Sekke exit the store and began speaking to the rookie, then suddenly Colt realised something. "Wait, Captain?"

Deckard was paying Jack. "Well yeah, you thought that sign was just a gimmick? This here is the former captain of the Praying Mantis Squad."

"And part of me still can't believe I left that guy in charge." Jack gave Deckard a rather large sack of what Colt assumed was the Bulls supplies.

"C'mon Jack ever since Sekke took over the Mantis Squad has improved. And what's so hard to believe Captain Sekke has always been a competent Magic Knight." Jack just stared at Deckard like he has said the dumbest sentence possible. "What?"

The bell above the door dinged. "If you knew Sekke when he was starting out, you'd know he was an ass. And that's putting it nicely."

Everyone turned to see the Captain of the Silver Sea Dragons was standing at the door, but Colt couldn't care less because she walked in with her new rookie Sara. "Hey Colt."

"Sara, hey how are you."

"Yeah not bad, the Silver Sea Dragons are a great squad, though a few are a little snobbish, but majority is are great. How about the Bulls?"

"One word. Crazy."

While Jack was cutting up the boar for the Bulls, Colt and Sara chatted away. Sara even gave Colt a communication dial so they could talk. Colt was happy to rekindle an old friendship, but he was wondering why now after the past few years of no communication.

After a while Jack gave Deckard another sack filled with food for the beasts. After paying, and saying goodbye to Sara and promising to call later, the small group took off on their brooms. After a while Colt broke the silence. "So, if the Mantis Squad still works for the former Captain, do we do anything for ours?"

Deckard turned his head to Colt. "Captain Yami? Well that would be difficult he and a few other former magic knights moved out of the country about five years ago after they retired."

It was Mads that chimed in next. "Out of the country? Like to the Heart Kingdom?"

"No, I'm not sure where Asta won't tell me for some reason. But about a year before he left a lot of captains decided to retire, they called it the Revamp, only the Orcas and the Deer's captains stayed, and that's how we got over competitive nut cases like Sekke, Yuno and our own Asta as captains. Not to mention the start of the new yearly tradition."

Colt felt a little lost. "What tradition?"

Deckard was shocked. "The Squad tournament of course. Jeez kid you were a shut in. It's an event alongside the star festival where magic knight squads compete in a series of challenges and then a battle tournament, how do you not know this, it's awesome."

Even Mads was surprised. "Even I know that in fact I attended that time where Captain Asta fought Sekke in a straight up sword fight. Now that was nothing short of amazing."

Deckard couldn't help laughing. "Yeah no kidding those two are rivals when it comes to sword play. Rumour has it that Captain Sekke had his Mantis Machetes forged to combat Captains Anti-Magic Swords. What's really cool with those two are among the top ten of sword fighters in the kingdom. Just don't remind the Captain that."

Both Colt and Mads were confused. "Why not? That seems like an achievement for the captain."

Deckard couldn't stop laughing. "It's because Sekke is ranked higher than Captain Asta. Asta is number six while Sekke is in the top three at number two. He's one of the Tres Duces Mundi."

"Tres Duces Mundi? What's that?" Asked Mads.

"Three Blade Lords. The three greatest swordsmen in the Clover Kingdom. Believe it or not one of the Bulls is one of the Lords."

"Who is it?"

"Our own Vice Captain Finral. He's a master at using a sabre it's insane. He's fast, he's accurate, I've seen him fight it's insane especially when he mixes his magic in with sword play and he ranks number three."

Colt asked, "Who's number one? Someone in the Golden Dawn."

"Nah, it's actually someone in the Blue Rose Knights. I'm not entirely sure who. Heads up rookies where home Colt take the food meat to the kitchen to Miss Charmy and Mads take the meat for the beasts to the basement there's a fridge near the cage."

"Yes Sir."

As they were landing, they noticed Asta walking through one of Finrals portals. When they landed Colt approached Finral. "Hey where's the Captain going?"

"Asta normally spends his weekends away from the base. He usually goes to his home village Hage in the forsaken realm."

"Why is that?"

"He usually goes to meet up with someone. Now enough questions and get the food to the kitchen or you'll have to deal with a bunch of hungry Bulls to deal with and that's not a pretty sight."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, and you two." Finral referring to Mads and Colt. "Be ready, a mission could be coming in for you two very soon."

Though Colt knew he had to take it seriously, he couldn't help but feel a little excited for his first mission.