Hello again, I'm back with another chapter. So here, I'm closing the arc on the Squad Swapping thingy, and then we'll progressively start saying good bye to Canon xD

Well anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Edit : I just realized before posting the chapter I didn't beta'ed it xD. If you find any mistakes, no matter the kind, please tell me!

Aurora knew as soon as she woke up. It wasn't instinct, nor was it superstition or even ill will.

True, she'd rather stay two more days with the Blue Roses, talking more with Charlotte or getting to know the other members more.

True, after the good times she spent with the Black Bulls despite Yami, or the surprisingly fulfilling one with the Blue Roses thanks to Charlotte, one wouldn't fault her for thinking the third squad would not be as good an experience as the other two.

True, going into that squad was probably akin to throwing a juicy piece of meat toward a pack of scavengers and given her own… Mixed experiences with nobles, she'd rather not have to deal with a squad full of them.

And yet, all of this had nothing to do with the feeling that Aurora somehow knew something bad would happen today at the Silver Eagles.

That strange feeling of déjà vu gnawed at her as she said her heartfelt goodbyes to Charlotte, Sol, Puri, and Wainsley (the latter of which actually followed her back to the city, where she was asked to fetch Yuno.)

It didn't leave her up until she was brought to the rendezvous point like the two other times, and after a quick hello to both Yuno and Mimosa, she grimly followed the noble waiting for her there back to the Silver Eagle Squad.

The both of them shared a look when they saw her depart immediately, as if she was ready to go to war.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Yuno muttered while shaking his head. Compared to his time in the Black Bulls (in which he didn't see Asta as the latter had been sent to a mission, apparently), His passage in this particular squad had been… as expected. The fact that he chose the Golden Dawn over the Silver Eagle was something people remembered.

Not that he cared about that. He'd show them all ultimately.

"I concur. Aurora-san really has the most difficulties with noble - men mostly, and with what is currently happening with her former partner…." Yuno focused back on Mimosa, who looked concerned.

"I heard about that… But what's the deal about it, seriously?"

"Roland-san truly admired the Wizard King, you know, just like the rest of us. But I think he put him on too high of a pedestal as a charismatic man of forward-thinking and great responsibility. I thought a bit about it, and I believe what truly shook him isn't the fact that Aurora-san is his daughter, but rather the fact that the Wizard King could have a daughter he decided to give up, regardless of the circumstances." Mimosa explained as they got ready to depart.

"... That makes sense, but that's not something Aurora should suffer from," Yuno answered, keeping his own thoughts on the matter to himself.

"Yes, but at least he will come around. The others, well… between those who simply don't believe and those who don't either but have - in their eyes - a legitimate reason to criticize him."

"... I really envy them, in a way. It feels like they've got so much time to waste thinking about pointless things." Yuno stated coolly.

"The Wizard King is the central character of our Kingdom, so of course, anything pertaining to him is important for a great many people, no matter how pointless it seems. If you aim for the position, you'd better remember it too, Yuno-san."

Yuno's expression didn't outwardly change, but he felt the weight of those words keenly.

"You're right." It was at that moment that the woman who came with Aurora noticed him as she went to give her report back to HQ. "Well, let's just keep doing our best until the end, Mimosa."

"Yes! I'm looking forward to seeing Asta-san again!" Mimosa said energetically. "Ah! And getting to know the others too, of course!" She remembered the rest of the squad as an afterthought.

"About that… Captain Yami has sent Asta and one of his seniors on a long-term mission. You probably won't see him this time around." Yuno stated carelessly, and Bell, who's been silent up until now, repressed a giggle with all her might when she witnessed Mimosa smile and will leave her body.

Yuno didn't blame her because he, too, barely managed to suppress his smile.

He made a note to tell Aurora about it. Chance is, she'll need all the reasons to smile. When he grabbed his broom, he suddenly had one more idea.

"I just had a feeling she could make that kind of funny face!..." Bell said with a giggle as Mimosa disappeared into Finral's portal. "What's wrong, Yuno? Aren't you getting on the broom?"

"... Bell. How about trying something else?" He asked the spirit at his side, who tilted her head.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Flying." He answered her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Fortunately, the spirit of wind was able to connect the dots and smiled happily at him.

"Piece of cake. Should we try this now?"

Yuno nodded. "I'm counting on you."

And as he flew for the first time next to a bewildered Wainsley, Yuno couldn't help but think that this would make Aurora smile.

… He'd definitely have to tell her later.

The journey was uneventful and silent. Not that Aurora minded; without anyone bothering her, she was free to just relax on her broom and pet Gaius, who nuzzled into her neck to try and calm her down as usual.

After a good twenty minutes or so, Aurora and her guide arrived at a place that would make the Blue Roses' manor or the Golden Dawn's headquarters look like a shack.

"Ky…Kyuu…." Even Gaius looked gobsmacked. "Seriously, how can anyone live in that kind of place?!"

"We've arrived. Follow me; the Captain will want to see you immediately." The man told her, not unkindly.

"All right." Aurora plastered a smile on her face. "Thank you, er…"

"Nils. Nils Ragus. Pleased to meet you." The man finally introduced himself, barely looking her way.

And he didn't say anymore.

"... Well, at least I know his name…." She didn't feel anything special standing out of Nils's threads, so he was just someone very serious about his duty and not anything else.

Aurora didn't expect to be amongst potential friends, but if people could treat her like that and not openly provoke her, that'd be perfect.

She blinked and gasped when the gardens of the palace became visible in detail.

The grass lawn, for starters.

"Is that… The Silver Eagle's emblem?!" Aurora exclaimed, her voice full of disbelief.

"Yes. Professionals come here to take care of and maintain the site daily, and they're not using only magic to do so. A lot of planning and manual work is required, too." Nils explained as they were nearing the ground, and Aurora slowed her descent to take in sight.

"It's breathtaking…" Aurora didn't know much about it, but the flowerbeds, whose species she didn't know, the innumerable trees, and even the grass lawns had been arranged and maintained to give off an impression of majestic grandeur.

They were cut off perfectly in their middle, as if a large arrow had been fired, by a large path that went from the garden's entrance leading to the surrounding forest to the massive stairs by the entrance of the palace.

"We are a royal squad. As such, our base is befitting of royalty." Nils replied as if it was a fundamental truth.

"I see…" She actually didn't and could just picture how much fun Nash and the others would have here. Sister Lily would actually love the flowers, too…

"... Is it that important to flaunt your riches like that? What's the point? I can imagine how much meat we could've eaten if they had sent us just a little bit of money… Compared to what was used here, I'm sure that's nothing…." Aurora thought, a bit disillusioned.

"Haa… It feels like I'm trying to find as many reasons as I can in order to hate all of them here. Why am I so negative today…?" Aurora mumbled, and only Gaius heard her. He nibbled her ear gently to distract her.

"Hehe… You're right; at least I'm not alone here. Thanks, Ga-chan." Aurora giggled as she finally landed a short distance behind her guide, who remarked on her smile but didn't comment.

"Follow me; we're going to greet Captain Nozel." He said as he took her broom off her hands and led her towards the palace.

Aurora wanted to take more time to at least visit the a little bit the place, as Gaius seemed to really like the place too, but her guide and his fast stride, as well as the sheer size of the place, made it impossible.

'I feel like one is supposed to get lost here during a first time visiting the place… And perhaps even the second and third one." Aurora thought, a bit deadpan. "I'm sure it's even worse inside."

It was indeed worse inside.

There was definitely a goal behind the creation of such a place; not only was it absolutely huge, but entering the place helped her understand why she didn't like the place.

Everything about it made her feel totally out of place.

It reminded her a bit of the Magic Knights Headquarters, but more gaudy.

If it was a place indeed befitting Clover's royalty, then Aurora shuddered a bit inside, as it meant their own royals were absolutely out of touch with the reality of their own Kingdom.

It wasn't only the place, but even the mana ambient here had a weird smell and made her feel slightly sick.

"Did Yuno really stay until the end…? He really is incredible." Mimosa was a thing but for Yuno… Unflappable as he seemed, she knew he wasn't overly fond of those people.

However, her guide wasn't privy to her musings and kept going ever deeper inside the facility. Aurora followed him silently, and she felt as if no matter where her gaze landed, she could glimpse something probably worth a lot of money, given the way those kinds of things were protected and cared for. It could be anything, really: a painting, a sculpture, or a piece of furniture, for example.

They took multiples turn left and right and even went upstairs before arriving at a large corridor, which would be a dead-end if it wasn't for the door at the far end of the corridor.

Aurora recalled that kind of hallway tended to lead towards the Captain's office.

However, as she followed Nils towards the door, a particularly large painting caught her eyes.

Aurora stopped in front of it and stared in surprise and slight marvel.

She didn't know a thing about art, composition, and the rest, but the painting evoked in her a different feeling than anything she looked at today in this place.

A feeling of being at peace, if for a moment.

And it was the model, a silver-haired woman, who managed to make her feel that way. She recognized her immediately, the beautiful features a dead ringer; Noelle told her her mother died while giving birth to her. Thus she never got to know her.

Acier Silva.

"Were you alive, I'm sure your youngest daughter wouldn't have suffered that much from her own…." Aurora thought sadly.

"...She must have been a formidable woman…." She mused to herself. She was interrupted when she heard the door open.

Nils, who kept walking, was nearly at the door, but Aurora was now a fair bit behind him, as she had been watching that painting for a good ten minutes. Nils saluted the person who came out of it, and it wasn't the Captain. He then talked with the person for a while and went back, ignoring Aurora on his way out.

"It's not the captain, but it's the next best thing…" Aurora thought sarcastically, as after acknowledging Nils's exit, the woman turned towards her and sneered. She had a nasty look on her face, but the silver hairs were, again, a dead ringer as to who she was.

"I have another elder brother and a sister," Noelle told her once. So this arrogant-looking woman had to be Noelle's older sister, Nebra.

Aurora held her gaze and saluted her, and somehow, Nebra's sneer became even more pronounced.

As she stood face-to-face, Nebra gazed at Aurora as if to assess her and looked at the painting behind her.

"... Why were you looking at that painting?" She asked in a contemptuous voice. Aurora dropped her salute and looked at the picture once more.

"... Something about it pulled my gaze." Aurora tried to explain. "I mean, it's like it's telling me its model was an incredible and unique woman. It's the impression I have." She nodded to herself as if her explanation made sense.

Nebra raised one eyebrow as if she was vaguely impressed. "It's my mother and the former captain of our squad. It's a given she's an incredible person." The pride lacing her words suddenly turned venomous. "If it weren't for that failure of a sister, she would still be among us today…!"

Aurora did her best not to scowl too much, but this proved impossible. She could literally taste the hostility and absolute scorn Nebra felt saying those words.

And she wasn't done. "But if we're talking about failure, I'd say the Wizard's King's idea of… 'Squad Swapping' was particularly poorly thought." This time, she gazed at Aurora and smiled mockingly. "He should've known by now that us royals have no need to interact with the inferior rabble. Well, it was to be expected from a man like him."

Now that was just obvious provocation: something Aurora would've fallen for if not for the little spirit currently soothing her and her volatile emotions.

And so, Aurora just shrugged all the poison and looked at the royal nonplussed. "A man like him… Say, what of the King?" She took a tangent and asked about the elusive royal.

"... What of him?"

"Exactly. What of him? It's been months since I came to the city, yet I didn't even hear about him once. Isn't he supposed to be the supreme authority in Clover or something?"

"... What are you trying to say? The King's matters are far above the likes of you to be concerned with!" Nebra's voice had a dangerous edge, but Aurora didn't really feel that threatened; it was clear that while powerful, the other girl was clearly more bark than bite.

"Well, if you say so." Aurora shrugged again. "Meanwhile, a man like him, as you said, is heaping praise, love, and respect from all the inferior rabble, or about nine persons out of ten in Clover. Talk about overshadowing someone, huh? It makes you wonder what good a king is in our Kingdom."

She gazed at Nebra, who was already shaking with anger. At the same time, she felt a familiar power radiating coldness behind her. "Or what royals are good for, honestly." They had their quirks, but it truly seemed to Aurora that Noelle, Mimosa, and some Blue Roses members were the outliers in the ocean of scorn and malice nobles and royals represented.

"You.." Nebra started but was quickly silenced by whoever was standing behind Aurora. The young mage turned and, without surprise, stood face-to-face with the emotionless face of Nozel Silva.

"Hello, Captain Silva. Reporting for the Squad Swapping, I'm Aurora from the Golden Dawn. I'll be in your care for the next two days." Aurora saluted him with surprising calm and clarity, uncaring whether he heard her or not.

"Those lessons with Captain Roselei definitely bore fruit."

"... Are you taking me for a fool, Aurora from the Golden Dawn?" The captain spoke while glaring at her. Each and every one of Aurora's senses was overwhelmed by a deep feeling of anger and frustration aimed straight at her.

"What?" She asked a bit dumbly, but Nozel didn't answer her and walked past her, straight to his office, and Nebra fell in line at his side.

Just before he entered his office, Nozel stopped his hand on the doorknob.

"Are all peasants slow? The other one was a league of his own too." How could one be so condescending and dismissing? Was it some sort of special talent?

Breathing loudly, Aurora followed the two siblings into Nozel's office.

No one took a seat, so Aurora guessed it was more of a ceremonial thing or something.

"Let's be clear. This exercise is pointless. Don't even think you're someone special. Anyone coming here who's not wearing our uniform is not welcome unless he or she has a good reason. And this… Squad Swapping is a useless attempt to bridge a gap that does not need to be. One doesn't grow stronger that way."

Aurora blinked. She was expecting something snobbish from him, but she wasn't expecting him to be that dismissive of the idea. And there was still this anger aimed at her.

"Kyuu…" Gaius released his invisibility and jumped from Aurora's shoulder, and ran towards Nozel.

"Ga-chan?"

"What the -" Before he had time to process what happened, Gaius had jumped on his shoulder and then on his head, where he sat snuggly.

"..."

"..."

"..." The three didn't say anything for a moment.

"Did Ga-chan feel something from him…?" "Come back here, Ga-chan. You're putting Captain Silva on the spot."

Bewildered, Nozel looked as the little spirit made his way toward Aurora, who took him in her arms and put him on her shoulder.

The captain was startled to see the little spirit look at him with something akin to empathy in his eyes before his obvious contractor started to mumble something.

Nozel saw Aurora's eyes widen as if she finally understood something important.

"What do you think you're doing, you?!" Nebra shouted, but Nozel raised his hands.

"Step outside for a bit, Nebra. And make sure nobody else comes inside, not even your brother."

"Wha- but, Brother!"

"Now." His tone was so icy that he looped back into being heated.

The girl was feeling particularly disappointed, and she didn't miss making it known by slamming the door while leaving.

Satisfied, Nozel turned towards Aurora and studied her for a while. "I respect your father. But I hold no such feeling for you, hence why I told you you're not special at all. Give me one reason why I should keep you around."

"Ga-chan - the spirit at my side, isn't one to just jump on people. He only does that when he feels an affinity towards them or if it seems they are harboring hard feelings towards themselves. I'm… Quite perceptive to mana, and I can somehow feel what people are feeling. And when I properly met you in the labyrinth, I didn't understand the reason why, but I could feel anger. At first, I thought it was me you were angry with, but it turned out it wasn't as simple as that."

He was the sole captain she was able to read the feelings of, and somehow that made things more difficult. When he didn't make any move to stop her, Aurora continued.

"You're not angry with me, but rather with what I am, right? I don't know why, but me being my father's daughter is not sitting right with you."

"Of course, it doesn't. Fifteen years ago, your father appeared from nowhere in Clover, and his ascension was stupendous, and in the span of barely three years, he became the Wizard King, beloved and admired by all. And then, not only did he happen to be extremely good at his job, he somehow managed to push reforms to undermine the natural authority of both royals and nobles. He was virtually untouchable, and all his whims were excused." Nozel said the last part with a snarl, but Aurora could feel the deep respect the man had for her father.

"And then, suddenly, this man has a daughter. A daughter he somehow hid from everyone for fifteen years, and a daughter he gave up at that?!"

"... Half the people still believe it's a rumor. I don't understand the problem anyway; I never held my father accountable, and we're trying to mend our relationship; I get that my father's the Wizard King, but don't people have better things to do?"

"Not when so much is a stake, you dunce." Nozel actually scoffed. "As the Magic Knights' head, your father's position is envied by a great many, and as such, he is a bother to some. He was unattackable before, but now if the people learned that he had a daughter he did give up, questions will fly, and his respectable image would be destroyed, impacting the image of the Order itself. And then, people will ask for a new Wizard King simply because you're here. You're jeopardizing everything your father's been working for these past twelve years." He actually growled the last bit.

Aurora understood more or less his position. He wasn't entirely against her father's policies, had a deep respect for him, and was concerned about the country's future because of the potential repercussion of her very existence.

"... Does that mean Roland-senpai avoided me all this time because he felt the same thing?" That somehow provided her some relief about that, as she would be able to confront her slippery senior.

But as for the Captain before her… She couldn't help but laugh humorlessly.

"Does that make you laugh?" He asked her harshly; She did stop and looked at him in his cold eyes.

"Strange," Aurora mused, "I always felt like the captains were very intimidating in their own way, but not him…."

"I'm laughing because you criticize my father's action of leaving me at the orphanage while prioritizing the Kingdom over me without ever knowing his circumstances. And yet you've been doing the same regarding Noelle. Why isn't she here, in the Silver Eagles? Why does your other sister speak so much ill about her?" Aurora spoke passionately, and Nozel looked colder and colder with each word.

"I won't pretend to know your circumstances for doing so, and I don't know the world of nobles and royals, but Noelle is a friend who's been suffering a lot from that. So you don't get to talk to me as if you were in a position to lecture me about anything regarding my family." then, she added in a mumble, "Hypocrite."

Nozel didn't answer but probably heard her, and Aurora could detect some complex emotions that made her frown coming from the older Knight as he looked deep in thought; however, the moment passed by quickly.

"Why does he actually feel that way? why does he hate himself that much?" As she was asking herself that question, Nozel spoke once more.

"Out." He simply uttered this word, and Aurora could feel his own brand of intimidation seeping into her being.

"What - "

"OUT!" and that was final. Aurora looked at him, a bit surprised, before turning back and opening the door.

Before leaving, though, she had one more thing to say. "the portrait of your mother is beautiful, and the model even more so. And it seems that both in appearance and magical power, Noelle took a lot from her. She's already stronger than Nebra-san by a wide margin." She was waiting for an answer, but Nozel didn't even acknowledge her or anything. Aurora knew she wasn't welcome here any longer, so she took her leave.

"I was expecting something far more extreme. This is actually pretty tame…. Is it because of my constant run-up with my squadmates…?" She ignored Nebra, who stood guard and probably tried and failed to talk to her, as Aurora was already on her way out of the castle.

As she made her way back, Aurora realized she didn't even feel sad she wouldn't stay here two days, but maybe watching the other members would give her a glimpse of how the Squad operated.

However, Nebra caught up to her and, with a smirk, handed her a broom. "Please, allow me to see you out." She told her with a honeyed voice.

"... Perhaps it's actually better that Noelle was dismissed by her family." Aurora thought as she took the broom. 'Those people are just terrible. Well, I didn't really make an effort to get along with them either…"

As she took flight, leaving behind those people, she quickly turned her head to see their beautiful gardens one last time. At the same time, Gaius stirred and mewled sadly.

"I know, but I don't think we'll be able to do anything for him this time around. I think I put my foot in my mouth on that one, but I really don't care. At least I can finally have a discussion with Roland-senpai once I catch him." When Gaius didn't seem to cheer up, Aurora took him in her arms and kissed his nose. "Don't worry! I'm sure Noelle will one day be able to thaw his ice and reconcile with her big brother." She smiled at the little spirit, who squealed happily.

"The other one, though… And I don't even know about the third…."

"..."

"..."

Both the young girl and the azure-haired man stood face-to-face, one smiling brightly in an obnoxiously familiar way and the other trying to hold back a sigh, which he failed.

"So let me get this straight. Captain Silva dismissed you in the span of an hour just after you arrived. Is that correct?" He asked as he put his hand on his face and massaged his temples.

"Yes. We had some words, and as apparently, he can't really stand my very existence, I decided to leave."

"... You know that Captain Silva's mercury magic is a sight to behold, right?" Marx tried to make the young girl in front of him feel bad by telling her what she's missing.

"... You're trying to make me feel bad, right?" She frowned, and Marx was reminded she was unnaturally perceptive. "Well, it's working! Do you think I should bring flowers with me to get him to forgive me…?"

"It's too late for that! And what were you going to tell him? "Forgive me, I was out of line; please accept these flowers and show me your magic!" Or something?!" Marx cried out, already tired from the situation.

"Hn." Aurora nodded, and Marx felt like crying. Why? Why did she have to inherit that side of this man?

When Aurora saw the complicated expression on his face and the slight despair he was feeling, she smiled brightly. "Don't worry, Marx-san! It'll all turn out all right in the end!"

"... I give up…" As soon as he uttered his words, he stood upright as of jolted by something powerful. "No! I won't! Follow me, Aurora-san. You'll explain the situation to your father in person."

"Eh? Isn't he really busy?"

"He's always busy. But he'll always make time for you. You know that?" Marx answered with a wry smile.

"Hehehe…" Aurora scratched the back of her head, abashed.

"Well, even he won't be satisfied, and she'll probably be lectured - at the very least. That will teach her!" Marx thought a bit naively.

"Haha, I see! Don't worry, Marx-kun! It'll all turn out all right in the end!" That man smiled brightly at him.

"Oh, I said the same thing to him!" That man's daughter gave him the same smile, and Marx never felt closer to hell than that.

"Of course! The situation isn't unsalvageable!" Then, Julius's smile dimmed a bit, and he looked at his daughter in a way he never did before.

"Why did you decide to act that way, Aurora?"

"Huh?" Taken by surprise, the young girl scratched her head. "Well, I felt multiple times that he didn't particularly like me, so when we talked, we -" She stopped as the look her father gave her became even more pointed.

"Marx-kun, could you leave us, please? I need you to finish what you were doing by the afternoon." Stunned, Marx left after saluting Julius. Was she really going to get punished?

"... I feel a bit bad now."

When the door closed behind Marx, Julius turned towards his daughter. "I don't want to reprimand you, but I feel like you weren't gonna tell me the whole truth here. Even if Nozel were not to like you, I'm sure you wouldn't have ended up here so fast."

"Well…"

"Were you somewhat biased against the Silver Eagles?"

"How could I not?!" Probed by her father, Aurora finally let out her frustration. "I think I'm starting to get a good understanding of the whole noble world here, Father. Some exceptions aside, they are all rather snobbish, full of themselves, and absolutely unconcerned with the commoners, treating them as below them! Whether they're from the Golden Dawn or the Silver Eagles! I don't understand! In the Blue Roses, they didn't care as much about it, yet they're nobles too. Is this because we were all girls? I don't understand!" She was fully rambling, so Julius put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she slapped it away and turned to face him, tears of frustration building in her eyes.

"And more than half the people don't believe I'm your daughter! I thought I wouldn't care about that, but they're determined to make my life harder than it is! And I just… I don't know… I just want them to leave me alone… No matter how hard I worked, they all looked at me like I was an impostor or a liar, or both. They don't judge me for who I am, and I just… I can't…"

Seeing his despondent girl made Julius swear in his head. If she was bothered by her previous choice of keeping it secret, should he decide otherwise? The nobles would jump on the occasion, but… Would it truly be a problem?

He looked once more at Aurora's face and felt ashamed of himself. It wasn't the crux of the problem.

The problem was his daughter's suffering and, ultimately, what he could do to end it.

"I didn't mean to lash out like that," Aurora started again, and he could feel her calming down, no doubt thanks to Gaius, "I'm the one who asked you to keep it a secret, after all. I'm sorry, father." It looks like she truly was bothered, in fact.

"Don't be. It's my fault. I really have a whole lot to reflect on." Julius sighed and sat down on the floor. He tapped the ground next to him, and Aurora sat there.

"What do you mean?"

"I knew you somehow didn't want to bother me as the Wizard King, and that's why you asked me to keep it a secret. But as a father, I should have told you it didn't matter. They wouldn't try anything with you now, but a part of me couldn't risk it. Not after… What happened all those years ago. I was willing to let you suffer if it means not risking another situation like that. I'm really sorry, Aurora."

Aurora grasped the hand she previously slapped away. "Father…" She really didn't know what to say. It seemed the situation was even more complicated for him. "I really am a bother, right…?"

"Never," Julius told her as he put a hand on her head. "Never." He closed his eyes, thinking for a bit about the best way to deal with all of this.

"All right. I'm going to make it official." He should have done that as soon as he revealed himself to her, and it was high time he started to do a better job as a father.

This was the first step.

"Father?!"

"I won't let you deal with this situation any longer, and I'm done being indecisive like that. As a father and as the Wizard King, that's the one thing I can't be. What's more, the situation is highly favorable to it."

"... What do you mean?"

"The Star Festival is coming up. It celebrates the Magic Knights' achievements and their rankings for the year. People will gather to attend that unique occasion. It's an occasion to celebrate each squad but also the most proficient members of all. I'm sure you already know their name."

"! Yuno and Asta?!" Aurora asked in disbelief.

"Yes. They are the shining example of what I seek in a Magic Knight. And you, too, Aurora, shall be with them. Thanks to Yuno and your hard work, the Golden Dawn set a new record that year. But you'll see that by yourself. I plan to reveal our relationship here."

"Heeeeeh?!"

"Prepare yourself for that." Julius laughed at his daughter's embarrassed face. "Also, keep it for yourself, but I'm planning something else, too. A tournament of sorts."

"Eh?"

"To select the best of the best. Yesterday, in fact, we localized the Eye of The Midnight Sun base. But we need an elite battalion to invade it, hence the tournament. But it's a secret, all right?" Julius put his index on his mouth, and Aurora, stunned as she was, nodded.

"All right… I trust you, father." She let her head fall sideways on his arm, and for a short, blissful moment, father and daughter didn't say anything.

"I also have something else to tell you. Something very important." Julius said suddenly. Aurora looked at him, and the air around him felt very charged. Almost solemn.

"What is it, father?" She was waiting for an answer, but Julius, seemingly deep in thought, shook his head.

"I won't bother you with that right now. Not until the Eye of the Midnight Sun is dealt with, anyway. It's too important for me.

"What is it about, father? Now you've made me really curious!"

"I did, right?" He smirked, but it soon faded. "It's about… Well, our family. You, me… And your mother." He told her rather cryptically. "It's very important, but right now, I'll need you to focus on what's going to happen soon."

"... Did you see something, father?" Aurora deduced. "You wouldn't talk like that unless you had an idea of what's going to happen."

"Very perceptive. I did, but I can't be sure. My visions aren't always absolute, as time is always fluctuating, especially with another time master here." He smiled at his daughter, who returned it bashfully. "I wanted to tell you. I promise we'll have that discussion, but later. Can you trust your father on that?"

"You know you're the one who one-sidedly decided to put yourself on the spot like that, right?" Aurora giggled as her father realized it, too, and made a face. "Of course, I can wait, father." The smile his daughter sent him made Julius unconsciously smile back.

Julius knew he wasn't forthcoming at all, but his cowardly self couldn't bear that discussion right now, as it would change everything. He looked at Aurora, who had closed her eyes and snuggled against his side.

He never asked for more, yet he knew what would happen would weigh heavily on her. Yet, he also knew he couldn't tell her anything now, not with that much at stake. For now, he tried to be satisfied sitting on the ground in his office, having an arm around Aurora's shoulders as she curled up to him.

"... And just when I told her I couldn't be indecisive… What a hypocrite I make."

Elsewhere

"What do you mean we should go to that festival?!" A girl's voice rang out. She managed simultaneously to sound annoyed and bored at the same time.

"I didn't say anything." The person she was speaking to answered in a calm voice. "We received a message from our brother. It said we should go there, as there was someone we needed to meet."

"Eh?! You mean…" She grasped the letter in her hands. "Woah! I can't believe it! After all this time!"

"He told us to be on our best behavior, though. That means no fighting, sister."

"Annnnd hiding our power, our identities, yada yada… I know, I know… What a drag… Welp, it's not like I've got anything better to do! Hahahaha!" The woman laughed, but her sole visible eye wasn't. "Are we supposed to go just the two of us?"

"Yes." The man touched lightly the cross-shaped mark on the left side of his face. "I'll teleport us near Clover, and we'll do the rest in disguise."

"Haaaaahhh… It better be worth it, or I'll spill some blood, alright…." Seeing her brother's unimpressed face, she let out another laugh. "I'm kidding! Let's go, Zenon!"

And that's that for that arc! Thank you for reading! Next, the star festival!

I'm trying to make Julius and Aurora relationship as heartwarming as possible, because I really am biased for that kind of thing. I mean, conflict will happen, but not now. I'd say not ever, but that's a lie...

Also, Julius is definitely not the best father ever, but he's trying and he is harsh towards himself, something he shares with his daughter!

Anyway, see you next time!