Yami, William, and the other Captains along with Marx and Asta waited outside for their kids and squad mates to return with the captured bandits. They had a lot of questions for them, especially when it came to their robes and what they meant. Obviously, they were a part of some group, but what kind of group was it exactly? Were they just some bandit group as they first appeared to be, or were they something more sinister? Yami didn't want to say it out loud, but, his gut was telling him it was the latter.
The sun had risen, but only a couple of hours before the kids all arrived. But as soon as they landed in front of the Headquarters, everyone frowned.
" Uh, guys? Where are the bandits?" Asta asked with a confused tone to his voice. Alistar and Hikari looked at each other for a moment with hesitant eyes.
" Spit it out, brats, what happened?" Yami asked, his tone serious but not angry. Hikari looked at her father and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.
" Well, just as we ended the call, they all suddenly began to collapse, and they were vomiting and shaking and were pale. A few of them even began to hallucinate. We tried to save them but…" Hikari trailed off as she shook her head. The Captains all looked at each other with wide eyes, the bandits were dead?
" What could have caused them to do all of that?" Sol asked with a frown, and Wendy Agrippa suddenly answered.
" It was poison.'' She suddenly answered, causing all the Captains to frown, she was nearly as quiet as her father.
" It was poison?" Asta suddenly repeated, making everyone look at him in surprise. But the young man smiled before shrugging. " What?"
" It wasn't just any poison, though," Alistar suddenly continued. " It was 'Abrus precatorius' to be more exact."
" What the hell is that?" Jack suddenly asked, causing Alistar to rub the back of his head. He sometimes forgot that not everyone was as…enthusiastic about plants as he was.
" Right, I apologize. They're also called Rosary peas, or crab's eye vine. Their seeds, when unbroken, are harmless and are usually used for Rosary beads. But when the seeds are broken, or you ingest even one of them, they can be very deadly since they contain a poison called 'Abrin'. Usually, it would take 8 hours or a few days before they began to get sick and die, but considering how quickly their symptoms appeared, I think they took well over a dozen each." Alistar said in a matter-of-fact tone, the Captains all nodded slowly as he finished his explanation.
" So they had those seeds as a backup plan in case they happened to be captured, which means they must be a part of a very elaborate organization. One that wants to remain secret and hidden in the shadows." Randall Luftair, Captain of the Crimson Lions, said thoughtfully.
" If they're wanting to stay hidden that badly, then that means they're planning something very big against the kingdom," Nozel said as he crossed his arms, and suddenly Dorothy made a giggling sound from beside him.
" Staying in the shadows doesn't sound very fun, does it? So why don't we find them and bring them into the light?" She suggested with a playful grin, causing the others to nod as well.
" I have a feeling destroying this group will be my most magnificent work of art yet!" Rill said with a laugh.
" Yeah, well, I have a feeling it's gonna be the biggest pain in my ass," Yami said with a sigh and a shake of his head.
" Alright! Let's teach these bad guys a lesson they won't forget!" Asta suddenly shouted and all the Captains, along with the kids, shouted from beside him.
They had no idea who these guys were, but they were dangerous and posed a threat to the Kingdom and all its citizens. And that was what they needed to know right now.
—-
A Week Later
It was a celebratory day. Not only for the Magic Knights but for the citizens as well. Today they were welcoming a new leader into the Golden Dawn. The citizens, as well as the Golden Dawn members themselves, had been shocked and upset when they were first told the news a week ago. But many of them were happy and relieved when he appointed his son, Alistar, as the new Captain. Not everyone was pleased, though. There were quite a few Golden Dawn members who were angry and upset that he had appointed his 'out of control' son, some even threatened to leave the squad entirely if he didn't change his mind, but William refused. He asked that they give his son a chance, since he was older now, and had improved his control greatly. And if they still felt the same way in a few months, then they could leave the squad freely and with no hard feelings.
They begrudgingly agreed.
Today was the day that Alistar was to be appointed as the new Captain, and to say that he was nervous was an understatement. He nervously fixed his uniform and Captain's robe over and over again, he had been trying to fix his messy white hair at first, but eventually grew frustrated and decided to leave it in its normal state.
" Well, don't you look like the perfect image of a Magic Knight Captain right now." A voice suddenly chuckled from behind him, and when the young man turned around, he saw it was his father.
" I wouldn't go that far, I personally think I look like an absolute mess right now," Alistar said with a shaky sigh, and William chuckled again.
" Honestly? You remind me of a nervous groom on his wedding day." William joked, and he watched his son's face turn bright red.
" N-No, I don't!" He denied as he watched his father walk over to him calmly. " It's just that…I can't get this darn robe to sit right." Alistar muttered, and his father smiled warmly at him before he reached out and began to fix his son's uniform and robe.
As William silently fixed his son's outfit, his mind began to wander, back to when his son had first joined the squad. He remembered his son's trembling hands as he tried to button his shirt, and how his son would constantly salute everyone, no matter if they were the same rank as him or not. He remembered how heartbroken he was when his first mission didn't go exactly as planned. That was only 4 years ago, but to William, it was closer to a lifetime.
Now his son was one of the strongest, most hardworking, and most confident Magic Knights he had ever seen. He completed some of the toughest missions with ease, he protected and kept his squad members and civilians safe, and as an added bonus everyone loved him. His fan club was so large that it was in the top 5 biggest clubs for Magic Knights! He chuckled as he remembered how embarrassed his son had been when he was told that. But eventually, he saw it as a badge of honor, and said having a large fan base was a big responsibility, but it also meant he was doing something right.
" I don't think I can do this, Father," Alistar suddenly said as his tone grew more nervous. " I think you're making a mistake, you should appoint Klaus as the new Captain!"
" I'm not making a mistake, I'm not appointing Klaus as the new Captain, and," William finished fixing his son's clothes before placing his hands firmly on his shoulders. " You can do this, Alistar. I've watched you for a long time, and you're more than ready for this type of responsibility." He added with a warm and comforting smile.
" But…what if I screw up? And the screw-up is so bad that it blows back on you?" Alistar asked and William shook his head.
" Alistar, you will make many mistakes as Captain, that's just how it goes. But, how you handle, correct, and try to prevent those mistakes is what matters. And if it happens to blow back on me, then that's alright, I'll continue to stand beside you and support you. But do note that I will correct you if I believe it's warranted." William said with a knowing look, causing his son to smile for the first time today.
" And if I lose control again?"
" You won't. That is something I firmly believe," William said before he patted his son on the shoulder. " Look at the time, we're going to be late if we don't leave now," William added as he looked at the clock on the wall. The older man turned around and began to walk away before casually throwing over his shoulder.
" Don't worry so much, you're my son, and I know you'll be fine."
Alistar smiled a bit more at his father's words of encouragement. He quickly shook his head to erase all the negative thoughts before he quickly followed his father out of the room.
The two, along with the other members of the Golden Dawn, flew towards the Magic Knight Headquarters where Alistar's appointment was to take place.
After they arrived, they noticed there were quite a few members from other squads there as well. There were Green Mantis, Purple Orcas, Crimson Lions, Blue Rose Knights, Aqua Deer, and finally some Black Bulls. Apparently, a few members from each squad were being promoted today as well, which eased Alistar's nerves slightly, it would have been embarrassing if he was the only one up there today.
They stood outside the large ballroom for a few minutes before they were escorted inside. Standing in front of the three large windows was Asta himself, and he had a bright and proud smile on his face.
" Welcome everyone! Today a few of you are being acknowledged, and promoted, for your hard work and dedication to the Magic Knights, To the Clover Kingdom, and to all of its citizens. I'm so proud of you all, and this gives me great hope for the future of this kingdom and its people!" Asta said brightly as he grabbed the pieces of paper that Marx was holding out to him.
" Firstly, from the Purple Orcas, I'm promoting Josslyn Silva from Senior Magic Knight 3rd Class to Senior Magic Knight 2nd Class!"
Josslyn grinned as she quickly saluted the Wizard King, you could hear the Black Bulls and her family cheering and applauding loudly from behind her. The pink-haired girl had quickly climbed the ranks since she joined the Magic Knights, she was only 15 and had already made quite far. The only thing keeping her from obtaining the title of 'Vice-Captain' was her temper and attitude.
" Next we have Leonidas Vermillion and Phoebe Luftair from the Crimson Lions. I'm promoting Leon from Senior Magic Knight 2nd Class to Senior Magic Knight 1st Class, and Phoebe from Senior Magic Knight 3rd Class to Senior Magic Knight 2nd Class, congratulations!" Asta announced as the two smiled and saluted him.
A roar of thunderous applause and cheers rang out from the Crimson Lions as soon as the words left Asta's mouth. Leon's entire family was there, including his Aunt Mereoleona and Uncle Leopold. Phoebe's father Randall and her Soon-to-be Step-Mother Ilta stood there along with Phoebe's younger sibling and were also cheering them on loudly.
Leon was very much like his father, he was smart, calm, and very intelligent. He worked through the ranks at an incredible speed and was now being promoted to Vice-Captain at the age of 19 since Randall's former Vice-Captain decided to retire early.
Phoebe was hot on his heels and was also working through the ranks quickly, she said she had to protect the Vermillion twins and help them achieve their goals. Like her father, she wasn't just loyal to her squad, and its Captain, she was also loyal to House Vermillion. Especially Leon and Cyraleona.
Asta continued through the Green Mantis, the Aqua Deer, and the Blue Rose Knights, and was now looking through the Black Bulls.
" Now, from the Black Bulls. Aloys Adlai, I hereby promote you from Junior Magic Knight 3rd Class to Intermediate Magic Knight 5th Class. Alice Legolant, Wendy Agrippa, and Ezio Roulacase, I hereby promote you all from Junior Magic Knight 5th Class to Junior Magic Knight 3rd Class. Congratulations!" Asta said with an extra proud smile on his face, The Black Bulls cheered and clapped loudly. Asta had wanted to do the same, but he refrained as he didn't want to show any partiality.
" Hikari Yami, I hereby promote you from Senior Magic Knight 1st Class to Grand Magic Knight. Congratulations!"
The dark-haired girl grinned brightly, but you could see a bit of pink on her cheeks from embarrassment. Everyone clapped and cheered louder than they had before, and even Alistar and some members of the other squads clapped. It was a very well-deserved promotion.
Finally, it was the Golden Dawn's turn. And Alistar's nerves from earlier came rushing back. He watched as Asta grabbed the papers, this was it.
" Virgil Sandler, Celeste Lunettes, and Lunaria Vermillion, I hereby promote you from Junior Magic Knights 5th Class to Junior Magic Knights 3rd Class. Ulla Lunettes, I hereby promote you from Senior Magic Knight 5th Class to Senior Magic Knight 1st Class, congratulations!" Asta said, and the Golden Dawn erupted in applause and cheers. Klaus was so proud of his daughters, especially Ulla, that he began to cry, causing his wife and other children to laugh but also comfort him.
Alistar was very proud of his squad, they worked hard and did their best out there that day. He sincerely hoped that they would continue to do well in the future, under his leadership.
" Alistar Vangeance," Asta began suddenly, and Alistar felt his heart immediately begin to race as the Wizard King began to speak. This was it, there was no going back now. " I hereby officially promote you to Captain of the Golden Dawn and Grand Magic Knight. Congratulations!"
Alistar, and the other Golden Dawn, immediately saluted him as he finished handing out the promotions. At first, Alistar could feel the piercing, heated gaze from some of the Golden Dawn at Asta's announcement. But it was quickly forgotten and ignored as the rest of the Golden Dawn, as well as his other friends, began to cheer and applaud him. He felt all his fears, worries, and uncertainty melt away as he looked out at all the bright and happy faces of his friends, his father, and Hikari.
Maybe his father was right, maybe he could do this after all.
" Now that the boring part's over, let's eat and have some fun!" Asta announced loudly as he clapped his hands together.
—-
As the promotion ceremony ended, they moved to the adjoining dining area, where all the guests and squad members could mingle with one another. Asta watched them all proudly, he silently wondered if this was how Julius had felt when he watched members from his squad and the newer generation get promotions and recognized for their hard work.
" Hey, where are Sleepy and Braid boy?" Asta heard Yami ask as he looked around the room, Asta walked over and looked at the small group.
" Captain Dorothy and Captain Nozel are out on a mission right now," Asta explained. " We got word that there was another group of bandits close to the border of the Heart Kingdom, so they went to see if it may be connected to the Cerberus group." He continued and the others nodded.
" These kids really are impressive, aren't they?" Everyone turned at the voice of former Wizard King Fuegoleon Vermillion, the older man smiled at everyone as he stood around his former colleagues.
" They are," Asta agreed with a bright smile. " It makes me hopeful for the future." He added, and everyone nodded in agreement.
" So I heard there's a new…group of former Magic Knights who are attacking small villages, and they're wearing robes with a Cerberus on them," Fuegoleon started suddenly, and the others looked at him in mild surprise. " I'm a former Captain and Wizard King myself, so of course I'm still going to hear things."
They all looked at each other for a moment, it wouldn't hurt for him to know what was going on, and maybe he could provide some assistance. But then again, it had only been a week since he retired, so would it really be right to drag him back into all of this so soon?
" There is, but we can handle it, Wizard King Fuegoleon!" Asta suddenly said loudly and with a firm voice. " You just focus on your retirement and spending time with your wife and kids, we'll take it from here!"
Fuegoleon's brows shot up in surprise, and as he looked at the others, he saw they all had similar looks on their faces and a fire in their eyes. Which showed him that they were determined to handle this without him, at least for now. So he smiled and nodded.
" I understand, but if you need me, don't hesitate to contact me."
On the other side of the room stood the Magic Knights who had just been promoted, they were laughing and chatting amongst each other. Alistar stood off to the side and watched them with a warm smile on his face. But as he looked around, he noticed the Captains were off to one side, and the others were on the other side, and he was in the middle. Which side of the room did he go on, the Captains? Or did he stay with the others?
" You look like you could use it," Alistar suddenly heard from beside him, and he saw a glass of water suddenly being held out towards him. He followed the arm up and saw it belonged to his friend Leonidas Vermillion.
" Thanks," Alistar said as he took the glass thankfully, he took a sip as his friend sighed.
" So you were the first of us to become Captain, congratulations," Leon said genuinely as he clinked his glass against Alistar's with a smile.
" Yeah…" Alistar trailed off, causing his friend to frown.
" What's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?''
" It is, but, it's just happened really fast. Anytime I ask my father why he suddenly wanted to retire, he just smiles and says he'll tell me later. It's just strange." Alistar said softly, and he heard his friend hum in response.
" He's certainly hiding something," Leon agreed with a slow nod. " It could be something, or it could be nothing, but the only way you're going to find out is by talking to him. Even if that means cornering him." Leon added in a half-joking tone, causing Alistar to chuckle and shake his head.
" The worst thing is that's probably what I'm going to have to do."
" Congratulations, Captain Vangeance!" A voice suddenly said as they approached the two. Leon and Alistar looked and saw Phoebe Luftair walking toward them. " But enjoy it while you can, because Lord Leonidas will become Captain next and I'll be his Vice-Captain, just like our parents were!" She added with a determined tone.
" Is that so?" Alistar asked, and he watched Phoebe nod firmly and Leon shake his head.
" It won't be for a long, long time, as I think Randall is still enjoying his Captain's position. Phoebe is just very…passionate about showing the world my talents," Leon said with a knowing smile, he watched Alistar's brow raise slightly at him. " Those are her words, not mine."
" And my words are true," Phoebe said with a grin and wink, causing Leon to roll his eyes at her and Alistar to chuckle.
" I'm gonna go check on Cyra, I'll see you two later." The girl suddenly said before quickly turning around and walking away, the two frowned before they turned and noticed Alecdora walking towards them. His eyes followed Phoebe's retreating form with a look of disdain that he didn't even try to hide.
" Lord Alistar, your father's requesting for all of us to begin heading back to the Base," Alecdora said, and Alistar nodded.
He said his goodbyes to his friends and Hikari before leaving with his squad.
—-
Later, After the Party Ended
Asta walked into his office and plopped down tiredly into his chair, the day was far from over, and yet he was already so exhausted. He had enjoyed handing out the promotions and being able to catch up with everyone, but his mind couldn't help but wander back to the former Magic Knights and those cloaks. He hoped that Dorothy and Nozel were able to find something while they were out on their mission.
He suddenly tilted his head as a thought came to him, since he didn't want to ask Fuegoleon for help or advice, maybe he could ask Yuno? Yuno was a king, and he had been a Magic Knight Captain before that, so he would have lots of experience dealing with matters like this!
Asta reached over, grabbed a communication device that allowed him, not only, the ability to hear the person on the other side, but to also see them.
The device was silent for a few minutes before it suddenly showed a face, but it wasn't the one he had thought he would see.
" Q-Queen Dowager Ciel?!"
The older woman smiled gently at him before quickly shaking her head.
" I've told you just to call me 'Ciel', Asta." She said with a small giggle as the boy nodded and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
" Right, sorry," Asta said before he frowned a bit in confusion. " But where's Yuno? Shouldn't he be in his office? Or is he slacking off again?" He half-joked, both of them knew that Yuno wasn't one to slack off, especially after he became King.
" Well…" The woman trailed off hesitantly, causing Asta's frown to deepen as he listened to Ciel as she began to explain.
Earlier, In the Spade Kingdom
Yuno sat quietly at his desk, the wheels in his mind still turning at what could possibly be causing the merchants to disappear. He and Ralph had requested the assistance of the Lumi Kingdom in the investigation, but so far they had received any word from them. Which was very concerning to say the least.
Yuno was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a knock on his office door, he watched Ralph poke his head in for a moment before he opened the door fully and walked inside.
" Your Majesty," He saluted, and Yuno quickly waved it away, muttering that it was just them, so there was no need to be so formal.
" Any word from Lumi yet?" He asked but was disappointed when Ralph shook his head.
" Not yet, but we think their communications are down due to the terrible snowstorm that swept through last week. We'll keep trying, sir." Yuno nodded as he listened before he let out a quiet sigh.
" If they don't answer in 2 days, then we'll start the investigation ourselves," Yuno said, and Ralph nodded in agreement.
" And if they continue to ignore our requests?"
" Then…we'll send a few diplomats over to check on them. If their communications really were knocked out due to the storm, then they need our help." Yuno said, and Ralph nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and in rushed Neva. She looked slightly out of breath, and despite her calm appearance, Yuno could tell that something was wrong. He quickly stood up and walked over to her with a confused and slightly concerned look.
" What-?" Before he could even finish his question, Neva cut him off.
" Is Kya with you?" She asked quickly as her eyes moved around the office, Yuno looked around for a moment as well before he shook his head.
" No she isn't, why? What's going on?" He asked, worry beginning to take over his normally calm tone, and Neva took a deep, calming breath before she looked at her husband again.
" Kya…Kya's missing."