Chapter One Hundred-Nineteen: A Rose's Confession
Hey there, readers, I hope you've enjoyed the holidays and the New Year so far. In celebration of it, I present to you the first week-long update of 2025! You already know how it works, but this one will be a little different as there will be a super special chapter to finish it off! In the meantime, enjoy the chapter for Day 1! Cya.
A singular knock.
The next day came, the sun already high in the sky as the day was reaching its afternoon hours, a bright beam of sunlight making its way into Julius' office, the boy using his hand to block his face from its rays, ultimately deciding to move his chair before the knock was heard.
"Come in," he said, his attention on the paper in front of him, so much so he didn't even look at who entered until they spoke up.
"Hello, Julius,"
The time mage's eyes shot up in minor surprise. He was expecting his assistant or even the good doctor, but instead, it was the scale mage himself. "Good afternoon, Damnatio,"
"Hm, Marx told me what happened to you a few minutes ago in advance, but even now, it's a little surreal,"
"That's understandable. So, how can I help you?"
"I want to know more about this investigation you ordered the Black Bulls to do," he wanted to know.
"They're going to search and find out what they can about the devils, it's fairly self-explanatory, but it'll likely change based on what they discover," he answered. "Do you have an issue with this?"
The royal sighed audibly. "You can say that, but you're my superior, if it's an order, I won't interfere. That's all I wanted to say, have a good day,"
He turned around and started to walk out of the room, but just as he was out the door, the wizard king called out to him. "Have some faith in him. Asta, I mean,"
Without turning again, Damnatio answered him. "Fine, I'll put some of my faith in him and his ragtag squad, however, there had better be results, or else someone will be punished, be it Asta," his head nudged around, revealing an intimidating side glare. "Or you,"
But Julius met the tone with optimism. "You don't need to be concerned, they won't let us down,"
With a final nod, the scale mage left, leaving the time mage with his thoughts as he peered at the nearest window, closing his eyes and smiling as he let the sunlight bathe his face.
"Good luck,"
"And here you are,"
There was a new air of optimism in Black Bulls HQ that afternoon, and why not? Not only had yesterday's so-called 'trial' failed, they had acquired a new member…sort of. Regardless, they let her know how happy they were to have her with the biggest party they could throw on short notice once the night came. And now, with the next day here, she'd been given something else as she and Gordon stood in the hallway of the girl's side, the poison mage making the statement with an outstretched arm.
Secre opened the door and peered inside, spotting a simple bed, desk, and wardrobe closet, leaving a lot of empty space. "So, this is my room?"
"Yes. Now that we know you're a human, and more importantly, a girl, Henry whipped up this space for you. I hope it's to your liking," Gordon replied.
"I love it, and it certainly beats having to sleep with Asta," she expressed her gratitude with semi-nonchalance as she walked inside, getting a feel for the space before sitting on her bed, noting its comfort. "Thank you,"
"You're welcome,"
The sealing mage took one more look around. "Y'know, it does feel a little vacant here, but I guess that's to be expected, everything I once owned is long gone. Well, almost everything," she reached into her new satchel, carefully pulling out her Nero doll and placing it on her desk.
Gordon couldn't help but smile, albeit somewhat creepily, at the care he saw his friend put into his creation, the two then walked out of the room and along the hallway. "Don't worry, once you start getting paid, you'll be able to fill it with all of your favorite stuff,"
"That's true,"
"Say, is it alright if I ask something?"
"Of course,"
"So, we've been calling you Nero this whole time, but before we crashed the trial, Kenos told us your actual name is Secre. Which should we call you?"
The girl shrugged. "It's interchangeable. Call me whatever you feel like," she answered plainly before she noticed him fiddling with his hands. "Is there something on your mind?"
For the first time, Gordon's face turned slightly red from embarrassment. "T-There is. Um, since you don't mind being called something different, would it be alright…if I gave you a nickname?"
Her brow raised in a plain manner. "A nickname?"
"Y-Yes. I've…always wanted to give them to my friends, but it was only yesterday that I finally mustered the courage to speak up," he nervously explained.
A small smile graced the girl's features. "I don't mind,"
"Really?" his face lit up. "I just want to apologize in advance if it doesn't turn out well, it's my first time giving someone a nickname. Hm…what about…Raven?"
"Raven?"
"Yeah. You wear a lot of black, and you were a bird for a long time, that and I've done a lot of reading on ravens, and you represent a few of their qualities,"
"Such as?" her tone held intrigue.
"One of the biggest things they symbolize is mystery, which already fits you well, then there are lesser things like transformation and protection,"
She held her chin. "That does sound like me,"
"So, um, do you like it?" he wanted to know.
"I do," she nodded. "It actually has a nice ring to it," she then looked like she was about to say something else. "I'm not too good at it either, but can I give you a nickname in return?"
"Okay!" he replied with a slightly raised voice. "Oh, sorry,"
Secre waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Let's see, your name's Gordon, so what about…Donny?"
"Hey, I like that, thanks,"
"Glad you think so," she said back as they walked in silence for a few seconds before she spoke again. "And I just wanted to say thank you…for what you said yesterday. I shouldn't have tried to leave you all behind,"
"You're welcome, and it's alright. You sort of felt like you didn't belong anywhere, didn't you? I can relate a little bit, I may not be over 500 years old, but I know what it feels like to be starkly different from everyone around you. That's why I'm so happy to be a part of this squad, because here, everyone is accepted,"
Secre nodded silently in agreement. "Sorry if this sounds pushy of me, but I can ask you to do something for me?"
"It's no trouble at all, I'll do anything you need,"
"Can you make me another plush?" the girl requested. "One for my original appearance,"
"Of course. To be honest with you, I was already planning to do so," he replied.
"Really? Great. I'm looking forward to seeing it," the sealing mage said, but a new sound entered their ears.
The sound of whistling.
The two bulls soon spotted the ash mage, standing in the middle of the hallway, his fingers glowing. "Good afternoon. It's Zora, right?" Gordon greeted.
The red-haired man turned to face them. "Yeah, that's me. Do you know anyone else who wears this stuff?" he answered with his usual snarky sarcasm, jerking a thumb to what was around his jaw.
"I suppose not,"
"Good. So, do you need anything or were you just saying hi? I'm busy,"
"I was planning to just do the latter, but…," Gordon began, carefully eyeing where the trapster was standing. "Aren't you in the danger zone? Why aren't any of the traps activating?"
"That's why I'm busy, I deactivated them, at least for the time being,"
"You did what?!" their united voices weren't too loud, but were fairly higher in volume.
Secre tilted her head, inspecting the area of the hallway, concentrating her mana sense as she did in fact detect a pair of additional traps in action. "How are your traps able to interact with them so well?"
"I'd imagine it would, after all, I made these traps when I first came here. It took me four days to make it so that it would last indefinitely and only deter guys," he answered.
"Really? You did all that? You're amazing," the poison mage praised.
"Can't argue with that,"
"I see. If you're the one who set them up in the first place, can I ask you a question?" the sealing mage spoke up.
Zora shrugged as he refocused on his work. "Normally, I'd say no since I'm in the middle of something, but I guess I can make an exception for the new girl. Shoot,"
"Why did you only make it for the girl's side? It always made me curious it was never in the pathway on the other end,"
A chuckle came out of the ash mage. "Yeah, about that. I was the fifth person to join the squad, and before that, we didn't have any girls on board, at least none I was ever aware of, combine that with the possibility that more people may join and that could include girls along with someone who felt like being a deviant, I set this up to deter bad actors," he explained, drawing a circle with some complex inner markings. "But now, I think it's safe to say that not a single guy on the squad is a raging pervert, so I'm taking them out entirely,"
"Aw, I was going to call on the power of friendship to give me speed," Gordon did a rare pout.
"Then I guess you can call on it to do something else," Zora said back. "Alright, we had a good little talk, now scram,"
The two left him to his work as they soon reached the main area where everyone else was, doing various activities.
"Ah, it feels so good to be back," Finral exhaled with joy as he leaned back into the couch. "Now that I'm not in a coma anymore, I should go and do something with my life. Anyone care to join me?"
"Nobody wants to go and see you be a bad flirt," Magna shot him down, putting his focus back on the card game he was playing with Luck and Kenos. "Anyways, I set down two 4s,"
"Bullshit," the solar mage stated plainly, not even bothering to look away from his hand.
"What? We're only on the third round,"
"Did I stutter?" he remained steadfast as the flame mage begrudgingly flipped up the cards he put down.
A Queen of Hearts and a Five of Spades.
"Oh man, he got you good," Lucked laughed as his rival was forced to add the pile to his hand.
"Don't think you're safe, I'll come for you soon enough, and when I win, you'll all have to admit that I'm a weirdo!" he comedically declared.
"Are you still hung up about that?" Gauche asked. "Deal with it, you're the normal one here,"
"Blasphemy! Besides, I don't want to hear that from you. Nobody's arguing that you don't have a screw loose,"
"Whatever," the mirror mage sat back and cracked open a book, putting a look of utter shock on the one closest to him. "Is something wrong, Noelle?"
"It's just…you're doing something that isn't Marie-centered," she nearly gasped.
"What?!" Charmy raced over to them. "Impossible!"
"Calm down. Why are you making such a big deal about it?" he got annoyed fast.
"Well, you can't really blame them, given it's how you act 90% of the time," Vanessa chimed in from where she was sitting.
"Yeah, that must be one hell of a book, let me see it," the water mage got close and snatched it out of his grip, the two girls checking out its contents.
"Hey, give that back!" he tried to retrieve it before they could really read it, but it was already too late if their comedic disgust said anything about it.
"What…is this?"
"It's a novel I wrote detailing adventures Marie and I go on,"
The dual mage read a little more. "While also going on and on about what an angel she is," she said with sarcastic mockery.
"So? I'm free to write whatever I want," he snatched it back.
The girls deadpanned. "So much for doing something different,"
"At this point, thinking he'd do that is on us more than anything,"
"Speaking of Marie, how's she doing?" Grey asked. "Yesterday was pretty crazy,"
"She's a little shaken up, but she said she's fine," the mirror mage answered. "If she wasn't, I'd be letting that old hag have it,"
"That's good," the woman was relieved.
Gordon couldn't help but smile deeply at the sight of his friends all being together, well, almost all of them. "Has anyone seen Asta?"
Just after saying that, the swordsman entered the base, his expression showing notable distress. "What's got you so gloomy?" Luck questioned as he set down a card into the pile, declaring it to be a seven.
He sat down next to Yami. "Not gloomy, just a little on edge. I say we get started on the investigation as soon as possible, the faster we do that, the better, that way Damnatio can't try to pin this on me,"
His captain put a cigarette in his mouth but didn't yet light it. "Sure, let's do that. Did you have any suggestions on where to start?"
"Actually, I do," he replied, but in a strange turn, he lowered his voice so only Yami could hear his response. "I was thinking we could head to Crimson Lion Kings HQ and ask Azaela. I mean, she is a devil, she must have tons of information,"
"It's not a bad plan at all, but we may have to put a rain check on it," the dark mage whispered back, eyeing the solar mage who was engrossed in his game. "Didn't you feel the tension between Kenos and the kid that devil was with?"
Asta indeed did remember. "Crap, you're right. Kenos and Ryusei are like, best friends, but I don't think he told him about Azaela. That's a pretty big secret to keep,"
"Right, so until the two of them settle that little issue, I say we shouldn't get too involved with her," Yami advised.
The boy nodded. "Good call. So, where do we start now?"
"Hm," the man gave it some thought. "We know that powerful curses are related to devils, right?"
"Uh, yeah,"
"Then I know the perfect person to see," he continued, now bringing his voice back to its normal volume.
"And just like that, victory is mine!" Kenos cheered as he set down his last card.
"Dang it, and I was so close too," Luck pouted.
"How are you so good at this game?" Magna asked. "You called my bluff earlier like it was nothing,"
"Eleanor taught me. She may be my family's head maid now, but back in her heyday, she was quite the player," he replied.
"Okay everyone, listen up!" Yami raised his voice. "The kid and I are heading somewhere to start this investigation. Who wants to tag along?!"
"I'll go," Secre was the first to answer as she transformed into a bird and perched atop the boy's head.
"I'll tag along too," Kenos offered himself up.
"What? I wanted a rematch!" Magna whined.
"We can have another one when I get back. In the meantime, play with someone else and hope they're not as good as me,"
"Fine then. Who to ask though?" he scanned the room, landing on someone. "Oh Lady Noe~," he said in a singsong tone. "How would you like to play a game of Bullshit?"
"I'll pass. I actually haven't played card games before, stuff like that is below me," she replied, flicking her ponytail.
"Is that so?" Kenos said back with comedic mockery. "Sounds more like you're just bad and don't want to admit it,"
"Excuse me?!" she fell for the bait. "I'll have you know that I'm skilled at everything. Royalty, remember?"
"Then, by all means, go and prove me wrong, if you can," he teased. "I'll check on your progress when I get back,"
"Fine, I'll make you eat your words," the water mage approached the table. "Magna, deal me up,"
"Deal you in," he corrected her.
"Whatever,"
From where he stood, Kenos giggled. "Oh, you are just too much fun sometimes," he thought before turning to the trio. "What are we waiting for? Let's get a move on,"
Yami nodded. "Finral, a portal,"
"Sure. Where to?" he asked.
"The closest place you've been to Blue Rose Knights HQ,"
"Just throw your hands up and sway to this song, 'cause when you're dancing, you can't be wrong,"
Despite the recent events, things were relatively peaceful around the base of the azure-clad knights, so much so that Sol felt comfortable enough to hum a song to herself, her head bobbing side to side as she walked down an empty hallway, a tray in her hand.
"She is going to love this," the earth mage mused excitedly as she reached a closed door, shifting the tray to one hand temporarily, using the free hand to knock on it.
"Come in," a voice said on the other side, the girl opening it, entering Charlotte's personal room, the captain sitting up on her bed, dressed in a blue nightgown.
"Hey there, I brought you your favorite soup,"
"You didn't have to do that,"
"No, but I wanted to, so sit back and chill, Char," Sol got close and set the tray on a nightstand, uncovering the lid as the aroma wafted into the atmosphere. "After what you went through, you deserve some time to relax,"
Charlotte took a whiff, blissfully sighing. "Ah, Creamy Tomato Basil," she grabbed the spoon that was on the tray, her subordinate bringing the bowl close as she helped herself to a sip. "Thank you. However, you should be resting too," her blissful smile turned into a frown.
"Especially after what I did to you and the others,"
"Hey, none of that was your fault, it was the Charla chick. She was controlling your body, remember?"
"Yes, but I'm a captain, I should've been able to resist her influence, or at least do something substantial. I was forced to watch as she used me to hurt my own squad. Please forgive me," she continued to beat herself up.
"Char, you never needed to be forgiven," Sol told her softly. "These elves were pretty strong, I don't think anyone could've resisted it, even some of our own got possessed. On the bright side, there hasn't been any loss to the squad regarding casualties, so cheer up,"
The briar mage stared down at her soup, helping herself to another spoon as a small smile formed. "Okay then, I'll cheer up, and it starts when you call me captain,"
The earth mage chuckled. "We both know that's never going to happen," she was about to exit the room, but Charlotte stopped.
"Wait," she set the bowl on her nightstand. "I want to ask you something,"
"Anything for you,"
"How'd you manage during the crisis? I take it you must've had some pretty intense battles?"
"You have no idea, but the toughest one without question was one I had against these two elven brothers," she began to say.
That surprised the captain. "You fought two elves alone?"
"Oh no, I would've been annihilated. I'd had some help from two people. One of them participated with me in the Royal Knights Exam, and she's part of the Green Praying Mantises, her name's Glynda Goodwitch,"
"I take it she's a witch?"
"Most likely. She's super strong, and just as pretty as you, or maybe almost as pretty. Anyways, her magic was super useful, we definitely wouldn't have won without her,"
"She sounds like an amazing woman, I'd love to meet her someday. What about the second person?"
"It was a guy named Teiko. He was pretty tough for a man, but he was…let's call him peculiar. He gave off a nice vibe though,"
The woman smiled. "I see, you fought with some interesting people,"
"You asked me a question. Is it alright if I do too?"
"Of course,"
"It's perfectly fine if you don't want to answer, but what did it feel like…being possessed?"
Charlotte held a side of her cheek. "It was a surreal feeling, having someone else move your body and use your mana. And speaking of mana, I had never felt so much in my life, even now, I feel like some of it is still with me, like I've retained a portion of Charla's power,"
"So, that means you're stronger? That's cool. Could you see what was going on?"
"More or less, but I kind of blacked out at some point, the next thing I knew, I was free and in Yami's arms-," she was answering, but then she stopped herself, burying her face in her hands, hoping it would conceal her blush. "Hold on, I didn't say anything weird to him, did I? Granted, Charla was in control, but what if she could see my memories? What if she told Yami I'm in love with him? Wait, would she even do that? I don't know!"
"Uh, Char, are you okay?" Sol asked, but she was ignored. Just then, another knock was heard at the door. "Don't worry, I'll get it," she walked over and opened it, being met with a surprise.
"The Black Bulls?" she sounded audibly shocked.
"Hey Sol," Asta greeted her. "This is Captain Charlotte's room, right?"
"Yeah, but how'd you know that?"
Kenos was the one to answer. "Well, when we arrived here and came inside, we ran into that theme thief-, I-I mean Puli, and she told us where to go,"
"O…k," the earth mage accepted his answer, trying to get a good look around the hallway. "Did…Magna come with you?"
"No," Yami told her. "We came to ask the Prickly Queen something. Can we come in?"
"Sure, you're all cool in my book," she welcomed them inside.
The quartet did just that, silently admiring the interior. "Also, I wanted to thank you for that task you did for me, it really helped out," the dark mage said to her.
She shrugged. "Still not sure what was so important, but I'm glad to have been of service,"
Meanwhile, the female captain was still in her own head. "Okay, you need to calm down, you're going to worry Sol, and then she'll start asking questions," she began to clear her head, raising it as she spoke with her usual dignified voice. "Sorry about that, I was-," rather than coming face to face with her subordinate, she did so with the dark mage.
"Yo,"
In an instant, she turned her face away, her blush returning. "Yaammmiiii?" she comedically thought, now spinning her head like crazy. "YAAMMMIIII?!"
"Uh, what's she doing?" Asta wondered aloud.
The solar mage held his chin, making affirmative sounds as he nodded his head, all before deadpanning. "I have no idea,"
Thankfully, the briar mage stopped herself soon after. "Uh, h-hello. What brings you here?"
Yami decided that it was probably for the better if he just ignored…whatever that was. "I take it you're doing fine?"
"Y-Yes, thank you for asking. Is that why you're here? To check on me?" she asked nervously.
"Not really, but I'm glad to see you're doing good," he replied bluntly. "I'm actually here to talk about something you told me,"
Ba-dump.
"It's had my attention for some time now,"
Ba-dump.
"So here I am to find out more,"
Ba-dump.
"Prickly Queen, I want to-,"
"AHHHHHH!"
Without warning, the woman cut her peer off as she jumped out of bed and rushed out of the room, barefoot and all, her face completely flushed.
"Char, what's wrong?!" Sol yelled, hoping it would reach her, but it apparently didn't.
"I wasn't expecting that," Yami voiced his confusion.
"Sorry, she was fine just a few minutes ago. Maybe you should come another time," the girl told them, walking to the nightstand where the soup was. "I'll reheat this for her,"
"What a shame, I was hoping we'd get to ask about her curse," Secre spoke up, earning a bewildered look from Sol.
"Did that bird just talk?"
"Hey there, cutie. What's shakin'?" the perspective shifted to the outside as a man kabedonned a young lady.
"Uh, can I help you?" she asked, clearly uncomfortable.
"As a matter of fact, you can. How would you like to go somewhere with me?" he smugly requested.
"I think I'll pass," she refused him. "You're not my type,"
"Nonsense, I'm every girl's type," he grabbed her wrist. "I can show you if you don't believe me,"
"Let me go!"
"C'mon, don't be a killjoy,"
"AHHHHHH!"
Their attention shifted to the north, where the briar mage was running down south. "Is that…Charlotte Roselei?" the girl wondered aloud.
Before she could get an answer, the woman crashed into the guy, sending him flying, yelling all the while, stunning the girl into awe.
"Wow. Thank you, Captain Charlotte!"
The woman's love-filled rush continued as she ran head-first into a daycare, bursting out the other side with a trio of babies nestled in her arms…all with black hair resembling a certain someone. Not missing a beat, she turned and ran back inside, safely putting them down, running out with even more speed.
.
.
"My, what a beautiful day. A perfect opportunity for a stroll," an old lady mused to herself as she peacefully walked on the side of the street, nearing the windowsill of the closest house, but unbeknownst to her, a wobbly flower pot stood on it, ready to fall on an unsuspecting victim at the slightest provocation.
"Where should I go?" she pondered. "Perhaps I can stop by the market and pick up some things for dinner? Or maybe I should pay a surprise visit and see my grandchildren,"
"AHHHHHH!"
"What might that be?" she wondered in a confused tone as she turned, Charlotte already running straight past her. However, rather than be surprised or appalled, the lady simply smiled.
"Ah, to be young. I remember when I did that, running around like a maniac after my husband-to-be called me beautiful for the first time. I had better return home soon and see how he's doing," she said, but up above, the wind generated by the woman's rush finally tipped the pot over, now on a collision course with the senior's head.
But not for long. A blast of a familiar color came from afar, shattering it into pieces before anyone could get hurt.
"Oh my!" the old lady gasped. "That could've been unpleasant," she turned, her eyes locking on the woman who saved her. "Thank you very much, miss,"
"You're welcome," the woman replied with a smile, now staring at the dust cloud left in Charlotte's wake. Not wasting any time, she followed the path.
.
.
"Thieves! Somebody stop them!" a storeowner cried out as a pair ran out of his establishment, holding bags of yul.
"And just like that, another successful robbery. Wouldn't you say, Bonnie?" the man among them asked.
"Damn right, Donnie," she replied. "Smuggling Magic Items was too risky of a business, we just managed to break ourselves out of prison. Theft is so much safer,"
"Not to mention free," he added as they started running away. "We won't have to take the gamble of running into Magic Knights like the last time with that lightning kid and the compass girl with him,"
"AHHHHH!"
"Did you hear that?" they asked each other in unison, Charlotte coming straight at them, her arms spread out as they slammed into their necks, putting them on the ground in seconds, feeling enough pain that they couldn't get up for a bit, enough time for the owner to apprehend them.
"Thank you, miss!" he called out to her.
.
.
"And here we are!" a pair of parents said in unison, extending their arms at a large body of water.
"Wow!" their daughter was in awe. "It's so pretty!"
"I couldn't agree more, this is a pretty popular spot," her dad stated.
His wife rested her head on her husband's shoulder. "Not to mention this is the place where we first met. Do you still remember?"
"I could never forget," he replied as they shared a brief kiss.
"Bleh!" the girl stuck her tongue out at their display of affection.
Her mother laughed. "Yeah yeah, you think it's disgusting, but just wait, once you find that special boy, doing this will plague your every thought,"
"I doubt that," she said back.
"AHHHHHH!"
"Where's that coming from?" the father wondered aloud, but as the noise got closer, they realized it came from behind them, so they turned, seeing the woman.
"Woah, is that the captain of the Blue Rose Knights?!" the daughter squealed. "Hi Miss Roselei!"
But her greeting was ignored as Charlotte ran straight past them, jumping down into the body of water. "Oh no!" the family exclaimed with worry, running to the edge, but to their absolute bewilderment, she didn't sink. Instead, she was…running atop it?
"How in the world?" the woman was unable to wrap her head around it.
Her daughter, though, remained in awe. "That's a captain for you, they can do anything,"
"Pardon me!" another voice called out to them, belonging to the woman from before as he rushed past them, finding a way to travel atop the water as well.
"Just what is wrong with me?"
Hours passed and the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, but instead of finding her on the streets, the golden rays of light found Charlotte sulking on the rooftop of an abandoned building, using the mana she had to nurse her aching feet.
"What am I going to do now? How would I even explain this to anyone? Yami must definitely think I'm crazy," she mumbled, her face buried in her knees.
But then, she looked up at the beautiful sky. "Why…Why is this so hard? Love is supposed to be a common emotion, so why is telling someone you love them so difficult?" she now laid down on her back. "During times like these, I just wish all of this was simpler,"
"Thank heavens, I thought I lost you!"
Charlotte's whole body jumped from the inclusion of a new person as the woman from before landed softly on the roof next to her. "You startled me,"
"My apologies, I was trying to call out to you while you were running everywhere, but you must've not heard me," she said.
"You were following me for that long?"
"I'm free today, so I figured I would. After all, it's not every day you see a captain behaving in such a manner," she joked.
The briar mage blushed from embarrassment. "Then it's my turn to apologize, behavior like that is completely unbecoming of me," her eyes scanned the woman. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name,"
"It's Glynda. Glynda Goodwitch,"
Hearing that made the captain's embarrassment fade considerably as she now giggled. "What a coincidence, I was just talking about you earlier. While I have you here, thank you for helping Sol,"
"It was a pleasure, you've got a skilled subordinate there," the telekinesis mage got closer and sat down next to her. "But going back to you, are you alright? What exactly brought on today's display?"
"It's because…because…," Charlotte tried to get the words out, but she couldn't. "I'm sorry, it's really embarrassing,"
"That's alright, you don't have to force it,"
"No, I can do it. It's because…I'm in love…with somebody," she managed to say. "He came to see me today and it seemed like he figured out how I felt. He was about to say something, but then I bolted out,"
Glynda looked at the sky, resting a hand on her robe. "Romance, huh? I can understand that,"
The briar mage's eyes widened. "You're in love too?"
"I wouldn't say I'm in love, but there is someone I can slowly feel myself being attracted to," she clarified. "So, based on how you reacted, something tells me that you aren't ready to tell him how you feel, even if there's the chance he knows already,"
"I'm not ready in the slightest," the blonde answered.
"Does anyone else know about this?"
"No,"
Glynda held her chin. "Hm, perhaps there's a solution. If you can't tell him, then try telling those you can trust, then you'll have people to rely on,"
Charlotte couldn't help but smile warmly. "Rely on, huh?" she recalled the fateful encounter she had with the dark mage. However, her smile faded soon after. "But, these people, what if they don't take it well?"
"As long as you're not in love with some deviant, they should be fine, and if not, maybe the trust between you wasn't as strong as you believed," the telekinesis mage replied.
The captain gave that response some thought before standing up. "You're right. I had better get moving before I get cold feet. Thank you for the motivation, Glynda,"
The vice-captain nodded. "I wish you the best of luck,"
Charlotte walked to the edge of the roof, looking down. "Darn it, I don't have my broom or my grimoire. Getting back won't be easy,"
"Don't worry, I'm here," the telekinesis mage stood up. "I have a spell that will get you there nice and fast,"
"You can do it…You can do it…You can do it,"
Glynda was right. Thanks to Psionic Beacon, they were able to get to Blue Rose Knights HQ in no time, so much so that she could change before the sun set came close to setting. And now, here she was, in the center of the base's personal garden, standing atop a platform, repeating the four words again and again in her head as she hyped herself up, staring at a small crowd of her subordinates.
Many of the knights she called didn't appear the least bit curious as to why they'd been assembled, but Sol was a different story, the events of that afternoon still fresh in her mind as she gazed at her captain worryingly. "Uh, Char, why did you call us here?"
"Because I have an important announcement to share, but I'd like to tell you all first. Among all my squad members, you are the ones I can trust the most,"
Hearing that brought a sense of pride to the women as they awaited her next words. "For as long as I could remember, the Blue Rose Knights has been a squad that prided itself on the strength of women, and while we greatly appreciate what our male colleagues do alongside us, we fight to be strong enough without them, in combat and in life. So that's why, after finishing this announcement…there's a chance I'll be stepping down as your captain,"
The rousing speech took a shocking turn as they all widened their eyes. "You can't be serious," Puli voiced. "This squad wouldn't be the same without you. Why would you consider stepping down?"
Charlotte clenched her sweaty fists tightly. This was it. "Because…Because…I like Yami!" she finally blurted it out, stunning her subordinates into silence, but she didn't care, she just went on a rant. "Yes, I like Yami Sukehiro, the Captain of the Black Bulls, and not some 'like' as in a way you view a peer, but in a serious manner! I know what people say about him, that he's rough and tough and lacks manners and whatnot, but I don't care! I mean, have you seen those rippling muscles?! I can stare at them for hours! And his gruff voice, oh, just hearing it has me feeling a kind of way I'd rather not elaborate on! Then there's the fact that he appears intimidating, but deep down, he cherishes every single person he holds dear! What I'm trying to say is…,"
"...I'M DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH THAT MAN!"
Her tangent had come to an end, the only sound that could be heard was her heavy breathing. She said it, she really said it, and while she may have divulged into more details than she was expecting to share, a part of her felt…good. But at the end of the day, it all came down to how the others received it. Staring down at them, all Charlotte could see was shock, her expression falling.
"I…see," she turned around. "I…had better get going. Please don't give my replacement too hard of a time," she was about to leave, but then…
"CAPTAIN! WE SUPPORT YOU 100 PERCENT!"
To say the briar mage wasn't expecting a response like that would be an understatement. "Huh?"
Apart from Sol, all the women there were squealing like crazy.
"It's totally like a beauty and the beast situation!"
"I know, it's so romantic!"
"What should we call their ship name?!"
Charlotte was still trying to wrap her head around what was happening. "Wait a minute. You're actually…okay with this?"
"Why wouldn't we be?" Puli replied. "We're girls when all's said and done, and if there's one thing we live for, it's romantic drama,"
"I couldn't have said it better myself," one of them added. "Besides, I already have a boyfriend, so I have tons of experience to share,"
"You do?!" the others exclaimed.
"Of course, and there's no way I'm alone. Raise your hands if you're taken, don't be shy!" her hand rose up, as did over half of the knights there.
The captain couldn't believe it, but she couldn't hold back a relieved smile, glad it worked out as she descended down to their level. "If you have experience, then I'm in your care,"
"So, is it really true? You're really in love with him?" Sol's question cut through the noise. Her voice wasn't like the others, holding bits of disappointment.
The briar mage nodded. "Yes. I have been since I was 18,"
"I see, so my precious Char has had her heart stolen by a man this whole time," her tone slowly shifted along with her expression, going from disappointment to optimism. "If it was any other guy, you'd better believe I'd be against it, but Yami is different, I trust him completely. But if he makes you cry, I'll be there to give him hell,"
Charlotte approached her closest subordinate, wrapping her in a hug. "Thank you for understanding, and I hope that one day, you find someone who makes you feel as happy as I feel,"
The earth mage smiled as they separated. "Okay then, so what's our operation name? Char will be counting on us to be her wingwomen,"
"How about 'Operation Dark Rose'?" the wing mage suggested.
"I like that one," Charlotte approved. "Now I just have to think about some lines,"
"Hey, I think I see her!"
All the women turned to the entrance of the garden at the sound of the familiar scream, spotting Asta, Secre, and Yami along with Kenos and Magna.
"AHHHHHH!" Charlotte screamed in her mind.
"Yo, Prickly Queen, cool spot you got here!" Yami complimented the area.
Meanwhile, the girls were already scheming. "This is perfect!" they thought in unison, grabbing their captain and pushing her. "Tell him how you feel,"
"Hold on, I'm not ready yet,"
"Then ask him out and make it sound platonic," they changed their advice as the space between the captains was closed.
"U-Um, Yami, t-there's something I need to t-tell you," she mumbled.
"What?" the man cupped his hand around his ear. "You need to speak up,"
While that was happening, Sol walked past them, greeting the swordsman and the bird on his head before approaching the solar and flame mages, who were currently in the middle of a conversation.
"Dude, I'm telling you, Noelle's poker face was virtually non-existent, I called every single one of her bluffs like it was child's play. You should've seen the face she made after she lost six games, you'd think she was going to faint on the spot," Magna relayed the event to Kenos.
"Oh man, I would've paid good money to see that. I didn't spot her when we got back though,"
"That's because she ran in a huff to her room. Poor girl's probably sulking right now,"
"Nah, she'll be fine, she's tough," Kenos waved it off as he saw Sol. "Hey there,"
"Hey," she said back, quickly going over to Magna. "I see you came this time,"
"Yeah, I heard you were wanting to see me. Is something up?"
"No, just wanted to say hi," she replied in an almost shy manner.
"I see," Kenos interjected before pointing at Charlotte. "What's going on over there?"
"I couldn't tell you,"
The briar mage internally cursed whatever power had brought Yami here, but she had to speak up or he'd leave. "Yami, I-," she was cut off by his hand.
"You don't have to force yourself, I know what you're going to say,"
Ba-dump.
"After what I saw earlier, it's obvious,"
Ba-dump.
The dark mage took out the cigarette he was smoking from his mouth. "You don't like me at all, do you?"
Ba-du…wait, what?
Charlotte's expression changed in an instant as she stared with disbelief. "I know I look strong and everything, but I'm delicate on the inside. I came to ask you something earlier and you ran from me, almost broke my fragile heart," he said, but if one could read the small signs in his tone, they could've sworn that he was…joking.
Unfortunately, no one possessed such skill if the faces of the azure-clad knights said anything. "Is this guy some kind of idiot?! There's no way the captain can say anything now without it becoming awkward!"
The blonde was screwed now. "Oh no, I need to clear this up fast, but how?! What should I do?! What should I say?!"
"I don't think that's the case at all," an unlikely savior appeared in the form of Asta as he stood in between the adults, all attention diverting to him.
"What are you talking about, kid? You were there when she ran away from me,"
The swordsman shook his head. "That doesn't mean she doesn't like you, maybe she just has trouble conveying her feelings because she trusts you so much,"
Yami raised a brow. "What kind of sense does that make?"
Asta held his chin. "Hm, how would I explain it? Since you've been through so much together, you're really close, but because of that, it's hard for her to be vulnerable around you, so she acts in weird ways,"
In her mind, Charlotte was impressed by how well he deduced the situation, but Yami needed some more convincing. "And you know all of this, how?"
"Well, the way she acts sort of reminds me of Noelle. Sure she blasts me a lot and calls me names, but I know she doesn't mean any of it, because we've been through tons of stuff together, and she trusts me," he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You see, I've got her all figured out,"
Secre just stared at him before taking to the skies and perching atop Kenos' head, the solar mage having heard what he said and was currently deadpanning. "Do you know?" he asked the bird.
"Yeah," she replied. "Should we tell him?"
"Nah, it isn't our place,"
"Um, do any of you mind filling me in?" Magna spoke up.
Kenos' deadpan persisted as he turned and patted his squadmate's shoulder. "Oh you sweet summer child. I was like you once, blind and ignorant, but worry not, for in time, you will know the truth,"
"O…k,"
Yami put the cigarette back in his mouth, chuckling. "I see, when you put it that way, I guess it makes sense," he peered into the woman's eyes, making her blush slightly. "I came to ask you something and I've been waiting for a couple of hours. Are you busy right now?"
"U-Um, yes, I am," she thought of a quick lie. "But…I'm free later tonight. Would you like to ask me this thing…over dinner? My treat, of course,"
"Free food? Works for me," he answered, earning squeals from the background.
"Perfect, meet me here in two hours and we'll head there together," she told him, now addressing the one next to him. "Asta,"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you,"
"Damn, this is quite the fancy place," the dark mage commented. The pair of hours passed and the captains currently found themselves at a restaurant that just oozed classy. While the area wasn't entirely lit, it did make the area feel somewhat cozy.
"Perhaps, but I like the vibe whenever I come here at night, it feels peaceful," Charlotte told him with a calm tone as the waiter came to their table.
"Ah, Miss Roselei, it's a pleasure whenever you stop by," he smiled.
"The pleasure is always mine, Casey," she said back.
He nodded, pulling out a notebook. "Will you be having your usual order today?"
"I will,"
"Perfect, and what about you-?" he turned, now getting a good look at the man across from her, stunning him. "You? You're Yami Sukehiro, aren't you?"
"Yeah," he answered plainly, preparing for a disrespectful rant.
"To believe you'd be here in such a place, unbelievable. Yami, would you please do me a favor…," he reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "...And allow me to have your autograph?"
"Huh?" the man was flabbergasted as the waiter unfolded the paper, revealing a portrait of him holding his katana.
"I've been a huge fan ever since the Star Festival. You're like, my role model, especially when you're rocking those crazy biceps," Casey put down his things momentarily and rolled back one of his sleeves, revealing a well-toned arm.
Yami whistled quietly. "Not bad, it's got some nice definition, keep it up," he praised him as he took his pen and signed the portrait.
"Thank you so much," he tried to contain his glee. "So, what can I get for you?"
The man looked at the menu. "That steak sirloin with the honey habanero glaze sounds interesting,"
"Of course, it'll be out soon," he walked away.
Yami stared intently at his back. "That was unexpected,"
"Not to me," Charlotte said, resting her chin on her palm, staring at him longingly. "Once you look past the trivial stuff, there's so much about you to respect and admire,"
"Is that so?" his gaze began to shift back, the woman composing herself as fast as she could.
However, unbeknownst to either of them, they were being diligently watched from afar. "Everything seems to be going fine so far," Sol said from her table, but she wasn't alone.
"I'm not seeing anything unusual," Magna added, taking another bite of his food. "This steak rocks. You sure you don't mind paying?"
"Yeah, but you owe me. You're taking me to your favorite restaurant in the future,"
"Sure," he shrugged. "But I have two questions to ask. First, why are you spying on them? They just came to talk,"
The earth mage sighed. "How good are you at keeping secrets?"
"Pretty good,"
"Let's hope that's true. The truth is…my captain has the hots for your captain,"
Magna's eyes widened. "Really? You're not yanking my chain?"
"Not for a second,"
"Damn, but then again, what was I expecting? Yami's a manly man, of course there'd be gals who are into him like that," he grinned. "Don't worry, her secret is safe with me,"
Sol put her attention back on spying. "Good. What's the second thing you wanted to ask?"
"Why'd you ask me to tag along with you?" was his question, the girl's attention diverting to him in no time. "I mean, surely you could've asked one of your squad buddies to come instead?"
"They wanted to come, but they remembered they had plans already, so it was just going to be me. As for why I called you…," she paused. "I…wanted your company, alright. You should be honored, you're the only guy I trust enough to ask,"
Hearing that made the mage in shades pause too before he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Oh, um, thanks for the compliment, it's not something you hear from a girl every day, especially you, but I'm honored," the partial darkness of the inside hid the growing red that formed on his face.
Sol's cheeks bloomed a light pink as she giggled, but the darkness hid it too. "You're welcome," she replied.
Minutes passed as Casey came by with their orders, taking his leave. "Holy crap, this tastes amazing," Yami dug into the cut of meat, Charlotte doing the opposite as she enjoyed her meal in silence, mostly because she was preparing herself.
"So…what was that thing you wanted to ask me?"
The dark mage perked up. "That's right,"
The briar mage stared down, doing her best to prepare her heart for his next words, but then…
"I wanted to ask you about your curse," he said without warning.
"Huh?" she couldn't help but audibly ask. "T-That's what you've been wanting to say all day?"
"Yup, surely you heard about that bullshit the Magic Parliament tried to pull on Asta yesterday, so now Julius is having us investigate devils and whatnot. I figured that devils are connected to curses, so here we are,"
"Oh," Charlotte did her best to hide her slight disappointment, but a part of her felt relieved that he wasn't planning to do what she thought he was. "Let's see, I wasn't cursed by a devil, I was cursed by a witch, but it's possible she was using the power of a devil to do it. The curse itself was one on my soul, doing so also had an adverse effect on my attribute,"
Yami nodded. "That's true. When Charla was controlling your body, she used Red Rose Magic instead of Briar Magic,"
"I know, I saw it. In all honesty, it was…nice to see my magic's true form, I just wish I was the one using it," she admitted.
"Who knows? Maybe you'll get to use it someday," he told her. "So, is there anything else you can tell me?"
"Sorry, that's all I know, I had never truly delved into the nitty gritty of curses," she replied before an idea came to her. "But that's alright. Now that I think about it, there should be a member on your squad hailing from a certain family of experts, they'll know more about curses than I ever will,"
"Someone in my crew?" Yami repeated, going over everyone in his head until he landed on the appropriate person. "Oh, you mean…,"
The captain nodded in confirmation. "Gordon Agrippa,"