(Ch. 1) The Magic Knights Entrance Exam (pt. 3)
Black Clover OC x Canon FanFic
“This concludes the exam.” Captain Vangeance starts. “Now, candidates whose numbers are called, please step forward.”
“The squad captains will raise their hands if they would like you to join their squads,” Captain Charlotte explains. “The candidates will decide if they would like to accept or decline, and if they are chosen by more than one captain, they may choose which squad they would like to join.”
“But,” Captain Fuegoleon starts. “If none of the captains raise their hands, the candidate will not join the Magic Knights.”
“And you will leave immediately,” says Captain Nozel.
The evaluation begins. Candidates each step forward and await the judgment of the captains. Some are lucky, others not so much.
“Next, #122, please step forward.”
Ethelrid moves to the spot below the balcony, where she awaits the captains’ evaluation. She tries to quell her rising anxiety, almost forgetting she wasn’t already chosen by the Blue Rose.
She looks up and finds that 5 of the captains have raised their hands, including Captain Vangeance, though excluding Captain Yami, Captain Dorothy Unsworth, Captain Gueldre Poizot, and Captain Nozel Silva.
Seems Captain Nozel deems Ethelrid unworthy to join the Silver Eagles, perhaps because she decided to "mingle with the commoners". But no, she knows his reasoning is beyond that.
She wonders why Captain Yami does not want her in his squad. Maybe because she’s noble and wouldn’t fit in with the misfits of his squad, and nobles have always discriminated against foreigners, let alone one who became a squad captain. For some reason, she’s disappointed.
But her heart remains in the Blue Rose, and she smiles up at Captain Charlotte as she says, “I’d like to join the Blue Rose if the captain does not mind.”
She joins the captain once again at her side, still proudly wearing her coat. “I hope I have earned my place in your squad, captain.”
“Why did you think I raised my hand?” Captain Charlotte replies. Her face may be blank, but her tone is filled with the warmth of approval. Ethelrid smiles. She remains at her place, eager to see if anyone else is qualified for the Blue Rose squad.
“Next, #164.”
“Yes, sir.”
The black-haired boy is up next. With his performance in the combat test, Ethelrid predicts he will be choosing from any of the captains. Whichever squad he will join will surely rejoice in his decision.
The black-haired boy steps forward just below the balcony where the captains will deliver their verdict.
“All who wish to offer, please raise your hand.”
“What?”
“Seriously?”
Many more exclamations of shock pour from the crowd as all the captains raise their hands, each one of them no doubt eager to welcome the boy genius from the Forsaken Realm. Even Captain Nozel raised his hand with a minuscule tug on his lips. Surprising, coming from the man who is royalty and has discouraged Ethelrid to take the examination in fear of her mingling with the commoners.
If only someone else was standing there in the boy’s place, but Ethelrid would no doubt welcome the boy if his heart is set on joining the Blue Rose, and for a moment she forgets the climate of the squad.
But her gut tells her he won’t be joining the Blue Rose.
“Please allow me to join the Golden Dawn.”
This boy settled for nothing less, not that Ethelrid thinks the other squads are vastly inferior, and no doubt the boy is aiming for the top for a certain reason. The Golden Dawn squad has been the top squad for years. It's widely known to be the choice squad to rise in rank, and maybe one of these knights could be the Wizard King.
Ethelrid looks to Asta, who is called next.
“I’m ready!”
The boy’s enthusiasm is infectious.
“All those who wish to offer, please raise your hand.”
Heavy silence resounds throughout the arena. The captains remain still. Below, Ethelrid senses an aura of anxiety from the grey-haired boy. The orator’s voice slices through the thick silence.
“#165, no offers.”
The boy’s jaw drops. He remains standing there, no doubt in shock.
Pity takes hold of Ethelrid. The boy has an eye for combat, yes, but the captains would not accept someone with no magical talent. Magic is everything on this continent.
Perhaps the boy is a late bloomer. Give him time, and his powers might just manifest.
Confusion wars with Ethelrid’s pity. The boy has combat capabilities, does he not? And he managed to slice through a reinforced ball with ease. Why let that talent go to waste?
“Captain.” Ethelrid turns to Captain Charlotte. But before she could speak any further, Captain Yami piped up.
“Well, that’s no surprise. No matter how high your combat skills are, if the source of your power is unknown, no one wants anything to do with it.”
That sounds wholly familiar to Ethelrid.
What kind of magic is that?
No one else has that power.
This child is cursed! She must be practicing forbidden magic!
“In the end, the only thing desired from a Magic Knight is their magical powers.”
The arena suddenly chills, the air grows heavy, and Ethelrid nearly suffocates in the vast mana permeating from the Black Bulls’ Captain that engulfs the whole arena in darkness. It seems like heavy pressure is pushing Ethelrid down to the ground, and it takes an effort to keep herself upright. Standing becomes even more challenging when the ground starts to shake, and standing on a raised platform does not help.
Captain Yami jumps down from the dais towards the boy, his subordinate calling after him. Captain Yami’s suffocating form walks up to Asta as he says, “And since you have no magical powers, no one wants you.”
Asta stands his ground, but from above, beads of sweat glisten from his forehead to his cheek.
“That’s the cruel reality,” Captain Yami continues. “You said earlier that you wanted to become the Wizard King, didn’t you?”
Asta grits his teeth in response.
“Which means you’re going to surpass the nine captains here, right?”
The pressure is steadily increasing, and Ethelrid calls for her mana to… she has no idea what to do with it, but it has to alleviate the strengthening gravity threatening to meld her with the ground.
“Now that I’m standing before you, do you still have the nerve to say that you’re going to be the Wizard King, even without any magical powers?”
Asta clenches his fist and looks down on the ground as if searching for answers on the floor.
“Even if I can’t join the Magic Knights today,” Asta starts in a hush-toned voice. “No matter how many times I fall, no matter what anyone says to me…”
Asta looks up with newfound—or maybe it was always there—determination in his eyes at the captain, hand clenched in his side as if gathering all his strength to utter his final words.
"I’m still going to become the Wizard King someday! ”
The pressure is steadily increasing, and Ethelrid is gripping Captain Charlotte’s chair, and as Ethelrid goes down on her knees, the mana suddenly dwindles, the sky clears, the ground ceases to shake, and a huge weight has been lifted from Ethelrid’s shoulders.
The silence is deafening. Beads of sweat trail down Asta’s face as Captain Yami continues to ponder over Asta’s words.
Then he suddenly laughs.
It is a hearty, booming laugh, the kind that sucks the air out of one’s lungs.
From the eeriness to the sudden lightheartedness, Ethelrid is experiencing an emotional rollercoaster. Captain Yami surprises Ethelrid once again.
“You’re funny, kid!”
He raises a finger at the boy.
“Join my squad.”
Asta’s eyes blow wide, and Ethelrid nearly sputters.
“Eh?” Asta eloquently replies.
Like the hive-minded organism that they are, sounds of confusion pour from the crowd.
“I’m telling you that I’ll let you join the Black Bulls,” Captain Yami helpfully replied.
“By the way, declining isn’t an option.”
“Eeeh?” Asta is a man of many words.
“I’ll make life so miserable for you in the Black Bulls that you’ll be torn to shreds, so be ready for that,” Captain Yami gives another hearty laugh.
“Eeeeeehhh?!”
“And then one day, become the Wizard King.”
Ethelrid senses from the boy's warring emotions behind that blank, aghast face, but happiness triumphs over them all, and Ethelrid can’t help but smile fondly as Asta says:
“Yes, sir!”
One day, I’ll become the first Magic Knight of this village, and I’ll make this place the royal capital!
“This concludes the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.”
Captain Charlotte stands from her chair, and Ethelrid goes to follow.
“Ladies Nina and Amore were a good choice, captain.” Ethelrid pipes up.
“Yes. They will make fine members of our squad.”
“I still think you should’ve chosen the D'Leorden boy.”
“His hubris would be a disadvantage in battle. He will die even before he can finish his verbose speeches in a real battle, and I don’t want to tarnish our squad with a good-for-nothing boy.”
There she goes again. Ethelrid sighs. Though she does have a fair point, if that hubris of his will not go away even with training, then he will be a burden in battle. But honestly, some people just start that way. People can change.
Though Ethelrid somewhat doubts her own thoughts. Her mind then switches to a certain grey-haired boy.
“What did you think of the boy who wields the giant sword, captain?” Ethelrid says.
“You mean the boy who had no magic? A waste of time. He’s better suited for the Black Bulls.”
“But don’t you think he has a knack for combat?” And there's something else too. If Ethelrid sensed no mana from the boy, how did he break through the magic shield? Is it from being physically strong alone?
“He is of no concern to us, and certainly not a rowdy boy who thinks he can become the Wizard King.”
“I think we should just let him dream, captain.”
“All peasants have are dreams.”
“Exactly. We have everything we need, yet peasants have nothing but their reason and will to live. Shouldn’t we be generous?”
“Generous, yes. But I doubt we are expected to believe that peasants can rise above their ranks. It is just the way it has always been, Ethelrid.”
“No, it has not. I tell you, captain, allow the lower class to have dreams, and they can conquer anything. We just haven’t seen it yet because of our privilege, until now.”
“I suppose that boy with the four-leaf grimoire is rather gifted. ‘Tis a shame he joined the Golden Dawn.”
“‘Tis a shame indeed.”
The conversation dies. It is a miracle to even converse with the captain at this great length. Captain Charlotte Roselei is cold and straight to the point, rather not gifted with social etiquette, which Ethelrid can understand wholeheartedly. But that had made her such a great captain, though not so much a socialite.
Captain Charlotte stops in her tracks, and Ethelrid does as well and sees that Captain Fuegoleon is approaching the two. Or rather, Ethelrid herself.
“Ethelrid, it has been so long. I never did get to offer my condolences. I’m sure if your mother were still here with us today, she would be very proud of you,” he says.
“Thank you, sir,” Ethelrid replies and fights the urge to salute.
“Yes, and I know your father would be proud too. Congratulations on passing the exam with high colors. It is a shame that you have your heart set on the Blue Rose, for if you had chosen the Crimson Lions, I would have welcomed you with open arms. You and the other chosen are the future of this kingdom, and-”
Captain Fuegoleon has always given lengthy speeches, which Ethelrid does not have the attention span for, but she remembers the uptight captain fondly, though rarely does he visit, and even rarer does his sister, especially since her mother passed away. The captain’s younger brother, Leopold, Ethelrid, too, remembers. They were once playmates on the rare occasion when Ethelrid was allowed to socialize and have always been a welcome sparring partner, and the boy had much pent-up energy to deliver.
I wonder how he is doing now in his quest to surpass his brother and sister-
“Ethelrid?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Ethelrid scrambles. This time she offers a salute.
In impeccable timing, Leopold appears in the corridor, and his face immediately brightens as his eyes are set on a familiar face.
“Ethelrid! So you have finally returned!”
“Hello, Leopold. And yes, I’m here to stay.”
Leopold comes up to place a hand on Ethelrid’s shoulder and gives a hearty laugh.
“I look forward to sparring with you again! Shame we’re not in the same squad; we could’ve gone on missions together! ”
“I was looking forward to that as well, but I always wanted to join the Blue Rose knights, you know that.”
“Yes, yes, but hey, if you change your mind-”
“I won’t.”
“-you’re always welcome in the Crimson Lions.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Leo.”
“No problem, Ethy!”
They part ways with an enthusiastic wave from Leopold, and Ethelrid and Captain Charlotte continue on their way.
They arrive at the exit of the arena and come upon a carriage decorated with blue roses. Ethelrid wonders if the captain would enter the wrong carriage were it not for the insignia.
They enter the carriage, and the coachman starts off. It is a silent journey, and Ethelrid spends the time looking out the window as they pass by the capital and through the Noble Realm.
It has been a long time since she’s been here, and the memories made in this place are mixed with painful and warm memories, but she fights to not let it tarnish the present.
She is not who she once was, and she will never be that girl again. Some people will have to accept that. Ethelrid herself must accept that as well. She has not come back to reunite with the past. She has come back to mold her future on her own terms, starting now.
It will be an arduous journey, but she has promised that she will triumph over whatever comes her way.
Promise me you’ll never give up, no matter what! And don’t come back and expect me to be waiting, because I will catch up to you someday!
I promise. I’ll make you proud.
“Ethelrid.”
Ethelrid turns from the window to face her captain. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Do not think that just because you are nobility and that I knew your mother means that I will go easy on you. In fact, I will be harder on you than any of the recruits just because you are so. You will go through rigorous training and will go on challenging missions, and I expect that your performance will be exemplary. Am I understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
"Now…” she says as the carriage halts, and she exits through the door.
Ethelrid hops out of the carriage and gapes at the scene in front of her.
In front is a mansion neither ancient nor new, with blue roofs and towering spires, all covered in vines upon vines of blue roses.
“… Shall we begin?”
-end of chapter 1-
part 1 / part 2
Ch. 2
