Sally paid no attention to King Augustus's terrified screams.
Grabbing him by the back of his collar, she dragged him forward alongside Fana until they reached the base of the Tree of Life.
"Finally," Yuuki said with a faint smile.
He even brushed the dust from his clothes and straightened his posture, as if preparing to greet an honored guest.
The moment King Augustus Kira Clover XIII appeared beneath the towering tree, the bound captains erupted in shock.
"What are you planning, Yuuki?!" Fuegoleon roared, his usual composure cracking.
"Peasant!" Nozel struggled violently against the roots. "Do you intend to destroy the entire kingdom?!"
"Yuuki! Even if you don't care about yourself, think about Asta and Yuno!" Yami shouted hoarsely.
One after another, the Magic Knight Captains strained against the immense roots binding them. But the Qliphoth's power was absolute. None could break free.
Their own defeat had not truly shaken them.
They had been overcome through sheer strength. In this world, power ruled. That much, they could accept—even if it burned with humiliation.
But this was different.
The king represented the highest authority in the Clover Kingdom. Even if the title of Wizard King had overshadowed him in recent years, the crown still symbolized the kingdom itself.
If Yuuki harmed the king—
The consequences would be beyond anything they could predict.
That was what terrified them.
Yuuki sighed softly.
"You're all being rather noisy."
He snapped his fingers.
Thin roots sprouted from the massive tendrils and slipped between the captains' lips, gagging them instantly.
Silence fell.
Yuuki turned toward the trembling monarch.
King Augustus stood stiffly, sweat pouring down his round face. Though he tried to maintain dignity before the kingdom's people, his voice shook.
"You… you dare threaten the king of Clover? I am the supreme authority of this realm…"
The bravado faltered the closer Yuuki came.
Yuuki did not even look at him at first. Instead, he glanced past him at Sally and Fana.
Sally flashed a playful hand signal.
Fana nodded quietly.
Everything had gone according to plan.
Only then did Yuuki face the king.
There were many ways to overturn a kingdom.
Destroy it. Slaughter the nobility. Rebuild from ashes.
But that would only create another ruling class in time.
Reform? That was merely a more complicated version of the same struggle. True reform required countless hands, countless minds—not one person playing savior.
Yuuki had no desire to chain himself to a throne.
Killing was simple.
But it was rarely optimal.
So instead—
He would light a fire.
And hang a sword.
A fire in the hearts of the lower classes.
A Sword of Damocles above the heads of the aristocracy.
Sally released the king and stepped back, standing behind him with Fana like silent guards.
"You… what do you want?" Augustus asked weakly.
Yuuki bowed slightly, one hand over his chest.
"Your Majesty, I am Yuuki, leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun."
Augustus swallowed hard.
"At ease… at ease…"
Sally let out a faint, warning hum behind him.
The king jolted upright.
"Yes! Yes! These incompetent Magic Knights failed to protect me! How shameful!"
He puffed up his chest, venting his fear into bluster.
"Thanks to the Eye of the Midnight Sun, I have seen the truth! As king, I hereby pardon all prior crimes of the Eye of the Midnight Sun!"
Those words echoed across the entire kingdom.
Bound captains froze.
Fuegoleon and Nozel's faces flushed crimson with fury.
A royal disgrace.
Yuuki inclined his head politely.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
But that was only the beginning.
"The fact that all nine captains were defeated proves that the current system of the Nine Magic Knight Squads is outdated."
"It no longer protects the kingdom."
"Nor does it sufficiently protect Your Majesty."
He smiled gently as he spoke.
The phrase "Your Majesty" cut like a blade.
Across the kingdom, nobles and royals stiffened.
The Nine Squads were not merely military units.
They were the foundation of aristocratic power.
Through them, noble families secured influence, gathered talent, and reinforced their dominance.
Yuuki was not merely criticizing a structure.
He was threatening the core of their authority.
Augustus nodded rapidly.
"Yes! Yes! That's right!"
Yuuki continued calmly.
"Therefore, I request Your Majesty's permission to allow the people to establish Magic Knight squads independently, in addition to the existing nine."
Silence.
Then—
Shock.
To nobles, it was a direct blow to their monopoly.
To commoners and peasants, it was an idea they had never even conceived.
Magic Knight squads were sacred institutions. There had always been nine. There had only ever been nine.
To suggest otherwise was to shatter an invisible wall.
Augustus did not hesitate.
"As king, I permit the people to establish their own Magic Knight squads!"
His voice trembled—but it carried.
Across the Clover Kingdom, reactions exploded.
Nobles cursed.
"Idiot!"
"Has he lost his mind?!"
But they could do nothing.
The king had spoken publicly.
To retract it would undermine the throne itself.
Meanwhile, commoners stared upward with blazing eyes.
A door had opened.
Yuuki bowed once more.
The system he proposed was rough—barely more than a concept.
But that was enough.
The world would not lack for ambitious minds.
He only needed to carve the first crack.
(End of Chapter)
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