Black Clover: Nah I'd Lose (UPDATED)

(Jeez, I should have mentioned this previously only, sigh, You guys have read over 30 chapters of this fic, and then you are directly questioning my choices, Let's start with some clearings I need to do: 

- Though, using the word "Bystander" was on a whim, basically I wanted to go with analyse type skills as a basis, as we have seen the MC learning different kinds of Magics. Bystander fitted those two themes, so I chose that. 

Let me clear this point out first too, basically, in the cannon we have mostly seen some people doing two attributes in one attribute only, like Fire-Healing magic, I had taken that idea to the extreme, and in this verse put, that anybody could do that given the right amount of talent and effort, though, due to difficulty of the task, you will see only in old people, who have a lot of experience in their lives.

Anyway, the second part of the spell, 'Silent Nobody' basically stems from the fact that his control is on the level of not leaking any mana from his body, which also contributes to learning different attributes. 

So, if you haven't already noticed, With 'Still Spectator', his ability to learn different attributes or magic would become ridiculous. I won't divulge more than this. 

- The second point is that, unlike as the name suggests, I have no intention of making him an insignificant cog in the whole story, as he will make changes and butterflies.

Hmm, Well, I do feel hurt seeing many people straight-up feeling that his magic was lame, without seeing the fact that MC without grimoire was literally a VICE-CAPTAIN level individual. 

Anyway, if you feel like you don't enjoy this fic due to this, then feel free to drop this. After all, I can't force you to read a fic that you find boring, as I myself don't like to do that as a reader. 

Have a Nice Month.)

Unfortunately, you got the wrong opponent," Mimosa said.

All the people present on the battlefield were shocked.

The armored man was stunned because he was unable to move.

Kirsch was amazed, witnessing his sister's prowess displayed with elegance and true beauty.

It seems I taught her well, as expected from my beautiful teachings, Kirsch thought, pride swelling at his sister's battle.

Akeru was shocked by Mimosa saying those words with a straight face.

It was Mimosa's first battle outside of spars and House Vermillion's protective umbrella, so she had said that in the heat of the moment.

But like a true royal, she didn't let her embarrassment show on her face.

The armored man finally noticed flowers blooming on his armor.

Seeds? How did I not notice them in my armor until now? I have lost all control over my armor, the man thought with a bitter smile.

What the man didn't know was that they had infiltrated his armor during Mimosa's first attack in their initial exchange, where he had been thrown back like a rag doll.

Due to the nature of the spell, it was hard to notice unless one was specifically focusing on sensing small specks of mana in the area or was a skilled sensor.

"What a wonderful battle. I am truly proud of you," Kirsch said, startling Mimosa.

She wasn't startled by his sudden appearance—Akeru had pranked her using similar methods in the past.

It was his words that caught her off guard.

"Yeah, the battle was really nice, and your strategy was good," Akeru also praised her.

He hadn't known about her new spells, so he was initially surprised when he noticed seeds inside the man's armor using Still Spectator to observe the battle.

"Hehe, you guys should praise me more," Mimosa shamelessly said.

"Your last line was really cool," Akeru suddenly teased.

Mimosa's composed face finally broke a shade of red coloring her cheeks.

"I-I..."

"You really have strong magic. Unfortunately, you got the wrong opponent," Akeru mimicked her words in a teasing tone.

At this point, steam seemed to be coming from her face.

Mimosa wished she could hide under a rock and never show her face again.

Meanwhile, Kirsch's cherry blossoms penetrated the man's armor, breaking it into pieces within seconds.

The man was shocked to the core, seeing his most powerful armor destroyed so easily.

However, with the armor no longer restraining him, he could move again.

But...

The cherry blossoms also destroyed his grimoire in a similar fashion.

"We'll need to interrogate this fellow now," Akeru said, giving the Vermillion-haired girl some respite.

"I have the perfect spell for this situation," Mimosa suddenly said.

Flower of Truth.

Vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the unarmored man.

In the next instant, a flower opened where his mouth was and began speaking the questions Kirsch asked.

They got the location where he was supposed to deposit the children.

Kirsch left some of his clones to take the kids to the camp, using cherry blossoms to carry them through the air.

Akeru's group only started moving once they received a signal from Kirsch's clones that the children had safely arrived at the camp.

Before leaving, Akeru set up defensive and stealthy rune arrays to shield the area from beasts and provide sufficient defense to withstand the attacks of an intermediate-level magic knight for a few minutes.

"So, what do you think we'll find in the area he mentioned, at the center of this grand magic zone?" Mimosa asked as they traveled.

"It's highly likely to be something unpleasant," Akeru replied, shaking his head.

He had a question on his mind since the situation unfolded.

"Kirsch, how long has this kidnapping of children been happening?"

"We don't have an exact estimate of when it started, but it came to light around 5–6 years ago."

"That long?" Mimosa gasped in shock.

Anyone would be horrified to hear such activities had been ongoing for so long despite the presence of numerous magic knight squads.

Akeru's frown deepened.

"Do you know who brought this information to light?" he asked, hoping his prediction was wrong.

"From what beautiful me knows, it was none other than Lady Mereoleona who uncovered the case."

Akeru's frown turned grim at this answer.

Still Spectator, Akeru activated his favorite spell.

As the world seemed to vanish around him, his thoughts accelerated.

Given where we're headed, these children were likely sold for experiments or something even more nefarious. I can't think of another reason for traversing a grand magic zone.

Kirsch mentioned they became more proactive after nobles started being kidnapped. Does that mean countless commoner children were taken unnoticed?

And Although I didn't notice this due to my ignorace back then, these kids—despite being commoners—have decent mana reserves. If trained, about one-third could become magic knights, even if only at the Junior level. But that wouldn't happen by age 16.

Does this mean there might have been a similar facility in the grand magic zone I stayed in for over two years? If so, why didn't I encounter it? Or did Mereoleona's presence drive them away?

Akeru's thoughts raced, drawing all plausible conclusions.

After reaching a decision, he deactivated his spell.

This all occurred in a single second.

They continued traveling with mana-enhanced movements.

"What's wrong?" Mimosa asked, noticing his grim expression.

Akeru hesitated, unsure whether to share his thoughts.

"If it's related to the mission, I suggest you share it. We might see something you overlooked," Kirsch advised.

Akeru nodded in agreement.

"Well, the source of Mereoleona-san's information was none other than me," he began.

Both Mimosa and Kirsch were shocked, stopping immediately and prompting Akeru to halt as well.

He activated a rune circle on his clothes, creating a silencing domain around them.

Now, no one could eavesdrop.

"What do you mean? Weren't you around nine years old at the time?" Mimosa asked.

"Yeah. Actually, I was captured in a similar caravan moving through a grand magic zone—the same one where I met Mereoleona-san. I didn't remember much about my life in this world before I regained consciousness there," Akeru explained, twisting the truth slightly.

He was technically telling the truth, but they would infer he had amnesia.

"That's shocking, to say the least. Let me guess—Lady Mereoleona rescued you," Mimosa guessed.

"No," Akeru chuckled.

"Wait, what?"

"At the time, I spent some weeks learning to sense, shape, and control my mana. I eventually escaped, but my luck was terrible. The moment I fled, I ran straight into the man transporting us," Akeru said, smiling faintly at the memory.

It seemed amusing now, though it was anything but funny back then.

"What level was the guard?" Kirsch asked.

Akeru paused, recalling the man's spells and fighting style.

"I'd say 4th- or 5th-class Junior Magic Knight," Akeru answered.

For those present, such a guard wouldn't pose a significant threat. But for a child who had only just learned mana control, it was a mountain to climb.

"So, how did you escape?" Mimosa asked.

Akeru hesitated again. Not wanting his hesitation to show, he activated his spell.

Still Spectator.

The world disappeared once more as his thoughts accelerated.

Normally, Akeru would have said something along the lines of having luckily killed him and escaped, which he had told Mereoleona when she asked him. He hadn't mentioned anything about the other slaves or kidnapped children.

Though he highly suspected that the latter knew about his actions, and Fuegoleon likely knew about it too.

He could have given the same explanation to Kirsch, but he didn't want to offer that answer to Mimosa.

After spending so much time with her and Leopold, Akeru didn't want to pretend to be someone he wasn't.

He wanted to tell them the truth—that he was technically a killer and hadn't cared about the lives of the other children when he had a chance to free them.

Personally, Akeru didn't see anything wrong with his reasoning and actions at that time, but that itself was a problem.

Would Mimosa and Leopold understand that?

It was time for Akeru to make a decision.

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Remember the 600PS GOAL

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