Taking The First Step

"Lucas, please can we take a break?" The red-haired yawned as she kept up her Earth Magic to defend against her little brother.

"No way! Not yet, Big Sis!" Lucas exclaimed as he shot a beam of Light Magic out of his left palm to disintegrate her magic.

Lucas's Light Magic had increased in speed, but it was still quite slow if you compare it to previous examples of Light Magic within the Clover Kingdom. Although the increase in speed was minimal, the power and destructive capabilities increased a lot, and the ginger-haired Lucas had to keep it in control.

As Lucas's attack broke the Earth Magic apart, Iris went flying in the other direction upon impact and, thankfully, landed in the lake behind their house.

"Oops... guess I used a bit too much of my magic there!" Lucas gasped as he ran towards his sister who was swimming to the shore.

"... Lucas...". She said in a soft and monotone voice.

"... Yes...". Lucas replied in the same way.

"... Come here...". Iris ordered as she started to look up towards her brother who was walking to her.

The two looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Without a second passing, Iris playfully slapped him on top of his head. A part of it was to show how annoyed she was at being drenched, but most of it was in a playful way.

"Haha... S-sorry!" Lucas screamed, running away from the water-drenched girl.

"Come here!" Iris laughed, trying to keep up with her brother.

The two continued to play around for an hour or so before they had a rest underneath a tree's shade. Iris had dried off due to how much she started to run after her little brother, and Lucas became tired because of it. The day had started to end as the bright sun was setting in the west.

"Hey, Lucas. You've gotten so much stronger, you know". Iris spoke in a cheerful way, complimenting her brother.

"Well, it has been seven years since I said that I would become the Wizard King! I have to work every day for my dream... and besides, you've gotten stronger too. Although, you're still no match for me". The 15-year-old laughed and teased his big sister who sat beside him.

"Hmph. Let's not forget how bad you were at using your magic during the first few years... or shall we have a chat about your lack of accuracy back then...?". Iris smirked towards Lucas who started squirming out of embarrassment.

"No! Forget I said anything... anyway, do you know what day it is tomorrow?" The ginger-haired teen playfully asked as he nudged Iris's hip with his elbow.

"Of course, I do! You turned 15 not so long ago, so you'll be getting your grimoire!" Iris beamed with stars in her eyes. It seemed like she was more excited than the one who would actually be receiving the grimoire.

"You seem more excited than me! But of course, in six months, I wonder which squad will take me in...". Lucas's mind started to wander from all the possibilities and experiences he would gain by being a Magic Knight. The teen then snapped out of it and continued to talk. "Hey, so where do we get the grimoires from? Do we buy them or something?" Lucas asked as he genuinely didn't know what the process was of obtaining the magical spell book.

"No, no. We don't buy them, but we go to a building called a 'Grimoire Tower'. It has all sorts of those magical books, and they actually choose the owner! You don't decide on what you get which is pretty exciting". Iris responded swiftly.

Lucas started to jump up and down like a child. Although he was a teenager now, he still retained some of his child-like instincts which was good to see for Iris. "So, where's the nearest Grimoire Tower?"

Iris spat out her water she was sipping on upon hearing that question. The nearest tower was actually the one in Missbrauch , but there was no way she would have Lucas return there, so she had to think of something quickly. "... Um, oh I know! Melanie's dad was actually talking about a little town called Hage that has one. It's a few hours away, but it'll be worth it when you receive yours". Iris wiped some nervous sweat off of her cheeks. It wasn't the fact she wanted to hide the truth from her brother, but because she didn't want 'them' and him to meet again.

Lucas deadpanned at her older sister. "Then we need to speak to him, right away".

The two stood up from their resting position and walked towards the house where Melanie and her dad were at.

Lucas, like his eight-year-old self, wore similar clothing. He had a dark blue, and long-sleeved shirt, which was the right size for him this time. Lucas also wore a short pair of black trousers that stopped just below his knees, and he ended his attire off with a pair of light brown boots.

As Lucas opened the door, she saw the other two sitting and talking at the dinner table, laughing, and joking around.

"Oh, there you are Lucas! We were just speaking about you, kid". David turned to face the ginger kid who had walked in.

"You were? We were talking about you as well". Lucas responded back.

"We were just speaking about taking you to Hage Village to get your grimoire!" David laughed as he patted the young boy's back.

The two siblings froze in bewilderment.

"Is this guy psychic or something? How did he know exactly what we were going to talk about?"

Iris then cracked a smile. "This group of people we have here... they are perfect for Lucas, especially after the incident seven years ago. They really are great! David knew about the problems that would come with going to Missbrauch and decided on this...".

"I can take you there. I make a trip every month to trade farming goods and other things, so it'd be no problem if you tagged along with me tomorrow!" The adult laughed with his hands on his hips, as if he was very proud of himself.

"Y-y-yes, please!" Lucas high-fived the adult and the two started laughing. Melanie and Iris joined in as well.

The rest of the night consisted of the four of them happily socialising and laughing together. The next day would pack excitement and something unique for Lucas.

The morning finally came for Lucas and he was the first one up and out of bed. All around you could hear the buzzing of the crickets and grasshoppers as well as the birds flapping their wings as they soared through the skies.

An hour or so after breakfast...

"I think it's time I'm on my way then... come on, Lucas". David left the house and waited for the teen just outside.

"Okay, sis. I'll get my grimoire and then come back here to show you!" He smiled and put a thumbs up towards her.

Instead of putting a thumbs up back to her brother, she, instead, gave him a big hug and they embraced for a few seconds before Iris let go of him.

"Big sis, I am coming back here. I still have six months before I leave for the Royal Capital... you don't have to get all emotional!". Lucas stated, sensing a bit of nervousness from his older sister.

"It's not that. I just... I'm happy for you. You've really grown into a fine person and I can't wait to see what sorts of feats you accomplish!" Iris replied back, eventually sticking her thumbs up at him as a sign of approval.

"Th-thank you... Well, I'll be back soon to show my grimoire off!"

Lucas left the house and started walking with David in the direction of Hage Village. A few hours had passed and the two were relatively untroubled by their journey. There were a few things that had happened with random flaming bulls getting in the way as well as other insects, but it was an untroubled journey overall.

"Hey, David. What sort of place is Hage Village?" Lucas turned to face the man who he was walking alongside.

"It's a nice and small town, full of great people...". David started to laugh to himself.

"What are you laughing at?" The Light Magic user asked, confused as to what brought this reaction on.

"There's actually this one kid who I see running around and shouting everywhere. All I hear of him is that he wants to marry one of the Sisters that work at the Church over there!" He chuckled once more.

"Marrying a Sister? I don't think you can do that, can you?" Lucas chuckled to himself, as well at the thought of seeing something like that play out in front of him.

"Of course, you can't! That kid doesn't give up though, you and him would probably be good friends if you ever met". The Water Magic user spoke as they neared to the Grimoire Tower.

"F-f-friends? I haven't had one s-since I lived back in the Ch-ch-church", he thought back. However, when he tried to picture this friend of his, it was all just a blur. "Hm, what was her name again...?" Then, when he thought about the prospect of being friends with someone new, he felt sick. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he actually would love to have friends, but it was because of the incident back at the Church in Missbrauch that ruined his perception of trust. Lucas just couldn't fathom trusting anyone other than Iris, Melanie, and David.

"Lucas...". David thought in a sad way as he realised just how bad the emotional trauma was for him. "N-never-mind that! We're here now". He broke Lucas's train of thought as they both focused on the town in front of them.

It was just past the morning, so the sun was at its highest during the afternoon. It's bright rays shone down on everything and everyone around. The most prominent thing the rays bounced off was the huge Demon Skull that was located at the back of Hage.

"Woah! Look at that... wait, that skull looks very familiar!" The Light Magic user scratched his head in thought.

David rustled the boy's hair and giggled. "Well, of course it looks familiar to you. That's the skull of the Demon that the first Wizard King defeated! It says so in that story book you've read about a 1000 times now". He winked and teased the young teen.

"I didn't know that the huge battle was here though!" Lucas gawked at the Demon Skull for a minute or so before David insisted that they move on towards the Tower.

The two arrived at the base of the Grimoire Tower. There were plenty of people walking in through the doors, all ready to receive a grimoire that would set them off for their future goals. It was now Lucas's turn to be part of that tradition.

"Go on, Lucas". David ushered him forwards. He could sense the nerves building in the boy's body, so he had to give him a push. "While you're inside, I'll be in the town square doing some trading, but I'll be back before you finish!" He high fived the nervous child and started to walk away.

Lucas was on his own now and in front of him he saw hoards of people rushing in through and into the huge tower. "I guess people from all the neighbouring villages come over too..." he gulped but started to walk slowly up to the entrance.

As he was near to the doors, he felt someone bump into his left shoulder. Lucas jumped in fear as he realised the amount of people that there actually would be for this awarding ceremony. He then looked to see who it was that clashed into him.

"Um... Sorry about that! I just can't wait to get my grimoire and become the Wizard King!" The boy shouted as he ran ahead. He had a short stature to him with ashen hair and green eyes. The boy was also wearing a headband.

"No... it-it's o-o-". Lucas couldn't manage to find the right words to reply with as he was too nervous. Although it didn't matter anyway as the person had ran ahead regardless.

Eventually, everyone had gathered inside the Grimoire Tower. There must have been at least 100 people, both boys and girls waiting for their own magical books. Lucas took in all of his surroundings and realised the sheer size of the building he was standing within. There had to have been thousands upon thousands of grimoires stacked as if it was some sort of library for giants.

All of a sudden, everything went silent as the master of the tower descended on his flying rug.

"Welcome, young men and women. You all begin a new journey today. I wish you all faith, hope, and love. We've never had a Wizard King from this area, nor anyone who's actually achieved greatness in the Magic Knights. I sincerely hope that one of you will become the Wizard King someday". The man, known as Drouot ended the talk and sat back as the grimoires started to fly out of their shelves in a frenzy.

Lucas's head started to spin with how fast they were coming out and landing in their owners' hands. "Wow, they have so many cool colours! Red, blue, green, yellow..." the ginger-haired teen was amazed by what he was seeing in front of him. "Oh? They all have different sizes to them as well! There are big ones, small ones, fat ones, and thin ones! I wonder what mine will look like?"

He turned to his side and saw a three-leafed, glowing, blue grimoire land in a girl's hands next to him and she started jumping for joy. "I'm going to become a Magic Knight!"

In front of Lucas, a three-leafed, glowing, red grimoire landed in a boy's hands. "I'm going to take over my family's business! I can't wait". He laughed.

"All these people are loving it! Can mine come already?" Lucas internally whined, but he was still excited at seeing how others were reacting in front of him.

It was now Lucas's turn...

At the very top of the tower, a bright yellow and blue light started shining. Everyone became distracted by the sight of it flashing and they all focused in on it. The grimoire, that the light was illuminating, removed itself from the shelf and came zooming down towards Lucas. Lucas thought about running away as he actually got a bit scared, but he had to stay. The grimoire stopped its fast course and slowly landed in his two hands that he had stretched out in front of him.

"W-woah... This looks so different compared to the other people here...".

The grimoire had a bright yellow front cover with many odd patterns embroidered all over it. Upon closer inspection, there were actually two singular black and white lines going through it from top to bottom. The back cover was a completely different story though. It was entirely blue, but still with the two singular black and white lines going through it. Although Lucas didn't know what the black and white lines meant, he knew what the yellow and blue colours of his front and back cover implied.

"T-Time Magic..." he gritted his teeth together in anger. "My front cover is fine as it reflects my Light Magic, but the back cover...". He then stopped himself from carrying on. "No, this is a happy moment for me".

Lucas took another look at his front cover and saw something that lit a fire in him. He was happy and ecstatic at seeing what it was, although it looked a bit different than he thought it would have.

It was a black and white four-leaf Clover.

Everyone around Lucas started murmuring.

"A four-leaf? You mean the legendary..."

"The one that the first Wizard King received?"

"No, it can't be! His one looks quite odd with those weird lines and colours..."

Lucas was getting overwhelmed with all the attention being focused on him. He hated people glaring at him and didn't know what to do. He had figured that his grimoire was something unique, but to feel everyone's stares at him was something horrible for him.

"I wish someone could take these eyes off from me...! He wished, and luckily, it was granted.

There was that same person again. The boy that bumped into Lucas was standing on one knee with his two arms outstretched towards the many grimoires that were still in the shelves.

"He... he didn't get one? I thought even people with low amounts of mana received one, so why didn't he?" Lucas thought. He also felt a bit bad for the boy and found himself wishing that he received one.

Everyone stared at the boy.

"Um... My grimoire's not coming". The boy spoke and ended up bombarded with laughter from everyone around him as they took joy in his sadness.

"What the heck?"

"That's way too funny!"

Everyone had bad things to say about him, except for the tall, black-haired boy standing next to him. He was busy with his own grimoire that had come to him.

"It... it's similar to mine", Lucas muttered to himself as he saw the four-leaf clover on the front of the tall boy's grimoire. It was glowing a bright gold colour as it landed in his hands.

Just like with Lucas, everyone started to comment about the boy's grimoire.

"Two four-leaf grimoires in one year?!"

"Is that the one the first Wizard King received?"

"The grimoire said to be filled with immense power and good luck?"

Instead of being overwhelmed by the attention, like Lucas was, the black-haired boy turned around to address everyone. His words rang throughout the building and everyone was shocked at hearing them.

"I'm going to become the Wizard King".

Drouot then started to speak after clearing his throat. He was genuinely surprised at what happened in front of him but was excited, nonetheless. "We have two four-leaf grimoires for two great young gentlemen! Let's all raise some noise for them and hope they achieve great things in their paths ahead".

Everyone then started to cheer as he said that. Lucas, hating the noise and attention though. With a quick glance at the two boys, he started to head for the door to leave, and he did. Lucas ran ahead as the others kept on cheering, and he eventually ran into David who was waiting for him.

"Woah, where do you think you're running off to? I've been here waiting for a while!" He chuckled, leaning against a tree, and enjoying the shade it offered from the hot sun.

Lucas jumped at the sound of David's voice. He wasn't expecting to run into anyone as he was just focused on leaving the Grimoire Tower. After a few seconds, he calmed down and responded. "S-sorry... It just got a bit crowded in there". He let out a big exhale of air and put his hands to his knees.

David understood the situation and started to walk away from the area with Lucas. They were back on the path towards Hoffvol when they stopped again.

"So, tell me how it went! Where's your grimoire?" The adult smiled and nudged the young teen in his hips.

"Haha! It's right with me in my satchel... but I won't show you just yet, I want to show it off when everyone is around. So, let's get back to the house!" Lucas smiled as he ran off in front of in front of David who was accompanying him.

"H-hey wait!" He ran for the ginger-haired boy, as they disappeared into the distance.