Chapter 25: Strange Cloven Capital
[Third Person's PoV]
Two days later…
Stephen was eating breakfast with the entire squad, getting to know them better and spending more time with them.
"Hey Finral, have you been to the capital?" Stephen asked.
"I have, why?" Finral replied.
"I need to get there today, and I haven't been before, so I was kinda hoping you could open a portal for me."
Finral winked, throwing up a thumbs-up. "I got you, don't worry."
"Why would you need to go to the royal capital? What could a commoner possibly need there?" Noelle asked, looking at Stephen in confusion.
Stephen ignored Noelle's favorite word and said, "If you must know, Miss Noble, I have an appointment with the Wizard King."
"WHAT?!" the majority of them shouted, with Asta being the loudest.
"WHEN DID YOU MEET THE WIZARD KING, AND WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Asta yelled in disbelief.
Vanessa, who was slouched over the table drinking from a bottle of wine, tilted her head slightly, and not just to take a drink. "You've been in your little room for the past day doing who knows what. I'm with Asta on this—when did you meet the Wizard King?"
"Do you guys remember the old lady in the black market?" Stephen asked.
"Yeah?" Vanessa replied, wondering what that had to do with anything.
Stephen just made an expression that said, 'Well, there you go.'
"SHUT UP!" Noelle exclaimed in shock, standing up and slamming the table.
"THAT WAS THE WIZARD KING?!" Asta shouted, "THE WIZARD KING IS AN OLD GRANNY?!"
"Pfft, no Asta, the old lady was just a disguise," Vanessa laughed. "Now that would explain why you stayed behind... You were talking with the Wizard King..."
Gordon, who was next to Vanessa, mumbled something incoherently.
Stephen turned toward Gordon and smiled slightly. "I asked him how I can become a doctor, and he gave me this," Stephen said, pulling out a token and showing everyone, "and told me to meet him in two days. Which is today."
Vanessa took the token and began examining it, while Noelle looked at Stephen oddly. "You seriously want to become a doctor?"
"Yeah?" Stephen said slowly, giving Noelle a wary look, wondering what else she might say.
"Hmm, good luck," Noelle hummed, nodding sincerely toward him.
Stephen looked at her strangely with a suspicious gaze.
Noticing his look, Noelle glared at him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Who are you, and what have you done to Noelle, you imposter?" Stephen asked, still looking at her suspiciously.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Well, I thought you'd say something more like this..." Stephen snapped his fingers, using his illusion spell to make himself look like Noelle.
"You? A commoner? Become a doctor? Get real, a commoner like you could never hope to become a doctor," Fake Noelle said sassily.
"That sounds exactly like Noelle!" Asta exclaimed.
"Wha— I don't sound like that! And I would never say something so mean!" Noelle said, offended.
Vanessa laughed as she handed the token back to Stephen. "That's authentic alright. That token is something only the Wizard King can make."
"Eh? So you really are trying to become a doctor?" Magna asked, throwing up two thumbs. "GOOD LUCK, MAN! IF YOU SUCCEED, THE BLACK BULLS WILL FINALLY HAVE A HEALER ON OUR TEAM!"
"Thank you," Stephen nodded in appreciation.
After he finished eating, Finral looked toward him. "You ready?"
Stephen snapped his fingers, and a wave of arcane energy flashed through his body, changing what he was wearing. He now donned a three-piece suit with black gloves, emblazoned with the Black Bulls insignia. His hair was combed back, and a red cloth was tucked into his breast pocket.
Stephen fixed his tie as Nero flew to his shoulder. "Now I am."
Vanessa began catcalling him, putting her fingers to her mouth and whistling. "Wooooo! Looking good, Mr. Stephen!"
Slightly embarrassed, Stephen stepped through the portal that Finral opened, and they both disappeared as the portal closed behind them.
Once they were gone, Magna jumped onto the table and exclaimed, "NOW THAT STEPHEN'S GONE, LET'S SET UP A CELEBRATORY PARTY FOR WHEN HE RETURNS AS A DOCTOR!"
He thrust his hands in the air and shouted, "NOW WHO'S WITH ME?!"
"YEAHHHHHHHH! LET'S THROW A BLACK BULLS STYLE PARTY!" They all cheered enthusiastically.
...
As Stephen and Finral stepped through the portal, they arrived in an alleyway before heading out to the main road.
"You know, you didn't have to follow me. I can just make a portal back," Stephen said, raising an eyebrow.
"I know..." Finral replied. "I'm here for a different reason—"
He suddenly disappeared and reappeared next to a woman walking alone. "Hello, beautiful. Only a city like the capital can hold such a divine woman as yourself."
Stephen smirked, shaking his head before making his way toward the large castle in the distance. He admired the capital's scenery, his hands in his pockets. Some gave him curious looks due to his attire, while others assumed he was a foreign noble exploring the Clover Kingdom's capital.
When Stephen reached the castle, he presented the token to the guards at the entrance. They inspected it, looked him up and down, and returned the token.
"I'll guide you to the Wizard King's office," one of the guards said, while the other remained behind to keep watch.
As the guard guided Stephen, he noticed that the castle appeared even larger up close, with a beautiful design and the image of a clover on the gateway.
Inside, the castle was just as impressive, with many rooms and winding corridors. The decor featured a grey color scheme with red accents.
After climbing several flights of stairs, they reached a door. The guard knocked, saying, "Mr. Wizard King, sir, you have a visitor. He has the token."
A tired voice responded, "Come on in…"
The guard motioned for Stephen to enter before leaving. Inside, Stephen found the Wizard King surrounded by towering stacks of papers. A man with a blue bowl cut stood nearby, holding more papers, placing them on the desk.
The Wizard King looked relieved to see Stephen. He stood up, walking over to place a hand on Stephen's shoulder. "Stephen, you have no idea how glad I am to see you…"
Stephen chuckled, glancing at the papers. "I have a faint idea…"
The Wizard King cleared his throat and stepped back slightly. "I guess we didn't properly introduce ourselves last time. My name is Julius Novachrono, and I'm the Wizard King of Clover Kingdom."
Stephen bowed respectfully. "I am Stephen, a member of the Black Bulls. It's a pleasure to formally meet the Wizard King."
The man with the bowl cut raised an eyebrow at Stephen. "Are you sure you're a member of the Black Bulls? You're way too polite."
Julius gestured toward him. "Stephen, this is my assistant, Marx Francois. Marx, this is Stephen, the one I told you about."
Stephen nodded. "Pleasure."
Marx nodded back. "Likewise."
Julius grinned mischievously. "Now, let's get out of here!"
"And where do you think you're going?" Marx asked, crossing his arms and raising a brow.
"I'm taking Stephen to meet Owen," Julius replied.
"I can handle that. You have work to do, which, need I remind you, only piled up because of your constant sneaking out. You need to deal with the mess you created."
Julius smirked, looking proud. "No can do, Marx! I told Stephen I would personally endorse him. It would look bad if I didn't keep my word and follow through until he becomes a doctor!"
Marx opened his mouth to argue, but Julius continued, "Come on, Marx, I've been working hard these past two days. Don't you think I deserve a little break?"
Stephen chimed in with a smile. "Too much work can lead to stress, which can cause multiple health complications. It wouldn't be good for the Wizard King to fall ill due to overwork."
Julius shot Stephen a grateful look, mouthing, "Thank you!" Stephen winked in return.
Julius clapped his hands together. "See, he's practically a doctor already, so you can trust his diagnosis."
Marx sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine… But only until his testing is complete. Once that's done, you're to return here and finish your work without complaint."
"Yes!" Julius exclaimed, pumping his fist in victory.
He then smiled at Stephen. "Come on, let's go meet Owen. He's one of my personal healers and the one who will be overseeing your tests."
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