THRONE OF THE SERAPH ; g.yuno

Chapter Six

Throne of the Seraph
six — magic knights entrance exam

[Castle Town ; Kikka,
Clover Kingdom]

It took more than a week for them to travel to the Royal Capital from Hage Village on foot. They encountered rock slides, thunderstorms, a desert, and a couple of bandits who wanted to take their personal belongings.

"We're poor," Asta deadpanned at the bandit, showing his bag with only a few of his clothes and a few coins.

Kikka was bustling early in the morning with new travelers and merchants. It is one of the castle towns of the Clover Kingdom. It is well-developed with paved roads and many large stone-based houses.

"It will only take a minute to roast it!"

"Sale! Green apples are on sale for half their original price!"

"What can I do for you?"

"New swords blessed by the saint!"

"Wow, look at this!"

One of Kikka's prominent features is its strong trading center. Various merchants, from foods to weapons, come to Kikka for business, which makes Kikka's market one of the liveliest markets within the Kingdom.

It was different from what they were used to. There were houses side by side and the smell of trees was replaced with the smell of dirt and meat. People were everywhere, looking around and buying things within their budget. Everything looked bigger for the three teenagers that grew up in their small remote village.

"Wow!" Asteria exclaimed, cupping her cheeks as she roamed her eyes around. "Look at that gem! It's so big! Oh oh, look at those fish, Yuno! They're floating!"

"It's so different from our village," he commented.

"It's so expensive!" a surprised Asta backed away from the window after seeing the price of a small knife.

Asteria was having trouble controlling her excitement as she jumped from one stall to another, asking the vendor about their magic and specialty.

"I'll take this!" she asked as she picked up a barbeque.

Yuno, who was watching her from afar, couldn't help but stay near her and intertwined their pinky first, then slowly took her hand in his. A perfect fit.

"Yes! Taste this, Yuno!" She shoved the food in his mouth. "How is it?"

"It's yummy." He wiped his lips. He then reached for her hair and brushed it a bit to fix the tangles she got from jumping around. "Your hair is messy."

She couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him. This was it. Everything she was dreaming about.

'A step towards an adventure with you.'

"I'm going to buy some grilled purple snakes!" Asta ran towards a stall on the other side. An old lady wearing a dark cloak was overseeing it.

"I should check that out, too!" The white-haired girl quickly followed her friend. She was a few steps away from them when she felt something was off about the merchant.