|| Black Clover || Valiant [OC INSERT]

[3]

Iris was also visibly shocked but it was for a completely different reason. 'Aw seriously? This is the grimoire I get? I was hoping for something that wouldn't attract attention. So much for trying to keep a low profile,' she thought.

Grabbing her grimoire from in front of her, she turned to face Watler, "Walter let's go. I'm bored of being stuck in this stuffy room," she said. Iris' previously shocked face was now back to her normal unbothered one.

Hearing her words, the other royals around her started saying that she was just an entitled snob who didn't deserve to receive a grimoire so great. 'That's quite rich coming from people like them,' she thought.

Exiting the building, Iris was once again happy to be outside in a more open space. All around were several shops that each sold different things. "Walter, let's buy a souvenir for Al. I'm sure he'd be disappointed if I were to show up empty-handed."

"I'm positive that the young master would be just fine. In fact, I think he'd be happier to simply see his dear sister return home safely." Walter's only goal at the moment was to get back to the castle to get his long-awaited rest.

"Aw come on Walter! It'll only take a few minutes. Besides, there's no reason for us to rush back home. We already got my grimoire." Iris had her hands clasped together, pleading Walter to let her buy something.

Walter sweatdropped at Iris' persistence. "I suppose it's alright as long as it doesn't take long," He had given in to the request of the young royal.

Looking through the different shops, a rather peculiar one caught The attention of Iris. It had swirls of color around the outside of the door. Through the window, little trinkets could be seen.

"Walter, let's get something from here. It looks interesting," Iris turned to look at the man, pointing to the direction of the shop.

Entering the small establishment, Iris was even more impressed by the assortment of riveting objects she saw. Out of the corner of her eye, Iris spotted a silver locket. It had a beautiful design; the shape was round with a three-leafed clover on the top. Around the clover was a swirling pattern that complemented the whole aesthetic.

"I think I'm getting this for Al. He loves little things like these. Plus, I think I'll give it to him as a good luck charm," Iris faced Walter whilst holding onto the item.

Once they had paid, it was now time to finally return to the castle walls. Iris was unaware of the welcome she would be receiving. Her parents were excited to see what grimoire had been granted to their daughter. One person who was even more excited than the rest was none other than Julius.

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"Al! Where are you? I got something for you~" Immediately after arriving, Iris went to go look for her younger brother, leaving Walter at the door. She had been thinking about how he would react to the gift she had bought him.

Al had made a perfect entrance by jumping on Iris' back. A small 'oof' noise left her mouth at the impact. "Sully you're back! I missed you so much! Papa kept trying to make me study and I kept running away," sulking, Al got down from her back and was now facing her.

Al was a five-year-old boy with wavy dirty blonde hair along with dark green eyes and had light tan skin. He was wearing short trousers that looked a bit too loose-fitting for his thin figure. He had a pearl white shirt underneath his brown vest that reached up to his waist.

Slightly chuckling, Iris began, "What do you mean you 'missed me'? It's not like I was gone for a long time; I was only gone for a couple of hours."

"But Sully! Whenever you're gone, Momma and Papa focus on me too much. Instead of overworking you, they do it to me!" Contrary to Iris, Al didn't like his studies because they were boring but instead because of the high expectations. After all, he had pressure to have high achievements.

Iris was somewhat delighted to see that her younger brother was also trying to run away from his responsibilities. 'Wait, I shouldn't be encouraging his behavior! I need to set a better example for him before he starts taking after me,' she thought bitterly. "Al, you know mother and father are simply trying to set you up for success, right?" She turned to the teary-eyed boy who clung onto her leg.

"B-but Sully, why can't I just practice my magic instead? I would prefer to do that!" The boy looked like he was bound to burst into tears any second.

Giving Al a closed-eyed smile, Iris reassured him, "You can practice your magic, but there are other skills you are going to need if you choose to take on a path that will require you to utilize your magic power."

Al beamed at the idea of being able to use his magic. "Sully, if I wanna be a magic knight, will I need to focus on my studies?" he asked.

Iris' attention was now fully captivated by Al. She hadn't thought that he would want to ever become a magic knight. After all, she had always thought of him as a soft child, one who was far too kind. She didn't think that he would have the heart to go through the rigorous tasks that are assigned to magic knights. "Of course. You need to tend to your studies as well as your magic to become a proper magic knight."

Al skipped around, overjoyed by hearing his sister's words. He quickly stopped, remembering that Iris had mentioned getting him something from her short trip. He turned to face her, "Hey Iris! Didn't you say you got me something?"

Iris saw Al's eyes were sparkling brightly, practically blinding her. "I almost forgot! I got you a small good luck charm." She took out a small drawstring pouch, handing it to the small boy. "It reminded me of you and I knew I had to get it."

Al opened the small pouch, revealing the clover locket. He smiled radiantly, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks, Sully! I love it! I won't ever misplace it, I promise," the short boy saluted to his older sister, proudly wearing the gift.

"I'm glad you like it," Iris gave Al a tight hug before saying that she had to go and meet with their mother and father, as well as their uncle. Al had also said he needed to return to his academic work to properly become a magic night. They had both parted ways, gaining new resolve.

'I wonder what Uncle will do when he sees my grimoire. Surely he will become thrilled. Mother and Father will most likely be proud to see that I have been chosen by such an appealing grimoire,' she giggled to herself at the thought of her loved one's reactions. A small part of her hoped that they wouldn't ask her about her future plans. 'This will be interesting.'