Black Clover: Nah I'd Lose (UPDATED)

(Guys, this week's goal is 400 Powerstones Whether this fic will continue or not would depend on the support I am getting which is decided by the number of Powerstones this fic receives or the number of Patreon members)

'Jeez, I really need to create a water spell that can attack multiple targets simultaneously,' Akeru thought, stretching both hands toward Leopold.

A large water ball formed and collided with the ten beams of fire.

The fire beams penetrated the outer layer of the water ball but failed to reach Akeru.

'Time to end this,' Akeru thought as a small portion of the water ball separated and launched toward Leopold at blinding speed.

Leopold barely managed to dodge by diving to the side.

'Let's call this variant Machine Gun: Water Bullets,' Akeru thought. Like a machine gun, parts of the large water ball began condensing and shooting at Leopold successively.

In one month, Akeru had mastered compressing his water ball into bullet-like projectiles. During this battle, he innovated further, creating the machine gun variant—a simple yet highly effective application.

He had also been working on turning the water ball into a defensive spell, applying the mana barrier techniques he had trained in.

Leopold tried to use his fireball as a defensive measure, but it proved futile when a few water bullets struck him.

Even so, he didn't surrender.

Akeru glanced at Fuegoleon, who nodded.

"The battle is over. The winner is Akeru," Fuegoleon declared, prompting Akeru to stop his barrage.

"Wait! I can still fight," Leopold protested.

"Akeru was deliberately aiming at your abdomen instead of vital areas. Your strategy couldn't fully counter his water bullets," Fuegoleon explained, shaking his head.

"Oh…" Leopold muttered, realization dawning.

"It's official, then. I declare you my rival!" Leopold announced, pointing at Akeru.

The latter sweatdropped. "Sure," he replied absentmindedly.

The sun was setting by the time the battle concluded, and both contestants decided to take a bath.

"Is it really fine for me to have dinner with you two?" Akeru asked, glancing at the table with the two brothers.

He didn't want to offend an NPC young master or end up in court over such a matter.

"It's completely fine. With that emblem, you're already under the protection of the Vermillion family," Fuegoleon assured him before pausing. "That brings me to another point I wanted to discuss."

"Yeah?" Akeru asked, sipping water.

"Are you interested in joining House Vermillion?"

Akeru choked on his water. Cough, cough.

"Ayo?"

"Yes, you heard that right."

Akeru paused to collect his thoughts. "What are the pros and cons?" he asked.

"You'll receive the same resources as the children of our House, but you won't have any political power," Fuegoleon explained.

"So… you're giving me all the privileges while excluding the meaningless responsibilities?" Akeru asked in shock. It sounded too good to be true.

Fuegoleon chuckled. "It depends on your perspective, but yes. You remind me of my sister in that regard, so I thought you'd appreciate it."

Akeru hummed in agreement. He liked staying out of trouble, and politics sounded troublesome no matter how one looked at it.

"Will I have to take on the Vermillion name?" 'Do they want me to bring fame to the Vermillion House with my future achievements?' Akeru wondered. He wasn't arrogant, but he knew his potential was significant.

"No," Fuegoleon replied.

"Huh?" Akeru was baffled.

"It's up to you. My main goal is to shield you from trouble with other royal family members or random nobles. This is about nurturing you to become a future knight for the country."

Akeru was secretly touched by Fuegoleon's gesture. Not only was he offering the best resources, but he was also helping Akeru avoid unnecessary trouble.

"I'll gladly join," Akeru said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Woah, welcome to our House!" Leopold exclaimed, clearly not expecting the conversation to unfold this way, but happy nonetheless.

"I'll handle the paperwork," Fuegoleon said.

"Wait, is it common for people to become royals?" Akeru asked.

"It's more common for nobles to ascend, but yes, it happens for various reasons," Fuegoleon said after a brief pause.

At that moment, the food arrived, and the aroma made Akeru gulp.

"Haha, don't be shy—dig in! I can imagine how living in the forest must have dulled your taste buds," Fuegoleon said.

Akeru didn't need a second invitation and began scarfing down the food. He mimicked the brothers' elegant eating style and quickly adapted to it.

"Wow, you even got that down fast," Leopold noted. "It's like you're recalling how you used to eat before."

"Well, I did know how to eat more properly, but lately, I've become more obsessed with food. Living alone has made me lax since there's no one around to correct me," Akeru replied while eating. Remarkably, he didn't spill any food while speaking.

"I'll show you around the mansion and estate after dinner," Leopold offered excitedly.

"Thanks," Akeru said.

"Brother, how's it going as captain?" Leopold asked Fuegoleon.

"It's good. Managing the knights is a handful, but overall, it's enjoyable."

A comfortable silence filled the table, broken only by chewing noises.

"So, how was your encounter with my nee-chan?" Leopold asked Akeru.

Akeru paused mid-bite, then resumed eating. "It was interesting. What surprised me was that she was taking notes on our encounter. I didn't expect that."

Although Akeru didn't say it aloud, the brothers understood his underlying thought—she must have been impatient to take such an unusual action. They exchanged knowing glances, cautious of being overheard, as there was truth to the saying, "Walls have ears."

"Yeah, she only does that when something truly piques her interest. Yours must've been unique enough," Fuegoleon clarified.

"Makes sense," Akeru replied.

Another round of silence passed, punctuated by chewing sounds.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Leopold said suddenly. "Next week is the annual royal family party. You should attend."

Akeru instinctively looked at Fuegoleon for confirmation.

"As the name suggests, it's a gathering of the royal family. Only young people are invited, so you won't face any issues attending," Fuegoleon explained.

"Heh, do they exclude older folks to keep the peace?" Akeru quipped.

"Ahem," Fuegoleon coughed, choosing to remain silent on the matter.

Whether that statement was right or wrong remained a mystery.

Dinner soon ended, and Fuegoleon informed them that he would be heading to the Crimson Lions' headquarters as he had some work to finish.

Leopold took it upon himself to show Akeru around the mansion and even the entire estate.

There weren't many people living in the Vermillion Estate. The same was true for House Kira and House Silva, yet Clover Castle was incredibly large and luxurious.

Despite it being 9 p.m., a lot of people were still outside.

Fortunately for Akeru, nobody approached Leopold during their tour.

"Do you want to look at the other two estates?" Leopold asked enthusiastically.

"It's fine," Akeru replied, thinking, 'Sounds like too much trouble,' and stopping Leopold from his energetic streak.

"I'm more interested in the library of Vermillion Estate," Akeru added, prompting Leopold to start talking about some interesting facts about it as they made their way there.

From advice on how to avoid angering the librarian to tips on which spots were ideal for making noise without attracting attention, Leopold shared all the nuances.

Once there, Akeru began delving into books about mana control. While most of the content was familiar to him, he discovered some useful efficiency hacks.

Days passed with Akeru focused on optimizing his current arsenal, and soon, the day of the party arrived.

***

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