BLACK CLOVER: Through the Looking Glass

2 weeks after the attack on Capital, in the base of Black Bulls, every member was spending their time in leisure. Vanessa was sleeping on the sofa with her hand hanging with a bottle from there, and alcohol dripped on the floor.

Grey sat in the corner with smoke coming out from his mouth with his eyes staring aimlessly in the distance. Gordon was sitting in another corner, murmuring to himself with his hands clasped over his lap.

Gauche was bleeding from the nose as he fawned over his sister's picture.

Charmy was cooking something with her sheep, while the rest of the members, namely Asta, Finral, and Noelle were cheering on Magna and Luck who were arm wrestling as Nero sat on Asta's head.

"Go Magna!"

"Go Luck!"

"Go Magna!"

"Go Luck!"

"Go Magna!"

"Go Luck!"

These words increased in intensity as Luck pushed Magna's hand bringing Magna's hand way too close to the table where veins bulged on Magna's head who gritted his teeth.

"Argh!!!"

On the other side, Luck's brows glistened with sweat as his muscles tensed in his arms when his face morphed into a mischievous smile.

*Zzzt*

*Crackle*

"Ahh!!!"

*BAM*

Luck passed electricity through his hand, which caused Magna to yelp in pain, taking advantage of which Luck slammed his hand on the table.

"Hahaha! I won!"

"You did not! You cheated you sick bastard!"

"I won~"

"You did not, you cheating fu*k."

"Cry about it, hehe~"

With an exchange of heated comments, Magna started to run after Luck who kept on feeding oil to Magna's fire of anger. Seeing he could not catch Luck, Magna said with a monovalent grin, "Eat this!" as he started to throw fireballs at Luck who dodged it effortlessly but destroyed the castle in the process.

"Keep it down! I am trying to admire my Marie's picture. If anything happens to it, you will end up with a hole in your chest!" Gauche shouted but if the response of Luck and Magna was anything to go by, his voice fell on deaf ears.

"Magna~ I am here~" Luck teased as he stood on the table behind which was the forbidden zone. Charmy's food table.

And why was it called a forbidden zone? Magna was about to find out.

"ORAA!!!" With a full-blown shout, Magna threw a giant ball of fire, that Luck dodged easily, but alas…food could not.

*BOOM*

"…

 …

 …"

No one said a thing, as their eyes were fixed on the smoke cloud that seemed to take longer time to disperse, but nobody could move a muscle. Their eyes were fixed on the two orbs that glowed ominously.

"Magna…*gulp*…what did you do?" Finral said as he backstepped a little.

"I did not do it intentionally."

"Umm…you should explain that to Charmy." Noelle suggested as her brow became damp with sweat while she felt her stomach churn at the imposing atmosphere that fell around them.

"Rest in peace Magna. I will take care of your room. I will make a gym in it." Luck said which caused Magna who grit his teeth in annoyance, but could not bark back at him due to feeling fear for his life, and when it all seemed lost…

…Wilhelm did not appear and Magna was beaten to an inch of his life by Charmy.

"Hello everyone." He appeared after 2 hours in the common room and greeted everyone, who flinched seeing him. Then his eyes landed on Magna who was lying on the side of the room listlessly.

"Whoa! What happened to him?"

"I should ask you the same question. Why do you look like your ex-girlfriend cheated on you?"

"Yeah…Don't project yourself on me." Wilhelm shrugged his quip off which Finral made rightfully at Wilhelm.

Right now, unlike his usual and proper looks, he had unkempt bed hair, with strands sticking out. Under his eyes were black circles and if one would see, they would assume he was under the weather.

"Wilhelm, are you sick?" Noelle asked worriedly to which Wilhelm said smiling from ear to ear, "No, I am just covered in makeup."

"Eh? Why would you do so?" Finral asked thinking worriedly about Wilhelm.

'Did he fall in love with a goth girl and dressed himself up like this to pursue her?

Or did he fall for a nurse and is acting like a sick person?'

"None of the above." Wilhelm said as if read his mind which caused Finral to snap out of his daydream.

Looking at them, he continued.

"Well, I was assigned by work from Wizard King as you know, right?"

"Of course, he gave it to you on the evening of the Capital attack." Asta said still remembering what happened that day as clear as ever.

Nodding at him, Wilhelm replied.

"Yes, exactly. So I completed the work he gave me and it took me less than 2 days from 2 weeks to complete it, but to receive and milk out as much rewards from him, I decided to garner sympathy from him.

And nothing will get me more sympathy from him than appearing as a person who worked himself to the bone without a wink of sleep.

This in the end will give me my fated reward."

"Wait, you are trying to fool Wizard King?!" Asta shouted in a scandalous tone.

"No Asta. I am not fooling Wizard King. I am garnering sympathy from it."

"But you are trying to appear as if you worked yourself to the bone." Noelle pointed out.

"Did you see me relaxing for the past 2 weeks?"

"Umm…no."

"Did you see me annoying anyone for the past 2 weeks?"

"No."

"Did you see me doing anything for the past 2 weeks?"

"No."

"Did you even see me for the past 2 weeks?"

"…no?"

"So how do you know that I did not work myself to the bone."

At this, Finral spoke in place of Noelle who was tongue-twisted.

"But you are trying to act like you worked hard."

Pointing his finger up as if trying to state a fact, Wilhelm said, "So, just because I am trying to look like I work hard does not mean that I did not work hard, does it?"

"I think no…"

"Exactly. Now Finral, would be so kind as to teleport me to Royal Capital? I need to meet with Wizard King." Wilhelm said so quickly that Finral did not have time to understand and unconsciously created a portal from which Wilhelm left.

…

As he appeared in the Royal Capital, Wilhelm quickly conjured an illusion over him to mask his appearance to his usual neat one to not make any unnecessary problems with the guard who could think of him as a beggar instead.

Seeing he was ready, he began his walk inside Magic Knight Headquarters.

'Okay, I have completed the mission he has assigned me.

I did not think he would give me something like this, but appreciative of me due to my work in keeping people alive in the absence of a significant force.

He called me into his office and with the presence of Captain Yami whom he had called later on, assigned me a mission to investigate Purple Orca's dealings.

Reason for that?

First, before becoming a magic knight I used to be a businessman from outside the Capital, so I had dealings and contacts that normal magic knights don't.

Second, my magic kept me away from harm's way. I could become invisible and nobody would catch a clue.

Third, my magic will also allow me to create an illusion and catch people red-handed. I could create an environment for them to do things to illusionary victims which will get me dirt on them without putting innocents in danger.

And the results were worse than I used to expect. I knew most of the magic knights that stayed in towns and villages were pieces of sh*ts, but god I underestimated them.

But that was not it. They were involved in shady business. Shady by their own standards. A huge amount of assets in the form of land, artifacts, a treasure that they suddenly found, and scrupulous donations that they did not officially show flew into the pockets of Purple Orca.

The amount of money they got surpassed the total tax collection revenue from all of the towns and villages in Clover Kingdom

So, I had to prepare a report of every single monetary transaction and the actions of the Purple Orca. Which took me 2 weeks for continuous work. It would have taken me a whole lot of time if not for the contacts that I had.

Because if you try to hide from people from the top, you cannot hide from people at the bottom.

I also had to write another report about the attack on Capital, but something tells me it was the Wizard King trying to escape from his duty. Not that it is bad for me. The more contact that I have with him, the more things I can get.'

Thinking this, Wilhelm passed and went to the Magic Knight Headquarters, during which he noticed that the buildings that were once destroyed were restored as nothing happened. People died during that attack, but fortunately, the number was not too many. That is compared to the total population, but the people were terrified of what had happened.

But they were not the only ones who were affected by this. Wilhelm was too. His appearance of looking haggard was not all due to makeup. It was due to him not being able to sleep.

The reason for that was the hoard of undead he had to fight. Not the ones he had to shoot from a distance but kill with his blade, feel their flesh being torn apart, hear their insides spitting blood with squelching sound, see their organs spilling over, and do it over and over again without rest.

He did not regret the action itself, did not feel sympathy for those undead he killed, and did not feel bad about himself. It's just that the sight of so much blood and the organ itself haunted him, just like it should to a normal person.

This is the reason why he was so hell-bent on getting over his work, and indulging himself in enchantments.

*Knock Knock*

Wilhelm knocked at the door after dispelling the illusion, returning to his haggard self.

"Enter." The calm tone of Julius came from the inside.

Pushing the door open, Wilhelm could see Julius wince at his appearance.

'Oh, poor boy, he has also suffered at the hands of paperwork.' Julius decided the reason without even asking, which was not untrue.

"Wizard King." Wilhelm said in acknowledgment.

"Wilhelm. Are you fine? You look quite tired."

"Nothing serious. Just did not get to sleep for…a week…I think. But sacrifices had to be made for the kingdom.

And I rather than I lose sleep instead of the countless innocents of Clover Kingdom." Wilhelm as expected gave the most diplomatic and test-book answer, which was not a bad decision.

There is a reason they have been used for this long.

Hearing those words, Julius' features softened into a warm smile as he nodded. Even if he does not fully take Wilhelm's words to heart, he knows for a fact that Wilhelm is many things. A person who smacked a noble, called the magic knights captain useless to their face and annoyed everyone, but when it came to actual work and responsibilities, he could be relied on without a doubt.

If not for him and Yuno, the loss of civilian lives would be massive. Not to mention the crucial source of information he had secured in the form of Lotus that had been simply invaluable, and if he(Julius) was honest with himself was worth more than just a single star.

Though he was not perfect either. Julius could see that he was doing it for something obvious. Enchantments.

A noble or a royal might disregard them as something that is to be practiced by someone who just makes tools for them, but if they were to do so then they would be forgetting an important detail.

First Wizard King was a greater inventor than a magic user. His inventions were just timeless and could not be replicated by people even now.

So, as Wizard King, he recognized their true value but was willing to let Wilhelm practice it, that was under certain conditions too, but they were just meant as safeguards. The reason for it was simple.

Wilhelm was willing to learn them.

"Anyways, here is the report on the Capital attack you asked me to make…"

*THUD*

"…and here are my 'findings.'"

*THURDDDD*

Wilhelm said as he put two reports. The findings were thicker than reports of attack. Seeing it, Julius' brows twitched.

"Umm…thank you for your work."

*GULP*

Julius said with terror in his heart.

"Oh, this volume 1."

"You mean there are other volumes?" Julius said in an alarming tone.

"Of course. Here you…*THUD*…go. Another 20 volumes. Total 21 volumes."

'I gave him work so that I won't need to do anything. Why does it feel like I have to do more work than before.' Julius thought with dead eyes and could feel this was retribution from Marx.

Realizing the reason for Julius' dead eyes, Wilhelm said with a plain look while he smiled with a chesire grin on the inside.

"All of these volumes have detailed descriptions of all of the shady deals they had, along with their past crimes with incriminating evidence."

"And the result?" Julis asked with a serious expression realizing if these many volumes were filled to the brim, the situation was way worse than expected.

"About a month before the Capital attack, Gueldre received a large donation from anonymous sources in piece. Especially in the form of artifacts that we don't have an account for. Few members of the Purple Orca sold it from unsavory channels to Diamond Kingdom for a pretty sum."

'The situation really is dire.' Julius thought with clasped hand.

"Haaah…well, you did good work in being thorough. I did the right thing by listening to Yami's words."

"Wait, Captain suggested for me?" Wilhelm asked with surprise.

Nodding with a slight smile, Julius replied, "Yes. Yami was the one who suggested you. His exact words were, 'Leave it to Mr. Creepy. Doing sneaky stuff is what he is good at.'"

"Sounds like something he would say." Wilhelm commented in a resigned tone.

Following this, Julius continued.

"Again, I would like to thank you for your work. Marx will go through these once again."

'Ehhh, I felt a shiver in my spine. Must be Wizard King sending me work.'

"Now, as for your reward, I will be giving you permission to learn and practice enchantment."

As he said this, Wilhelm's expression brightened, seeing which Julius' expression also turned to one of amusement but he continued raising his fingers.

"That is, under some conditions.

First, you are not allowed to take any material out of the library and have to study it either inside the library or in a workshop.

Second, the workshop will be assigned to you by me.

Third, while you are allowed to make notes and take them home, you are under no circumstance allowed to share them with anyone. My suggestion will be to keep your studies to your workshop only.

Fourth, you are allowed to enchant objects, but you are not allowed to sell them without getting a license.

Understood?"

"Hmm…these are reasonable. I am fine with them." Wilhelm replied mulling over the conditions a bit.

"I am glad to hear that. Now, take this and ask any guard for the library and show this to the librarian. He will show you to your workshop too." Julius said as he passed a rolled-up piece of paper with a wax seal on it.

Giving it a once over, Wilhelm kept it inside his coat and said with a curt bow of his neck, "Thank you Wizard King."

"You earned it." Julius replied as Wilhelm left the room.

Leaving Julius all alone.

With reports.

How sad.

…

…

As Julius advised, Wilhelm found his way to the library with the help of a guard. It was situated in a building that was located on the far right from the Magic Knights Headquarters.

The place was shaped like a giant dome and looked sleek. It was surrounded by large walls and 4 towers on 4 corners where 4 magic knights were to secure the place.

When he entered the place after showing the sealed document, he was met with a man with white hair, dressed properly with a stern look standing in front.

"You must be Wilhelm."

"Yes, Wizard King sent this to show you." Wilhelm said getting straight to the point because the man's demeanor screamed he was a no-nonsense person.

Taking it from his hand, the man broke the seal and gave a brief look at the contents of the document, which he stored in his person.

"Follow me." He muttered as he turned around, and without waiting for Wilhelm started to move.

Without uttering a word, they traversed through high shelves full of books, until he was led to another section of the library. After entering the library, the man stopped around and started to address Wilhelm.

"My name is Rubert Cystine, and I am the librarian here. You may refer to me as Mr. Cystine.

By the orders of Wizard King, Julius Novachrono, you are allowed to learn Enchantment. Here, you will find all the books that Clover Kingdom has accumulated since its birth.

But, even if Wizard King has sent you here, I will expect somethings from you. Them being:

No littering.

No loud noises.

No harming the books.

If you wish to practice enchantments, do so in your workshop. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Cystine."

"Good." Rubert nodded as he turned around and started to move, and like a duck Wilhelm followed behind him. Moving out of the main Library, they moved through a long corridor that ended with a wall where an ornamental gate.

Rubert took out a key from his person and hovered it in front of the gate where by magic a keyhole appeared. Inserting the key into the keyhole, he twisted and with a *clank* and a thin rumble sound, the gate shifted into the wall.

Placing the key back inside his jacket, Rubert started to walk again, this time downstairs. After a flight of stairs, they were presented with a corridor once again, with multiple gates spaced by a large margin.

They were numbered from 1 to 10.

Checking the number on each gate, he stopped in front of gate #7, and taking out another key, opened it and entered the room.

'Woah!' Wilhelm thought as he observed the room.

Inside the room were pieces of equipment, made of glass and metal. Some were familiar while many were alien to him. This reminded Wilhelm of what he felt when he visited the engineering lab for the first time.

Again, Rubert addressed him.

"Room #7 is your Workshop. It has basic equipment to practice enchantment.

Room #2 is your Study, where you can store your notes without the risk of them being damaged in the Workshop.

Room #3 is the Forge assigned to you if you wish to use it.

Room #10 is the Storeroom where replacements of equipment are.

Rooms from #5 to #9 are Workshop. All of them are for separate purposes. Room #7 is for enchantments.

Room #1 is Study too and room #4 is Forge.

You are to take the key from me when you are in the Library and give it back to me when you are about to leave.

Any questions?"

"No. Thank you for the tour." Wilhelm replied diplomatically and Rubert nodded in response, and went his way.

'Let's begin.'

*** 

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