Marvel's master of cosmic magic-Chapter 831

Magna stared at Rowan for a long moment, brow furrowed.

"...Nokia?"

The name lingered in the air.

He had known every kid from Soshi Village back in the day. He used to stir up trouble there often enough. But years had passed. Children grew. Faces changed. And the boy standing here carried himself very differently.

Rowan inclined his head slightly.

"It’s been a while, Magna. I go by Rowan Mercer now."

He didn’t deny the connection.

There was no need.

He was this body now. And people changed—especially between childhood and fifteen.

Magna stepped forward and pulled him into a rough hug.

"So it really is you! What are you doing here? Something happen to the village?"

There was concern in his voice.

The old village chief of Soshi had once dragged Magna out of delinquency and pointed him toward the Magic Knights. If anything had happened to that place, Magna would have gone back without hesitation.

"Nothing like that," Rowan said. "I came to the capital to take the Magic Knight exam. Ended up meeting the captain at a casino. He recruited me on the spot."

Magna blinked.

Then nodded.

"That tracks."

What surprised him wasn’t the recruitment.

It was the gambling.

"You inherited the old man’s card skills, didn’t you? He cleaned me out last time I played him. Took half a year’s pay."

The former village chief had once been a Magic Knight himself. Not famous. Not particularly powerful. But terrifying at the card table.

Rowan smiled faintly.

"I’m just lucky."

Truthfully, the original Nokia had no idea the old chief was such a gambler. That detail hadn’t existed in his memories.

Convenient coincidence.

A blond boy with bright, eager eyes suddenly appeared inches from Rowan’s face.

"You like fighting?" he asked rapidly. "I love fighting. Wanna spar? Wanna spar?"

Luck Voltia radiated anticipation.

Rowan shook his head gently.

"I specialize in support magic. Combat isn’t my strength."

Magna scratched his chin.

"Weren’t you using healing magic back home?"

"More accurately," Rowan corrected, "restoration magic. Healing is part of it. It removes harmful conditions and returns things to a better state."

That definition allowed flexibility.

Injury to health.

Broken to whole.

Dirty to clean.

Intoxicated to sober.

It was all restoration.

"Magic’s a bit on the low side," Magna said after sensing Rowan’s reserves. "But support mages don’t need huge mana pools. Keep working at it."

"I’m Finral Roulacase," the blond man added with a dramatic flourish. "Master of spatial magic and beloved by women everywhere. A pleasure."

Before Rowan could respond, a heavy presence descended from the stairs.

Yami, cigarette in mouth, yawning.

"Looks like introductions are done."

The squad lit up at his appearance.

Despite his rough edges, the loyalty in the room was unmistakable.

Rowan observed quietly.

This was not a disciplined military unit.

It was a found family.

Lunch followed soon after.

Charmy took charge, summoning an army of sheep chefs with her Cotton Creation Magic. Within minutes, dishes piled high across the tables. The food replenished mana as efficiently as it satisfied hunger.

Efficient.

In the afternoon, Rowan spoke with each member, studying their magic closely.

Vanessa’s thread magic wasn’t ordinary. There was something deeper—an undercurrent that brushed against fate itself.

Gauche wielded mirror magic.

Gordon specialized in poison and curses.

Magna used flame magic.

Luck crackled with lightning.

Yami’s magic bent darkness.

Over the next three days, Rowan was dragged repeatedly to the casino by Yami and Magna.

After the third night, they stopped inviting him.

Winning every round drained the excitement from the experience.

Rowan didn’t mind.

He preferred the quiet.

During his exploration of the castle, he discovered something else.

Someone else.

Henry Legolant.

A pale, reclusive young man confined within the castle’s depths. His body constantly absorbed mana from anyone nearby. Too much contact would leave others drained.

Without mana, he would die.

Abandoned by his family, he had been found by Yami instead.

The Black Bulls’ base had been constructed around him so he could survive by absorbing only trace amounts of mana from the squad. In return, Henry’s magic allowed him to restructure the castle itself into a massive combat construct.

An unconventional solution.

A compassionate one.

Time passed quickly.

Soon, the day of the Magic Knight entrance exam arrived.

As captain of one of the nine squads, Yami was required to attend.

Rowan decided to go as well.

There would be many mages gathered in one place.

Many grimoires.

Many spells.

For someone studying this world’s magical framework, it was an opportunity too valuable to miss.