The Strongest Ice God of Black Clover

"I joined the Black Bull squad at the same time as you. Captain Yami asked me to come meet you," Lin Hao said slowly.

"Oh!" Noelle nodded, a word stuck in her throat, unable to speak.

Lin Hao didn't say much more. He turned around and continued toward the Black Bull stronghold.

Noelle walked behind him slowly. She was conflicted, wanting to say something to Lin Hao since the moment she saw him but lacking the courage to do so.

They walked in silence for a while, approaching the castle.

Finally, Noelle summoned her courage, quickened her pace, and stepped in front of Lin Hao.

Lin Hao was a little puzzled by her actions. "What's wrong?" he asked curiously.

Noelle frowned, her face stiff, and whispered, "Yesterday, when you were in the examination room, what did you hear?"

Lin Hao paused for a moment as memories of her conversation with her brother flashed in his mind.

"You mean the conversation you had with the head of the knight order?" Lin Hao said calmly.

Noelle lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "As expected, you heard everything."

Lin Hao looked at her, about to say something, when she interrupted him.

"Can you not say anything about it?" Noelle asked, her voice trembling.

"Not say anything? You mean the ridicule from the regimental leader?" Lin Hao raised an eyebrow.

Noelle nodded, a slight hint of embarrassment on her face.

Lin Hao thought for a moment before responding, "Well, your royal family is really confusing."

Noelle's head snapped up, her eyes wide. "That's all you have to say?"

"Otherwise, what do you want me to say?" Lin Hao asked nonchalantly. "Should I tell you how pitiful you are, how you get abused every day and live a miserable life?"

"Or maybe, would you like me to comfort you?"

"Die!" Noelle cursed, turning abruptly and heading toward the castle gate.

Though she told him to die, she felt relieved that Lin Hao hadn't laughed at her.

Lin Hao shook his head, watching Noelle's retreating back. "Oh, so what about the royal family? They're not any better than ordinary people!"

He couldn't help but think that their royal family's treatment of her was strange—just because a younger sister struggled with controlling magic, they treated her like this. It seemed similar to the patriarchal systems of ancient China, or maybe even worse.

Back at the castle, all the members of the Black Bull squad were gathered in the living room.

Sitting across from the sofa was Marx.

"Oh, Lin Hao, you're back!" Yami called out casually upon seeing him.

"Captain Yami, what do you need from me?" Lin Hao asked as he walked over slowly.

"It's not that I need something from you, but this mushroom head does," Yami replied calmly.

"Mushroom head?" Lin Hao glanced over at Marx sitting on the sofa.

Marx stood up and said, "Chief Yami, please don't be so rude."

Turning to Lin Hao, Marx introduced himself, "My name is Marx, a confidant of the Magic Emperor."

"The Magic Emperor?" Lin Hao was taken aback. "What does he want from me?"

"Indeed!" Marx nodded. "The Magic Emperor has a task at hand and has designated you, Mr. Lin Hao, to complete it. For your safety, I'll be accompanying you with an old member from the Black Bull squad."

"A task? And I'm the designated person? What exactly does the Magic Emperor want?" Lin Hao thought to himself.

Yami scratched his chin, considering. As the Magic Emperor's most trusted confidant, even he couldn't figure out what the task was.

Marx continued, "In addition, two other new members of the Knight Order are also designated for the task."

"I understand," Lin Hao replied.

"Alright then. Captain Yami will assign someone to accompany you. You'll need to meet at the royal capital gates in an hour!" Marx added.

"If nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

After Marx finished speaking, he turned and left.

Yami exhaled a puff of smoke and then said, "Who wants to go with Lin Hao to complete the task from the Magic Emperor?"

"What's the mission? Is it a fight?" Luck asked excitedly as he raised his fist.

"I don't know, that mushroom head didn't say anything. Don't be foolish—just hurry up and pick someone to go with Lin Hao," Yami said, clearly impatient.

"I'll go with Lin Hao!" Magna volunteered suddenly.

"Okay!" Yami agreed without hesitation. "What's there to think about? Just go."

After a while, Lin Hao and Magna made their way toward the royal capital gates.

When they arrived, they found several people already waiting: Yuno, Marx, Asta, and someone Lin Hao hadn't seen before.

She had golden hair, delicate features, and a charming smile. Over her shoulders, she wore the same cape as Yuno, clearly another member of the Golden Dawn.

Lin Hao was curious about Asta's team. What happened to them?

After a while, Lin Hao approached them.

Asta immediately complained, "You all have teammates, but I don't!"

"Asta, don't worry. You can leave your safety to Magna," Marx said calmly.

Magna, however, wasn't pleased. "Are you kidding? I'm taking this group of newcomers by myself!"

"Don't worry. Asta's knight order is too busy, and all their members are on tasks. The task isn't difficult," Marx explained.

Magna frowned, clearly frustrated.

"Fine, then. It's up to you, everyone," Marx concluded.

"It's on us!" Asta shouted excitedly.