Chapter Text
The man in front of Yuno is attempting to taunt him.
“Pretty, pretty knight.” The lowlife spits salaciously. “You think you can stop us? We’re taking this hoard regardless and you can’t stop us.”
The bandit next to him, likely his partner, shifts nervously. Yuno merely blinks.
“Jord, he’s a magic knight, I think we should—”
“Shut up!” The insolent one—Jord— shouts. “This is our chance. I’m not letting some noble scum take this away from me.”
“I’m not nobility.” Yuno says mildly.
Yuno can sense Slyph bristling, the magic in the aura trembling in response. She doesn’t like it when people insult Yuno, but Yuno is not keen on bringing the wind spirit out right now. In fact, Yuno doesn’t even need to use his grimoire for this.
He splays out a palm, face unchanging, and calls forth wind.
The bandit Jord is a fire elementalist, but a poor one with no training. William must have misgauged the difficulty of this mission, because Yuno takes the both of them out with a simple wind spell. Boring.
“What a waste of time!” Slyph materializes, huffing as she crosses her arms. “We could have been practicing magic together instead of dealing with these losers.”
“Slyph.”
“You know it’s true!” The wind spirit pouts, flitting in the air before landing on Yuno’s shoulder.
Yuno easily conjures wind and speeds towards the nearest town, where his belongings are stored at an inn. It’s a solo mission a days away from the capital, and supposedly mid-level, which was clearly a lie. This should’ve been given to one of the lower-ranked Knights.
Yuno has been part of the Golden Dawn for three years now— he’s eighteen. Nineteen in two months. Huh.
“You always ignore me.” Sylph scowls, plopping on his shoulder cross-legged.
“It didn’t necessitate a response.” Yuno reminds her. “I wouldn’t ignore you if you said something serious.”
“Well, how about this— I love you!”
Yuno pauses. Comments like those were common from Sylph— I love you, let’s go on a date, you’re my favorite person, Yuno. She was open with her affection, honest and perky like the representation of wind she was. Sylph would never leave him for someone else— Yuno was stuck with her for life. And it had been two years, after all. He spent every living waking moment with her; they’d gone through battles with the Diamond Kingdom, the White Night Eye, and even simple training from when they first met. Sylph knew him as well as Asta knew him. He could rely on her.
It’s not that he doesn’t love her, but…
“Hm.” Yuno says instead, and she clutches her head in frustration.
They arrive back at the inn, and Yuno flips through his coin to check out. A note falls out from his bag— a hastily scrawled message from Asta (and his equally shitty handwriting) conveying the simple words, Good luck, Yuno!
Yuno bites back a serene smile, lips twitching.
And then, agitation from his shoulder again. Magic hums around them powerful and unhappy. Yuno ignores it.
“I don’t like him.” It’s a clear stab at Asta. Slyph pursues her lips. “Not as much as I hate that little stinker Charmy, but…”
“You’re jealous.” Yuno knows that, of course, but it’s still amusing to point out. Before he met Sylph, he never could have imaged a spirit as powerful as her getting jealous over petty romance. The romance has faded out to a deep affection ever since he made clear his lack of interest in anyone, not unique to her, but Sylph still got jealous over the most stupid shit. For example, Charmy was nice, but was she an all-powerful wind spirit that had sworn to follow Yuno around for eternity? No. Sylph has nothing to worry about.
Yuno voices as much to her, and Sylph blows air into her cheeks petulantly.
“So, what? I’m allowed to be jealous. You’re mine.”
Yuno doesn’t deign that with a response.
“Besides, I wasn’t talking about Charmy.” Sylph points out. “I was talking about Asta. Why do you like him so much?”
“He’s my childhood friend.” And more than that, “My rival.”
Something about Sylph’s demeanor changes. Expectant and tense, almost.
“And…?” Sylph presses.
“And?”
The wind spirit lets out a breath, exhaling in resigned disappointment. “Never mind.”