The person everyone turned to look at was Lin Hao.
Among the crowd, Lin Hao and Yuno were the only two people without a single Reject Bird circling around them.
"It's true! There aren't any birds around him either!"
"Could his grimoire also be a four-leaf clover?" someone speculated curiously.
"Impossible, don't be ridiculous," another dismissed.
"Looks like this year's Knights' Entrance Examination has some real heavy hitters—two people with such incredible magic power."
Lin Hao himself was puzzled. He didn't recall having such strong magic power, so why were there no birds near him?
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd.
Lin Hao instinctively looked over and saw Asta colliding with Yami Sukehiro, the captain of the Black Bulls.
Yami had grabbed Asta by the head and lifted him up like a ragdoll.
The Black Bulls were notorious as the most unruly and disreputable Magic Knights squad. Their members were known for their questionable behavior. Despite their poor records, the Black Bulls' combat ability ranked among the highest of the nine squads in the Clover Kingdom.
Disliking the chaos, Lin Hao moved toward the edge of the tower, deciding to wait quietly for the examination to begin.
Near the tower's edge, a young woman was hiding behind a pillar, observing the crowd in silence.
She had her hair tied into two braids and wore clothing that was clearly expensive, making her stand out from the ordinary people around her.
It was none other than Noelle Silva.
She was the youngest child of the Silva royal family, with two brothers and a sister who were all powerful mages. However, after their mother died giving birth to her, Noelle was ostracized due to her poor control over magic. Her siblings often mocked and humiliated her, driving her to practice in solitude.
When the Silva family's patriarch passed away, her siblings completely cut her off, leaving her only a minimal allowance and severing all ties. Despite this, she still held onto her resolve.
Today, Noelle had also come to participate in the Knights' Examination.
Noticing Lin Hao moving to the edge of the tower, she instinctively retracted her gaze from the crowd and leaned back against the pillar, sneaking glances at him from time to time.
However, Lin Hao paid her no attention. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, calmly watching the scene outside.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireworks burst into the sky once again, signaling the start of the examination.
This year's examination was hosted by the captains of the nine Magic Knights squads, who were directly under the Magic Emperor.
The nine squads were highly revered and loved by the people, just like the Magic Emperor himself.
The squads included the Crimson Lion Kings, Purple Orcas, Golden Dawn, Black Bulls, Silver Eagles, Green Praying Mantises, Blue Rose Knights, Aqua Deer, and Coral Peacocks.
As the fireworks faded, the captains appeared on the second-floor balcony of the tower, taking their seats.
Lin Hao glanced at the captains and couldn't help but feel that some of them looked rather odd—especially the captain of the Green Praying Mantises, who reminded him of Orochimaru from Naruto.
On the second floor, Yami slouched into his seat and muttered, "Ugh, what a drag. Let's just get this over with already."
William Vangeance, the captain of the Golden Dawn, glanced at Yami with a faint smile. "This is an important examination for these young people's futures. I hope you'll take it seriously."
Yami took a puff of his cigarette and replied, "Yeah, yeah, you're always so uptight."
Ignoring Yami, Vangeance turned his gaze to the examinees below.
"Dear candidates, thank you for waiting. I will now begin the examination," he announced.
Holding a yellow-covered grimoire, he turned to a specific page.
"Tree of Magic, descend!"
The grimoire glowed green as a powerful wind swept through the examination grounds.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a mixture of green and yellow light flashed in the center of the storm.
Suddenly, enormous tree roots began to descend from the sky, branching out and extending toward each examinee.
At the end of each root, the magic transformed into a broom, presenting itself to the candidates.
The crowd was stunned as they looked at the magical brooms.
"Unbelievable! No wonder he's the captain of the strongest Magic Knights squad, Golden Dawn. His power is extraordinary!"
"Yeah, I was terrified just now."
"We're nothing compared to him—like ants in front of a giant!"
"Man, I wish I could join Golden Dawn."
"Don't even think about it, idiot. It's well-known that only royals or elite nobles get into that squad."