|| Black Clover || Valiant [OC INSERT]

[2] *Edited*

8 Years Later

"Momma! Papa! You're back!" an eight-year-old Iris exclaimed. She was overfilled with joy seeing her parents return. Iris had been left to the safety of the castle, while her parents were sent on an escort mission.

She had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt with some shorts. Her neck-length hair was held up in a ponytail; it was a dark blue to a fading silver. Her light, green eyes sparkled at her parents. She was the spitting image of her mother and had more of her personality from her father. Iris had gotten a mixture in her eye color; it was lighter than her mother's and contained hints of blue from her father.

"Did you behave well while we were gone?" Constanza asked, leaning in to give Iris a warm embrace. Joules simply stood behind her, observing his family interact.

Constanza was beautiful; she had dark blue hair with dark green eyes. She had fair skin, clear of any blemishes. She was typically a caring person.

"I was good, I swear mommy! Just ask uncle," Iris had started jumping up and down, trying to prove her words to her parents. Constanza smiled at her daughter's cuteness, 'how adorable,' she thought.

"And your studies? I take it you're on track with them," Joules interjected. Both Constanza and Joules watched their daughter's soul leave her body at the mere thought of studying. Iris had indeed been receiving a more strict education compared to others, but that was all to prepare her for her future. Iris had an above-average intelligence level for a kid her age. It was fairly easy for her to grasp a subject that she would be taught. The bad thing was that she had always prioritized fun over everything.

Joules was a tall, blond, blue-eyed man. He had light, tan skin and was usually wearing the typical clothes that a noble would wear. When approached, he would always stand tall and proud.

"I'm sorry papa. I ended up playing instead of doing any work again," Iris had been guilty of getting distracted again. Her longing for adventure and fun would often get the best of her and would most likely be the reason she would get scolded.

Joules patted her head as she looked to be on the verge of tears. "It's alright to get distracted once in a while as long as you take responsibility just as much." Hearing her father's words, Iris immediately shot up with newfound determination. All traces of guilt were free from her small round face.

"How about we go see if your uncle is free? Your mother and I have to make our report as well," Joules asked and Iris simply nodded her head, making both her parents smile.

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Bursting through the doors of the Wizard King's office, Iris called out, "Uncle! Uncle! Momma and Papa are back!" She ran up to her uncle and jumped on him, grabbing hold of his robe.

Julius chuckled to himself and gave his niece a closed-eyed smile while picking her up. "Constanza, Joules, I'm glad you both returned safely. I would like to hear your report, even if it was a simple escort mission." Julius set Iris down and returned to his office desk, motioning for the two mages to join him.

Both mages held a serious look, pondering on the appropriate choice of words. After a few seconds, Constanza broke Joules' concentration. "I think it would be safe to say that the mission went well. We had no casualties whatsoever and the royal we escorted was delivered safely to their destination," Constanza hesitated before continuing. "However, I'm afraid that there is still a huge problem within the kingdom. There still seems to be this deep-rooted prejudice to those who aren't as fortunate as others."

"I see," Julius seemed to be slightly angered at her words. "Despite my efforts to try and combat this issue, I'm afraid not much has happened."

"Julius, it's not only the nobles who look down at commoners," Joules explained. "I've seen even those who have next to nothing look down at others who have even less. Entitlement is still rampant amongst everyone."