In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Hapshass was a lovely town, and a place Balas loved to stroll through during his off time. With the Coral Peacocks' headquarters being so close, it was the perfect place to relax when not on a mission. Seeing as how today was one such off day, he decided to visit the town! There were a great many herbal shops and apothecaries in the area, so much so that it was sort of what the town was known for. It was very useful for when the Coral Peacocks needed to replenish their healing supplies, but it also meant one other thing: the tea shops around here were great! Balas had stopped by a bookshop earlier in the month and picked up an interesting title, The Migration Patterns of Phoenixes: New Speculations, and although he had not had the time to read it earlier, he could finally start on it today. He made sure to bring the book into Hapshass with him, tucked away in one of the pouches of his robes. They were very nice robes, a salmon color kimono with his Coral Peacock mantle draped over it.
For these reasons, Balas found himself within a quaint little tea shop by the name of Confluence Cafe. It was an interesting name, and not the most common word to find in a person's vocabulary, but perhaps that had been why Balas was drawn to it in the first place. No doubt it was named as such due to the rivers that crossed through the town, yet another thing that made it so pretty. He got himself a cup of honey chamomile tea, one of his personal favorites, and took a seat at one of the tables outside at the front entrance of the building. Thankfully, it was a very nice day outside today, so he didn't have to worry about rain or extra high winds or any such natural phenomena; he would simply be able to read his book and drink his fresh tea in peace among the buzz of people going about their business here in Hapshass.
[break][break] His memories of the place were far from fond, but it was here where she had spent so much of her time. The town of her Magic Squad, the places she’d visited when she was off duty, the post office she frequented to write letters home to her family, the commoner side that she grew up in.
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All this was before she knew where her shadows had come from.
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It was a nice Spring day, the breeze pleasant, and the sky a bright, happy blue. It was as if there was nothing wrong with the world. And yet to Vaile Valentine, nothing was right in a world where she didn’t exist.
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“Stop searching for me.”
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A voice echoed in his mind.
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“Keep doing that, you’ll see me wherever you look.”
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“Already do.”
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He said to the voice in his head. And as he looked to the window of a shop, he did see her. A ghostly white visage, her silver hair trailed down beside her, picked up by that lovely spring breeze. Her eyes, dazed, the color of that endless blue sky… She disappeared before he cared to look again. She was a ghost in mind.
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He sighed, letting his shoulders drop as he walked down the street. He found himself at a small cafe, the name Confluence Cafe had a quaint ring to it. He decided to take a seat angling himself so he could watch the sidewalk and the people as they walked by. Spring was in full bloom, trees leaves were green and flowers decorated the branches. It was nice. He could imagine her sitting at a table like this, reading or writing, as if he had watched her so many times before.
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She was right, he saw her wherever he looked.
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There was a Coral Peacock in front of him, reading. Vaile had to hide a smile, that was what all Coral Peacocks did huh? Something or other, that thirst for knowledge. It was a male, red hair, fine clothes, slightly foreign to their style. Vaile was good at putting a few together and a name quickly came to his mind, Kasai.
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She knew a Kasai once too, the one currently held the helm of the Captain of the Crimson Lion. [break][break]
“Afternoon, young Sir Knight. It seems like a good read you got there.” Vaile smiled, saying a few words to catch the attention of the young man, he was young. Magic Knights always seemed to start like that.
[break][break] “Seems like all Peacocks have their noses in a book.” He said the tease not out of malice, but as if he had known exactly what a Peacock was like. That was true, to an extent. [break][break]
As Balas sat reading his book, another man came and sat across from him. The man had silver hair and seemed to be relatively young, though still certainly an adult. Balas smiled at him out of courtesy when he sat down but ultimately kept his attention to what he was reading. Phoenixes were fascinating creatures and the speculations of senior mages on these mana beast-fowls was nothing less than captivating. When the man spoke up and struck a conversation, Balas diverted his attention to him more fully. He appeared to be simply relaxing and enjoying the scenery. In a place as currently charming as this, who could blame him?
"To you as well, Mister. And indeed, I must say this book is wonderfully enticing."
Continuing the conversation, the man noted how members of the Coral Peacocks tended to be found reading. He was obviously making a joke for the sake of keeping their chat going, but there was certainly merit to his words. Balas accepted his position with his squad due to their appreciation for intelligence, and those were exactly the same type of people that knew how to enjoy a good book. Balas flipped his bookmark over to the page he was currently on to close the book and set it on the table. Might as well give this man his full attention for the time being. He could always pick his book back up to enjoy it, but each meeting with a stranger was a once in a lifetime opportunity. After all, if they met again they would no longer be strangers!
"Ha, I'll admit that you're probably right about that one. Squads tend to be made up of like-minded individuals, and you're more likely to find my fellow Peacocks in this town than in others."
Balas thought for a moment before he continued speaking. It was common to see members of the Coral Peacocks strolling about here in Hapshass, so maybe this man knew some of them personally. Perhaps his comment on them reading was the result of knowing what the Peacocks were like rather than merely just observing them. For the most part, people in town were friendly to the magic knights, but some people were a bit shy when it came to interacting with them. That did not seem to be the case for this man!
"Say, I'm a bit curious now; are you from here? Hapshass, I mean."
[attr="class","vailescroll"]"To you as well, Mister.” [break][break] Ah, the polite type. Good smile, good kid. Young, perhaps naive, it was how kids always were. Perhaps joined the Knights out of that joy of service, or something like that. The cynical side to him wanted to think it only a matter of time before he realized that a Magic Knight wasn’t a hero that everyone should aspire to be. [break][break] But it was good to have people like that, who believed in duty and the honor that it brought them. If everyone had been like him, the Blake himself, there would be no good people in the world. He didn’t see him as someone who lived in the purity of the light. [break][break] The shadows always called to him. [break][break] He nodded politely at the world, paying attention to the most important words. [break][break] Nothing so out of the ordinary so far. The red-haired youth made comments, agreeing with what Vaile had said. He was a Peacock, after all, magical intuition and research were what drove a majority of their squad. At least, when their former Captain had run it. He wasn’t quite sure about the latest one who held the mantle. [break][break] Another footnote to keep in mind. [break][break] "Say, I'm a bit curious now… [break][break] There was an inquiry regarding himself and his origins. For that, there was no easy answer, but Vaile only smiled in return, leaning back in his chair as his crimson eyes drifted to a tree. Green leaves sprouted bright, petals of flowers caught by a gentle breeze. He was reminiscing on memories he didn’t have. [break][break] “No, but I once knew a Knight who lived here. She was a member of the Coral Peacock as well.” [break][break] Was. [break][break] The word hung in the air as if it was some newfound revelation. Was. Past tense. Had he finally accepted that she was gone? Even as her shattered ghost still lived on his mind? No, he knew she no longer breathed life in this reality. He left the statement as it was, letting the young man decide for himself what it could have meant. Perhaps a test, perhaps an invitation, perhaps even a warning… The life of Knight rarely ended with a happy ending. Shadows danced ever so slightly, trembling with the wind perhaps, or something else entirely? [break][break] “I’ve visited the town plenty of times, to see her. The trees are always so beautiful in the Spring.” He leaned forward now, resting his arms on the table so he could prop his head up with the back of his palm. On his hands were a pair of simple black gloves, fine leather, with the etching of a crest, a Black Eagle, decorating the top part of the hand. Vaile was not a Magic Knight, as obvious as it was. He left out a softer sigh, crimson eyes narrowing slightly. [break][break] “First time back since she passed.”
In response to Balas' question, the man let him know that he was not from Hapshass, though he knew a magic knight that did live here. He mentioned that the person he knew was another member of the Coral Peacocks as well, which made sense considering where they were. Balas was a little bit concerned about the way the man spoke of the girl he knew; his language and use of past-tense words, unfortunately, made it seem as though she were no longer living. Or, perhaps he merely meant they we no longer in contact with one another...
"Ah, I see." he said simply in response.
Balas didn't want to push the conversation in any direction that might make this man uncomfortable. If he wanted to share more information than that, then he could feel free to do so of his own accord. For now, however, the man kept the topic light, mentioning how beautiful the trees in this town were. And he was right, both of them were lucky to see the leaves bloom and the flowers blossoming; it was absolutely gorgeous, and Balas was happy to meet someone else who could appreciate that.
"Yes, they're quite lovely this time of year. I especially love the katsura trees, though there doesn't seem to be any within our sight."
Katsura trees were one of Balas' favorite type of trees due to their unique hues. Unlike many other trees that change the color of their leaves to red in autumn, katsura trees had leaves that turned red in spring. It helped them stand out, especially to someone like Balas whose favorite colors were all shades of red!
The man leaned forward on his black gloves and let out a soft sigh. In doing so, Balas noticed an intricate symbol of a black eagle on the glove, the iconic crest of House Blake. He wouldn't be surprised if this man were a member, he certainly dressed finely enough. After his sigh, the man mentioned that this was his first time back in Hapshass since the Coral Peacock he knew passed away, confirming Balas' earlier suspicion. Unfortunately, being a magic knight was a dangerous job and one's life was just another of the risks that came with it. Still, perhaps Balas knew the lady who this man spoke of?
"My condolences. Might I ask her name? I may have known her, being in the same squad and such"
[attr="class","vailescroll"]"Ah, I see." [break][break] But how often did one truly ‘see’? How often did a stranger truly understand? Vaile didn’t reveal much else, the shadowed Blake only revealed what he wanted to. It was no good to show all your cards on the first play, after all. [break][break] He only nodded in response, crimson eyes drifting once again. Their conversation came to the trees, how beautiful they bloomed in the Spring. If spring could have been timeless, if only it could have lasted so much longer… The man spoke of katsura trees, whose leaves of red shined just so in the spring. Red, what an iconic color. It meant many things, from romance to bloodshed, to the color of crimson hair to the color of ruby eyes. [break][break] “Lovely indeed.” He complimented as if he could see those shades of rade in the distance. [break][break] It was then he revealed that yes, the Magic Knight he knew had passed away. [break][break] It happened, more often than it should in such a line of duty. Magic Knights dying. But she didn’t die in the line of duty, but she might as well lost her way because of what the Knights had done to her. That was close enough to dying… wasn’t it? [break][break] Vaile kept a neutral smile on his face. Tears would not come to him, there was no time to show such vulnerability, he had no chances left to show such weakness. His agenda was set now, his goal ahead of him. Distractions such emotion were no good to have. [break][break] "My condolences. [break][break] “Thank you,” Vaile breathed out, accepting words as they were. An inquiry came next. Who was she? [break][break] Shadows seemed to darken at the words, an essence so slight, a single blink could have missed their faltering. But it was still there, lingering in the dark. [break][break] “Her name was Vanilla.” Vaile said, crimson eyes drawing back to look at the Peacock again. “She was my older sister.” [break][break] The Magic Knights killed her. [break][break] Vaile shook his head, his smile still on his face. “She joined the squad a little before the War with Diamond, and then… retired after the war was over. And then, the Shattering occurred. She was lost.” [break][break] He summarized her achievements, no need to go any further. The young man probably wouldn’t have even heard of her, if he joined after the War. He looked young enough anyway.
[attr="class","updatebox"] Vanilla? It was a unique enough name that Balas was likely to remember it, but alas, he could not recall any other of the Coral Peacocks having that name. He was still relatively new to the Magic Knights and had not traveled around or gone on any important missions yet, so it wasn't too much of a surprise. Still, it was sad to tell the man that he did not know his older sister. [break][break] "Hmm... no, sorry, I didn't know her after all." [break][break] The man followed up by explaining that Vanilla joined up with the magic knights just before Clover went to war with Diamond and that she retired when it had finished. That would explain it; Balas himself was not able to join until after the war had ended; the only Coral Peacocks he knew were the ones who were still in the squad following the war and ones like himself who had joined more recently. [break][break] War had not been what killed her, and although Balas had no right to ask what exactly had happened to Vanilla, the man continued his explanation. She was a victim of The Shattering like many others, and Balas' face fiercened when told as much. While Balas personally had not been affected by The Shattering as far as he could tell, it still deeply affected him. It caused discourse and death throughout the entire kingdom, including the life of his very own captain. Balas' own sister had been changed by the Shattering as well; though still alive, the nature of her magic and personality are both now much more gloom. [break][break] Balas regretted that he could not do more to prevent The Shattering. Deep down within himself, he knew that someone like him was too weak to have actually done anything, but he blamed himself nonetheless. It was his duty to protect his family and ANYTHING that causes them harm is his responsibility to deal with. That was why he joined the magic knights; to get stronger so he could protect them from anything, from lowly bandits to the Arch-Daemon Asmodeus itself. [break][break] "I'm... Sorry to hear that. Vanilla is a true hero and I'll remember her forever. The Shattering has caused much grief throughout the country, but I hope it helps to know that we knights are working hard to help; we train and strive towards greatness to honor those such as Vanilla and make their families proud that she was a part of this." [break][break] Balas did feel a little bit hypocritical saying that as he was relaxing in town reading a book, but surely the man would understand that he was just having an off-day today. Balas really did spend most of his time studying or training with his magic and swordsmanship, and he meant every part of what he said. Being a part of the Magic Knights was something to be proud of, and if it wasn't then it was his duty as a member to make it something people could be proud of.
He didn’t know her. Not surprising. Expected. Vaile didn’t react much to the comment, his neutral expression remained. Getting lost in his head happened quite often enough, especially in conversation, especially when it was about her. He should have expected as much, even when he had decided to bring it up himself.
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But the day was good for reminiscing wasn’t it? A nice spring breeze, a clear blue sky, a good book to read… all things so little in the grand scheme that was life.
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Kind, honorable words came next. A vow to duty, to assure that her name would not be in vain. The young Knight had everything going for him, didn’t he? A desire to do good, a drive to be the best that he could be. Maybe the Order wasn’t so bad if it produced young people like this.
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He wanted to believe that anyway.
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“She would be proud to hear young knights like you say things like that.” Vaile breathed out again, leaning back in his chair. He sat more casually now as if the conversation had turned more interesting. He spoke the truth, because of no matter his feelings, that was how she would have felt. Even if he despised the Knights now, that wasn’t how she had felt about them. She believed in the Knights, it was why she was one of them.
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But he never had been, he had no loyalties to that Order.
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Perhaps he resented himself for having those feelings. But because she was gone, she couldn’t stop him from having them.
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“Has that ever stopped you before?”
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“So,” Vaile lifted his head, tilting it down towards the Knight. “May I ask, young sir… What was it that drew you into the Knights?” He’d told him enough, now he wanted something in exchange… Maybe a moment to see if the kid could prove useful, in the long run. Maybe it was wishful thinking.
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Then what other reason had he come to Hapshass that day? Other than to reminisce and to wallow in old memories and let the ghost in the mind haunt him some more? What was he doing then? Messing with kids?
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“My sister always felt a sense of duty, to protect others… I admired her for that. And the Knights she often worked with shared that same honor.”
[break][break]Vaile paused.
[break][break] “But not everyone always did. Everyone has their reasons for becoming a Knight, but not everyone has the same honorable intentions. I suppose that was why I never joined.” Vaile chuckled, casually. “I think I’m too much of a cynic.”
[attr="class","updatebox"] Balas was glad to hear that Vanilla was the type of person who would be proud of his words for her. It was true that he was still young and inexperienced in the world, but respect and honor were two things Balas understood very well. He smiled as the man leaned back and took a more casual position in his chair, satisfied that he had caused no offense. You never could truly tell how an individual would react to topics like these. [break][break] The man had a question of his own next; he was curious what Balas' own reasons were for joining up with the magic knights. Everyone that joined had a reason, though some had much simpler reasons than others. For Balas, his reason for joining the knights was of the simple category. He wanted to be strong enough to keep his family safe. [break][break] "Of course. It is my goal in life to be able to protect my family from any possible threat, and being in with the Magic Knights means that I get to both grow stronger and serve my country at the same time. On top of that, being a member of the Coral Peacocks specifically allows me to study and grow in more ways than just my body, so it's been working out fairly well for me thus far." [break][break] The man then mentioned how Vanilla was a very honorable person, and that she had a great sense of duty as well. The need to protect others had been present within her as it was with many knights, such as Balas himself. Unfortunately, however, there were plenty of ignoble Magic Knights throughout the country who held dishonest motives and beliefs, along with the vast majority of citizens who plainly had no interest in becoming a knight. The man cited the latter as his personal reason for not becoming a knight, and Balas couldn't blame him for it. Becoming a knight was something a person had to want, he just wished those with ill-intent would have no intent to join! [break][break] "To each, their own; being a knight definitely is not for everyone, but I enjoy it." Balas paused for a moment to think before continuing, bowing in his seat as he spoke. "By the way, Mister, we have yet to exchange names. I am Balas Kasai, at your service."
[attr="class","vailescroll"]"Of course.” [break][break] Of course. He was a good young knight, he had good intentions. He had all the makings of a diligent, hard-working, and dutiful Magic Knight. Vaile supposed he shouldn’t have been so surprised, not when he was faced with a member of the House Kasai. [break][break] Ardere Kasai was a name that came to mind all too quickly. The brash, reckless knight that lead the Crimson Lion, and one of Vanilla’s comrades in arms. Though, the young Balas before him had a better sense of patience to his mind than the leader of the lions… [break][break] “I congratulate you on becoming a Knight young sir, not everyone who dreams of the Order always gets to fulfill that wish.” Vaile added, raising his hand slightly. His half-smile betrayed those resentful wishes he had on his own. “You do have something to be proud of, and a great future ahead of you if you work as hard as you say.” [break][break] Who was he to say such things? To wish a good future, to say that hope was still there? He had no place, he knew that all too well. But for every actor, there was a man who pulled the strings. It was just that he hid behind his own shadow, telling lies like they were his truth. No one could tell the difference, not if they weren’t looking. [break][break] He told his lies rather well. [break][break] "To each, their own;” [break][break] Ah, perhaps he understood. Not for everyone, the duty of a Knight was. But for those who cursed themselves with such an honor… It could only lead to a life of pain one could hardly imagine. Protecting one person, if that was just enough, then maybe he could’ve been a Knight himself. [break][break] But life was always traded for another, an absolute rule, an equivalent exchange, perhaps. [break][break] “Do what feels right, you’ll find your way in life.” [break][break] If only he would listen to his own advice. [break][break] "By the way, Mister,” [break][break] A name, he was finally given one. Balas, and of course, Kasai, Vaile had already guessed so. The silver-haired man nodded, giving a short bow of his head in turn. “Vaile Valentine, of House Blake.” But chuckled a bit as his introduction. “I’m only half a noble, young Sir Kasai, but they let me claim the name because of my sister.” A half-truth, but details were ultimately too complicated to explain.
[break][break] “What’s happening in the squad these days? After the War and then the Shatter, I didn’t follow the Peacocks. I hear their new captain is rather different than the old. Though, can’t say you would have recalled Glenda or ‘Suke.” Names of the time before the Shatter, the former Captain herself and the latter, once a Vice-Captain, and… the once lover of his sister. Vanilla had left her mark on the Peacocks, as much as they were are a part of herself that she wanted to leave behind. But as the next generation of Knight came in, there were fewer and fewer to recall such history. [break][break] Perhaps it was best forgotten.
[attr="class","updatebox"] It was nice to hear the man congratulate him on his knighthood, so Balas smiled at his words. Hearing it from a civilian rather than someone from his own family was a good confidence booster, especially considering that the man had a family member of his own in the magic knights. Balas knew that he had a long road ahead of himself, but he was absolutely willing to put in the effort and work as hard as he needed to make everyone proud. He now had both a literal family and squadmates in the Coral Peacocks to protect and impress.
"Thank you, I do. I very much look forward to that future."
Once the topic of conversation had changed to that of introductions, Balas finally learned the name of the man he had been speaking with. He was Vaile Valentine, and indeed from House Blake. Vaile further elaborated that he considered himself a half noble, and was only a member of House Blake due to his sister. It was an interesting detail and uncommon enough, but there were a few ways such a thing could come about. While some explanations for such a thing were tame, others were quite embarrassing or scandalous even, so Balas decided not to press for the exact details.
"Ah, I might have guessed as much from your attire."
Now that the two of them were formally introduced to one another, they began discussing the squad. Vaile admitted that he had not been keeping up with the Coral Peacocks since The Shattering, and he was right about things being a bit different.
"Things certainly have changed after The Shatter. Mind you, I'm still relatively new to the Magic Knights, so I don't know all the little intricacies of the changes as fully as my seniors. But losing a captain... that is not easy. I have nothing against Captain Aika, but Silas-- I just wish I could have known him better before..."
Balas let out a sigh and took a sip of his tea. He regretted that he didn't more about those who lost their lives to the Shatter, especially those within his own squad. It would definitely need to be something he looked into more in the future.
"I do believe I know of them, Glenda at least, but I cannot say I know them personally. She was a captain on the squad as well, if I'm not mistaken."
