Here I am, starting yet another fic… I'll probably get killed by my readers at some point… However, ideas shouldn't simply stay in my head, should they?

A little info about the story:
Pairing: Luck/OC
Timeline: Before the Black Clover begins – Luck and Magna's Knight Exam is our starting point
Updates: slow, mostly prompted by the active readers and reviews
Word count: 4k+ for each chapter
Beta: none

I'll be looking forward to any feedback you guys give :)

Chapter 1: The pilot

"No offers."

Her eyes, scrunched up closed in a silent prayer until that very second, opened slowly. The air she'd held in her lungs released in a quick rush. She looked up, up, up at the stoic captains sitting in their high chairs, their companions behind them. They were all looking down at her, like some kind of high judges in a trial.

No offers, her brain told her. Get out of there. But, she couldn't feel her legs. There was shouting behind her, murmuring, telling her to get out of the way. Maybe it had been too early. She'd just received her grimoire, after all. They'd told her not to rush. Her parents had warned her. Her friends had told her. If you want to become a Knight you need to train properly. You need to be able to fight. Yet, she couldn't. She wasn't the conflict type, simply put. She was the resolving type. Sure, she could hold her own, but against others from her village. When she'd faced against that noble, she hadn't had a chance.

It was over. The young girl took a breath, then nodded to herself, and to the captains sitting above her. She spared them one more glance, taking in their stoic faces.

"Alright," she said to herself, nodding once more. "Alright." The girl clenched her fists at her sides, taking in a calming breath and then turning to leave. "To hell with it," she whipped around, hair billowing like a cloak. Her hand shot up, finger pointing at the centermost captain, the one from the Golden Dawn. "You'll all regret this when I become the best doctor in the kingdom! I'll show you 'no offers' my arse!" Laughter rang out from the other examinees behind her, the colleagues behind the captains moved for their grimoires, ready to retaliate if she chose to attack, but all the girl did was lower her arm, spin on her heel, and walk out of the arena with her head held high.

She walked down the street, breathing hard from the adrenaline rush. Had she done something wrong? Not really. The broom test she was certain she'd passed. She had great control of her magic, one of the best in her village, and judging by how the rest of the contenders had done, her flight had been among the steadiest overall. She hadn't been able to shoot magic into a wall. That might've been her downfall. Hitting multiple moving targets had also been a problem. Her magic wasn't meant for that. She hadn't been able to do it. She had never been able to do it. Though, she'd made a splendid set of scalpels out of her magic, if she dared say so. That had definitely been a passing task. She couldn't have done any better there. The seed she'd grown, as well. It was a simple matter of pouring magic into a seed and making it a full-fledged plant. She'd grown a proper flower from it. So, had it been the duel that had done her in? She'd been a fool to accept that noble's challenge, after all. He'd blasted her into a wall before she could even pull out her grimoire to fight back.

The girl shook her head and then stopped, in the middle of the street. Where was the water coming from? She looked up, the clear, sunny skies of the Clover Kingdom greeting her, as if ironically. They were sneering down at her, cheery in face of her disappointment and disgrace. Her hand rose to her cheek, feeling the steady stream of water. It wasn't rain, it was just her. She was raining. She was crying. Finally, the girl gave in to the urge she'd held in since the results of the exam had been announced. She let herself sob and cry loudly, wiping furiously at her eyes to remove all the damned water. She could almost feel the stares from the onlookers, digging into her skin uncomfortably.

It took her a moment to compose herself. Well, that was a lie. It took her more than a few moments to get her crying under control. But, once the tears stopped, they stopped for real. She took a breath, leaning against the wall of the alley she'd moved to in order to cry away from prying eyes. The thoughts about the exam wouldn't leave her head. What she could've done better. How she could've passed if she'd nailed a few more tests. Maybe if she'd been rude and rejected the noble's challenge she might've passed. She couldn't help but think about all of those things, no matter how desperately she was trying to push those thoughts away into the back of her mind.

"What's done is done," the young girl told herself, nodding, her cheeks tear-stained and nose still runny. She knew that her eyes were red, they always got red when she cried, and she was certain that her pale face had dark red splotches all over it, as it always did when she got upset. If there was one thing she was glad about, it was how she'd managed to yell at the captains without losing her composure, as mortifying as the desperate shouting seemed to her at that moment, after she'd calmed down a bit. There was always next year. But, she needed to make sure she felt good and chipper before she went home. So, the girl decided to do the reasonable thing – head out to the Black Market and check out some of the useful magic items there.

Digging into the pouch around her waist, the teen found what she was looking for, a small brown bag containing her life savings. It wasn't a lot, but she was allowed to splurge a bit in order to make herself feel better. Besides, she'd been meaning to check out the assortment of goods on the infamous Market whether she passed the exam or not. She dug around the light coin bag in her pouch, pulling out a piece of paper. Zipping up the pouch, she brought the crumpled page in front of her and unfolded it.

It was a ripped paper from one of her novels, which had provided her with all the knowledge about the city. On it was a map to the Black Market, the treasure trove of all magic items, both legal and illegal. She was sure to get chewed out by the village librarian, Charles, when she came home to return the page, but she didn't care much. He was always yelling at her for being overdue on medical books anyways, this would be their usual routine, perhaps with a bit more yelling. Besides, with his Paper Magic, he could put the page back where it belonged without much effort, as well.

Finding the portal in the wall hadn't been easy. The directions weren't too clear on the map, and the wall in question didn't stay in one place, protecting the location of the Black Market. But, she managed to find it in less than two hours, and indeed, it truly was a treasure trove. She stood at the entrance of the buzzing market for a second, looking around in awe. Unlike the rest of the city, which was filled with sunshine and smiles, the Black Market was dimly lit, in narrow passages filled with multiple stalls of clearly questionable goods and it exuded some kind of mysterious air. There was thick magic in the air, which made breathing kind of difficult, yet also easy. It was an odd mixture of things and caused a weird vortex of feelings to well up inside of her. Though, excitement prevailed.

"Get your wands here!"

"Care for a palm reading, young miss?"

"This necklace will amplify your magic!"

"Gather, gather, and behold the marvel of the magic suppressing fruit!"

All thoughts of the previously failed exam faded in her mind as she walked through the narrow streets, stopping ever so often in order to take a closer look at specific items. There were wands that could contain and focus your magic, which she briefly considered purchasing. If the exam next year would be shooting a target, as well, she could ace it with an item like that. Though, were magical items allowed during the exam? She hadn't seen a single person using one. Then, if that was the case, it would have to be something more inconspicuous than a wand.

Her eyes briefly darted to the old lady in a corner, who was offering to read a person's fortune. That kind of magic had never really appealed to her. After all, her mother was the village's quack fortune teller. She was infamous in the region for giving one single accurate prediction ages ago, before she'd even been born. Something about the current Wizard King, back then the captain of the Azure Deers. But, one accurate prediction didn't make a prophecy. Her mother was nothing but a fraud with a deck of cards. She couldn't even tell the weather for the next day. Yet, no matter the quacky nature of her parent, the girl loved her dearly. So, she opted to take a chance on the old, wrinkly lady in the corner and support her mother's profession in a sense.

"How much for a palm reading?" The girl asked, coming up to the low table the old lady sat behind. The glazed eyes took her in, as if measuring her monetary status.

"300 for a telling of your future and 80 for a telling of your fortune." The old lady's voice was crackly, as if someone was scratching their nails along a blackboard, like they had at the only school in the area, a few villages from her own.

"That's a rip-off if I've ever seen one, granny," the girl sighed, shaking her head. "I'll take both for 150 yul, but no more." The old lady blinked slowly, then laughed in a crackly voice.

"Let's settle for 200 for both and I'll take it," she told the girl.

"Deal," the girl grinned, sitting down. It was still expensive, but she could pay it. Besides, she was rather curious as to what the lady would tell her. Putting half of the money on the table, the girl extended her hand.

"Tell me your name, child," the old lady instructed.

"Nova Goldin, fifteen. I was born on the first of December."

"Oh, it's not the first time you've done this, is it?"

"My mother is a fortune teller," Nova told the old lady with a small smile as her bony fingers took the girl's hand in a surprisingly strong grip. "So, I'll be able to tell if you're pulling my leg."

"I wouldn't dare do so," the lady smiled, looking at the lines of Nova's palm. "Let's see then… You've been through your fair share of disappointments in the past. You've tried and failed in your ambition. The failure was recent. However, that is about to change. You are going to meet three men. One will be your path to glory. The second will be your path to knowledge. And, the third… the third will be your path to fulfillment."

Nova sat still, listening to the lady's words carefully. While these sentences seemed entirely too vague, they were also mostly spot-on. Truly, she'd had her fair share of hurdles that she'd had to overcome in the past. And, indeed, she'd had a recent failure. That very day, in fact. However, the future interested her. Three men, was it? She would have to keep an eye out on that.

"Do you want me to tell you more of your future? About your partner or children?" The old fortune-teller asked.

"No," the girl immediately declined. "Some parts of the future are meant to be enjoyed slowly," she smiled at the old lady. "Tell me about my ambition. Will I be able to fulfill my dreams?"

"Ah, you favor ambition over love, that's quite rare in this world." The fortune-teller mused.

"I don't favor it, per se," Nova mused slowly. "It's more like, I'd rather know if it's the time to push on or to give in to the tide? Love, it will come with time. Besides, I'd want to leave that part a mystery. It should be an adventure enjoyed in a timely fashion, shouldn't it?"

"That's also a preference," the lady laughed. "Well, if your success is the thing you wish to know about, you needn't worry. You simply need to allow things to happen. The three men you will meet will certainly be a turning point in your life. They aren't a forked road, either, but an intertwined one. Do not choose, but let your heart lead you. If you remain true to what you feel, you will surely achieve your ambitions." The lady patted her hand, giving it back to her. Nova reached into her pouch, taking out the remaining 100 yul and handing them over to the fortune teller.

"Thank you very much for your time, ma'am." With a small polite bow, the girl stood, her heart a tad lighter. The old lady waved to her as she left, but Nova's mind was already on another matter entirely. A man who would lead her to glory. A man who would lead her to knowledge. A man who would lead her to fulfillment. Somewhere in her future. Why did they all have to be men? She didn't know and she surely wasn't about to dwell on the old lady's reading. She'd heard from her mother how fortune-telling was mostly a suggestion. It led people to strive for what they were told they could or couldn't do. In the end, the future which they made for themselves depended on their actions. All that the reading would do was steer them in a specific direction, of their own making in the end.

"Take a look at this assortment of cursed tools, miss!" A seller yelled from Nova's left. She glanced that way, taking in the numerous items. "Come closer, take a look!" She politely shook her head, getting ready to go past the stall, when a specific item caught her view. She walked over, making a beeline for the cursed object. It was a scalpel, a ten blade by her estimate, with an inscription on the handle. "You have an eye for fine objects, miss! This is the infamous scalpel of the Surgeon of Death himself! The ten blade which he used to-"

"Curse his victims into submission." Nova finished for him. She looked up at the vendor, doing her best to keep her face from betraying her excitement. The Surgeon of Death, while a horrible mage with a terrifying reputation for his murder spree, was also one of the pioneers when it came to both general and cardiac surgery. He had left behind him so many detailed books on anatomy and the procedures which could be performed in order to both save and ruin a life. His only fault was, in Nova's opinion, that he'd used one too many curses during those surgeries to plant suggestions into his patients.

"A fine eye indeed and vast knowledge, miss! I'd be willing to let this blade go for a low price of a thousand yul!" The vendor told her. Nova scoffed.

"You praise my knowledge, only to insult it," she countered. "This blade can only be used for a specific type of surgery and only by certain mages. It's not nearly worth that much to me." It was worth even more. After all, she could use it herself. Yet, the vendor didn't know that. Even as a collector's item, it was worth at least a thousand yul. But, Nova didn't learn her haggling skills in vain.

"Alright, miss, let us negotiate," the vendor smirked, obviously eager to cheat her out of her money. "Give me a price, miss, let's talk." They were gathering a crowd. Obviously, haggling wasn't such a common occurrence at the Black Market.

"300 yul for the blade," Nova took a stab at a ridiculously low price, making the vendor scoff at her. "I'm from a small village, sir. I don't have unlimited funds."

"Come on, miss. Surely you can raise that a bit more?" He offered. "At least 700 yul!" It was Nova's turn to scoff theatrically.

"I don't have that much, sir! 250!" The vendor balked.

"Now, now, miss, bringing the price down even further gets us nowhere!"

"220?"

"500!"

"200?"

"450!"

"200."

"350!" The vendor made the vital mistake, his hand rising to cover his mouth as soon as he realized he'd gone down too much on the price.

"Sold!" Nova shouted excitedly. "Marked and sold!" The crowd around her clapped as the vendor attempted to back out of his offer. Yet, it had been a marked price, and Nova had agreed to it. She took out the money, handing it to the sulking man. Then, carefully, she took out a surgical glove from her pouch and picked up the blade. She could feel the magic radiating from the object in her hand. Nova wrapped it in a handkerchief that used to hold her loaf of bread, and then placed it into her pouch. "Thank you very much, sir." The girl grinned at the vendor.

"Robbed me blind, miss, robbed me blind." The vendor laughed, shooing her away. Nova chuckled, waving and walking onwards down the market. Her coin purse was much lighter, but she didn't regret her purchases. Both the fortune-telling and the scalpel had been nice additions to her collection of knowledge and items.

That was when the screaming happened. Nova stopped short in her tracks, turning around to see the source of the commotion. A man was on the floor, writhing in pain, holding his chest. Along with the other customers and vendors, Nova walked towards the scene on the ground, watching as the onlookers commented about the situation.

"I told him not to touch the item!" The young girl who was the vendor of the stall in front of which the scene was unfolding looked ready to cry. "It's a cursed collector's item! Merely touching it activates the spell!" Nova glanced from one onlooker to the other, seeing them only comment on the situation and not attempt to help at all.

"Damn it all!" Nova cursed under her breath, pushing through the crowd and dropping to her knees next to the writhing man.

"Don't touch him, miss, the curse might be able to spread!" one of the onlookers told her in a worried tone.

"I'm more worried about his state than that possibility," Nova countered, lowering her ear to the man's chest. There was no heartbeat. The man had stopped writhing. Nova felt her mind go blank and the sounds around her vanish completely. The panicking crowd seemed to be a thing of the past. In her consciousness, there was only the still heart in front of her. That was when her knowledge kicked in. It flowed through her, moving her limbs on instinct alone, without a pause, in complete and utter silence.

The curse had delivered blunt trauma like effects on the heart, causing it to stop. The only way to go was with an emergency thoracotomy. Her hands flew in a blur of motions, reaching for her tools from the pouch. Without another thought in her head, the girl cut apart the shirt which the man was wearing, then applied a quick disinfection spell on the area, her grimoire leaving the pocket at the front of her shirt. It rose, open in the air next to her, as the girl began manually cracking the man's chest. She quickly went through the stages described in her book, properly cutting the sternum with the Gigli saw, then exposing the chest cavity. Next, she lifted the pericardium and reached her intended destination, the clots. She quickly tossed them out with both hands, careful not to damage anything. Nova spotted the source of the bleed and grabbed the supplies from her kit, quickly sewing the wound shut. Yet, the heart didn't beat. She reached in, giving the heart a manual massage in an attempt to restart it. Soon, there was a small tremor along her hand and the organ began beating again. That was when the man began waking up, resuming his writhing on the ground.

"Someone knock him out!" Nova yelled, and immediately one of the onlookers stepped forward, using a spell to knock out the man on the floor. The girl removed her hands from the open chest, taking a deep breath as all the sounds returned around her. There was a shellshocked member of the Green Mantis standing next to her, looking slightly out of breath. "You!" Nova addressed him. "Do you know any healing spells?"

"A-ah, yes, they called me over to help." The knight seemed to snap out of his shock and knelt down, his grimoire floating as he performed his healing magic, the chest slowly closing over the beating heart and the damage from the emergency surgery repairing itself. Nova felt the adrenaline leaving her system, her limbs beginning to shake with the aftereffects, and the girl allowed herself to fall back on the ground, her hands going behind to her body to prop her up. Indeed, surgery was the best high of all, Nova sighed to herself.

"That was some splendid first-aid there, miss!" one of the onlookers commented, coming over to her as the crowd began to disperse. Nova looked up, taking in the man. He was in his forties, with rather unassuming and unmemorable features. His hair was messy, falling around his angular face in curls and his eyes were a dull brown. By his clothing, she guessed him to be from the Common Realm. The old lady's prediction briefly crossed her mind, but Nova brushed it off.

"Thanks," she said, standing up. The girl cast an easy spell which removed her surgical gloves, cleaned her instruments and repacked them. Then, she closed her pouch and returned her grimoire into the binds which held it against her breast.

"Say, would you tell me a bit more about your magic?" The man was following her, falling into step with her. "I'd treat you to a drink, of course!" Nova frowned, looking over at the unassuming man.

"No thanks, you're really not my type, mister." The man balked at that, but didn't give up.

"I'm not hitting on you, I promise! I'm just curious about how you did what you did," he promised, raising his hands as if in surrender. Nova stopped in her tracks, making the man halt, as well, and took him in from head to toe. She deduced, if it came down to it, she could take him in a fight.

"Alright," the girl agreed.

"I know a place with great coffee and teas nearby, if that's alright with you?" the man told her, this time him leading their walk. Nova nodded. "I'm Elian, by the way, what about you?"

"Nova," she offered her name.

"That's a pretty name!" The man seemed a bit too eager for her liking. "So, why are you in Kikka? For the Knight's Exam? You seem pretty young to be travelling alone." Nova wondered why in the world she'd decided to entertain the man. Perhaps, it had been the old lady's prediction. On the other hand, maybe the open and rather honest excitement about her magic had been the deciding factor. All in all, she was in it now.

"I never said I was alone," Nova shrugged. "Besides, I agreed to tell you about my magic, not indulge my whole life story." Elian laughed.

"Not very trusting with strangers, are you?" He seemed to take her comment in stride. "Well then, let me offer some information about myself and maybe I'll no longer be a stranger?" Nova shrugged, but that didn't deter the chipper man either. "I'm here on business, you could say. I work at the Royal Capital in business, mostly paperwork. But, I have to admit that I love learning about different odd magic that people possess. Yours is particularly interesting! Gosh, am I glad I took the time to be here on business today!"

Nova didn't reply, but it seemed that Elian didn't need a conversation partner. He kept talking about the business he worked in, some kind of accounting and task management which was beyond her understanding, and the odd magic he'd encountered on his travels through the years, all the way to the local café. And, if the girl was being honest, she didn't mind his loudness or openness one bit. In fact, she quite enjoyed it.

That's all folks! Let me know what you think and I'll do my best to update soon :)