Hage Village...
Grimoire Tower...
To avoid unwanted attention and prevent a royal commotion,
Ben had changed into a simple, stealthy outfit—
Dark cloak, ordinary tunic, and his royal insignia tucked away.
His hair was slightly tousled,
And he wore a relaxed look as he slipped quietly into the Grimoire Tower and blended in with the crowd.
Inside, the tall circular chamber was filled with anticipation.
Dozens of young witches and wizards—
Boys and girls from nearby villages—
Stood in small groups, nervously chatting, straightening their robes, or glancing up at the countless grimoires resting high on the floating shelves above.
Near the centre,
"____"
Yuno stood silently, hands in his pockets, golden eyes sharp but unreadable as always.
His calm aura set him apart from the rest.
He didn't speak, didn't smile—
But his presence demanded attention.
Meanwhile,
On the opposite side of the hall,
Asta could hardly contain himself.
He bounced on his heels like an overcharged spring.
"Today's the day!"
He kept whispering to himself.
"I'm gonna get a grimoire! Finally, my magic's gonna wake up! I'm gonna become a Magic Knight! Wizard King, here I come!"
Some nearby kids chuckled at his enthusiasm.
Chuckle~
Others rolled their eyes, clearly not believing the magicless boy had a chance.
But Asta paid them no mind.
Just then, the main entrance creaked open, and an elderly man in long robes walked to the front—
His smile was warm, and his aura calm.
"Welcome, welcome... my dear young aspiring mages!"
Said Tower Master Drouot, his voice echoing across the hall.
His long white beard swayed as he stepped onto the elevated platform.
"Today is a day to remember! For it is the day you shall receive your grimoires and take your first step toward greatness!"
The room buzzed with excitement.
"And allow me to share a piece of inspiration with you,"
Drouot added with a gleam in his eye.
"Do you know that even our current King—His Majesty Benjamin Salvador Kira—received his grimoire right here in this very tower... just last year?"
Gasps and excited murmurs spread through the young crowd.
"That's right,"
The old man nodded proudly.
Nod~
"I remember that day vividly. A determined young man with sharp eyes and humble robes stood among all of you, and today... he leads our kingdom."
Ben, standing in the back with his hood slightly down, smirked silently, shaking his head.
'That old man never misses a chance to brag about it.'
Unaware of the king's presence among them,
The crowd returned their attention to Drouot, whose voice was now rising as the ceremony neared its climax.
"Now then... let the Grimoire Selection begin!"
As he raised his hands, glowing lights burst forth from the upper levels,
And one by one, grimoires began floating down toward their destined owners.
With a magical hum,
The air inside the Grimoire Tower shimmered, and radiant beams of different colours began to descend from the countless floating books above.
Each glowing light drifted slowly toward its destined recipient, carrying a grimoire chosen by fate itself.
Gasps and cheers echoed around the chamber as one by one, students caught their grimoires.
"Whoa! Mine has a blue glow—must be water magic!"
"Look at mine—it's so thick! That means it's powerful, right?"
"Oooh, mine's got a silver trim! That has to be rare!"
Clusters of kids gathered in excitement,
Some compared the size, some the thickness, some the cover designs, while others flipped through the first few empty pages, grinning like they'd won the lottery.
But not Asta.
"____"
He stood in the middle of it all, his eyes darting around the room as grimoires flew past him—
Toward everyone else.
"Come on, come on… please…"
He mumbled desperately, stretching out his hands like he could catch one if it just got close enough.
But nothing came.
One minute passed.
Then another.
People started to notice.
A few chuckled.
A few exchanged pitying looks.
Some whispered loudly enough to be heard.
"Did he really think he'd get a grimoire with no magic?"
"Poor guy's still waiting? That's just sad but funny."
"I heard he's from the orphanage. Figures…"
Asta gritted his teeth, fists clenched at his side.
His earlier energy and confidence were cracking.
Just when it felt like the room might break into laughter again,
A sudden surge of golden light flooded the chamber, brighter than all the others combined.
The brilliance was so intense, everyone shielded their eyes.
"____"
"____"
"____"
"W-What is that light?!"
"It's coming from the ceiling—something's descending!"
Floating down slowly through the shining radiance was a grimoire unlike any other—
Its leather-bound cover was adorned with intricate patterns of gold and emerald.
As the glow dimmed, the unmistakable four-leaf clover symbol shone at its centre.
The room fell silent.
"____"
Even the mockers stared in stunned disbelief.
"It's a... four-leaf clover grimoire…"
"Legend says only someone truly chosen by mana itself gets that kind…"
The radiant grimoire drifted straight into Yuno's hands, landing gently like it had waited years for this moment.
His calm expression didn't change much, but his eyes sparkled as he held it—
Reverent, yet ready.
All attention turned to him in awe and admiration.
Except one.
"____"
Asta, who now stood frozen amidst the silence.
His wide eyes, once filled with hope, now brimmed with shock and heartbreak.
The whispers were gone—
But the silence hurt even more.
He had gotten nothing.
He looked down at his empty hands.
Everyone else had received their grimoire.
Everyone... but him.
While cheers and admiration filled the Grimoire Tower, no one noticed the one boy slipping away quietly.
Asta, devastated, walked out with heavy steps, his clenched fists trembling, his breath shaky.
The glow of everyone else's success stung his eyes worse than any magic could.
From afar, Father Orsi and Sister Lily watched helplessly.
They knew how hard Asta had trained.
How much he had believed. And now…
"…Asta,"
Lily whispered softly, tears threatening to well in her own eyes.
They wanted to go after him, but before they could, someone else had already moved.
Ben, still dressed in his discreet, commoner-like cloak, followed silently.
His pace was calm but firm, eyes locked on Asta's shrinking silhouette.
"Asta!"
He called out gently.
But Asta didn't stop.
He couldn't.
He ran.
It's like he wanted to escape the reality before him.
Out of sight from the others, past the stone steps, past the outer path, into the grass-covered clearing behind the tower… and then—
THUD!
Asta tripped over a gnarled tree root and fell to his knees, the dry dirt smearing his cloak.
His wooden sword clattered beside him.
For a moment, he just sat there.
Then—
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
His heart shattered.
"____"
Tears burst from his eyes like a dam breaking, as he gripped the earth beneath him.
"…You lied…"
He whispered between sobs.
Ben stood just a few feet away, silently watching.
Asta didn't look up.
"You lied to me…!"
Asta screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks, teeth clenched in pain.
"You said I'd get a grimoire! That I'd awaken my magic! That if I trained, it would happen! I believed you!"
He turned to Ben with eyes full of anguish.
"But I didn't get ANYTHING! N-Nothing! Why? WHY?!"
His voice cracked.
"I worked so hard… harder than anyone… and still…"
Ben walked forward, slow and steady, until he was right beside Asta.
"____"
He didn't say anything at first.
Instead, he knelt down, resting one hand on Asta's shoulder, letting the silence speak before words did.
Then, softly, he replied.
"I didn't lie to you, Asta."
"But—"
Asta began, voice trembling.
"I told you that your path would be difficult."
Ben said.
"I told you it wouldn't come easily. And I told you to never give up. Getting a grimoire is not the end of your journey—it's just one part."
Asta lowered his head, still crying quietly.
"____"
Ben reached into his cloak, pulled out a cloth, and gently wiped the dirt and tears from the boy's face.
"I know it hurts. I know right now, it feels like the world has turned its back on you. But this moment doesn't define who you are."
Ben looked at him with quiet conviction.
"You do."
Asta stared back at him, eyes wide, body still trembling.
"And if fate hasn't handed you your power yet,"
Ben added,
"Maybe it's because the power that's coming to you… is something no ordinary grimoire can contain."
The evening sky burned crimson, casting long shadows across the edges of Hage Village.
The Grimoire Ceremony had long since ended, and silence lingered in the air like a sigh after a long day.
Ben and Asta remained seated beneath the tree, a quietness between them—
Until a mocking laugh sliced through the stillness.
Kekeke~
"Heh… a four-leaf grimoire, huh? Lucky brat… looks like I hit the jackpot."
Ben and Asta both turned toward the sound.
Their eyes narrowed as it echoed from beyond the nearby stone wall.
Asta's brows furrowed.
Ben was already standing.
They exchanged a glance—
And leapt.
With ease, they climbed the crumbling wall and peeked over the edge.
What they saw made Asta's heart drop.
Yuno was chained by rusted iron, his body slumped, but his eyes still burning with defiance.
His four-leaf grimoire floated just inches from the hand of a sneering man cloaked in tattered brown robes, his eyes wild and teeth yellowed.
"Even if I can't use it… Someone out there would pay a fortune just to own it."
He laughed again, turning the grimoire slowly in his hand, almost reverently.
"Rich nobles love to collect rare grimoires… I'm going to be filthy rich."
Asta's body tensed with rage, his fists clenched tightly.
"____"
But just as he was about to leap forward—
Ben placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Asta,"
He said calmly.
"This is your time."
Asta turned to him, eyes wide.
"____"
Ben's voice was steady, his gaze unwavering.
"If you want to become a wizard… if you want the world to hear your voice—this is where it begins."
"But… I don't even have a grimoire—"
Ben interrupted, kneeling beside him.
"Maybe. But your magic isn't written on pages."
He placed a hand gently on Asta's chest.
"Your magic is here. The magic of never giving up."
Asta's breath caught in his throat.
"____"
Ben smiled and stood and vanished, leaving behind his words while his body turned into many ravens and flew off.
Caw~ Caw~
"I won't interfere. This is your fight. Go show them what you're made of."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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