The warm light of dusk bathed the churchyard.
Yuuki and Yuno watched Sister Lily's retreating back, both wearing equally troubled expressions.
It looked like they'd have to wash all those clothes again—properly this time.
"Damn it! I failed again!"
Asta climbed out of the shallow pit, dripping wet and covered in mud, yelling in frustration.
"Quit whining already," Yuuki sighed, glancing at him helplessly. "If we don't finish washing the clothes before dinner, we're going to bed hungry."
Yuno followed beside him, his voice calm as ever.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Sister Lily is a member of the clergy. She can't get married. And besides, you're fifteen—you can't get married either."
"I'm not giving up! Oww—oww…"
Asta clenched his fists with fierce determination—only for his expression to twist in pain a moment later as he grabbed his shoulder and let out a pained grunt.
That hit from Sister Lily's Water Magic had clearly left its mark.
"Idiot," Yuno muttered flatly.
"What was that, Yuno!?" Asta shouted, stomping toward him.
But Yuno wasn't in the mood for another argument. He simply started gathering the dirtied clothes from the line.
"Alright, Asta," Yuuki cut in, his tone gentle but firm. "Now's not the time to fight. Could you go fetch a bucket of water?"
"…Fine, Yuuki."
Though still annoyed, Asta shot Yuno a glare, then grabbed an empty wooden bucket and stomped off toward the well behind the church.
Watching him leave, Yuuki smirked faintly. "You know, Yuno, for someone who calls Asta loud, your mouth's pretty sharp yourself."
Yuno's hands paused for a moment—but he said nothing and continued working silently.
Yuuki shrugged and went back to collecting the rest of the clothes.
There were quite a few hanging on the line, but between the two of them, the work didn't take long. Soon, every last piece was piled neatly into the large wooden tub.
Now all that was left was to wait for Asta to bring back the water so they could rewash everything.
After a brief silence, Yuno looked over at Yuuki, his expression hesitant.
"…What is it? You've got something on your mind?"
Yuuki stretched his shoulders lazily, then turned around just in time to catch Yuno's uncertain gaze. He smiled knowingly.
"Back in our race, you suddenly got faster for a moment. How'd you do that?"
Yuno asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes, though he looked a little embarrassed to ask.
"Oh, that?" Yuuki said, understanding at once. "It's a burst technique—a way of manipulating mana. How should I put it…"
He paused to find the right words, then continued.
"Basically, it's about compressing and releasing your mana. You focus that power at your feet to create an explosive burst of speed for a short time. But it's trickier than Mana Skin. You have to control both the timing and the output precisely, or the recoil will mess you up. One mistake, and you'll hurt yourself."
Yuno's eyes brightened with realization.
It wasn't a complicated technique—just another way to handle mana. But still, in their environment, knowledge like this was rare. True "magical theory" was something only nobles and royals had access to.
Seeing Yuno lost in thought, Yuuki's brow furrowed slightly.
"Listen, Yuno," he said, his tone turning unusually serious. "A technique is just a technique. Whether it's Mana Skin or that burst move—it's only a tool."
"A Magic Knight's foundation is magic itself. Don't lose sight of what really matters."
At that moment, Yuuki suddenly realized something—without even noticing, he'd been influencing Yuno. The boy was starting to focus too much on technique.
Yuuki had developed these mana techniques out of necessity. Without a grimoire of his own, he could only rely on clever tricks to make up for his lack of offensive power. His mana didn't naturally lend itself to attack spells, so he had to compensate through precision and control.
That, in fact, was the very reason he had never lost a match against Asta or Yuno.
But Yuuki understood better than anyone—magic and mana were the true essence of a mage.
Techniques, when you stripped them down, were merely stopgaps—temporary measures to make up for insufficient mana or undeveloped magic.
Especially for someone like Yuno, blessed with immense mana and natural talent, wasting effort on such tricks was like trading gold for gravel.
What's more—Yuno's Wind Magic wasn't suited for close combat like Asta's Anti-Magic, Captain Yami's Dark Magic, or "Big Sis" Mereoleona's Fire Magic. Those were brawler-type magics, built for direct clashes.
Yuno blinked at Yuuki's words, caught off guard.
"…Thanks," he said quietly after a moment.
"No need for that," Yuuki replied with a faint grin.
Then Yuno hesitated again, lowering his gaze slightly before asking, "Yuuki… do you think Asta will ever get a grimoire?"
At the same time—
Inside the church, a middle-aged man stepped out of the kitchen wearing a white clerical robe and a small cross hanging from his chest. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, with strands of white already streaking his hair. Smiling warmly, he called out to the children gathered in the hall.
"Alright, no more fussing! Dinner's almost ready—everyone, take your seats!"
"Yes, Father!"
"Coming!"
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the church as the younger orphans, a few years smaller than Asta and Yuno, hurried to obey.
Seeing their joy, the priest's expression softened with pride and affection.
"Hmm? Sister Lily, Yuuki, Yuno, and Asta aren't back yet?" he asked curiously.
"They came back a while ago," Sister Lily sighed, shaking her head. "But those three managed to get all the clean laundry filthy again, so I'm having them rewash every last piece."
The priest chuckled. "You're quite strict today. Usually, you're more forgiving."
At that, Sister Lily's mock anger faded into a gentle frown. "I just… wanted the three of them to spend a bit more time together."
The priest's smile turned wistful, and he sighed softly.
They both encouraged Asta as much as they could, but deep down, they knew the truth—that Asta might never receive a grimoire.
The two of them walked to the window overlooking the courtyard. From there, they could see Yuuki and Yuno still talking outside.
Just as the priest was about to call them in for dinner, he heard Yuno's question drift through the evening air.
"…Yuuki, do you think Asta will ever get a grimoire?"
The priest and Sister Lily froze, their voices caught in their throats. Silence settled between them.
Around the corner of the church, Asta—carrying the bucket of water—also stopped dead in his tracks. He stood there quietly, back against the wall, head bowed low so no one could see his face.
Yuno had no idea that his casual question had been overheard—by Asta himself, and by the two adults who worried most for him.
(End of Chapter)
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