Night had fallen.
Inside the brightly lit chapel, everyone gathered around the long dining table.
For once, Father had lit both oil lamps instead of just one. Their faint yellow glow filled the hall with a soft warmth that wrapped the little church in an air of homely peace.
The last time both lamps had been lit was half a year ago—when the three of them had received their grimoires.
The civilization of the Black Clover world resembled that of the Middle Ages, though the existence of magic made it somewhat different.
Still, for the poor and the common folk, those differences hardly mattered.
For example, the oil lamps in their church were among the cheapest lighting tools available.
The wealthy, on the other hand, used magical illumination devices long ago.
The gap between rich and poor was vast—and the only path to rise above one's station was through the Magic Knights entrance exam.
That was why the yearly Magic Knights recruitment was such a feverish event across the entire Clover Kingdom.
When Yuno joined Golden Dawn, one of the nine Magic Knight squads, he was immediately given a private villa in the capital. Its bedroom alone was nearly as large as half their church.
And yet, among the members of Golden Dawn—nearly all of whom were nobles—that villa was hardly worth mentioning.
Their captain, William Vangeance, had likely just provided Yuno a modest place to stay, knowing he was from the countryside.
"Tomorrow, Yuuki, Asta, and Yuno will be heading to the royal capital," Father announced, laughing heartily. "So tonight, let's hold a feast to celebrate!"
Yuuki's eyes flickered—three recommendation slots?
In the anime, there had only been two.
He had worried that his appearance might cost Asta his chance, since the annual Magic Knights exam was the grandest event in the entire kingdom.
Not everyone could simply show up to participate—it required a recommendation from the local Magic Tower's overseer.
Yuuki wasn't sure how the process worked, but he was certain Father had helped make it happen.
Thinking that, Yuuki looked at the boisterous Father, who was laughing with his hands on his hips, and felt a warmth spread through his chest.
At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward Yuno.
The third slot, he suspected, might have had something to do with him as well.
A four-leaf clover grimoire appearing in a small village like theirs was no small matter.
The old mage at the tower surely reported it, and securing one extra recommendation slot wouldn't have been difficult after that.
"Father went to several nearby villages to gather all these sweet potatoes," Sister Lily said gently, smiling as she looked around the table. "That's how we managed to prepare such a grand sweet potato banquet tonight."
"Thank you, Father!"
"Father, you're the best!"
"Yay, food!"
The children's cheerful voices filled the room.
"Father!" Asta's eyes shimmered with tears of emotion. "You really are the greatest!"
"What's with that look?" Father said with mock irritation. "This feast isn't just for you, you know."
Asta puffed out his chest. "I'll become the Magic Emperor, and then come back here to marry Sister Lily—"
BAM!
Before he could finish, a massive water fist materialized out of thin air and sent him flying straight into the wall.
Everyone at the table sighed in unison, faces caught between amusement and helplessness.
"All right, everyone, dig in!" Sister Lily said sweetly, still smiling as if nothing had happened.
"Tonight, we've got roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato tempura, fried sweet potatoes, stir-fried sweet potatoes, stewed sweet potatoes, Hage-style boiled sweet potatoes, and sweet potato juice…"
The list went on and on, leaving everyone a little stunned.
Yuuki's mouth twitched as he looked over the endless varieties of sweet potato dishes.
Across both his lives combined, he had never eaten so many forms of the same ingredient.
But there was no helping it.
Their village, Hage, was poor, and the church had many mouths to feed. Sweet potatoes were already considered a luxury here.
"Your cooking's improved again, Sister Lily," Yuuki said, offering a half-hearted compliment.
Sister Lily giggled behind her hand. "Hehe, thank you!"
And so, the all-sweet-potato feast unfolded amid laughter and warmth.
The next morning.
Birdsong echoed softly through the cool air outside Hage Village.
At the village entrance, Father, Sister Lily, and the children stood in a line, watching Yuuki, Asta, and Yuno prepare to leave.
"Yuuki, Yuno, Asta—make sure to write us letters, okay?"
"Travel safely!"
"Come back soon!"
The children's voices were full of reluctance.
"Hey, Nash! Why did you only call out Asta's name?"
Asta glared at the red-haired boy who stood coolly with his arms crossed.
"Hmph."
Nash snorted and looked away.
Asta fumed for a moment—but then broke into a grin.
Yuuki patted his shoulder and turned to Father and Sister Lily.
He wanted to say something, but when he saw the gentle smiles on their faces, words suddenly felt unnecessary.
He simply nodded deeply to them instead.
Some things didn't need to be said aloud.
"Let's go," Yuuki said quietly, waving as he turned away.
Asta and Yuno followed, walking down the dirt path that led toward the capital.
"Hey, say something, Yuno!"
Asta folded his arms behind his head, looking sideways at the silent boy.
Yuno didn't answer.
He simply stepped forward and fell in beside Yuuki.
"You jerk!" Asta stomped his foot in frustration before quickly catching up to them.
The royal capital of the Clover Kingdom was far from Hage Village.
Along the way, the three trained, sparred, ate, and traveled, passing through forests and plains.
Yuuki even encountered a few magical beasts, though most were weak—disappointingly so.
As the journey drew on and the capital neared, Asta's excitement grew with every step, and even Yuno's calm expression began to stir with faint emotion.
"Finally," Yuuki murmured, standing with them atop a cliff as the sprawling Royal Capital came into view on the horizon.
"We've made it."
(End of Chapter 21)
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