"Noelle, Adam, did you two have a good date?"
As dusk approached, Adam and Noelle pushed open the doors of the Black Bulls Headquarters. Vanessa, lying on the sofa with a drunken expression and holding a bottle of wine, greeted the two.
"It was very fun. Has Asta not returned yet?"
Adam asked, sitting across from Vanessa.
"Let me tell you, Big Sister Vanessa, today I saw so many cute little animals..."
Noelle came up to Vanessa, chattering endlessly about the farm. It seemed she was very pleased with the trip.
Vanessa, while humoring Noelle, said to Adam, "I don't know, they haven't come back yet."
It was truly difficult for this drunkard.
The Black Bulls members returned to the Headquarters one after another. Not long after, Yami and the Three people also emerged from Finral's Spatial Magic.
"Charmy, hurry up, no one's cooking!" Hearing Adam's words, everyone's faces darkened. No wonder this guy kept muttering about Charmy; he was waiting for this moment!
Not having dinner was unacceptable!
"Adam, let me tell you, today I met the prince who saves gourmet food."
Charmy's eyes gleamed with mischief. She came up to Adam, and said playfully, "Little Brother Adam, today I exchanged names with the prince, and he also knows about that matter, so you can't threaten me anymore..."
"Then can you hurry up and cook? I'm hungry."
Adam rubbed his stomach. Lately, for some reason, his appetite had been growing. If Charmy, that little beanpole, didn't cook soon, he would have to drink some water to tide him over.
"Ah! Listen to me properly!"
Charmy's little face puffed up with anger, looking utterly adorable. Adam couldn't help but pinch it, and said with even more playfulness, "Princes marry princesses. A little beanpole like you should just be my exclusive chef forever!"
"Adam!" Charmy pushed Adam's hand away with a look of disgust, and angrily summoned the Sheep Chef. She was going to add something extra to Adam's meal to severely punish this annoying guy.
"Everyone, let me tell you, today we went to the kingdom's border with Captain Yami and fought the Diamond Kingdom..."
Asta excitedly told everyone the story of how he, along with Senior Finral and Senior Charmy, defeated an ugly monster that used slime from the Diamond Kingdom, effectively shaming the vice-captain of the Golden Dawn.
"Alright, kid, don't be so excited. Tomorrow, I'll take you to see a quack doctor!"
"Ah!"
Yami grabbed Asta's head, making him yelp in pain.
"Captain Yami, I'll go with you tomorrow."
"Alright!"
Adam stared at Asta's arms, thinking how great it would be if he had the horse's ability; he could fix it in minutes.
Never mind, I'll see what happens tomorrow!
That night, in Adam's room.
"This Water Devil's ability is very strong, but it's tied to magic power. I still can't use techniques, but it's very good for self-preservation, almost reaching an immortal state."
Adam was flipping through his grimoire on the bed. This Water Devil's ability had too many restrictions, preventing him from truly unleashing the Devil's power. He could, however, try to replicate Noelle's Water Magic to see if there was anything he could learn from it.
"The power of the ox and chicken has also returned. These great tonics and the blue chicken brother are truly amazing. Now I have six of the twelve zodiac signs, just half more, and I'll lack nothing."
The twelve zodiac signs had always been Adam's main force; the Devil's power was merely an auxiliary.
Of course, if the Eight Great Devils were contracted beasts or descended in their true forms, that would be another story.
After all, even that fickle Evil Dragon wouldn't dare to claim to be the First Devil.
"Very good, following this trend, I'll become the strongest in the world in one fell swoop. It seems I need to establish a family. I need to think about what to call it these next few days."
Adam clenched his fists. In a magic-supremacy world, only strength could speak for itself and protect everything around him; words alone wouldn't suffice.
Adam's ideal was to become the strongest in the world and the freest person in this world... Early the next morning, Finral used Spatial Magic to transport Adam and the Three people to a small building in the Royal Capital. Asta was noisy and restless.
"Kid, do you get uncomfortable if you don't fight? This is a sickness! I need to take you to get it properly treated."
Yami grabbed Asta's head. Adam followed behind, and the Three people walked upstairs.
"Exactly! You're injured like this, this time it's two arms, next time will it be three legs!"
Adam chimed in from behind Yami.
"Rough words, but true, haha."
Yami and Adam automatically ignored Asta's voice. This guy's mumbling was truly annoying.
"We're here. This is the kingdom's number one quack doctor. The last time my arm was broken, he was the one who healed it."
"That's so mean!"
A middle-aged man with light blue hair, wearing a white coat, smiled and said to Asta and Adam, "Hello, I am Owen, the Magic Emperor's direct recovery Mage!"
"Hello, Doctor. Asta is in your hands." Adam elegantly bowed to Owen, astonishing Yami and Asta.
A madman being so polite? He didn't take his medicine today, did he?
"Very fresh vocabulary."
Owen looked at Adam and said, "I heard about you from the Magic Emperor. A dangerous and mysterious guy, your magic truly surprised him!"
"Thank you for the compliment!" Adam clenched his fists. That annoying, sly old man must have turned into an Old Woman again to peek everywhere.
Are all leaders like this?
Just like that old guy who summons monkeys, he peeks through a crystal ball every day, and his nosebleed never stops.
Ever since Adam learned to sense ki, he noticed that among the vendors in Castle Town, there was always an Old Woman with the same ki as that sly Emperor.
As the Magic Emperor, instead of doing his job properly, he liked to turn into an Old Woman and set up a stall selling roasted purple snakes... "And you, Asta, your Anti-Magic power is truly extraordinary!"
"As expected of the Magic Emperor's direct subordinate."
Asta's eyes lit up. This guy got incredibly excited whenever he heard anything related to the Magic Emperor, just like that cold king. They were a perfect match.
"Kid, you take the shorty to get treated here, I'm going to accomplish something big."
Yami turned and left with a flourish, making Adam's mouth twitch. This gambling captain truly had no serious business.
"Haha, your captain and I often drink together; he's just like that."
Owen said with a smile, "Asta, come and sit down."
Asta sat across from Owen, and the man released his recovery magic.
"Water Recovery Magic, Jellyfish Surgery!"
Water vapor enveloped the room, and several bubble jellyfish hung in the air as Owen began to examine Asta's body.
"How is it, Doctor? Can Asta's arms recover?"
Owen's expression was solemn. He looked up at Adam, then gravely said to Asta, "I'm sorry, this is an ancient cursed magic. I am powerless!"
Asta froze for a moment, his expression a bit downcast. Adam clenched his fists; he had to think of a solution. He couldn't rely solely on the horse's ability.
Gaining abilities was too random, and Asta couldn't wait much longer.
He was a man destined to become the Magic Emperor.
"Don't worry, Asta, I'll find a way."
Adam placed a hand on Asta's shoulder, his brow furrowed. Where could he possibly find a way to break the curse?
The Magic Palace? Forbidden lands? Or the kingdom's treasury?
"Adam, I won't give up."
Asta's voice was very soft, so soft that only Adam could hear it.
What they didn't notice was that Finral, that unreliable senior, was currently leaning against the wall outside the room, his face extremely grim.
"My best partner, whom I just found..."