Chapter 4: Fifteen Years
In the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed.
Through years of training, Asta had grown into a muscular young man. Of course, not a massive brute — but his body was solid and strong.
The only issue was his height. Compared to Yuno and Leo, who both stood around one hundred seventy centimeters, Asta was still barely one hundred fifty-five.
Yuno's control over wind magic had become astonishing. He could now do things like drying laundry with precision winds as if it were nothing.
Watching their growth, Leo couldn't help feeling a tinge of envy. The day when the Clover Kingdom would distribute grimoires was fast approaching. He wondered what kind of grimoire he would receive.
There were still six months before the Grimoire Ceremony. One day, Asta stood before Sister Lily and declared, "Someday, I'll become the Wizard King and make you happy! So marry me!"
Sister Lily smiled softly. "I'm everyone's sister, Asta. I'm sorry, but I can't."
"I won't give up!" Asta shouted determinedly.
And so, their arguments continued as always — ending with Sister Lily's Water Holy Fist smashing into Asta's face, marking the usual conclusion to their disputes.
Yuno casually used a breeze to dry Asta off afterward.
Then, after teasing him a bit, Yuno found himself challenged. "Fight me, Yuno!" Asta yelled.
"I refuse," Yuno replied coolly. "You don't have any mana at all."
Asta screamed, "What?!"
Leo sighed deeply. "Asta, this isn't the first day you've realized you don't have mana. You don't need to act surprised every single time."
But Asta wasn't listening. He grabbed Yuno by the shoulders and shook him, then did the same to Leo. "Why?! Why don't I have magic?!"
Leo shrugged. "I don't know, why?"
Yuno said calmly, "It's talent… and relentless effort."
Sister Lily tried to comfort Asta, saying, "Once you get your grimoire, you'll be able to use magic."
Asta's eyes lit up. "You're absolutely right, Sister!"
At that moment, one of the younger children living at the church raised his hand — a small flame flickered at his fingertip. Asta's smile froze. Without a word, he dropped to the ground and began doing sit-ups, his face determined, as if he wouldn't stop until he collapsed.
The priest quietly observed the scene, deep in thought. Between Asta, Yuno, and Leo, Asta lagged behind in nearly everything — washing clothes, chopping wood, or any daily task.
It was strange. All three had arrived at the church on the same day and had lived together for fifteen years. Their time and environment were the same, yet their progress was so different.
Moved by the contrast, the priest's eyes welled up. "Yuno and Leo are the church's hope," he murmured.
The other children agreed, talking about how bright Yuno and Leo's futures would be.
Sister Lily clapped her hands lightly and said, "The grimoire ceremony will start soon. Once you receive your grimoires, you'll be able to use magic."
Asta clenched his fists. "That's right, Sister! Once I get my grimoire and become the Wizard King, I'll marry you!"
Sister Lily didn't even respond this time.
Then the child who had lit the flame earlier said, "The Wizard King? Only nobles with strong mana can become that. It's a title for the powerful and the royal. People like us — commoners — could never reach that level. Especially you, Asta. You don't even have any mana."
Asta stood firm. "As long as I don't give up, there's always a chance!"
The boy snorted. "That chance doesn't exist for commoners or orphans."
Asta replied, "Not giving up — that's my magic."
Leo couldn't help sighing. He hasn't changed at all… The only difference now is that I have the power to resist this world. The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them: "Some people are born in Rome, and some are born as oxen and horses."
Asta blinked. "What does that mean?"
Yuno tilted his head. "I don't know what 'Rome' is, but that's about nobles and commoners, isn't it?"
Leo quickly waved his hand. "It's not important." He had let his thoughts escape unintentionally.
The younger boy, Nash, continued, "You can't even use magic, Asta. You can't work, and even the villagers look down on you. How could someone like you become the Wizard King?"
Asta froze, the words hitting deeper than he expected. Without saying anything, he turned and sprinted toward the massive skull of the Demon God.
"He'll come back once he cools off," Leo said. "I'll go check on him." Without waiting, he followed after Asta.
When he arrived at the Demon Skull, Asta was already there, doing one-handed push-ups. By the time Leo counted, Asta had reached five hundred.
Leo couldn't help sighing to himself. A monster… truly a muscle monster. After eight years of training, Leo could only manage one hundred fifty two-handed push-ups before collapsing. Yet Asta kept going, unyielding as ever.
In an empty field beneath the fading sunlight, Asta clenched his fists and shouted, "I'll become the Wizard King! I'll never back down!"
Leo, standing nearby, replied simply, "Keep training." Then he dropped to the ground and began his own routine — one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, followed by a ten-kilometer run.
As he ran past the back of the Demon Skull, he caught sight of Yuno. The boy gave him a faint gesture with his hand — a quiet acknowledgment. Leo nodded but didn't stop. He continued running.
March arrived, the season when fireflies flickered and dandelion fluff danced through the air. Across the Clover Kingdom, fifteen-year-old youths gathered for the annual Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony — the event where they would receive the magic books that amplified their mana.
Inside the grand circular tower, the air hummed with anticipation. Towering curved shelves lined the walls, filled with countless books. The chatter of young voices filled the hall — until a deep voice silenced them.
A white-bearded old man stood at the front, his voice echoing off the stone. "From this day forth, each of you will walk your own path. May honesty, hope, and love forever dwell at your side." He paused to clear his throat.
"I am the Master of this Grimoire Tower," he continued. "No Magic Knight has ever come from this place before. But I hope one of you will become the Wizard King." He widened one eye, squinted the other, stuck out his tongue, and declared loudly, "I'm serious!"
Leo whispered under his breath, "If you really mean it, could you at least try to look serious? That face makes me want to laugh."
But with so many people around, laughing out loud would be a terrible idea. He forced himself to stay quiet as the old man announced, "The ceremony begins!"
Hundreds of grimoires floated off the shelves, swirling through the air before landing in front of each youth. Almost everyone received one — some thick, some thin. Those with thicker books beamed with pride, while those with thinner ones hung their heads in disappointment.
A book floated before Leo. Its cover bore a three-petaled clover — a standard grimoire. The color was a deep sky blue, surrounded by geometric patterns like faint magical seals.
"So this is my grimoire…" he murmured. "I wonder if all those theories I've built over the years will actually work."
According to the legends of the Clover Kingdom, the three leaves of the clover represented honesty, hope, and love. But the rare fourth leaf was said to contain luck.
Standing beside him, Yuno's grimoire gleamed — a four-leaf clover.
Asta, however, was on one knee, staring at his empty hands. Light seemed to dim around him as he shouted, "Why? Why didn't I get one?!"
The old man looked startled. "Well… maybe try again next year?"
The hall erupted in laughter and chatter. "Never seen that happen before!" someone said. Others snickered, pointing at Asta like he was a joke.
Then Yuno's mana flared. His four-leaf grimoire glowed brightly, drawing every gaze in the room. A four-leaf clover grimoire — the mark of the legendary Wizard King.
"I'll become the Wizard King," Yuno declared.
The crowd buzzed with disbelief. "Impossible… That kind of grimoire for a commoner? There must be a mistake!"
Asta clenched his fists. "Yuno, just wait! I'll catch up to you! I'm your rival!"
The room filled with jeers. "Rival? He doesn't even have a grimoire!" someone scoffed.
Yuno looked at him coldly. "You'll never catch up."
Asta froze, then turned and ran out of the hall.
Leo frowned. "Wasn't that a little harsh?"
Yuno shook his head. "He won't be broken by words like that."
Leo sighed. "True. His magic is never giving up."
Yuno turned to leave but noticed Leo still standing there. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Leo smiled faintly. "Nothing. I just want to test something first."
He pressed his hand against his grimoire. At once, the pages began to turn on their own. Lines of intricate runes formed across the blank paper, glowing faintly. His heart pounded as new spells emerged before his eyes.
At that moment, his long-held theories became reality.
His grimoire contained three spells:
The first — Sealing Magic: Yin Seal.
The second — Sealing Magic: Seal Within the Grimoire.
The third — Sealing Magic: Grimoire Seal.
The second spell allowed him to seal a grimoire's owner into their own book — though the process was irreversible. The third allowed him to seal that grimoire, now containing its owner, into his own, thereby obtaining their magic.
When he finally looked up, the hall had emptied. Only the old tower master remained, watching him.
"Not many people manifest new magic the moment they receive their grimoire," the old man said, stroking his beard. "But judging by your face, you got more than one spell, didn't you? Interesting boy."
Leo smiled politely. "Maybe I just got lucky. I'll be heading home now, Master."
"Go on, then," the tower master said with a grin.
Outside, the courtyard gates were ajar. Through the narrow opening, Leo caught sight of Yuno — bound in chains, his magic sealed. His pulse quickened. This is bad. He had no offensive spells to rely on.
Yuno glared at his captor. "Who are you?"
The half-scarred man smirked. "Name's Revchi, once of the Magic Knights. They used to call me 'Revchi of the Chain Magic.' But now? Just a thief."
"Only the chosen can use a grimoire," Revchi continued. "But a four-leaf clover grimoire fetches a fine price on the black market. Shame, really — chosen by legend, but your story ends here."
Leo crouched behind the wall, clutching a stone, ready to strike when the moment came.
Then a familiar voice rang out.
Asta.
He came charging in — and promptly crashed straight into the wall. Getting back to his feet, he yelled, "Hey! What do you think you're doing, you thief?!"
Revchi chuckled. "Oh, it's you — the poor brat who didn't even get a grimoire."
Asta grinned fiercely. "That's right. I'm that brat from before. And a grimoire is something sacred — it belongs to its chosen owner! Now give Yuno back his grimoire, you bastard!"