...
Time flew by. Five years had passed since Drake decided to stay in Hage Village. He had finally reached the age of fifteen, the age when one receives their Grimoire.
While unsure if traversing the Eclipse Gate had affected his actual age, Drake patiently waited until his body matured to fifteen.
From his understanding, the reason for waiting until fifteen was that a person's magic power wouldn't fully mature until then.
Grimoires chose their owners; attempting to receive the highest-tier four-leaf clover Grimoire with half-developed magic power was impossible.
What frustrated Drake most was this world's lackluster approach to magical knowledge. The existence of Grimoires had steered the development of magic down a path that prioritized individuality.
Perhaps it was because Hage Village was remote, a neglected backwater with no famous mages.
The lack of magical information was normal. Powerful mages rarely emerged from the impoverished lower classes outside of major cities.
Therefore, for the past five years, Drake had focused on honing his Dragon Slayer magic. He hoped the Grimoire he received would meet his expectations and provide a way back to the Fairy Tail world.
…
Sister Lily smoothed out the wrinkles in the drying sheets, a smile on her face as she basked in the bright sunlight.
Suddenly, she heard a commotion. Without guessing, she knew Drake was back.
Every time Drake returned, it was the happiest moment for the children at the church.
She still remembered being shocked five years ago when Asta had brought a child and asked Father Orsi to take him in.
Father Orsi, the stubborn but kind old man she knew, had agreed to take in the homeless child.
The child named Drake was far more mature than his appearance suggested; he was thoughtful and considerate.
The Hage Village church also served as an orphanage, its income primarily from village donations.
But in this border village, residents were generally not wealthy, so the church always struggled. The children, still growing, often subsisted on wild taro.
After Drake joined, Father Orsi had decided to cut back on expenses, but the next day, Drake disappeared.
That evening, Drake returned carrying a huge wild boar.
These wild boars, while not magical creatures, were so fierce that even lone adults avoided them. Only mages capable of using real magic could handle them.
Yet, a ten-year-old child had managed to hunt and bring it back to the church. It was unimaginable how much power resided in that small body.
Since then, Drake would go hunting every few days, always returning with plenty of game. He not only provided the church with ample meat but also valuable hides and other parts, significantly increasing the church's income.
However, Father Orsi, worried about Drake's safety, ordered him to hunt only at intervals. Therefore, each of Drake's returns meant a period of relative prosperity for everyone.
Curious about what game Drake had brought back, Sister Lily went to the front of the church. As she stepped out, she saw the boy surrounded by children.
Sister Lily was immediately taken aback. The wild boar Drake was dragging was one thing, but he was also carrying a huge tiger on his shoulder.
The tiger was over two and a half meters long. Even with half its body on Drake's shoulder, its tail dragged on the ground.
However, its eyes were closed, its tongue hanging out—clearly dead.
The children looked at the beast Drake carried, both afraid and curious, wanting to approach but hesitant.
Drake tossed the tiger to the ground, smiling. "Don't worry, everyone. I've already defeated it; it won't hurt you! It's getting cold at night, even though it's spring, so let's make a blanket out of this."
"Drake, really?" Recca grabbed Drake's clothes, her face full of anticipation.
Drake crouched down and patted her head. "Of course, when have I ever lied to you?"
"Drake is so kind! So cool!"
Recca's face flushed, steam almost rising from her head. Every time she saw Drake's smile, she felt a little dizzy.
A boy named Nash snorted. "Don't be silly, don't wipe your nose on Drake."
Drake chuckled. Nash's awkward personality was a classic case of tsundere! But a little boy being tsundere wasn't cute.
Recca bristled, turning to glare. "You jerk, Nash, I wasn't wiping my nose!"
Sister Lily came over. "You two, no fighting!"
Sister Lily looked at the tiger on the ground, worriedly addressing Drake. "How did you encounter such a large tiger? Are you injured?"
Drake flexed his arms, showing off his muscles, smiling. "Don't worry, I'm very strong; I don't get injured easily. As for this guy, he tried to steal my prey, so I took him down too!"
Before Sister Lily could speak, Recca chimed in, "That's right, Drake is super strong; a mere tiger is no match for him."
As they spoke, a familiar voice called from afar.
"Dra…ke…!"
From quite a distance, Drake hadn't even seen Asta, yet his voice was clear. After the voice, it took over ten seconds for Asta to run up, kicking up dust.
Asta, upon seeing the tiger, glared at Drake. "You defeated such a beast! You're worthy of being my rival. But I won't give up!"
Nash scoffed. "Don't boast! Drake's not someone you can compare to, you magicless oaf!"
"Not over! Not finished!"
As if ignoring Nash, Asta shouted and ran towards the demon god's skull.
Drake smiled. He knew Asta relentlessly trained his body at the demon god's skull. It was remarkable that he could hone his body to this extent without any magic power.
A young man in simple black clothes approached, looking at Asta's back with Drake. "What a hopeless idiot!"
Drake sighed. "Yuno, it's time you were more honest."
The young man was the other protagonist of this world, Yuno Grinberryall, raised in the church alongside Asta.
Compared to Asta, Yuno was more like the typical protagonist.
Handsome features, exceptional talent, noble birth—he had all the makings of a protagonist.
Yuno was a prince from the Spade Kingdom, having fled to the Clover Kingdom due to a rebellion by the Dark Triad, possessed by demons.
Being royalty, Yuno possessed powerful magic from birth, so it wasn't surprising that he received a four-leaf clover Grimoire.
Later, Yuno not only gained the favor of a wind spirit but also unprecedentedly obtained a second Grimoire. His power-ups rivaled Asta's.
Young Yuno was shy and introverted, admiring the outgoing Asta. Asta had once bravely retrieved Yuno's stolen magic stone necklace.
At that time, Asta said, "We're rivals!" Perhaps Yuno misunderstood the meaning of "rival," but his whole personality changed, from a meek boy to a cool, stoic one.
His attitude towards Asta was particularly cold, often sarcastic.
But Drake knew that Yuno valued and trusted the magicless Asta more than anyone else. In his heart, Yuno truly saw Asta as his rival.
That's why Drake said Yuno wasn't honest.
Yuno didn't respond, only saying, "Father told me to tell you that the Grimoire bestowal ceremony is about to begin. Get ready!"
Drake's spirits immediately lifted. This was it. Not only would he receive his Grimoire, but the world's "plot" was about to begin.
Asta and Yuno were also fifteen and would receive their Grimoires, taking their first step toward their dream of becoming Wizard King.
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