"Looks like there's a lot of training ahead!"
Houma casually flung the dead mountain wolf deep into the bushes, no need to scare the innocent little flowers passing by.
The sun dipped below the horizon as villagers in the fields wrapped up their work and gathered their tools to head home.
"Strange… it's unusually quiet today."
One of the villagers remarked with some surprise.
"Yeah, we haven't seen that mischievous little rascal all day!"
Another villager chuckled. "He's probably still moping from being rejected by Sister Lily the other day!"
"Haha, what was that kid even thinking? Sister Lily's not only a nun, she's a member of the clergy! Even if she were to get married, it wouldn't be to some kid who can't even use magic."
"Exactly. He can't use a single spell, how's he going to survive in the future?"
"Same orphans from the church, but how come Asta and Yuno turned out so different?"
The villagers chatted in small groups as they strolled home from the fields. But when they spotted Houma coming down the mountain in the distance, the gossip tapered off.
"Asta, you're all covered in dirt again. And you were gone the entire day! What did you even eat for lunch?"
Sister Lily gently dusted off his clothes with a feather duster, her voice soft and full of concern.
Grrrroowl…
Before he could respond, Houma's stomach let out a loud growl. After all, after a whole day of high-intensity training, he was absolutely starving.
"Pfft! Go eat, you dummy!"
Sister Lily giggled at the sight of him. "I'll get your food from the kitchen."
"Asta's back, huh? Another day of slacking off again, I see."
The chapel door creaked open, and out walked a kid with a buzz cut, wearing a dusty brown vest. His eyes looked like they could never fully open, eerily similar to Shikamaru Nara from Naruto.
"You little brat. Don't you know it's polite to use honorifics when speaking to your elders?"
Houma couldn't help but roast the kid. He recognized him from Asta's memories, nothing evil about him, just annoyingly similar in personality to that lazy genius type. His name, though... Houma couldn't recall just yet. Hopefully it'd come back as the memories continued to sync.
"This world runs on magic," the kid said sharply. "You, on the other hand, just waste your time on ridiculous stuff. Sometimes I wonder, are you even the same age as Brother Yuno?"
But just as he finished, the boy's eyes suddenly widened. In one instant, Houma had been five meters away, and in the next, he was right in front of him.
Houma crouched slightly and patted the boy's shoulder.
"Kid. This world isn't all about magic. And no matter how strong or weak someone is, you should always show respect to your elders. That's just basic manners."
His tone was calm and steady. The boy flinched as Houma's hand rested on his shoulder. Without another word, Houma stood and walked into the church.
"…Is that really Asta?"
The boy stood frozen on the spot, stunned. That serious look in Asta's eyes, paired with a speed so fast he couldn't even react, it was completely unlike the Asta he knew. In that moment, Asta carried the same quiet strength that made Yuno so awe-inspiring.
Inside the kitchen, Sister Lily was gently warming up food.
"Couldn't wait, huh? We caught a fish today. I saved you a bit."
She smiled kindly.
"Thank you, Sister Lily!"
Houma's eyes sparkled like stars. But honestly, that small piece of fish was barely a mouthful. With the way he trained now, he'd need way more protein just to function. It was becoming obvious, he was going to have to find a way to seriously upgrade his meals.
Asta being this short at fifteen probably had a lot to do with chronic malnutrition. With Houma's current appetite, every meal would need to include at least three pounds of beef or mutton, or ten large carps, just to keep him going.
Seems like the road ahead is still long. First order of business tomorrow, fix the food situation!
After dinner, Houma lay back on his bed. Though it looked like he was asleep, in reality he was quietly cultivating chakra.
Magic? He wasn't counting on it anytime soon. But at the very least, he needed a dependable skill to protect himself.
This was a remote border village. Even if everything seemed peaceful now, who knew what might happen down the line?
Better safe than sorry.