Life in Hage Village was simple.
Simple, loud, and surprisingly exhausting.
Three days had passed since David Banner woke up inside the small church run by Father Orsi, and in those three days his life had become far more chaotic than he expected. The peaceful countryside he first imagined quickly turned into a daily routine filled with loud arguments, chores, and training that began before the sun even fully rose.
Most of the chaos came from one person.
"ASTA! STOP YELLING!"
"I'M NOT YELLING!"
"You're literally yelling right now."
The argument echoed across the church courtyard as Asta and Yuno stood face to face like rival generals preparing for battle. David leaned against the wooden fence nearby, watching the two fourteen-year-olds glare at each other with the intensity of lifelong competitors.
It had only taken him a few hours to realize something.
These two were basically brothers.
Not by blood, but by something stronger.
Rivalry.
Asta pointed dramatically toward Yuno with a wooden training sword in his hand. His eyes burned with determination as if he were already standing in front of the Wizard King himself.
"I'm telling you again, Yuno! I'm the one who's gonna become the Wizard King!"
Yuno didn't even blink.
"You say that every day."
"And I'll keep saying it!"
"Your magic is still zero."
David snorted quietly.
Asta immediately whipped around.
"HEY! WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!"
David raised both hands defensively while laughing.
"Nothing, nothing. Just enjoying the show."
Asta frowned at him suspiciously before crossing his arms. "You better not be making fun of me too, David. I'm serious about this!"
"I know you are," David replied calmly.
And honestly, he did.
That loud determination wasn't fake.
Yuno stepped forward quietly, small currents of wind mana dancing around his fingers as he practiced controlling them. Even without a grimoire, the difference between him and Asta was obvious.
Natural talent.
David watched carefully as the wind gathered and dispersed around Yuno's hand like a tiny storm under perfect control. The mana moved smoothly, responding to his focus almost instinctively.
"…That's impressive," David admitted.
Yuno glanced toward him briefly. "It's normal."
Asta threw his hands in the air dramatically.
"IT IS NOT NORMAL!"
He pointed directly at David.
"YOU TRY IT!"
David blinked.
"Try what?"
"Using mana!" Asta shouted. "You've been staring at Yuno like you're studying him or something!"
David scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Well… I kinda am."
The truth was that for the past few days, David had been quietly observing everything around him. The way mana flowed through the air. The way Yuno interacted with it. The way even the children here seemed comfortable sensing it naturally.
Everyone except one person.
Him.
David walked toward the training field and lifted his hand slowly, mimicking the motion Yuno had been using. He focused on the faint currents drifting through the air, trying to pull them closer the way Yuno did.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then a tiny ripple brushed against his fingers.
David's eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait."
He concentrated harder.
The mana around him stirred faintly, responding like a hesitant breeze brushing against his palm. It wasn't strong, and it definitely wasn't controlled, but he could feel it reacting.
Asta's jaw dropped.
"WOAH!"
Yuno tilted his head slightly, watching carefully.
"…You can sense it."
David lowered his hand slowly.
"Barely," he admitted.
Asta immediately rushed over and grabbed his shoulders.
"THAT'S AMAZING!"
David blinked.
"…Is it?"
"OF COURSE IT IS!" Asta shouted. "I CAN'T SENSE MANA AT ALL!"
David paused.
Right.
He almost forgot.
Asta had zero magic.
Yet here he was training harder than anyone else.
David glanced at the wooden sword in Asta's hand.
"Then why do you keep training every day?" David asked.
Asta's expression immediately hardened with determination.
"Because I'm gonna become the Wizard King."
There wasn't even a second of hesitation in his voice.
David stared at him quietly before smiling slightly.
"…Yeah. That sounds like you."
The training ended shortly after when Sister Lily called everyone back to the church.
"Lunch is ready!" her voice echoed from the doorway.
Asta immediately bolted toward the building like a missile.
"FOOOOOOOOD!"
David watched him disappear inside before shaking his head.
"That guy has unlimited energy."
Yuno nodded slightly.
"Yes."
The two walked back toward the church together in comfortable silence.
Inside, the dining hall was filled with the familiar sounds of children laughing and talking. Several younger kids waved excitedly when they saw David enter.
"David! Sit here!"
"Tell us another story!"
"Yeah! The one about the giant metal birds!"
David chuckled as he sat down beside them.
During the past few days, the children had quickly become curious about him. Since David couldn't explain where he actually came from, he had been telling them harmless stories about strange machines, flying vehicles, and giant cities from his old world.
To them, it sounded like fantasy.
"Did the metal birds really carry hundreds of people?" one little girl asked excitedly.
"Yep," David said with a grin. "They were called airplanes."
The kids gasped in amazement.
Across the table, Father Orsi laughed warmly while eating his meal.
"You certainly have interesting stories, David."
Sister Lily smiled gently as she placed more bread on the table.
"It's nice seeing the children so excited."
David rubbed the back of his neck slightly.
"I'm just glad they like them."
Asta suddenly slammed his hands on the table.
"ONE DAY I'LL FLY TOO!"
Yuno sighed.
"You're going to jump off a cliff again, aren't you?"
Asta froze.
"…Maybe."
The table burst into laughter.
David leaned back slightly in his chair, watching the scene unfold around him. The warmth of the church, the laughter of the children, and the friendly chaos between Asta and Yuno created a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Family.
Not by blood.
But something close enough.
Later that evening, the three boys sat together on a small hill overlooking the village as the sun slowly set across the horizon. The sky turned orange and purple as a cool breeze drifted through the tall grass.
Asta stretched his arms behind his head while lying in the grass.
"Hey David."
"Yeah?"
"You're staying here, right?"
David looked toward the church in the distance.
"…Yeah."
Yuno spoke quietly beside him.
"Good."
David glanced between the two boys before smiling slightly.
"Guess that makes us housemates."
Asta immediately shook his head.
"No way!"
David blinked.
"Huh?"
Asta grinned widely.
"That makes us brothers."
For a moment, David didn't say anything.
Then he laughed quietly.
"…Yeah."
He leaned back against the grass and looked up at the stars slowly appearing in the evening sky.
Brothers.
The word felt strange.
But not unwelcome.
David was already fifteen, while Asta and Yuno were still fourteen, meaning his Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony would arrive much sooner than theirs.
In exactly twenty-eight days, the church bell of Hage Village would ring for the ceremony.
The day David Banner would receive his grimoire.
The day his true power would awaken.
And the day the peaceful life he had just begun to enjoy would begin to change.