Where's My Grimoire? || Black Clover

9 - Tell me the truth, do you care?

Magna grinned and put his hand on Asta's shoulder. " Hey there, lil' Rasta! You been training hard again? "

Asta turned his head and lowered the sword he was given.

" Yeah, yeah. " He smiled back a little.

Ever since he'd been given the chance to join the magic knights regardless if he loses or wins the fight, he'd been training his ass off - no, ever since he felt the need to, back at the church - he'd been training since then. Getting himself stronger regardless if he obtained his grimoire or not.
" Ya might wanna take a break. Dunno if you feel pain after training for 8 hours straight every day, but you ever feel like you overwork yourself? " Magna questioned and walked around the room. It looked like Asta made the room into some sort of hangout for himself with how much of his new belongings were in there.
" It hurts a little, but it's nothing. " He smiled and placed the sword on a table.
Luck jumped in. " You know, with you working so hard and getting stronger, we could fight sometime! " He grinned and laughed while he ran around the room looking at every new thing Asta had brought.
" No thanks... "

He looked outside of the small window. It was night again. He felt himself yawn. " I think this is enough for today. I'm beat, " Asta said while looking around for Luck who was now apparently on the wall with his Thunder God's Boots spell on his feet.
" You're always the first one to go to sleep, well, besides the drunk. She sleeps every time she has a small sip of booze. " Magna said. " And Gauche. Poor guy faints from blood loss half the time. "

" Yeah, but I've just been pretty tired. "

Tired of everything.

Asta flinched at the thought.

Luck landed on the ground. " Let's fight in the morning, 'kay? " He smiled with innocence.

" Maybe another time. Anyways, 'cya guys. " Asta said and left the room. He stopped when he saw Noelle peaking around a corner. It was nice to see her trying to get to know the place.
" Hey... Do you know where the rooms are this time? I think they moved again. " She asked.
Asta watched her look around frantically. " Oh, I-I'm not sure where the girl's rooms are, but you should go through that hall and take two rights, " He instructed while pointing, " Then a left. I think they're somewhere in there. "
" Thanks... "
Asta smiled. She smiled back slightly.
After she walked away, he stepped through the different halls and to his room where he looked out the window from his bed.
The half moon glistened brightly throughout the sky lighting up trees and rocks and the continuously flowing river that he saw before.

He recalled memories from a while back when he found the people that care for him the most. Asta was so grateful for them. Besides Yuno, they were the only people that have ever shown him kindness.

But what if it was all fake?

Asta closed his eyes tightly for a moment. So what if it was?

His mind ended up wandering to the exam. It wasn't that far away, only being a week from now, but Asta could already feel the anxiety along with the stress in his muscles as he wondered what it was like to fight in the exam.
As he stood up, Asta shut the door that let light from the halls seep in.
He pulled his headband off along with his roughed up tunic and exchanged it for another that he would wear to bed. He laid down and closed his eyes, one of the only things he could focus on was the dull aching of his muscles.
To distract himself, he thought about mundane things that would easily bore him into the comforting embrace of sleep.
In the morning, he'd have to take a bath, he thought. He'd occupy himself with something instead of working so hard his body ached to the bone.

That was... Tomorrow.




Something he'd wake up to soon...