Morning came quietly to the church in Hage Village.
The dormitory slowly filled with small sounds as the children woke up one by one. Blankets shifted, someone yawned loudly, and a few younger kids complained about having to get up so early.
Asta opened his eyes.
For a moment he simply stared at the wooden ceiling above him. His mind still felt strange after everything that had happened.
Just last night he had awakened memories from another life.
A drowning river.
Another world.
Another name.
Now he was here.
Asta slowly sat up and looked around the room. The other children were getting ready for the day, and the familiar sight of the church dormitory made things feel a little more real.
Across the room, Yuno was already awake.
He was sitting quietly on his bed, calm as usual.
Asta watched him for a moment.
Then he remembered what had happened yesterday.
A few older boys from the village had surrounded Yuno and tried to take the small necklace he always carried. It was the pendant left with him when he was found at the church as a baby.
At the time, Asta had rushed forward to help without even thinking. Even though he had no magic and was much weaker, he still stood in front of Yuno and tried to stop them. The fight didn't go well for him, and he was quickly knocked down.
But even after that, Yuno stepped forward and protected the necklace himself. That moment had changed something in him.
Since then, Yuno had become quieter and more determined than before.
That was one of the early events in the story.
Seeing Yuno sitting there calmly now made Asta certain.
The timeline was correct.
Everything had only just begun.
Soon the children gathered for breakfast.
The long wooden table filled quickly as everyone sat down. Father Orsi said a short prayer before the meal, while Sister Lily helped serve the food.
Breakfast was simple.
A small piece of bread.
A bowl of soup.
Just enough for everyone.
Asta ate quietly.
The food tasted fine, but the portion was small. With so many children living in the church, there simply wasn't enough food to give everyone large meals.
When he finished eating, he still felt slightly hungry.
It wasn't anything unusual. None of the other kids complained either.
Asta simply wiped his mouth and stood up.
After breakfast, the children went outside to play like they always did. Some ran around the field chasing each other, while others kicked around a small cloth ball.
Asta joined them for a while.
They ran, laughed, and played normally. To the other children, it was just another peaceful morning in the village.
For Asta, it was simply part of the day.
After some time, he slipped away quietly.
Not far from the church stood a strange landmark.
A giant skull.
It was an old, enormous skull resting on the ground near the edge of the village. The bone had turned pale over time, and grass had started growing around it.
This was the place where Asta in the original story often trained.
Asta stopped in front of it and looked up at the massive bone.
"So this is the place."
The open ground nearby was perfect for training.
He started with something simple.
Running.
Asta jogged slowly across the field near the skull. At first the pace felt easy, but his breathing quickly became heavier.
His small legs weren't used to this kind of effort.
After a short run he stopped and bent forward, catching his breath.
"...Yeah, this body is definitely weak."
He rested for a moment before lowering himself to the ground.
Push-ups.
One.
Two.
Three.
His arms immediately felt shaky.
Five.
Seven.
Ten.
His breathing became rough and his arms started burning. The small body simply wasn't used to exercise at all.
Twelve.
Thirteen.
Fourteen.
At fifteen his arms finally gave up and he dropped onto the grass.
Asta rolled onto his back and stared at the sky.
"...That's about what I expected."
In his previous life he had never been someone who exercised regularly. Like many people, he had once made those New Year resolutions where you promise yourself that this year you will start going to the gym and become healthier.
The first day usually feels exciting. You work out, sweat a lot, and feel proud for finally starting.
But the next morning the body becomes sore everywhere, and most people quietly give up after that.
Asta had done the same thing more than once in his previous life.
Asta stood up slowly and stretched his arms.
His muscles already felt tired.
"Well… that's enough for today."
He dusted off his clothes and returned to the church.
---
The rest of the day passed normally.
He helped gather some firewood, carried a few buckets of water, and played with the younger kids again. Nothing about the day was special.
As evening arrived, the church slowly grew quiet.
Dinner was served shortly after sunset.
The meal was simple again, similar to breakfast but slightly warmer. Bread and soup filled the table as the children gathered around once more.
Asta ate quietly.
Even after finishing his portion, he still felt a little hungry.
But that was normal here.
After dinner, the children spent some time talking or playing before Father Orsi told everyone it was time to sleep.
One by one, the lights went out.
Asta lay down on his bed and stretched slightly.
His arms and legs felt tired from the exercise earlier.
Not painfully sore.
Just tired.
He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.
---
The next morning came quickly.
Asta woke up and stretched his arms.
For a moment he waited for the soreness he expected.
But nothing happened.
His body felt normal.
He blinked a few times.
"Huh."
It was strange, but maybe yesterday's exercise had simply been too light.
After breakfast he walked toward the skull again.
Morning dew still covered the grass.
Asta started running first.
The pace felt slightly easier today, though he didn't think much about it.
After a short run he stopped and lowered himself to the ground.
Push-ups.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
His arms burned again, but the exhaustion came slightly slower.
Twelve.
Thirteen.
Fourteen.
Fifteen.
Sixteen.
Seventeen.
His arms finally gave up and he collapsed onto the grass.
Asta stared up at the sky while catching his breath.
"...That's new."
Yesterday he had barely reached fifteen.
Today he had done two more.
It wasn't a huge difference.
But it was noticeable.
Asta sat up slowly.
"Maybe I just tried harder today."
That sounded reasonable enough.
So he didn't think too much about it.
But over the next few days, the same thing kept happening.
Every morning he returned to the skull.
Every morning he trained a little.
Running.
Push-ups.
Small exercises.
And each day felt just slightly easier than the last.
After about a week, Asta sat on the grass after finishing his training.
Sweat covered his forehead as he looked down at his arms.
"...Okay."
This time he couldn't ignore it.
His body was improving faster than it should.
Not dramatically.
Just a little.
But it always happened after sleeping.
Asta looked toward the sky and smiled slightly.
"If that's how it works…"
Then every bit of hard work might pay off faster than it ever did in his previous life.