About a year had passed since Asta's memories awakened
Time in Hage Village moved quietly, but for Asta, those months had been full of change.
He was six years old now.
That morning, Asta moved through the forest carefully, pushing aside branches as he searched for berries growing between the bushes.
The forest edge had become familiar to him over the past months. He knew where certain plants grew, where insects gathered, and which paths were safe to travel.
Still, he stayed alert.
The forest wasn't harmless.
Asta crouched near a bush and began picking small red berries, dropping them into a cloth pouch tied to his waist.
"Should be enough for today…"
Then he heard something.
A rustling sound.
Leaves shifted ahead of him.
Asta froze.
Slowly, something stepped out from the bushes.
A wild boar.
But it wasn't the kind Asta remembered from his previous life.
This one was bigger.
Much bigger.
Its shoulders reached almost to his waist, thick muscles moving beneath its dark hide. Two curved tusks jutted from its mouth as it snorted loudly.
Asta stared.
"…That's not normal."
In his previous world, wild boars were dangerous, but not like this. The animals in this world seemed stronger, almost as if the magic around them had made them grow larger and tougher.
The boar scraped the ground with one hoof.
Then it charged.
"—Oh, come on!"
Asta turned and ran.
His months of training helped immediately. His legs pushed forward as he sprinted through the trees, dodging rocks and roots.
Behind him the boar crashed through the bushes, its hooves pounding the ground.
Asta scanned the area quickly.
Tree.
Low branch.
Perfect.
He jumped, grabbed the branch, and pulled himself upward just as the boar slammed into the trunk below.
The tree shook violently.
Asta climbed higher and sat on a thick branch, breathing hard.
Below him, the boar circled the tree angrily.
Asta looked down and shook his head.
"No way I'm beating that with my fists."
The boar rammed the trunk once more before eventually losing interest and wandering deeper into the forest.
Asta waited another minute before climbing down.
He brushed dirt from his clothes and sighed.
"…Next time, I'm bringing a weapon."
Bare hands weren't enough for something like that.
If he wanted to move deeper into the forest safely someday, he would need tools.
Maybe a spear.
Maybe traps.
Something.
After picking up the berries he had dropped earlier, Asta began walking back toward the village.
---
When he reached the church yard later that day, he was carrying several birds in a woven basket.
The flock he had raised near the giant skull clearing had grown a lot over the past year. The first birds he caught had matured long ago, and many of the chicks had grown as well.
Now there were enough birds to move them here.
The moment Father Orsi stepped outside and saw the birds, he paused.
"…Where did those come from?"
Asta set the basket down.
"I raised them."
Father Orsi looked at him for a moment.
Then something came back to his mind.
Months ago, Asta had casually mentioned that he was raising birds near the forest so he could eat better while training.
At the time, Father Orsi had thought the boy was joking.
After all, it sounded like something a child would say.
But now, looking at the birds walking around the yard…
"…You were serious."
Asta only shrugged.
The younger children had already gathered nearby, watching the birds with excitement.
"Birds!"
"Look, they're eating!"
Some of them immediately ran off to gather grass and seeds.
Seeing that, Father Orsi chuckled softly.
"Well then," he said. "Looks like we should build them a proper place."
---
That afternoon the church yard became much livelier than usual.
Bundles of wood were gathered from behind the church. Some of the older kids carried straw while the younger ones collected small branches.
At first the wood had to be carried piece by piece.
Then Yuno stepped forward quietly.
A faint swirl of wind gathered around him.
The air shifted.
A bundle of wood slowly lifted from the ground and drifted toward the building spot before settling neatly beside the area where the enclosure would be built.
The children stared.
"Whoa…"
Nearby, Father Orsi used a brief burst of fire magic to burn away thick grass where the posts would stand. The flames were small and controlled, clearing the ground without spreading.
Asta quickly stomped out the remaining embers.
"Good spot."
Together they began setting the wooden posts.
Asta held the posts steady while Father Orsi pushed them deeper into the ground. Even though Asta was only six, months of training had made him surprisingly strong.
Some of the older children tied rope between the posts to form a fence.
Meanwhile Sister Lily arrived carrying a wooden bucket.
A gentle glow of water magic appeared as she filled the bucket easily from the well. Soon a small water trough was placed inside the enclosure.
"There," she said with a smile. "They'll need water too."
The younger children eagerly scattered seeds and grass inside the pen.
Before long, the birds were already pecking happily at the ground.
By the time the sun began to lower, the small enclosure was finished.
It wasn't fancy.
Just wooden posts, a simple fence, and a covered corner filled with straw.
But it was safe.
The children slowly began heading back inside the church as evening approached.
Asta wiped sweat from his forehead and stretched his arms.
The work had taken time, but it was worth it.
Not far away, Yuno stood near the remaining wood pile.
A gentle wind gathered around him, lifting a bundle of wood and guiding it smoothly into place.
Watching that, Asta paused.
Six months ago, Yuno could barely move small objects with his wind magic.
Looks like he really has been training.
Asta smirked slightly.
"Guess you've been working hard too."
Yuno didn't look at him.
"…Of course."
A quiet breeze moved across the church yard.
For a moment, the two boys stood silently as the evening light faded over Hage Village.
Both of them were getting stronger.
Just in different ways.