Chapter 24

A/N: Read the Author Thoughts.

Hage Village (Sunset)

Lily, like every day she did her hobby, which is taking care of the children in the orphanage, her days since Asta left had become repetitive and boring, she still wondered if Asta remembered her or if something bad happened to him and he didn't can back. These thoughts made Lily unable to get much sleep every night from the time he even left, and even suspicious people started coming months ago.

Lily was hanging out clothes, she seemed to be quite calm since she doesn't have Asta to bother her or play a joke on her, Lily didn't realize it but she had grown too fond of Asta, to the point that she thought of him every day.

"Hm, I finished" Lily hummed and finished hanging the laundry, just as she was about to turn around, arms wrapped around her waist.

"Ah!" Lily freaked out by dropping the empty basket, she panicked summoning her grimoire.

''Are you going to welcome me by hitting me?'' Lily heard a deep but very familiar voice. Lily's heart began to beat rapidly knowing the person who was hugging her from behind her.

"Asta!" Lily turned around and hugged Asta tightly, snuggling her face into his chest.

''Oh? It seems you missed me?'' Asta said with a slight smile.

''Of course! You only sent a letter saying that you arrived in the Kingdom and then you didn't send another one. It was hard for me to sleep thinking that something terrible could have happened to you'' Lily raised her head looking at Asta in his eyes but she was left in a state of shock when she realized how much he has grown.

"W-what, you have grown so much. I can't tell you little Asta anymore " Lily said with a blush on her face.

''You can call me whatever you want Lily, either Asta or little Asta. As long as it's you it doesn't bother me." Asta said with a warm smile making Lily's heart beat fast.

Lily hid her face in Asta's chest, she knew very well what kind of feeling was hers, but how was she going to tell him, she took care of him since he was little its very awkward.

''Asta'' The door of the orphanage opened, Orsi orfai felt that he couldn't move when he saw Asta, he felt a slight shudder when he saw his adopted son having grown so much, he always thought that maybe Asta was a bastard son of a king or a prince by that appearance but now that he's grown back he's starting to think it might be true.

''Old man… It's been so long time''Asta said.

''J-join, we have a lot to talk'' Orsi orfai sluttered a little nervous

...

''How have you two been?'' Asta ask.

''Like any other day, we take care of children and sometimes they adopt them, but there is something that bothers me, when you left, strange people began to come to the village'' Lily frowned.

''It is true, I asked them who they were and they only said we are passing through, but they always appear around us at all times, and I am also beginning to think that they are the ones who take care of the thieves because I have not seen any since they they came'' Orsi Orfai spoke.

''It's like they're protecting us'' Lily said

''Pffft, Hahahaha'' Asta started to laugh, Lily frowned and said ''It was you!'' Orsi orfai sighed hearing Asta laugh and what Lily said, 'For sure it had to have been him'

''Do you think that i was going to go and leave you with no one here to protect you? No way'' Asta exhibited a warm smile, Lily felt like her heart was melting as she saw that expression of Asta.

Orsi orfai saw the blush on Lily's cheeks, coughed a bit, then said.

''So apparently you got yourself a grimoire, if it pleases you to stay that long and earn enough money to afford subordinates''

''Many things happened old man, since I entered the Kingdom I have been doing quite well'' Asta said.

''So you've already fought criminals and become a magic knight?'' Lily asked worried.

''Oh, yes I've fought enough, I'm very strong, and I even fought a captain but the wizard king stopped my fight'' Asta said as if it were something normal.

Lily and Orsi Orfai felt their breath catch when they heard the word captain and Wizard King...

''A-asta You're telling me that the Wizard King himself witnessed your fight and had to stop it?'' Lily asked.

''Yes, the coliseum ended up completely in dust, and even the center shook Hahaha''

''Asta! stop joking!'' Lily got up from her chair and approached Asta.

''I would never lie to you Lily'' Asta said instantly.

''W-what'' Lily was catched with the guard down.

''But how it is possible?'' Orsi orfai asked.

Lily sat next to Asta looking at him intently waiting for his answer.

''I own Antimagic, i can nullify any magic''Asta said.

''...'' A dead silence hung over the room, Lily and Orsi Orfai wondered if Asta came here to impress them until the death or to visit them.

''I can't not anymore...'' Lily wiped a hand across her forehead, her voice sounding as if she had aged.

''I told you not to think about it too much or worry so much, but it seems that I'm asking you for the impossible Hahaha'' Asta said while caressing Lily's cheek.

''Hmm'' Lily nodded.

'They forgot that i'm here?' Orsi Orfai's face turned dark.

''So what happened after that fight?'' Lily asked.

''I talked for hours with the Wizard King, and we reached an agreement, then i return to my castle'' Asta said.

''Wait, Do you live in a castle alone?'' Lily asked.

''Not really, I live with my two wives and two maids stay sometimes'' Asta said, bringing back the deadly silence to the room again, Orsi Orfai left the room at the moment he heard wives...