Chapter 6: Strange Grimoire

[Third Person's PoV] 

"SISTER LILY, PLEASE MARRY ME!!!" Asta shouted, dropping to one knee and holding a single flower in his hand.

Suddenly, two eldritch whips appeared, wrapping around Asta's entire body, including his mouth, and began dragging him away. He made muffled struggling noises as he was pulled back.

"I'm sorry about him, Sister Lily," sighed Stephen, the wielder of the eldritch whips. "I thought I had taught him better than this."

Sister Lily smiled and shook her head. "It's never a quiet morning when Asta's around, that's for sure."

"See, Asta? She's calling you annoying," Stephen teased, shaking his head at Asta, who continued to squirm.

"That's... that's not what I said!" Sister Lily stammered awkwardly, as everyone nearby busied themselves with their chores.

Yuno used his wind magic to dry the laundry while Stephen, releasing his eldritch whips, summoned an eldritch saw to cut logs into neat piles.

"You're all the same age, but the difference between you three is like night and day," one of the younger kids muttered, glancing at Asta.

"Stephen and Yuno are the pride of our little church!" Father Orsi declared happily.

A few of the children crowded around Stephen and Yuno. "You and Yuno might really work alongside the Wizard King someday!" they exclaimed, their eyes wide with admiration.

Stephen winked at them. "You know, maybe you should ask for an autograph now. You might be able to sell it for a fortune someday!" he teased, making them giggle.

Meanwhile, Asta lay on the ground, his soul seemingly floating out of his body in defeat.

"Now, now, Asta," Sister Lily said gently, patting his shoulder. "It's almost time for the ceremony where you'll receive your grimoire. Who knows? You might finally be able to use magic!"

"You're right, Sister Lily..." Asta said, tears brimming in his eyes. "Once I get my grimoire, I'll finally become the Wizard King! And then... I'll marry you!"

Sister Lily smiled, though her expression remained awkward.

"NOW THEN! I SHALL TRAIN UNTIL THE CEREMONY STARTS!" Asta suddenly shouted, dashing off with renewed determination.

"Why does he always yell so much?" one of the kids grumbled.

"To be heard..." Stephen replied.

The children turned to him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" one of them asked.

"He screams to be heard. People always look down on him because he's an orphan, and because he can't use magic. It's like a double whammy. So, he feels like he has to shout, to make people pay attention."

"Really?" Father Orsi asked, surprised.

Stephen shook his head with a sigh. "Come on, Father. How have you not noticed?"

After finishing with the logs, Stephen decided it was time to prepare for the ceremony.

In the bathroom, Stephen stared at his shirtless reflection. His body was toned and muscular, bearing a few scars from his rigorous training with Asta and Yuno. His hair, slicked back, reached his neck, with two distinct white tufts framing his face. Water dripped from his hair as he ran his fingers through it one last time before slipping on his blue shirt.

With a sharp whistle, Shebird, his familiar, flew over and landed on his head. Soon, they made their way to the ceremony, held in a towering library-like structure. Stephen spotted Asta and Yuno standing a short distance away, while the rest of the church members looked on nervously.

"WELCOME, YOUNG ONES!" the announcer boomed, but Stephen found himself spacing out, eagerly awaiting his grimoire.

"NOW, FOR THE GRIMOIRES!"

Books began floating in the air, surrounded by a magical aura, making their way toward their destined owners. The crowd gasped as a brilliantly glowing grimoire floated toward Yuno. Its cover gleamed with a four-leaf clover.

"A four-leaf clover grimoire!?"

"A commoner got it!?"

"Could he be the one destined to become the Wizard King!?"

"At least he's kinda cute" 

Before the crowd could continue their murmurs, a sound like shattering glass echoed through the chamber. All eyes turned toward Stephen, whose space before him cracked and splintered. Slowly, a massive grimoire the size of a textbook emerged, its thick pages pulsing with an orange energy. The space around it mended as the book fully materialized, its royal purple cover adorned with red highlights.

But what left everyone speechless was something else entirely.

"Is... is that a six-leaf clover?" someone whispered.

Pandemonium erupted.

"I thought the most was four leaves! If there's six, then there must be a five-leaf one out there too!"

"And isn't he a commoner as well!?"

"What is going on?" 

"Who is he? And why does he have that grimoire!?" 

Annoyed by the attention, Stephen clicked his tongue, grabbed his grimoire, and made a quick hand sign. In a flash, he dissolved into a flock of shadowy birds, scattering across the room. 

Moments later, the birds coalesced into Stephen's form in the forest where he often trained.

Sitting down and crossing his legs, Stephen studied his grimoire. The book's purple and red cover bore a golden six-leaf clover, but at its center was a symbol that resembled an Egyptian hieroglyph of an eye.

As he examined it, Shebird landed on his shoulder, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"I'm nervous to open this," Stephen muttered, glancing at her. She rubbed her face against his, offering silent support.

Taking a deep breath, Stephen opened the book. As soon as he did, glowing orange glyphs appeared, shifting and morphing before his eyes. Both Stephen and Shebird found themselves growing drowsy as they stared at the mesmerizing glyphs.

...

When Stephen opened his eyes, he was no longer in the forest. Instead, he stood inside a grand library, surrounded by endless shelves of books.

"Where the hell am I?" he muttered in awe.

"Uh... Stephen..." a voice called out.

Startled, Stephen jumped back and conjured eldritch shields in his hands, ready to defend himself. Before him stood a girl about shoulder-height, wearing a short black dress, short black hair with devil horns sprouting from her head.

"Who the hell are you? Are you the guardian of this library?" Stephen asked warily.

The girl stared back with deadpan eyes.

"Those soulless, judgmental eyes... Shebird? Is that really you?" Stephen asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Secre. My name is Secre," she replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

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