I groan softly as I wake up in a hard bed, rolling on my side and being met with several pairs of eyes. I yelp and push myself up so fast, my head begins to spin. There's a few startled yelps, a laugh.
"Now you guys, don't scare her like that," a man's voice says, my back stiffening as I look towards the door to a man dressed in priest's garb. A small wave of relaxation comes over me as he picks up one of the smaller children. "It's nice to see you awake, however. We were starting to get worried."
"Where am I?" I ask, rubbing my temple as I struggle to remember everything after leaving the strong mana zone. "I-I don't remember.."
"You're in Hage Village," he tells me. "I'm Father Orsi. Two of my boys found you collapsed on the edge of town, and brought you here. You've been asleep for a few days."
"Right.."
That's right. I got here from the Zone, and I fell. I was so tired; even Belzeb couldn't keep up with me anymore. I must've gotten sick from wearing the clothes I jumped into the river with. I look at the other small children with him, seeing their concerned and bright faces makes my heart hurt remembering the children left behind in Spade. Children I abandoned.
Even now I'm a coward.
"You were running a fever when they brought you here," he continues, smiling as I nod. "You woke up here and there, and we used that time to give you some medicine and see if you could put some food in your stomach. It's a relief you're actually conscious now."
"Right, thank you for your hospitality," I say curtly, standing up and feeling my legs shake before plopping back onto the bed. Orsi chuckles and sets the child down, who runs off out of the room, two of the other children running after them. "I really shouldn't overstay."
"Nonsense! All are welcome in our church," he says, waving his hand in front of his face with a smile. "You can stay as long as you need. It seems you've travelled a long way."
"You could say that."
"Then it is settled! You'll stay here for a few days, get your strength back, and then we can decide what you want to do from there. Does that sound good?"
"Yes, I suppose I can agree to that," I replied, leaning to the side to smile and wave at the children peeking back into the room. One of the girls giggles and pulls the others into the room with her. "Hi there!"
"Could you tell us your name?" Orsi asks as one of them climbs into my lap and pulls at my long hair. I wince and gently take her hand from it. "Now, don't be rude, she's our guest."
"No, they're fine," I assure, rubbing the girl's head. "My name is Kallsi. But you can call me Kal. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Kal's a boy's name!" one of the boys tells me, to which I giggle and nod. He blushes and pouts as he looks away with his cheeks puffed out. "It's a boy's name."
"Yes, but I'm sure it's easier to say than Kallsi. Oh, which of the children found me? I'd like to thank them. I'm not sure I would have made it if they hadn't."
"I'll call for them," he assures, stepping out of the room. He takes a deep breath as I start to play with the girl's hand. "ASTA! YUNO!"
I flinched as he yelled, grabbing tight to the girl's hand. She squirms, pushing at my wrist. I didn't even realize how tightly I was holding her hand until she started to whimper and her eyes water. I let go as two boys, one with black hair and yellow eyes, the other with grey hair and green eyes. The black haired one seemed unphased, bored. The other seemed excited, bouncing on his heels with stars in his eyes.
"This is Kallsi, she wanted-"
"You have a grimoire! And it's so big! So cool!" the grey haired boy says, shaking his fists up and down excitedly. "My name's Asta! It's so cool to meet you! Can you show me your magic?!"
"Shut up!" Orsi tells him, punching the back of his head. "You interrupted me!" he adds, a vein throbbing in his forehead as Asta holds his head and drops into a crouch. "As I was saying, these are the two that found you. Boys, this is Kallsi. She wanted to thank you for bringing her here."
"Are you okay?" I ask as Asta stands up, grinning again. I'm almost impressed by him; I've seen people be knocked out cold from a punch like that. "So your name is Asta. That means your's must be Yuno," I add, switching my gaze to the unbothered boy. Something about him is familiar to me, the way his mana feels. The necklace he wore was familiar too. I swear I've seen it somewhere before…
"That's right, I'm Asta! And I'm going to be the next Wizard King!" Asta declares. The kids in the room sigh, shaking their heads as Orsi pinches the bridge of his nose. It's odd; I can't sense any mana from him. None. Not even a faint trace. If I remember correctly, you have to be able to cast magic to even start that path to being a mage.
"Yes I'm Yuno," the other boy speaks up, drawing my attention back to him. "I'm also going to become the Wizard King."
"So you're rivals then?" I ask, tilting my head as I smile. "That's wonderful. I hope you two can become the best versions of you possible."
One Day Later
"So you're from the Spade Kingdom?"
Asta was helping me with the laundry, handing me the wet clothes as I hung them on the clothesline. I nod an answer to his question, using the pins to hold the clothes in place. He tilts his head.
"Then why aren't you using your grimoire to do these clothes? Can't you make clones to do that stuff? Or be like Yuno and dry them using the stupid wind?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure the clothes would take longer to dry if I used my magic on them," I chuckle. He tilts his head the other way, brows furrowed. "I'm an ice mage. Can you hand me the next shirt please?"
"Oh, yes!" He hastily grabs one out and hands it to me, rocking on his heels with the basket as I hang it up. "Can I see your magic? I bet it's so cool!"
"Sure, let's finish these clothes first and I'll demonstrate it for you," I promise. He lets out a cheer and we get through the rest of the clothes. Before I can have my grimoire out, he's run off again. I sigh and sit down in the grass, wincing as I catch some of my hair under my hand. I shift my hand and pull my hair over my shoulder, running my fingers through it slowly. It snags on a knot and I flinch, closing my eyes and seeing Vanica's twisted face in mine. My eyes snap open, ice having started to freeze the grass around me. I let my hair fall back, my heart racing in my chest.
You're safe here. We're in Clover. You don't have to worry as much, Belzeb's voice whispers in my head. He sounds as exhausted as I still feel. I guess even Devils have their limits.
"Yes but we can't stay here forever," I reply softly, pulling one knee up to my chest and hugging it. "We'll put them in danger if Dante comes looking."
That man is so self absorbed, he probably won't realize you're gone for a few more days. If he has already, that would be a massive surprise.
"I hope so," I murmur, perking up as I hear Asta yelling again. The other kids were coming out, who's names I now knew as Recca, Nash, Aruru, and Hollo. Yuno brought up the rear, looking as unphased by everything as he did yesterday. I still can't shake the feeling that I know him somehow.
"Kal said she was going to show us her magic!" Asta says, bringing them over with stars in his eyes. "Right Kal?!"
"Right," I chuckle, standing up and dusting myself off. My grimoire floats out of it's satchel, opening and flipping through pages. "Hmm…"
All of my spells are meant to hurt people...Not really kid appropriate. Shit.
"Alright, well, I can't find a decent spell to show you guys," I laugh awkwardly, their smiles falling. I immediately feel bad, crouching down. "But, I can show you guys something that doesn't need a spell."
They perk up again, Recca following Asta's example of shaking his fists in the air with excitement. I can't help but smile, holding my hands out and focusing mana into my palms. They all lean forward, even Yuno seems interested now, as a bird builds itself up from its feet to sit there. The ice reflects the sunlight, giving it an almost sparkle effect.
"That's so cool!" Asta gushes, his voice high pitched and shrill in a way that makes me laugh. I give the bird to Recca, who runs off with her foster siblings to play with it. Asta chases after them as I stand up and dust myself off.
"Ice magic," Yuno says, nearly startling me. "Impressive."
"Ah, well, thank you. I hear you can use wind magic. I think that's more impressive than anything I can do," I laugh, rubbing the back of my head. I swear, he looks familiar too, but I can't place it. How many people have I met with yellow eyes?
"And you have the mana density of a noble," he continues. "Why are you here?"
"I really don't think that's any of your business, Yuno. You should go play with your siblings."
That Night
"So you wish to leave tomorrow?" Orsi asks me as I sit at the table with him and Sister Lily. He sighs and rests his cheek on his hand. "Are you sure you want to leave? We could always use an extra hand around here."
"The kids adore you as well," Sister Lily says, clasping her hands in her lap. "Please won't you stay a little while longer?"
"I…" I take a breath, my shoulders slumping. "I wish I could give you my reasons, but you knowing would just put you in danger. You are all such good kind people, and it makes me think that there still is good in this screwed up world. But, if I stay, I run the risk of you getting caught up with something that would put the kids in danger. I want to stay, truly. I enjoy it here, and I love seeing their smiles, and seeing how happy everyone is. I have to keep moving, I have to keep going forward."
They look at me as I finish, Orsi smiling and Sister Lily about to cry. They've only known me a day, and yet they're upset I'm leaving? My heart hurts thinking about it, my hand fisting in the cloth over my chest. I want to stay.
"Do you have any goals you want to see accomplished?" Orsi asks. "If so, may I suggest something?"
"Oh, of course! I-" My head spun for a moment. What goals did I have? My main goal for so long was to escape Dante, to escape that hellscape that I had to call home for so long. I have wants, but what's my goal? "Yes, I do," I lie instead. "And you can ask anything. You all have been so wonderful, it would be rude if I didn't accept."
"If it helps your goals, could you become a magic knight?" Orsi asks. Sister Lily looks at him, confused and concerned. "You heard Asta and Yuno say they want to be the next Wizard King. The first step is to be accepted as a magic knight. They'll be fifteen in two years, and get their grimoires, and if I know my boys, leave right after to pursue those dreams of theirs. Yuno, I'm not as worried about him as I am Asta. Yuno is a prodigy, but Asta-"
"Has no mana," I say softly. He nods and they both look sadly at the table. Sister Lily wipes a tear from her eye.
"We've been trying to gently tell him to find a new dream, but he's dead set on this one. He feels that he'll just have a massive reserve break open when he gets his grimoire," she says. "I-I think Father Orsi is trying to tell you that maybe you being a magic knight, and being a foreigner, would help Asta to be accepted as a magic knight. Even with no magic."
"I'll see what I can do," I assure, not wanting to promise anything. "If I can, I will do my best to see that he can be accepted. If not, I'll do my best to watch over Yuno."
"Thank you, Kal," Orsi says. "And I wish you luck on your travels. Perhaps we can scrounge you up some clothes that aren't baggy and torn from your previous adventure before you leave."
"That would be lovely, yes," I laugh. "I'll be sure to find some way to repay your kindnesses." I stand and tap my knuckles on the table once before looking at him. "Do you perhaps have a pair of scissors somewhere I can borrow?"
"Um, yes, I believe so," Sister Lily says, standing up and walking over to one of the small tables near the main table. She digs through the drawer and pulls out a pair of safety scissors, handing them to me. "They aren't that sharp because of the kids, but I hope they'll do what you need them to do."
"They will do just fine, thank you Sister Lily," I say with a smile, bowing my head to them both before leaving the room. I walk back to the small room I'd been using, closing the door behind me. I stare at the scissors in my hand as I walk over to the window and open it. The cool breeze flowing through the grass sends a shiver through me, reminding me of what I left behind in Spade.
The cruelty. The bone shattering cold. The death. The memories I was forced to make. Dante, Vanica, Zenon. All of that left behind me, as well as the family name. The name of cowards.
"Never again," I whisper, grabbing a fistful of my hair and angling the scissors before attempting to cut the hair at shoulder level. With each strand lost, I feel lighter, like the pains of my past are disappearing each time my hair falls to the floor. A promise of better days to come.
Never again will I be put in a position like that.
Never again will I be used like that.
Never again will I let someone die without me being able to do something.
"Do you have any goals?"
"I'm going to fix everything," I say, my hands shaking as I finish cutting my hair. I can feel the rough ends brushing my shoulders, so much lighter than it previously felt. I lay the scissors on the window sill. "I'm going to fix Spade, I'm going to defeat them."
The Next Morning
"Don't leave us!" Recca says, tears in her eyes as I smile and rub her head. Her bottom lip trembles before she hugs my waist, burying her face in my stomach. Asta pouted, arms crossed over his chest.
"I thought you were going to live with us, and teach me things!" he says. "For when I get my grimoire."
"I highly doubt you'll have ice magic like me, kiddo," I assure. "But, I'll make a promise to you." This makes him perk up, dropping his arms as he looks at me. "If you train hard, and we meet again, I'll teach you as much as I can."
"Really?!"
"Yep."
He pumps a fist into the air, whooping as Recca pulls away. The other children gave me hugs in turn, saying goodbye. Yuno strayed towards the back, passive faced as usual. I smile at him, offering a wave.
"Same goes to you, Yuno. Train hard. And I'll support you both in your dreams."
"Have safe travels, Kal," Sister Lily says, giving me a small bag. "I would suggest heading straight to the capital, but there are a few towns and cities you may want to see first. I do hope this isn't the last time that we see you."
"If I can come visit, I will," I say, nodding. "Thank you all. Best of luck to you all."
And with that, my stay in Hage Village came to an end. It was wonderful to see such kind people in this world, and my introduction to the Clover Kingdom almost made up for the hell I went through to get here. I didn't know when or if I'd ever see Asta and Yuno again, still unsure if I wanted to even become a magic knight. But I had two years to make that decision.
After Hage, and a two day hike, I ended up in a town called Nairn. Living at the church for a year and a half there, I became acquainted with Sister Theresa, a fire mage with a history of being a magic knight. I'm going to be honest; I've never respected someone as much as I feared them, as that woman. And the children there-I love each and every one of them as my own siblings. One of them, a girl named Marie, her brother was also a magic knight in a squad known as the Black Bulls.
After about six months of hiding out at the church, interacting with Gauche made my promise to Orsi and Sister Lily resurface. Would I even be able to keep it?
"Your face gives away your troubles, dear," Sister Theresa tells me as we do the dishes. "What's on your mind?"
"I…" I sigh softly, tucking some of my shorter hair behind my ear. "I made a promise to someone, a while ago. And I don't know if I can go through with it."
"What promise was that, Kal?"
"I said I'd become a magic knight, and help someone. I just don't know if I can go through with it, since I don't know if I can even be accepted as a magic knight here in Clover due to me being born in Spade."
"Hmm…" She stops scrubbing a dish, smiling as she turns her head to me. I can see the gears in her head turning. "How about I give you some help? One of my former students is a magic knight captain. I can write him a letter, and have him give it to the Wizard King so that you can have your answer."
"Wait, you'd do that?" I ask, so surprised I almost drop a plate. I catch it before it hits the floor, letting out a small breath. "Sister, you don't have to-"
"Nonsense. You've been such a massive help here with the children and dealing with Gauche. It's the least I can do since you've helped to take the strain off my back. Let an old woman help the next generation out some more."
I can feel tears building in my eyes that I quickly blink away, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly to stop myself from crying. My heart was swelling with joy, relieved that even now, my opinion of Clover and its people still hasn't changed. Such kindness, such willingness to help! I can't believe it.
"Thank you, Sister Theresa," I whisper, my voice thick. "That would mean a lot."
"Of course, Kal. It's not a problem. If you do become one, just come back and visit every once in a while. The kids will miss you."
"And I'll miss all of you," I say, laughing as she starts to chuckle. As we go back to the dishes, I keep finding myself wanting to say more, but not sure what to say. What do I say to someone who's done so much for someone not of their country?
A reply letter didn't take long to come back to us. The Wizard King had graciously said I could participate in the selection ceremony, and that I could get into a squad based on my own merits and if any of the captains would take me. Theresa wanted to have a small celebration to commemorate the amazing news, and gave me a shopping list to pick some things up. The children stayed behind to help her decorate.
It happened after I finished my shopping. Taking a back road I knew to be faster back to the church, some guys started following me. They were making gross and lewd comments about me, about my clothes. About how I was wearing my hair in a half up ponytail because it kept it out of my face.
"Come on, you can have some fun with us," one says, grabbing my arm to stop me. I could see the opening of the back road to the plaza the church sat in. His grip was tight, but nowhere near what I remember Dante or Vanica's being. "You're too cute to take up the cloth like that."
"Who said anything about me taking up the cloth?" I demand, jerking my arm away and turning to face them. "And even if I was, what's wrong with that? The kindest people I've met so far have been people of the cloth, not hooligans like you."
"Oh, we're hooligans?" another pipes up. "Such big words for a pretty face."
"Oh well thank you, but I assure you, I'm more than a pretty face."
"Yeah, it won't be so pretty when we're done with it."
I laugh, following it with a snort as I cover my mouth with my hand. The guys didn't take too kindly to that, their grimoires coming out. I drop my hand, leaning down to set my basket of food on the ground as my own grimoire comes out.
Kal, they're just regular humans. Go easy, won't you?
"Don't worry, they'll live."
Icicles form over my head, the men not faltering as they start to use their own magics. Sharp wind cuts my cheek, a blast of flames grazing my arm. The concrete underneath me shifts. I scoff, lifting my hand.
"You messed with the wrong girl."
The icicles fly forward, pinning two of them to walls on either side of us. The third, the fire user, grits his teeth and sends another blast of fire at me. A wall of ice comes up, diverting the flames to either side of me and burning the handle of the basket. I'll have to buy the sister a new one.
"Fire melts ice, honey!" the fire user yells, me having to duck down as the fire melts through the center of my ice shield. I form more icicles, sending them towards him. I can hear them melting and the water evaporating. I curse under my breath, coming out from under the wall and dodging the flames licking the walls.
"I don't need my magic to take you down," I tell him, another wall of ice coming to divert the flames once more. I crouch down, touching the ground and causing it to freeze and frost over in a path towards him. If he wasn't too busy shooting fire at me, he would have seen it before having his feet slip from under him. He struggles to regain his balance, my ice walls falling as I get up and grab his arm. He yelps as I twist his wrist and turn on my heel, his scream echoing as I throw him over my shoulder and pin him to the ground.
"You-bitch!" he growls, then whimpers as I pull his arm up between his shoulder blades as far as it could go. "Al-alright, we'll go! Just don't hurt me!"
"If you ever think any of you can do this shit again, I will come hunt you down, pin you to ground the same way I am now, and cut your fucking dicks off so I can permanently freeze them in your assholes so when people tell you to go fuck yourself, you'll actually listen. Understood?"
They all nod in horror, and I let them go, the icicles holding the two against the walls melting away. They scramble out of the back alley as I dust myself up and pick up the basket, sighing as I inspect the food.
"Thank goodness, nothing was damaged," I sigh softly, shaking my head as I walk towards the opening. There is where I saw a man standing there, an eyebrow raised with a cigarette dangling from his lips. A lump forms in my throat as I take a step back, his mana presence nearly overwhelming. He sighs and takes the cigarette from his lips, exhaling a curl of smoke before flicking the ash onto the ground.
"What's your name?" he asks, his voice rough yet understanding. My shoulders stiffen as he studies me, running his free hand through his spiked messy hair. My eyes catch a glimpse of the bull insignia on the cloak over his shoulder.
"Kallsi," I reply, my voice soft and careful. "Everyone calls me Kal."
"You're that girl Julius was raving about," he says matter of factly, seemingly bored now. "The Spade kid. Huh. I was comin' here to check ya out, but I guess y'don't need to go through the Selection Ceremony."
"And why not?" I demand, my stomach sinking. Great I fucked my only chance. Stupid!
"Cause I'm inviting you to join the Black Bulls," he retorts, as if it should be obvious. I blink a few times, before shaking my head.
"I'm sorry-who the hell are you?"
"Rightt, I haven't introduced myself yet. Name's Yami Sukehiro, Captain of the Black Bulls."