"Ugh, dammit," I muttered as I woke up—in Asta's body—with a sharp pain at the back of my head. Just as I was planning to relax a little, a voice shouted nearby.
"Sister! Sister! Asta is awake!" If my guess was correct, that was Recca. My memories were still hazy, but I had a general idea of what was going on.
I opened my eyes and found myself in a sunlit room. I sat up, taking in the wooden walls and the bed I'd been lying in. As far as I remembered, this wasn't the bed Asta—or rather, I—usually used.
Dammit. I still can't get over this whole reincarnation thing.
A young nun rushed into the room—Sister Lily, I assumed. Honestly, she didn't look half bad. I could understand why Asta chased after her, but I figured it was best not to go down that road.
"How are you feeling, Asta?" she asked, touching my forehead with a concerned look.
"I'm fine, Sister. Just some pain at the back of my head—nothing serious," I replied with a weak smile. Best to start acting like myself from now on, rather than the way Asta usually behaved. That way, they'd just blame the oddness on the accident.
Sister Lily gave me a look but didn't comment on my behavior. I might've come off a bit too different from how Asta normally acted.
"Rest for now. I'll bring you your lunch," she said before leaving the room.
"Hooo…" I sighed in relief as I got out of bed, stumbling slightly. Guess I'd need some time to get used to this body.
I had to admit—Asta trained like hell. I could feel the power in his muscles and the sturdiness of his build.
After walking around a bit, I started to grow accustomed to the body. It was beginning to feel almost natural.
Sister Lily came back with food and immediately spotted me pacing around. I stopped when I saw her glare.
"I told you to rest, didn't I?"
"Hey now, Sister, listen—I'm fine. See? I can walk around quite—"
"Get back in bed," she said firmly. Best not to push my luck. I returned to bed, and she set the tray in front of me.
"Now let's see… first, you tried to drown yourself to awaken water magic. Then, you inhaled smoke for fire magic. And now, you jumped out of a tree to awaken wind magic. What am I supposed to do with you?" she scolded as I took a bite of the porridge.
I already suspected it from the muscles, but Asta seriously went to extremes to achieve his goals.
"Uhh… sorry," I muttered, looking away, embarrassed by the stupidity of the actions I was now apologizing for.
Now that I had access to some of Asta's memories, I gained a deeper understanding as to why he was so desperate to gain magic—but he still could've easily gotten himself killed.
"As punishment, you're not allowed to go to the skull anymore. And no leaving the compound after lunch unless it's necessary," Sister Lily said, looking me dead in the eye.
"Wait, wait, wait… Sister, I'll be back before lunch, but please let me go to the skull to train," I pleaded. That place was isolated—perfect for training without anyone watching. Ideal for the introverted part of me.
"Hmmm… you promise to be back before lunch?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I nodded vigorously.
"Alright. I hope I won't regret this," she said with a sigh. I smiled and continued eating. I was actually starving.
It wasn't long before I left the room, which I now realized belonged to Father Orsi. Standing outside the church, I saw Recca and Aruru playing under the tree while Yuno dried laundry with his wind magic. Nash was nowhere in sight.
Recca saw me first. She ran toward me and hugged me, with Aruru following closely.
"Hey, it's fine. I'm alright now," I said, patting their heads as they looked like they might cry. Yuno glanced my way but quickly looked away. Cold as ever.
"Where's Father?" I asked. I hadn't seen him all day.
"Oh, he went out with Nash to get something. They'll be back soon," Recca replied, scanning the horizon.
From what I remembered, it would be better if Nash kept his distance—if he was still as irritating as before, I might just punch him.
With nothing else to do, I did what Asta would have done—chopped wood. I grabbed the axe and got to work. Time passed slowly, but eventually, I finished and sat by the fence, watching the giant skull cast its looming shadow over the village as the sun set.
Father Orsi flew in on his broom, Nash trailing behind him, holding some packets. I approached them just before heading back inside.
"Ahh, Asta! You're awake!" Father Orsi called out, trying to hug me.
"Father, I just got out of bed a few hours ago. Please restrain yourself," I said, stepping back slightly.
They could probably tell something was different. He nodded, looking a bit disheartened.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're okay. But don't go around doing dangerous stuff again," he said.
"Don't worry—I won't," I replied, and he seemed satisfied. Nash, on the other hand, just scoffed and walked off.
"Nash, help me with dinner!" Sister Lily called out from inside. Nash went in silently.
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, dinner was served.
I didn't speak much during the meal, so the usual liveliness was missing. But I had a lot on my mind—mainly, what to do next.
Asta's training methods were impractical. He'd repeat the same routine until he collapsed. I'm no expert, but that seemed dangerously self-destructive. The only alternative that came to mind was from a certain Caped Baldy and his Highness, the Shadow Monarch.
And when in doubt—follow the Monarch.
So my workout routine changed to:
Upper Body (Push & Pull)
50 push-ups
50 inverted rows
(balances push-ups by working the upper back and biceps)
Core
50 sit-ups
25 leg raises + 25 plank shoulder taps
(safer, more functional option for the spine)
Legs
50 air squats
50 walking lunges (25 each leg)
(builds balance and targets glutes & hamstrings)
Cardio
10 km run
10-minute sprints or hill sprints
(around 30–45 minutes total; adds intensity and variety)
This was less than what Asta did, but it was more balanced. His routine—doing a thousand push-ups, collapsing, then a thousand sit-ups, and barely managing to run from the church to the skull—wasn't sustainable. The OPM workout, while being great for beginners, wasn't ideal for long-term progress or overall fitness. With this workout, I could ensure my progress wouldn't be hindered and adjust it accordingly for my needs.
After dinner, I did the dishes while Sister Lily cleared the table.
"So I'm guessing you're going back to training tomorrow?" she asked while handing me more dishes.
"Yeah, pretty much—though I might tone it down a little," I replied. No point in hiding it.
"Don't push yourself too much," she said, dropping off another stack.
Her words were a bit contradictory, considering how strict she'd just been.
"Don't give me that look. You'll be suffering for quite some time because of your actions," she added, shooting me a glance.
And here I was, wondering why she wasn't helping with her water magic.
I sighed and continued washing the dishes.