"My own room?"
Adam stepped into the small, shabby quarters, eyes gleaming.
At that moment, he completely understood how Asta must've felt when he first arrived here—
Excited!
Finally, after all these years, he had a place of his own.
No more crowded bunks. No more snoring or sleepless nights.
The saying really was true: "A poor boy who travels far eventually finds his place."
"Thanks, Sister Vanessa," Adam said sincerely.
Vanessa leaned lazily against the doorframe, wine in hand. "Little brother, want your sister to keep you company tonight~?"
BANG!
"Not a chance! Don't you dare ruin my first night alone!"
It was a ruthless rejection, but a necessary one.
Vanessa pouted, laughing softly. "Unromantic as ever."
She stumbled away, humming and giggling drunkenly.
Adam turned to his room with a determined look.
"Alright… time to clean up my love nest!"
The space was small—barely twenty square meters—but cozy.
A soft bed, a simple desk, and a wardrobe. Nothing fancy, but it was his.
He swept the floor, dusted the shelves, and neatly arranged a plate of Charmy's cake on the desk.
Then, satisfied, he opened his grimoire and sat down to study it again.
"Could it be… that the Rooster's power works the way I think it does?"
He took a bite of cake, savoring it, then flipped carefully through each glowing page.
This book was his greatest treasure—his lifeline.
"The Dragon's circle is still one-fourth incomplete… and the Rooster's circle is one-eighth short," he muttered.
"If my guess is right, the Dragon's power awakens through rage. Easy enough. There are plenty of loudmouth nobles in the capital to piss me off."
He tapped the page showing a faint golden rooster.
"But the Rooster's strength… maybe it's linked to eating? But eating what?"
He squinted. "Magic chicken? Or maybe beef, pork, mutton? Worth experimenting."
Adam devoured the rest of Charmy's cake, sighing contently.
"In Hage Village, we only had sweet potatoes all year… I wish everyone could taste something like this."
He set aside his fork, pulled out a sheet of paper, and began to write a letter to the church.
He told everyone not to worry—that he'd bring back delicious food when he returned.
Then a thought hit him.
"Why not just bring Charmy back with me next time?"
He smirked. "That's genius."
Hage Village, Church.
"There's a letter from Asta and the others!"
The old priest carefully opened the message, tears glimmering in his eyes.
"Yuno and Adam… you two make us so proud."
"When will Asta come back?" one of the kids asked.
"Sister Lily, he made it too!" the priest said joyfully.
"What?! Really?!"
The entire church erupted in cheers. Even the normally composed Lily looked thrilled.
"We must tell everyone! Hage has truly birthed a dragon!"
The old priest jumped onto his broom and hurried out to spread the news.
"Asta, Adam, Yuno… you've all grown so much," Lily whispered, holding the letter to her chest.
Black Bull Headquarters – Cafeteria
"It's meal time!"
Adam grabbed a plate and sat across from Charmy, the two of them devouring cake like best friends—or rival food critics.
"See, Adam," Charmy said proudly, "this is the cafeteria!"
Adam grinned. "As expected of another world—food that tastes like magic."
"Tch." Magna turned away, still salty. "Can't even respect your seniors, huh?"
Asta shouted excitedly from behind him, "Adam! senior Magna showing me around the base! Come join us!"
Adam shot him a deadly glare. "Asta… never interrupt me when I'm eating good food."
That look alone made Asta's soul leave his body. "O-okay! S-Sunglasses-senpai, let's go!"
Magna smirked and led him off, leaving Adam in peace.
Charmy nodded approvingly. "Adam, you've got great taste. Chef Sheep's cooking is top-tier!"
"Really," Adam said through a mouthful of cake. "Perfection."
BOOM!
"Oh, for the love of—can't even eat in peace!"
Adam slammed his fork down, his face darkening. "It has to be Asta again…"
He stormed out of the cafeteria, the rest of the Bulls following curiously.
Outside, a giant swirling sphere of water filled the courtyard.
Inside was a silver-haired girl—spinning helplessly, trapped in her own magic.
"Noelle Silva," Finral muttered. "Her magic's gone out of control again."
Adam blinked. "Wait. That wasn't Asta? Huh. My bad."
Just then, Asta was blasted from the sky, crashing right into Adam.
"Perfect timing, hero," Adam muttered, grabbing Asta by the collar. "You handle the rescue."
He turned to Yami. "Captain, it's his turn for the spotlight."
Yami grinned. "Agreed."
Without hesitation, Yami hurled Asta into the air.
Asta raised his sword. "If only I had the strength of an ox!"
He slashed downward— "Anti Magic: Slash!"
The water sphere burst apart with a massive BANG!
Noelle and Asta fell from the sky—straight toward the ground.
Adam's grimoire flared. "Rooster, lend me your wings!"
He shot upward, catching Noelle in one arm and Asta in the other, landing smoothly.
"You idiot…" Noelle mumbled weakly.
"No, no," Adam said lightly. "I'm the one who's supposed to be a waste, remember?"
Noelle looked down, trembling. Her face showed the pain of years spent being ridiculed—by her own royal family most of all.
"Don't turn into another Asta," Adam teased. "And for the record, you just ruined my lunch."
He gently set her down, then tossed Asta away like a sack of potatoes.
"Hey! What do you mean another me?!" Asta yelled.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Adam shot back.
Asta huffed, turning to Noelle. "You're amazing, though! I wish I had magic power like yours!"
Noelle clenched her fists. "You don't have any magic!"
Adam smirked. "And yet, he's still loud."
Vanessa stepped forward, swirling her wine. "Relax, Noelle. None of us here are perfect. I can help you learn to control your magic…"
She winked. "And maybe teach you how to be a little more mature~."
Charmy raised her fork. "Or eat cake! That helps too!"
Magna laughed. "Welcome to the Black Bulls, Princess!"
Noelle's eyes widened. For the first time, she saw not pity—but acceptance.
Her lip trembled. "Everyone… please guide me!"
"In unison!" shouted the Bulls. "Welcome to the squad!"
Tears welled up in Noelle's eyes.
For once, she wasn't a failure—she was part of a family.
Meanwhile, Adam stretched and yawned.
"Charmy, I'll need seconds later. This counts as training, right?"
Everyone face-faulted.
"Unromantic bastard," Vanessa muttered, giggling.
Luck slammed his fist into his palm. "Adam! Duel with me next!"
Adam sighed. "And just like that… another one."