"Asta, wait for Captain Yami to come back. Use Finral's Space Magic with him to return to the Black Bulls headquarters. I'm going to head out for a while—tell everyone they don't have to wait for me at dinner for the next few days."
Adam decided to try his luck in the black market. If he met that man, maybe he could find some clues.
"I'm fine, Adam. Ever since the day I got my grimoire, I told myself that would be the last time I ever got depressed," Asta said firmly.
Adam placed his hand on Asta's head and said softly, "We're family."
"Alright, I won't say anything sentimental. For a man, that's kind of hypocritical."
He took his hand away, turned, and walked out of the building. Finral, who had been hiding outside, quickly used Space Magic to teleport himself away.
"Even a proud dragon can't survive alone," Adam muttered. "Just like that capricious dragon— even in hell, it still has brothers and sisters with it."
Was that supposed to be a joke from hell?
The Black Market
In the black market of the royal capital, Adam's luck wasn't great. He didn't run into the Wizard King on one of his secret visits, nor did he see that greedy merchant, Latin.
"Ugh, honestly, I don't even want to visit the Wizard King. If the guards say something like, 'How can a lowly person like you be worthy of meeting the Wizard King?'… there might be a river of blood today."
Adam sighed. As a noble dragon, he couldn't accept that kind of humiliation—especially now that he had real strength.
To Adam, pretending to be weak just to strike later was pointless. When you're powerless, you endure humiliation. But once you have power, why wait for someone to push your buttons before retaliating? It was ridiculous.
"I don't want to give up my peaceful life yet. Playing around with Charmy, going out with Noelle, drinking with Vanessa—this kind of daily heaven is exactly what I enjoy most."
His thoughts drifted as he walked. In this feudal kingdom, conflicts with nobles were inevitable. They didn't care how capable you were; all they saw was your social rank.
Adam knew he had to prepare early. Once he had enough power to flip the table, he'd show those people what true despair looked like.
A kingdom that's lasted thousands of years always has a backup plan to maintain royal rule. The four great nations were no different.
"If only I had the Snake Talisman's power… I could go anywhere without being seen."
He wandered the crowded streets, aimlessly listening to gossip as he searched for clues.
A Strange Conversation
"Hey, you hear? That guy Mokas picked up a girl recently!" one man said.
"You're really desperate. What's so special about picking up women? If you're not satisfied, I can take you somewhere to grow," another joked.
"Don't make fun of me! She's not an ordinary woman!"
"Oh? Then tell me already!"
"She's a witch."
"A witch?! You mean from that country full of women? I heard their queen is an ancient monster who's lived for centuries!"
"That's awesome! I wanna go check it out!" the bearded man said dramatically.
"What are you talking about? Men can't even enter that place!" the thin man snapped.
Adam, who'd been listening nearby, stepped forward. "Is this Witch Kingdom you're talking about real?"
"Ah! You scared me!" The bearded man clutched his chest. "You rude man—don't you know eavesdropping is bad manners?"
"Tell me," Adam said flatly.
A flicker of his immense magic power escaped, and the two men instantly froze in fear. Trembling, they spilled everything they knew.
"S-Sir, this map shows the location of the Witch's Forest," the thin one stammered.
Adam took the map and examined it. It was a simplified chart of the continent, with the four major kingdoms and several smaller countries marked.
"Is this true?"
"Absolutely! Every word!" they both said in unison.
Adam studied them, then smirked slightly. "Good. Because I don't think either of you would dare lie to me."
In the face of overwhelming strength, schemes and lies were meaningless.
He decided then—he'd go to the Witch's Forest. The Witch Queen, a ruler said to have lived for nearly a thousand years, must know something.
…And yet, part of him couldn't deny the evil dragon's influence. A country full of women? That did sound interesting.
As Adam walked away, the two vendors hurriedly packed up and ran.
"I told you not to use your grandmother's stories! Now look—if that guy comes back, we're dead!" the thin man cried, sweating.
"Those stories are true," the bearded one muttered. "The witches really exist. The Witch Queen's magic covers the entire forest— even if a bird enters, she'll know."
A flicker of grim satisfaction crossed his eyes. You nobles think you can bully commoners forever? Let's see how you like being tricked for once.
"Grandma, you better make this count," he whispered.
Back at the Capital
As dusk fell, Asta and Finral stood outside the small building waiting for Captain Yami. Soon, they saw him walking toward them, carrying a large bag with an unusually cheerful grin.
"Where's Adam?" Yami asked, clearly in a good mood.
"Ah…" Finral started to answer, but Asta spoke first. "He said he'll be out for a few days and told us not to wait for him."
That kid never wanted to trouble anyone.
Yami nodded. "Then he's missing out on tonight's barbecue. Let's go, Finral."
"Uh… okay!" Finral replied quickly, opening a Space Magic portal. A white tunnel shimmered open before them.
"Let's go, Asta," Finral called.
"Got it!"
Outside the Black Bulls' base, a long table was piled high with meat and ingredients. The team sat around laughing and grilling under the night sky.
"It's a pity Adam didn't come back," Magna grumbled through a mouthful of meat. "He's a good guy—my kind of crazy."
"This is delicious!" Asta declared, somehow managing to hold his skewers with his feet and eat on his own despite his broken arms.
…How does he go to the toilet though?
"Vanessa, could you please watch your image?" Gauche said dryly.
"Gauche, stop staring at your sister's picture and do something useful," Vanessa shot back.
"Charmy, eating a whole plate of meat in three seconds is not a magic trick."
"Gray, don't change back into your big form—you're taking up too much space!"
"I'm stuffed," Asta said, standing up abruptly. Without saying a word, he turned and walked away.
"Huh? What's up with Asta tonight? He's acting weird," Magna said.
"Yeah, he's not smiling as much as usual," Gordon murmured softly.
Finral clenched his fists, unable to hold it in any longer. "Everyone, listen to me!"
The whole squad turned toward him. His voice was heavy. "When Asta went in for the doctor's examination, I overheard it. The doctor said… his arms are cursed. It's an ancient spell—and it can't be healed."
"What?!"
The mood instantly shifted. Yami lit a cigarette, his expression dark. "If the kingdom's top healer said that, it's probably true."
Bang!
"Damn it!" Magna slammed his fist on the table, face twisted in anger.
"So Adam didn't come back because of Asta?" Noelle asked quietly.
"Yeah… probably," Finral admitted.
"That bastard," Vanessa muttered. "Why does he always have to play the lone hero?"
"We're all one family in the Black Bulls," Gordon mumbled. "We should face it together…"
"A curse, huh?" Yami exhaled smoke, his voice low. "That's trouble."
The cheerful night suddenly turned heavy and quiet.
"Where's Asta?" Yami asked.
"Let's find him," Magna said, standing.
Meanwhile…
"The deep forest at night is really kinda creepy," Adam muttered to himself, stepping into the shadows.