A day has passed since he met with Alexandre.
Everything felt peaceful now.
Currently, Asahi has begun learning about magic from Lucretia and Alice.
So, under the guidance of Lucretia and Alice, he had started his magical training.
The first step?
Reading.
No sparring, no swordsmanship, no using authority.
Just reading ancient tomes, Obscure grimoires, and mountains of dusty books.
Where is he right now?
The Library
Asahi sat slumped at a long mahogany table, surrounded by teetering piles of tomes, scrolls, and thick spell manuals that looked like they hadn't been touched since the ages.
His cheek was pressed against an open grimoire, the pages glowing faintly under the library's enchanted lights, etchings shimmering with curling glyphs.
Soft footsteps echoed on the marble floor.
Alice entered the room, a gentle hum on her lips. She expected to find Asahi mid-study—or mid-complaint.
Instead, she stopped at the sight before her.
"…Asahi?" she called softly, tilting her head.
He didn't respond.
She walked over and glanced at the grimoire beneath him.
It was a black grimoire—one known for curses. Dangerous.
Alice began waking him up.
"Wake up, Asahi!"
His hair was tousled, cheek still pressed to the spellbook's cursed pages.
His eyelids fluttered open just as Alice reached to shake him.
"You fell asleep again," she said with a teasing smile. "Honestly, didn't I specifically tell you not to read something that spells like that. You'll drool on them and they'll hex you for disrespect. Jeez"
But her smile faltered just slightly when she reached out to brush a lock of hair from his cheek.
Her hand paused.
A single tear was trailing slowly down from the corner of Asahi's right eye, leaving a shimmering streak.
Alice blinked.
"You…" Her voice lowered. "You're crying?"
Asahi slowly sat up, blinking as he touched his cheek in confusion. "Huh…?"
His fingers came away wet.
He quickly wiped at his eyes, blinking as if reality hadn't quite caught up with him yet.
"Are you alright? Did that curse of that grimoire affect you? I told you not to read that grimoire." Alice asked in a concerned tone, beginning to check him up, thinking if the Grimoire Curse type effect got him good.
Even with Campione's resistance to magic… did the curse still affect you?
"Im Alright, Alice-nee. I didnt hit some magic." Asahi quickly reassured her.
"I just... had a dream."
'Dream?' Alice crouched down beside him, her expression softening. "A bad one?"
"No." Asahi slightly smiled and shook his head slowly. "It was a good dream. It reminds me of one of my reasons why I came here,"
Alice watched him quietly, her eyes gentle. "A reason…?"
Asahi nodded, his gaze falling to the grimoire in front of him, now closed with quiet reverence.
"Where is Lucretia-nee?" Asahi asks.
"In the living room."
Asahi nodded and began to leave at library "I have something to ask her."
----
"The watchtower?" 2x
Lucretia and Alice spoke at the same time.
Asahi nodded, "Yes, I would like to go there. Do you know where it is?"
He took something out from his [Storage] and gave it to Lucretia.
A postcard—faded, old, with a picture of an ancient watchtower beneath a golden sunset.
Lucretia took it, her eyes narrowing in recognition. "It's about two to three hours by car... but may I ask, why do you want to go?"
"I made a promise…"
Asahi's voice was quiet—steady, but soft enough that both Lucretia and Alice instinctively leaned in.
His gaze was fixed on the postcard in Lucretia's hands, as if seeing beyond the image to a memory only he could reach.
"That place," he said. "That tower… where my mommy and daddy proposed. It was always my daddy's stories that told me."
He smiled faintly—not the usual playful grin, but something soft.
Nostalgic.
"They always told me about their stories. They promised one day we'd go there together and climb to the top when the sun touched the edge of the sky. Take a photo—our own story at the place it began."
He looked down, brushing his thumb over the edge of the table.
"But… that promise was never kept. My parents died in an accident. My grandfather took me in after that."
He trailed off, then looked up at them again, more resolute.
"And then my grandfather passed too due to old age. So… I'm the only one left now. Well—aside from Tet and Amaterasu."He smiled faintly. "I'm thankful they're with me. But even if I have to go alone… I want to see what they once saw. Keep that promise, even if they're no longer here."
A gentle silence followed.
Tet came out lounging upside-down on a nearby chair with a bored look, and suddenly yawned. "Tch. Alone, huh? You think we'd let you go off by yourself, crying on a cliff or something like that? Lame."
Amaterasu, sitting by the window with sunlight filtering through her golden hair, gave a soft nod. "A vow made in the past… is still a vow. And you are not alone, Master"
Alice was the first to smile. Her usual teasing tone returned, laced now with warmth. "Exactly. That's not the kind of promise you keep by yourself."
Lucretia stepped forward and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "You have people now. We'll go with you."
He blinked in surprise.. "You will?"
"Of course," Lucretia said, her voice sincere with a hint of tease. "As my king desires—we'll make sure you get there."
"Alright! I sit on the window seat," Alice excitedly for this trip since this is her first time going outting with her real body, she added with a grin. "Also, you're bringing snacks."
A soft laugh escaped Asahi's lips—genuine and full of light.
"Thanks… Alice-nee, Lucretia-nee, Tet, Amaterasu."
"Go change," Lucretia said with a kind tone. "We leave now."
Asahi nodded, glancing at the postcard one last time before slipping it back into his [Storage].
This time, as he walked upstairs… he felt lighter.
Not just because the promise would finally be fulfilled—
—but because he would no longer face the journey alone.
-------
The soft, golden glow of sunrise stretched across the horizon, casting a warm hue over the sleeping countryside.
A sleek black car idled gently in the driveway, the morning dew still clinging to its windows.
Asahi stepped out of the house and caught sight of the car. His eyes lit up.
"Whoa—sweet! A Mercedes-Benz SL500?" he exclaimed. "Old school!"
Lucretia blinked in surprise, one brow rising behind her sunglasses. "Old… school?"
She turned to Asahi, her tone half-confused, half-incredulous. "Asahi, this is the latest model. It just came out this year."
Alice, who had just exited the house with a pastry in hand, tilted her head. "Old school? What school is old? Is that a spell? Or a secret code?"
He suddenly remembered it was still 2005, not 2025.
Asahi rubbed the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly.. "Ah, no, no. It's just an expression. It's a compliment!"
Lucretia eyed the car again with amusement. "Well, it's the latest model, I got it a few months ago."
Alice nodded seriously. "So 'old school' means cool but mysterious? I'm using that next time I see something weird. Like Lucretia's tea."
Asahi laughed and slapped the roof of the car gently. "Still… It's awesome. I've only seen this in magazines."
Tet floated in from above, spinning lazily. "You're all slow. I've already picked out which cloud I'm riding today."
"You're riding in the car," Amaterasu said flatly, appearing behind him.
Tet pouted. "You're no fun."
Asahi smiled at them all, eyes shining.
"Alright, let's go."
And with that, the car doors shut, the engine purred to life, and their journey began—to their destination.
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