(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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The preparations continued for another hour.
By now the church grounds had transformed completely.
Long rows of tables filled the courtyard.
Fresh flowers decorated every corner.
Colorful banners fluttered in the afternoon breeze.
The smell of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and sweets drifted throughout Hage Village, making several children repeatedly sneak into the kitchen only to be chased out by the women preparing the feast.
What surprised Father Orsi the most wasn't the decorations.
It wasn't even the amount of food.
It was the villagers.
Almost everyone had come to help.
Men were setting up chairs.
Women were arranging dishes.
Children ran around carrying decorations.
Even some of the older villagers who usually spent their afternoons resting were helping wherever they could.
Seeing this, Father Orsi couldn't help feeling emotional again.
These were the same people he had spent decades helping.
The same people whose children had grown up under his guidance.
And now they had all gathered together for him.
It was enough to make the old priest wipe his eyes every few minutes.
Though he still stubbornly blamed the "dust."
Unfortunately for him, nobody believed that excuse anymore.
As Father Orsi was speaking with several villagers, a sudden commotion arose near the entrance road leading into Hage Village.
Several children who had been assigned lookout duty suddenly stood up.
One of them pointed toward the distant sky.
"Someone's coming!"
Immediately dozens of heads turned.
Even Father Orsi looked toward the road curiously.
Far above the village—
A familiar flying broom was rapidly descending.
The figure riding it had a green-and-gold robe fluttering behind him.
The moment the broom came closer—
Several children screamed excitedly.
"YUNO!"
The Golden Dawn vice-captain candidate landed smoothly near the church entrance.
Just as calm.
Just as composed.
Just as expressionless as ever.
Yet the moment his eyes landed on the church—
A small smile appeared on his face.
The same smile he only ever showed around family.
"Yuno!"
Aruru immediately ran toward him.
Several other children followed.
Within moments Yuno found himself surrounded from every direction.
"You're late!"
"You got taller!"
"Did you bring gifts?"
"When did you arrive?"
Yuno quietly endured the barrage of questions.
Though anyone looking carefully could see he wasn't annoyed in the slightest.
Father Orsi stared.
For a moment he genuinely thought he was imagining things.
"Yuno..."
Before he could process it further—
Another voice echoed from above.
"OI! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"
Everyone looked up again.
This time there wasn't a flying broom.
Instead—
A broom was carrying two people.
One of them looked absolutely terrified.
The other looked completely relaxed.
"WE'RE GOING TOO FAST!"
Asta's voice echoed across half the village.
Magna laughed loudly.
"This isn't fast!"
"IT IS FOR ME!"
"Stop screaming!"
"I'M NOT SCREAMING!"
"You're screaming right now!"
Several villagers burst into laughter.
The scene was simply too familiar.
As the broom descended, Asta practically jumped off before it had fully landed.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
He immediately looked toward the church.
And froze.
Because standing there was Father Orsi.
For several seconds neither moved.
Then—
"Asta!"
"Father Orsi!"
Both started running.
Father Orsi, despite his age, moved with surprising speed.
Asta wasn't any slower.
The old priest reached him first and immediately wrapped both arms around him.
Asta returned the hug just as tightly.
"You idiot!"
Father Orsi's voice cracked.
"You actually came!"
Asta laughed.
"Of course I came!"
Then before either could say anything else—
Another figure stepped forward.
Yuno.
Without saying a word, he joined the hug.
The sight instantly broke whatever emotional restraint Father Orsi still possessed.
Tears started pouring from his eyes.
Again.
The old priest held both boys as if they might disappear if he let go.
His shoulders trembled.
His voice shook.
"You came..."
He repeated the words several times.
"You really came..."
The villagers smiled warmly at the scene.
Several of the older women were already wiping their own tears.
Even Sister Lily looked emotional.
Father Orsi suddenly pointed at both of them.
"I knew you'd come."
The statement immediately caused several children to choke.
"LIAR!"
Nash shouted.
Rebecca pointed dramatically.
"You spent the whole morning saying they couldn't come!"
Aruru nodded vigorously.
"You said they were too busy!"
Father Orsi froze.
"..."
"..."
Caught.
Completely caught.
The villagers erupted into laughter.
Even Yuno's shoulders shook slightly.
A rare sign he was trying not to laugh.
Meanwhile Asta laughed openly.
"Father Orsi, you were worried, weren't you?"
"I was not!"
"You cried!"
"I DID NOT!"
"Your eyes are still red!"
"DUST!"
The entire village exploded into laughter once more.
And for the first time in a very long time—
The church felt complete again.
Though one particular person was still missing.
The biggest surprise had yet to arrive.
And several children kept glancing toward the road, waiting for the final guest.
The moment Asta and Yuno arrived, they found themselves completely surrounded.
There was no escape.
Not that either of them wanted to.
Children from the orphanage practically swarmed them from all directions while the villagers gathered around with equally excited expressions.
For the people of Hage Village, these weren't famous Magic Knights.
These weren't kingdom heroes.
These weren't rising stars of powerful squads.
They were simply Asta and Yuno.
The two boys they had watched grow up.
"Asta! Is it true you fought giant monsters?"
"Yuno! Can you fly all day on your broom?"
"Do Magic Knights really get paid that much?"
"Did you meet the Wizard King?"
"How strong are the Black Bulls?"
"How big is the Golden Dawn headquarters?"
Questions flew from every direction.
Asta somehow answered all of them at once.
"Loudly."
Very loudly.
As always.
"OF COURSE I FOUGHT MONSTERS!"
"What kind?"
"BIG ONES!"
"How big?"
"REALLY BIG!"
"That doesn't answer the question!"
Meanwhile Yuno sat quietly on one of the benches surrounded by children.
Though unlike Asta, his answers were shorter.
Much shorter.
"Is the Golden Dawn amazing?"
"Yes."
"Do you have your own room?"
"Yes."
"Is it bigger than ours?"
"...Yes."
"That's not fair."
Several villagers laughed.
Even after becoming a Magic Knight, Yuno was still Yuno.
As the conversations continued, Asta's eyes wandered around the church grounds.
Then he froze.
Slowly.
Silently.
For once.
Because what he saw was almost unbelievable.
The church itself had been renovated.
The walls looked cleaner.
The roof had been repaired.
The gardens were larger and properly maintained.
The old storage shed had been replaced entirely.
New furniture could be seen through the windows.
Even the training field where the children played had been expanded.
Most surprising of all—
The orphanage no longer looked poor.
Not wealthy.
Not luxurious.
But comfortable.
Safe.
Warm.
Asta stood there quietly.
Watching.
Taking it all in.
He remembered winters when the roof leaked.
He remembered days when food was scarce.
He remembered Father Orsi pretending he wasn't hungry so the children could eat.
He remembered Sister Lily patching clothes over and over because they couldn't afford replacements.
Now—
The children looked healthy.
Happy.
Well-fed.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
A genuine one.
"Pretty amazing, right?"
Rebecca suddenly appeared beside him.
Asta nodded.
"Yeah."
His voice was unusually quiet.
Rebecca followed his gaze.
"The funding has changed a lot."
Several nearby villagers nodded.
"The King's reforms helped."
"The orphanages receive proper support now."
"Nobody dares steal the funds anymore."
"The inspections alone scare corrupt officials."
Asta listened silently.
Then looked around once more.
At the laughing children.
At the repaired church.
At the smiling villagers.
At Father Orsi and Sister Lily.
Then his eyes softened.
"Ben really did it."
The words escaped him before he even realized.
Because this...
This was exactly what he remembered Ben talking about years ago.
Back when they were children.
Back when they sat together outside the church looking at the stars.
Ben had once said that orphanages shouldn't merely survive.
Children shouldn't grow up worrying whether there would be food tomorrow.
A place raising children should feel like a home.
Not a shelter.
Back then it sounded like a distant dream.
One of many impossible dreams children talked about.
Yet standing here now—
Asta realized Ben had actually accomplished it.
Not just for Hage Village.
But likely for orphanages throughout the kingdom.
Nearby, Yuno had reached the same conclusion.
His gaze moved across the church grounds.
The improvements.
The repairs.
The happiness.
The security.
A small smile appeared on his face.
One that only those closest to him could notice.
"He really changed it."
Rebecca blinked.
Because hearing Yuno voluntarily compliment someone was almost as rare as seeing a unicorn.
Asta laughed.
"Of course he did!"
Then he proudly pointed toward the capital.
"That's our big brother!"
Several children immediately nodded.
"King Ben is awesome!"
"Can he really transform into monsters?"
"I heard he fought an entire army alone!"
"I heard he eats dragons for breakfast!"
"What?"
The rumors had clearly gotten out of control.
Meanwhile, as Asta and Yuno continued chatting with everyone around them, neither noticed Father Orsi standing nearby.
The old priest was quietly watching them.
Watching how much they had grown.
Watching how they interacted with the younger children.
Watching how naturally they still fit into this place.
And for a brief moment—
The years seemed to disappear.
To Father Orsi, they weren't Magic Knights.
They weren't heroes.
They weren't famous.
They were simply two boys who had finally come home.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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