Lily's words held a hint of mysterious amusement, making Asta even more puzzled.
He looked at Lily, then at Orsi who had entered the church with a somewhat heavy back, and finally turned his pleading gaze to Ryoma.
Ryoma smiled at him, but said nothing. He had probably already guessed what it was about—likely the recommendation slots for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.
It was just that one of the slots had been given to Asta, and Orsi was somewhat worried about Asta.
As night fell, the church was brightly lit, and everyone sat around a long table.
Orsi, uncharacteristically, lit many oil lamps, illuminating the entire hall.
In this poor, remote place, he usually wouldn't splurge on oil lamps. The disparity between rich and poor was truly vast.
And joining a Magic Knight Squad was the fastest way to cross class boundaries. But commoners and lower-class citizens found it very difficult to enter the Magic Knight Squad.
Moreover, even if they joined a Magic Knight Squad, except for the Black Bulls and the Veridian Mantis, commoners and lower-class citizens didn't fare well within the squads.
"Tomorrow, Yuno, Asta, and Ryoma will set off for the Royal Capital, we're going to give them a grand send-off." Orsi stood up and announced excitedly.
Hage was located in a remote part of the forsaken realm, very far from the Royal Capital.
They were quite poor and could only walk to the Royal Capital, and to guard against various accidents on the journey, they had to depart early.
Hearing this, Ryoma breathed a sigh of relief. It was largely as he had expected.
He had been somewhat worried, as in the original plot, Hage had only received two slots.
After the two minor nobles, terrified by Revchi, gave up their slots, one went to Yuno, and there was still one vacant slot. As an outsider, he had always been unsure if he could compete with Asta for it.
Although he was confident in his strength, recommendation slots sometimes depended on more than just ability.
Now it was good. With three slots, everyone was happy.
"Father ran to several villages and managed to get a lot of sweet potatoes." Lily took over, with a gentle smile.
For the church in Hage, a poor village, this was already considered giving their all.
Although sweet potatoes were the only ingredient, it didn't affect the lively atmosphere of the feast in the slightest.
Lily displayed astonishing culinary skills, transforming ordinary sweet potatoes in various ways.
Golden boiled sweet potatoes, sweet and soft.
Sweet potato tempura, crispy outside and tender inside, with an excellent texture.
Simple stir-fried sweet potato shreds, crisp and refreshing.
Deep-fried golden sweet potato chunks, whetting the appetite.
There were also roasted sweet potatoes, slowly cooked over charcoal, fragrant, and when the charred skin was peeled away, honey-like orange flesh was revealed.
And the church's special Hage-style sweet potato soup, as well as sweet juice pressed from sweet potatoes.
Finally, Lily also brought out a grand finale dessert—special sweet potato pudding.
The moment this dessert appeared, it drew gasps of delight from the children.
Ryoma looked at the table laden with the "all-sweet-potato feast" and couldn't help but smile.
He extended a finger, and a faint, almost imperceptible chill gathered at its tip. He gently touched the rims of several bowls containing sweet potato pudding. Instantly, a thin layer of white frost covered the bowl walls, and the originally warm pudding immediately became cool.
"Wow! So cool! The pudding turned cold!" A child closest to him noticed the change and cried out in surprise.
Chilled sweet potato pudding had a more springy and smooth texture, sweet but not cloying, instantly becoming the most popular dish of the evening.
"Ryoma-nii, you're amazing!"
"Me too! I want cold pudding too."
The children surrounded Ryoma, their eyes full of adoration.
Ryoma smiled and granted all their requests, using the simplest Ice Magic to add more joy to this humble feast.
Asta, holding a roasted sweet potato in one hand and a bowl of sweet potato soup in the other, looked at the priest and mumbled, "Father."
Orsi looked at Asta, whose eyes twinkled with stars, and said with a look of disdain, "What kind of look is that? This isn't just for you. Basically, it's prepared for Yuno."
He then stepped forward and patted Asta's shoulder, comforting him in advance, "Asta, it's not shameful if you don't pass, you know."
The next second, as Asta froze, Orsi's expression instantly changed, and he mocked with a strange grin, "Because no one thinks you'll pass."
Hearing this, Asta excitedly stood up and shouted, "I will definitely become the Wizard King, and then I'll come back to take Sister with me, so please marry me then..."
Bang!
Asta's words had barely left his mouth when he was hammered into the wall by Lily's "holy fist of love".
—
The next morning, the sky was faintly lit.
The church group saw the three travelers off at the village entrance.
Lily had prepared their travel bags, which contained simple dry rations and water.
She carefully handed two packages to Yuno and Asta respectively, then took out a third and handed it to Ryoma.
"Ryoma, this is yours. Be careful on the road."
Ryoma took the package and could feel its weight.
His heart warmed, and he solemnly thanked her, "Thank you, sister Lily. Don't worry, in the Royal Capital, I'll do my best to look after Asta and Yuno."
"Then I'll leave them to you." Lily smiled gently.
A few little children looked up and said reluctantly, "Yuno-nii, Ryoma-nii, remember to write back."
Orsi, with a stern face, tried to appear strict as he gave Asta and Yuno his final instructions. But his slightly reddened eyes showed his inner reluctance.
"When you get to the Royal Capital, no causing trouble. Especially you, Asta."
"Got it, father. You're so nagging." Asta waved his hand.
Bidding farewell to everyone, the three officially embarked on their journey to the Royal Capital.
Asta took the lead, walking at the very front. He seemed to have endless energy, sometimes running at full speed, kicking up a cloud of dust ahead. Other times, he would stop, carrying his huge demon-slayer sword, and practice swinging it by the roadside, grunting and shouting.
Yuno was the complete opposite. His steps were light and steady, seemingly not fast, yet he always managed to keep up effortlessly. A faint breeze constantly surrounded him, as if he wasn't walking with his feet, but being carried forward by the wind.
Ryoma walked in the middle, maintaining a steady, unhurried pace. His gaze occasionally swept over the surroundings on both sides of the road, observing the customs and culture of this world. To him, all of this was a novel experience.
He also wanted to see if he could encounter any unique magic beasts of this world.
However, it was a pity that they had just set off, and the probability of encountering magic beasts was not high.
"Hey! Yuno! Let's have another showdown! I'll definitely win this time!" Asta shouted loudly from ahead, his voice full of fighting spirit.
Yuno didn't even bother to turn his head, simply uttering one word faintly. "Impossible."
"Damn it! You're still so annoying!" Asta stomped his feet in anger.
Ryoma smiled and shook his head, walking forward and patting Asta's shoulder. "Alright, Asta, don't be in a hurry to settle the score now. The road is still long."
They had just started, and having an energetic person like Asta along the way should be quite interesting. Of course, it would be even better if Asta could tone down his shouting.