Black Clover - By My Side (Asta X Noelle)

Chapter 44: Family

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[It appeared as though humanity would be destroyed by demons. But a single mage saved them all. He was called the wizard king, and he became a legend.]

Noelle POV:

As we rush to Asta's home, I get glances at the village that Asta grew up in. So many houses are worn down, and the people outside have looks of sorrow and hopelessness on their faces. Some villagers sit on the ground and glare at us while we walk by. But I feel like their stares are targeted at me. 

We make out way to the church where Asta lives. Sister Lily walks me inside and lets me sit at the dining table. The church itself is rather small and seems worn down. 

"All the other children are away at school right now, but they'll be back within the next few hours."

"Where's the old man," Asta questions?

"He should be back shortly. He went to go drop a letter off by the mayor."

"Okay," Asta says.

"I'm going to begin preparations for lunch, so why don't you go show Noelle around?"

"That sounds like fun," I add. 

"Okay, let's go then," Asta grabs my hand and drags me out of the door and to the backyard. "Look at that, Noelle," he says, pointing forward.

I look ahead and am stunned at the large skull sitting in the distance. "It's the demon skull. I never thought that I'd see this."

"You know, I used to train inside of it?"

"You went inside of that!" I say, shocked. "I don't think I'd have the guts to go near it. W-What if you got cursed or something?"

"Oh, I was fine! It was a completely normal place. It was just like hanging out in the woods."

"Well, if you say so."

"Wanna go check it out?"

"Huh," I respond, taken aback, "why would I want to go towards the demon skull?"

"Trust me. It's super cool! We have time to spare anyway! I can't show you all of Hage without taking you to the skull." Asta sticks out his hand for me to grab.

Convinced by Asta's words, I grab his hand. Once I do, he breaks into a full sprint towards the skull, dragging me along. 

Hours pass by as Asta shows me around. After exploring the skull, he took me back into the village and showed me where he would play with Yuno. He even introduced me to some of the villagers. At first, they seemed apprehensive to approach, but once they noticed Asta, they happily came up to talk. I suspect some of them knew I was royalty and were hesitant to talk to me. Many of the villagers told stories about Asta when he was younger and how he was always making trouble, and nowadays, everything is quiet without him. 

Asta and I walk back to the orphanage and are both exhausted. Everyone is already there when we go inside, and it seems like they were waiting for us at the table. 

"Noelle! Welcome to Hage!" An older man exclaims.

"Nice to meet you!" Two small children say in unison as they run up to me. They tug at the ends of my robe and run around me in circles. 

"Hello!" A girl says cheerfully while sitting down in her chair.

The boy next to her says no words but instead gives a small wave in my general direction. 

"Hello, everyone!" I say as I bow, "I am Noelle Silva. A-Asta's g-g-girlfriend!"

"What! That's impossible!" The boy yells, "what dirt does Asta have on you!"

"Nash, you little!" Asta says, running over to him.

"That's so sweet! I didn't know you had it in you, Asta," the girl begins to laugh,

"Not you too, Recca," Asta says in defeat. 

"Ahem," The older man clears his throat, "well, in any case, it's nice to have you. I am the Priest of this church, Father Orsi. The boy is Nash, the girl is Recca, and the two children are Aruru and Holo." The two younger children wave. The father then approaches me and then grabs my hand. Tears begin to flow from his eyes, "never would I thought there would be a day where Asta would bring home a girl. But, of course, if we were talking about Yuno, that would be a different story. Thank you, Noelle, for liking my idiot son!"

Father Orsi continues to cry, and Sister Lily has to take him away. She sits him down at the table and begins a prayer, after which we begin to eat. The food is incredibly dry, and after a few bites, my mouth begs me to drink water. 

Hours pass, and the sun begins to set. After talking to his family and learning more about them, Asta and I decide that it's time to leave. We say our goodbyes, and Sister Lily walks Asta and I outside.

"So, Noelle," Sister Lily begins, "what do you think of Asta? You must be pretty serious about him if you wanted to meet us," she teases. 

Immediately, I feel myself tighten up at her question. I have to give a good answer! "Um, I-I love him very much, Miss Lily!" 

"Miss Lily?" The Sister chuckles, "I like the ring to it."

I turn my attention to Asta, whose face is completely red over my declaration of love. Instead of speaking words, he smiles at me, to which I smile back. 

"Well, I'm glad you feel so strongly about Asta. For the longest, Asta had a crush on me. Not one day would go by where Asta didn't propose to me," she smiles. I turn to Asta, confused, looking to see if what she's saying is true. His face is all the answer I needed. He looks incredibly embarrassed, as if someone had just revealed his deepest and darkest secret. "Never would I thought there would be a day where Asta would move on from his silly crush." Sister Lily stops walking and turns back to me, "Noelle," she begins, "take good care of Asta for me, please. I know that you two work together. So please continue to look out for him and protect him. Stand by his side."

Her request brings me to a halt. I didn't expect to hear those words today. 'Take good care of Asta for me.' The weight and responsibility of those words are immense. However, I don't hesitate, "of course I will!" I walk over to Asta and grab his hand, "I wouldn't have it any other way!" I squeeze Asta's hand, wanting him to feel my sincerity. 

Sister Lily chuckles and lets out a beautiful smile, "Asta, you really found an amazing girl. I hope you'll continue to treasure her the way you do now." Sister Lily walks over to me and hugs me, "I can't wait to see you again, Noelle. Welcome to the family."  

[Chapter 44 end]