Take My Hand || Black Clover

chapter one

“That’s completely different!” she screamed as the blonde chopped your head which you only winced at, seeing as this was a completely familiar scene between the two of you.

“Ah, sorry.”

“You saying sorry with a straight face shows that you’re not sorry at all!”

“Seriously,” Freya sighed and sat down as you remained standing and continued to tend to the flowers that needs to be watered. The field was vast and full of different kinds of plants. Growing up, this field became as special and precious to you as it is to Ms. Sho. With that, you get up every day as the sun rises to be in the field and take care of the flowers. “A magic like yours could be used to help our country.”

“It can’t.” you curtly told her. “I want to stay here, nothing more.”

“Taking care of these plants isn’t for you!” she argued, “Mom and I can handle that. You’re different, y/n-chan.”

You only hummed and let her continue her mini explanation on to why you should be excited about getting your grimoire and the need for you to be one of the Kingdom’s Magic Knight. “Grimoire is not an ordinary book! It has spells that we can use to enhance our magic. With your versatile magic, you could be a great addition to the Magic Knights! You could use it to support and defend others. Wasting your potential can be considered to be treason to your country, you know.”

“How can you tell that?” you asked her and watched as her face burn red. It was funny seeing her riled up and be easily flustered yet you maintained a straight face. The two of you were supposed to be planting down the new seeds the farmer from the other side of the town gave you but given that since Freya started this conversation, it was only you that got the job done while she passionately argued her piece. “If you want it so bad, why don’t you be a Magic Knight yourself?”

The blonde pouted, watching how you dug a deep hole into the soil and placed a seed in it before covering. Once it was firm and patted down, she leaned down and created a small cloud to water it down. “Even if I want to, peasants couldn’t be a part of it. I couldn’t leave mom alone.”

“Stupid,” softly spoken, she turned to you and you let out a sigh. “That’s why I’m here. I’ll be with Ms. Sho while you take the Magic Knights exam. I don’t mind staying here and looking after her and these plants though, so that’s a win-win for me.”

“I don’t have lots of mana, like you.” she reasoned and you couldn’t help the groan that you unintentionally let out. Despite having the same conversation countless times before, she still insists that you have an enormous amount of mana than anyone she has ever known. “If-, it’s a big if, I managed to pass that exam, and I know for sure that I wouldn’t last long in there. The discrimination against peasants is too much for me.”

Now seated beside her, your eyes moved across the field and settled into the small house you’ve come to call your home. After Ms. Sho took you in, you did your best to help them. You witnessed how the blonde woman put her head on her hand with a bare sack in front of her, how she part a small amount of bread into two to feed you and her daughter, Freya. Although she was starving, she remained smiling as long as she can provide you kids the things you need; a roof over your heads, warm food, and clothing. She gave her everything and so much more, you couldn’t be any more thankful than you already are.

“You don’t value other people’s opinion of you. That’s our biggest difference,” Freya admitted. “Even when the other kids make fun of you for protecting a peasant like me, you didn’t let it get to you. You protected us when drunk men tried to hurt mom. You’re already a Magic Knight, y/n-chan, even if you didn’t realize it.”

“I only did what people should have done.”

“But the thing is, no one would do it for us.”

When the sunset arrived and hues of orange, yellow, and red mixed themselves as a new canvas in the wide sky for everyone to see, you stood and dust yourself. Leaned down and collect the bag that was once filled with seeds, folded it before putting it in your pocket while the miniature clouds from Freya’s magic slowly disappears. “This country is trash.”

She squeaked and harshly slap your arm, frantically waving her hands around as she looked around you. “Don’t go around saying that, stupid! Someone could hear you!”

“Then let them hear it,” you said and left to go home, leaving the nervous and sweating blonde behind you as she continued to mutter how someone could be plotting your death right now.

The house was small and worn, too little for two teens and an adult but because of the lack of money and discrimination in regards to social class, the three of you remained in there. You carefully opened the door, afraid of doing the same mistake Freya did of opening it too fast that causes it to fall. She received two head chops and a flick to the forehead because of that alone. The table came into view with Ms. Sho seated on one of the chairs. A loaf of bread and a lone slice of thin meat was on a plate, in the company of the woman’s smile and heartwarming great of ‘welcome home.’

The meal was comfortable, as it always was since you came into this home. Ms. Sho stood as your mother, although she insisted that you could call her mom, you don’t want to intrude on their family any further. Addressing her as what you call her is enough for you. The meal finished and the three of you cleaned up, before settling to your places to sleep. With a gentle blow of breath, the lit candle was out.

You woke up the next day with an excited voice screaming, unfortunately, near your ear. “GET UP! GET UP! GET UP! IT’S GRIMOIRE DAY!”

To say the least, you were pissed as you walked beside a bubbly and energetic Freya, who was rambling about the spells she wanted to learn and the ways she can explore her magic. It was somewhat comical to see a frowning and irritated teenage girl next to a smiley and ‘I-shit-rainbows-and-candies’ be seen together side-by-side. Teens along with yourself walked to the Grimoire Tower to get their own. Once the ceremony started, you have to physically shut up the overly-excited blonde next to you by slapping her head twice to bring her back to reality and out of her world cloud.

Hundreds of books flew around, leaving their path with distinctive colors as it dances in the air before going to its rightful owners, who were waiting on the ground with their arms outstretched. You watched when a white three-leaf clover grimoire landed on Freya’s awaiting embrace, an immediate smile plastered on her face. Then yours arrived. It was an orange-colored grimoire with a little black for the outer details and sporting a three-leaf clover in the middle of it. You knew you hesitated. Unlike everyone in the ceremony, you didn’t wait for it willingly with welcoming arms, no. you were looking over at your best friend, your sister, who received her grimoire that you didn’t notice yours approached you.

Maybe that’s why that decision builds up in your mind.

That as you witness the genuine smile on your sister’s face, you decided that maybe joining the Magic Knights will be a way to protect the family you have; from discrimination, fellow citizen, enemies, and even poverty. Maybe Freya was right. You’re already acting as a Knight for them since you were young, surely it wasn’t much different to act as an official one for the Kingdom.