The next morning, Lorne woke up earlier than usual.
Lorne quietly got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The morning sun had just begun to spread across the land, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of dew.
Lorne took a deep breath, assessing the state of the magic within him.
"Oh?"
His eyes lit up.
The sluggish feeling, like being trapped in a swamp, had significantly lessened compared to yesterday.
While he still couldn't reach the state he was in the Fairy Tail World, the suppression was gradually dissipating.
"It seems this suppression does indeed weaken with time," Lorne thought, secretly pleased. "Then I should seize the opportunity to try."
He quickly walked deeper into the forest, intending to find a sufficiently secluded spot.
Not long after entering the forest, he heard a roar from not far inside.
"995, 996, 997!"
"998, 999, 1000!"
"Ha! Now's the time to drink the legendary tree sap that can enhance magic!"
Hearing such a roar, Lorne knew it was Asta.
His voice was truly not just ordinarily loud; for that matter, this kind of training could only be Asta's.
Lorne shook his head, not heading in Asta's direction, and quickly walked deeper into the forest, finding a sufficiently secluded spot.
After confirming that no one was around, Lorne began to try casting Ice Magic.
He extended his right hand, concentrating on mobilizing the magic within his body. This time, the flow of magic was noticeably smoother than yesterday.
Cold air gathered in his palm, quickly condensing into a small, solid ice crystal.
"Not bad, it seems to be recovering faster than I expected."
Lorne nodded in satisfaction, tossed the ice crystal into the air, and then conjured an ice blade to shatter it.
But immediately after, he discovered a problem.
He could mobilize his magic, but he always felt like something crucial was missing.
It was as if an invisible barrier was blocking him, preventing him from fully unleashing his potential power.
"This feeling…" Lorne frowned, "It's like the magic lacks a 'guide' or a 'container'?"
He tried to cast a more complex spell again.
Cold air condensed in the air but could not form a stable shape.
The ice crystals always scattered the moment they formed, as if lacking some kind of restraint.
"It looks like there's another problem."
Lorne waved his hand, a bit speechless, and the cold air in his palm instantly dissipated.
In the Fairy Tail World, he was quite skilled in using his Ice Magic.
At least, changing its form was second nature to him.
But in this world, he always felt as if his magic was shackled.
"Is it because of the different world rules? Or is it…"
Just as Lorne fell into contemplation, footsteps sounded behind him.
"Practicing magic?"
Lorne turned around and saw Yuno standing not far away, his golden eyes calmly looking at him.
Yesterday, Yuno had felt that Lorne, like Asta, seemed to have no magic; the previous hint of cold air he had even thought was an illusion.
"Yuno? Why are you here?" Lorne was a little surprised.
Yuno walked forward, his tone still that indifferent one:
"I saw you came out early this morning, and I was a little curious."
He stopped in front of Lorne, his gaze sweeping over the spot where Lorne had just practiced magic.
Fragments of ice crystal were scattered on the ground, sparkling in the sunlight.
"Ice-attribute magic?"
Lorne chuckled softly: "Indeed."
Yuno was silent for a moment, then spoke: "You don't seem to have a grimoire yet, do you?"
"A grimoire?"
Lorne was stunned for a moment, then remembered the setting of the Black Clover World.
In this world, everyone receives their own grimoire at the age of fifteen, which is an important tool for casting magic.
No wonder he felt that his magic was always missing something!
Before, he had only wanted to go see the grimoire awarding ceremony, and hadn't thought in this direction.
In the Fairy Tail World, magical tools and such, except for Mages specializing in holder-type magic, were not that important.
He was used to controlling the form of magic through will and skill, so he didn't react immediately.
But in the Black Clover World, the grimoire, as a container, was a necessary medium for magic to function.
"Indeed, I don't." Lorne spread his hands. "I've been traveling outside all this time and missed the awarding ceremony."
A hint of understanding flashed in Yuno's eyes:
"This year's grimoire awarding ceremony is about to begin."
He looked at Lorne, and after a moment's thought, said: "Would you like to come along? Although you're already past the age, perhaps a grimoire will react to you."
Lorne nodded without hesitation: "Of course, I'd be happy to attend."
Perfect, if he could obtain a grimoire, it might solve the current problem with his magic casting.
And he also wanted to see if anything special would happen after he got a grimoire.
Although Yuno was interested in Lorne's unusual situation, he didn't delve deeper.
The two walked back together. On the way, Yuno introduced Lorne to some details about the grimoire awarding ceremony.
"The ceremony will be held at the Grimoire Tower, and everyone in the Clover Kingdom who turns 15 will attend."
Yuno said, "grimoires will automatically fly to their corresponding masters based on each person's magic attribute and talent."
"Sounds amazing." Lorne exclaimed.
"Indeed. Without a grimoire, one cannot become a true Magic Knight."
Yuno's tone carried a hint of longing,
"The strongest Mage in this country is the Magic Emperor!"
Lorne nodded; he knew that both Yuno and Asta had dreams of becoming the Magic Emperor.
However, the difference between the two was quite significant.
One possessed extremely high magic power and magical talent since childhood, while the other had no magic power at all within him.
"By the way, how's Asta?"
Lorne asked casually, "He'll also attend tomorrow's ceremony, right?"
When Asta was mentioned, Yuno's expression subtly changed: "He will, of course, attend."
"…"
Yuno eventually said nothing more, appearing somewhat silent.
Lorne knew Asta was indeed an anomaly; in a world where everyone had magic, he was the only one without it.
But precisely because of this, he was able to obtain the five-leaf grimoire inhabited by a devil.
Yuno was silent for a moment: "However…"
"However what?"
"Asta never gives up."
Yuno's voice carried a complex emotion,
"Even if everyone thinks it's impossible, he will persevere until the end. This… is admirable."
Lorne understood the deeper meaning in Yuno's words; although on the surface they were rivals, Yuno's recognition of Asta was genuine.
When the two returned to the church, Asta had also returned. Seeing Lorne and Yuno come back together, he immediately ran over.
"Lorne! Yuno! Where did you go?"
Asta was full of excitement, "The grimoire awarding ceremony is coming soon! I'm definitely going to get the strongest grimoire and then become the Magic Emperor!"
"Your confidence is as blind as ever." Yuno said indifferently.
"What do you mean blind!" Asta retorted indignantly, "My efforts are real!"
Lorne looked at the two teenagers in front of him, wondering what kind of grimoire he himself would receive!
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