Burp!
After devouring all ten carp, Asta picked his teeth with a small twig, feeling somewhat disappointed.
Not a single wild beast?
Asta muttered to himself, looking around the quiet forest.
He had been hoping the smell of roasted fish would lure out some wild wolves or bears so he could hunt them for proper meat and combat training, just like the mountain wolf the day before.
Was this border region really this peaceful?
“Oh well, time to get to work!”
Asta picked up his axe and walked up to a sturdy tree.
Although he had zero formal architectural training, he possessed raw, superhuman physical strength—he could build a solid structure using sheer force alone!
“Heave-ho!
Cutting down trees is just another form of training!”
Burning with the eternal spirit of youth, Asta swung his axe with incredible speed!
BANG!
In less than five seconds, a tree trunk as thick as an adult’s thigh keeled over and crashed to the ground.
Asta quickly stripped the bark and branches, turning the trunk into a clean, smooth log.
“Nice!
Just seventeen or eighteen more of these, and we’ll have enough timber for a proper bathhouse!”
He thought of Sister Lily and the kids at the church.
Improving their living conditions was the first real step toward changing his life.
By noon, Asta was carrying a massive stack of logs—resembling a small wooden mountain—strapped tightly onto his back as he trudged back toward the village.
Carrying logs is also great endurance training!
Asta gritted his teeth, his torso bent almost parallel to the ground under the immense weight.
Though his baseline physical strength sat near the threshold of superhuman power, carrying timber fifty times his own weight over several kilometers pushed his endurance to its absolute limits.
Every step left deep footprints in the dirt.
The villagers heading home for lunch stared in absolute shock.
“Look at that!
What kind of monster is that?!” “Is that a walking pile of timber?!” “Wait…
isn’t that Asta from the church?!” “Heavens!
How heavy is that stack?!”
Asta hauled the massive pile of logs into the open yard beside the church, unbuckling the ropes with a heavy THUD as the timber hit the ground.
“Not bad,” Asta wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“If I chop another batch this afternoon, we can start assembling the frame.”
“A-Asta?!
Did you carry all of this by yourself?!”
The little girl from the church dressed in her blue and white outfit stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief.
This was far more shocking than seeing Yuno use Wind Magic to chop firewood!
In a world where magic was common, seeing someone display such absurd physical strength was practically unheard of.
“Yep!” Asta smiled, wiping off the wood dust.
“I’m building us a new bathhouse.
It’ll be insulated and warm, so no one has to freeze taking a bath in the dead of winter!”
“Kyaa!
Asta, you’re amazing!” the little girl squealed happily, covering her cheeks before darting back inside to tell the others.
Before Asta could even stretch his sore shoulders, Father Orsi stepped out onto the porch.
He stared at the massive stack of timber, his eyes widening in shock before softening into a look of deep, quiet pride.
Seeing the young boy he had raised grow into someone capable of carrying such heavy burdens made him realize just how much Asta had matured.
“Asta…” Father Orsi said softly, his voice full of warmth and emotion.
“You moved all of this by yourself?
When did you grow up so much?”
Asta turned around and offered a calm, confident smile.
“I told you I’d take care of things, Father.
Ever since I was little, I wanted to make sure everyone here has a warm place to wash up whenever they want, without having to suffer through cold winters.”
Father Orsi looked at Asta, a soft smile breaking across his face as he placed a gentle, proud hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“You really are becoming a reliable man, Asta.
Just don’t push yourself too hard, alright?
We’re all proud of you.”
“Don’t worry, Father, I can handle it,” Asta smiled back warmly.
“Where are you off to now?
Lunch is almost ready!” Father Orsi called out gently.
“Heading back to the river to catch some more fish for everyone!” Asta called back over his shoulder.
Sprinting at full speed toward the river, Asta covered the three-kilometer distance in under five minutes—moving twice as fast as any ordinary sprinter.