Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

After leaving the dean's office, the guards laughed as if they could not bear it.

"I've never seen the dean in such a hurry."

After laughing for a while, he unexpectedly returned to his true face and stared at Almark's fierce face.

"You're quite a man."

I said.

"My name is Jed. The dean told me to show you to the dorm. [M] Say hi again."

"It's Almark. Thank you very much."

"Ah... yes, I'll give you back your sword. It's too heavy."

"Thank you."

Almark received the sword that Jed offered with both hands.

After completing the integration process at the office in the school building, the two went out.

The dorm is over there.

Jed pointed to a cobblestone path that stretched south.

"But there's something you need to do before you go there."

Eh, what is it?

Jed looked back at Almark with a painful look.

"Poor thing. The painful journey made it impossible for a smart man to understand. Now you smell like you put a fish in the shade for two days."

After washing his body clean with water from a nearby well, Almark wore cloth-like clothes again.

"I'll bring you this school uniform when I get to the dorm. I can't go to class with those clothes."

"I'm sorry."

As Almark lowered his head, Jed scratched his head in trouble.

"I've heard all the people in the north are barbarians and brutes... but that's not true."

"... I think it's not just special people who kill each other..."

Almark said in a small voice, but it didn't reach Jed.

"Well, I'll walk to the dorm quite a bit.... I see."

Jed hung his cape on Almark's shoulder.

"It's a nice cloak. Just put it on and walk."

"Thank you."

Almark smiled. He smiled calmly, but also looked like a prey.

"... you were a mercenary, right?"

Almark nods at Jed's question. Jed twisted his neck.

"But there's something about you... that feels more noble."

However, Almark simply shrugged his shoulders at the words.

They walked silently for a while.

"... I'll walk a little further to the dorm. Would you like to take a break?

Jed shouted, worried about the 11-year-old boy walking next door, but remembered seeing Almark shake his head with a face wondering why he heard that.

"Oh, I see. You walked from the northern end of the continent to this point with your feet."

The days are tilting a lot. Eventually, I saw the dormitory. Al Mark walked without expression, turning his eyes round.

"Are you surprised? This dorm is based on the blueprints of the villa of the great aristocracy of the Kingdom of Galai."

I don't know. In this luxurious four-storey building, there are about 150 students in the elementary school.

But even if I hear that many people live there, it doesn't make me feel at all cramped. Rather, I think we should even put more in it.

"Me too... here?

"Of course it is. Everyone in primary school lives here."

Almark looked up at the building again.

"Let's greet the administrator first. It's a little loud, but he's a good person."

Ah, yes.

Almark walked in the front door behind Jed.

The exterior was luxurious, but the interior was unexpectedly simple. It can be seen that it is a student dormitory.

A long way down the hallway, there was a room called the "steward's room".

"Oh, here, here."

Jed knocked lightly on the door.

"Maia, are you there?

Then a crouching voice came back from the other side of the door.

"The door is always open when you don't knock. Don't take any extra time to get in here."

With his gesture, Jed urged Almark to stand beside him and pushed the door open.

……

For a moment, Al Mark became a jiaotong.

There was no one in the room.

A sliding knitting is placed on the table in the middle of the room, and the comfort chair behind it is swaying.

Someone should have been here before, but no one is here.

... that's Nork Magic Academy. Even the dorm keeper can use the magic of disappearance...

It was when Almark was so impressed.

"Where are you looking? I'll be right here."

A voice came from beneath him.

What?

The little old woman stood still further from the ground bent over her hips. Two or more minutes smaller than the child's Almark.

"Hi, Maia. It's you, Almark, who will take care of you again today."

Thank you very much.

Almark lowered his head.

Regardless, Maia glanced at Almark from head to toe, walked to the comfort chair, sat back and resumed knitting.

"I heard what you said. You'll live here until you graduate from elementary school. Don't cry because you miss Mom's milk. Meals are served twice in the morning and evening. If you don't come down to the cafeteria by the time, I'll clean it up. I'll have you finish at the cafeteria in the school building during the day. If you have any complaints about the meal, tell Gunn, head of the cock. From what you've seen, it looks like a little boy who can wear a cloak like that, but I'm not complaining about the small rooms and the stiff beds. There are 150 students living here, so think about it and live well. Your room is room 314 on the third floor corner."

"Oh, I heard 341."

Jed pinched his mouth. Maia shook her head in trouble.

"Oh, if that's what you say, I'm sure it is. Look, that's the key to the room.... is there anything else you want to ask me?

"... no, especially for now."

When Almark said so, Maia nodded small and began to immerse herself in the knitting as if the other two were not there.

"Come on, Almark.... bye, Maia."

Jed pushed Almark's back out of the room.

"... this kid wants to talk about me."

Almark laughed. Look under this cloak, what a curly man he is.

"I told you, it's a nice cloak. The room is on the third floor. Let's go."

Leaded by a jeed, he climbs a staircase with intricate sculpted handrails. The easternmost room was Almark's.

The room is private and certainly not large, but not so small. There is a large bed under the windows of the east wall and a learning desk by the north wall.

It was completely dark outside. A jeed lights a lamp suspended from the ceiling.

"The other room is for two people... but for the rest of the year in elementary school, you're going to have to spend it alone."

"Yes... it's a nice room."

Almark said so, placing a small luggage on the floor and putting his dagger on the wall.

"Almost all your stuff is a sword... and even poor farmers' kids will bring a little more stuff."

Jed smiled bitterly.

"This was enough."

Almark took off his cape and returned it to Jed.

"Thank you."

"Nh, ahh...."

While receiving it, Jed looked at his clothes again seriously.

"I'll bring back the immediate clothes from tomorrow. In the meantime, you should take off your clothes. The smell is also transferred to the bed."

"That's right. Let's go to bed in underwear today."

Nodding honestly, Almark took off his jacket.

The naked person is exposed.

Jed looked out for the child in a tight body.

I didn't see it when I washed my body in the well during the day, but even under the lamp light, it was a muscle that I fell in love with.

And there are several scars carved into his body that tell the story of the painful journey.

He realized once again that he had traveled unimaginably. It was too harsh a journey for an 11-year-old to succeed.

"Mr. Geed?

Jed returned to me with Almark's voice.

"Ah... sorry. Then I'll bring you dinner, so you can rest after that. I'll bring you a change of clothes then."

"Yes"

Almark nodded.

At that time, I heard a lot of lively voices from under the dorm. Looking down the window, the elementary school students came home. I wonder if it's a uniform, they're all wearing robes.

"It's almost dinner, so everyone's back. I'm going to school with you tomorrow."

"We're together... yes."

In the meantime, I nodded, but Almark didn't know how it felt.

Many children come home bustling with jokes from school. It was one of the landscapes I saw several times during my journey and just passed by.

But from tomorrow, I'm going to be one of those kids. I felt strange.

"That's because I've arrived..."

Almark muttered small.

At the end of a long ordeal.

At the end of a lot of sadness and despair.

At the end of a fresh surprise and strange experience.

We have finally arrived.

The new starting point, this Nork Magic Academy.