Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

……

Morgan hastily added words to Almark's silence.

"You think it's another piece of crap I brought in!

'Cause there's no basement in this dorm.

"I heard it from a group of guys before! It could be hidden somewhere."

"Secret basement?

"Yes, a secret place! It's the secret place that only Maia knows, where she keeps the child against herself."

"I can lock you up... did any of the students go missing at this academy?

"Well, that hasn't happened since I got into college...."

Almark sighed as Morgan wandered around.

"That's enough. We are the best students indeed. Mr. Cassis... is that it? Let's do our best until he's well."

"Yeah."

However, Almark remains in doubt.

"... but are we the only ones born in the last three years? I think there were others."

"Half the rest of us are in third grade.... I was unlucky."

Morgan shakes his head.

"Our luck happened to be in Maia's sight."

"Hmm...."

Don't take it lightly, Almark.

"I don't know... I'm not convinced..."

"Then why don't you do it? Do you want Maia to say no and let someone else do it? Or would you tell Maia that year to do it alone?

"... okay, okay. I won't tell you anymore. I'll do it, Morgan."

Almark, who surrendered, went to the equipment room with Morgan and took the tools to the stairs on the third floor.

Almark exclaims as he sees Morgan fixing a broken wooden handrail with a tool.

Wow, Morgan.

"Well, I'm the son of a woodcutter. It's not my real job, but if you're dealing with trees, that's all."

Morgan answers in a fairly modest way.

"Because you're the son of a mercenary, you're as strong in battle as you are in battle."

"... that's right, is that it?"

Almark was strangely convinced and stared at the motion of Morgan's manipulated tool.

The next day, after breakfast, the day began when I was able to show my face in the janitor's office and tell him what to do for the day.

Maia was waiting for the two of them in the janitor's office, and as soon as she saw her face,

"There you are. This is it for today."

I can tell you what to do while saying it.

Most of the minor errands, such as simple repairs and picking up school supplies, ended up in no time, but sometimes it was a half-day job without success.

At first it was Almark who was reluctantly taking on Morgan, but unexpectedly it became an everyday stimulus, and he gradually began to like the job.

Daily work was mostly less time-consuming and did not interfere with meditation or reading, and it was fun to try to imitate it yourself while watching Morgan's lively work.

Maia certainly didn't say a word of gratitude to either of them, but she was getting used to it, and Almark, like Morgan, thought, "Oh, that's who this guy is."

According to Morgan, the other third graders who have been in the academy since the first grade have already reached that point.

If someone has to do something, why don't we do something else?

Almark is now working with that feeling.

"If you can't be a magician, maybe you two can do anything like this."

Morgan says.

"That's fine with you, but I can't do anything."

Shrugging his shoulders, Almark answered.

Almark intended to be clever, but admitted that Morgan was perfectly better at working with tools.

"Then you're my guard."

Morgan says with a smile.

"Protect me."

"Why do you need an escort for anything?"

Almark answers with a bitter smile.

They finished their breakfast and were headed to the janitor's office today.

"What kind of work is it today?"

"I don't care, but I wonder if Miss Cassie's cold is still healing."

Almark knocks on the door as he arrives in front of the janitor's office.

Maia won't reply just because she knocked, but when she came in without knocking, she got angry with it, so they decided not to wait for a reply after knocking.

Come in!

You two say that in one voice, open the door and go inside.

Oh, there you are.

Maia glances at the two from the comfort chair in the back of the room.

"That's what I do today."

Old keys were placed on the pointed table.

Almark takes it. It is slightly bigger and heavier on the child's hand.

"What is this...?

It's the keys to the basement.

Maia says Sarasara.

Morgan whispered.

"Finally, it's out! Chi, chi, chi, it's in the basement."

"What are you talking about?"

Maia gazes at Morgan.

"It's time for your vacation, isn't it? Then you'll have to show me the sign in the basement."

"A sign?"

Morgan answers.

"There will be a martial arts tournament as soon as the vacation starts. That'll bring a lot of customers. We have to put up a lot of signs around the dorm so no one gets lost. It's in the basement."

Morgan was afraid to check on that.

Hey, there's no basement in this dorm.

You have a key because you have one.

Maia snorts her nose as if she were stunned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Where is it? The basement."

Almark asks.

At least there are no stairs down from the ground floor in the dorm.

"Why don't you know? I thought you guys weren't out in your childhood habits. There's a small door in the back implanted shadow wall. That's the entrance to the storage facility."

"What about the storage?

Morgan answers.

"Aren't you in the basement?

"Either way is fine. It's an underground storage facility."

Is it a storage room too? Was the secret basement a storage facility? "

"Who said it was a secret?"

"No, nobody said anything."

"There's a sign in the wooden box behind the warehouse. Look, I'll bring you one. There's nothing extra in the wood. If you don't have one, you won't be able to put together a sign, so don't forget it."

Maia looked scared and cautioned.

"Now go as soon as you know. I'm busy."

That said, start knitting as usual.

I don't look busy at all.

Let's go, Morgan.

Almark pushed Morgan out of the room.