Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

Almark and Torque were walking silently on a completely slow return journey, clearing the sword and armor.

Once, Almark spoke, but the torque just snorted his nose and he didn't respond, so they both remained silent ever since.

If it was true, Almark thought that he should have been able to go home with Wendy today.

I wonder where I went wrong. I wonder why the torque is next door.

Without any conversation, the torque suddenly hit my tongue when I came a little closer to the dorm.

"They hate me."

Huh?

The two men walked away and were illuminated by the dormitory lights, and two boys were seen standing.

"Who is it? It's a face I've never seen."

"You don't know. Three pairs of them."

Torque answers.

"Oh, three pairs."

They both look back, as if they heard Almark's words.

"Hey, that's some torque."

One of them looked at the torque and raised his voice.

"What are you practicing so late for? You don't think it's a martial arts convention?

Does this have anything to do with you, Eston?

The torque answers blurring.

"What are you doing here?"

The boy called Eston laughs. It has a body that does not pull apart even alongside a large torque.

"We were just standing here talking. Hey, Polois."

Ah.

Another boy nods. This one is big, too.

Yeah, these guys. Almark thinks so.

"Dormitories are noisy. I'm not relaxed. I'm here to talk."

I see.

Eston stopped the torque as he tried to pass.

"I heard. They said Wallis couldn't make it to the martial arts contest? Poor thing."

The torque stops with a cumbersome tongue.

"What is that?"

"I mean, your classmate is just like Wallis and you, right? If Wallis doesn't answer, you're the only noble boy left. It won't be a match. I'm sorry."

Eston looked at the torque with pity.

"It's hard to go to the civilian class. You don't have to."

Thank you very much.

Torque answers.

"I'd like to show your faces a little bit too, but there are VIP seat eyes. I'm sorry, but...."

Eston laughs with a smile.

"I'll do my best to win. Don't cry because you've lost everything."

Polois blows up at the words.

"Speaking of which, there was a woman who cried a lot in the torque class. What kind of name was that?"

Polois, don't ask me.

Eston answers with a smile.

"You don't even remember the names of civilians."

I don't know what you're talking about.

Torque interrupted the two exchanges and said.

"There's no need to bother. Wallis doesn't answer, but he does. It could be stronger than Wallis."

Say so, show Almark next door with his chin.

Eston and Polois glanced at Almark as if they had noticed him there for the first time.

"Oh, I wonder what happened next door to your usual one."

Eston says, Polois laughs.

"You must be the third or fourth attendant. I'm in the civilian class, so I'm sure it's a good accompaniment."

It's Almark.

Almark held his mouth shut.

"My name is Almark. I don't think I know because I moved in this spring. I'm going to the next tournament. Greetings."

"Torque"

Eston talks to the torque as if he didn't hear the Almark.

"If you're a nobleman, you'd better think about who you're dating. There will be a few more civilians to accompany."

Hah, the torque laughed.

"It's not like he's talking about me. Even today, I asked him to practice."

Eston and Polois frowned face to face.

"Torque....."

Eston says sorry.

"You've changed. It may be good in the academy, but the outside world is tough. You can't do that."

"It's too much to take care of."

Torque shakes the neck.

"I don't think you guys have anything to worry about. You know the outside world."

Well, that's also true. Sure, your house.... Whoa. "

The torque was instantly lethal in Eston's words, so Eston held his mouth in a discreet manner.

"Excuse me. I don't think this was a good idea."

The torque spat and spit.

"It's not worth it. Let's go, Almark."

"I was in the same class as you when I was a year...."

Whatever the torque, Almark speaks to both of them.

"Do you remember the girl Norish?

The two face each other again. I don't want to see Almark's face. That kind of thing seems thorough.

"Come on, I don't know your name."

Eston answered on behalf of the two.

Yes, thank you.

They don't react to Almark's words.

"Almark"

Speak up with frustrated torque.

"Oh, sorry about the torque. Let's go."

Almark went too far beside the two, alongside the torque.

"I'm looking forward to the martial arts tournament. Torque"

The torque turns back to Eston's voice and yells back. Polois's laughter mixed up there.

After walking for a while, the torque hits my tongue.

"You waited for me on purpose. They're always uncomfortable."

"Interesting people."

Almark said.

Ah?

Torque looks at Almark's face.

What are you laughing at?

Yeah, a little bit.

Almark fades away.

While watching Eston and Polois, Almark remembered his father's words one day.

The nobles of the mercenaries' employers are not all wise men.

Some people are a lot reckless, and some people don't think mercenaries are human in the first place.

Sometimes my father came back laughing when I went to negotiate with such a nobleman.

At one point, Almark asked why, and his father answered with a cruel smile that he sometimes seemed to see.

"Almark, I won't be looking forward to it from now on. I don't even look at my face, and the next time they see me, they treat me like a wild dog with no name, they look at me with a lovely smile and they call me by my name."

Father strokes Almark's head and walks out to the commander's tent, adding as if he had left.

"Now, for that reason, I'm going to fight for my life today."

Almark was kind of scared and reliable about his father's back.

"As Nelson said, I'm on fire, too. If you're going to fight, you'd better fight with those who don't like it."

When Almark saw him laugh invincibly, the torque also laughed lightly.

"I wouldn't be a nobleman if I were really angry with those people."

He glanced back.

"I feel sorry for them. Don't look at your smile like that."

"Let's win. Torque"

Almark looks at the torque and makes a fist.

"No, I'm dealing with one group in the first place."

The torque smiles bitterly.

They disappeared into the dorm side by side.