Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

From a distance, the sound of a drum sounds.

I wonder where the battle began.

The boy shook his head.

It's been a long time since we crossed the Menover Strait.

I've never seen you on the battlefield since.

And yet, listening to the drums reminds me of the battlefield.

Because the north was a battlefield place every day.

I took that for granted.

But now the boy understands.

That's a festival.

The boy looks far down the road.

By a crystal clear pond that reflects sparkling sunlight.

You can see the bustling square there.

A crowd of adults gathered together.

Kids about the same age as the boys running around.

A peaceful sight never seen in the north.

The boy blinks at the sky.

The days are still high.

However, it took days to walk away from the big street and continue on the unpopular road.

All right. Let's stay here today.

That was the decision, and the boy moved faster.

After all, the boy thinks, looking at the clear pond, what is the direct cause of this.

Though I knew that I would not think about it.

As the boy approached the square, a girl ran from the other side and fell in front of him. Shouldn't I have put out my hand?

I mean, you can't possibly understand.

I can't believe she's going to hide behind herself and be surrounded by the men who chased her.

I remember saying to the men, "I hate you." Was that bad?

'Cause you can't help it. I realized that the girl was trembling over her back.

When I dropped the hand of one of the violently stretched men, I saw his face twisted and ugly. Should I stop there?

But at that time, the hands of men who were already murderous were stretching out from all directions.

My hands and feet came out to keep me from being grabbed. More and more men were killed in unexpected counterattacks.

Someone said, hey, this kid, he's got such a long sword.

Was it bad to pull out the sword?

'Cause it's inevitable. If I hadn't, I'd have been caught.

Seeing the men scared, the boy took the girl's hand and ran. The girl took an unexpectedly firm tone, bent over there and led the boy here to the right.

The road always became like a beast road, and when I realized it, the boy was on the other side of the pond.

The girl said that adults don't know the way out.

The boy was there for the first time to hear from the girl why she was being chased.

The girl was a sacrifice to the lord of this pond.

Once every few years, a girl of her age is chosen for sacrifice.

The girl was chosen for it.

Today was a festival dedicated to her.

If the offering runs away and angers the LORD, there will be misfortune in the city.

The men in the city who were afraid of it followed the girl.

The boy remembers the ugly and distorted faces of men.

That wasn't anger.

He looked terrified.

The girl apologized for causing you trouble.

The boy, no, shook his head.

It's good to know I did good. [M]

The words seemed surprising, and the girl looked at the boy in surprise.

Should I have broken up with the girl there?

I don't think so.

I mean, you can't just leave one girl alone.

The boy saw a clear pond.

How dare the LORD, who dwells in such a beautiful pond, want such a sacrifice?

When the boy asks, the girl leans down.

I don't know. But that's what the city said.

The boy asks the girl about the Lord. The girl answers with a lack of confidence.

I've never seen it either. From what I've heard, it looks like a big snake.

The words sparkle the boy's eyes.

The boy's eyes regain power, as if the puzzled eyes just now were a lie.

Tell me more.

While confused, the girl tells what she knows as much as the boy asks.

What is it?

After listening, the boy smiled.

I know that guy.

That's how I stand up.

It's okay. I've hunted with my dads.

The girl saw the boy with increasing confusion.

A boy a little younger than himself.

He's not that tall.

And yet, this kid says, "It's okay."

Why does that resonate so reliably?

Do you have a ship?

The boy asks.

I want to get out of the pond.

At this time, the girl shakes her head.

Shouldn't you go out to the pond? Because the Lord is angry.

But you have a boat.

The girl nods reluctantly to the boy's words.

There was an old boat by the pond that looked like it had been abandoned.

It looks like it's not flooded yet.

The boy waved his hand at the girl who stopped worrying and went to the pond.

When the boy's boat reached the middle of the pond, it also seemed to be seen from the square across the bank, and I heard the noise of the men saying that it was the kid just now.

Stop, go back, screaming.

The boy floated his boat in the middle of the pond and waited for a while.

Suddenly, the water bubbled up.

The monster with his face resembled a big snake. But the face is human. Long, wet hair covered the monster's face.

I can hear a scream coming from the square. A hasty footsteps trying to escape.

The monster opened his mouth.

Sacrificing is a cheerful gesture.

The boy took out his sword at all costs.

Forged metal emits dull light in the sun.

Oh, you're killing me. Is that your answer? Can thou do it?

The monster told me to make fun of him, but the boy didn't answer.

Brave man. Hear thy name.

Instead of answering, the boy jumped off the ship.

There was a considerable distance between the monster and the ship. But the boy jumped into the monster's body without thinking of it.

Don't hesitate to pierce the sword into the body of a monster as thick as the boy's.

The sword easily pierced a hard scale.

The monster whispered the cursed words and swooped violently.

When the boy took a breath of the stabbed sword, he kicked the monster's torso and jumped further.

Behind the boy shook his sword was a monster's face.

The water in the clear pond is dyed red and the monster sinks slowly.

The boy managed to get back to the canoe, which was shaking dangerously, and pulled himself up.

As I sat down moaning, I saw the girl earlier.

The girl stood on the water a little away from the boat.

The boy smiled calmly at the girl.

I've traveled north, so I'm used to lying.

The boy said.

You are a bad liar. [M]

The girl smiles at the words as if in trouble.

The boy glanced at the monster sinking to the bottom.

I can't see it anymore under the clear water.

Don't answer his words.

The boy said.

Answer and you will be grasped. I can't wait to scare him. Like those grown-ups.

The boy faces the square as he drips potatoes and water from his hair.

The square was quiet as if it were a lie.

The girl stares at the boy without saying anything.

The boy looked at the girl again and said.

If you're careful with that, you're not that scary.

The girl walked slowly through the water as if it were on the ground and came to the boy's face.

The boy smiles and says.

The master of the pond is you. [M]

In the words, the girl nodded in a small manner.

I'm sorry, I lied. You looked trustworthy, but I just met you and I still couldn't believe it. Besides, I didn't think it was that strong.

When asked his name by a girl who slowly disappeared, the boy replied briefly: Almark.

Thank you, Almark. May there be great joy at the end of your journey.

The girl said so at the end and smiled.

The boy slowly turns his boat to the square.

Can you stay here today?

That was his concern for the moment.