Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

"You're wearing something strange."

The boy leaned back slightly as the man told him to peek into his back.

At the end of the hall, I was having a slow lunch with a soup like white water with few ingredients and hard bread.

The man reached out to the handle of the boy's partner's dagger with interest, but he lowered his hand impressively as the boy quickly sat down.

"You look good. Boy, you're not the only one."

When the boy does not answer and takes his own meal, he sits back in the far seat.

"It won't be enough to grow up."

Seeing what the boy was eating, the man called out again.

The boy saw the man again.

Tall, firm body. Looking only at the clothes, it looks like the same traveler as the boy, but all the gestures are somewhere dramatic.

"Don't you want the money?"

The man talked to the boy in spite of his disgusting face and without any concern.

"They must be on their way somewhere. It doesn't seem like a very luxurious journey. You'll need a bank."

No, thank you.

When the boy answered briefly, he finished his meal by pouring it in and went out of the store to finish the check.

"Hey, boy. Well, wait."

The man persisted in pursuing him outside the store.

"Can such a long sword be used against you?"

The boy does not answer and takes a step towards the exit of the city.

I met these people many times during my journey.

A person who simply tries to tease a boy by looking at his age.

A person who threatens a small bank.

A man who tries to deceive for a more miserable purpose.

Some of them may have spoken kindly, but, unfortunately, the boy did not need help.

Given the danger of being deceived, it was wise not to approach anything that seemed kind but confusing.

"Wait. Why don't you work for us? [M] I'm the chairman of a traveling entertainer."

The man still spoke from behind.

"A swordsman, by the way. If you're confident in your arm, you'll get paid. Hey, just talk."

On the back of a boy who has shown no interest and does not stop walking, the man continues to talk.

"If a child like you can use such a long sword, I can call a customer. Three meals and a place to sleep with pay. Why don't you try it?"

The boy keeps walking without answering.

The man continued to solicit for a while, but when he saw the exit of the city, he gave up.

"There's a carriage parked in the other square. I'll be in town till tomorrow, so if you're interested in anything, take a peek. The White Wolf is famous for sitting in Nakahara. Oops."

The boy suddenly stopped his feet, so the man was about to bump into him.

The boy looked back at the man.

"White wolf?

Ah, ahh

The man nods.

"That's right. White Wolf One. I'm Danny the chairman."

"White Wolf...."

The boy appeared to think a little.

"What does it come from?

"Origin?"

The man named Danny answers with a funny face.

"I used to see a white wolf when I got lost on a trip. When I was invited, I could go back to the way I was. Since then, the white wolf has proved me lucky."

"Did you see the white wolf?"

Ah.

Danny nods.

"Beyond the Menover Strait, north."

"... is that so?"

The boy turned to Danny.

Is your uncle a traveler?

Danny nods at the boy's words.

"Oh, yeah. He travels to various countries in Nakahara to show off plays and tricks. I was just in trouble because I lacked a swordsman. If a cute kid like you can do it, it's also popular."

"How far are you going?"

In response to the boy's question, who was caught in the middle of his explanation, Danny named a city in Nakahara instead of making a bad face.

The boy nodded and named another city on his way to the city.

"You can come with me if you want."

Oh.

Danny nods happily.

Then good is quick. Let's go to our carriage. "

"Bring another kid like this."

A tall young woman shouted surprisingly at the boy.

Lenny, the chairman's bringing in another weird kid.

Ah?

Out of the shadow of the carriage emerged a young man who was also light-hearted.

Lined up with a woman, she looks like a twin, wearing a cropped, even figure.

"Just after Deli, you're free."

Danny says from behind the boy.

"You said you wanted a swordsman."

"Who said I wanted a child?"

A man called Renai roughs up his voice.

"Margot's the only child I have."

The words made a girl peek at her face from behind the carriage.

She was an impressive girl with big eyes who looked two or three years older than a boy.

"Lenny, who's the kid?

As the girl gazed at it with a low voice, Renai coughed ill.

"Anyway!"

Speak so loudly as to deceive.

"Such a child cannot serve as our swordsman. It's better if I play the second role."

"I don't mind either."

The boy said.

"If you get the salary I just told you about, I'll give you a swordsman."

Ha?

A woman frowned.

"Stupid, you"

That's what Lenny said to the boy.

"I don't work. How do I get paid?"

Then I'll do it.

The boy replies only indifferently.

"But let me know because I've never used swordsmanship to show people."

Hah, Renai sighs.

"I'll tell you what kind of hard things you're told to do. Margot"

Looking back, I call the girl earlier.

The girl brought a glamorous decorated sword with a swing.

The boy can see at a glance that it is serious.

"I'm not really showing you, but I'm sorry the chairman brought you here. Go home when you see it."

Renai took the sword from Margot and handled it in a familiar manner.

And he starts swinging it at an unstoppable speed.

The sword groans like another creature around Lenny's body, up, down, left, and right.

It reaches the boy's ears without interruption.

"Ica"

Renai called out the name of the young woman standing by the carriage without stopping her sword.

Soon the woman had two green fruits in her hand.

Let's go.

That's not what I meant. I threw the fruit at Renai.

Renai cut the fruit in two straight portions without slowing down the sword at all.

One more thing.

Ica threw the second fruit.

Renai now slices it in two in half on the side.

Well, here's the thing.

Lower the sword and show the four pieces of fruit rolling on the ground with your hands, and Renai sweats.

"I'm not a specialist, but I can do this. The deli I drank before was able to cut the same fruit twice in the air."

"When you're not drunk."

Margot supplements the razor.

"That's how it is. It's not a trick a kid can do. Go home when you find out."

Lenny said while returning the sword to Margot.

"Isn't that nice? Make it a little easier for the kids to do it."

Danny objected, but Margot answered with a cold voice.

"I play tricks I can't beat adults."

You're special, Margot.

"Anyway, we don't need a kid's swordsman."

When Icka looked at the boy as she said so, he crouched on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

I just need to cut this off.

The boy gives the half fruit picked up from the ground to the iceberg.

"If that's all right, I can do it."

Ha?

When he pressed the fruit on the eye-opening icka, the boy pulled out his dagger at a distance.

"Hey."

I heard a wind chirp in her ear.

It was the sound of a dagger that the boy shook subtly.

I waved a sword the length of which a large adult used.

"Hey, you."

That's what Lenny looked like.

"Can you really use such a sword? Isn't that the wooden sword held by the chairman?"

"Let me have it."

Danny said with a reluctant face, but his lips were relieved with uncovered excitement.

"I'm sorry, I can't swing that."

The boy said.

"Because I've never done it. But I can hang up."

"Ica"

Renai looks back with a serious face.

"Throw him."

Ah, ahh

The boy shakes his head when he reaches his right hand with one fruit with half of the ice cream.

"You can have it all."

"Everything?"

Icka rounded her eyes and looked at the fruit at hand.

"Four."

"Yes"

The boy nods.

"Because I don't cut my sword like Renaissance, so it's only natural that I can cut one or two."

Icka and Renai looked at each other unexpectedly.

"Throw it, Icka."

Danny said.

"Do as he says."

"Okay."

Icka nods.

"I don't hate men who slap their mouths. Even a cheeky son of a bitch."

As soon as I finished, I threw four pieces of fruit at the boy at the same time.

The boy's arm moved.

The sword twice or three times draws an eye-catching trajectory in the air.

The dagger certainly looked to have captured all four pieces.

Oops.

Renai speaks up.

"Did you cut it?

That's how he rushes toward the piece of fruit that fell on the ground.

"Is it all gone?"

Icka asks.

But Lenny won't answer.

is bending to the ground and staring at a piece of fruit.

"Renai"

Icka raised her frustrated voice.

"What do you want? Is it cut or not?"

"You"

Without answering, Lenny looked up at the boy.

How many times did you wave your sword in that instant?

Huh?

Despite the words, Icka also walked to Renai. Danny followed.

Fruit fragments on the ground were scattered.

It was found that all four original fruit pieces had been cut clean twice.

"I've shaken it six times."

The boy answered.

"Sometimes I cut them all together."

"Six times....."

Lenny murmured.

"What do you say, guys?"

Suddenly, Danny turned to Lenny and Icka.

Are you still complaining about this?

A genius boy, a swordsman.

Where did the painful face go just now, Renai said in a bright voice.

"Isn't it amazing? That's the chairman. This is going to be popular."

"Not yet. At least they'll remember the act."

Icka answers.

"I think I'll soon remember this."

"Am I right?

Danny says with a good face.

"See, you guys. There's no madness in my eyes."

Margot approached the boy left behind by the conversation.

"I'm Margot. What's your name?

"Almark"

The boy answered.

"Are you on your way? Where are you going?

Margot's big eyes were curious and he looked at Al Mark.

Almark replied briefly.

"To the south"