After leaving the College Chief's office, the guard laughed as if he was overwhelmed.
"I've never seen it before, where the College Director was in such a hurry"
He laughed for a while, then accidentally went back to his true face and stared at Almark's stern face,
"You're a big man."
I said.
"My name is Jeed. The dean told me to show you to the dorm. Say hello again."
"It's Almark. Best regards,"
"Ah... yes, I'll give you my sword back. It's too heavy."
"Hi."
Almark received with one hand the sword offered by Zid with both hands.
After completing the process of integration at the office in the school building, the two went outside.
"The dorm is over there."
Jeed pointed to a cobblestone path stretching south.
"But before I go there, you have something to do."
"What is it?"
Jeed looked back at Almark in agony.
"Poor thing. You're smart because of your painful journey, but you don't understand. It smells like you put a fish to sleep in the shade for two days."
Having washed his body nicely with the water from a nearby well, Almark again wore clothes like a bloody cloth.
"I'll bring this school uniform when I get to the dorm. I can't go to class with those clothes."
Excuse me.
As Almark bowed his head, Jeed put his head on like he was in trouble.
"I've heard stories about all the humans in the North being barbaric and crude... but you don't"
"... that it's not just special people who kill each other... I think"
Almark said in a small voice, but it didn't reach Jeed.
"Well, I'll walk quite a bit to the dorm.... Right."
Jeed hung his cloak on Almark's shoulder.
"It's a pretty good cape. Just walk me through it."
"Thanks"
Almark smiled. He smiled calmly, but also looked like a raptor.
"... you were a mercenary, weren't you?"
Almark nods at Jeed's inquiry. Jeed twisted his neck.
"But here's something from you... you feel a more noble vibe."
But Almark just shrugged his shoulder in the words, boring.
They walked silently for a while.
"... I'll walk a little further to the dorm. Do you want some rest?
Jeed called out so concerned about the 11-year-old boy walking next door, but remembered seeing Almark shake his head in the face about why he would ask such a thing.
"Oh well. You must have walked all the way from the north end of the continent with that leg."
The sun is also leaning a lot. Eventually I saw the dorm. Almark, who was walking faceless, rounds his eyes.
"Are you surprised? This dorm is based on the blueprints of the villas of the great nobility of the Kingdom of Galais."
What else? It is said that about 150 students of the College's elementary faculty live in its luxurious four-story building.
But hearing that many people are living doesn't make them feel cramped at all. Instead, I even wonder if I should put more in.
"Me too... here?
"Of course it is. Because every student in the elementary school lives here."
Almark looked up at the building again.
"Let's say hello to the janitor first. 'Cause he's a little loud, but he's a good guy."
"Oh, yes."
About behind Zeed. Almark walked in the front door.
The exterior was luxurious, but the interior was surprisingly qualitative. Turns out it's a student dorm.
A long way down the hallway was a room called the 'janitor's room'.
"Whoa, here, here"
Jeed knocked lightly at the door.
"Maia, are you there?
Then a crouched voice came back from across the door early.
"I didn't have to knock. The door's always open. Don't put too much effort into it. Come on in."
Zide pushed the door open as he gestured to prompt Almark to stand beside himself.
……
Almark made it a kyoton for a moment.
There was no one in the room.
There is a stirrup of knitting on the table in the middle of the room, and the comfort chair behind it is kick-ass shaking.
There's got to have been someone before now, but there's no one there.
... That's the Norc School of Magic. Can even a dorm administrator use the magic of disappearing......
It was when Almark was so impressed.
"Where are you looking? I'm right here."
I heard a voice from right under him.
"What?"
The little old woman stood with her hips bent over just further down on the ground. More than two minutes smaller in the head than the child's Almark.
"Hey, Mr. Maia. I'm going to take care of you today, Almark."
"Regards"
Almark bowed his head.
Maia didn't mind that, glancing at Almark with Giroli from head to toe, she walked to an euthanasia chair, where she restarted her knitting when she sat down.
"I heard the story. Until I graduate from elementary school, I'll let you live here. Don't cry because you miss your mom's milk. Meals are twice in the morning and night. If you don't come down to the cafeteria by the hour, I'll clean it up. I'll have it done in the cafeteria in the school building by noon. If you ever complain about a meal, tell Cock Director Gynn. You look like a boy who can weave a cape feather like that from what I've seen, but don't complain about the small room or the stiff bed. There are 150 students living here, so think about it and live well. Your room is room 314 on the corner of the third floor."
"Well, I heard 341."
Zide pinches his mouth. Maia shook her head like a pain in the ass.
"Oh, if you say so, I'm sure you do. Look, that's the key to the room there.... Anything else you want to ask me?
"... no, especially so far"
When Almark said so, Maia nodded small and began to immerse herself in knitting as if the other two were not there.
"Let's go, Almark.... So long, Maia."
Jeed pushed Almark's back out of the room.
"... about me, even this boy."
Almark said with a laugh. What a curl that guy would be if he looked under this cloak.
"I told you, it's a pretty good cape. The room is on the third floor. Let's go."
Led by Jeed, he ascends a handrailed staircase with intricate sculptures. The room on the far east side was Almark's room.
The room passed through is for one person, certainly not large, but not so small. Under the windows on the east wall there is a large bed, and on the north wall there is also a desk for learning.
It was already completely dark outside. Put the light in the lamp where the zide hangs from the ceiling.
"The other room is for two... you're going to have to spend the rest of your first year alone in the room for now"
"Yes.... nice room"
That's what Almark said, placing a small amount of luggage on the floor and putting his long sword up against the wall.
"Your baggage is almost one of those swords... and even a poor farmer's kid will bring some more baggage."
Jeed grinned bitterly.
"Because this was enough"
Saying, Almark took off his cape and gave it back to Jeed.
"Thanks for your help."
"Mm-hmm..."
As he received it, Jeed took his clothes seriously again.
"I'll bring you some clothes for the moment starting tomorrow. You should take that clothes off now. It also shifts the smell to the bed."
"Right. Sleep in your underwear today."
Nodding honestly, Almark took off his jacket.
Successful nakedness is exposed.
Jeed looked out for the child's secluded, harsh body.
I hadn't seen it during the day when I had my body washed in the well, but it's a muscle I fall in love with when I see it this way, albeit under the lamp lights.
And there are several scars engraved in its body that tell the story of a painful journey.
This child has traveled unimaginably, Zid realized once again. It was an extraordinarily arduous journey for an 11-year-old to succeed.
"Mr. Zied?
In Almark's voice, Jeed returned to me.
"Ah... sorry. Then I'll bring you dinner, so you should get some rest later. I'll get dressed with you then."
"Yes."
Almark nodded.
That's when I heard a lot of lively voices from under the dorm. Looking down through the window, the elementary students were about to return. It must be a uniform, they're all wearing matching robes.
"It's almost dinner, so we're all back. Tomorrow we're going to school together."
"Our people together... right"
I snorted for now, but Almark didn't know how it really felt.
Lots of kids come home bustling with jokes from school. It was one of the landscapes that I had seen several times during my journey and had just slipped away.
But starting tomorrow, I'm going to be one of those kids. I felt strange.
"That's because I... got there"
Almark shrugged small.
At the end of a long and long ordeal.
At the end of much sorrow and despair.
At the end of fresh surprises and strange experiences.
We finally got there.
of a new starting point, to this Nork School of Magic.