《Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand》


 Volume 1 - CH 1

    The Nork Academy of Magic is much larger than he had imagined.


    According to the local people, the academy occupies more than one-third of the island of Nork, which is not a small island at all.


    Almark was astonished. He had seen huge castles and mansions in his long travels, but he had never heard of a single institution of this size.


    Suppressing his curiosity, he asked where the main gate was, and was relieved to find that it was closer than he had expected.


    Standing in front of the huge main gate, which was so large that it looked like a temple itself, he asked a young guard there to guide him.


    However, when he told him that he had come to visit the head of the academy, the guard was not at all agreeable and dismissed him with annoyed look on his face.


    When Almark desperately insisted that he had been approved to be a student here by the head of the academy, Yorog, the guard heard the name of the head of the academy and thought about it for a while. Then, after reviewing Almark''s beggarly demeanor several times, he agreed to take him to the head, even though he was half-convinced.


    In the well-maintained garden, gardeners were busily working here and there. After the two of them had walked for quite a while in silence, the trees that had been blocking view suddenly disappeared and a huge building appeared before them.


    "This is the main building of the Nork Academy students studying at the elementary class for the three years."


    " If he did not heard explanation, he would have believed the building to be the mansion of a noble family or the villa of a royal family."


    It was a place that Almark had never seen before.


    ...... i"s amazing."


    Almark expressed his honest impression.


    Oh, I wish you could be a student there,"


    The guard entered the building with this remark.


    This is where the head of the institute offices is.


    Almark followed him into the building.


    This is the headmaster''s office," he said.


    The guard stopped in front of a large door and held out his right hand to Almark.


    When Almark looked at him doubtfully, he said, "Sword.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m going to take it."


    "Oh, yes," Almark said, lowering the sword from his back and handing it to the guard .


    The guard took it with both hands and looked at the sword. He then knocked on the door with it in his hand.


    " Principal, there is a child here who wishes to enroll in our academy".


    The reply came from inside the room, "Come in.¡±


    "Excuse me."


    The guard entered first, and Almark followed him.


    At the end of the surprisingly simple room, there was a large desk that took several adults to carry in. Next to the desk was large shelf, filled with thick books and a variety of other items he had never seen before.


    This is the boy," the guard said.


    Almark turned to face the front of the desk at the sound of the guard''s voice.


    An old man was sitting in a chair behind the desk.


    He was a white-haired old man with a calm face. His beard had grown long, as had his long hair.


    Almark wondered what the spirit of wisdom would look like if he were to show himself, as a traveling magician had said one day.


    ¡°I am Yorog, dean of the Nork Academy of Magic. And you are?"


    The old man said.


    His voice was deep and warm. he know he can trust this man, Almark thought.¡±


    Yes, you see..at the main gate..."


    The guard began to explain situation


    He was finally beginning to regret bringing the boy all the way here.


    ¡°My name is Almark, headmaster."


    Almark said this without paying any attention to the guard.


    Yorog looked at him seriously.


    "Almark..."


    " he said, thinking once in his mind.


    "I am Almark, the son of "Shadow wolf" Reyes, second-in-command of the Black Wolf Riders, who is fighting in the land of the north," Almark added.¡±


    The guard look at him with a blank stare.


    "...... Black Wolf ...... Reyes ......"


    Yorog mumbled . Then his eyes widened as if something had occurred to him.


    ¡°I don''t believe you are Almark, the son of Lord Reyes!¡±


    "Yes my father told me that he had helped you in the past."


    Almark answered.


    Yorog leaned forward excitedly from his desk.


    ¡°Ziad, step back.¡±


    The guard stepped back in a hurry.


    "Almark, come over to me so I can take a better look at your face," Yorog said.


    "Yes, sir."


    Almark stood in front of the desk. Yorog looked at him closely.


    "Hmmm..."


    Then he creaked against the back of the desk and exhaled.


    ¡°If you are the son of Lord Reyes from the Black Wolf Riders, then surely you are Almark! But aren''t you eleven years old already? Why did you come here two years later? And what''s with the outfit? And where is Lord Reyes? Didn''t he come with you?"


    "Headmaster."


    Almark chuckled.


    "I can''t answer all your questions at once."


    ¡°I''m sorry," .


    Yorog shook his head. After that, Almark answered the headmaster''s questions one by one.


    When he had finished, he breathed out deeply again.


    ¡°Yes, you has grown," .


    ¡°Yes, my father said the same "


    "It is sad. The coming battle against the Lord of the Abyss will require the strength of the valiant northerners."


    "The Lord of the Abyss?"


    "Ah... no, don''t mind it . But I see that you are Almark . You''ve grown so much"


    "Thank you."


    "Just one more question."


    "Yes, of course."


    ''If you have any experience of serving in the North, I am sure you have heard the name at least once. The Gilfin Mage Mercenaries."


    ''"...... Yes, I have. A unique mercenary group among the many mercenaries in the North."


    "After the success of Gruder, the Ashes of Death, came to the North to put their skills to the test in battle. Unfortunately, many of them were graduates of our academy. Most of them disappeared due to the cold and the harshness of battle in the north, but some, like Gilfin, succeeded. Most of those who succeeded were originally from the North to learn and to use our magic to fight in the North .But we, too, are not willing to allow further sorcery from the South to be used in the war."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    ¡°You can think of it as an entrance exam sort of . ...... That''s why we haven''t allowed students from the north to enroll in the last few years, except in extraordinary cases. So let me ask you this. What do you plan to do after you learn magic here? Are you going to return to the North like Gilfinn and use your powers in war ?"


    As he said this, Yorog looked into Almark''s eyes.


    Almark knew that if he gave a careless answer, he would be seen right through.


    "I''m going back north, too."


    Yorog''s eyes widened at Almark''s answer. But Almark continued.


    ¡°During my travels, I saw the peaceful lands of the Middle and Southern regions of the country. I was touched by their wealthy life. ...... Why only the South? I want to know that. And I want peace in the northern countries, and a prosperous life for the people. To make that happen, I am going back to the North."


    Yorog stared at Almark''s face with look that seemed to see through everything.


    Then, after a long, pause he smiled and said,


    :Welcome to the Nork Magic Academy , Almark."

 Volume 1 - CH 2

    After leaving the director''s office, the guard started laughing as if he could not hold back anymore.


    ¡°I''ve never seen the Director so flustered."


    He laughed for a moment, then suddenly turned his head and stared at Almark''s fearless face.


    "You''re a great guy,"


    he said.


    "My name is Ziad. director of the academy asked me to take you to the dormitory. Once again, nice to meet you."


    "My name is Almark. Nice to meet you."


    "Oh, you can have your sword back. It''s too heavy."


    "Thank you."


    Ziad held out the sword with both hands, and Almark accepted it with one hand.


    After completing the transfer formalities at the campus , the two went outside.


    "The dormitory is over there."


    Ziad pointed to a stone-paved street that led to the south side of the building.


    "But before you go there, there''s something you need to do."


    "What is it?"


    Almark looked at Ziad with puzzled look as he asked in surprise.


    I feel bad for you," he said. "You''ve had a tough journey, and even you, who are so smart, don''t know what you''re going to do anymore. You smell like a fish that has been in the shadow of the sun for two days."


    After washing his body clean with water from a nearby well, Almark put on his ragged clothes again.


    ¡®When we get to the dormitory, I''ll bring you your school uniform," he said. "You can''t attend class dressed like that."


    "Excuse me."


    When Almark bowed his head, Ziad scratched his head in annoyance.


    ¡°I''ve heard stories that everyone in the north is a bunch of wild and crude people... but I guess that''s not true."


    ''......I don''t think it''s only exceptional people who kill each other,...... I think...."


    Almark said in a quiet voice, so Ziad couldn''t hear him.


    ''Well, it''s a long walk to the dorms,'' "


    Ziad put his own cloak over Almark''s shoulders.


    ''It''s a pretty nice cloak. Put it on for now and keep walking."


    "Thank you."


    Almark smiled. It was a gentle smile, but it looked like a prey bird.


    ''...... you used to be a mercenary, didn''t you?"


    Almark nodded at Ziad''s question. Ziad twisted his head.


    "But I sense something more... noble atmosphere about you."


    But Almark just shrugged his shoulders in a trivial way at those words.


    They walked in silence for a while.


    ''...... we'' ll walk a little further to the dormitory. Want to take a break?"


    Ziad called out in worry for the eleven-year-old boy walking next to him, but he remembered when he saw Almark shake his head with a look that asked why he asked such a question.


    ''Oh, I see. You walked all the way here from the far north continent on that foot, didn''t you?"


    The sun was setting. Eventually, the dorm came into view. Almark, who had been walking with a blank expression on his face, turned his head to look at him.


    "Are you surprised? This dormitory was built based on the blueprints of the villa of a great noble in the Kingdom of Garai."


    Indeed. About 150 students from the academy''s elementary grades live in the luxurious four-story building.


    However, even with that many people living in the building, it does not seem crowded at all. In fact, it even seems as if more room should be available for students.


    "I''m going to live here, too?"


    "Of course you are . All students of the elementary class live here."


    Almark looked up at the building once more.


    "I''m going to go say hello to the caretaker first," he said. "He''s a little noisy, but he''s a nice guy."


    "Oh, okay."


    Almark followed Ziad through the front door.


    The exterior of the building was luxurious, but the interior was surprisingly simple. It was evident that this was a student dormitory.


    At the far end of the corridor, there was a room called the "caretaker''s room.


    "Oh, here we are."


    Ziad knocked lightly on the door.


    ¡°Maia, are you there?¡±


    A low voice came quickly from the other side of the door.


    ¡°The door is open all the time, without you having to knock. Don''t waste your time, just come in."


    Ziad made a gesture to Almark to stand beside him, and then opened the door.


    "......?"


    Almark looked at him for a moment.


    There was no one in the room.


    On a table in the middle of the room, there is a piece of knitting on the table, and an armchair in the back of the room is swaying.


    The chair in the back of the room is swaying.


    That''s what the Nork Academy of Magic is all about. Even the dorm caretaker can use the magic of invisibility,.......


    Almark was so amazed.


    "Where are you looking? I''m right here."


    A voice came from right below him.


    "What?"


    The tiny old woman stood bent at the waist, her body just touching the ground even more. She was at least two heads smaller than the young Almark.


    Hello, Ms. Maia. This is Almark, who will be joining our academy¡±.


    "Nice to meet you."


    Almark bowed his head.


    Maia took a glance at Almark from head to toe, walked over to the comfortable chair, sat down, and resumed knitting.


    "I''ve heard the news," she said. "You''ll be living here until you graduate from the elementary class," she said. Don''t cry just because you are missing your mom''s milk," she said. You will eat twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. If you don''t come down to the cafeteria on time, I''ll make you eat. Lunch will be served in the school cafeteria. If you have any problems with the food, please talk to Guin, the head chef. You look like a nice little guy who could wear a cloak like that, but don''t complain about small rooms, hard beds, and other such stupid things. There are 150 students living here, so please take that into consideration and live well. Your room is on the third floor, in the corner, room 314.¡±


    "I thought you said it was 341."


    Ziad interrupted. Maia shook her head in annoyance.


    If that'' s what you said, then that must be it," Maia said, shaking her head. "Look, there''s the key to the room right there. ...... do you want to ask me anything else ......?"


    "......No, not now."


    When Almark said this, Maia gave a small nod and began to engage in her knitting as if they were not there anymore.


    ¡°Come on, let''s go, Almark. ......exuse us , Maia."


    Ziad walked out of the room, pushing Almark towards him.


    ......¡±He is good boy¡±, ...... said Maia.


    Almark said with a laugh. "What a winding up that person would be if he looked under this cloak."


    "I told you, it''s a pretty nice cloak. The room is on the third floor. Let''s go."


    Ziad led the way up the stairs, which had an intricately engraved handrail. The room at the far end on the east side was Almark''s.


    The room he led Almark to was for one person, and while it was not large, it was not small either. There was a large bed under the window on the east side , and a study desk by the north side .


    It was already dark outside. Ziad turned on the lamp hanging from the ceiling.


    ¡°The room is for two, but ...... you''ll be staying in a single room for the rest of your year at the elementary class ," he said.


    "The other room is for two people. ......It''s a nice room."


    Almark said, putting what little luggage he had on the floor and leaning his long sword against the wall.


    "Your luggage is mostly that one sword.. , even a poor farm boy would bring a little more luggage."


    Ziad chuckled.


    "That''s all I needed."


    With that, Almark took off cloak and handed it back to Ziad.


    "Thank you."


    "Oh ......."


    As he accepted it, Ziad took another long glance at his clothes.


    "I''ll bring you some more clothes for tomorrow," he said. "For now, you should probably take those clothes off now. The smell will be transferred to the bed."


    "I guess so. I''ll sleep in my underwear today."


    Nodding his head , Almark took off his jacket.


    His muscular naked body was exposed.


    Ziad looked at his childlike and bold body.


    He had not seen it when he had made him wash himself at the well during the day, but seeing it like this, even under the light of the lamp, he was amazed by the muscles.


    And his body is marked with scars that tell the painful journey he has been on.


    Once again, Ziad realized that this child had been on an incredible journey. It was too hard a journey for an eleven-year-old to make.


    "Mr. Zied?"


    Almark''s voice brought him back to reality.


    I''m sorry," he said. "I''m going to bring you some dinner, and then you can get some rest. I''ll bring you a change of clothes as well."


    "Sure."


    Almark nodded.


    At that moment, he heard a lot of noise coming from below the residence hall. He looked down through the window and saw that the students from the elementary class were coming back to the dorm. They were all wearing uniforms, probably with matching robes.


    ¡° Starting tomorrow, we''ll be going to school together.¡±


    "Together... right."


    He nodded for the time being, but Almark didn''t really feel it.


    Many children came back from school joking and bustling with each other. It was one of those scenes that he had seen several times during the trip and had just passed by.


    But tomorrow, he would be one of those children. It was a strange feeling.


    That''s because I''ve reached ......,"


    Almark muttered to himself.


    After a long, long hardship.


    The end of a long, long hardship and despair.


    After many hours of sorrow and despair, And strange experiences.


    At last he had arrived.


    A new starting point, this Academy of Magic.

 Volume 1 - CH 3

    §³old wind was raging in the northern land.


    Almark was riding on the grassland.


    He held his beloved long sword in his hand and wore armor made of tanned leather, dyed black and thick.


    Dozens of his companions, running alongside him, were dressed the same way.


    And ahead of them, running with the tremendous speed of a wolf, was a group of enemies.


    Riding huge horses and clad in heavy iron armor, the group, however, showed no response to Almark and his companions'' charge.


    The enemy was rapidly closing in upon them, and Almark let out a yell of rage that filled his body. His companions shouted at once.


    It was at that moment.


    Suddenly, the grass under their feet moved as if it had a will of its own and tangled around their legs.


    The enemy general reacted for the first time when they were unable to move their legs.


    The terrible eyes behind the helmet that glanced at Almark. Almark knew him. Marismog, the "Iron Knight" of the Zaire Interceptor Mercenaries. A man who takes on everything and never falls.


    "Reap what you sow!"


    Marismorg shouted. Immediately, a group of riders surged toward Almark and his companions. Almark desperately tried to move his legs, but the grass kept getting twisted and tangled. Marismog, who was leading the group, was already right in front of them. A huge spear is swung at him.


    "Move!"


    Almark woke up at the sound of his own voice.


    The morning sun was shining through the window.


    He jumped up on reflex, groped for his beloved long sword, rolled off the bed, and finally remembered his current situation.


    ''Yes,...... this is the Nork Magic Academy .........''


    He stood up and scratched his head, then picked up the long sword.


    I remember the scenery I saw in my dream.


    It was an experience that Almark had experienced in real life.


    In reality, the distance between him and Marismog was not as close as in the dream, and as soon as he was unable to move, the riders under his father''s command jumped in from the side, so he was not seriously injured.


    Later,he heard from companions that it was magic. The Zaire Interceptor Mercenaries had hired a magician at that time.


    Come to think of it, that was the first time he actually saw magic, Almark thought.


    His father, who was not much of a fan of superstitions and jinxes, was terribly displeased that the first magic Almark had ever seen had been an intentional attempt to take his life.


    He had repeatedly instructed his men that if any of the enemy had a staff or wore a robe, they should be the first to cut down.


    After that, Almark does not remember much about how the battle went.


    Almark slowly drew his sword. Looking at the dull glow of the used blade with countless spills, his mind gradually calmed down.


    Fiddling with his fingers on the small protrusion at the end of the scabbard, he heard a light click and a small red pendant came out.


    It was a memento of Shetina ...... Almark''s mother.


    When his father first gave it to him, he wore it around his neck, but fearing that he would lose it in the course of his frequent dangers, he worked on the sheath himself and made a place to put it.


    He thought that when he lost his long sword, it would be the time of his death.


    In the midst of passing through the danger of death many times, there were certainly times when Almark felt protected by this pendant.


    Unbelievable luck.


    Without it, he would never have made it this far.


    His father''s long sword and his mother''s pendant. Almark had always been protected by these two things.


    He said, "I''ve made it. Father ...... and mother."


    There was a noise.


    He opened the door and Ziad came in.


    "Good morning, did you sleep well? ...... Wow, you''ve got some serious shit here."


    "Oh, good morning, Mr. Zied."


    As he said this, Almark quickly tossed the pendant into his stash of sheaths and tucked the sword away.

 Volume 1 - CH 4

    ¡°I have brought you your breakfast and a change of clothes. You''ll be eating in the cafeteria with everyone else starting this evening, but there''s no seat for you yet this morning."


    "Oh, it smells so good."


    Almark took the plate with his breakfast and sat down on his bed.


    "Thank you."


    He puts his meal into his mouth quickly and deftly. He hardly seems to taste it.


    "Thank you for breakfast."


    After finishing his breakfast in less than a minute, Almark stood up quickly.


    "I need to wash my face and fix my sleeping habits," he said. "I have to do it properly on the first day, Where is there water?"


    Almark looked up and said, "Oh, there are washrooms in the dormitory, but the quickest way is ...... there."


    Ziad pointed down from the window. There were five large wells there.


    ¡°Yes, that''s right, I''ll be going now.¡±


    Almark quickly changed into the clothes Ziad had brought and went out outside..


    He went out of the room and ran down the stairs. On the first floor, just outside the front door, he could hear the laughter of children coming from a large room.


    This must be the dining room, Almark thought.


    He peeked in and saw many children talking, laughing, and eating.


    For a moment, he imagined himself eating there, surrounded by friends, and chuckled at the impossibility of it all." Well, I''ll do what I can do now."


    There was a person at the well. She was a girl of the same age as Almark, with an elegant face. She was carefully washing her glossy black hair, which almost reached her waist.


    "Good morning, ......."


    When Almark called out to her, the girl glanced at him. She had a victorious look in her eyes.


    "Who are you? You don''t look familiar."


    A beautiful but cold voice.


    "I arrived here yesterday."


    ...... "Oh, so you''re the new student."


    The student sniffed in a bored manner.


    "Do you heard about me?"


    "The rumor has been going around since yesterday," the girl said. "They say they haven''t had a transfer students in decades," she said. They''re all excited to see what kind of wonderful person will be coming in. Even ......, ...... yes, you''re the new student."


    The girl had clearly lost interest in Almark.


    "I''m sorry to disappoint you."


    Almark paid no attention to the girl. He drew water from the well and washed his face with a splash. The cold water felt good.


    I''m Almark. What¡¯s your name ?"


    "Leila. Leila Coogan."


    She has a family name. She''s the daughter of a nobleman, after all.


    It looks like everyone is having breakfast,


    Almark said as he straightened his hair.


    ''Are you sure you don''t want some?"


    "I only have a little bit in the morning."


    "You''re not going to get in trouble?"


    ¡° No, but it''s noisy when Maia finds out. You , there for the first time.¡±


    Hmm.


    "Are you done? If you have any questions, ask someone else later."


    Layla said so and walked away.


    Almark also silently fixed his sleeping habit and went back to his room.

 Volume 1 - CH 5

    When he returned to his room, Ziad was looking sullenly at the long sword leaning against the wall.


    He could see that Almark had returned.


    He said, "Ah, welcome back. It''s a great sword, isn''t it? I don''t know much about swords, but is this what you call a karma sword??


    He asked


    Almark shook his head.


    "I don''t know either, it was given to me by my father. I''ve used it in many extreme ways, but it didn''t break, so it''s very sturdy.¡±


    Ziad muttered to himself, "used it in many extreme ways,......," and looked at Almark''s face again.


    You look a little tired. What''s happened downstairs?"


    ¡°I met a girl down there .......¡±


    "Who is it?"


    "She said her name was Leila ...... Leila Coogan."


    "Layla! She''s kind of a tough girl, isn''t she?"


    Ziad chuckled as he said it.


    ''Oh yeah, haha. The first girl you met was Layla, huh? Haha, that was a disaster. for sure ,I wish it had been Wendy!"


    "Wendy?"


    Almark reacted to a name he had never heard before.


    "Who''s Wendy?"


    Zeid was about to open his mouth to answer, but changed his expression quickly when he noticed what was going on outside.


    ¡°Oh my God, it''s getting late! Hurry up and change into your uniform , Almark. You need to go to school now."


    "I understand," Almark replied and put on his uniform .


    He didn''t have time to feel any emotion because Ziad was rushing him, but his heart was pounding at the sight of the dark blue suit he was wearing for the first time in his life.


    A magician. One who wields invisible power. One who touches the depths of the world.


    A magician.


    When he was in the north, magicians were just a bunch of guys with a nasty way of fighting.


    So when his father first told him that he would eventually learn magic, he was shocked.


    That is why he started training himself in swordsmanship. He thought that if he could hone his sword and become stronger, his father would change his mind.


    Even after his father recognized him and he went into battle, he had no hesitation in continuing to be a mercenary. Everyone around was a mercenary. He could not think of any other way of life.


    "I can live by the sword. I was beginning to feel proud of myself."


    However, his father did not change his mind.


    The day before his departure, he heard his father''s speech and looked into his father''s eyes.


    Almark gave up on himself as a mercenary right there and then.


    He was still undecided about the mercenaries. There is no doubt about that.


    But more than that, he wanted to fulfill his father''s wishes.


    He wanted his father, whom he respected, to think that he was a great son.


    Learn magic. To become a magician. It was something completely unknown to him.


    He did not want his father to think that he was a coward who feared the unknown.


    He wanted to show his father that he was the brave son of a brave mercenary, Reyes, and that he could make it in the magical world.


    But during his travels, Almark''s view of sorcerers changed drastically.


    He learned that the destructive magic used by the magicians of the north was only limited to a few.


    The southern countries are the home of magic.


    Magic is deeply rooted in people''s lives.


    He wanted to use magic himself. He wanted to bring the advanced magic of the South back to the North.


    In addition to his father''s wishes, he came to believe this of his own volition.


    Zeid rushed him outside .


    He walked quickly to the school building.


    The feeling of the uniform tangling around his body is fresh.


    He thought to himself, "I''m going to be a magician."

 Volume 1 - CH 6

    On the way to the school building, Ziad suddenly stops and looks back.


    He turned to Almark with a grim expression on his face.


    ''......I hate to tell you this, but ....."


    "What is it?"


    ''Your father''s job, is ...... and mercury treated here kinda bad ......


    "A mercenary ......?"


    ?There hasn''t been a war in this country for a hundred years. The only war that has occurred is the occasional one with demons that appear on the frontier. So there is a tendency to despise the people of the north as if they were savages. ...... Oh, God, no."


    Seeing Almark''s eyes sharpen in response to the " savage," Ziad hurriedly waved his hand.


    "Not all of them are like that, of course, I suppose, but that''s the general impression people have ....... ...... especially of ''mercenaries.''"


    ''But there are mercenary groups that come from the Middle Plains.''


    ''In reality they might. But people usually think that only people from the north are fighting for Their own. Sake "


    ......"


    It is true that Almark had been familiar with such thoughts from his travels in the south.


    ¡±We have nothing to do with that. Only stupid barbarians with a different level of civilization would be like this . ...... It is certainly a good way of thinking.¡±


    If they could live without killing each other, there would be nothing better.


    But to share this view was to deny the way of life of his father, Reyes.


    Almark could not do that.


    "But I am the son of ...... the mercenary ...... "Shadow Fang" Reyes."


    In fact that the academy director is also giving a tough tasks .


    However, if he reveals his father''s occupation, he will be subjected to strange and insulting stares.


    Besides, the Academy of Magic is a royal establishment.


    Even though it did not matter whether the student came from a high or low social class, the current situation in the northern part of the continent made him hesitant to publicly declare that he was the son of a mercenary.


    The former students from the north were all the children of royalty and nobility.


    Even they have not been accepted in the past few years.


    In fact, on the enrollment documents, Almark''s father''s occupation is written as a blacksmith, per Yorog''s instructions.


    ''Yes,...... I understand that, but if you tell them ....... ...... you won''t be able to stay at this academy.¡±


    Almark bit his lip.


    Whenever he is faced with a decision like this, he always remembers his father''s words from the day they parted.


    "Use your ...... head, Almark. Don''t depend on me to tell you what to do or how to do it. Study hard, get smarter, get better , get a bunch of friends ."


    Almark bit his lip hard once more.


    (...... Dad, I''m proud to be your son.)


    (I will not forgive anyone, no matter who they are, who makes fun of me because I am the son of a mercenary.)


    (But ......)


    Almark had learned a lesson on his hard journey.


    He had learned that just following your feelings will not get you what you want.


    (I''m sorry, Dad.)


    I understand. I''ll keep quiet about it.


    ¡°Yes, ...... "


    Ziad looked relieved.


    A young woman in a light green uniform was waiting for them at the entrance of the school building.


    ¡°Oh, your homeroom teacher is Ms. Fia, right? I love her, damn it.¡±


    Ziad wiggled his body.


    ''Haa.......''


    When Almark moved away for a moment, the woman called out to him with a kind smile on her face.


    "Nice to meet you. You must be Almark."


    "Yes."


    ¡°I''m Fia. I am the homeroom teacher of the class you are going to transfer into , the second class of the third grade of the elementary class¡±


    "I''m Almark. Nice to meet you."


    ¡°......Then, teacher Fia you''ll take care of the rest."


    Ziad bowed his head down behind Almark.


    Almark bowed his head behind him. "Thank you very much, Ziad."


    ¡°No problem. I''m always at the front gate, Almark. If you need any advice, please come to me anytime."


    ¡°Yes . Thank you for everything."


    Almark shook hands with Ziad.


    ¡°Let''s go now. The classroom right this way.¡±


    Fia led Almark into the school building

 Volume 1 - CH 7

    As Fia walked to the classroom, she told Almark about the elementary class in a handy and concise manner.


    ¡°The elementary class is a three-year course, with three classes per year, each class having 15 students.¡±


    ¡°In the elementary class, students learn basic general education while also acquiring rudimentary magical skills and knowledge.¡±


    "In the third year, everyone already knows a certain amount of magic, even if it''s at a very elementary level, but you don''t have to be in a hurry. The director has told me that you have a great talent. You will definitely be able to use magic, so let''s take time and work on it."


    At Fia''s words, Almark nodded his head .


    ¡°Until now there were fifteen of students , so there was always someone left over when we made pairs, but now there will be sixteen person , so that''s good."


    Fia laughed as she said this.


    The third floor of the school building.


    ¡°We have arrived. Come on in."


    She opened the door as she was led. him in


    It was a simple classroom with bright sunlight shining in.


    Fifteen students watched with interest as Almark walked in.


    Almark was used to being in public.


    When he was traveling in the middle plains, he had been invited to join a troupe of traveling artists and had wielded a sword under the guise of a boy swordsman prodigy.


    Standing in front of everyone beside Fear, he looked around at all the faces in the classroom.


    Leila''s face, whom he met today, was also there.


    he looked ...... for seat and found an empty seat in the back right corner of the classroom.


    His eyes meet the girl who was sitting next to his seat .


    She looked at him and smiled.


    She is a girl with a mysterious charm, very graceful, but her smile gives a friendly impression.


    Almark wondered if she was also the daughter of a nobleman, remembering Leila''s behavior in the morning. Leila was sitting by the window, looking out the window with a bored look on her face.


    Fia introduced Almark. Leila glanced back out of the window and glanced at Almark.


    At Fia¡¯s suggestion, Almark also briefly introduced himself.


    "I''m Almark and I''m from the Kingdom of Arneti. I don''t know anything about this academy or this island yet. Please take care of me from now on."


    When he bowed, the applause was louder than expected.


    Not bad, Almark thought.


    ¡°Almark ,due to family circumstances, you have delayed your entrance to the academy for two years. I''m sure there are a lot of things you don''t understand, so please help him out, everyone. Um, your seat is at ......."


    "Here "


    The girl whose eyes met Almark''s earlier immediately raised her hand. Fia nodded lightly.


    "Next to Wendy. Almark, take a seat over there."


    "Sure."


    Almark said hi to the girl called Wendy and took a seat.


    Wendy smiled and said, "Nice to meet you."


    The first period started .


    It was an introduction to the world, which Fia was taking.


    Almark, who had not yet received his textbook, asked Wendy, who was sitting next to him, to share it with him.


    ¡±The big four that created this world, the middle eight that filled the space between the big four, and the small sixteen and their families that were derived from the middle eight.¡±


    It was all new to Almark, and he did not understand how it was related to magic. It was an hour of furrowed brows.


    When the class was over, Almark thought to himself, "I''m going to have to get someone to teach me about this later."

 Volume 1 - CH 8

    About 1/2 of the kids in the class gathered around Almark''s desk.


    They all seemed to be curious about the newcomer, who had a unique atmosphere. They asked questions one after another.


    ''¡±I''ve never heard of the Kingdom of Arneti, where is it?"


    ¡°You must be a commoner if you don''t have a family name. What is your father doing ?"


    ¡°What made you delay your arrival for two years?"¡±


    Almark answered one by one with a smile without any troubles.


    The Kingdom of Arneti is one of the northern kingdoms. Almark was born there.


    To be precise, it was when the Black Wolf Cavalry was being stationed there, but of course he didn''t say that much.


    He kept his father''s occupation as a traveling blacksmith.


    He also said that the delay in entering academy was due to the fact that he and his father were in a faraway country.


    ¡±What does a blacksmith make? When he answered, "Swords," without thinking too deeply, they looked at him strangely and aked , "What do he sell swords for?¡±


    "Tell me about yourself ."


    Wendy, who was sitting next to him , stood up at Almark''s request.


    ""Well, since we''re deskmates , I''d like to introduce everyone to you, Almark. Let''s see, ......."


    Wendy introduced her classmates with a smile.


    ¡±Morgen, the son of a lumberjack from a village in the western part of the Kingdom of Garai. He is a friendly-looking boy with a large round body.¡±


    ¡±Nelson, whose father is a knight squire from the Duchy of Myx, a neighboring kingdom of Garai. He has a strong-looking face.¡±


    The girl with a slender body that would break if touched is Lilty, whose parents are musicians at the Royal Academy of Music of the Kingdom of Forretta, a large country in the middle plains.¡±


    ¡±The girl with freckles who listens to everyone with a friendly smile is Norish, the daughter of a farmer in the small country of Lang in the southern part of the continent.¡±


    ...


    After Wendy introduced everyone else, Morgen pointed out Wendy with hand and said,


    ¡° This is Wendy Berherb. She is the daughter of one of the most powerful noble families in the Kingdom of Garai, the Barhaberb family."


    Wendy''s face clouded as she said, "You''re overreacting.¡±


    And the only other person who hasn''t been over there is ......."


    As Morgen was about to say this, as a voice called out from behind him, "Hey, guys!


    A large, stern-faced boy was glaring at Almark and the others, two equally large boys.


    "The next lesson is about practicing magic. How long are you going to keep making noise? Move your asses out of here."


    (Practicing magic? Is there going to be such a class unexpectedly?) Almark''s heart was pounding.


    Seeing this, the large boy laughed.


    "Hey, newcomer. You must be able to use magic to a certain extent since you''ve been here for two years. I don''t want to be a babysitter for a bunch of novices.¡±


    ¡°.....?"


    "We''ve got another commoner in our class, and the first and third graders are going to make fun of you."


    The three of them slumped their shoulders as they walked away, leaving Almark in a daze. Almark looks back at Morgen.


    "Who is that ......?"


    ''Toruk Shiffei. He'' s from the Kingdom of Garai, just like me. I''m a commoner, and he''s the son of a nobleman. Nobles and commoners are equal in this acade,y , but he is a jerk who always tries to make a snide remark about his nobility. He''s good at magic and martial arts, so I can''t say anything. ......¡±


    Morgen sighed as he shrank his round body.


    ¡°Martial arts,......, there''s even a class like that?"


    ''It''s a liberal arts class. I''m not good at it. Torque is the second strongest guy in the class.¡±


    "Second ......? Who''s number one?¡±


    "Wallis, the class president. He''s exceptional. Now, we should get going too."


    At Mogen''s suggest , Almark stood up .

 Volume 1 - CH 9

    The magic practice place was located in a separate building just across the from the school building.


    The ceiling is high and the space is wide, but it does not feel liberating at all.


    This is because all the windows are covered with black curtains.


    With only the light of the lamps illuminating the room, the almark lined up and waited for teacher.


    Everyone is chatting without a trace of nervousness.


    Almark is standing at the back of the line when he sees Torque, who had just been involved with him, look back at him and whisper something to his cronies.


    Soon after, a pale-faced, skinny teacher entered. He was clad in a gray suit.


    "Let''s start ....... First, each of you will light a lamp with your own magic without using a wand."


    At the same time as the teacher spoke, the lamps turned off and the room was surrounded by darkness, except for the faint light of day shining through a small opening in the curtains. With that, the atmosphere of the place changed completely.


    The students, who had been so cheerful earlier, became quiet all at once. Then, the only sound in the room was the sound of their deep breathing.


    As Almark watched with ragged breaths, small flames began to light up in the palms of the students'' hands.


    "It''s light magic,"


    Almark thought.


    The magician he had encountered on his journey had used it often.


    The magician was not a former student of the academy, but he had a lot of practical experience.


    But compared to the magical light he had shown at that time, the lighted flame in the students'' hands was much more delicate.


    The size of each light remained exactly the same, floating motionless in the palm of their hands, just a few inches above the surface.


    These eleven-year-old students had more advanced skills than the elder magician.


    Almark understood it now.


    They are not just innocent children.


    Each of them was a genius in magic, with talents worthy of being allowed to enter this academy.


    The skinny teacher seemed to be silently walking among the students, checking on the students .


    Occasionally he would whisper something to some of them, perhaps offering advice.


    He came up to Almark and stopped when he noticed that nothing was appearing from his hand.


    ¡°...... Oh, you.¡±


    The teacher muttered in a faint voice and gave a small nod.


    ¡°I''ve heard about you. Come to me after class. I''ll give you a little make-up lesson."


    Almark nodded instead of replying, afraid to speak.


    ¡°Okay, it''s enough .¡±


    The teacher clapped his hands and all the students'' lights disappeared with a clap, and at the same time the lamps lit up. Apparently, the lamps were also lighted by magic.


    Everyone seems to be focused well," he said. "Or did you think that since you were in front of the new student , you couldn''t act so impolite ......?"


    The teacher smiled thinly as he said this.


    The students, illuminated by the lamp light, are all different.


    Some look cool, others have sweat on their foreheads. One One hard  breathing is Morgen.


    "Okay, we are going to use the wand. Take one each."


    The teacher pointed to a wooden box in the corner.


    The students started walking in that direction at once, and Almark followed them.


    In the box were dozens of wands, each about as long as Almark''s waist, placed haphazardly inside.


    It¡¯s practice wands."


    Almark asked Wendy, who ,was nearby, in low voice


    "What are we going to do next?"


    Wendy answered in a whisper, Wendy send to Almark


    Maybe it''s the wind element practice , maybe it''s the rock chipping," Depends on teacher mood."

 Volume 1 - CH 10

    When all the students returned with their wands, the teacher, as Wendy had expected, said


    "We are going to do some chopping, so get your stones ready."


    students went to  another wooden box with flat stones the size of their palms


    Almark had seen the stone chiseling technique before as a street performance in Nakahara.


    An apparently impotent old man tapped the surface of a hard stone with a wooden wand several times, and the stone broke in half. When he first saw it, I didn''t realize it was magic and assumed it was some kind of trick.


    "Okay, let''s begin."


    Under the teacher''s instruction, the students began to hit the stone with their wands.


    Unlike the magic of the light , the students'' abilities differed greatly here.


    Wendy was the first to break the stone with a dry sound.


    Then Torque. Almost at the same time, Leila.


    After that, the other students broke the stone smoothly, but some of them could not break it easily because the surface of the stone kept peeling off. Morgen and Norisch also seem to be struggling.


    More than half of the stones are broken, and while waiting for the rest, some try to break more stones, while others do nothing and start chatting.


    Among them, Almark noticed one student who was acting strangely.


    The student seemed unable to crack the stone yet and was facing the stone with a wand in his hand, but he was using the wand in an odd way.


    Instead of tapping the stone like the other students, he is slowly tracing the surface.


    (What is he doing?)


    When Almark looked closely, he could see intricate geometric patterns floating on the surface of the stone.


    (He''s carving patterns into the stone. ......!)


    He adjusts the magic power to break the stone to a very small degree and continues to emit it at a constant force.


    It is a difficult task just to break the stone, but he is carving intricate patterns on the stone by manipulating the magic power at will.


    It is not that he is unable to break the stone, but that he is voluntarily challenging himself to a much more advanced technique.


    You''re very diligent, Wallis,"


    The teacher called out to the student as he walked by, and the student and a smile on his face .


    He had long, golden hair and a face that was surprisingly well-shaped.


    He seemed to be the Wallis that Morgen had mentioned earlier.


    ¡°Hey, newcomer!¡±


    Almark turned head to the side and before he knew it, Torque was standing there.


    I''ve brought a wand and a stone, why don''t you give it a try ?


    Torque smiled thinly.


    "No, there''s  no  way i can do it"


    "I''ll teach you."


    He replied


    Almark looked Torque in the eyes.


    Torque looked arrogantly back at Almark with a provocative smile stuck to his face.


    When Almark nodded, Torque said, "Okay," and began to speak.


    "Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel your own magic power in your body. Imagine your magic power concentrated at the tip of the wand. Then, as you exhale sharply, imagine the magic penetrating the back of the stone, and ...... the wand."


    As he said this, he poked the stone in front of Almark with the tip of his wand.


    He probably did not intend to break the stone at all, but rather just pushed it with brute force and without putting any magic power into it. The wand made a dull thud on the surface of the stone.


    "Do you get it? It''s easy, isn''t it? Try it."


    Almark nodded.


    This is a good opportunity. He was a difficult person to teach, but he was bored just watching.


    Almark did as he was told, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.


    (I don''t know what a magic power ...... is inside me, so I can''t feel it. But I imagined something like another blood flowing slowly through my body. I imagined it gradually gathering from my hands holding the wand to the tip of the wand.


    Okay, now.)


    Exhaling sharply, Almark lightly poked the stone with the Wand.


    There was a dry thud.


    When Almark opened his eyes, the stone was still there, completely intact, not a flake missing.


    Toruk, who had been watching silently, burst out laughing, as if he could no longer hold back his laughter.


    "Kukku, no, this is no good. I''ve never seen a guy who couldn''t break a single piece just because it was his first time. You have no talent."


    He hit him on shoulder .


    "It''s good that you came all this way, but you might not make it to the middle class and you might have to leave after one year,"


    He whispered, and walk away


    (I thought i could do that ......, but, well, that''s just it¡¯s my first time .)


    Almark thought as he twisted his neck.


    The lowly provocation of the Torque didn''t bother him at all. It was too classy compared to the provocations of fights in the north. In fact, he was grateful that he had been taught how to do it. he could have since he didn''t seem to want to.


    The class ended when Norris, the last one left, broke the stone in a sweat.


    As he did it , Almark said to Wendy


    ¡°You guys are amazing. I''ve never seen such delicate magic before."


    Wendy looked delighted as she spoke to him.


    "Really? But you''ll be able to do it soon, Armark. I''m sure teacher is waiting for you after school. If you need help, let me know."


    She answered,


    " I''ll help too!"


    Morgen, who had been following behind them , also called out to him .


    "Thank you, both of you. I''ll do my best to catch up with you guys as soon as possible."


    Almark replied with a smile, thanking them .


    After the students had left, the empty magic practice room was suddenly filled with a dry, crackling sound.


    It was the stone that Almark had just poked at the end.


    The stone, which had been placed back in the wooden box, cracked and rolled in half in no time around the spot where Almark had poked it with his wand .


    T/n Final chapter for tody . See you tomorrow. Thanks for reading !

 Volume 1 - CH 11

    After having lunch in the cafeteria with so many students was still a new thing for Almark, but he ate too quickly and was laughed at by Morgen and the other students.


    I need to learn how to eat with pleasure, Almark thought.


    There were various classes in the afternoon, all of which were new to him.


    After finishing the day''s classes somehow, Almark parted from his classmates and went to the magic practice place alone.


    When he opened the entrance door, he found a skinny teacher waiting for him in the dark, musty room.


    "Teacher Yilmaz," Almark called out.¡±


    ¡°You''re here. But I don''t think you''re ready for real magic . Let''s change location.¡±


    Yilmaz asked him to go outside.


    His face is still pale in the sunlight.


    They return to the school building and enter one of the classrooms.


    As soon as Almirk takes his seat, teacher asks him something..


    "Now then, Almirk, let me ask you a question. Do you need a wand to cast magic or not? What do you thing ?¡±


    Almirk thought for a moment and answered .


    "Every magician has a wand. I think it is because they need it to use magic".


    "I see."


    Teacher nodded, did not mention Almirk''s answer, and moved on to the next question.


    "Then, is it necessary to wear a robe in order to use magic or not? What do you think?"


    I think that all ...... magicians wear robes. The teachers and us students wear robes, too. It''s because they have to, right ?"


    "I see."


    Teacher nodded again.


    "You have observed magicians before, haven''t you?"


    "Yes."


    "Where?"


    Almirk swallowed hard as he was about to answer, "On the ...... battlefield."


    ''On my way to the academy."


    "I see. So you know what a magician is?


    "Yes."


    Almark nodded, and so did Yilmaz.


    " I understand your situation , Almirk."


    He said sternly.


    "Then forget everything you ever thought you knew about a magician."


    "What?"


    Almark is puzzled and at a loss for words.


    ¡°What you have seen, what you believe , is only the outward and surface appearance of a magician. Do you know what the magician''s other name is?"


    "A magician ...... who wields invisible power."


    "Yes."


    He nodded.


    "The essence of a magician is not in his appearance. The wand, the robe, none of these are the true nature of the magician. The true nature of the magician is as invisible as the power he wields."


    ¡°There are not many magicians in the world who are aware of this. But you must at least understand it if you are going to study at this academy. That is where you must start. You will not need a wand or a robe to master the magic I will teach you that .¡±


    "Then why?"


    He wanted to ask, "Why do all have wands and robes?"


    ¡°You are clever. You have absorbed a lot of knowledge through your eyes and ears. It is easy for me to answer your questions , but that would prevent you from truly understanding. You are too smart for that."


    He asked Almarc to close his eyes.


    ¡°All magic begins with meditation. You must begin by feeling the magic that inside of your body . Students who have just entered the primary class meditate for hours every day to master their magic. Take your time. However, you are already a third-year student. You don''t have much time left. But I have high hopes for your , as the headmaster said. Let''s get started. ......"


    He stayed with Almirk in meditation for several hours that day, until sunset .

 Volume 1 - CH 12

    When he thanked Yilmaz and left the school building, it was already dark.


    This was the second time he had gone from the school building to the dormitory, but it was not a road he could get lost on.


    As Almark was about to leave, he saw someone running toward him.


    "Oh, there you are. Hey, Almark."


    It was Morgen and Nelson. They were smiling and waving at him .


    "Oh, what''s going on?"


    ¡°Wendy was worried that you might get lost since it''s your first day returning to the dorm. We were all waiting for you. Wendy and the others were there earlier, but Liltie got scared when it got too dark, so we sent the girls back first. They sends their best wishes,"


    Mogen said.


    "I see,. Thanks for coming all this way. You''ve waited a long time, haven''t you?"


    ¡°We do a lot of things after school, too, like practicing on our own and going into the forest .¡±


    "Well, it''s just a side thing." Nelson was blunt, but he sounded friendly.


    "Come on, let''s go home. I''m hungry."


    With that, Almark took his cue and started walking with them.


    They talked about school and many other things along the way.


    At night, alone in his room at the dormitory, Almark practiced the meditation that Yilmaz had taught him.


    To feel the magic that was in one''s own body. The beginning of magic.


    At noon today, he had imagined the magical power as flowing blood, but now he felt it somehow like a puddle of water that had accumulated deep inside his body, in his body .


    he don''t know if his image is correct or not.


    Teacher also said that now is not the time to seek the right answer.


    On the journey to the academy , he had many experiences of talking to himself under the lonely sky. It is just like that.


    Almark never got tired of meditating.


    And so , Almark''s busy days began.


    He struggled to keep up with his studies .


    Wendy was kind enough to teach him what he didn''t understand, but he couldn''t rely on her all the time. He went to the library in the school building to study on his own.


    After school, he meditated with teacher .


    Sometimes Teacher would stay with him for a long time, and sometimes he would give a word or two of advice and then leave.


    Wendy and others were willing to help him , but right now he was just meditating and not at the stage where he needed help. And since Wendy and the others seemed to be busy with their own after-school activities, Almark thanked them for their offer and promised to ask them for help when the time came.

 Volume 1 - CH 13

    The days passed quickly that way.


    The school has a day off on the 10th.


    It is the day prior to Almark''s first day off at this academy.


    Today is also the magic practice lesson.


    The students line up in the magic practice room as usual and waited for the teacher.


    Yilmaz comes in and the class begins. The first lesson is the magic of light.


    Everyone lights a fire in their hands. A steady, gentle light is created in the hands of the students.


    Almark, who has only been watching everyone in the magic practice classes so far, begins his own practice while watching everyone else.


    He has not yet learned anything from teacher except for how to meditate.


    But if he extracts the essence of the advice he has received from him so far, the true nature of magic is what is known as imagery.


    How can you transform the magic within you into a different thing ? Perhaps that is what it is all about.


    The magic of the light , in other words, to make the magic in one''s own body manifest as a small flame in the palm of one''s hand.


    Almark meditates, gently turns his right palm upward, and imagines the flame to be lit.


    A light. A small light.


    Focus on the image.


    But there is no difference in his right hand.


    No, it doesn''t work.


    Almark opens his eyes.


    The class moved on to the next element .


    ¡°Today we will practice the wind magic.¡±


    The wind blows from the wand.


    It is not an offensive magic, so it is a slow, gentle breeze. Gradually, the wind is increased to the point where the branches of the trees rustle violently.


    Almark could see that each student had their own strengths and weaknesses in different types of magic.


    Norish, who had struggled so much with the stone chiseling technique, was blowing a gentle breeze cheerfully today.


    On the other hand, Torque was receiving a warning from teacher for suddenly creating a strong wind.


    Wendy and Leila are good at all kinds of magic. Their personalities seem to be opposites, but their magical talents seem to be in competition with each other.


    Morgen seems to be struggling with the wind magic as well. The strength of the wind is not stable.


    It looks like the same as the magic of stone chopping, but there must be a big difference in the use of magic power and imagery. Almark thought as he watched his classmates


    Almark looked at the blond boy, wondering what Wallis was doing.


    Almark had not yet spoken a word with Wallis, the class representative.


    He had not even been introduced to him as a member of the class representative.


    Almark had tried to talk to him once, but he had been very naturally dismissed out of the blue.


    He seemed to be consciously avoiding Almark.


    However, it was not as if he was cold to everyone; in fact, he seemed to be dependable and admired by his other classmates.


    Wendy also told him, "If you have any problems, just talk to Wallis and he''ll help you out."


    Morgen had once told him that Wallis was also the son of an aristocrat, but Almark did not ask his last name at that time.


    In fact, Almark was too busy trying to keep up with his studies to worry only about Wallis.


    So, to this day, he and Wallis have never spoken to each other.


    He knew that Wallis was probably doing something different from the other students, but he didn''t know what it was.


    Almark quietly lowered himself to a place out of everyone''s wind, put his wand on the floor, and closed his eyes.


    Let''s try the magic of the light again, like I tried earlier.


    Since he had started practicing meditation, the imagery had become much clearer than before. The image of the magic flowing through his body was also more clear.


    He point his right hand upward and imagine a small flame dwelling in the space just a little above his hand.


    The magical power flowing from the body gathers in the right hand and forms a small flame. Keep the fruition of the flame in place so that it does not disappear. ......


    The light lit up on Almark''s hand.


    The actual light is not stable and weak, but definitely a magic flame was shining on the palm of his hand.


    "I did it!"


    It must be the result of his daily practice . He was able to do it faster than he thought he could, and he had done it successfully.


    Almark looked up and searched for teacher .


    He was just in the middle of giving advice to another student and was not looking at him.


    ¡±I was able to use this magic," he said.


    Almark looked at the small flame with care.


    It happened at that moment.


    Suddenly, the flame wavered.


    To Almark, it looked as if the flame was maliciously writhing in his hand.


    He felt the magic in his body being absorbed by the flame all at once.


    "Eh, what''s this ......"


    The moment Almark was puzzled, the flame expanded as if bursting into flames, and a large pillar of fire rose from Almark''s hand to nearly the ceiling.


    A loud scream rises due to the sudden situation, but Almark''s vision is blocked by the flames that erupt, and he cannot see anything.


    The screams of Norish, Lilti, and the others.


    Torque''s angry voice.


    ". Almark! ¡°Wendy''s screamed


    Among the various voices, Yilmaz''s quiet mutterings somehow reached Almark''s ears clearly.


    "I have told you."


    Almark lost consciousness, as if all his strength was being drained out of his body.

 Volume 1 - CH 14

    Almark found himself lying on a bed in the school medical office of the school building.


    He wakes up. There is no sign of pain. He looks at his right hand, but there is no burn.


    It is still bright outside the window. The sun is still high in the sky.


    He wonders how long he had been unconscious. Even on a long journey, he had never fainted so helplessly. It would have meant death.


    (What a huge failure.)


    Almark sighed and held his right hand to the window.


    What in the world was that? The flame grew as if it had a will of its own. The magic power that was suddenly sucked out of him.


    He felt dizzy as he tried to get off the bed. His body was not strong enough.


    ?You shouldn''t stand up yet,"


    Almark turned around, startled by the sudden voice. Yilmaz was leaning against the wall, looking at him.


    The fact that he was completely oblivious to his presence was probably due to the fact that Almark''s weakness was so great. Although there were no outward injuries, Almark''s body seemed to be more damaged than he had expected.


    "You''ve released most of the magic in your body .You need to stay in bed for a bit longer."


    He must have been with him the whole time.


    ¡°I''m not sure what''s happened ," he said as teacher slowly approached.


    The first thing that Almirk did was to keep his body upright and ask Yilmaz, "What  I  have done ?"


    "You tried to use the magic of the light, didn''t you?"


    "Yes."


    Almark nodded, and Yilmaz shook his head.


    " It was dragon fire. It is a destructive spell that burns down opponents."


    ¡°Dragon fire ...... of destruction that burns down the ...... opponent."


    "Then the others students ."


    ¡°..... no one else was hurt. The magic in your body wasn''t well formulated, so it burned up and was gone in a matter of seconds.¡±


    "I see. ...... thank goodness."


    Yilmaz stared into Almark''s face as he let out a sigh of relief.


    "How do you think that could have happened?"


    ¡°I don''t know how it happened. I''m sure I was only practicing meditation, but I thought I was able to imagine the magic of the light. I kept imagining a small flame. let alone a dragon flame How did I suddenly get myself to think of such a destructive magic that I had never even thought of?¡±


    ¡°Dragon fire is a magic that you learn in the higher grades,"


    Yilmaz said.


    "It is not a difficult magic, and even middle class students can cast it."


    "It''s just," he added,


    "This spell requires a lot of magic power,. If a child who has not fully grown up uses it, it can be fatal."


    "Ah, well......."


    Almark was unconscious in the blink of an eye, his entire body drained of magic power.


    "That''s what happened."


    Yilmaz nodded.


    ¡°I have told you before that you are too clever, that you instantly grasp, interpret, and try to apply what you see and hear. But as far as magic is concerned, that is not real comprehension.¡±


    "...... Yes."


    Just before he fainted, he heard the voice of Yilmaz.


    "I have told you already ."


    ¡±That''s what I meant.¡±


    This was the magical image of the light that Almark had thought up in his own mind. It was just something that Almark had interpreted on his own, and in reality it appeared as something completely different.


    Yilmaz was right.


    Almark was ashamed of his own conceit.


    Yilmaz  let him lie down on the bed once more and then stood up.


    " Celia, the doctor with a healing magic, will soon bring you some medicine water. After you drink it, rest a little longer and then return to your dormitory. Do not even practice meditation today and tomorrow. Rest in your room and try to recover your magical powers."


    "...... understand."


    Almark bit his lip.


    "I apologize for the trouble I''ve caused you, teacher.¡±


    ¡°You have talent, there is no doubt about that ,but it is so great that it requires a lot of training and determination to control it. I told you the other day that you don''t have much spare time. ......"


    At the door, Yilmaz turns again and looks at Almark. He said in a calm tone,


    ¡°I don''t mean to rush you. Don''t be in a hurry. but be patient and careful. Keep working on magic power inside you, you can''t control now.


    ".....Yes."


    Almark nodded. For now, he had no choice but to trust Yilmaz''s words.

 Volume 1 - CH 15

    After drinking the medicinal water brought by Doctor Celia who had healing magic, he felt magic power slowly building up in his body .


    After a while, the feeling of being dizzy was gone, and Almark got up from his bed, thinking it was time to go home. I


    "I shocked everyone in class today," Almark said." I''ll have to apologize at night."


    Tomorrow would be Almark''s first day off, and Wendy and Morgen had offered to show him around the city while he went to pick up his textbooks that had finally arrived at the bookstore, but he had to refuse their offer


    As he was about to leave the room with this thought in his mind, the door was opened with a bang from the outside.


    "Almark-!"


    It was Wendy and the others who rushed in.


    ¡°Are you all right? . Fia said she was going to send you back to the dorm ahead of the others today, and I''m worried about you ."


    Wendy, who had come in first, inspected Almark from head to toe, then took his right hand and rubbed it with both of hers. The silky white skin of her hand traces over his skin.


    No wounds," she said. "I''m glad."


    After all that, Wendy finally smiled. Everyone was saying, "That''s great," to which Almark replied awkwardly.


    I''m sorry, everyone," he said. "I couldn''t control the light and put you all in danger."


    Almark bowed his head, but everyone''s reaction was unexpected.


    "No, it happens often."


    Nelson immediately responded casually.


    "In the beginning, we all had trouble controlling the magic of the lights, and we almost got burned, and we made a pillar of fire, or something like that. You know..." He looked back at everyone as he said this.¡±


    They all nodded in agreement.


    "Yes. Everyone has made mistakes before. It'' s totally fine."


    Liltie said in a low voice, "I scorched the hair of Torque, who was standing next to me."


    Everyone burst out laughing.


    That was a big mess "Liltie looks so innocent, but sometimes she does the craziest things."


    After the mood had relaxed, Norisch spoke up as if he had just remembered.


    "But no one ever had such a0000000000000000000 big flame burst out," he said.


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Almark, that was the biggest flame of our school year so far."


    Mogen gave him a thumbs-up, which was neither a comforting nor a comforting remark.


    "Thanks," he said. "I thought you guys would be ...... angry."


    "No, of course not. Everyone makes mistakes."


    Nelson said, and Wendy nodded.


    ¡°We''ve all given each other trouble. It''s a lot better now, but when I was a freshman, I was just starting out. ......¡±


    Everyone seemed to have an idea of what Wendy was talking about, and they all let out an "ah" or "mmm" sound.


    "I''ve heard that teacher Yilmaz is only training you in meditation at the moment., but whenever you are in need of help, you can let us know."


    "Thank you."


    Almark thanked her sincerely. Afterwards, he informed them that he would not be able to go into the city tomorrow.


    Wendy''s face turns clouded with disappointment, and she says that there were all sorts of stores she wanted to take him to.


    In the end, they agreed that Nelson and Morgen would pick up the textbooks at the bookstore for him.


    After everyone had left, Almark left the school building with a warm feeling.


    (I''ve found good friends, . I wouldn''t want to betray them.)


    On the way, back he met Leila. He was walking quickly, wondering where she was going.


    "Oh, Leila. I''m ...... "


    When Almark called out to her to apologize, he was met with a cold gaze from Leila.


    "You''re wielding a power you can''t even control. You''re like a monkey."


    Leila took another glance at Almark in a disrespectful manner, and then said.


    "I don''t have time for this. Don''t bother me in class."


    With that, she walked away.

 Volume 1 - CH 16

    The next day, despite the nice weather and the day off, someone knocked on Almark''s door as he was lying patiently in bed, resting peacefully.


    "Yes."


    He opened the door to find Wendy standing there with several textbooks.


    ?Almark, you said you had to stay in your room for the rest of the day. I was wondering if you would like to review some of class work.¡±


    "I don''t know if that''s a good idea, It'' s your day off, too, Wendy."


    Almark was surprised , but Wendy waved her hand and said it was fine.


    In the end, he took Wendy up on her kind offer and asked her to take some time to study with him.


    The two of them moved to a location in the dorm''s common room and began to study.


    She was indeed one of the top students in the class, and she was able to answer most of questions easily. Almark was not sure if Wendy was a good student or if he was asking too few questions.


    They had lunch together in the cafeteria and resumed their studies.


    Wendy stayed with Almark until late in the evening, patiently helping him with his studies.


    After putting away the textbooks, they spent the remaining time chatting a little.


    Wendy told him many things about academy , but when the subject suddenly died down, Almarc asked Wendy why she was being so nice to him. It seemed like an overabundance of kindness for a mere classmate sitting next to you.


    When he asked, Wendy looked puzzled and hesitated for a moment.


    Eventually, as if she had come with answer , she said


    "What do you think of our school now, . Almark?"


    She asked.


    he replied, "I don''t know. ......."


    ¡°It''s just a place with bunch of kids with different last names and some kids without it."


    Oh ......."


    She understood what he meant.


    In the current class, there are, according to Wendy, four children with surnames, in other words, children of the nobility. Wendy, Torque, Leila, and Wallis.


    All the other students, including two of Torque''s friends, are "children without surnames," meaning they are commoners.


    The first and third classes have about half the number of children with family names. That''s why Torque'' doesn''t like the fact that he seems to have been put in a commoner''s class.


    "But this academy"


    "It doesn''t matter if you are a noble or a commoner, does it? It is only the children of mercenaries in the north who are not allowed to enter the academy."


    "Yes, it doesn''t matter. Of course, once you step out of the school, there''s a lot going on, but inside the school, the teachers never discriminate, and I think they , should too. But some people don''t see that as good thing . They say that nobles are better than commoners . They say that there should be a school only for children for nobles Some people share that point of view ."


    ¡°...... Surely, those are the four who have the best grades in the class now, right?"


    "The difference between the two is the difference in the background or the difference in their pride, which confirms the theory that the children of aristocrats are better."


    Wendy nodded and bit her lip in frustration.


    ¡°Torque in particular tends to be like that. He''s always been very strong with words, too, ....... The girls without last names actually shrivel up and try to curry favor with those with last names . I don''t like that. Status means nothing before the power of magic. That''s why I wanted to change


    this . That''s what I thought for a long time. But I couldn''t do anything by myself. But you know, the other day, when you . arrived ....."


    Wendy giggled.


    ¡°The first time you came to this academy, you didn''t know anyone, you couldn''t use magic at all, but you didn''t look at all shaken up. . Remember? The confident look on your face, the straight eyes, the way you looked around the classroom, and the way your eyes met mine.¡±


    "Oh, ......."


    Almark remember when Wendy and he looked at each other and she smiled at him .


    At that moment, she thought, Oh my God, he is , a good kid. she thought maybe he could change things in the class.)


    ¡±I thought it was selfish of me," Wendy said, her face falling down in embarrassment. Tears welled up in her eyes.


    "I wanted to help you and get you integrated into the class as soon as possible. I''m sorry I talked about weird thing .¡±


    ¡°Torque for example . He''s got some good qualities, even though he looks like that,¡± Wendy said quickly, with a depressed look on her face.


    It was certainly odd, but Almark had no intention of changing his current positions .


    He was too busy trying to keep up with his studies.


    But when he saw Wendy''s red-faced, slumped-over body, he suddenly felt an emotion that he had never felt before.


    For a brief moment, Almarc felt a tingle of sadness in his chest, and he was puzzled.


    He quickly substituted it with a somewhat familiar feeling ...... of appreciation.


    This girl has taken care of him in so many ways until today.


    (I owe her a debt . I have to return the favor.)


    A debt of kindness.


    Almark suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia at these rather exaggerated words.


    He felt the cold wind of the northern land blowing through his body.


    "If you can''t return the favor you''ve received, quit being a mercenary."


    His father had told him one day. ¡°Mercenaries value gratitude. Betrayal is always directly linked to death.¡±


    Seeing Wendy''s tears reminded Armark of the rugged chivalry of the mercenaries in the north, which he had almost forgotten for the past few days.


    "The beginning of a battle is the most important part," he heard his father''s voice .


    ¡° Don''t let a man who makes a woman cry lick his boots. Don''t let him get away with it." He nodded in agreement.¡±


    "Wendy, I believe we have martial arts class tomorrow, right?"


    "What?"


    Wendy nodded with a puzzled look on her face after suddenly being told something that had nothing to do with him .


    "I see."


    ¡±This your first martial arts class, right ?¡±


    Almark seemed to have thought of something.


    (Don''t address me so politely '' now, Wendy. I''m not going to do the same thing " he said, as he felt his body fill with the ferocious power he had used in the past.)


    ''You can call me just Almark. ¡°


    It reminds him of the old days.


    Wendy looked away from the fierce smile that Almark suddenly showed her, as if she had seen something she shouldn''t have seen.


    ¡°I''ll thank you tomorrow for what you did for me today.:


    Already back to his usual calm face , he replied to he

 Volume 1 - CH 17

    The martial arts grounds was a large place with dry soil and a large arena with a hood. Surprisingly, there was even a spectator''s section with seats for guests.


    "A magnificent martial arts arena like this in a magical academy."


    Almark looked at Wendy in surprise, and she nodded.


    "Once a year, on the day of the martial arts tournament, many guests, including King Garai, come to attend event ."


    "Does that mean people going to fight in front of the king?"


    "Yes , so it would be a honor to win."


    Wendy was cheerful as usual today, a far change from the tears she shed in front of Almark yesterday.


    "In the elementary class, only the third graders are allowed to take part in the tournament, so this is the first year for us to participate."


    "This academy has other competitions like that besides martial arts competitions. ......"


    "Hey, shut up, newbie !"


    Torque shouted loudly, interrupting Almark''s words.


    "Keep quiet until teacher arriving ¡°


    ¡°Oh, sorry."


    Almark apologized and then whispered to Morgen, who was standing next to him.


    "Torque is very tense today."


    "He is very proud of his skills . He''s certainly strong, but his fighting style is so rough that I don''t want to fight with him."


    Morgen shrugged his shoulders and gave him a look of disgust.


    Soon after, a strong and sturdy teacher entered the grounds .


    " Okay, let''s start the class. There''s a newcomer in this class, right? The transfer student, Almark, I''ve heard a lot about you from the director. I''m Bowen, the martial arts instructor. Nice to meet you."


    "Please take care of me."


    Almark bowed his head and Bowen nodded.


    ?You have good eyes. You''re going to be very strong .First, watch everyone else practice. You''ll learn what to do .¡±


    "Sure ."


    Almark nodded.

 Volume 1 - CH 18

    The lessons began.


    Almark was surprised when he saw the swords that everyone had used for practice. He had imagined a wide sword like the ones in his room, but in fact it was like a thin rapier with a reduced blade. And its use seemed to be limited to poking and prodding.


    I''ve never used it, Almark thought.


    In a real battle, this sword he would not choose to use such sword .


    The slender blade was convenient for twisting through gaps in the a heavily armed enemy, but it was too thin. It could be broken just by taking an attack from an enemy''s ax or spear.


    He had fought mercenaries with a variety of weapons, but none of them had used such a thin sword.


    After thinking about it, then he realized that he was the only one who was expecting a real battle, and chuckled.


    Yes, wars haven''t been occurred here for a hundred years. Swordsmanship is just a form of culture.


    After a short period of practice, they split up into pairs, put on tanned leather protective equipment, and began to practice a match.


    Although the swords were wrapped in a soft resin to prevent injury even if they hit the target, the fighters fought surprisingly vigorously.


    Among them, Wallis was the one who showed the most graceful movements. No matter who he faces, he wins easily, even though he doesn''t seem to be taking it seriously. He certainly seems to be exceptional when it comes to martial arts.


    Morgen, as he said himself, did not seem to have much talent here. Even with his protective equipment on, one can see that he is hunched over. It was not so much his physical skills, but his lack of fighting spirit that kept him on the run.


    Nelson, on the other hand, seems to have good physical training and moves quite well. He said his father was a knight''s squire, so perhaps he is particular about swords.


    Torque is striking against the boys around him. He is confident in his ability, and he is hitting hard. If it was just about power, he might be better than Wallis.


    As for the girls, most of them were sitting back and doing their best to push each other around, as if they were playing a game. However, there was one group that was doing moves that rivaled those of the boys.


    It was Wendy and Leila.


    Both of them are nobles, so they may have been trained earlier than the others, but even so, they move well.


    As Almark watched on in admiration, the two continued to fight heatedly, but in the end, Leila''s strike struck Wendy in the chest.


    After the match, the two girls wiped off their sweat and talked to each other with smiles on their faces. They seemed to recognize each other''s strength. It was unexpected to see Leila''s expression like that, let alone Wendy''s.


    At that moment, a rapier was suddenly thrown in front of Almark''s eyes.


    "Take it, newbie."


    It was Torque.


    Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Almark with a group of his followers.


    "We don''t need weak guys in our class."


    Torque laughed as he watched Morgen''s limp and shuffling body.


    "I''ll be your opponent," he said


    "Did you have teacher Bowen''s permission?"


    Almarc asked, and Toruk cocked his chin.


    "He didn''t see it anyway."


    Bowen was in the middle of tutoring another student. He was teaching with gestures, as if he were an enthusiastic instructor.


    Almark shrugged and picked up his sword.


    It was much lighter than he had expected, but the material was not bad. It didn''t seem to require that much force.


    Well then, I''''m going to go out of my way to ask for your assistance. I need armor ......"¡±


    "Galein, lend him yours."


    Torque ordered the boy standing behind him. The boy chuckled and took off his armor.


    Almark stood in front of Torque, wearing a sweaty tanned armor. Standing in front of the Torque , Almark looked awfully small.


    ¡°Here i came ."


    Torque observed Almark''s figure from top to bottom as he looks at him.


    "Hmph, you northern brat. What''s a northern brat who can''t even use light magic doing here?¡±


    At his words, Almark raises his eyebrows a little.


    ¡°This is no place for a savage like you. Go back to your country and kill other. people "


    As he said this, a full-throated strike flew toward his stomach.


    Almark took no effort to defend himself .


    A loud clang echoed throughout the martial arts arena, and everyone turned to watch.


    Torque was knocked out of his stance and swam, then took a couple of steps and hurriedly readjusted his stance.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    A blood vessel could be seen floating on the right side of his forehead.


    "You use such vulgar language that I can''t believe you''re an aristocrat."


    Almark wondered inwardly how far he would go to provoke him.


    He had been waiting for the right moment. Torque was definitely going to come at him. He would pretend that he was forced to tag along and drag him into coner . He had decided this since he saw Wendy''s tears yesterday.


    When he looked behind him, he saw that everyone was watching with bated breath. Wendy was looking at him with a pale face. Bowen, the instructor, was also looking at him, but he showed no sign of trying to stop him. Maybe the director of the academy had something told him something about the situation.


    ¡°Don''t get too carried away just because you avoided hit once,"


    .He looks at Wendy for a moment, who looks worried.


    ( Don''t worry. I will return the favor.)


    Leila, on other hand has a cold expression on her face.


    Wallis, class representative, is also looking at Almark with cold eyes.


    Who is this guy? Almark wondered. The atmosphere suggests that he is probably a high-ranking member of the aristocracy,...... but his eyes are like the eyes of a mercenary who has fought many battles in the past.


    "I''m going to kill you."


    It was first time when Almark laughed thinly at Torque''s words.


    I"''m afraid to ask it , but have you worked as mercenary,?"


    Torque''s face turned red with anger. "That'' s about it," Almark thought. That''s enough provocation,


    "Shit."


    He said something that did not sound like a student of the academy, and then launched a strike with all his might. This time, he aimed at the face. There was no protective equipment, and the area was bare. Almark dodged it with a slight twist of his body . The female students who were watching screamed. Torque was upset when he dodged not once, but twice, a strike with his full strength. He slash at Almark''s face, throat, and chest with a force that could have killed him, but Almark did not even move an eyelid, as if he was in a trance. Torque was soon out of breath.


    ''You coward, you''re running away from me like a little .......''


    As Torque cursed in frustration,  he suddenly dropped to the ground. The next thing he knew, Akmark''s  rapier was hitting his armor chest with a light thud.

 Volume 1 - CH 19

    I had beat him ."


    Almark said, raising his rapier high and jumping back, and his classmates, who were watching, cheered. Morgen shouted loudly, "Almark got him!!"


    "No way !"


    Torque''s face turned red and he shouted.


    "That''s not even a hit!"


    That''s not a way to win for him"


    Leila said disgustedly, but Torque shook his head.


    "Shut up! I don''t accept it anyway!"


    Almark glanced at Bowen. Thankfully, he''s still in the position of remaining silent.


    (All right,)


    Almark calls out to Torque.


    "Okay, Torque, you can try again. "


    "Sure!"


    Torque tries to get himself ready, but Almarc continues.


    "But I have a condition."


    What condition?


    "If you lose, I''ll leave the institute, just like you asked me to do,"


    Wendy gasped at these words.


    "But if I win ......"


    Almark looked straight at Torque.


    ¡°Do not discriminate again against students in this academy based on whether they are nobles or commoners or whatever."


    The classmates who were watching all buzzed at once. he saw Wendy clamp her hands over her mouth and made a small shake of her head.


    "Who would take accept condition?"


    "Are you scared, Torque?" , Almark asked


    Torque''s eyes flashed back .


    "Are you afraid of losing?"


    Torque''s face turned red.


    ¡°I''m not afraid of you,! I''ll do it! This is the last time I''m going to see your ugly face !"


    He has roared like an animal.


    ¡°All right,, "we have a deal. Let''s get started."


    As he said this, Almark straightened his back and pointed the tip of his rapier at Torque. Torque raised up to his feet and steps aside.


    "I''m going to kill you."


    He swung his rapier around in front of himself. Despite his words and demeanor, however, Torque was cautious. He circled around Almark slowly and did not jump in as carelessly as he had done earlier.


    Almark, on the other hand, always maintained his position directly opposite He keeping the tip of his weapon pointed squarely at Torque. It was a strange sight to see the large body buildid Torque circling the smaller Almark.


    "This ......"


    Torque circled around Almark three times and bit his teeth at the lack of openings.


    Very naturally, Almark took a step forward.


    It was so natural a step that even Torque, who was facing him, was puzzled. From that position, he thrust his rapier straight into Torque''s chest.


    The hit did not appear to have any power behind it at all.


    At that moment, however, with a loud thud, Torque''s large body flew through the air and was blown away to the side of the wall.


    "Ugh"


    Torque gasped as he hit the floor. Almark walked up to him, grabbed him by the collar , and pulled his upper body up.


    Almarc brought his face close to Torque''s and said quietly, "I won , Torque.¡±


    Torque gritted his teeth and did not reply. Shaking him by the collar , Almark slammed the words into him.


    ¡° Swear ! By your family name! By the name of Shi-Fei family That you I will never insult students of academy again!¡±


    Torque growled and was silent for a moment, then squeezed out.


    ¡°...... I swear .¡±


    Almark removed his hand from Torque''s collar , and whoosh, a cheer went up behind him. he turned around to see his classmates running up to him


    In a state of excitement, they said, "Wow! Amazing! "


    ¡° Torque flew"! Morgen exclaims.


    You''re a swordsmen ? Why are you so strong? The other classmates asked Armark in surprise tones."


    Wendy was at the back of the group. She stares at Almark with bright red face and wet eyes.


    "...... you''re being too reckless ......."


    "Wendy finally said ."


    ¡°I told you I will return the favor ."


    Wendy tried her best to smile at Almark''s words. It was clearly a forced smile, but to Almark it looked better than any smile he had ever seen.


    , "Thank you, Almark, for what you have done ......."


    (Well, that''s what I wanted to hear from her ) Almark thought as he looked at Wendy''s face.

 Volume 1 - CH 20

    Almark sensed one unusual, terribly cold, murderous look in the eyes of one person .


    It was Wallis. He moved away from the circle and stared at Almark.


    Why should an honor student class representative, whom he had never spoken to him before, be so hostile toward him? Almark had no idea.


    "Okay, that''s enough."


    Bowen, who had been watching the event in silence, finally stepped in.


    "Torque, Almark don''t turn the lesson into a duel," Bowen said. ,¡± Torque you''re not hurt?"


    He nodded silently. Bowen shouted to the others, his voice was load and clear.


    "Listen, everyone," he said. "Nowadays it is only a part of the liberal activities There was a time when being good with a sword was more important than being able to read."


    "Well, I wasn''t born that long ago," Bowen added.


    ¡°Martial arts is not a dance. Its essence lies in how skillfully you hurt your opponent and bring him to a quick death. No matter how much the times may pass from war, that will never change.¡±


    The noise that had been heard earlier was now a complete silence as everyone listened to Bowen''s words.


    Bowen looked at Torque.


    ,"Therefore, it is not wrong to have the spirit to try to kill your opponent when you practice. Without that spirit, martial arts would not be possible. Therefore, Torque, your attitude is right."


    Torque looked embarrassed at this unexpected compliment. Bowen continued.


    "But you put hatred in your spirit. Fighting and hatred are not the same thing. In martial arts, both sides do everything in their power to kill the other, but there must be respect for the opponent. What you lack, Torque, is respect for your opponent. Without it, martial arts and magic are all about superficial skills, and you will never get to the essence of what they are about. Think about it hard."


    "...... yes."


    He turned away.


    " Almark," Bowen called.


    Almark raised his head when Bowen called out to him.


    You put him up to this, didn''t you?"


    ¡°... yes."


    Almark nodded.


    ¡°I don''t know what happened between you and Torque. but you tried to trap and provoke a far inferior opponent to get what you wanted. I call that unfair ."


    Bowen looked sternly at Almark.


    ¡°It is despicable to trap and humiliate a classmate. You should be ashamed of yourself."


    "......Yes."


    Hearing Almark''s reply, Bowen''s expression softened.


    "But everyone has a motive and a purpose," I liked your courage, Almark."


    Almark looked at Bowen.


    {You are right. I don''t tolerate anyone in this academy talking nonsense about the nobility or the commoners.¡±


    Bowen looked around at everyone before turning his attention back to Almark.


    ¡°You have made a mistake in your ways this time, but you were right in your aims. So I forgive you for your despicable behavior this one time.¡±


    "Thank you, ......."


    When Almark bowed, Bowen added with a grin,


    ¡°But what I find most distasteful is that you went to the trouble of choosing my lesson as the stage, which is a rare occurrence. You can settle your problems in your class with your homeroom teacher, . This is the most guilty of all. Therefore, Almark, you will be in charge of cleaning up the martial arts arena for the rest of the year."


    When the class was over and Almark immediately started his first cleaning duty, Wendy began to help him without saying a word. Mogen and Nelson followed her lead.


    ¡°Oh come on, it wouldn''t be a punishment if we all help, would it??


    Bowen, who had been watching with a wry smile, suddenly turned grim, leaned in close to Almark and whispered,


    ¡°Almark, after school today, came to the principal''s office."

 Volume 1 - CH 21

    It was the first time he had seen the Director since the day before he was admitted to the academy.


    When Almark pulled the heavy door and entered the headmaster office, Yorog was in the middle of some paperwork, looking over some documents. He looked up and saw Almark, then quickly looked down at the documents again.


    "Oh, here you are, Almark."


    He runs his pen over the documents as he said this ,


    " What do you think of life at the academy?"


    Yes, it¡¯s very nice here . ."


    "I see. I''m glad to hear that."


    Yorog is still working busily with documents had no lookied at Almark.


    "I''ve heard. you''ve had a go though a lot of thing already, haven''t you?"


    "Yes."


    Almark nodded with a wry smile.


    "I''ve been getting reports from the teachers ."


    Although Yorog''s tone was not harsh, Almark felt a little nervous. He wondered what kind of reports were being given to him.


    I would like to hear it from you. What have you went through at the academy, and what did you think about it?"


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Almark told Yorog what he had been doing. About the classes, the lessons, the teachers, the magic, the failure of the light magic and the meditation training. About Wendy''s tears and their talk . And today''s martial arts class. He briefly talked about all of these things with his point of view of the situation


    Yorog listened without interrupting, occasionally nodding or letting out a chuckle.


    When he finished listening, Yorog put down his pen for the first time and looked at Almark, and said


    ¡°Sounds like you''re having a productive time.''


    "Yes."


    Almark nodded.


    "I''m not very good at magic, though."


    "But what did teacher Yilmaz say about that?"


    "Don''t be too anxious,"


    He nodded.


    Trust his words,. Take time to learn and think about magic. , and time with your friends. Both are important for you t in order to become a magician. Don''t ignore that .


    "Yes, sir."


    Are you all right?"


    "I''m fine.


    ¡°You have trained well. I am surprised that at your age you could use dragon fire and then walk home the same day.¡±


    ¡°I have been assisted by teachers . For the past ten days, I have been helped by everyone. Wendy, Morgen, and the others. I couldn''t have accomplished It on my own."


    That''s the way of magic. You must never forget it. By the way, ......"


    Yorog changed the subject.


    "Do you have enough money?"


    "Oh, yes. I don''t no use it."


    The school provides students with food, clothing, and roof - uniform and clothes, daily meals, and a dormitory room - free of charge, but in addition, the school gives students a small amount of money each month to buy daily necessities and other items. They all make do with it and buy sweets and other things in town on their days off, but some of them also receive a considerable amount of money from their homes


    ¡°Your father has asked me to take care of you. If there is anything you need, don''t hesitate to tell me."


    "Yes, sir."


    Almark was beginning to wonder why he had been summoned by the headmaster .


    He asked, "Well, whu I was called here today ......?"¡±


    Yorog smiled and said, ¡°We already finished ".


    He told Almark to go back .


    The first time he went to the headmaster office , he was not sure what will happen , but as he left the headmaster office he was greeted by Wendy and the others, who looked worried. When Almark was told by Bowen to go to the headmaster''s office, Morgen, who happened to be nearby, heard what he said, and told other about it, and then Almark really went to the headmaster office. It seemed that Almark was going to be punished by the headmaster , and in worst case he might even be expelled from the academy .


    Almark laughed bitterly and said that there would be no punishment, and thanked his friends for worrying about him so much.


    This kind of goodwill, without gaming for for profit, is something that is rarely seen in the North. People in the North would equate this kind of goodwill with "stupidity" or "weakness."


    But he has been helped by his friends till this day. Thanks to this goodwill, he has been received . And today. He has been able to repay the favor in his own way. that was exist in the north.


    Seeing Wendy and Morgen patting their chests, Almark felt as if he had finally become a member of class..


    T/N  It was final chapter of first arc . Hope you have enjoyed it . And thank you for stking  with me  so far .

 Volume 2 - CH 1

    Morgen and others had hoped that Torque''s attitude would change drastically the next day, but there was no noticeable change in Torque''s attitude the next day and even after that.


    He was as arrogant and abusive as ever.


    However, since that day, he has never used the words "commoner" or "savage."


    Almark thought that he was keeping his word, putting his pride on the line.


    But then again, Wallis has always been kind to everyone (except Almark), and Leila never tried to be friendly with anyone, noble or commoner. Wendy, on the other hand, is by friendly with everyone.


    The atmosphere of the class has not changed much, just that Torque has become a little quieter.


    Almark once mentioned this to Wendy, but she shook her head.


    "That''s not true."


    Wendy said .


    ''You gave us all courage that day. After that day, people didn''t feel scared anymore."


    That being said, Nelson would occasionally respond to Torque''s rants with, "Shut up, Torque."


    Torque''s two followers, Galein and Deg, could also be seen talking to someone other than Torque from time to time.


    "I''m glad to hear that."


    Almark replied.


    If Wendy is happy, he don''t have anything to complain about.


    The thing that is currently bothering  him   is magic.


    It had already been more than a month since Almark entered the academy.


    However, Almark had not used magic since that day.


    During the lesson , he is still the one person who is jusr  meditates.


    Almirck learned things that were easy enough to memorize, such as the names of historical figures and the names and combinations of plants used in healing magic, at a speed that even his classmates were surprised at.


    However, when it came to magic training, Almark was far behind not only his classmates but also the second-year students of the elementary class.


    Almark himself even wanted to join the first-year students in meditation practice during the magic practice lessons.


    Once, after consulting with teacher Fia, he tried meditating in a first-year class. However, the first-year teacher refused to allow him to participate in the following lessons, saying that the presence of an obviously older student would distract and disrupt the meditation of the first-year students, who were already unstable.


    Anyway, the only thing he can do now was to continue meditating and working on his own magical power.


    Almark is spending his days with this resolve to do it.


    That day, he trained in meditation until late and rushed on his way to the dormitory.


    The season is slowly approaching summer, and on some days the robe inside is drenched in sweat.


    For Almark, who was born in the north, the summer in the south is a bit harsh, but he is thankful that the days are getting longer. It gives him more time to practice.


    However, if he take it too slowly, Maia will not give him dinner m. He must hurry up.


    Just then, he saw someone running toward him from the other side of the road. The light from the lamp in her hand was flickering.


    "...... Lilti?"


    Almark immediately noticed  her .


    It was definitely Lilti, with her slender body running toward him.


    "Liltie, what''s the matter?"


    When Almark called out to her, Lilti stopped with a jump, but immediately showed a relieved look on her face.


    "Oh, Almark," she said.


    "What do you need in the school building this late at night?"


    ''...... not the school building."


    "Not in the school building? Because there'' s nothing else beyond this point."


    Other than the elementary class building, there is nothing but forest. The middle and high class buildings and dorms are in the other direction, and it''''s not as if she has any business there.


    Liltie said with a frim look on her face.


    "In the forest."

 Volume 2 - CH 2

    "In the forest? At such hour?"


    Almark frowned, and Lilti became more and more depressed and tiny.


    §¿Lilti, you should not go to the forest at night unless you have something to do there. You can do it tomorrow."


    Almark had no knowledge of the Night forest.


    The Night Forest is filled with darkness and danger, treachery and evil , all those kinds of things.


    "But I need to go to ....... See you later!"


    As soon as Liltie said that, she passed by Almark and started to run off.


    Almark was somewhat taken aback as he watched the small light of the lamp swaying away.


    Lilti is known to be one of the most fearful among his classmates. Whenever Torque makes a loud noise, her back shivers, and she does not want to go home alone if it is even slightly dark on the way back to the dormitory.


    He never thought that Lilti would go to the forest with a single lamp after the sun had completely fallen. Something must have happened .


    Almark looked at the road leading to the dormitory and thought about the dinner that was probably waiting for him in the dining room.


    Then he turned and looked at the road leading into the forest and thought of Lilti running alone with a small lamp in her hand.


    (I guess I''ll just have to came along with her .)


    Almark sighed and started following hier


    The forest behind the elementary class building is a great place for students to have fun and practice their skills.


    There are creeks and open fields that are perfect for children to enjoy themselves.


    If advancing deeper into the forest, one can find complex terrain such as waterfalls and rocky areas, as well as an abundance of precious wild plants that can be used as raw materials for healing and other magical skills.


    The forest occupies a large part of the academy''s grounds and extends as far as the middle classes and high classes buildings.


    Although there are rumors that monsters may appear, especially if one goes deeper into the forest, or that there are sealed ruins, no one at the elementary student class seems to have confirmed the truth of these rumors.


    Almark was also not without interest in the area, but since he had no time for his own studies and training at the moment anyway, he only entered the area on a bare necessity, such as when he went to get wild plants to use in his healing practice.


    Other students who have been familiar with the forest since their first year have access to the intricate paths in the forest as if it were their own backyards, and Nelson, Morgen, and the others often go into the forest after school.


    "Lilti!"


    Liltie turned around with a teary face.


    ¡°It''s not safe to go alone. I''m coming with you."


    Liltie''s face lights up at these words, but then it clouds over again and she turns back to him.


    "I''''m sorry, ......."


    He shook his head.


    . I''ll come with you. But you''ll have to tell me why you need to go into the forest.¡±


    Liltie hesitated for a moment, but the sight of the forest spreading out before her in pitch darkness seemed to immediately discourage her from going alone. In a low voice, she answered.


    "I lost something in the forest."


    " Lost what?"


    ¡°A handkerchief my parents gave me.¡±


    "A handkerchief?"


    He couldn''t help but let out an exclamation of dismay. Liltie looked embarrassed and looked down.


    "I can''t ...... sleep. ...."


    "What?"


    "I can''t sleep without it!"


    Almark froze at these unexpected words.


    "I didn''t want to tell you because of it ......!"


    Liltie didn''t look at Almark, but stared tearfully at the forest.


    " Sorry .Tell me a little more about it, Lilti."


    Almark hurriedly apologized.


    After patiently listening to Lilti''s confusing story, he finally came to the realization that Lilti had lost the handkerchief.


    The handkerchief Lilti had lost was something her parents had given her when she first arrived at the academy to ease her loneliness of living in a dormitory.


    At first Lilti cried every night because she missed her parents so much, but by sleeping with the handkerchief in her hand and thinking of them every night, she was finally stopped crying.


    It became a habit, and even now that she had gotten used to living in the dormitory, she could not sleep without the handkerchief.


    , "It''s ...... strange, isn''t it? I''m eleven years old and I can''t sleep without a handkerchief."


    Liltie said gloomily.


    ¡°Hmmm........."


    Almark remembered his mother''s pendant. If he lost it in the woods, would he want to look for it tomorrow?


    No.


    "Okay,"


    "Thank you for telling me. Don''t worry, I''m sure you''ll find it. We''ll look for it together."


    Liltie looked at Almark''s face, surprised at his unexpected words.


    "You don''t laughing , do you?"


    "Each person have a thing that important to him ."


    Lilti nodded with a surprised expression on her face.


    Then, she muttered, "Yeah. that''s right ."

 Volume 2 - CH 3

    The atmosphere around her changed dramatically as she stepped into the forest after passing the school building.


    The moonlight is blocked by the trees, and the temperature seems to have dropped slightly.


    The trees were shaking incessantly, and they could hear the sound of the trees swaying.


    The two of them rushed to the place where Liltie had already planned to go. For her, it was a familiar path.


    Fortunately, it was relatively close to where they had entered the forest.


    Lilti had come here after school today with other girls to pick up some wild plants to use in the next practical training for healing magic . She said that she had probably dropped it at that time.


    "All right, let''s split up and look for it. What color is your handkerchief?"


    Almark asked, and Lilti immediately answered, "White."


    Lilti handed Almark her own lamp.


    Almark took it.


    Before he had time to say, something ," the magic of the light lit up in Lilti''s left hand. Compared to when he first saw it in the magic practice lesson, she is able to produce light far more quickly and smoothly. Moreover, she has fine-tuned the size of the flame to match the darkness of the forest.


    Almirk knows that he should not be in a hurry, as he has been told many times by Yilmaz, but every time something like this happens, he feels a pang of impatience in his chest.


    (Will I really ever be able to use magic ......? )


    For a while they went around silently, lighting up the ground around them. The white handkerchief should have stood out, but it was hard to find.


    "Are you sure it''s somewhere around here?"


    "Yes, you know, I picked up some high curly black claw grass over there, and you know the ivy is growing there ......"


    Lilti levitates the magic light slightly above her hand. As she did so, her field of vision opened up and she saw the tall black claw grass growing in a tangle of trees.


    "I got it."


    Once again, the two begin their search. They searched silently for a handkerchief, but still no sign of a white handkerchief.


    A sniffling sound was heard. Almark saw that Liltie was in tears.


    "What should I do ...... if I can''t find it?"


    It couldn''t be a mere handkerchief. The most important thing is that it''s a very important thing for Liltie. The most important thing is that she must to find it.


    "Don''t worry . We''ll find it."


    Almark told Liltie with confidence. Of course he had a feeling inside that


    they might not find her, but he never showed it to Liltie.


    ¡°We'' ll find it, I promise,"


    He said patiently.


    Liltie was afraid to go away from Armark, so even though it was just the two of them , they could not search in a very large area.


    " Lilti, look that way."


    " have you looked in the bush there yet, ?


    The two of them kept talking to each other as they continued their search.


    How long had they been searching in the darkness?


    "Here it is!"


    Liltie shouted.


    "It''s there!"


    Almark ran up to her. handkerchief, which Lilti held up happily, was ...... not exactly white. At best it was gray, at worst black. ......


    Come to think of it, Liltie said she slept with it every night,...... Almark recalled. The original color was probably white. ...... That''s why they was not able to find it. ......


    Whatever it was, he was glad it had been found. Clutching a piece of cloth that had once been a white handkerchief, Almark returned home, cheering a tearful Lilti along the way.


    At that moment, he heard a whistle-like sound in the distance.


    Almark felt his whole body grow furious unconsciously at that moment.


    As if that sound was a signal, a fresh, lukewarm wind blew through the forest. The forest rustled.


    It is always an unpleasant sound. Almark frowned.


    He said, "It''s time for the. monsters to appear . Let''s go home fast.¡±


    "What?"


    Liltie turned a stiff face towards him.


    " What are you talking about? Don''t be afraid."


    Don''t you hear it? If you hear that sound in the forest, ......"


    As he said it, he remembered that it was common knowledge in the north .


    (Did she ever ...... hear that sound in the forest from the midlands to the south? )


    (No, now is not the time to think about that.)


    Feeling the atmosphere of the forest change dramatically , Almark pulled Lilti''s hand and they left the forest and hurried to the dormitory.


    On the way, he came across a group of people with lamps coming from the dormitory.


    " Hey, who''s there?"


    A voice called out to them. That voice was ......


    ¡°Nelson! Hey, hey, it''s just me , Almark. Lilty''s with me."


    "Almark and Liltie? There you are, guys!"


    A group of people approached them with a bang. They are all from the same class.


    When Lilti did not return home until late at night, her roommate Norish was worried and came to look for her.


    Since Almark was in a single room, no one had noticed his absence.


    "Thank God, Lilti. We were worried about you."


    Norisch hugged Lilti, and Lilti also apologized for worrying her.


    "Thank God, that''s all over now,"


    Almark sighed in relief, and Nelson poked him in the side with his elbow.


    "Almark, where have you two been? That seems fishy."


    ¡°Well . .......''


    He was about to answer when he realized that he would cause Lilti a disservice if he answered truthfully.


    ¡°We just had a long meditation training," he said. Lilte and I just happened to be together there."


    He hurriedly made such excuse.


    LiltiE was also made a bitter excuse, saying that she had forgotten something at school and had gone to get it, but it turned out to be her own mistake.


    "I would never go back for it," and everyone laughed, and the conversation was nicely diverted. Nice one, Mogen," Armark muttered to himself. .


    ( I guess we were able to fake this somehow.)


    When the others'' attention had shifted, he called out, and was about to give the lamp back to her when Liltie leaned in close, to Almark'' and said in a quiet voice with a hint of a smile,


    "Thank you, Almark,", but don''t tell other about the handkerchief."


    When they returned to the dormitory, Almark and Lilti got a good lectur from . Maia.


    They learned that in addition to Nelson, Norrisch, and the rest of the group, Wendy, Leila, Wallis, and even Torque had been searching for Lilti.


    "Whatever the case may be, everyone cooperates with each other when someone is in danger. It sure is a good thing ,, right "


    Wendy is right. Almark thought.

 Volume 2 - CH 4

    Allmark was meditating in his room and his stomach rumbled.


    Of course, he could not eat dinner today.


    But in the past, it was not unusual for me to miss a meal, let alone dinner.


    There was a time when Almark''s unit was separated from the main group and marched for two whole days, drinking nothing but muddy water.


    But the human body is made for sloth, Almark thought. The body never gets used to hard times, but it adapts to comfortable times. Even today,


    he ate a good breakfast and lunch. But just by skipping dinner, he was already feeling hungry and losing his concentration.


    This is not good for training, he thought to himself. It is true that a magician cannot use magic because he is hungry, but for now, he want to train with the best condition


    ( I should ask Mogen to give me some sweets.) Mogen goes to town every holiday and buys a lot of sweets with his allowance. It would be presumptuous of him to ask for free sweets, but if he said he would pay for them, he might be able to sell them to him.


    If he decided to do so, he would be wasting my time. The best thing to do is to hurry. Just as Almark stood up with his allowance, there was a knock at the door.


    He opened the door to find Wendy standing in front of the door.


    "Oh, Wendy?"


    Almark was surprised at the unexpected visitor. Unlike her usual outfit o, Wendy was wearing loose-fitting clothes made of soft fabric, perhaps because it was just time for bed, and for some reason, Almark was a little confused.


    Almost as if she didn''t know how Almark felt, Wendy said to him


    "I heard that you and Lilty came back late today,...... so I thought maybe you hadn''t eaten dinner. I only have this , but ......."


    She said and offers a fabric wrapped in something.


    Almark took it, thanked her, and gently opened it to find a number of small baked sweets.


    ?I''m sorry,¡±


    "I bought too many when I was in town the other day. I was afraid I wouldn''t be able to eat them all by myself. I thought it would be a good idea to share it with you.¡±


    Wendy said and took some distance from Almark with a smile on her face. , indicating that she will no longer accept the food back even if he tries to give it back to her.


    And Almark accept it. Almark knew that she was probably lying about having overbought it , but he couldn''t refuse her after she had said that much.


    "Thank you, you always helping me out."


    ¡°That''s my line. Oh, these star-shaped ones are delicious."


    Wendy looked into Almark''s hand and pointed to one of the baked sweets .


    "I don''t want to interrupt your meditation. see you tomorrow.¡±


    She left. As she turned the corner, Wendy turned around again, gave Almark a small wave, and whispered, "Good luck! ¡°


    After Wendy left, Almark closed the door and put one of the baked sweets in his mouth, thinking that these sweets are surprisingly filled up, so he had better limit himself to three or so or he would get drowsy... and then there was another knock at the door.


    He answered the door to find a slender figure, the complete opposite of Mogen''s. This time it was Lilti.


    Liltie looked at the surprised Almark and said,


    "Thank you for today. I made you skip dinner."


    In a voice barely quiet enough to be heard, Lilty puts a baked sweet wrapped in a cloth bag into Almark''s hands.


    Before Almark could say anything , she added


    ?The star-shaped ones are delicious. See you later."


    and left as if she was running away.


    Almark returned to his room, compared the two star-shaped baked sweets, and thought that he would not have to ask Mogen to sell him sweets for a while.

 Volume 2 - CH 5

    A strange sound, like that of a musical flute, echoed through the forest at night. People in the north call that sound "the magic sound of the flute.


    Almark did not know what the sound was coming from. His father said it was the sound of the Grim Reaper''s flute, and a traveling magician said it was the sound of darkness taking shape. But perhaps no one knows for sure.


    But even a child in the North knows that on rare occasions this sound can be heard at night, when the darkness of the forest reaches a certain degree.


    And it is a signal that a strange-looking monster is coming from the depths of the forest.


    They are completely different in quality from the ordinary monsters that usually live in the forest.


    For example, Borapa, a two-headed monster whose entire body is covered with black fur.


    Delugan, for example, is a monster with fur that stands up like a sharp blade.


    Malmudan, for example, is a monster with a body covered in scales that manipulates mysterious magic.


    No one knows their biology, nor do people know the purpose of their attacks.


    What is clear, however, is that they are intensely hostile to people. And they are very strong.


    Even experienced mercenaries hesitate to fight them.


    Almark has encountered them several times, and it was a terrifying experience.


    Even now, when he recalls the sound they make, like a cry, or an ugly sound like an alien language, his whole body goes up into a frenzy.


    They are the ultimate embodiment of people'' s fear of the dark. They go on a killing rampage, and in the morning they vanish without a trace.


    Some mercenary bands have been said to have been destroyed in a single night due to unlucky encounters with hordes of these monsters.


    But that was certainly the case in the northern forests. He did not recall hearing that sound in the forest at night since he had crossed the Menober Strait and reached the middle plains.


    The day after the Liltie case, Almark told . Fia about the sounds he had heard in the forest. If they had indeed emerged from the forest last night, Almark, who was not armed, would not have been able to protect Liltie at all.


    Upon hearing the story, Fia thought about what had happened and replied, "Let''s make sure that students are not allowed to go into the forest at night."


    Almark himself did not actually see the monster coming out of the forest. He had no proof that the sound was the same as the magic flute in the north. He could not make any further claims.


    However, since that day, besides meditation, Almark has added the careful examination of his beloved long sword to his daily routine after returning to his room.

 Volume 2 - CH 6

    Someday.


    During a break between classes, Morgen asked Almark .


    "Almark, do you know the tale of the stone statue of Lord Boruk in the garden?"


    ''Lord Boruk?"


    Almark frowned.


    ''Who is this Lord Boruk ......? I don''t think I''ve heard of it."


    §¿You''ve never heard of him? We learned about him in class,......, last year, I think. Was it before you came to the academy?"


    Morgen considers.


    Almark murmurs, "The garden, huh?"¡±


    "I haven''t seen that garden properly, but I think there are a lot of stone statues there"


    "Yes, there are a lot of them. The statue of Lord Boruk, you know, in the planting in the garden labyrinth .


    "Oh, ......."


    Almark nodded.


    The vast garden that extends from the main entrance of the academy to the school building is kept up by a large number of in-house gardeners.


    These are the same garden that Almark walked through on his first day with Ziad. The garden is hidden in the shadows of the trees, and it leads right up to the dormitories.


    Many students take the path through the garden when they go out of the dormitories to the city, as this is a shorter route than going toward the school buildings.


    In the center of the garden, there is a labyrinth of plants about the height of an adult, forming a symmetrical and complex pattern, and the paths that lead through them are like a complete labyrinth.


    At the end of the labyrinth, there was a stone statue of a scholar or a magician in robes.


    This garden was said to be a relic of the former site of the lord''s mansion that ruled the island of Nork.


    Almark remembered the name of the former lord.


    The name of the former lord was Lord Boruk, as I remember ."


    This island is now under the direct jurisdiction of the king of Garai, who gave it to the king.


    "Yes. , Lord Boruk."


    Morgen nodded his head.


    ¡°I knew you'' have heard about it.¡±


    "I''m sorry,, it didn''t cross my mind."


    Almark apologized to Morgen and reflected on the situation in his mind. He had crammed so much knowledge into his head that he had yet to organize it properly. This doesn''t mean he had memorized or understood it.


    "So what''s up with that Lord Boruk?"


    At Almark''s question, Morgen suddenly lowered his voice and made a serious expression.


    ''Between you and me, ......"


    (What a waste of time!)


    Almark looked somewhat puzzled.


    Mogen shook his head.


    "Don''t make fun of it," he said.


    "The statue of Lord Boruk"


    "Yeah."


    "At night, it talks."


    Morgen looked at Almark''s face as if to say, "What do you think? "Almark had nothing to say.


    Mogen''s face was extremely dissatisfied with Almark''s reaction.


    " you are more surprised and frightened than I thought ."


    ¡°No, that''s not really what I meant: ......."


    Almark scratches his head.


    ¡°Is this some kind of ghost story?"


    ''Of course it is!''


    Mogen''s loud voice drew a group of people, including Nelson, Wendy, and Liltie,


    "What''s wrong, Morgen? What are you talking about?"


    Wendy asked.


    Mogen replied, "Just in time. Almark is so boring," he replied,


    He turns to Almark again.


    ¡°Listen to me .Imagine this: it''s dark in the middle of the night. It''s the middle of the night, you''re in a dark, deserted garden, and you hear someone talking in a whisper. Almark, you hear the voice and walk through the garden, wondering who is speaking. The voice seems to be coming from the back of the labyrinth. Even a labyrinth is easy to get lost in, and on top of that, it is dark at night. You gradually get closer to the voice as you struggle to find your way around the labyrinth. And then, you get through the labyrinth and reach the owner of the voice! And just when you think you''ve found it, ......"


    Morgen paused , and then continues.


    "There is no one there. Only the stone statue of Lord Boruk stands there quietly. .....".


    "Oh!"


    Nelson shouts, and Wendy crackles and claps. Liltie had moved away, covering her ears with her hands in the middle of Morgen''s speech.


    ''You sound as if you''ve seen it with your own eyes ......''


    Almark said.


    "Is this Mogen''s experience?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I don''t think I''d have the courage to do that."


    "Have you heard it from someone else?"


    Nelson sounded exasperated.


    I thought it was Morgen''s tale," Nelson said. ¡°So you didn''t hear a stone statue talking?"


    "Why should I have to go through all alone?"


    "Don''t be so proud of it. I''m curious about that story, even if it''s ......."


    Nelson''s eyes sparkled.


    Nelson is a very good-nature boy with an open and honest personality, but he still retains a childish side compared to the rest of his classmates.


    His childishness is evident in the way he is easily tickled by Morgen''s ghostly tales.


    "Hey, let''s all go and see Lord Boruk tonight, shall we?"


    "No!"


    Morgen answered immediately. For someone who was the one who started the conversation, this was a very cold and blunt answer.


    "I don''t know why anyone would want to go to such a scary place."


    "What the hell, you''re the one who started it, aren''t you? You''re a boring guy, aren''t you? "


    "No, I''m not that interested in ......"


    Me neither. ......¡±


    When Almark and Wendy turned him down in quick succession, Nelson''s shoulders slumped in disappointment.


    I can understand Wendy , but Almark, I thought you''d understand the romance of men."


    "Sorry, Nelson."


    Almark apologizes. Honestly, right now he is more worried about daily training than ghost stories.


    "I''m sorry Nelson, but I don''t want to waste my time meditating."


    "I understand. I''ll go alone. and find out what the voice really is."


    "It''s not safe."


    Nelson''s words made Wendy stop him in hurry.


    ¡°I''ll be fine. I don''t care if it''s a forest of night or it''s a garden. There''s a main gate a little further down the road, and the guards, . Zaid , are there to protect me . There''s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Nelson was confident.


    I''ll go there tonight," and you''ll have to wait and see what the voice is all about.¡±


    Almark looked at Wendy, who looked at him and shook her head in resignation.


    The next morning, when they met at the breakfast table, Nelson''s face had an unhealthy color.


    " Nelson, you look awfully pale. Are you okay?"


    Almark called out to him, and Nelson looked at Almark with reddened eyes.


    ''Almark, Morgen ...... was right"


    "What?"


    ''I heard a voice from the back of the labyrinth,...... and when I went there, all I found was a stone statue of Lord Boruk. There was no one there. ......"

 Volume 2 - CH 7

    "I couldn''t sleep last night thanks to you, ......."


    Nelson said, looking glum.


    ?You must have been scared," Almark said comfortingly.


    Nelson raised his eyebrows as Almark comforted him.


    "What are you talking about, Almark?"


    "I am wrong ?"


    "I''m not scared! I''m just wondering why . I heard voice, but I didn''t scare of anybody!''


    "Is it so ?"


    "I can''t sleep because I''m so worried!"


    Nelson ate his breakfast as he said this. He seemed to have a good appetite. , Almark thought.


    ''Eh, then it really was voice.''


    Wendy rolls her eyes.


    On the way from dorm to the school building


    Almark and Wendy, who happened to be with her , were talking about Nelson''s case from last night.


    "Yeah, according to Nelson. He said he heard someone talking in a whisper in the empty garden."


    "You mean that voice was coming from the back of the labyrinth?"


    "Apparently so."


    So he went deeper into the labyrinth and found himself at the statue of Lord Boruk".


    "Yeah,"


    Almark nodded.


    "Hmmm. ......."


    Wendy looked thoughtful.


    ?It''s a strange story. I think I might be interested in it."


    She glanced at Almark.


    "I think I''ll go there tonight."


    "What? You told Nelson yesterday that it was dangerous."


    " Yeah, I know I said that, but if he is saying he heard voice all the way to statue , that''s a different story. I''''m curious. Are you not curious , Almark ?"


    "Not that i was curious about it , but ......."


    Wendy smiles as Almark hesitates


    If something dangerous happens, I''d feel safer if I were with a boy who is extremely strong in combat You know, Almark."


    Almark tries to argue.


    "But if we''re talking about ghosts and stuff, I think that''s where magic comes in, not swordsmanship . I am not very good at magic."


    "You still training right? I am sure that the you will be a great magician as good as anyone else. And if it''s magic, it seems that students with a strong sense of curiosity are rather good at it."


    Wendy laughed mischievously.


    That evening, after dinner.


    Almark, Nelson, and Wendy were outside the dormitory on the way leading to the garden.


    Morgen seemed to have made up his mind to never go near the garden at night after hearing Nelson''s story, and Liltei had disappeared just at the mention of it.


    All three of them dressed casually and left the dormitory without anything, since it would be troublesome if someone spotted them if they took their lamps with them.


    Almark always thought that being a magician is very convenient at times like this. Wendy made a light flame appear on the index finger of her left hand, and the flame left Wendy''s fingertip and began to drift around the three of them.


    He thought it was the magic of the light, but it was the magic of the dragon''s fire. That''s what he'' is expected of, Wendy.


    "You can use both hands with this, can''t you?"


    The three of them walked to the garden under the light of the dragon fire.


    It was about this time yesterday,"


    Almark confirms to Nelson.


    Nelson nodded and said,


    "I left right after dinner. I''m sure of it."


    After a short walk, the forest turned into a man-made plantation, and the footing changed from dirt to cobblestone. They entered the garden.


    Almark had rarely been in the garden at night, so he was expecting it to be dark like the forest he and Liltie had entered the other day, but the garden was surprisingly bright.


    Unlike the forest, the moonlight reached the ground properly, and above all, the lamps set up in various places were a major factor. Inside the metal lamps, magic lights twinkled and illuminated the surroundings.


    ......"It''s bright."


    "Right? "


    The atmosphere doesn''t look like it would be filled with ghosts or monsters at all," Nelson said.


    "I don''t know. ...... It''s certainly bright for night, though."


    Wendy''s expression was stiff.


    "The shadows are also darker when the lights are brighter."


    Saying this, she made no move to pull back the fire even with so many lamps lit.


    Almark was walking alongside Nelson, but he opened a gap and suggested Wendy to walk in the middle. Wendy nods yes and honestly steps between them.


    " Labyrinth is over there.""


    Nelson pointed to a spot ahead without hesitation.


    "Nelson is a boy after all. I''m amazed you made it here on your own."


    Wendy said as she walked between them, and Nelson looked pleased with himself and replied, "Well, I guess.


    It''s not that Nelson doesn''t enjoy being praised, but for some reason, Almark is tempted to say something childish like, "I''m not afraid either". It was childish of him, so he didn''t say it out loud, but it left an indescribable hazy feeling in his heart.


    Soon, a wall-like planting came into sight.


    There was a break in the middle of the plantation, which was taller than Almark and the group, through which a single person could pass, and through which they could enter.


    "This is the entrance to labyrinth."


    "This is the entrance. still no voice was heard ...... today."


    Nelson twisted his head. At that moment, all three of them stiffened simultaneously.


    They could hear it.


    An indistinct little voice.


    They couldn''t understand what it was saying, but it was definitely a person talking.


    "It''s coming from inside ......."


    Wendy looked at the entrance to the passageway with a stiff expression on her face.


    "Yeah,"


    Nelson nodded.


    " Almark?"


    Wendy called to Almark questioningly. Wendy looked suspiciously at Almark, who was looking back at her.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing."


    Almark turned around.


    "The wind is picking up."


    "What? Is it?"


    "Wind?"


    Wendy and Nelson asked curiously.


    "Yes, it is. Wind. It was not there before."


    Almark glanced back once more, then looked at the entrance  of the labyrinth.


    "All right, . Let''s go."

 Volume 2 - CH 8

    As they stepped into the labyrinth , they could not see their footing at all due to the plantings that approached them from both sides. Wendy lightly waved her hand and used the dragon fire above the three of them. The magical flame clearly illuminated their way .


    "Don''t you hear that?"


    Nelson whispered. Almark nodded silently.


    Although there is no idea what he is saying, there is definitely a low, muffled voice. The voice seems to be coming from far away or near. But in terms of direction, it seems to be coming from inside this labyrinth .


    "Damn, I almost heard it,"


    Nelson clicked his tongue.


    " I feel like a deaf old women ," Wendy said.


    you''re right, Almark thought. He could hear some of the sounds in fragments, and the words seemed to be connected, and not meaningless, but the distance between the voices was unknown , and somehow it seemed to be coming from within the labyrinth . and for some reason there was an extra buzzing noise around that prevented them from hearing it properly .


    Nelson is a great guy, Almark thought with admiration. He kept on walking, his voice mumbling, but he did not slow down at all.


    "Next on the right."


    "Turn left at the corner there."


    He gave directions without hesitation, as if he was singing. The labyrinth was quite complicated, though.


    ¡°That''s amazing, Nelson, . You''ve got all the directions in your head, don''t you?"


    Nelson shrugged his shoulders as if he didn''t know what to say.


    ¡°We played hide-and-seek here every day during the first year. It just kind of came naturally to me. I can navigate anywhere in this place, even if we don''t go to Lord Boruk''s. statue "


    "Boys love this place , don''t they?"


    Wendy nodded. After all, they have been living here for more than two years now, so they have the advantage when it comes to matters of the school grounds .


    Almark looked at the light above his head. The magic light was not affected by the wind, and it kept a beautiful shape as if it was in a windless place , and it kept illuminating the feet of the three. It looked like nothing, but Wendy was controlling this. he was inwardly impressed by this amazing skill .


    But what bother him was wind.


    Ever since they entered the labyrinth, he has felt a slight breeze blowing.


    (This labyrinth is located in the center of the garden. Judging from the topography, point .)


    "Right there."


    Nelson''s voice interrupted Almark''s thoughts.


    ¡°We''re close ¡°


    "Great, we haven''t taken a single wrong turn,"


    Said Wendy.


    "Voice is getting closer, too,"


    Almark said , and listens carefully.


    Zawa, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ......, zawa ...... ......, zawa...¡­


    Frustrating. they almost arrived , but they can''t hear it.


    "Turn on Left at the break there."


    Nelson pointed to a break in the vegetation. they turned there as instructed, and suddenly they had a clear view.


    They arrived at the center of the labyrinth . It was a small square surrounded on all sides by plantings. In the center of the square stands a silent old man clad in robes. It is a stone statue of Lord Boruk, the former lord of Nork Island.


    ''The voice is ......!"


    Wendy let out a small scream. No wonder. The three of them felt that the voice they had heard intermittently earlier were rapidly fading away as soon as they entered the square.


    "It''s the same as yesterday! The voice is fading away !"


    Nelson said, running behind the stone statue.


    "Damn, there''s no one in here!"


    ¡°Where''s that exit?¡±


    Wendy said.


    ¡°The only one way t the one the three of us just came from and the other one behind the statue.¡±


    "There''s no one here. Did he run away?"


    Nelson''s voice sounded frustrated.


    As Almark watched them search for the owner of the voice, he realized what had been bothering him all this tine .


    ''It''s ...... wind .''


    Almark muttered and looked at his feet. Almark had always felt a very slight wind blowing behind him at his feet, which were illuminated by the light . However, the wind that had been blowing toward one side just a moment ago disappeared, spreading out in all directions as if diffused in this square.


    In other words.


    ''Wendy, Nelson!''


    Almark shouted. The pair turned around as if perplexed.


    ¡°Create the wind ......¡±


    "You two can do it, can''t you? Call back the wind that''s flowing out of this square!"


    Nelson looked at in disagreement, but Wendy immediately spoke up.


    ''Nelson! Use wind bending!:


    "What? "


    Wendy was quick. She waved her finger to extinguish the light , then spread her hands wide to activate the wind bending spell .


    The spell of wind bending. Unlike the usual wind spell , which makes the wind blow by itself, the wind bending skill changes the direction of the wind that is already moving.


    "Wow, this is a new spell I just learned. I wonder if I''ll be able to use it well."


    Nelson followed Wendy''s lead.


    They were indeed little geniuses. Almark could feel the winds that were about to blow through the square gathering again, thanks to their magic.


    "Voice!''


    Wendy exclaimed in surprise.


    "I hear voice!"


    "It''s real deal!"


    Voice , that had been fading away, returned .


    "Nelson, keep the wind blowing this way. I''ll blow the wind from the opposite direction and gather the voice here.¡±


    Wendy gave Nelson a quick command, turned her body, and waved her hand in the air. The two winds mingled in the square, and the voice reached their ears more clearly than ever before.


    "Well . I''m just going to be hungry if I stay here , so i need to go back to the dormitory for now. And then, if it''s Liltie...''


    The three of them, looked at each other at the same time. It''s not just that


    it sounded like someone else''s voice. All three knew the owner of the voice very well.


    "...... Norish,"


    Wendy muttered.

 Volume 2 - CH 9

    Suddenly, Norish was visited by the three of them, and her face turned bright red .


    "Did all three of you hear me talking? I''m so embarrassed! Forget it!"


    "I can''t forget it, I was so worried I couldn''t sleep at night!"


    Nelson said.


    "Just forget it already !"


    "If I heard a mysterious voice in a place like that, any guy would go there to learn what it ! Except for Morgen!"


    Nelson was talking nonsense.


    Well, welll," Armark and Wendy said, .


    "Noish, I knew you were good at wind magic ......."


    Wendy pushes Nelson away with her arm and speaks up.


    ''No way, I didn''t know you could already use the such spell ,...... This spell you learn usually in middle grades , right? That''s amazing."


    "I''m still learning, though, so it''s not stable yet."


    Norisch was not too happy with Wendy''s praise.


    This spell is delivers words on the wind to a person far away. It takes time, but a good magician can send a message across the sea.


    This sounds like a convenient magic, but it is a spell that sends the wind to the place where the person is supposed to be, so if the person is not there when the wind reaches them, the words will not reach them. It is a difficult magic to use.


    "So, why were you using that to spread your nonsense around the labyrinth?"


    Nelson poked his head out from beside Wendy and said something that seemed to annoy Norisch  again.


    "What kind of useless babble is that?"


    Sure enough, Norisch falls for it.


    "Stop it!"


    Wendy pushes Nelson back again.


    ¡°But why did you send your windbill to Lord Boruk''s stone statue?"


    Almark asked from behind them, and Norrisch looked down in embarrassment.


    "I didn''t ...... mean anything particularly deep by that ......."


    ¡°You''re lying!¡±


    ''Stop it!"


    "I''m sure there''s a reason. If you don''t want to talk about it, that''s okay."


    Almark said.


    "But from what I''ve know about you, ...... Norish, the way you talk, ...... I don''t know, I''ve never met you myself."


    Wendy looked back at Almark. Nelson, too, looked at him, wondering what this guy was talking about.


    Your voice is gentle and very friendly,...... yeah," he said. ¡°It was like you tallied with old man.¡±


    Norisch gasped at Almark''s words.


    Nelson''s eyes widen at that reaction.


    I can¡¯t believe it, Norisch, you''re the grandchildren of Lord Boruk?¡±


    "No, I''m not!"


    Norisch turns to Almark


    "that''s Almark for you . You know everything already . ¡±


    "No, I''m just saying, my opinion ."


    "Hey, do you have time to go to the garden again? Let''s talk there."


    Norisch suddenly smiled.

 Volume 2 - CH 10

    For the second time, the garden was even darker in the night. Nelson used the magic of the light in his left hand.


    The four of them walked in silence for a while. Soon they reached the entrance of the labyrinth.


    After entering the labyrinth and walking for quite a while, Norris finally spoke up.


    I was bullied a lot in the first year because I was a crybaby,"


    Norrisch named two boys that Almark had never heard of.


    ¡°Now they are both in the third grade. They are pretty mean- pirited kids."


    I cry easily, and they thought it''s funny because I''m so cheeky. They were rude to me every day."


    Nelson leads the three of them in silence, holding up a magic light.


    Every day after school I would come home and cry because it was so bitter and frustrated but I didn''t want to be seen crying in front of my roommate .


    Almark and the others listen to her story in silence. Nelson''s light occasionally makes a blaring sound.


    ¡°One day, , I went into this labyrinth I thought maybe I could cry here without anyone seeing me."


    "It turns out that the boys often use it for games, so it didn''t worked that way I want . I guess it was Nelson and his friends."


    "But then I made one amazing discovery."


    Nelson silently turns left at a break in the vegetation, and the three of them follow.


    Before they knew it, they had reached the central square. Norisch looked up at the stone statue of Lord Boruk.


    ''I hadn''t really paid attention to it before, but it was only then that I noticed it. that he looked exactly like my beloved late grandfather.¡±


    Norish, the daughter of a large, relatively wealthy farmer, had a grandfather whom she loved very much. He was a scholar by nature, but he had retired from farming and spent his days by , reading old books with glasses and enjoying his retirement.


    He was also the one who was most pleased when it was decided that I would enter this academy," .


    Norrisch''s beloved grandfather, who taught her many things , passed away before she entered the academy. The stone statue of Lord Boruk is said to resemble his grandfather.


    ¡°Of course, the details are different . But at the time I thought, ''There''s my grandfather! "


    From that point , whenever Norisch had a bad day, she would come to see the statue . This habit continued even after she moved to the second grade, switched classes, got away from the bullies, and stopped crying.


    Norisch, who is good at wind magic and had recently tried her luck at the Wind Letter spell , came up with the idea of "statue " as a place to send wind messages.


    "The content could be anything, really. Every day after dinner, I would ask my grandpa to listen to what I was thinking or what I had done that day, or whatever came to my mind o. I would send them out the window of my room on the wind."


    That is probably what Norisch would have wanted to do if her grandfather been alive. But the incomplete spell of wind in practice had turned into scattered fragments of words on the way, and without successfully bringing the wind to at Lord Boruk''s side, it had, on the contrary, fizzled out the moment it reached there.


    ''So that''s what the mysterious voice is ......''


    Wendy muttered.


    But Almark knew exactly what she was talking about. It was the wind.


    Wendy looked at him. The labyrinth is surrounded by vegetation, so the only place for the wind to pass through is at feet, just below ground level. The wind was blowing in one direction all the time, but very little, and the topography of the gardens meant that the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. And given the topography of the garden, the wind would tend to gather in the central square, he thought.


    ......


    " though not from a magical point of view at all."


    "No, that''s great. I think that kind of perspective is important."


    Wendy added that neither she nor Nelson had noticed the wind.


    I didn''t realize it was such a rumor, "but I''ll have to think abut practicing a little more.¡±


    "Oh, no!"


    Nelson suddenly exclaimed.


    "What''s with all the male romance? It''s just a magical practice when you get right down to it."


    "Nelson, don''t talk like that,"


    Wendy was about to speak, but Nelson was walking quickly toward the exit.


    ¡°Norish, I don''t mind practicing magic or having a chats like this'' though!¡±


    Nelson says as he walks with his back to her.


    ''We''d listen to you too, you know!"


    ¡°What?"


    ¡° Eston and Pollois, right? I''m looking forward to the martial arts tournament now!"


    Nelson walked on without looking back at the three of them.


    "We''re going home now! What a waste of time!"


    Almark looks at Wendy, who giggles and says in a quiet voice, "I was just coming here to see the magic of the light."


    ¡°You saw the magic of the lights shaking when we were coming here, didn''t you? Nelson''s pretty pissed off when he hears that Norish has been abused."


    ¡°I remember that the lights were occasionally flickering and making a buzzing sound. Was that Nelson''s emotional turmoil?¡±


    ¡°I guess it''s his way of expressing his feelings of friendship,"


    Wendy''s words brought a smile to Norrisch''s face.


    ¡°Nelson approached me once when I was crying in the labyrinth in the first grade," . We were in different classes at the time, and I didn''t know him. He said, ''Let''s play hide-and-seek! with a carefree smile. I was so surprised that I turned him down, but I was happy."


    As he watched Nelson''s back move further and further away from him , whether he could hear or not, Almark thought to himself that Nelson is a great guy after all."

 Volume 2 - CH 11

    One morning.


    Almark was walking from dorm to the school building.


    "Almark!"


    §³alled a voice from behind .


    When he turned around, he saw a boy, a head shorter than he . Almark looked at him.


    "Hello Eldo,"


    "Are you on your way to school now, too?"


    "Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Have you learned how to use any magic?¡±


    "No, not yet ......."


    " Are you really in the 3rd grade?"¡±


    The name of the boy who just spoke is Eldo. He is a first-year student of the elementary grade .


    "Oh, Almark."


    The girl, as short as Eldo, who was was in her robe rather caught up with him from behind.


    "Good morning, Cicily."


    Almark greeted her,


    Cicily greeted him with a stifled "Good morning.¡±


    "Cicily, he can''t use any magic yet,"


    Eldo quickly said this to Cicily, who raised her eyebrows in the shape of an eight and said,


    "Oh, really? Poor thing . he is a third-year student at the Academy of Magic and can''t use any magic at all."


    Almark met these two students when he asked . Fia to allow him to participate in the first-year meditation lesson.


    For some reason, they both seemed to like Almark and talked to him so much that the meditation class was no longer in progress. It was because of them that Almark was kicked out of the lesson.


    Whenever they saw him at school or in the dormitory, they would talk to him as if they were an elder, and Nelson and Morgen would laugh out loud every time they saw them.


    ''Keep up the good work, Almark,'' We just started learning mist magic the other day.¡±


    "Cicily, I got a little fog on my hands the other day in class."


    I think I will soon be able to surround the whole area with fog. I''m going to train in the forest after school today. Almark, the foundation of magic is meditation. You should follow our example and never give up."


    The tone of voice was so similar to that of his teacher that Almark couldn''t help but laugh. they at the age where he wants to act like a teacher.¡±


    "Oh, thank you ......."


    The pace of walking with first-year students is inevitably slower because of their step length. The other students who walked behind them passed them.


    In fact, just now, Leila passed by Almark with an expression as blank as ice.


    Just as Almark was about to say goodbye to them and increase the speed of his walk, he heard a chuckle from behind him.


    When he turned around, he saw that Torque had caught up with him, with Galein and Deg in tow.


    "Good morning, Torque,"


    Almark greeted him, but Torque did not reply.


    ¡±You guys have a hard morning babysitting the kids," he said, addressing Eldo and Cicily instead of Almark.


    "Not really."


    Eldo answered with a clear smile.


    ¡°He can''t use any magic yet, you know. You guys can teach him a few things."


    Torque, seeing the two nodding, bit back a smile as he passed Almark.


    ''...... Almark is being made fun in his class too?''"


    Eldo said after Torque and the others were much disappeared .


    "No, not really."


    Almark replied, but Eldo and Cicily looked at each other.


    "We have to get along with you . This third-year students looked mean to me. they are total jerks¡±.


    They were saying whatever they wanted to say to each other.


    It''s not big deal, but knowing that they like him, he can''''t be so reluctant to say a thing. Even now, he waited until the torques couldn''t hear him before he asked them.


    "If you have any trouble tell us,"


    Eldo said, and Almark nodded with a smile on his face.


    On same day after school.


    Almark had came to the forest to gather medicinal herbs for next week''s class, having and refused to training with teacher .


    It was shortly after school . The sun was still high. He always went straight to his meditation training right after class, so it was refreshing to walk to the forest at this time of the day.


    He approached the forest, watching the first-year students running around, cheering, and the second- and third-year students forming in groups to discuss something or practicing magic in a circle at their favorite places.


    The closer he got to the forest, then less people  he saw . Once in the forest again, there will probably be groups of students in the creek or in the field.


    "...... hmm?"


    Almark noticed a small figure running from the forest. ......


    Cicily?"


    It was Cicily, a first-year student, running frantically, her small body is shaking.


    When Almark called out to her, Cicily''s face scrunched up as she recognized him. Her eyes were full of tears.


    Almark rushed to her and asked,


    "What happened?"


    Cicily, with a squeak, tried desperately to saey something to him, but her words failed to come out.


    ¡°Eldo is ...... "


    ¡°Cicily, calm down. What''s happened to Eldo?"


    Almark sensed that something happened .


    "A monster kidnaped him."


    Almark''s eyes widened at Cicily''s words. Sicily collapsed onto Almark''s chest as if she couldn''t stand anymore.


    "Please, Almark, save Eldo. "

 Volume 2 - CH 12

    ?A monster?¡±


    A monster at this light of day? Almark doubted Cicily''s words for a moment. But there was no time to waste.


    ?Cicily, what kind of a monster is this?¡±


    Almark gently grabbed Cicily''s shoulders with both hands and asked in a very calm voice so not to scare her.


    ¡°I don''t ...... know what type of ......, It''s big and scary ."


    Cicily answered with a shrug, but she didn''t give a clue


    "What color was it? Did it look like a person or beast ? "


    Almark asks patiently. He wanted to get the bare minimum of information , and then run into the forest as fast as he could.


    "I don''t know. I was too scared to get a good look at ......."


    §³icily shakes her head. Almark crouches down and makes eye contact with Cicily.


    ¡°You''re a magician, aren''t you?. I will save Eldo. I promise. So try to tell me what you saw."


    Cicily reacted to the word "magician. She looked at Almark with big, tear-stained eyes. Almark looked back into her eyes and nodded.


    Sicily hesitated a little and then answered carefully .


    "I think he had ...... brown, furry,...... about the height of a middle-schooler,...... with one eye and horns,......."


    ''Thank you Sicily.''


    Almark stood up.


    ¡°Go back to the school building and tell to teacher about it . , I''ll go to the forest . You can go on your own , right?¡±


    Sicily nodded stoutly.


    " All right, hurry up,"


    Almark looked back toward the school building and saw the usual trio approaching him.


    "Torque!"


    Almark suddenly called out his namesso loudly that Torque and the other stopped in their tracks. But Torque immediately responded in a sarcastic tone,


    "What, are you playing with a kids again? It suits you."


    "Eldo has been kidnapped by monster!"


    Almark continued, without paying attention to Torque''s words.


    "Monster ? "


    I''m going to the forest . You call the teacher . And take care of this girl, Sicily.


    "Wait! I can''t understand what you''re talking about!"


    He hurriedly interrupted him, but Almark continued.


    "You go back to the school building and get the teacher, I''ll go to the forest ¡°


    "We have no time to waste , if what this girl saw is true, we''re in a sensitive situation. I don''t have time to explain everything to you."


    Torque looked at Almark with a stunned look on his face.


    ¡°Boy was kidnapped by monster ......, and you will go to the forst alone ......?"


    I¡±''m going to save Eldo . I will defeat the demons if it''s come to that ."


    Almark answered shortly .


    "Let''s defeat it together ......."


    Torque parroted.


    Almark turned and ran toward the forest, saying, "I am count on , Torque," with one word.


    Torque looked at Almark as he head off , his face suddenly twisted , and he clicked his tongue. He looked back at Garain and Deg, who were stunned.


    ''You guys, go with this first year girl . Then go get the teacher. ASAP."


    "What?"


    They are rolled their eyes at the unexpected words.


    "What about you ?"


    When they asked back, the torque was already on the way to forest


    "That idiot who thinks he can do everything by himself , but doesn''t know a thing about this forest. I''ve got no choice but to head there myself!"

 Volume 2 - CH 13

    Almark ran as fast as he could into the forest and immediately broke off a reasonably long branch from a tree near by. He took a quick swing and felt it. It was better than being completely armless


    "Hey, wait!"


    He heard a voice behind him and turned to see Torque running toward him, breathless.


    ¡°Torque! What are you doing here?"


    Torque caught up with Almark, still out of breath.


    "You''re fast, damn it!"


    He glared at Almark.


    ''There''s a monster out there and I''m going to take it down I told you get the teacher Don''t play dumb with me."


    Torque, with the sweat on his forehead, told Almark, "I know about the monster, and I thought i will help you ."


    ¡°You think I''m going to be scared when I hear the word " monster "? Did you think I''d be in a rush to go get the teacher? Don''t underestimate me. If a junior student has been kidnapped by a monster, I''m not going to leave you alone, especially when you can''t even use magic and don''t even know the paths in this forest.¡±


    Almark looked at Torque with a surprising look.


    "That how you take it "


    "But, Torque,"


    "pride is good thing , but it won''t save someone''s life,"


    Torque said with a small shake of his head.


    "You don''t get it ."


    ¡±The pride of nobility.¡±


    Almark remembered how the nobles had fought in the North. Yes, mercenaries don''t know what it''s like to be a nobles .


    "All right, then, let''s go. If you come with me, you''ll have to defend yourself."


    "Shut up. That''s my line."


    They started running again.


    Do you have any idea where we''re going?"


    Torque asked breathlessly, and Almark, on the other hand, answered almost imperceptibly,


    There are no monster nests in the forests nearby enough for students to reach. That means we need to go as deep into the forest as possible. ......"


    ¡°You idiot!"


    Torque spit out.


    I''m glad I came after all. It would have take you five days to find it if I had been so naive. The forest here is very deep, and there are many roads leading to it."


    "Oh, yeah? You have a better idea?"


    "The first-years practice their magic over there, near the field. If we can find footprints there, we can find him ......."


    "Okay, let''s do that."


    Almark changed direction in a loop and ran up the slope without slowing down at all.


    Oh, wait! ...... Damn, you'' ......, your legs are fast!"


    When Torque finally caught up with Almark, he had already picked up one of the bags in the field.


    "It''s Eldo''s."


    Almark pointed to the ground. There were footprints on the ground that were clearly not made by a human being.


    It''s just as I thought , Cicily was right, she did see it. She must have been scared, but she''s a good girl."


    "What?"


    "From what Sicily told me and basing on these footprints, I''m pretty sure the monster is Jalanon, the evil creature that lives in the forest .He attack and eat people if he feels like it. But we have hope ."


    "What do you mean, ......?"


    "Jalanon likes fresh meat. They bring their prey back to the nest and then kill it. In other words, Eldo is probably still alive."


    He looks at Almark, who is looking at the footprints and speaking calmly, with a grim look on his face.


    "You know a lot about monsters ."


    I don''t know about them because I want to. I know about them because


    I wanted to survive."


    After saying this, Almark started to run, looking at the footprints.


    "Let''s end this before the dark. This way."


    "Oh, wait! Don''t start running on your own, you savage!"


    After saying this, Almark start running,


    "No, not that again. You''ve got to be a little smarter than that. You''re a magician after all!


    As he said this, Torque moved the fingers of both hands intricately, as if he were playing a musical instrument. It was a delicate movement that was hard to imagine from his usual behavior .


    Then, the footprints  on the ground began to glow with pale yellow light.


    "This is ......."


    "I colored the monster Scents. Now it will be easier to find it. Let''s go!"

 Volume 2 - CH 14

    The pale yellow light led intermittently deeper into the forest.


    The footprints were interrupted along the way, but thanks to Torque¡°s spell, they did not get lost. Scents in the air quickly diffuse, but those that stuck to trees, stones, and other things that the monsters contacted directly emitted a pale light that became a landmark for the two of them.


    It was clear that, being monster , it walked freely through the bushes and animal paths without being concerned about the paths that people walk on. Almark was able to traverse the path with his amazing physical strength and leg power, but Torque was struggling to keep up with him.


    Many times he almost shouted, "Wait," but decided to keep his mouth shut.


    Torque could tell that the time was running out. If they did not catch up quickly, the junior studen¡¯s life would be in danger. He had no choice but to endure


    (What kind of training do you go through to get this kind of monstrous physical strength? )Torque thought, gritting his teeth.


    (This guy is really good at everything but magic. Not only can he use a sword, but he can also think fast. .)


    (He can do anything. ......)


    Torque, wiping away the sweat that was pouring down his face under his heavy breath, recalled the spell of the flame that Almark had used .


    (I''ve never seen anyone who can create such a huge flame with almost no practice. And he came back to the dorm that same day like nothing happened ).


    (He would eventually better then me in magic.)


    That was a certainty that was almost scary for Torque.


    Just as he was running behind him now, the day would come when he would have to catch up with him in magic as well.


    Torque thought of his hometown, of the Si-Fei family.


    The vow of his childhood. For Torque, it was the very definition of his own way of life.


    (I ought to have had that kind of power, too, he thought. What he thought of as talent, wrk, seemed so puny when he looked at him, and it made him feel miserable.)


    "Damn!"


    Torque said with anger voice .


    Almark didn''t even look back at Torque anymore. He was single-minded chasing the light that had shone on with Torque chasing spell . His back becomes smaller and smaller.


    (This is the kind of guy who can run toward his goal without thinking about anything else, without looking back . That''s the kind of guy he is. That''s his talent, .)


    (But I''m grateful for this right now. If he turns around and shows some concern for me, that would be more unbearable.


    (He will eventually get ahead of me in magic. He will probably pass me without even looking back at me.)


    Torque gritted his teeth.


    (But not now.)


    (I am still far ahead of him in magic, at least for now.)


    (I''m not asking him to wait. I can run, too. As fast as he does. No, I have to run. I have to run in the name of Shi-Fei, familly on the oath I swore that day.)


    With a desperate look on his face, Torque kept running, trying not to lose sight of Almark.


    ¡°I see him!"


    Almark stopped.


    Following the light, he ran up ti small slope and soon found himself on a long, gentle descent.


    When his vision cleared, he saw, not far away, a one-horned monster walking with a boy at his side . The fluffy yellow light emanating from its body was proof that Torque''s magic had reached the monster .


    (We had ran a long way, but the magic never ceased. to amazing me .)Almark thought with admiration, and that''s when he looked back for the first time.


    Torque was coming up the slope with his hands on his knees, pushing himself forward and struggling to get up to the slope.


    Almark was also surprised to see that Torque was surprisingly nearby.


    (He is not just can talk . He had guts, too.)


    "I''m glad you came with me, Torque."


    When Almark called out to him, Torque''s face twisted as he breathed heavily, and he spat out, "Sure thing "


    ¡°I hope that boy is still alive .¡±


    "I think he''s fine. You''ve helped me out , Torque."


    Almark shook the branch in his hand. A sharp sound split the wind.


    "Leave the rest to me "


    With such words Almark ran down the slope.

 Volume 2 - CH 15

    Almark ran down the slope at an astonishing speed. At the sound of his footsteps, Jalanon, with Eldo in his hand , looked back.


    His body, slightly smaller than a human adult, was covered with brown fur. A single eye glanced around and caught sight of Almark.


    Jalanon''s arm strength is stronger than his build would suggest, as evidenced by the fact that he can walk without difficulty while holding a child in one hand.


    What is most troublesome are the long, hardened claws on both hands. They are not sharp enough to cut things, but they are powerful as thrusting weapons.


    Almark rushed toward Jalanon, making a noise on purpose. He swung the branch in his hand in a spectacular manner.


    Of course, this was just an ordinary tree branch that he had just broken, but Almark waved it as if it were a powerful weapon.


    Sure enough, Jalanon let out a low roar and threw Eldo to the ground, The plan was a success. Eldo was not in monster''s arms ,


    Almark stopped just before Jalanon''s claws reached him.


    He held up a tree branch as well as his sword.


    Jalanon held up his sharp claws as if to show them to Almark, and gradually closed the gap between them. Perhaps on guard, he does not make a move as if he is going to rush in.


    Torque had begun to move down the slope belatedly, trying to help Eldo while he still could. But he cannot run down as quickly as Almark.


    ( Just keep on drawing him away from Eldo.)


    However, Almark betrayed Torque''s expectations and moved on his own.


    With a quick step, he swung the branch as if to scrape it up from below, striking Jalanon in the jaw. The speed of the blow left Jalanon completely unable to react. He shakes his claws in anger, but Almark quickly moves out of range and dodges.


    Then he steps in again, this time striking Jalanon in the jaw with a horizontal strike. Blood drips from Jalanon''s mouth.


    Almark thought that this is a little different from what he is used to. If he had his beloved long sword, the first blow would have sent monster¡¯s head flying. But this monster is surprisingly strong against his strikes.


    Monster was screaming in anger and swinging both claws, aiming at Almark. However, Almark did not even let the fierce attack touch his body. Even though he wears robes that make it difficult for him to move, his body art is still dominant.


    If he attacked, there would be an opening there. Every time Jalanon swung his claws, Almark dodged them and slammed tree branches into Jalanon''s face and body. The sound was so dull that a person could die from a single blow, yet Jalanon''s movements did not falter.


    However, Jalanon had been lured away by Armark and was slowly beginning to widen the distance with Eldo''s location . Torque, out of breath, moved closer to Eldo.


    (At that rate, it looks like he alone will be able to handle the monster.)


    With such thoughts  he looked toward Almark and saw something he could not believe.


    Another monster suddenly appeared out of the bushes right behind Almark and Jalanon .


    "What the hell?¡±


    Torque screamed in disbelief. Almark doesn''t seem to have noticed it. He was going to be caught between them.


    Torque gritted his teeth and shouted,


    "Almark ,Watch out !"


    Almark suddenly turned around. By that time, Jalanon was already raising his claws in the air behind him.

 Volume 2 - CH 16

    A claw from the behind caught Almark, and by the time he striked , Almark leapt into the gap beside the two Jalanons.


    The newly appeared one, Jalanon, grunted with his mouth clamped shut.


    Almark had dodged a blow from behind and struck a counterattack to its face.


    "He is a ridiculous guy,"


    With his mind drawn back to Almark, Torque finally reached Eldo. He tapped him on the cheek and heard a low whimper. He is alive.


    Without a moment''s pause for relief, Torque launched his magic. The sketchy magic would have caused Almark to get caught in the middle of it. But, well, it''s worse for someone who can''t evade this level of magic.


    The fingertips of Torque''s left hand are filled with flames. From thumb to little finger, one each, five in total. They are full of flames, an application of the demon''s fire spell .


    He clenches the five fingers into a tiny fist, then opens his hand vigorously toward the monsters


    Five small fireballs flew, each  had a separate trajectory.


    Three hit the first Jalanon, who had its back turned to Torque, and another flew toward Almark, but as Torque expected, Almark twisted his body to dodge and hit the chest of the second Jalanon. The last shot deflected wide and fell to the ground.


    His control was weak due to his exhaustion. Torque clicked his tongue.


    But the effect was immediate. Jalanon, who had taken three shots to the back, was rolling around on the ground in agony. Smoke was also rising from its back, as if its body hair had ignited.


    The other one was also visibly flustered by the sudden fireball. Not missing the opportunity, Almark pounced upon it.


    It must have realized that a blow would not be enough, and it stabbed a tree branch mercilessly into the single eye of the beast.


    Torque frowned and turned away.


    Almark, not minding breaking the branch, plunges it deep into the monocular.


    There is no change in Almark''s expression as he is covered in blood. He carries out the necessary moves without hesitation.


    After a hair-raising scream, Jalanon stopped moving.


    There was only he first Jalanon   . Rolling around, he somehow extinguishes the fire on his back and turns to Almark.


    The tree branch is broken and he is now unarmed, but Almark does not seem frightened in the slightest. He looked at Jalanon with cold eyes and suddenly waved his right hand. Jalanon staggered back, holding his single eye. He threw a nut that Almark had somehow picked up.


    Almark leaped at Jalanon with all his might. Jalanon staggered as he was suddenly knocked out of his stance by Almark''s body. Almark dexterously entangled his legs with Jalanon''s legs and pushed him down to the ground.


    The corpse of Jalanon, whom he had just knocked down, was lying on the ground at the end of Jalanon''s fall. The claw of the corpse''s right hand was pointing upward, as if Almark had somehow planted it there as well.


    Almark pushed Jalanon down on that claw, putting all his weight on it. Jalanon''s screams echoed through the forest as he was pierced from back to chest. Even so, Almark continued to push Jalanon onto the claw with all his might.


    Almark finally raised his body from Jalanon''s body, which had stopped moving.


    After spitting blood on the ground, he looked at Torque.


    "Thank you, Torque. If it weren''t for your spell and your call, I would have been in danger."


    The sun was shining through the trees just as Almark, who was covered in blood, smiled fearlessly. He looked like a noble knight after a battle, and Torque felt a slight jealousy.


    " you said "I''ll take care of it," you''ve got a tough fight "


    "Yes."


    Almark gave a carefree smile.


    "Torque, you called my name for the first time just now. That made me happy."


    He did, indeed. It was quick, but he was also hesitant. For a long time, he had avoided calling him by his name. If he did, he would be acknowledging him as a member of the class. It was a trivial stubbornness.


    (What a guy ,) He felt a chill run down his spine. (Did he e   ven think about such a thing during this battle? This guy is really something else. He was in the same category as Wallis.)


    But Torque now knew that it was not uncomfortable for him to admit it.


    For some reason, he was glad that he had finally realized that he had called Almark''s name after his own struggle.


    Of course, Torque did not show any such emotion.


    "Yes i did ."


    After saying this with a sly grin, Torque still couldn''t hold back and smiled .

 Volume 2 - CH 17

    Almark was a little surprised by Torque''s unexpected smile, but quickly walked over to Eldo, who was lying on the ground.


    " He is not injured ?"


    ''No, he doesn''t appear to be  injured ."


    Torque has already lost all interest in Eldo after checking that he is alive.


    Almark checked if Eldo was not bleeding and called into his ear.


    "Eldo, pull yourself together."


    But Eldo only moaned low and did not wake up .


    Almark patiently kept calling out to Eldo.


    Eldo''s lack of response brought back Torque, who had been staring at Jalanon''s corpse with a sullen look on his face.


    "He ain''t waking up, is he?"


    ''He''s supposed to just be unconscious. ......"


    Almark twisted his head.


    "Is that monster carrying some kind of poison?"


    Almark shook his head at Torque''s words.


    "I don''t think it has any."


    "Then why hasn''t he woken up?"


    "I don''t know."


    At that moment, a gust of wind blew through the forest.


    "Teacher !"


    Almark shouted. With the wind, Yilmaz appeared, carrying a wand .


    "Almark, Torque . Are you two injured ?"


    Yilmaz said with a grim look on his face.


    "We'' re fine ......, but Eldo is."


    "What?"


    Yilmaz quickly took Eldo in his arms .


    He quickly checked Eldo for any external injuries and slipped his right hand, covered in a white light, along Eldo''s body. After that, his expression finally relaxed.


    "The boy will be fine. He''s just exhausted his magic power."


    "Magic power."


    The unexpected words made Almark and Torque look at each other.


    ''The first year girl who ran into the school building,...... Cicily , was it ? She told me. When the monster suddenly appeared in the before them , Eldo covered the whole area with fog and told her to get away as fast as she could.


    ......" Is it so?"


    Almark looked again at Eldo''s face, which did not moved , and remembered his words form earlier .


    "I think I''m going to be able to wrap the whole area in fog soon."


    He had thought it was a common first-year student''s boast. But it was no lie. Eldo had used up all his magical power and risked his life to protect Cicily. He one of the geniuses who had been recognized for his talent.


    This guy''s a genius."


    Torque spoke on behalf of Almark''s feelings.


    ¡°He''s not a bad guy,"


    "I guess so."


    Almark nodded honestly. He knew he had the means to win. He had the skill and knowledge. That''s why he could move quickly. But if he had been in the same position as Eldo, would he have ......? Would he have been able to do it? Would he have made the best possible choice to save his classmate''s life, even without considering the risk to his own life?


    He acted like he was caring for her."


    Torque looked at Almark and chuckled.


    She is lucky to have such a fine one year student taking care of her.


    Almark nodded calmly.


    It seems I still have a lot to learn from him . I''ll let him lecture over me for a while longer."


    ¡±Ha," Torque laughed. It sounded like a sneer, but It didn''t have any anger.


    Teacher , who had been inspecting Jalanon''s corpse, looked back at them ,


    ''"It was your doings ?''"


    "...... yes.''


    ''"Mostly Almark''s, sir."


    ''I see.''


    Yilmaz stood up.


    ''I didn''t expect that. You two have done well."


    "I didn''t realize there were so many monsters in this forest."


    Yilmaz nodded at this words.


    ¡° The first time I went to the forest , I saw a lot of monsters . I didn''t know that they would come down to such a shallow area.¡±


    He continued with a stern face.


    "We will soon be conducting a expedition group to search in deep of the forest, and in addition to that, we will be exterminating dangerous monster nests."


    ¡°Sir, please let me join you."


    Torque said, but Yilmaz shook his head.


    ¡°The group will be made up mainly of teachers and upper middle students. It''s too early for elementary students."


    As Torque''s face twisted in frustration, the wind blew through again, and the following group of teachers came in hurry .


    "Torque, Almark!"


    Teacher Fear had arrived as well.


    "I was so worried. Are you two hurt?"


    She let out a sigh of relief when she heard their reply, "We''re fine."


    "Everyone else is worried too. Let''s go back."


    "...... yes.''


    Almark watched as Eldo was given a medicinal help , and then slowly made his way back to dorm . Torque walked silently behind him.


    Suddenly, Torque stepped forward.


    "Now you will be walking behind me."


    "Why?"


    "You''ve been running in front of me the whole time."


    Almark twisted his head and answered with a smile,


    "I understand."


    T/N  It was the final chapter of second arc . Hope  you enjoyed it . As usual thanks for sticking with me that far . Tomorrow wil be staring  next arc . I  hope you looking forward  to it .

 Volume 3 - CH 1

    For a while after that, elementary students were forbidden to enter the forest. The medicinal herbs used in the healing magic practice were not gathered in the forest, but were grown in teacher Celia''s medicinal herb garden.


    Soon, a rumor spread that a large investigation group had entered the forest. For a few days, smoke rising from deep in the forest could be seen from the dormitory windows, and students would whisper to each other about what kind of smoke it was, or whether the teachers and seniors were fighting monsters.


    A short time later, the forest entry ban was lifted. No explanations were given to the students at the elementary grades as to what the investigative group saw in the forest, how many monsters were there, or what measures had been taken.


    They were simply told that the forest was now safe and that they could go in, but not too deep into the forest.


    Once the forest was opened as before, the students at the elementary grades quickly returned to their normal routine.


    Eldo, who was almost kidnapped by a monster, was fortunate that he had used up all his magical power and was unconscious, so he remembered almost nothing and suffered only a small mental shock. As always, he and Cicily are grateful for the advice they get from Almark.


    Almark and Torque became temporarily famous for having rescued the junior student from the monster, and they were asked about the situation by various people, not to mention their classmates, but neither Almark nor Torque were injured, and neither said that they had defeated the monster or not. Since they were very tight-lipped about it, the students'' interest gradually faded away.


    The first time he saw Torque  , he thought he was a good person, but he was not proud of the fact that he had defeated a monster .


    The ban on entering the forest was lifted, and the two of them naturally stopped speaking about that


    Summer was approaching.


    The topic of conversation these days is how to spend the summer vacation.


    Most students spend the nearly two-month long vacation back home with their parents.


    Even though they are all potential magicians, they are still children. It is natural for them to want to return home to their parents, who live in a boarding school and have been separated from them for a long time.


    On the first day of vacation, everyone''s parents come to pick up their kids. For children of noble families, instead of their parents, the butler would come with many servants to pick them up.


    Break time. The wind coming in through the window was pleasant.


    Morgen looks out the window and spoke.


    "Hmmm."


    Almark is not very interested in it.


    It has already been several months since he entered this academy.


    He still has only been allowed to do meditation


    He know that, but when he sees his classmates'' magic improving so quickly in the practical magic class, he wonders what he''s doing wrong.


    Everyone has already succeeded in the spell of stone chopping at least once, and he can see that the class itself is gradually shifting to more advanced spells .


    Some are voluntarily trying even more advanced spells, such as Norish''s Wind Delivery spell. Toruku''s magic in the Jalanon incident was also great.


    While listening to Morgen''s talk, Almark finds himself unconsciously making a psychological state of meditation. It''s as if he is vaguely kneading the magic in his body with the fingers of his mind.


    "Hey, Armark, are you listening ?"


    Morgen''s words brought him back to reality".


    "I''m sorry.".


    "I''ve been asking you what you''re planning to do during the summer vacation."


    "Summer vacation huh ......."


    Almark chuckled.


    If he goes back north, it will be a year at the earliest before he comes back to school again. he don''t even know where his dad is now, and he has nowhere to go."


    "Well, about that."


    Morgen''s face brightened.


    "I am going to stay in the dorm all the time,"


    "It''s the only option,"


    He don''t know why Mogen is so happy as he answered him .


    "I''m not alone."


    "What?"


    ¡°I thought I was the only one in our class who didn''t go home for summer vacation. I was wondering what I was going to do for almost two months. But I''m glad you''re staying .¡±


    "Oh, that''s what you''re means ¡°


    ¡°I have to practice every day to catch up with you guys, I can''t spend that much time with you every day."


    "I know that."


    " But just the thought of not being alone makes me feel happy".


    He does not hide his joy. Almark is surprised , but decides to ask him why he is not returning home

 Volume 3 - CH 2

    Morgen is the son of a lumberjack from a village in the western part of the Kingdom of Garai, but of course being a lumberjack is not a very profitable job.


    However, when it was decided that Morgen would enroll in the Nork Academy of Magic, the lord decided to give his family a small pension as an extra gift.


    Of course, the amount was not so large that he did not have to work, but it made his family''s life much easier.


    Thanks to this, his father was able to pick him up and take him home for summer vacations the year before and last year.


    "This year, my sister was born,"


    Morgen said


    ?She''s my second sister. Father and mother can''t come to pick me up this year because they have to earn money for food and take care of her,"


    "It can''t be helped," he muttered, but he still looked sad.¡±


    If that''s the case, well, I''ll accompany you once in a while. I don''t have any plans other than meditation practice.


    Almark patted Morgen on the shoulder.


    "What are you two talking about?"


    Wendy joined the conversation. She looked at Almark and Mogen in turn.


    "Ah, summer vacation. Wendy''s leaving right after the first day, of vacation right?"


    Wendy nodded.


    ''Yes. To see my father and mother in Galuentor."


    Wendy mentioned the name of the capital of the Kingdom of Garai.


    "Oh, Galentol? Wasn''t the Berhaber family''s territory a bit further north?"


    Almark asked. He just saw a map of the Kingdom of Garai in the library the other day.


    " My father is now also a minister of the kingdom, so he basically lives in the capital,"


    "Wow."


    "Everyone else is going home, right?"


    Morgen said. ¡°I am still looking for the others,"


    "I think so. ......"


    "Where''s Wallis?"


    Almark asked, a sudden thought coming to him.


    "Wallis?"


    Wendy raised an eyebrow.


    ''I''ve never asked him, but I''m ...... sure he''s going home. The Mosvilles are on the western edge of Garai, so it would take him nearly ten days just to get there, even with the white carriage on the Royal Road.¡±


    Mosville.


    Almark heard Wallis'' last name for the first time now.


    There had been plenty of other times to ask, but he had somehow failed to do so until today.


    Wallis Mosville.


    Almark remembered that he had seen the Mosville family''s territory on that map.


    It was a family with a small territory in what could be called a remote area.


    It was probably not far behind Wendy''s Barhaber family, or even Torque''s Shiffey family, in terms of family status.


    Surprising, Almark thought. That he would be much higher nobility.


    "I guess it''s just me and Almark who don''t go home. I will getting tired of fishing every day with Almark."


    Morgen had already decided that the two of them would fish together every day.


    "What, fishing? No, I''m busy with meditation ......"


    "What, you''re staying here for the summer vacation here Almark, ?"


    Wendy asks, and Almark tells her the same story he told Mogen earlier.


    "Yes, it''s too far away, isn''t it? ...... Oh, then!"


    Wendy clapped her hands as if she had came up with good idea. Her eyes sparkled.


    ''Come to my house, both of you! We can get to Galentol in two days. Armark and Morgen can come , right ?"


    "What?"


    Mogen leans forward, his eyes sparkling.


    I won''t be home all the time either, but if schedules work out, you can stay with us in 10 days or so. ......"


    Wow, ! Almark, let''s go. Let''s definitely go, let''s go to Wendy''s house ."


    Morgen couldn''t think over to what Wendy had just said and started huffing and puffing.


    "No, I have meditation training ...... Mogen, you hear me?"


    Armark called out to him, but Mogen was too excited to hear him.


    ''Oh, I''m sorry. Is that too much trouble for you ?"


    In fact, he was uncomfortable.


    The house of a great aristocrat who is a minister of the kingdom of Garai. It was a place that Almark had never been to before in his life. Of course, there was no reason why he would not want to go there.


    However, when cruel reality of not being able to use even the most rudimentary magic at the end of the third year of elementary grade , he had to come to the conclusion that there was no time to play around like that.


    "No, it''s not bother, but ......"


    As Almark was about to say, Morgen began to press on him.


    "What are you talking about? You can meditate all you want on the way there. I can''t make it to Galentol on my own . Please, come along ."


    "If you don''t want no need to force yourself "


    Wendy waved her hand hurriedly, but her face showed a hint of loneliness. Almark is weak to such face .


    Headmaster also told him to valued the time he spend with


    his friends,......, and only at times like this do he conveniently recall Yorog''s words.


    "No, I didn''t say I wouldn''t go, Wendy. I was just going to say that ten days was too much of a bother, so I was going to say I''d be back in five days, which is half of that."


    Wendy''s face brightened at these words, and Morgen''s shout "Yay!" echoed through the classroom

 Volume 3 - CH 3

    Before the happy summer vacation, there is an exam waiting for the students.


    That''s right, pre-vacation exams.


    A written exam for the academic subjects and a practical exam for the practical skills .


    If the students do not perform well in these three-day exams, they will not be able to move on to the next year''s class, and in the near future, their summer vacation plans will be greatly affected by make-up classes .


    The students gradually begin to experience a heavy atmosphere more than 10 days before the exam, and their tiredness and nervousness reach their peak the day before the exam.


    Just before the peak, a few days before the exam, a tired-looking Morgen was in the classroom.


    A tired-looking Morgen is encouraging an equally tired-looking Almark.


    "Listen, Almark. This exam is very important. You must never, get a make-up grade so that you can go to Wendy''s house for the summer vacation.¡±


    ¡° even though you say so."


    Almark''s face was a little pale.


    "I don''t mind the other subjects, but the magic practice. ......"


    "I''m sure you''ll be fine. You can do magic with your spirit, Almark. Magic is all about spirit!"


    As he was receiving the wonderfully practical advice from Morgen, Leila passed by him.


    Almark was surprised to see that her face was cool as usual and she did not look tired at all, so he called out to her.


    Leila, you don''t look tired at all, even though it''s just before the exam."


    Leila stopped and glanced at Almark with cold eyes.


    ''I remember everything I need to ...... in class. Don''t you too ?"


    ''It''s hard ...... to remember everything."


    ''Then I guess it''s no wonder you''re tired."


    Nothing can be done about it. Leila left with a cold glance.


    ¡°I''m impressed. Leila said she could memorize everything in class.¡±


    When Almark looked back at Morgen, Morgen shook his head with a pale face.


    It''''s not amazing," Stop it, Almark. Don''t talk to Leila out of the blue .You''re giving me a heart attack."


    "What? Why?"


    "Because she scares me."


    "I don''t think so. ......"


    He felt that she unsociable, but not scared. Almark twisted his head.


    "I''m sure Leila must have done very well on her exams, right?"


    He asked, and Morgen nodded,


    "In the last exam of the second year, Wallis came in first, Wendy fourth, and Leila fifth.


    That''s great, isn''t the second group excellent?"


    "Well, yeah. I was fourth from the bottom".


    Almark frowned at Mogen''s words.


    I think you''re the one who''s in danger of losing your make-up class," he said.


    ¡°That''s rude. I was fourth from the bottom, but I didn''t have to take a single make-up class. Nelson was ranked higher than me, but he had to make up two subjects."


    Morgen said proudly.


    It''s like the magic tricks of the wind, you fly low and never crash.


    "I will remember it "


    (We may not make it to Wendy''s mansion.)


    Almark had such feeling.


    Wendy really helped Almark to study for the exam.


    It was the first time in his life that he had ever studied for an exam.


    He had no idea how to do it, so she was there for him and helped him with his studies.


    Almark felt bad about it, but Wendy didn''t show any signs of disapproval, saying it was good for her own studies, and even told him to tell her if she was bothering him.


    The only things Almark could teach her were a few tricks from his martial arts class and some additional knowledge about monsters that he had briefly touched on in biology.


    It seems that classes on monsters don''t really start in earnest until the middle grades, and there was nothing else that Almark could really teach Wendy.


    Looking at Wendy''s beautiful lashes as she answered Almark''s questions with ease, all Almark could think about was what he could do for her.

 Volume 3 - CH 4

    ¡°You don''t seem to be able to focus today.¡±


    Only a few minutes into his daily meditation, he opened his eyes after teacher said this.


    "Are you having a hard time studying for the exam?"


    Yilmaz asked without criticizing Almark.


    "Yes, for the first time in my life. ......""


    Almark answered. Yilmaz nodded his head.


    ¡°I don''t think that''s the only reason you''re not focused," he said.


    Almirk was again surprised to hear Yilmaz''s words, as if he could see right through him. As expected of . Teacher , he can''t hide anything from him .


    "The teacher sees through everything."


    Almarc honestly told him about Wendy. Wendy helps him with his studies every day, but there is nothing he can do to return her kindness. But he wanted to do something for her, and his heart was aching at that thought.


    At first, Yilmaz raised his eyebrows a little in surprise, but the rest of the time he listened in silence.


    When he finished listening, he snorted and took a breath.


    "I''m not an expert in that kind of thing,......," I had forgotten that you always act so calmly as if you were an adult, but you are only eleven years old, aren''t you?¡±


    "...... yes."


    "To put it simply, you like Wendy."


    ¡°...... like......?¡±


    Almark looks up at Yilmaz uneasily.


    "I don''t really know, if I like her or don''t like her,......, because I haven''t been in that kind of situation before."


    "If you don''t know, you''ll just have to figure it out."


    ¡°It''s the same with magic and everything else¡±, Yilmaz continues.


    "You have to look inside yourself and see what it is you''re feeling without being scared of it. That''s part of facing yourself. And it''s just as important as meditation.:


    Yilmaz continues calmly, "You said you feel pain in your heart."


    " value that feeling Rememberg. It will be very important for you in your future life as a magician to know that feeling."


    "......So, what is it?"


    Almark''s expression said he did not understand.


    ¡°You don''t need to know it yet, . And don''t forget ......."


    He raised his index finger.


    "You say you bothering Wendy , but I''m sure she doesn''t consider it a bother herself. You have to remember that Wendy herself wants help you ."


    ¡°Wendy herself wants to help me ......"


    ¡°If you could help her in her time of need, would you do that?"


    "Yes, of course."


    ¡°Do you think that'' Wendy is bothering you?"


    ¡°No, I don''t.¡±


    "Why are you think Wendy feels the same way right now?"


    ......"


    Almark slumped down and thought about it. he chuckles when he sees this.


    "As I said before, this is not my specialty. I think I''m talking about something that doesn''t really fit me. Now, let''s end this conversation. A good magician is able to separate himself from negative emotions when performing magic, no matter what his state of mind is."


    "Yes."


    At his suggest , Almark stopped thinking for a moment and started meditation.

 Volume 3 - CH 5

    The exams have begun.


    The first day was a written exam. From morning till evening, the students had to spend all their time at the school desk and write down all the knowledge they had acquired on the answer sheet.


    For Wendy, who had given up her precious time to help Almark with his studies, he could not afford to get a poor score. Despite feeling as if smoke was coming out of his head, Almark somehow managed to get the majority of his answer sheets filled in for all the subjects that day.


    The second day was the practical exam. The students had to infuse the medicinal water of the healing skills correctly in time and perform the designated kata of the martial arts.


    The martial arts instructor, Bowen, smirked as he watched Almark perform the kata.


    "If a wild wolf tried to imitate a domesticated dog, it would probably look like this,"


    He uttered an unfamiliar metaphor.


    The third day was an interview and practice of magic.


    During the interview, the examiner, a teacher, asked the students a series of questions on both magic and general subjects. The students answered them quickly and accurately. If they fail to answer a question, points will be immediately reduced.


    This was an area in which Almark was rather good at.


    Finally, the last part of the test was the magic practice.


    The exam room was the magic practice hall. All students wait their turn in the classroom and are called one by one to the examination hall. The content of the exam is not made public in advance, and to prevent information leaks, students are sent back to their dormitories without going back to their classrooms after the exam.


    The examinations are very strict, and many students have to make up for them every time, but at any rate, once the examinations are over, the three-day examinations are over.


    Almark, however, waited his turn with a sense of anxiety.


    (There is nothing I can do in magic practice.)


    (That is true. I have only trained in meditation.)


    (I think I''ve learned a lot about how to feel the magic in my body. However, I still don''t know how to put that magic to use.)


    He has no idea what will be on the exam, but Almark had no choice but to try his best to meet the subject at hand.


    He was prepared for that.


    "Almark, don''t worry."


    Morgen, who looked much paler than Almark, called out to him, but he, too, had been called in for the test and was no longer there.


    Wendy''s name was called and Wendy answered and stood up. Just before she left the classroom, she quietly came up next to Almark and said


    ¡°Don''t worry. Just have faith in what you had done so far,"


    He was happy, but at the same time, he felt emotion of pity .


    (What have I been doing ......? Meditation. Even if I was asked to believe, I have nothing to believe in. I really have done nothing but meditate.)


    The number of students in the classroom drops off one by one.


    Almark is the last in the class to be called because he is a transfer student.


    There was nothing to do but watch in silence as the nervous Nelson, Norrisch, and Lilti left one by one, and the usual-looking Leila and Wallis left one after the other.


    Just before he left, Torque saw Armark''s nervousness and chuckled.


    " Do you think you can do something?"


    He knew what Almark thought. But he had to do something about it. He didn''t want to get good grades, but he didn''t want to give up and have to take make-up classes just because he couldn''t do something.


    Above all, he didn''t want Wendy to be disappointed.


    Of course, he would like to visit Wendy''s mansion during the summer vacation with Morgen if possible, but I was more afraid of Wendy''s disappointment than anything else.


    Next thing he know, there are only two more people in the classroom. .


    "Before I knew it, we were all alone, Deg."


    When Almark spoke to him, Deg smiled and said nothing.


    Deg is the boy who always follows Torque around like a prot¨¦g¨¦ with Galein. At first glance, he seems to be a bit dull, and he seems to be following Torque simply because he thinks that Torque is strong and therefore cool.


    He is also one of the most talented in his class at levitation, and Armark has seen him carry a stone placed a long distance away to his hand with a single touch of his finger.


    "Deg. Your levitation is amazing. I don''t have any magic I can use, I envy you."


    Taking advantage of the fact that Deg didn''t say anything, Almark couldn''t help but say such a weak words .


    He soon released that his prose didn¡¯t make him happy


    thing about his upcoming exam.


    He tried to take it back in a hurry, but to his surprise, Deg answered Almark''s words with a smile on his face.


    "I envy you, Almark."


    ''Oh, you envy me?''


    While Almark was puzzled, Deg continued with a smile on his face.


    "Because the teacher always says that what you see is not so important. "


    "What? ....."


    At that moment, Deg''s name was called and he stood up.


    " Everyone is jealous of you . I''m sure Leila and Wallis envy , too."


    Deg left the room with the same smile on his face.


    " everyone is jealous of ...¡­ me?"


    Almark muttered, puzzled in the classroom alone

 Volume 3 - CH 6

    Almark was still in a state of confusion when his name was called.


    More nervous than ever, Almark stood up with a fright, bowed to the teacher who had come to call him, and headed for the magic practice area off to the side of the building.


    (He said he envied me.)


    "I''m sure Leila and Wallis are jealous of you too."


    (I don''t know what Deg meant.)


    If he knew what it was, it might give him a clue for this exam. ......


    And after thinking that much, Almark finally realized that even Deg didn''t know anything about the exam, and he didn''t have a clue either.


    Then his thoughts went back to the beginning.


    He had no choice but to do it.


    (For the time being, I had no choice but to try to solve the problem on the spot.)


    (Whether I could do it or not, I would give it a try.)


    (I will not admit defeat right from the start.)


    As he walked, while thinking, Almark arrived at the entrance to the magic practice field.


    (All right,)


    He takes a deep breath.


    When he opened the door, he saw Yilmaz standing alone, as if it was his usual lesson.


    "This is Almark."


    Almark made a conscious effort to speak louder.


    "Nice to see you."


    Yilmaz looked at Almis and gave a small nod, just barely identifiable.


    "You''re the last one of the second group. Let''s begin."


    Then Yilmaz himself brought a palm-sized stone from the far corner. It was the same size as the stone often used for practice in stone carving lessons.


    He placed it on the floor in front of Almirk and said, "Let''s see what you''ve accomplished in class.


    "......"


    Almark waited for his next words. But silence. He didn''t seem to want to say anything else.


    Almark stared at the stone in front of him and froze.


    (The results of the lessons .)


    (He wants me to show him the results.)


    (I don''t have ...... any such results .)


    (The only thing I''ve done in the magic practice class since that big flaming failure is meditate.)


    (Sure, I did take a few peeks at the other classmates.)


    (But I never learned any magic at all to do anything with stones.)


    Almark thought.


    (But I have to do it.)


    (It''s better to do it on the spur of the moment than to end up doing nothing at all.)


    (What  should i do with this stone? )


    Yilmaz didn''t say anything .


    The first person that came to Almark''s mind was Deg, who had been with him earlier.


    (Deg would surely be able to levitate this stone without any difficulty. Levitation magic is his specialty.)


    Next, he thought of Wallis in the first stone carving class.


    (Wallis would have carved beautiful geometric patterns on this stone.)


    (What about Wendy?)


    (Wendy could do anything, but maybe she could use her newly learned spell of transformation to turn this stone into a beautiful gemstone, or a live rabbit, or something like that.


    (What about Nelson? What about Liltie ? What about Norrisch? I wonder what answers they would have given, now that they have finished this exam and are probably on their way back to their dormitories.)


    The magic they are good at comes to his mind one after another.


    (Oh, I''ve seen a lot of their magic in the past few months,) Almark realized, even after all this time.)


    (Not only Yilmaz . . They all taught me.)


    When he thinks about this, he suddenly remembers.


    There was only one magic that he had been able to use.


    "Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel your magic inside your body. Imagine strongly that you are gathering your magic power to the tip of the wand. Then, as you exhale sharply, imagine the magic penetrating through the back of the stone, and hold the wand ......."


    Torque''s voice from the first practice comes back to him .


    (Yes, Torque had indeed taught me how to do the stone carving that time.)


    (At the time, I couldn''t do it at all. Not a single flake peeled from the stone.)


    (But what happens now?)


    (I have been meditating every day, d I have been kneading the magic. I think I can break the stone now.)


    (I could make it now.)


    Yilmaz stares at Almirk in silence.


    Gulp.


    Almark swallows his spit.


    The technique of stone carving.


    (Shall I try it?)


    ( Prepare yourself, Almark.)


    (Now.......)

 Volume 3 - CH 7

    The stone carving skill that Torque taught him was the way to do it with a wand. Now, Almark does not have a wand in his hand.


    But even if he had a wand, he would not know how to use magic with it. It would be fine as it is.


    He could use his finger tips as a wand. He could imagine that the magic would go from his fingertips to the backside of the stone.


    Almark bent down in front of the stone.


    Yilmaz looks at Almark with a furrowed brow.


    (Watch ,teacher . The results of my training .)


    Almark thought.


    Thanks to the meditation he has been doing, he thought, he can now do stone carving .


    Almark gently touched the surface of the stone with his right index finger.


    Feeling the cool touch of the stone, he closes his eyes.


    (Good.)


    (Here, I will knead the magic. Meditation.)


    He breathes in and focuses his concentration.


    He slowly recall Torque''s words.


    ¡°Close your eyes and breathe deeply."


    "Feel the magic inside your body."


    As he remembers each of these words, he gradually swells the magical power in his body.


    (Imagine strongly that you are gathering the magic power to the tip of the wand.)


    (Concentrate the magic power that has flowed to a single point.)


    (Feel your own magic power gathering at the tip of your finger.)


    (Then, while exhaling sharply, imagine the magic power penetrating through to the back side of the stone. ......)


    (The power to break the stone is gathered in my fingertips.)


    (Good.)


    Almark was convinced of success.


    All that was left was to apply it.


    But just then.


    Suddenly, Almark''s meditation was interrupted by a noise.


    The noise could have been described as intuition.


    (Wait, my gut is telling me.)


    (Is this really what I need to do?)


    (Is it really okay to just activate the magic?)


    Almark wondered why he felt such anxiety after all this time.


    Was it because he had failed last time that he was afraid to use magic? Did his resolve sway at the last minute?


    (You decided to do it . To repay Wendy''s kindness, I''m going to ......)


    Almark remembered Wendy''s face.


    Wendy was always so kind to him. She had encouraged Almark earlier, even though he was about to take the exam.


    (What did Wendy say?)


    "Don''t worry. Believe in what you''ve achieved so far."


    (Yes, that''s what Wendy said.)


    (What I have achieved so far, )


    (Believe in what you have achieved.)


    Wendy''s words flashed through his mind like a flash of lightning. At that moment, Almark felt as if the fog inside his head instantly lifted.


    The identity of the ominous intuition he had felt earlier took concrete form in Almark''s mind.


    At the same time, the words that other classmates had said to him before the exam flashed through his mind one after another.


    ¡°Keep a clear head, Almark,''


    ¡°You''re the one who needs to be nervous . You think you can do something?"


    "you know teacher always says. what you see is not that important."


    Everyone had different words, but they were all going in the same direction.


    (Everyone had already given me the answer. I was the only one who didn''t understand. The answer was already inside me.)


    Almark opened his eyes.


    He gently removed his finger from the stone.


    He kneels down in front of the stone and slowly sits down on the floor.


    His eyes meet Yilmaz''s, who looks at him suspiciously.


    Almark gave a small nod and closed his eyes again.


    ( Teacher said, to show what I archived in class. He didn''t say anything about what to do with the stone.)


    (What is my achievement in this class?)


    (It''s ...... this, meditation.)


    Almark feels his mind released from its tension and becomes clear and refreshed.


    (I will do what I can do now.)


    Almark concentrated and formulated the magic in his body.


    Carefully, carefully, he remembered all the advice he had been given by teacher and did exactly as he had been taught


    (I felt the quality of the magic in my body increase and become clearer to the extent that I could tell.)


    This is meditation, Almark thought to himself in amazement. He had never concentrated to this degree before. He had already forgotten that this was an exam.


    Okay, enough ," said teacher.


    His voice brought him back to reality , and he finally opened his eyes, remembering that this was an exam.


    T/N We    had reached chapter  50  and overcame 10000 views point  . I  wanna thanks you for that . i hope you wil continue reading  that series in the future despite my rough translations  .

 CH prologue 1

    Almark''s Entrance to the Nork Magic Academy was delayed for two years.


    It had been more than a hundred years since the flames of war had been broken in the central and southern regions of the country. In contrast, the wars in the north showed no sign of ending.


    Various countries rose and fell, many people lost their lives in the war, and yet the people of the north spent 45 years in wars without having established a strong and powerful nation.


    Mercenaries from all over the continent naturally gathered in the North.


    Almark''s father, Reyes, was also in the north as second-in-command of the elite Black Wolf Cavalry.


    Almark first met the dean, Yorog, when he was five years old.


    At that time, the Black Wolf Cavalry was on a mission in the conflict between the kingdoms of Phelan and Gilba, and was marching with its main force through the conflict zone between the two kingdoms.


    There is no such thing as a safe journey to the north. On the same day, Reyes saw a cloud of dust ahead and took ten riders with him to scout the area.


    Keep them away from the main force.


    Reyes instructed his men and took the lead personally.


    The enemy was soon identified. It was a group of thieves with a base of operations in this area. They numbered about 30 riders.


    The thieves seemed to be in chase of an old man who was on a journey.


    "They''re a bunch of fools," Reyes muttered to himself.


    We have information that Gilba''s regular army is advancing ahead of us.


    ''Let''s kick the thieves to the ground and go a bit further," he decided. He looked back at his men behind him.


    "Let''s go!''


    At that moment, he had no intention of taking any action regarding the old traveler who was being chased.


    He had his eyes on the bandit chasing the old man, not the old man being chased by the bandit.


    The riders under Reyes took the bandits by surprise from their sides.


    The black wolves, who were more than three times as numerous as the thieves, collapsed in a fragile heap.


    The battle ended when Reyes cut down the seventh man.


    "The rest escaped?"


    Reyes muttered as he looked around. The bandits had fled, leaving behind a great number of corpses.


    Then he looked at the old man for the first time.


    The old man was breathing heavily, and thanked him for his help.


    "Sorry for your misfortune, old man,"


    Reyes said.


    "This area will soon become a battleground. It''s not safe to travel alone."


    He then turned to his men, who were picking through the corpses of the dead bandits, and shouted at them to leave it alone.


    He counted the number of men who had gathered, and muttered to himself, "Wenner has been killed."


    ¡°We''ll go a little farther and see if we can get a good look at the regular army of Gilba.¡±


    And when they were all riding, he looked back at the old man, as if recalling.


    ¡°If you wait here for a while, our main force will come. If you''ve learned your lesson about traveling alone, just mention the name Reyes and they''ll take you into their carriage. Don''t worry. We''re a band of mercenaries on the move, we have women and kids. I can go with you to the border.¡±


    He said in a single breath,


    "All right, let''s go!"


    At Reyes'' shout, the ten black wolves began to ride at once .

 CH prologue 2

    When Reyes returned to camp he had already forgotten all about the old man.


    There was no sign of the Gilba regular army he had been expecting to see .


    It seemed that they had turned around and moved their offensive to the east.


    Having lost their current enemy, the Black Wolf Riders were to continue their advance and move on to the next mission of securing the supply lines of Phelan''s regular army.


    As Reyes left the commander''s tent feeling listless and tired, one of the women cooks came up to him and told him that they had picked up a strange old man on the way who claimed to be an acquaintance of his.


    Finally, he remembered about the old man.


    "Hey, old man."


    The old man was sitting in a corner of the carriage.


    When Reyes called out to him, he stood up in a hurry, bowed deeply, and said his name was Yorog.


    "I''m Reyes. I''m the vice commander here."


    Yorog asked him to let him thank him in any way he could.


    Reyes laughed and asked him what he could do for him.


    Well, he thought, if he could help a woman with her work.


    Yorog told him that he was the head of the Nork Magic Academy in the Kingdom of Garai, a large country in the south, and that he was on his way to look for talented kids.


    Reyes laughed and did not believe him, but Yorog picked up a stone at his feet and threw it over his head, saying that he had lost his wand on his journey and could only do this much, and then watched as it turned into a bird and flew away, muttering, "Is this real?"


    ''I''ve heard of the Nork Magic Academy ,''


    Reyes said.


    It''s a place where anyone with a talent for magic can receive an equal education, regardless of where they come from or their status. I also heard that after graduation, people from all over the world will be very interested in you and you will be able to get success in your career. You''re the director of the academy there?"


    Yorog nodded and added to Reyes'' vague knowledge.


    The school is located on an island called Nork Island, the age of entrance is limited to nine years old, and the school is a boarding school with three years each for elementary, middle, and high school, for a total of nine years of education.


    "Hmmm."


    Reyes snorted once, and then remained thoughtful for a while.


    Yorog silently watched him.


    Eventually, Reyes began to scratch his left side absently. It was a habit of his when he was about to say something that was difficult to say.


    ..¡±....Your academy only takes talented kids, right?"


    ¡°......Yes."


    When Yorog nodded, Reyes groaned again and began to scratch his side.


    "I need a favor."


    Finally, Reyes spoke up.


    "It''s about my son."


    "Your son," Yorog responded.


    "Yeah, his name''s Almark. He''s five years old."


    Reyes scratched his side.


    Almark''s mother died soon after he was born," Reyes said, still scratching his side. I raised him as a single parent, but he''s not very strong, or rather, he''s too timid. Being a mercenary is a tough job. You can''t rely on your friends, let alone your enemies. The only people you can rely on are yourself and a group of friends. I can assure you, if he becomes a mere mercenary, he will surely die before he turns twenty."


    Yorog listens silently.


    So, I wonder. Why don''t you take him into your academy?"


    Reyes continued before Yorog could speak.


    ¡° Of course he doesn''t have any magic talent," Reyes said. ¡°But as long as he can find a place for himself in the south, where he can live, where still no war. Please, take him in ."


    Reyes bowed his head.


    Yorog was silent for a while, but eventually he laughed and said, "That was a strange thing to ask. I''m the one who owed you a favor, and you''re the one who'' s bowing."


    Anyway, in response to Yorog''s request to let him see the boy, the two got up.


    When they noticed that it was already dark,


    It seemed that preparations for diner had begun.


    Reyes pointed to one of the campfires, which were burning here and there, and said, "There he is.¡±

 CH prologue 3

    The child was sitting idly beside the women who were busy cooking rice.


    The flames of the campfire made his face reddish.


    When Reyes called out, "Almark," he looked at his father .


    He looks surprisingly intelligent.


    But the light in his weak eyes told of his timidity.


    Recognizing his father, the boy ran up to him happily.


    But he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that his father was standing beside an unknown old man.


    "It''s all right, Almark," he said. This old man is a good man."


    Reyes said, but Almark ran up to his father and quickly hid behind him.


    "He''s shy,"


    Reyes said and sighed.


    ''You''re so pathetic."


    ''No, he''s got a very clever face. ''I suppose it''s because of his intelligence that he''s so cautious.''


    Yorog approached Almark as he said this and bent down at the hip, saying, "Which one?"


    Almark was clinging to Reyes''s leg and refused to move , but Reyes dragged him forcibly out.


    Yorog gently put his left hand on Almark''s head.


    Almark shivered and looked as if he was about to cry.


    Almark don¡¯t be afraid," Reyes yelled at him.


    As soon as Yorog''s hand touched Almark''s head, there was a snap and something like an electric spark.


    Yorog was taken aback and pulled his hand back in a hurry.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Reyes asked.


    Yorog looked at Almark''s face, with serious face and  wide-eyes  .


    ''...... you surprised me......''


    Yorog rubbed his hand and told Reyes that his boy had incredible magical powers,


    ''I''ve seen many talented children ,but I''ve never met one with this much potential."


    "Really?"


    Reyes was pleased with that.


    He had no idea what kind of magical talent he was talking about.


    At any rate, his son had been recognized by the old man.


    "He probably has a talent with the sword as well. I''m sure he will grow up to be a fine mercenary."


    "Sword talent is not a great thing,"


    Reyes answered immediately.


    "The mercenaries need to have the mind strength to live without relying on anyone else. Whether you are strong or weak is not important. He probably doesn''t have that."


    ...... " that is what you are thinking ."


    Yorog gave Reyes the detailed route to the academy.


    ¡°When he turns nine, bring him to the academy. I''ll make sure he''s a will top-notch magician.¡±


    "I''ll make sure to bring him. Good for you, Almark."


    Reyes hugged his son.


    Almark had no idea what was happening, he was just being held by his father, who was sweaty.


    Yorog then traveled with them to the border and then left, bowing his head many times.

 CH prologue 4

    Almark had developed into a smart boy, just as Yorog had predicted.


    Reyes did not teach him swordsmanship, but he practiced on his own, holding a large, adult-sized sword.


    He was still quiet and shy, but as he grew up, there was a light in his eyes.


    One day, when he was eight years old, an incident happened that dazzled everyone.


    On that day, leaving his main force in the rear, everyone went out to battle.


    The opponent was the Knights Mercenaries of Maurice. They were a formidable enemy.


    Therefore, all the men were going out to battle.


    Then, two mercenaries burst in.


    They were mercenaries of the flow, but both were strong warriors.


    The only ones left in the main force were women, children, and old men. Five of them were immediately turned into a bloody mess.


    Then Almark jumped out.


    He handled his adult long sword with great dexterity and quickly cut down two of them.


    Reyes, who had returned home wounded after a one-on-one fight with Garkash, "White Gale," the ace of the Maurice Mercenary Knights, heard the story from the women and snorted.


    It seems that your son wants to be a mercenary," said Gerus, the leader of the group, clapping Reyes on the shoulder.


    Even in this land where it is normal for a 12-year-old to go off to the battlefield, this was an exceptionally early age to be going off to the battlefield.


    But Reyes called Almark and asked him if he wanted to join him on the next fight. Almark nodded.


    Winter passed and spring came.


    It was the spring of Almark''s 9th year.


    But the situation in the north was getting worse day by day, and Reyes was in no condition to leave his troops.


    And so, instead of Almark''s entrance ceremony at the Academy of Magic, he made his debut as fighter .


    He joined the rest of the adults and slayed foes.


    Next time, his father told him, you must join fight again.


    The second battle was a defeat. Instead of reading his textbooks in class, he spilled blood on the cold northern ground.


    After five big battles, summer came.


    Almark had already become a full-fledged warrior.


    But Reyes had not given up on his son''s entrance into the Academy of Magic.


    When he was not fighting, he called his son and taught him everything he knew. He taught him to read, write, and calculate in the same way that Almark had learned to use a sword.


    Thus the summer of Almark''s ninth year passed in a fruitless manner for Reyes.


    One day, Almark nearly lost his life on the battlefield.


    His chest was stabbed by the spear of Angol, the ace of the Garret heavy-armored mercenaries, nicknamed the "Shark of the Sea.¡°


    Fortunately, he survived, but even so, he was unable to get up for a month.


    Reyes finally decided to part ways with his son.


    When Almark finally recovered, Reyes called him and told him to leave for the south .


    At first Almark protested, saying he would fight with him.


    When Almark said he would fight with his father, Reyes shouted at him.


    "You''re a fool, you''re just holding us back!¡±


    In fact, the Black Wolf Cavalry was planning to head for the Kingdom of Bastia, one of the top five hot spots in the north.


    The danger would not only be on the battlefield.


    "I will be stronger,"


    Almark said. Reyes snorted and said,


    "It''s too late for that now," he said.


    Almark fell silent, and Reyes spoke to him in a gentle voice this time.


    "Listen, being a mercenary is the most unprofitable job there is. There are a lot of stories about mercenaries who became knights, but there aren''t many of them. They are all just used up and thrown away when they are no longer of use to the others. To avoid that, you can''t just use a sword. ...... Use your head, Almark. Don''t depend on me to tell you what to do or how to do it. Study up, get smarter, get better, get great, get a bunch of friends to run things."


    Almark was silent for a moment, and then he said in a quiet voice, "All right, Dad."


    Reyes didn''t even smile, but said, " Good, you know what to do, ".


    "Go say goodbye to the others."


    Almark nodded and left the tent.


    "There were two children the same age as Almark."


    Mary, one year younger than Almark, looked up to him as if he were her brother.


    She was a clever girl who did the cooking and laundry along with the adult women.


    "Don''t forgot about me, big brother Almark, "she said with a tearful smile on her face.


    Galba is the same age as Almark and is the son of Gazak, a master axeman. Of course, he hasn''t been in his first battle yet, but he hates to lose and has always competed with Almark.


    "Take care, Almark, and the next time we meet, I''ll be a full-fledged warrior, Galba said."


    Early the next morning, Almark set off to south . Reyes went to see him off.


    "You''re a full-fledged warrior now. I''m not worried about you. But there are always some unexpected events can happened ."


    He took out a small red colored pendant from his pocket.


    "It was a memento of Shetina."


    Reyes said, referring to his late wife.


    ¡°It will protect you no matter what.¡±


    "Thank you."


    Almark put the bag on the ground and took it with both hands.


    "I''m off ....... Take care, Dad."


    "Yeah."


    And with that, the two men parted.


    After walking for a while, he looked back and saw that his father was still looking at him.


    Almark gave one last big wave.


    Reyes responded by raising his hand lightly, then turned on his back and walked back into the camp.


    "Goodbye, Dad," Almark muttered in his mind.


    He was soon out of sight.


    This was to be the last final farewell between father and son.

 CH prologue 5

    Although he had gained real combat experience in the mercenary corps, Almark was only a nine-year-old child.


    Traveling alone in the north was incredibly harsh.


    Moreover, the autumn had passed and winter was approaching.


    Hunger, cold, monsters, and angry people were Almark''s enemies. Everything was against him.


    He almost lost his life many times, but each time he managed to escape with his extraordinary swordsmanship and luck.


    Sometimes he was taken in by a band of mercenaries on the way, and sometimes he worked with travelers, fighters, and magicians.


    The chances of being betrayed by these people he relied on were more than 80%.


    Through such hardships and heartbreak, Almark learned how to tell the difference between those he could trust and those he could not.


    By the time he had crossed the Menober Strait, which separates the northern part of the continent from the midlands, the spring season had arrived.


    Almark had managed to survive the toughest winter in the north.


    His senses were sharpened during this harsh journey, and he learned many skills for survival.


    Nakahara is a rich land where wars have ended a long time ago.


    It was the first time in his life that Almark had ever felt something new.


    People who lived a life where they do not have to worry about what they are going to eat that day.


    Almark looked at them with a sense of wonder.


    The people were kind to Almark as he traveled.


    To the people of Nakahara, the boy who traveled alone from the north at the age of only 9 was nothing but a superhuman.


    During his journey in Nakahara, Almark first learned the joy of travel and experienced the kindness of the people. He also learned about the richness of war-free countries.


    The season had turned from the spring oto summer and was now turning into autumn.


    By the time he reached the southern part of the continent, he was out of money.


    Almark continued his journey, as if he were a beggar.


    The winter had come, but having survived the winter of the north, the winters of the south were nothing to him.


    Every day he camped out in the field, gazing up at the stars and learning how to communicate with himself.


    The seasons passed, and spring came around when Almark was 11 years old.


    Nork Island was just across the sea, but he worked for a month in the harbor to earn his boat fare.


    When it was finally over, two years after his promise to Yorog, Almark arrived at the Nork Magic Academy.