episode_0012

“Hey, Erin!! Where did you go? Kidney said he’ll give you four pieces of jerky if you come out now!!”

“He’s not some wild animal, will that work.. Erin! We’re really going now, are you going to act like this?”

It was the seventh day since they set off. When he woke up, Erin had disappeared, leaving only tiny footprints on the dewy ground.

“Master. We need to start moving now if we want to arrive today.”

“Well, can you wait just 30 more minutes? We haven’t known each other for long, but disappearing like this all of a sudden is a bit much, isn’t it?”

Amidst the mixed footprints, he followed Erin’s trail and set off on the road.

Crunch—

“Erin.. What are you doing there?”

In the sound-filled grassy area, there was Erin, squatting with a stick in each hand.

“An ambush..?”

Still mostly expressionless, avoiding eye contact as if feeling awkward or pricked.

“It’s time to leave now, let’s go back.”

“But it’s also time to part ways.”

Erin discarded the sticks in his hands, put the sword he had left by his side on his back, and prepared to leave.

“Was there something lacking in us?”

“No. Muscles were all muscles, and the apple head was annoyingly stuck, but it wasn’t bad.”

Saying so, Erin stretched his body from its crouched position, stood up, and spoke.

“Yeah. Our master says, where there’s a meeting, there’s also parting.”

“That’s true, but..”

“Well then. Goodbye. Kind person.”

With dirty white hair and dirtying it even more with soil, Erin, using small steps, had already disappeared into the distance before he knew it.

He seemed to always be like that. Before receiving too much affection, before giving as much as he received, he seemed to want to leave first. Always ready to depart.

Children like that often seemed quite common in orphanages. Especially those who had been entrusted for not too long due to some reason. There’s no one without a story, but thinking about the familiar stories I’ve seen countless times makes my mouth feel bitter for no reason.

***

“Let’s go, pack up. Will Big Ten sir start the departure?”

“Yes, you lot! Hurry up and pack your things!”

The scattered servants here and there tidied up the camp and prepared to leave in a bustling atmosphere.

“Kidney. Where’s Erin?”

“Right, that little guy disappeared without even saying goodbye!”

“Hmm..”

Just then, dandelion seeds fluttered along with the wind, aimlessly, but I knew their essence was to find a place to take root.

“Well, we’ll meet again soon, right?”

.

.

Arriving at the academy located in the heart of the capital, the first thing that caught their eyes was the towering wall and the massive adamantium gate.

“Wow.. It’s really huge..”

“That’s right. How much do you think something like that costs?”

“All we can say is that what we offer cannot be valued in terms of money.”

!

Suddenly, a tall man wearing glasses appeared behind them without any warning. Everyone couldn’t hide their surprise at his unexpected arrival.

“Welcome, to where all learning resides. To where all rules are being made.”

“We embrace change. Of course, what doesn’t change is your choice.”

The man continued to walk around us, towards us.

“Now, what lies ahead for you is different types of canvases.”

Standing in front of David,

“Some may be clay-colored.”

Standing in front of Selena,

“Oh, some might even be blue.”

Then, grabbing my shoulder,

“Of course, whether the pure white color will maintain that purity until the end is one of our main concerns.”

And then, taking his place back in front of the door, he shouted,

“Let me greet you once again. Welcome to the closest observatory to the stars.”

.

.

‘Children gather one by one, and adults welcome the children. Oh, there! Follow the set rules! Otherwise, you might end up growing up alone!’

The boy said. I don’t want to remain a child for the rest of my life!

Here, there are plenty of sweet candies, and savory snacks too!

Oh. Still, I’d rather be an adult who must do things on my own, rather than a child who doesn’t need to think!

The rest of the kids shouted,

“Fool, fool, fool!

We seemed to have been captivated by something, but when we came to our senses, we were inside the academy.

“What was that just now?”

“I’ve seen it in Senior Gaju’s notes. The test to enter the academy starts the moment you see the school.”

“So, did we pass?”

Selina looked at David as if in disbelief. But still, you’re family…

“No way. Considering dorm assignments, we still have a long way to go.”

“It’s really annoying, can’t we finish it all at once?”

“Come on, we passed the first hurdle, right? Let’s think of it as crossing a major gateway. If we were stuck at the entrance, we would have had a hard time finding excuses to turn back.”

“Kidney is right. Let’s go prepare for the next exam.”

But on our chests, each of us had a brooch we hadn’t seen before.

“Selina, look at David’s chest.”

“Oh? Yellow. No, is it ochre?”

“I have a blue brooch… It matches the color mentioned by that suspicious person earlier. Kidney, yours is white.”

“Yeah, it seems like that person attached them.”

The more I thought about it, the more the concept of the academy became filled with uncertainty. Somehow, it seemed like not expecting the traditional image of an educational institution would be beneficial for my sanity.

“New students, come this way!”

Walking along the main street, we saw a man holding a picket and shouting,

“This way! This way!”

In front of him, many boys and girls who still looked young were gathered together.

“Hmm, looks like we should go that way. Let’s move quickly!”

“Wait, don’t run, David!”

As we continued to approach, a man who seemed to be trying his best to lead the chaotic atmosphere typical of adolescence appeared.

As the children gathered one by one and the adults welcomed them…

“What did you say, Kidney?”

“Something. Something strange. David, come here!”

“Hey! You three, come over here! We all need to move together!”

“Kidney! What do you mean by strange? It seems like we’re about to depart soon!”

“Right. We might get lost if we keep wandering like this.”

“Selina, do you remember what the man we met at the main gate said?”

“Yes. He clearly said, ‘Welcome to where all learning is.’ And then?”

“To where all rules are being made. That’s right…”

“It may sound strange, but after seeing that man, I remember hearing some kind of song-like thing. The lyrics of that song and the current situation are so similar that it’s unsettling.”

David, who had been staring at us strangely, came over.

“And, kids this age usually don’t follow instructions well, right?”

“Yeah, that’s why that guy is shouting himself hoarse. What’s the big deal?”

“Look at those kids over there. Despite the chaotic atmosphere, they are following a precise circle almost perfectly, except for the last three digits.”

“Come to think of it… something does seem suspicious. None of them have the brooches we have… Of course, there’s also the possibility that only he gave them to us.”

As we stopped approaching, the man and the children started shouting.

“”Hurry up! Hurry up!!””

“Kids, gather around quickly! New students, this way! Kids, this way!”

“””Come quickly! Over here. Hurry!”””

“No. We won’t go. We won’t follow you, any of you.”

“Wait, Kidney. What will you do if you make a sudden decision like that!”

“Just wait, David. Kidney must have a plan. Have you ever been wrong trusting Kidney?”

“Well, that’s true..”

“Hey, you three, we’re leaving as soon as you come! We’re departing now!”

“You guys follow the rules too! Hurry up and come!”

“That seems a bit strange..”

“Now even you’ve caught on..”

“No. We’re not children who blindly obey the rules.”

“Fool! Fool! Fool!”

“Yes, fool, fool!”

“Fool! Fool! Fool!”

Fool! Fool..!..Ba..b…

The many dolls surrounding us only spewed out incomprehensible language as they melted in the fire.

“Were those things not even human?”

“It’s kind of pitiful..”

The sight of numerous human forms melting in the fire was far from pleasant. Especially for me.

“The creator must have had a damn awful personality.”

“Kidney, your hand..!”

Unconsciously, when I opened my tightly clenched hand, I saw blood flowing from nail marks.

“Do you have some bad memories?”

“Give me your hand for now!”

Selina poured a little potion on my right hand and gently treated it.

“If something happens, tell us first.”

Chiiing…

Artificial healing through potions still didn’t feel familiar.

“Ouch..”

“And! Who’s using such bad language!”

As Selina suddenly hit my back, I glanced at David for help, but he just turned away to avoid it.

“Okay! Sorry!!”

“Congratulations on successfully completing the second test.”

!

Another figure approached without a sound. This time, it was a woman with long crimson hair neatly tied back, holding a thread around her finger.

“Excellent judgment is the most important tool to protect against unexpected dangers.”

The woman appeared from nowhere, tidying up my disheveled clothes and speaking.

“Furthermore, the ability to persuade and lead the group is an essential quality of a leader.”

“Of course. Trusting the leader is also a crucial virtue. Especially in the many trials ahead.”

“The Academy will not turn you into mindless followers. That’s enough for common soldiers or servants.”

“Always question everything, even friends, family, and yourself.”

“For all of you who have come to the arena where everything can be gained through struggle, I wish you good luck.”

At the same time as I felt the dizzying vertigo I had felt at the main gate, I saw a woman staring at me.

‘It’s not a hobby.’

.

.

.

‘The girl will continue forward. Look beside you! You have many friends!’

‘I don’t need them.’

‘Oh, the path ahead is a dangerous swamp! It’s foolish to go alone! Give up!’

‘No. I can do it alone!’

‘Oh, the ambitious girl with less ability was eventually swallowed whole by the alligator!’

.

.

.