On his father’s desk was the ticket to Loribania Sain had ordered, as well as documents about the academy. As always, her preparations were impeccable. But still, this was definitely not her business. Had he not visited his father today, the headmaster would likely be reading some very ill-advised words in the coming days.
And so, Sain departed his homeland, the Holy Kingdom of Lightridge. His journey would take him over land and sea.
And that was about it. Not much happened. In all honesty, it was a painfully eventless journey. The sheer dullness of the final sequence caused Sain to grimace as his trip down memory lane drew to a close.
“Flashback complete,” Melia announced, again to no one in particular.
“What in the world are you going on about?” asked a bewildered Sain.
In truth, Sain was hoping for something more dramatic—something in the vein of a furious and impassioned confrontation of words, at the end of which he would finally wring victory from the begrudging lips of his father. Reality, however, delivered almost the polar opposite. As a result, he was left somewhat wanting as he set off on his journey.
“In any case, a new path has been paved before me.” He laughed with the exaggerated articulation of a stage actor. “Out there lies a new world. Tremble with fear, unwitting denizens of lands yet unknown, for the day my ambition is realized draws near!”
He turned with dramatic flair, allowing his black coat to billow in the wind.
“I, Sain Forth...” Pausing for effect, he extended his left hand outward and brought his right across his face. “...shall become a dark knight!”
His statement, theatrics notwithstanding, was not so much an announcement as a reminder of his commitment. The dark knight, much like the holy knight, was unique in being an individual granted divine favor.
They were binary; a pair equal but also counter to each other. While the holy knight received their blessing from the goddess, the dark knight’s came from her male god counterpart. The holy knight commanded the power of light, and the dark knight the power of darkness. Sain admired the dark knight to no end, so much so that he longed to become one. As he gazed out across the endless sea, he took a moment to bask in the trailing silence of his masterfully delivered proclamation. At his side, Melia rolled her eyes.
“That’s definitely not the kind of thing I should be hearing from someone whose favorite hobby is gardening.”
“What’s wrong with gardening?!”
For the record, he was particularly into fruits at the moment.
+ + +
Having arrived at the Kingdom of Loribania’s port city, Sain immediately began preparations for their journey to the capital city of Raskas. The passage was a relatively short one, and this close proximity had enabled the bustling port city to blossom into one of the largest traffic hubs in the known world.
Carts were the standard method of transportation but, in addition to the usual horse-drawn carriages, the city employed an assortment of monsters as beasts of burden, some even going as far as to use dragons. From here, people would select their preferred vehicle and depart for their destination.
“It’s still pretty early... What’s our schedule for the day looking like?”
“The only event that must be attended would be the academy’s proficiency assessment in the afternoon. Aside from that, I would recommend dealing with the headmaster’s request at some point in the day.”
“Hm. Well, it’s a little early, but I suppose we’ll go pick up the monster cart we reserved.”
The academy’s entrance ceremony was tomorrow. Today, it was conducting something called a proficiency assessment. Based on their results, students would be divided into classes. The assessment would proceed through a test of magical skill, a test of physical skill, and then an interview.
Sain and Melia made their way to the cart rental store and approached the counter where the owner sat.
“Excuse me, we have a reservation for a monster cart.”
The owner, a slim-looking man, widened his eyes at Sain’s bizarre appearance, but soon recomposed himself and reached behind the counter to take out what looked like a reservation list.
“All right. What’s your name?”
“I’m Sain, and this is Meli— Ahem.” He caught himself before saying his attendant’s name.
“I’m Melia,” she said, finishing his sentence without missing a beat.
As the owner flipped through his list to confirm, Melia turned to Sain with eyes that faintly glistened with tears. She leaned onto the balls of her feet to whisper in his ear.
“Master Sain, that was a rather close call.”
“R-Right. My apologies, my maid.”
The excitement of taking this first step toward his dream seemed to have made him let his guard down a little.
“All right, could you go wait at the entrance? I’ll bring your cart around right away. By the way... That’s one heck of a get-up, huh? Got a real, you know, deviant vibe going on there. Thought I’d have to call the authorities when I first saw you.”
“D-D-Deviant?! B-B-But—” Sain fumbled over his words as he tried to compose an appropriate response, eventually deciding on: “Hmph, I see you do not understand the appeal of the ominous aura that exudes from this outfit. Hapless mortal, you fill my heart with pity.” He then laughed ominously. For good measure.
“Self-pity, right? Especially considering you were up all night making that coat.”
“Maid! You did not need to say that!” protested Sain, trying very hard to ignore the sensation welling up in his throat that felt suspiciously like an urge to cry.
After thanking the owner, they didn’t need to wait long before a monster cart appeared at the store’s entrance. Pulling the cart was a massive wolf-like creature. With legs far stronger than those of horses, it could traverse even bad roads with relative ease. Not needing to select cart-friendly paths also allowed it to reach its destination in less time.
“Master Sain, just to confirm... Have you finished your preparations for the proficiency assessment?”
Melia’s voice rang out over the thumping of the monster’s steps and the squeaking of the cart.
“Preparations? Ah, you mean the magic seals?”
“Yes, I do.”
“They’re right here.” He turned to her with his arms wide open, showing off the entirety of his outfit. “I’m wearing them right now. Might have went a little overboard, I’ve got to admit.”
“...Oh, please no.” Melia stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. “Seriously? Those rings and necklaces, all that jangling nonsense... Are you seriously telling me they’re all magic seals?”
“I sure am! What do you think? Aren’t they cool?”
“U-Um, okay... Let’s assume they’re cool—which is a very big assumption, mind you. Even then, is it really a good idea to be wearing them so openly?”
“No need to worry. These were all specially made based on my own original designs. I doubt anyone would realize they’re seals just by looking at them. Plus, they’re made to last.”
Though Melia’s brows remained furrowed at his reasoning, the childlike pride with which her master flaunted his accessories eventually convinced her to let the matter pass.
“Now that I think about it, Master Sain... Under the current circumstances, aren’t you... Hm, what’s the word? Completely useless?”
“...You know, that’s a pretty hurtful question.”
“Jenifa Royal Magic Academy is famous for its competitive merit-based system, after all. At a place like that, you’ll run into trouble sooner or later. Are you sure you’ll be able to handle a dangerous situation with all those magic seals dangling off of you?”
“Hm, you raise a valid point.”