One of the noble kids rested his hand on the spirit boat and let out a laugh loud enough for everyone to hear; since he was the last one to board, the sound of their mocking laughter slowly faded away into the sky.
The ten youths were left standing as they watched them leave; no one had warned them about this when they first came here, but a few of them shook their heads in bitter defeat.
"I heard the rumors, but I never thought they were actually true!"
When Nalt spoke, all eyes turned to him, while the boy with the uneven bangs kept his gaze fixed on the dirt.
"Since the Botanical Division trials have always been passed only by the nobles, people have whispered that they cover their own travel costs ever since the Second Elder took over the Academy. I refused to believe that kind of bootlicking, but it looks like the rumors were true!"
Faces darkened; it was obvious that traveling to the Academy without a spirit boat was impossible. They had pulled off a miracle—the sheer number of kids from the common ranks who passed the Botanical Division trial was unheard of—but poverty was beating them back down.
"Hey, wait for me!"
A lively voice shattered the grim mood, and the robust boy rushed toward the hill where the spirit boats had just taken off.
"Mel, where have you been?"
Nalt was the first one to rush forward, and the others poured after him like they had been waiting for this exact moment.
"We were worried about you!"
"Are you alright?"
There were four girls among the ten, and in their eyes, Mel was no different from a knight on a white horse. The hero who carried them through the trials had vanished, throwing them into despair.
"Thank the heavens you are back; we are in serious trouble!"
Finally, one of them explained the problem to Mel; judging by how the robust boy's face twisted, even he had not expected a hurdle like this.
"You are saying we need a spirit boat."
"Yes, otherwise we will die in the forests we have to cross. Compared to those lands, the outer forest is as safe as a backyard in the settlement!"
Nalt laid out their lack of choices with brutal honesty; realism was carved right into this boy's bones. Mel's bright face darkened; pacing back and forth for a while, he sank into deep thought.
Then, without warning, he grabbed Nalt by the arm and broke into a sprint toward the settlement, calling out to those left behind.
"Wait here! I think I have a plan!"
Running at top speed, Nalt risked biting his tongue as he asked Mel where they were rushing to.
"Mel, where are we going?"
Mel did not answer, keeping up his hard pace until they passed the outer walls; he only slowed down when they reached the square where the martial trials had been held.
"Nalt, do you remember? We ran into a man here; when you told him I broke a record, he said, 'If you ever need anything, come find me!'"
The panting boy with the uneven bangs could not even lift his head from the dirt until those words hit his ears.
"Are you talking about Big Joe?"
"Yes, that was his name. He said, 'If you find the time, stop by my shop; let me give you a few things as gifts!'"
Nalt did not hesitate for a second; this time, grabbing Mel by the arm, he broke into a sprint. A tiny shred of hope breathed life into a boy who was about to collapse from exhaustion.
Turning down one of the streets branching off the square, they ran a little further, stopping in front of the large sign of Big Joe's shop hanging over its stone walls.
"Mel, we rushed all the way here, but how is this man going to just hand over a massive spirit boat to us?"
Blinded by his panic, Nalt's common sense only returned when they reached the shop's door. But Mel grabbed the handle without hesitating and walked right in.
"Good day!"
Mel walked into the place with heavy steps; the loud noise from the swinging door echoed through the large, single-room shop. Right across from them, the man sleeping in a chair behind a desk jolted awake.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, the two boys walked up and stopped in front of him. When he raised his head, he gave them a cold, unwelcoming look.
"What do you want?"
The man's lazy attitude was clear in his voice; dropping his balding head slightly, he brushed them off without even looking at their faces.
"Mel, come on, let's go!"
After seeing the man's attitude, Nalt turned toward the door and pulled at Mel's sleeve, but the robust boy refused to move an inch.
"I came to speak with Big Joe!"
Getting ready to go back to sleep, the man sat up in his seat, gave Mel a sweeping look, and slouched back down.
"You? What kind of business could the boss possibly have with you?"
This time, a mocking tone laced his voice, but Mel stood his ground.
"If he is here, could you tell him that the champion of this year's Botanical Division Trial has arrived?"
Even though he spoke politely, the words hit the man's ears hard enough to change the look on his face instantly. Right after that, a heavy slap echoed through the room, sounding like thunder.
"Get up from that seat, you scoundrel, and greet our guest properly!"
A hand shooting out from the curtain right behind his balding head struck him so hard that, even though he was told to stand, the man collapsed right where he sat. Stunned, the clerk crawled onto his hands and knees, but Big Joe walked out from behind the curtain and planted a massive boot right onto the man's back.
"Mel, my boy, my eyes grew tired watching the roads for you. I thought you had forgotten all about me!"
A mood as cold as bitter winter shifted into the brightest spring morning in two breaths. Big Joe laughed, twisting the thick mustaches resting under his bulbous nose.
This warm welcome must have given Mel courage, because he jumped right to the point.
"Uncle Big Joe, would you lease a Spirit Boat to us?"
A single brow rose on the broad-faced man, but a second later, his look softened and settled back into a smile.
"What do you need a Spirit Boat for?"
With no room left to risk a rejection, Mel had no choice but to lay everything out on the table. Hiding nothing, he explained every detail from the beginning.
"So that is how it is. The noble kids left without giving you passage. Your guess is right; while the other divisions use the full weight of the Academy's gold, newcomers to the Botanical Division in their first year survive solely on the backing of their families!"
Nalt's knees started to shake; the fear haunting his mind had just become real. Mel, on the other hand, stood with his shoulders squared, looking straight into the eyes of a man twice his size.
"I will lease the Spirit Boat to you, and I won't ask for a single copper coin; but I have one condition!"