Suddenly, a faint magical boom was heard, accompanied by lights dancing behind one of the narrow alleys.
Neither of them moved. They simply exchanged a quick glance, then turned their eyes toward the source of the sound.
There were two boys, around fifteen or sixteen years old, facing each other in a small dirt clearing.
One of them was releasing fiery sparks from his hand, while the other responded with a water shield that barely managed to block the attack.
One of them shouted,
"You won't defeat me with such simple spells!"
The other replied, sweating heavily,
"You're the one who started first! And now… get ready!"
He quickly drew magical circles in the air, from which arrows of purple energy shot toward his opponent. The other boy panicked for a moment, stumbled, and fell to the ground.
His companion approached him, extending a hand to help him up, and said,
"Your performance was good."
The other answered while catching his breath,
"But… we need to train more… if we want to enter the Magic Academy this year."
Haruka raised her eyebrows in surprise, then looked at Yu and said,
"A magic school? Do you have magic schools here too
Yu answered calmly, placing his hands in his pockets,
"Yes. We have five top-tier magic schools in the kingdom.
But… those schools only accept nobles."
Haruka looked at the two boys again and asked,
"What about those two? Are they nobles?"
Yu shook his head, pointing at their simple clothes,
"No. From their appearance, they're commoners.
I think they're trying to enter Arkin High Academy of Magic…
It's the only one among the five that accepts commoners through scholarships."
She asked thoughtfully,
"Do you think they'll succeed?"
Yu sighed and said,
"It's very difficult…
Everyone in the kingdom is trying to enter that school, even people from outside the kingdom.
That means you'll find every kind of magic there…
As for those two, they're just small boys, and they don't seem to have any special type of magic."
Haruka stared at them silently, then whispered to herself,
(So… they want to enter the school…
But… schools… I have bad memories with them…)
While she was lost in thought, her eyes suddenly widened and she said excitedly,
"What about the Crown Prince? Does he study there?"
Yu replied calmly,
"Of course. That school is considered the best in the entire kingdom."
Inside her mind, Haruka smiled,
(If I get accepted into that school, and form a strong friendship with the heir to that power… maybe…
Then… then maybe I can return to my world…! Yes, I can!)
Looking at Yu with determination, Haruka said firmly,
"I want to enter this school. Please, train me. I need to be strong enough to get in."
Yu stood still for a moment, then looked at her and said,
"Forget it. It looks far too difficult."
Haruka was shocked and stammered,
"W-W-What?! Why not?!"
He answered lazily, sounding tired,
"Because I'm exhausted."
She stood in front of him and said nervously,
"I-If you teach me, I swear by my name that I'll pay you one gold coin!"
He replied indifferently,
"And how will you do that, when you haven't even paid me back for your lodging?"
She thought to herself,
(W-What should I do? At this rate, he won't agree…)
Then she added, hesitating,
"I want to go back… no, I must go back…
There will be a guarantee."
He looked at her and asked,
"And what is it?"
She froze for a moment, then said, blushing deeply,
"If I don't repay it… I swear… I-I-I will sell my body… and return the money to you that way."
Yu sighed, looking at her seriously, and said,
"Do you really have to go this far?
I don't know what entering that academy means to you, but as a man, I can't allow a girl to sell her body to earn money."
He then patted her head and added,
"As for the money, just return the cost of your lodging for now.
As for the training, I'll train you for free."
Then he continued firmly,
"But just so you know… I'm not a gentle trainer.
I'll be very harsh with you."
Haruka replied immediately, with determination,
"I don't care. If that's what it takes, I'm ready."
Yu smiled faintly and said,
"Alright. If you're ready for this, then let the training begin."
…
…
…
To be continued