One morning.

Almark was walking from dorm to the school building.

"Almark!"

Сalled 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. "