Now that I think about it I feel like Maria planned this from the start. When I told the Headmistress that I will stay for a while she wasn’t surprised, as a matter of fact she didn’t have any particular reaction, she just agreed with me and went back to her business. I tried asking Maria, even if it was stupid to ask her, but I didn’t get an answer, just a smile.

Well, in the end I stayed at Eule Academy as a special student all the way and I graduated like normal. Maria wanted me stay until seventh grade and after that I could leave or stay and I decided to stay. I didn’t really plan on staying here up until eighth grade but in the end I’m glad I did.

Firstly and most importantly as a special student I was allowed to take a special training course. To put it simply the special students could choose a type of weapon and then have someone help them train them. During my time in the village I learnt that you can’t just infuse your weapon with magic and expect it do things, this was a world where size did matter so as a man I chose the Zweihänder. The sword was 1.5 meters long, with a grip about 30 centimeters and a double-edged blade about 1.2 meters long and weighted almost 3.5 kilograms.

The instructor I had was a man more muscular than Kraft, didn’t think that it was possible but I guess that’s life, and he was as mean as he was strong. Basically the guy liked being a bitch with anyone who wasn’t his boss. When I chose the Zweihänder he told me that: [a pretty boy like you should stick to spells]. Apparently if you weren’t buff like hell you weren’t allowed to pick up a sword. Ultimately the problem was solved after the Headmistress had a little talk with him.

To sate his thirst for superiority the trainer showed me something that actually managed to impress me. The first thing he did was to cut two trees with one horizontal swing. The trees were about 30 centimeters in diameter and he cut two of them down like it was nothing, no magic involved. He knows wind magic so I wouldn’t have been surprised if he used it on the sword but I could tell that he didn’t use it. I am aware that my strength is superhuman when compared to most humans but compared to that guy I was weak. I mean I would have understood if he had used a special move or something similar but he didn’t…that was impressive.

One other thing I was intrigued about is the way he taught me how to use a sword. When Kraft taught me he said that he didn’t show me the right way to do it and it looks like it was half-true, that particular training was made for experienced swordsmen that wielded the sword in such a way that it will take an extra toll on the swordsman’s body. I guess that he couldn’t think of any other way, showed me that and seeing that I can handle it he decided to stick with it.

I asked the trainer to teach me properly from the beginning so I can have a solid foundation if I ever decide to mix two or more fighting styles into one. Ellen’s Hay’tok wasn’t only hand to hand; she could incorporate a staff, dagger or knife in it. At the end of the day Hay’tok is just the beginning of a skill tree that’s why I want to use it along with my storage ability to switch between weapons combat and unarmed.

As a special student I was allowed to take extra classes. Most of them were etiquette classes and quite difficult I’ve heard, luckily Ellen taught me etiquette when I was younger plus what I knew from my previous life. The classes that interested me where Alchemy and Rune Magic. I chose Alchemy to get some more insight on potion making and medicine.

My ability provides me with information on the things I see but that’s about it. If I were to look at a Heartflower my ability will tell me that the petals and leaves are used to make healing potions and then it will stop so I have to deal with the actual process myself. Rune Magic is basically written magic, magic that isn’t limited by the elements. Oculus is a type of Rune Magic and strangely enough the tattoo we get when we graduate can also be called Rune Magic. So basically any magic made using magic ink is Rune Magic.

After class it was Maria’s turn. When Jaden’s family was attacked I killed one important member of the assassins. The leader went to retrieve him so I believe that he was someone important plus he had a codename and I don’t think that every rookie has one. It is possible that the organization’s name is [The Hand] and if it’s true I’m going to be hunted by the organization for killing one of their own and I might also be hunted by others just so that they will have something to boast about.

So yeah, [The Hand] is the strongest assassin organization in Sonne, stronger than the one the king has which is both strange and dangerous. Sonne is the wise empire so there’s no need for so many assassinations. In Vollmond however the king’s assassins are so discreet that only a handful of people on the continent know about them.

Maria told me that she met one of them by coincidence. She ignored him and went on to complete her mission; that evening [The Hand] was almost annihilated. In the end The Master killed the attacker and the rest is about her punishment and how the Headmistress saved her.

The last subject was thievery. In case I needed some quick cash Maria taught me a little about stealing and fencing. Like in our world stealing is about timing, reflexes and distraction only that the security here is bad and it’s harder to prove that something belonged to you in the first place. If I ever want to try it I will just put things in The Null. Then again, it’s better than in Vollmond where you get mugged on the street for one gold coin, spooky shit.

And that brings me to the last night in the school dorm. The graduation ceremony ended but some students stayed. Both Jaden and Sya stayed. Sya will leave tomorrow at noon, Jaden will leave in the morning and I will leave when I will feel like it.

Now I was on the rooftop, looking at the scenery, waiting for Mir to come.

“This is the last time we will meet like this.”

Here she is. Humph, even with all the training I’ve done I’m still no match for her. Just how good do my instincts need to be before I will be able to sense her sneaking around?

“Yeah, it is.”

“Before anything else I want to thank you for what you’ve done for Jaden. You’ve really been in some terrible situations, you know that?” I definitely heard a chuckle coming from her.

“Yup, I’ve been through some shit but I did what I wanted so I can’t really blame others for this. I did what I thought was right knowing the risks so it’s all right. I’m sure that I will laugh about this in the future.”

“If that’s what you think I won’t argue. Well, see you in the morning.” Mir patted my head and left.

The next day I was standing in front of the school gate with Mir and Jaden. A carriage is supposed to come and pick him up but it seems it’s running late.

“I don’t know when and where we will meet again so I will say it now: You are weird. You were the only one in school not afraid of Maria, you visited that vampire every day and you even risked your life for me…To think that you are the same guy that threatened me on the first day of school; at that time I really thought I was done for and yet here I am.”

“I can’t deny that I’m weird. That time I just wanted you to stop looking down on me, I’m not going to start anything without a good reason and as I said before, I take good care of my friends.”

“Well, friend, today we will go on different paths BUT when we meet again I will introduce myself as a wealthy merchant not a simple child.” said Jaden with pride puffing up his chest.

“I would love to see that. Unfortunately I don’t have such ambitions so I’m sure that next time we meet I will be the same weird kid you knew.”

“Then become an adventurer, I will be glad to hire you as a bodyguard.” said Jaden with a big smile on his face.

That was quite the joke or maybe it was his way of hiding his sadness from me. Whatever the reason was I will never know.

Shortly the carriage arrived.

“I guess this is goodbye…”

“For now.”

“Yeah, for know.”

I watched Jaden’s carriage disappearing into the woods. The world is a big place, this one bigger than I think but I’m sure I will see him again….and yet I’m still a little sad, I guess that after spending that much time with him it was impossible to cast him aside.

To forget a little of the sadness I tried spending some time with Sya; soon she will go back to her parents where she will be bullied again and I want to spend some time with her until she leaves.

I met with Sya in the school building…It took me a second to see that she was acting strange. Usually she would be happy to see me but not today, today she tried her best to avoid me. I don’t remember doing something to make her sad or anger her so I don’t know what’s wrong.

At noon the same elf that brought her here came to take her back. Even if for some reason she avoided me I still went to see her off, something that surprised her. In the end Sya said nothing to me before leaving the school.

I don’t know if I did something to her or leaving was too painful for her. I tried talking to her and I even saw her off but if that’s how she wants to act there’s nothing left for me to do but to accept it, if we ever meet again I want to be because she wants to not because she has a duty. Well, I didn’t tell her that I will miss her and she didn’t tell me that she will miss me…I guess that makes us even.

With nothing to do I decided to go to the Headmistress, she said that my parents gave her something for me. I turned around and started walking towards the school building; it’s not like staying in front of the gate is going to help.

After I took a few steps I started hearing some noise, it sounded like someone was coming in my direction. Before I could turn around and see who it was I found myself hugged from behind. The one who hugged me was Sya.

“…thank…you.”

When I heard Sya’s whispers a smile appeared on my face. I wanted to turn around and hug her back, tell her that I did what I wanted and there was no need for her to thank me but I knew that doing it will only make her sadder.

Sya hugged me for some time and when she finally let go of me I turned around and looked at her. She didn’t cry, she wasn’t sad, she was smiling, she was genuinely happy. Without exchanging any words I patted her head. After that Sya left, this time for real.

Now I’m the only one left here and I think it’s time to go. Before leaving I had to go to the Headmistress so I can get the tattoo, the symbol of graduation. The Headmistress feared that the standard magic ink will be too weak to hold so she decided to use my blood to make some special ink again.

In the office Maria and The Headmistress were waiting for me. I decided to have my tattoo drawn on my upper right arm. After putting a few drops of my Black Blood in a bowl The Headmistress mixed it in with some magic ink, took a quill and tattooed me.

The process took a few minutes and it was painless…and with this I’ve officially graduated.

The gift my parents left me was a coin pouch with 50 gold coins, the basic currency .With this much money I can’t even survive a week.

“And I suppose that’s all?”

“Yes, you finally listened to me.” said Maria.

“Well then-“

I just realized I couldn’t say goodbye, for some reason even the thought of it made me feel like I couldn’t breathe and my throat dried.

“Is there something…I see, you are crying.”

If what she says is true then it’s the second time I started crying. I wanted to check, I wanted to tough my cheeks to see if there were any tears but I couldn’t, my arms refused to me.

“It’s all right.” said Maria before hugging me.

“Alex, I’m thankful for what you did, you made me believe in humans again and at the same time a little part of you opened up to me and now the grief is settling in. Please don’t cry; our meeting then and your departure now, there’s nothing to cry about. You should be happy, think about the people you helped and bonded with and with your life here. I know that it is sad that you are leaving but I will be here so don’t cry because you will leave, be happy and look forward to our next meeting.”

*Hic…hic*

”Just…give me…a…*hic*…second.”

For a few minutes I wept in Maria’s arms. Despite how I act I tend to keep my emotions to myself and sometimes those emotions just burst and this is the result.

“Have you calmed down?”

“Yeah, I’m all right now.”

Now that I’ve calmed down I need to leave before I get the urge to cry again. As hard as leaving sounds it’s better than staying here without a purpose and if I ever want to come back I know that the door will always be open.

“I know it’s a stupid question to ask but you will not accompany me to the front gate, will you?”

“No, if I leave this room I will most likely end up going with you.”

“If you say so. Well then, Goodbye.”

“See you again.”

“Safe travels Alexander.”

After saying goodbye I left the school building. After passing the school gates I turned around and looked at the school one last time before leaving. Eule Academy was my home for almost five years, the beginning and the end of an important chapter of my life and now it's time to begin the next one, the life of an adventurer.