While Mel retreated into his own shell, the world kept turning without caring about him. At noon, while the sun was sending its rays over the settlement, the shadows of two people were meddling on the battlefield.
“You should be proud that you have compelled me that much!”
Edgan was holding his sword in front of his face, while his opponent was continuously pressing with his weapon. As the blunt part of the sword was about to touch the young boy’s nose, Edgan saved his body by bending it to the right.
His movement made the short spear in his opponent’s hand hit the ground hard. Obviously, the boy in white clothes was leaning with all his might.
“I was going to say the same words for you!”
Edgan leaped forward with a mischievous smile. His hair scattered in the wind, making the faces of young girls blush.
As he was at the front with his one foot bent from the knee, the other fighter came from behind. His sword was looking straight ahead. His opponent, who saw the attack coming directly from the front, took his short spear back and waited.
When looked from outside, the spear that was two feet taller than the sword could be seen as an advantageous weapon in combat. The young boy, who was aware, moved forward like an arrow when Edgan got close enough.
For a moment, both were off the ground. As they jumped forward to make a move, their meeting point was determined, or so most spectators thought.
The moment the spear crossed the sword and moved towards his body, Edgan’s taut foot hit the ground hard. The long-haired young boy began to turn left on his own axis as he progressed. Even though the opponent followed him with his eyes, he could not stop Edgan’s move.
The winner was clear after a breath. Edgan, who pressed his opponent’s neck with the tip of his sword, was the winner of the first competition in the finals.
The applause was like raindrops that suddenly began to fall. Under the sighs of the young girls and the admiring glances of the women in the field, he walked down the stairs to his sister.
“Nalt, are you here too? What a nice surprise! Where is Mel?”
After the question of Edgan, who was searching around with his eyes, Nalt began to talk like a winded-up baby doll.
“I don’t know, I really don’t know! Many strange things happened this morning and Mel has been missing ever since!”
This time Marvina spoke.
“What happened? Tell me!”
Nalt explained everything, starting from the second test day. In one breath, he concluded that they had entered the forest that night and passed the test the next day, and were admitted to the academy.
“Wait, wait! Are you telling me you spent a night in the forest outside? Stop joking!”
“I’m not joking! Mel took us to a waterfall in the forest. I think he is there right now. We should go there and make sure he is okay!”
When Edgan scolded him, Nalt did not hold back. He opened up the ideas that were budding in his mind and asked for his help in a tacit way.
This move made Marvina grab his collar.
“Who are you working for? Who ordered you to use Mel to drag my brother into the forest and kill him?”
The young girl entered the subject from a completely different point. The eyes of the young boy, whom she grabbed firmly and shook, opened wide.
“What order? What are you talking about? I came here to ask for your help for Mel’s sake!”
Nalt was speaking with a stammer. Florin, who saw the events, came near them and rescued his friend, who was being torn at the girl’s hands. Edgan calmly said “listen to me” to the two who were looking at him with fearful eyes.
“I don’t know what your goal is, but if I enter the outer forest like this, I’m sure I won’t be able to come back. If what you say is true and Mel is now in the outer forest, he should have the ability to return!”
Edgan then returned to the arena where fights were taking place. The warrior on the ground was surrendering by raising his hand.
“I have to go to the final fight soon if you will!”
Taking his sister’s arm, Edgan left the duo. Even though Marvina beat them with angry gazes, he was very calm.
“What are we going to do, Florin?”
Nalt, who apparently came here with hope, turned to his fighter friend as a last resort. But Florin also had a negative opinion.
“No matter how much I get irritated by that girl, what the boy said is true. If we try to enter the forest like this, we will definitely die!”
Nalt’s head did not rise. He did not seem convinced, but he continued to watch the final fight. He couldn’t go to a place that even Edgan, who was now compelling his opponent with his sword in the fight arena, hesitated to enter.
“Maybe he is telling the truth! If Mel got there last night, he can do it once more!”
He turned around while muttering to himself and left the arena with the enthusiastic cheering of the crowd. Edgan was the winner of this year’s Fighting Department tests.
In the evening, when the moon appeared in the sky, the last part of the Alchemy Department test was done. Although she did not get as impressive results as her brother, Marvina was able to qualify for the academy.
As the night ended its time calmly and the sun illuminated the settlement, several hundred people appeared above the hill on the north side.
There were familiar faces among them; the children who won the Plant Department test, Edgan, the winner of the Fighter Department test, his sister Marvina, Florin, and Nalt, who managed to enter the academy this year, were staring at the horizon.
“Master Hanry, please come over here!”
While the Head of Plant Department and Master Louise was beside a boat-shaped vehicle waiting for them, the young master addressed the middle-aged man. Grumpy Hanry didn’t seem to be eager to come, but the Head of Department’s gaze was saying the opposite.
As soon as he took his step in, the vehicle took off. It was followed by the boats departing from the Fighter and Alchemy Departments. First, Heads of Departments and officials, and then the people who managed to join the academy this year sailed away.
Finally, some young children qualified to join the Plant Department, but there was a great deal of trouble.
“Didn’t you guys arrange a boat for transportation?”
