The Distant Trail Of Ciara Badvia

The Saria Magic Academy
Part 2: To the Academy

ADMISSION TO THE ACADEMY

Tyril left the castle escorted by the maid. Waiting for her at the gate was Theodore, the one who had accompanied her on the journey to Saria and who left her behind the audience room. He greeted Tyril with a smile, having changed out of his travel attire and to a guard’s armor, as if he completely forgot about abandoning her earlier. Tyril felt a little relieved and annoyed at the same time.

They headed to the magic academy in a smaller horse-drawn carriage, different from the one they had ridden to Saria. Tyril eyeballed the distance and judged that it was a mere five hundred meters. She briefly wondered why Theodore bothered with a carriage at all, but the thought quickly faded from her mind. With him offering his hand, she stepped down the carriage and onto the ground. Her heart swelled as she stood before the gate.

The black iron gate was closed. In contrast to the royal castle’s ornate and grand entrance, the academy’s was crude and plain. The long, towering stone walls that surrounded the grounds and even the sparse weeds at the base of the gate contributed to the solemn welcome Tyril received. It sent a brief shiver down her spine.

“Come along,” Theodore said, putting his hand on the iron gate. It opened immediately.

Tyril sensed the change in the very air as soon as she took a step inside.

Just like how the landscape of the royal castle’s grounds set it apart from the outside, it was the atmosphere of the magic academy that made clear its long and heavy history to its guests. Tyril could practically feel the weight of all that history pressing down on her, as well as the fervor of those who had studied and researched here for a long time before. The pressure was considerable.

Immediately past the gate was a small courtyard. A fig tree stood there, surrounded by several small benches. On the right was a small, old-fashioned building with windows facing the gate.

Farther in stood a larger building with its back facing them. Based on the number of windows, it was five-storeys high and might have been the very first academic building built. Figures of students appeared and vanished here and there in the windows. Everyone seemed busy with their studies, appearing content and fulfilled. Or perhaps it was just her seeing that.

“That small building on the right—it serves as both the guardhouse and the reception for the academy. You’ll go through the formalities over there.”

Tyril realized that she was being swallowed up by the atmosphere around her and mustered herself to face it head-on. Theodore’s words prompted her to nod heavily.

In the end, she was so caught up in the atmosphere of the academy that she couldn’t actually remember much; as soon as she stepped on the creaky floor, her mind went blank. But she did retain a few things, like a bespectacled woman at the reception explaining things and handing her a cloth bag containing the academy uniform, emblem, and booklet. The actual conversation escaped her, however. With Theodore handling most of the formalities on her behalf, her head was devoid of pertinent information.

When they finally settled down underneath the fig tree, Tyril felt deep gratitude toward Theodore and internally apologized for having resented him earlier.

This was as far as his looking after her would go, however. From here on, her life at the academy would begin and there’d be no one to replace him. Tyril, who’d just come to the city for the first time, understood it right from the beginning and was prepared for it.

“Students will reside in the academy dormitory. Each room should be equipped with the essentials you need for daily life. Please head straight to yours for today. By tomorrow, we’ll have arranged sending you the necessary living expenses and study materials you’ll need in the near future. If any inconveniences or issues arise, please send a letter to the royal palace.” Theodore smiled. “Is there anything you don’t understand?”

The smile he wore was the gentlest she had ever seen in the past three days they spent together. He must have fully noticed her nervousness.

“No, I’m fine,” was what she wanted to say, but Tyril wasn’t confident enough to do it. More importantly, she wasn’t calm enough to even sort out the things she didn’t understand. She merely stumbled over her words while trying to find the right things to say and, in the end, couldn’t manage any response at all and simply ducked her head.

“It’s okay. I understand that you’re uneasy about being in a new environment, but there’s nothing to be afraid of. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. His Majesty encourages it, even for the smallest matters.”

Theodore gently placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled once more.

Only a fraction of Tyril’s inner turmoil, a mix of confusion and nervousness, was calmed by the simple gesture. But in that fleeting moment, there was only one thing she thought about.

I shouldn’t trouble him anymore.

He was a castle guard who was given the duty of going all the way to Lily with a royal decree to escort her—a duty that would end in a few minutes. Tyril couldn’t keep using her own embarrassment as an excuse to rely on him. From now on, she would have to handle everything on her own in the academy.

“I, erm… I understand,” she answered with a smile, forcing herself to appear composed. “Then, if something happens, I’ll send a letter to the castle.”

“Yes, please do so. You should also receive permission to go outside on holidays, so if something is so urgent that a letter wouldn’t suffice, you’re welcome to come directly to the palace. We’ll send you an entry permit later.”

Tyril clasped her hands in front of her chest and nodded firmly. Theodore’s smile still seemed to signify concern for her, but he understood well that there was no point in staying by her side anymore. A touch indifferent, he simply said, “Well then,” lightly waved goodbye with his right hand, then quickly turned away, disappearing from view.

Left behind, Tyril began her efforts to maintain a faint smile on her lips, at least until Theodore, the man who had cared for her over the past few days, was out of sight. When she turned around, that smile shifted into a thin line.

Finally, Tyril decided to step deeper into the magic academy’s grounds.

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Narou: https://mypage.syosetu.com/1258514/

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Last revision: 20/08/23

Glossary:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_D4XF1ID8j7zti3pG-fqtcd0h0T9aZHK_CXsCrr5gwY/edit?usp=sharing

Revisions:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jS9QeSLaJfl6P_-Gl-zAY0dnKPep3or9fUl-HPukc9g/edit?usp=sharing