Unwelcome School
"Then, good luck, Lerven."
"Yeah. Catch you later if we get the chance."
As we neared Eisenach, the capital of the Elumhult Empire—the human empire and the setting for the game Triam Academy—I parted ways with the group of merchants.
I'd have loved to ride straight through the city walls with them, but unlike those guys with their travel permits and identity badges, I'd never even set foot near a major city in the empire. If I'd tagged along with their caravan, I'd just hold up the whole line at the gate. Better to go solo.
"Tch. The carriage was fast, even if it was a pain in the ass."
I smacked my lips, watching the wagons rumble away, hooves and wheels thumping against the earth. A pang of regret hit me. There was a world of difference between enduring a cramped ride to zip to your destination and slogging along on foot at a snail's pace.
"Money makes the world go round, huh... everywhere you look."
The golden rule: no cash, no comfort. It hit hard in this world or the last. Feeling pretty pathetic about my broke-ass situation, I trudged toward the walls of Elumhult.
Whether it was bad luck or a blessing, my hike to the walls got cut short way before I expected. Not because I made good time—because there was no point walking anymore.
"...Should've stuck with the merchants, even if it took longer."
A massive line snaked out from the gates all the way to where I stood—a sea of people piled high like mountains. The sheer crowd made my head spin. Hell, I was missing that godawful cramped wagon cargo hold like crazy.
*
"What's the holdup up there? Guards slacking off or what?"
About an hour into standing at the end of this endless queue, a young merchant-looking guy behind me started griping to the guy in front of him, patience worn thin.
"Kid's got no chill. Triam Academy's entrance exam's coming up soon, right? Folks are flooding in from everywhere. No matter how hard the guards hustle, they can't handle this mob."
"Ugh... shoulda come earlier."
The older merchant traveling with him called him out, but I sided with the kid. No calendars around here, but it felt like early March—winter fading into spring. The chill winds were dying down, but the sun beat down sharp enough to sting your skin. Standing there forever in our thick coats under that glare was torture.
To cool off my rising body heat, I shrugged off my coat and draped it over my arm. Cold wind versus scorching sun was maddening, but better than sweating buckets and feeling sticky as hell.
"Next!"
After ages of waiting for the line to shrink, the folks ahead—who'd been bonding over shared misery—were gone. Two weary guards called me up, rubbing their bleary eyes like they were dying for shift change and a cold beer at the tavern.
"Finally seeing some guard faces..."
I was just as eager to blow past them and hit the academy, so our motivations aligned perfectly. I hustled forward.
"Halt."
"Yep."
Up close, they crossed their spear blades, blocking the passage. I froze at the command. The senior-looking one shoved a transparent crystal-like stone in my face.
"Name?"
"Lerven. No family name."
"Fine. Origin and purpose in Elumhult?"
"From Arnil Village. Here for the academy entrance exam."
"Academy exam...?"
He fiddled with the stone, firing off questions, but paused at "academy," shooting me a sidelong glance. That evaluating look? Probably sizing me up against all the other hopefuls who'd passed before.
"Hmph. Freedom to try, I guess."
Whoa. Guess I looked like a total long shot in his eyes. And "personal freedom"? In an absolute monarchy, that's borderline treason—enough to get you hanged.
"Take this. Don't lose it while you're in town."
As I pondered reporting him for blasphemy, the now-flushed guard set down the stone and handed me a wooden plaque. Lightweight, square-cut, engraved with my info and city entry permission. I grabbed it and finally stepped inside the walls.
The guards mechanically called the next guy, no more blocking me.
After that eternal wait, setting foot in Eisenach—home of Triam Academy—I realized a few things right away.
"...Sun's already setting."
That guard's red face? Just the sunset. I'd half-expected a hammer-and-sickle flag replacing the imperial banner.
**
By the time the sun dipped lower, painting everything deeper red, I'd finally—gloriously—reached the main gates of Triam Academy after all that hassle.
Towering buildings dwarfing everything around them, wrapped in ornate iron fences. Mysterious glowing orbs drifting about. It screamed pure fantasy academy vibes, washing away every hardship in an instant.
"Hell yeah, this is it. Fuckin' perfect."
High on arrival vibes, I circled the place like an idiot before noticing—no guards at the main gate. Checked what I figured was the back entrance too. Students in academy uniforms came and went, but no sentries.
"No one's patrolling even after I wandered around... those lights must be the security?"
Explained the empty grounds. Question was, what would they do if I tried waltzing in?
"...Wanna test it?"
"Better not."
"...?!"
Curiosity piqued about this massive academy's defenses, I stepped toward the gate—then a voice stopped me cold. I whipped around, shocked I hadn't heard footsteps.
"Tried sneaking in yesterday myself. Got busted by those things and chewed out. Outsiders totally banned."
My eyes followed. Amid the shifting scenery, a figure appeared. The sudden visitor was a girl in light clothes, blue hair tied low. Same age as me, no hostility in her words or vibe. Just warning me off the lights.
"Oh... really?"
"Yup! They flashed red and swirled around me—nearly passed out dizzy."
She reenacted it, scampering circles around me. Each pass, her blue hair swayed on the breeze, carrying a fresh herbal scent tickling my nose. It amplified her lively charm.
"Ah... yeah."
"And everyone stared! Mortified—wanted to crawl into a hole. Oh, hole reminds me! Back home—"
Her charm overflowed into nonstop chatter as she kept orbiting. Looked like she'd spill her birth story next. I raised a hand to halt her.
"Hold up. So, can't get in now?"
"Right. 'Academy entry after enrollment!' For you, me, everyone."
Made sense—exam registration wasn't here. Maybe ask her.
"Hey, know where the exam registration desk is? You seem chill, like you've already done it."
"Whoa, supposed to be impressed by my insight here?"
"Not shocked by the obvious. We're both your age, trekking to the capital. Points to one thing."
Screw deductions—that I'd wasted time walking was the real issue. Sun nearly down, who knew the cutoff? Might already be closed.
What? They're all off already? Hey! I walked from the next village for one damn form! Nooo! Come back!
Civil servants clocking out sharp—no stopping that, this world or the last. Sucked learning it the hard way.
"Hmm... you're kinda boring, huh?"
As I relived my double-village trek nightmare, she voiced her honest take. No malice, pure. Nothing to say, no defense. Just shrugged.
"Heard that plenty."
Friends back before possession called me Mr. Dull plenty too—not just once or twice.