Hizashi No Kage

  Chapter - 6

  At Wand and Sword Academy, knighthood training lasted three years. After that, students who passed, received the title of Proto-Knight. A Proto-Knight then had to find a knight to serve under and complete missions for about two years. Only then could they become a full-fledged knight.

  And Thus, today was the first day of this five-year journey to becoming a knight.

  Akash was feeling almost delirious in the atmosphere of the first day of the academy’s new session.

  Spread across 25 kilometers, this academy was filled with students wearing various uniforms — black and red for knights,

  blue and white for mages,

  green for researchers,

  and so on.

  Some students were flying to their classes, others were riding their tamed beasts.

  Somewhere, strange magical displays were unfolding; elsewhere, illusions were at play.

  Bob had already gone to his class. Akash was wandering, unable to find his classroom. Somehow, by asking others, he finally reached his class, but he was already late.

  And when he saw his class teacher, that sealed the deal. His class teacher was none other than Sir Max.

  “Where were you? Late on the very first day?” Max asked in a stern voice.

  Akash was about to mutter some words of apology when suddenly a familiar scent hit him. It was the same scent he hadn’t been able to place on the day of his interview. Forgetting everything, he started looking around and saw her — the girl for whom he wanted to become a knight.

  In that moment, he also realized why this scent felt so familiar and was driving him crazy. It was the same scent he had experienced nearly eight years ago.

  For a moment, he couldn’t believe it. The entire world stopped for him. Everything vanished. Only Manjula remained.

  Although he still didn’t even know her name.

  Manjula had noticed him too. Everyone had noticed him. But as he kept staring only at Manjula, she grew annoyed. Zavier, sitting beside her, asked,

  “Do you know this guy or what?”

  “No? How would I know who he is?” Manjula replied immediately.

  Akash was still in shock. Just then, a shout pierced his ears.

  “Answer!” Max was yelling.

  Akash snapped back to reality and stammered,

  “Y-Yes, sir… I-I mean, yes, sir… I… I couldn’t find the classroom.”

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  Everyone burst out laughing. Max decided it wasn’t wise to start the session with a conflict. He told Akash to sit anywhere. Then Sir Max said a couple of sentences and left --

  “My name is Sir Maxwell. I’ll be your class teacher for the next year. I’m leaving now. All of you introduce yourselves to each other. And whoever scored the highest marks in the entrance exam is the class representative ( CR ).”

  After Max left, the quiet room filled with noise. Akash immediately stood up and walked straight to Manjula, standing in front of her. But what to say — he couldn’t think of anything. He still couldn’t believe that Manjula was in his class.

  But now Manjula and Zavier were getting irritated.

  Manjula spoke first,

  “What do you want? Why do you keep staring at me like that?”

  Akash felt a jolt.

  Zavier chimed in,

  “What, never seen a princess before?"

  "Don't you really remember me?”

  Akash could only manage to say this....

  “Who are you?”-

  Manjula gave him a sharp scolding.

  By then, Manjula and Zavier’s other friends had arrived and pushed Akash back.

  “Who are you?”-

  Akash was still reeling from this sentence when another shock hit him.

  “Congratulations on your engagement!” one of their friends said.

  While in Kamilya, Akash had heard that the kingdom’s princess, Manjula, and Zavier from the Hero Family were engaged. But back then, he didn’t know who Manjula was.

  Now all his illusions shattered, and all his dreams broke. He himself felt broken.

  He couldn’t stay in the classroom any longer. He ran outside.

  Running and running, he hid in some empty corner of a field. He couldn’t figure out what to do with his life anymore.

  “What do I do now?

  I don’t know.

  We’ve spent so much to come here; I have to complete the course.

  Three years… three years of seeing Manjula and Zavier together?”-

  Lying under a tree, Akash was lost in these thoughts when a girl approached from behind and asked,

  “Excuse me, are you okay?”

  Akash looked up at the girl and froze. It was the same girl who had saved his life eight years ago by giving him an elixir. Ramya.

  Ramya recognized Akash too and exclaimed,

  “Oh, You? you’re here?"

  "You recognized me ?Really?”-

  Akash asked.

  Ramya paused for a moment, then said,

  “Yes… Thank you again for that day. You risked your life to save Didi--

  “No, no… Manjula saved my life first. And now, well, those things don’t matter anymore. Manjula doesn’t even remember anything,” Akash said, sounding dejected.

  Ramya fell silent, as if recalling some sorrow. Then she said,

  “Yeah… Didi is a bit forgetful. She doesn’t remember things.”

  They talked a bit more and introduced themselves. Akash spoke about wanting to become a knight without mentioning Manjula. Ramya shared that she was in the mage class and had just been chosen as the CR that day.

  As Ramya was about to leave, Akash wanted to say one more thing-

  “Listen… Thank you for that day too. If you hadn’t given me that potion, I would’ve died. I never got to thank you properly. ....Thank you.”

  Ramya smiled and left.

  It was almost time for the next class. This was a weapons training class, led by Sir Jacob, one of the academy’s most powerful and experienced swordsmen.

  Akash arrived at this class on time.

  Everyone was told to choose a weapon of their preference from the armory. Those who already had good weapons didn’t need to choose. Manjula had an unbreakable sword. Zavier had a flame sword. What could the wealthy lack?

  Akash chose a heavy, sturdy axe from the armory.

  Then everyone was told to pick a partner. There were 41 students in the class, meaning one student would inevitably be left alone. And that student was Akash.

  Manjula and Zavier had chosen each other. The rest had paired up based on introductions from the first class. But even if Akash had been introduced to everyone, perhaps no one would have chosen him.

  Akash felt upset about this. But then Sir Jacob said to him,

  “So, you’ll be MY partner.”

  The class passed with everyone practicing with their partners. Sir Jacob taught Akash for a while, then went around to the others one by one.

  After this class, there were no more classes for two hours. It was a break.

  Akash didn’t know what to do. He thought of meeting Bob, but upon going to the mage building, he learned that their schedules were different. When the knights had a break, the mages had classes — and vice versa.

  So Akash decided to explore the academy. Without much thought, he started walking.

  Where’s the library? Where’s the lab? Where’s the practice ground? Where’s the office? Where’s the staff room? And so on — he found out about everything.

  He also ate at the canteen. Everything at the academy was free for students. For the first time in his life, Akash ate such delicious food. He was completely lost in its taste.

  Just then, some students approached.

  “Can we sit here?” one asked with great respect.

  Akash recognized that they were boys from his class.

  “Of course, of course,” he said.

  One immediately asked,

  “Sir Jacob practiced with you? Are you from some very high family?”

  Akash replied plainly,

  “I don’t understand high families or low families. I’m the son of a woodcutter from Jot village.”

  Silence fell. Then all four of them suddenly burst out laughing.

  “What did you say? A woodcutter? And I was addressing you so formally!” the boy said, and immediately took the others and left.

  Akash had expected this and was prepared for it. Quietly, he resumed eating. But now, the taste of his food had soured.