Almark – Northern Sword, Southern Wand

"Forest? At a time like this?

As Almark frowned, Lilty became more and more lying and smaller.

"Lilty, you shouldn't go to the Night Forest unless you have much to do. Tomorrow."

There are no good memories of Almark in the Night Forest.

The night forest is filled with darkness and danger, betrayal and evil. It's just that kind of stuff.

"But... I have to go. Bye!!

As soon as Lilty said so, he slipped past Almark and ran away.

Almark was slightly paranoid and saw a small lamp shake away.

Lilty is known to be particularly frightened among his classmates. If the torque makes a loud noise, your back will tremble and tremble, and if the way back to the dorm becomes a little dark, you don't want to go home alone.

I didn't expect such a lilty to take a lamp to the woods after the sun had completely fallen. I suppose there was something more going on.

Almark saw the way to the dorm and thought about the dinner that would be lined up in the dining room right now.

Then I looked back and saw the path to the forest, thinking about Lilty, who was running alone on one hand on a small lamp.

... when I see it, I can't help it.

Almark sighed and ran after Lilty.

Behind the primary school building is a playground and training hall for students.

Some streams are ideal for children to play with, and some have well-opened raw materials.

Further into the forest, there are complex terrain such as waterfalls and rocky fields, and there are plenty of valuable wild grasses that serve as raw materials for magic such as healing.

The forest occupies a considerable area of the College site and extends to secondary and tertiary school buildings.

It's not that there's no danger, especially if you go to the back, there are monsters, there are sealed ruins, and there are rumors, but it seems that no one at the primary school level has ever verified the truth.

Almark was not uninterested, but now that he doesn't have time for his own study and training anyway, he has only gone into the minimum necessary, such as when he goes to pick up the wild grass to be used in the healing formula practice.

Other students who have been familiar with the woods since their first year of schooling follow the intricate paths in the woods as if they were their own gardens, and Nelson and Morgan often visit the woods after school.

Lilty!

When Almark called from behind, Lilty turned to cry.

"It's dangerous not to be alone. I'm coming, too."

Lilty glowed his face with his words, but soon he clouded his face again.

"But I'm sorry...."

And I shook my head.

"Anyway, Maia already cleaned up dinner at this hour. I'll go out with you. Instead, tell me why you have to go to the woods."

Lilty hesitated for a moment, but suddenly seeing the dark forest before her, her courage to go alone seemed to have been thwarted. I answered with a small voice.

"... I lost it in the woods"

"Is it gone? What are you doing?"

"Handkerchiefs from my father and mother."

"Handkerchiefs?

I unexpectedly shouted. Lilty looks shy.

"If my parents gave it to me, it would be important... but wouldn't it have to be today?"

"... I can't sleep."

Huh?

"... I can't sleep without it!!

The unexpected words hardened Almark.

"... that's why I didn't want to say it."

Lilty looks at the forest without looking at Almark.

"... sorry, sorry. Tell me a little more, Lilty."

Almark apologized in a hurry.

This is what happens when you listen attentively to stories that don't get the essence of Lilty.

Lilty's missing handkerchief was given to her parents at school to distract her from the loneliness of her dorm life.

I missed living away from my parents, and Lilty cried every night at first, but by holding the handkerchief every day and sleeping thinking about my parents, I finally stopped crying.

I was completely used to it, and even now that I was used to dorm life, I couldn't sleep without that handkerchief.

"... that's funny. I can't sleep without a handkerchief when I'm 11 years old."

Lilty said like a shank.

"Hmm...."

Almark remembered the pendant of his mother's figure. If I lose it in the woods... I guess I'll look for it tomorrow.

No, no, no.

"Okay. Thank you for talking to me. It's okay, I'm sure we'll find him. Let's find it together."

Lilty suddenly saw Almark's face in unexpected words.

You're not laughing.

"Everyone's important, right?"

Lilty nodded in surprise.

And then he said, "Yeah. That's right," he groaned.