The Distant Trail of Ciara Badvia

The Saria Magic Academy
Part 2: To the Academy

GUIDED TO HER ROOM

“By the way, are you a preparatory student?”

“Huh?”

The sudden question caught Tyril off guard. Besides that, the word used was unfamiliar to her. Even if she were less nervous, she probably wouldn’t be able to answer anyway.

“Wait, you’re not sure? I have to know if you’re a preparatory student or a regular student because they’re in different dorms.”

“Oh, then…” Tyril let out a sigh of relief; the other option was the one she’d heard earlier. “I was told I’m a regular student. It was in, um, let me think… the Department of Applied Magics.”

“Really? A regular? Sorry, I thought you were a preparatory student. But… you’re young, aren’t you? Excuse me, but is it alright if I ask your age?”

“I’m sixteen. Is that young…?”

“Sixteen? Wow… That’s so young. Generally, to get into the regular program, you need to have studied in a preparatory school or a basic school in various locations for at least ten years. So, being sixteen means you must have started school somewhere at the age of six and obtained qualifications to attend the academy’s program, right? Quite impressive.

“Meanwhile,” the woman went on with a bright smile, “I had to repeat a year in my local basic school for two years, you know?”

Tyril tried to keep up with the conversation, but she couldn’t quite understand what it was about. What was clear was that there are actually strict conditions to enter the academy. Yet here she was, exempted because of the king’s intentions. 

She hesitated to reveal that matter to the woman in front of her, fearing that it might make her uncomfortable to find out about the special treatment. She might end up disliking me.

“We’re here.”

As she was lost in her thoughts, the woman stopped. Before them was a four-storey dormitory constructed with wood. It had ivy crawling all over the walls, lending it a worn-out look. “This is the regular student dormitory. It’s old, but it’s not bad to live in once you get used to it.”

Like a guide, the woman extended her right hand and invited Tyril inside the building. Tyril bowed her head with a strained smile; her nervousness was resurfacing once again.

“So, what floor is your room on?” the woman asked.

“Um, which floor…?”

“You got the key, right? You should be able to tell if you look at it.”

“Ah.”

After having that pointed out, she frantically searched inside her bag. It took her a while to retrieve because of the awkward position, and when she finally looked at the key’s handle, something was indeed engraved there. 

Tyril read the number aloud. “3-2-5.”

“What? Room 325?”

The woman narrowed her eyes at Tyril’s hand with a surprised expression. Tyril, slightly frightened by the reaction, turned the key she was holding for a better view.

What’s she so surprised about? Is it one of those famously locked rooms that’s haunted? While Tyril wasn’t afraid of ghosts, sharing a living space with one would be alarming. Hopefully, the ghost—if there was one—was friendly. But what if it was the moody sort?

“I wonder if this is some sort of mistake…”

“So there’s a ghost after all?”

“Huh?”

Tyril blurted out her thoughts, drawing a perplexed look from the woman. She hurriedly covered her mouth and turned her face away in embarrassment. Fortunately, the woman pretended not to hear, or maybe because there was just a more urgent issue to discuss. She grabbed Tyril’s hand and peered at her face.

“Room 325 is my room,” she said softly, her eyebrows raised.

“Oh… Then does that mean I have the wrong key?”

“Generally, there are two students per room in the dormitory. But it seems there’s been an odd number of students, so I’ve been alone ever since my previous roommate graduated.”

“You mean…?”

“Starting today, you’re my roommate!”

The woman let out a cheer with a pleased grin. Her voice was so loud that it startled a passing female student, who shuddered and looked back. Tyril hadn’t yet comprehended the situation, and it took several seconds before she sighed in a mixture of relief, excitement, and anxiety. Oh, I’m going to be living with this person from now on.

“It’s strange, though.” The woman tilted her head. “Something as important as a roommate’s arrival; that’s news they should let me know ahead of time.”

Her confusion was resolved when she checked the mailbox by the entrance, which held correspondence for every room, including hers. Finding the letter inside her mailbox, she yelled out in frustration.

“Seriously, those clerks! What’s the point of sending a notice about a roommate coming in the afternoon of the very same day?!”

“Anyway. Welcome, roommate. Nice to meet you again!”

*****

Women’s undergraduate dormitory, third floor, in front of a room a short walk after climbing the stairs. 

The woman unlocked the door, stepped inside, and spread her arms. Her playfulness elicited a smile from Tyril, who slowly entered the room.

There was a small living area as soon as she entered. On the right were the washroom and bath, and beside those, a simple kitchen with a sink and a stove. Further in, two small rooms were separated from the living area by curtains, and drawing those curtains aside revealed beds and bookshelves. The right side appeared cluttered; the left, vacant and bare. One of those must be the woman’s room, while the other was Tyril’s.

The entire building—not only the exterior, but the floors and walls as well—gave off an old, historic feel, yet the atmosphere wasn’t dull in the slightest. In the room was a pale pink carpet, an old chair with white lace cushions, a green cloth that covered the desk—most likely the current resident’s influence. Traces of a past meal sat on the desk, and books, straw paper, and pens were strewn across the floor. Still, the messiness only added to the room’s charm, on top of it smelling wonderfully.

“H-haha. It’s, it’s a bit messy, but don’t worry about it! Come in, come in!”

Tyril nodded promptly, taking off her shoes and slipping on the slippers stacked near the entrance. She stepped forward and was guided first to the room on the left. 

That was the only space in this academy that was exclusively hers. For now, she placed her belongings on the bed, marking her territory.

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For more from the author, visit:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/inui_takafumi

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Last revisions: 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