章 13: Train
The carriage had three people inside: Jane, Kai, and Nila. Nila would be attending a different magic academy, not the same one Kai would be going to, but she didn't have the money to get a carriage herself, so Jane helped her.
"Thank you, Jane. If it wasn't you, then I had no idea how I would get to the city," Nila said. She was being sincere with her words. Nila's parents were farmers, and they did not have the money to pay for a carriage. It was already pretty lucky that they managed to get Nila into a magic academy.
"It was nothing," Jane said as she smiled, "You are quite talented, aren't you? Both of Kai's parents are mages, and he has me too to help him get into a magic academy, but you are alone."
Nila grew shy. "Well, I don't really see myself as talented, but if I managed to secure a spot, then I suppose the magic academy must have seen something promising in me."
Seated across from Nila beside Jane, Kai watched her closely, silently weighing his own abilities against hers. 'Is she more talented than I am?' he wondered.
It was natural to compare oneself to others. However, since both of them were still novices in magic, it was challenging to gauge who would fare better. Kai remained confident that his hard work would pay off, believing that his upbringing and training since childhood would make a difference.
The journey to the city was indeed long and tiring. Kai brought along some books to read during the trip, and whenever he had spare time, he practiced the exercises Jane had taught him.
Kai wanted to practice casting spells without using his wand, but he decided to keep it a secret for now. Jane warned him that it was better to wait before revealing such skills to others. 'Show it when you have some reputation or can defend yourself,' she advised him previously.
Nila hadn't brought any books, so she asked Kai to borrow one. "Could you lend me something to read? The trip is a bit tedious," she said.
Kai didn't see it as a problem. The two of them always got along, and it wasn't like he was short on books.
"Sure," he said, gesturing with his hand, "Choose one of these to read."
Only a few of the books were about magic. Kai only had the books that Jane had given him. The other books he had were short stories and tales. Kai always found stories fascinating and they were great for passing the time, especially during a trip like this one.
"Thank you," Nila said, sitting down next to Kai to look for a book she would like to read.
During the journey, Kai began to miss the means of transportation he was used to on Earth, as they were much faster than the carriage.
Despite being initially focused on his books, Kai began to look out the carriage window, seeing the trees, the landscapes, and the people who occasionally passed by on the street.
In the first few hours of the journey, everything around him still reminded him of the village of Silka. The atmosphere hadn't changed completely yet. But, after a few hours, Kai was starting to explore places he had never seen before, and that made him anxious.
"The magic academy you're going to is called Brainheart, and it's the most famous in the kingdom," Jane explained to Kai, "It's a little harder to get in there, so the people who get in really value their studies. So you shouldn't slack off."
Jane said that just to get it off her chest, because she knew Kai very well, and knew very well how hard-working he was, and how he wouldn't be slacking off once classes started. Kai really wanted to become a powerful Arcanist, and the only way was through study.
Nila was reading her book when she heard what Jane had said, and surprise was written all over her face, "Brainheart magic academy? You got in there?" she asked.
Everyone knew about Brainheart's magic academy. Getting in was difficult, and graduating was even harder. Anyone who graduated from Brainheart would have several doors open to them, and many jobs with excellent salaries would be possible.
Kai looked at Nila and said, "Yes, I ended up getting in. Honestly, I'm a little anxious and scared. It's a good thing Jane is coming with me."
He thought Nila would be envious or something, but Nila was actually happy for Kai. That made him think that Nila was indeed a good friend.
"Congratulations, Kai. We'll be in the same city, so make sure to hang out with me a few times, and help me with my studies if I need it."
"Of course, no problem," Kai said, smiling back at her.
The journey lasted two days. It wasn't the full trip, but rather the first stop in a medium-sized city where Kai, Jane, and Nila would catch a direct train to the kingdom's capital.
As soon as they arrived in this city, Kai began to feel that the world was becoming a little more familiar. The architecture of the streets and houses was a bit similar to what he was used to on Earth, and people walked everywhere, always at a hurried pace.
'This really has the feel of a big city,' he thought.
Kai wasn't that surprised when he got there, but he had to feign surprise so Jane wouldn't notice anything strange about him.
"Impressive, isn't it, farmer?" Jane said playfully, "I want to see you when you ride the train with me, or when you visit the magic academy. You're going to freak out!"
Nila was completely impressed with everything around her. She looked in all directions, and asked Jane many, many questions, wanting to know about everything in the city.
Of the three, Jane was the only one who had seen big cities. Well, she was so old that Kai suspected she was over a hundred years old, but there was no denying the experience and wisdom that Jane had. She answered all of Nila's questions.
Despite being amazed by the city, they made their way directly to the train station. Their destination was the kingdom's capital, and wasting time elsewhere wasn't ideal.
"We're headed to the capital, one way," Jane informed the ticket agent. "Is there a train leaving soon?"
The agent smiled and replied, "You're in luck. There's a train departing right now. Just pay here, and you're all set."
Kai boarded the train with Jane and Nila, but he couldn't shake an uneasy feeling as he noticed several oddly dressed individuals in dark cloaks scattered throughout the car.
'It's probably nothing to worry about. I saw plenty of people dressed like that in the city, so it must be a local fashion,' he reasoned to himself.
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