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NotmanyprospectivestudentsendedupingtoKageyamabecauseitlaceofacademia.Graduateshadahardtimelookingforemployment，andmanyofthembecametractemployeeswinaffiliatedestatesandcraftshops.Thoseamongthemosttalentedwouldgetacetobeeaninstructor.

udentsgatheredinthepublicsquareinfrontoftheHalleverym，andseniorstudentswoulddosimplelessonsanddemos.Sometimes，anovicestudentwouldenterplativesilence，anditwouldbegreatlycelebrated.

Ididn’tsayudentsjustnowbecauseitwaslythebesttermtouse.Someudentswouldstayonthepublicsquareeverymandneverenterplativesilence.Uponturningfourteen，orwhenanovicegaveuptrying，astudentwhohadnevereheSilencewouldbeeapprenticesintrades.Kageyamahadalotofwoodshopsandwineries，manyglassblowersandblacksmiths，soitwouldstillbeaveryacceptableouteifonedidn’tbeeaknight，awitch，oranalchemist.

Ifastudeereddeepsileheualintroductorylessonwouldbegiventothestudent.ThebasicversionofswordroutinesoftheKageyamastyle，orthebasiventoryofbeginner’sspells，ortheIntroductorytoAlchemistMaterialswouldbepassedontothestudent，whowouldbee，then，an“officialstudent.”

Everym，IwouldlookattheseniorstudeeringtheHallaftergivingdemos，intotherisingsun.Iloofollowthem，andtowalkalongsidethem.SoIstartedtoaskseniorstudentstogivememinidemosandsharetheirexperiendstoriesduriime.

Ittookawhile，butIthinkbythemonth，Shimodzuki，theeleventhmonthoftheolddar，IwasgettingafeelingthatImightehesilencerelativelysoon.

Thatfeelingmademehappy.Arashiehesilehinherfirstmonthhere，andwhensheheldaswordinherfirstclassintheMainHall，herspiriteheswordeffortlessly，andtheswaveapurering.Arashiwasreizedonthespotasaprodigyofthesword.ShequicklypassedalltheintroductorycoursestaughtintheMainHall，andhadsincegootheInnerHallforadvancedlessons.

Afterafewmoredays，itturnedoutwhatIthoughtwastruewasnotaccurate.IntroductorylessonsforallthreesubjectsaretaughtintheMainHall，whereasregularlessonsfichappenedintheNorthWing，regularlessonsinswordsmanshipstillhappenedintheMainHall，andregularlessonsforalchemyhappenedintheSouthWing.TheInnerHallwasonlyforadvancedcoursesinallthreesubjects.

Moststudentsonlyhadtimetomaybetakeononeortwoadvancedcoursesbefraduation，butArashihadbeentakingcoursesthereforyears.Ithinktheysaidsomethinglikefouryears.SothatmakesArashithetopstudentattheageofeleven.

AkishiwasfifteenwhenIjoinedKageyama，andHideowaslike，fourteen，Ithink?AkishistartedherregularcoursesintheNorthwinglastyear，andHideohadjustaboutfinishedallhisintroductorycoursesintheMainHall，andsoonstartedtakingallhiscoursesintheSouthWing.

IgotatouroftheHallfromAkishiinShihazu，thetwelfthmonthoftheolddar.TheMainHallwaslikealargeclassroom，withalargestageinthefront.Ohreesidesofthefrontstage，therewerestairstoenter，or“asd”

intotherestoftheHall.Iguessstudentsareencedto“asd”

intheirpursuitofmasteryoftheArtsofSwordsmanship，MagidAlchemy.TheWingsallhadfourlevels，buttheInnerHallhadfive.InstructorstaughtintheNorthWing，theMainHall，andtheSouthWing，butElderstaughtintheInnerHall.

Itwasnotonplaceatallforastudenttofullyenteradvaudiesbefraduatioalonehavingalreadyspentfouryearsthereattheageofeleven.SoArashihadmoreprestigethanmostinstructors，actually.IfeltveryproudwhenIlearhat.ArashipersonallyinvitedmetojoiKageyama，soImusthavesomepotentialtobelikeher.

Soeverym，IstaredatthesilhouettesofseniorstudeeringtheHall，thinkingofArashiasdingtotheInnerHall.Myheartwentafterthem，andIsighedveryoften，daydreaming.

Springcame.Iwassixandhalf，andaninstructorcametoteachallthenewintakesabout‘body-building’，Iguess.Wealsohadlessonsonhowtostandtallwhileexerg.Igotalessononhowtosprintbutwiththeeffortofjogging，whichwasfasatingtome.

Iwastohaveshallowbreaths，withmychestmostlyexpanded，andtrytohaveaminicurrentofmagicelemeinthere.Theminicurrentofmagisidemewouldresohthetorrentofmagitheoutsideenviro，andthatwouldliftmeupuntilonlythetipofmyfeettouchedtheground.Withthisbuoyanyside，andifIcouldpracticesoastohavethemagicelementofWindbreakuptheairinfrontofmetoreduceairresistahenIcouldrunveryfastwithverylittleeffort.

Ipracticeddailyafterthemdemos，mostlyatthesideofthemountaiherewerelotsofboulders.AfterIcouldrunwitheaseonwellmaintainedpaths，Ipracticedrunningonpebbles，rocks，sand，grass，moss...

Eventually，IthoughtmaybeIcouldtryjumpingfrombouldertoboulder.Thatwasnoteasy.Myjumpsweretooshort，andIfelloffofteuallyImaojump，notfromtoptotop，butfromsidetoside.Thatrequiredalotmorefastthinking，aswellasimprovedreatime，asmy‘air-time’wassiderablyshorter，thecurvatureofmytrajectorywasalmostent，andIhadtoswitchmybodyorientationinmidairtopreventmyhead，orworse，face，fromhittingtherock’ssurface.

Afterspringhadended，Ifigureditwasenoughmadness，abackttogetintothedeepsilencebyaskingAkishitogivememinidemos.

IfoundAkishitobetheeasiestpersontobeefriendswith，fromthethreepeoplethatIknew.Iwasawareofotherpeople，butsomehowmypathrarelycrossedwiththeirs.

Idolyfeelfortablebesideboys，aethefactthatHideowasverynice，Ididn’tactuallyiwithhimallthatmuch.Arashiwasreserved.Itmadeonenervousstandingnearher，ofteinginherbeingbyherself.ItriedtobefriendswithArashi，butshewasrarelyseenduringthebulkoftheday，asshewasimmersedinstudyandtraining.

ItoldArashithatIwaobestrongjustlikeher，andwaostandbesideher，shouldertoshoulder....andwhetherIcouldsitbyhersidesometimes.Shetookmetothewestcliff，achedclouds.Wemaositandwatchcloudsandsusafewmoretimes.Maybeonaverageonceamonth?Idon’tthinkArashisaidanythingtomeatallduringthosemonths.Shejustletmesitbesideher，andtospendsometimetogether.Shedidn’tshowmuchemotiononherface.Wasthereahintofmelancholyeverynowandthen?Icouldnotbecertain，butIrettysureshewasshowingmespecialkindness.

Summercame，andIwasalmostseven.Wehadaraceamongtheudents，andIdidfairlywell.Beingbadatphysicaleducationsincekindergarten，Iwasverypleasedwithmyself.Then，thereportunityformetoearnpocketcash:Icoulddeliverletterstothetownatthefootofthemountain.Importantmessagesweretransferredusingmagic，butordinarymessageswerestillwrittenonpaperanddeliveredbycouriers.Couriersdidnoteupthemountainveryfrequently，sowhenpeoplewantedletterstobesent，theyhadtogodownthemountainthemselves.

SomeofHideo’sclassmatesfoundthetripsunnecessary，andtheymuchpreferredtospendtheirwholedaywatgthecauldron.Thus，anoticeostedtofindsomeonewillingtorundownthemountaintopassoerstothecourierstationitletownbyKageyama.

SinceIdidfairlywellintherace，andsinceIwantedsomemoobuygiftstoshowmygratitude，Isignedup.IwaothankAkishiforalltheextrademos，andArashiforwatgthecloudsandsuswithme.

Iwasgoingintotownforthefirsttime，andonmywayback，Isawaveryiinglookingwater-erodedmarbleboulderinasmallvalleybythesideoftheroad.Iwenttheretotakealook，sinceIreallylikederodedrockswithintriguingshapesandpatterns.

IheardtalkingandIlookedthroughasmallholeontherock.IrememberedwhathadhappenedduringthisepisodeonlyafterIwokeup，andduringthedreamIwasnotawareofthisenter.Lateronitwouldbeself-explanatoryastowhatexactlyhappeocausethat.

ThereecialplacecalledHimeyama.AtHimeyama，thestudentcilcalledalltheshots.Theymadeallthedecisionsandtheirinstructorsfollowedordersfromthestudentcil.Himeyamalacewherethenobilityandroyaltyattended，andtheinstructorsbeingonlyminorlordsatbest，naturallyviewedthemselvesas，well，morelikeservantsthanacademyfacultymembers.

MajormembersofthestudentcilatHimeyamawereposedofagroupofeliteusersofmagiccalledtheFive.Allofthemweremajornobilityandroyalty，andtheyhadlavishprivateresidences（UnlikeKageyama，whereeveryoayedinsmall，plainlyfurnisheddormrooms.）.

AtHimeyama，thefivewerenotaddressedbytheirnames，andtherewereseveresequencesforviolations.TheleaderoftheFive，whnedsupreme，wasYukari，andtheonlyacceptablewaytorefertoherarentlyHerMajestyoftheLoftyAmethystPalace.Peopletoldmethatshewasamastermindofschemesandplotsandintrigues.Shewaoruleovertheworldandhadnomorals.Shewasaruthless，mercilesswarlord.Shehadplansforeiestobeslaughterediftheystoodinherway.

TheinthefivewasMidori，andIwastoremembertorefertoherasHerHighnessofEmeraldPalace.Peopletoldmethatshewasanexpertinmanipulatingthehumanmind.

ThentherewasKasumi，knownasHerExcellenceofRubyCastle，whoseexpertisewasanalyzingsituations.

ThefourthwasYayoi，herEminenceofPeridotCastle.Shewasoneofthemostdangerous.Shecouldturnpeopleintodolls，andnoonewouldnoticewhenthespellwascast.Thepersoncarryingthespellhadnofeelingofit.Thenallofasudden，whenYayoiactivatedthespell，fromnearorafar，thepersonwouldbeeherpuppet，withnoceofputtingupeventheslightestresistancewhatsoever.

Finallytheyou，atagefifteen，isRyō，HerHighnessofRoseQuartzHall.Duete，Ryōhadnotreceivedherowncastleorpalace，butapparentlyshewasthemostexperiencedandthefiercestotlefield，andhadvowedtoearnaeforherselfbythespoilsofwarinsteadofthroughiance.RyōwasalsotheLordoftheDungeon，mostskillfulattandinterrogatingprisoners.Shespentmostofherfreetimeeitherdevisingnewmethodsofinterrogationordesigningnewequipmentfortorture.

TherestoodtheFive，ohersideofthewater-erodedrock，andtheywereplanningattacksonKageyama.

IheardYayoisuggestturningstudentsintodolls，andtrytogainaccesstotheroomwheredesignsforthespellthatprotectedtheacademywouldbelocated.

IheardRyōaskingwhetheritwouldbeokaywiththerestifshetorturedandslaughteredthewholeacademyandthenmadeKageyamaherowe，andshecouldbeknownasHerHighnessoftheMountainofShadowsafterwards.