02小说网

日記（第2页）

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。

IheardKasumiandMidoridiscussinghowtopromisethefellowshipamonginstructorsandelders，andIheardhowYukariwouldmakeabloodyexampleofKageyamaforanyonewhodaredtowithholdthemselvesfromvoluntarilytheirfullsurrenderandsubmissiontoher。

IheardKasumilaudingtheidea，sinceallotheracademiesweretradecollegeswithnoshareinthesupremearts。IfKageyama，withitsturiesoftraditioninswordsmanship，magidalchemyprovedtobenomatchagainstthesuperiorHimeyama，thenanypotentialresistancewouldbedisced。

IheardMidoridescribinghowgrandtheempirewouldbeafterYukarireignedovereverypersonandeveryland。IsawYukarishowafaintsmileasheregowassatisfiedbyMidori’sskillfulandofwords。。。

IwasdebatingabouthowtogetoutofthereandalertKageyamaofHimeyama’sscheme，andIwaslostinmythoughts。WhenIreturnedfrommyimaginaryversationsandwhat-if’sandmaybe-I-should。。。IfoundtheFivestandingrightbehindme，withtheirshadowsenvelopingme。Iwasscaredandterrified。Icouldnotsayaword。