Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 521

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 291.
Beneath the Almond Tree (34)
The first-year orientation—or more accurately, the school life guidance—was to be held at Anaya Savante Hall, commonly known as “Annie Hall,” the second-oldest building in Nenyaple. As my footsteps echoed unusually loud through the empty corridor, I muttered to myself.
“I should have had my shoe soles replaced.”
As I approached the lecture hall, a young male professor’s voice drifted out. Peering through the window, I spotted Joshua sitting alone in the back of the classroom. I knocked on the back entrance, slipped inside, gave a slight bow, and took a seat beside him.
“You’re late, student.”
The professor seemed to be the taciturn type. I raised my index finger and responded.
“Ah, yes, sir. I got lost because I’m unfamiliar with the campus layout. Everyone kept calling it Annie Hall, so I had no idea where it was. I wandered around and even climbed the back mountain before finding it here. What a detour that was.”
As I spoke, I glanced sideways at Joshua. I knew perfectly well that during his time at the Vineyard last year, he’d become thoroughly familiar with not only the school but the surrounding area as well. It would have been awkward if he’d laughed at my excuse. Fortunately, he showed no reaction.
“It seems you only arrived yesterday. Today, take a walk around the campus, and make sure to arrive early from now on.”
“Of course.”
As the professor turned back to the blackboard, I nudged Joshua with my elbow.
“Did you come to wake me this morning? Was that you knocking on the door?”
“….”
His head was bowed, his gaze fixed on the desk. Something seemed off about his demeanor. I started to poke him again but suddenly stopped.
“You….”
He lifted his head but stared rigidly ahead. I lowered my eyes and turned away. My expression hardened. Only then did the professor’s voice, which had been like background music, finally reach my ears.
“…there will certainly be those among you. However, simply having no interest in magic does not mean you can graduate without understanding what magic is at all. This is because the foundation upon which Nenya-Yaplia was born and has existed until now is magic itself. Therefore, all of you must take ‘Elementary Magical Theory’ as a mandatory course in your first year. There are several other subjects you must choose as well, but above all, remember that if you fail ‘Elementary Magical Theory,’ advancement to the second year is impossible.”
Sighs rippled through the students. Most of them, having not chosen the magic exam during the entrance examination, knew nothing about magic. The professor laughed.
“Do not worry too much. In Elementary Magical Theory, we do not teach incantations or hand seals. Those who wish to learn such things should separately enroll in courses like ‘Incantation Studies’ or ‘Seal Practice.’ What we teach in Elementary Magical Theory is the history of magic, the branches of magical power, the relationship between nature and magic, and the fundamental operational principles of magic.”
Of course, the students thought that would be far more tedious. The professor might think incantations and seals were more difficult, but a theoretical magic course without even a single simple incantation to cast held no appeal for the students whatsoever.
“Nenyaple’s academic system dictates that regardless of a student’s ability, upon initial enrollment, one automatically becomes a first-year student, and no matter how well one performs on exams, there is no advanced placement. Therefore, in this room, there are those who barely passed the entrance exam, and there are also students who already possess considerable skill in multiple fields. Such students may enroll only in the mandatory first-year courses and use the remaining time to take courses attended by upper-year students. Of course, evaluation is conducted fairly, so you must be prepared to compete on equal footing with the upper-year students. Now, is there anyone considering enrolling in advanced courses in my field of history?”
The professor looked around at the students, but of course, no one raised their hand. From what I’d heard, enrolling in advanced courses before even becoming accustomed to the teaching methods was considerable audacity.
“Then finally, let me speak about the year-end advancement examination. You’ve likely already heard plenty about this exam’s notorious reputation before even enrolling. Its official name is ‘Nenya’s November Examination Platform.’ It’s commonly called the ‘November Exam.’ The subjects covered in the November Exam are limited to the mandatory first-year courses and the first-year courses you personally chose to take. Do not worry—taking upper-year classes does not mean you will be tested on them. The exam consists of one-on-one absolute evaluations with professors and written tests. There are also two grades of failure: retention and expulsion. If you receive a grade of 5 out of five total grades, you are immediately dismissed. To re-enroll, you must take the entrance exam again. If you receive a grade of 3 or 4, you must repeat your first year. Such retention is only possible twice; if you are retained a third time, you are also dismissed. Only grades of 1 and 2 qualify for advancement to the second year. To this is added the grades given by each course’s professor, which comprise the final evaluation. If these grades are very good, advancement to the second year may be permitted even with a lower grade on the advancement exam. Grades are evaluated based on large and small tests conducted during the semester, assignments, class participation, and attendance. For reference, approximately three out of every ten students in a year-class advance directly.”
At that moment, having already abandoned any hope of graduation, I turned to look beside me.
“Where did Jo go?”
Cardi answered with his eyes lowered.
“The Vineyard.”
“Are both of them allowed to be outside?”
“As long as we’re not noticed.”
“Did you get permission from Jo?”
In that instant, Cardi’s head snapped around, and he glared at me. That expression was so identical to Joshua’s that I flinched momentarily.
“….”
But there was no protest. Cardi turned his head back and looked down at his desk. Seeing his hardened profile and tightly pressed lips, my own mood grew complicated. I truly detested such messy entanglements.
“…I’m sorry.”
“For what.”
“You know. Anyway… never mind.”
I said nothing more and turned away. Soon the class ended. The next class was ‘Elementary Kingdom History.’ It was also in Annie Hall.
As I stood up, Cardi rose and followed, speaking quietly.
“You don’t have to talk to me.”
Maximian watched Cardi’s retreating figure as he left the Lecture Hall, then kicked the leg of an innocent table in frustration.
“Damn it.”
The vines in the Vineyard lay dormant. Pruned back for winter with only skeletal branches remaining, tiny buds clung sparsely to each twig like sleeping children. The trellises, stripped of their vines, stood sentinel and watched the wind pass.
Joshua was alone in the Reading Room. The other students were attending morning lectures at this hour. But he hadn’t come to Nenyaple for that kind of study. When he’d been a student of Mona Sid years ago, he’d pretended to learn things he already knew, mindful of others’ eyes. Now he felt no such need.
When he’d returned to the Vineyard in late autumn last year, most of the people who’d been in the Reading Room had changed. Even those he’d exchanged greetings with had departed. It wasn’t a lack of perseverance that drove them away. Reading Room access permits were rarely granted for consecutive months. Some whispered that the Masters of Nenyaple maintained their exclusive position by preventing others from accessing the Vineyard’s information deeply.
Joshua had remained far longer than such whispers could account for. Without Tichiel’s translation work, he would have consumed so much knowledge that Professor Leomentiis’s fears of madness would have come true. Joshua didn’t even keep records. All the information that had towered within the Reading Room lived in his mind.
Today the Reading Room was clean. Nearly all the books, tablets, and scrolls he’d consulted had been returned, and Tichiel had gone to attend lectures. She would come help in the evening, but her perspective on studying differed from Joshua’s.
Joshua sat lost in thought, staring at the corner of the table, yet in his mind countless pieces of information danced like butterflies in a swarm. He was selecting stones from billions of stars to build a bridge between possibility and answer.
Time was scarce. Joshua pursued answers at a speed only he could manage—answers that others couldn’t obtain even after decades of study. Like the person who’d locked himself in the Old Cottage at Jade Ring Castle years ago. Yet even he lacked sufficient information, and the answer remained distant. The inability to learn magic was the greatest obstacle. He didn’t know how much longer the Puppet Master would wait.
Cardi—how much longer would he wait?
7. Lemon Jelly and Rotten Celery
Do you know why this flower is beautiful?
Because it blooms today.
Do you know why this child is lovely?
Because tomorrow it will grow.
Do you know why this story is interesting?
Because it will never repeat again.
After finishing lunch and returning to his Chamber, Maximian had intended to take a brief nap when he encountered a peculiar problem.
“What?”
Something strange was stuck to the door handle—a yellow, gelatinous lump that resembled jelly or paste and blocked the keyhole. Since he’d locked the door when leaving, he couldn’t open it without inserting and turning the key.
He tried to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge, and his fingernails couldn’t even scratch it. Scraping with a key proved useless. At least it wasn’t sticky, but it was remarkably solid. He couldn’t fathom how something could adhere so firmly.
While Maximian wrestled with the door handle, Lucian arrived.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“What do you think this is? It won’t come off.”
The two of them combined their efforts and tried various tools to cut or scrape away the mysterious ‘jelly’, but all attempts failed. Trying to simply turn the handle and open the door was equally futile. Then a voice came from behind them.
“What’s going on?”
Lucian turned around with a brightened expression.
“Oh, Boris! Something strange is stuck to the door handle. We can’t open it.”
Maximian glanced at his roommate Boris. He’d caught a glimpse of him yesterday, but they’d never spoken or even been introduced.
It seemed Boris and Lucian had known each other from the start. But unlike the cheerful and sociable Lucian, Boris appeared quiet to the point of seeming gloomy—not the sort of person one felt inclined to approach. Still, they’d be sharing the room for a year, so it wouldn’t do to keep pretending not to know each other.
“I’m Maximian Lipkne. Awkward circumstances for an introduction, I’m afraid.”
Boris, who’d been examining the door handle, turned his head.
“Boris Jineman. Step aside for a moment.”
The instant Lucian grabbed Maximian’s arm and pulled him to the side, Boris took two steps back and threw his full weight against the door. Maximian cried out in disbelief.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Boris didn’t respond, simply hurled himself at the door again. A loud crash echoed through the Corridor. After three impacts, the door began to shake, and after several more, the hinges gave way. Lucian caught the door handle to prevent it from falling into the room. Boris took the handle from him, gripped the section where the hinges had been attached, and lifted the entire door out. Wood dust scattered in all directions.
While Maximian stood dumbfounded, Lucian clapped and cheered.
“It’s open!”
“That’s all it took?”
Boris leaned the door against the wall across the Corridor and rushed into his own room to check something. His expression soon showed relief. Lucian stood in the doorway, tilting his head in confusion.
“But how do I reattach the door?”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Published by: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright to this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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