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“When are you going to the Dragon Academy?”

 

Father asked me. I didn’t know myself. No one would tell me.

 

“I think they send a carriage. And you just ride it.”

 

“And does that carriage go to the landlord?”

“Maybe.”

 

It was unlikely that a carriage from the Royal Capital would know where we lived.

 

I had visited the landlord a number of times after the Dragon Mark appeared.

It was there that I was taught what it meant to be a Dragon Master.

 

The landlord’s name was Crame Sargent. He was a nobleman.

I always called him Lord Crame.

 

He was elderly and had white in his hair, but was a good, friendly landlord.

 

There was a Dragon Master currently staying in the town of Sol, who went to the landlord’s mansion.

And since I was the only Sol resident who had the mark, we had private lessons together.

 

“What about the things you are taking with you? Have you finished packing?”

“We’ll be in a dormitory and everything is provided for us. I probably just need to bring my clothes.”

 

“What about your secret tools?”

“They might inspect our luggage. So it would be better to buy them again over there or have them brought to me later.”

 

“I see. Then I’ll tell Christan to do it. By the way, are you going to visit Eina on the way there?”

“Yes. I’ll stay the night in her town and probably see her.”

 

My sister Eina had left our town in order to marry Christan.

 

“Then take a letter from me and your mother. Also, be sure to tell her why you won’t be able to visit for a long time.”

“Really? I was thinking about visiting often after acquiring a dragon.”

 

Besides, dragons were fast.

While it may take several days to travel by carriage, I could visit her and return home on the same day.

 

And I had no plans to join the army after graduating at the academy. I thought that I would be free.

 

“I heard that you are made to train and gain experience near the Shadow Moon Road after graduation. Regardless of whether you join the army or not.”

“Are you serious?”

 

I hadn’t known because I wasn’t interested at all.

The person that helped me prepare for the academy hadn’t even told me what would happen after graduation.

I guess it was because I would find out soon enough.

 

“So you may not return for years. At worst, you may never come back.”

Years. That was a long time. But never…oh, that was if I died.

 

“…Fine. I’ll be sure to tell her that.”

Of course, I had no intention of dying.

 

“Remember. Even Dragon Masters can die.”

“Yeah. I’ll be careful so that doesn’t happen.”

 

“Be as careful as possible.”

And that was the end of our conversation.

 

As for preparations, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. They did say that uniforms and daily supplies would be provided. And you weren’t allowed to bring many personal items inside. So, maybe it was fine to just go with the clothes on your back.

 

According to the person who helped me prepare, the first thing you did when entering the Academy was to write your name on the items that they gave you.

While it was a school, it sounded like being in the army.

 

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Several days later, my parents watched as I left this town behind me.

I was embarking on a 5 days journey to the Royal Capital.

 

The carriage came to our house just to pick me up.

I had assumed a servant would be sent from the landlord, but instead, it stopped right in front of our house.

 

Everyone was watching.

I was being treated like a minister.

 

Of course, the country was paying for all of this.

 

That included the money for inns and food. It was extravagant.

But maybe it was normal.

 

After all, I was going to become a Dragon Master.

 

….Damn it. I really didn’t want to go.

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