Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 2 (Part 2)

* * *

Morning came. Rodin touched his red nose as he woke up.

“Ugh, I hate winter.”

Light seeped in through the cracks in the wooden walls. The light came in from the left, shining on the floor.

‘We’re heading south.’

Rodin’s original home was near the border with the Ingram Empire. He didn’t know the exact distance or direction. He just guessed it was near the border based on the adults’ conversations about the empire and the border.

‘If we’re heading south, we’re going to the central or southern parts of the kingdom.’

At that moment, the door opened. A bearded man poked his head in.

“Come out.”

“Yes.”

Rodin came out of the wooden crate and looked around. The kids who had run away were still not seen.

‘They’re intentionally letting them suffer.’

Rodin didn’t think the adults had lost the kids.

Yesterday, even as the kids were escaping, the adults didn’t seem to care. Now, they didn’t look like they were going to search for them either. It was clear they had a plan.

“Run in place.”

“What?”

“I said exercise. Breakfast will be ready in an hour. Keep moving so your body doesn’t stiffen.”

“Oh!”

It was surprising that they cared not only about food but also exercise. Although a bit bewildered, Rodin followed the instructions.

He jogged in place, walked around lightly, and stretched his limbs.

Despite his lazy movements, no one criticized him. The adults just glanced at him and didn’t pay much attention.

‘Is this enough?’

After about an hour, breakfast was ready. Like yesterday, it was two loaves of bread, water, and soup.

However, the soup tasted slightly different. It seemed to have a different type of meat.

“Thirty minutes. Move again.”

“What?”

“Exercise so you don’t get indigestion.”

“Oh, yes.”

Rodin repeated the exercises he did before the meal. He jogged lightly and moved his limbs around.

Just when he started to feel tired, a man in his 30s approached him.

“Get inside.”

“Yes.”

Rodin went back into the wooden crate. He sat on a cushion, leaning against the wall. Covering his lower body and abdomen with the blanket, he felt warm enough.

Meals were served on time.

About five hours after breakfast, the ceiling opened and lunch was provided. About six hours after lunch, the wooden crate opened and dinner was served.

Like at breakfast, he had to exercise for an hour before and thirty minutes after dinner.

Yesterday, he was too exhausted to notice, but from today, exercise was mandatory.

Only at lunch was there no exercise.

Two more days passed.

The eight kids who had run away were found along the road cutting through the forest. Shivering from cold and hunger, they begged for their lives as soon as they saw the slave traders.

The adults took them back. The kids kept expressing their gratitude with tears.

However, the failed escape had consequences. The quality of food for the eight kids dropped significantly.

The soft, white bread was replaced with hard, tasteless black bread. The soup had no meat, and its color turned pale.

Of course, Rodin was an exception. He still received soft, warm white bread and soup full of meat chunks.

‘I’m the enemy.’

The kids, despite their failure, had tried to run away together and suffered through cold and hunger together. Because of this, they were united with a sense of camaraderie.

On the other hand, Rodin, who stayed behind, was given good food and a warm place to sleep.

He had parted ways with the eight kids.

Thus, during meals, they didn’t talk to Rodin. They whispered among themselves, completely isolating him.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Rodin didn’t want to force his way into their circle.

A fence is not just about being high and sturdy. It also needs to be safe and comfortable inside. If life inside the fence is worse than outside, there’s no reason to enter it.

Rodin didn’t see much value in their little group. It was just a gathering of kids. Apart from having someone to talk to, nothing would change.

* * *

Thirteen more days passed. As time went by, winter slowly ended, and fresh green sprouts started to emerge from the ground.

The wagon carrying the nine kids arrived at their destination. It stopped at a large field, and soon, the door of the wooden crate opened.

“Come out.”

As usual, the bearded man gave the order. Rodin tidied up his blanket and stepped out of the crate.

‘Ah, winter is over.’

The wind on his bare skin was quite warm. It was still cold if he stood still for long, but if he moved a bit, the temperature was bearable.

“Standby! Standby!”

After waiting for about 20 minutes, the merchant returned, shrugging his shoulders.

“We seem to be the first to arrive.”

“Really? I thought we’d be third or fourth.”

“Me too. It’s room 7 in the West Wing. Let’s move.”

“Yes, master.”

The adults led the kids into a large building on the left. Soon, they went up to the second floor. The kids followed silently.

The second floor had a room large enough to accommodate at least 100 people. On the left side of the room, there were five doors.

“Wait here. The left doors are restrooms. If you need to use the bathroom or wash up, go inside. Meals are on the first floor. When the trainers come up at mealtime, follow them. Got it?”

“Yes, understood.”

“Yes, sir.”

“O-okay.”

The kids’ responses were varied. However, the merchant didn’t seem to mind.

“Any questions?”

“Can we go out?”

“Not alone. Stay here and move only when the trainers tell you to. Any other questions?”

No other kids spoke up. Though some seemed to want to ask something, they remained silent.

“Then we’re leaving.”

“Yes, master.”

The master left. Silence filled the room.

‘Hmm.’

Rodin let out a small sigh and moved to a corner.

The atmosphere was uncomfortable. The kids who had pushed him away during the journey were now glaring at him.

‘It’ll be okay.’

As expected, the kids only glared at him and didn’t approach. Perhaps they were unsure of the situation.

Though there were no adults in the room, there were likely other adults nearby. It was unclear if they would tolerate kids fighting.

Uncertain, the kids didn’t dare to provoke Rodin. They feared being kicked out.

‘What should I do?’

Doing nothing made him anxious. He wished someone would give him instructions.

Luckily, the anxiety didn’t last long. About two hours later, unfamiliar adults arrived with a group of kids.

There were 11 new kids, all older than Rodin.

‘Is 10 the age limit?’

Rodin guessed they were all around the same age, though their sizes varied. They looked about 10 years old or a year or two younger.

When the adults left, one of the new kids stood up.

“Hi! I’m Drok.”

Among the 20 kids gathered, he was the tallest. He looked like he could be strong if he ate well and gained some weight.

“Oh, hi. I’m… Marion. I’m 9 years old.”

“I-I’m…”

After Drok introduced himself, other kids started to talk.

But not all kids introduced themselves. Rodin, and about half of the others, stayed silent.

‘This is a hassle.’

Rodin didn’t introduce himself not because he wanted to hide his name, but because he disliked repeating himself.

Judging by the current situation, more kids would continue to arrive. It was too tiresome to introduce himself repeatedly.

“What about you guys? Aren’t you going to say your names?”

“…”

“…”

Even as someone pressed for introductions, those who had stayed silent didn’t speak up. Rodin also remained in his corner, observing.

Hyung_Otaku2

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