-Side Chapter: X1 Apple’s confession

Seeing the birth of my little sisters is a one in a lifetime chance.

The Faces of the identical twins were cute.

A hand to their cheeks results in a smile unseen from my whole life.

The hungry sound of their stomachs resounds the quiet room.

Laughter from me and my mom spreads the whole room.

Smiles and new life to behold.

I am a big sister from now on.

Thank you, my twins.

-----

“Apple, you’re going to school”

“No! Apple will stay with her sisters!”

“Now come on, you will achieve nothing if you stay like that”

“But my sisters might miss me, and I don’t want to that to happen”

“Go now.”

“Yes!”

Mama forced me to leave.
I have no choice then, for my little sisters, I need to get high scores for the school!

But on my way, there were lots of things I didn’t know about before.
I’m still 10 years old and I’m attending school.
I know that papa trained me to at least pass the school curriculum. But other than that I don’t know the outcome of the future anymore.

Well, going through the city and riding a wagon going through NEir, the place where the nearest school is located in our town.

It will take about 3 days before we will reach the city and have a 1 day extra to rent an inn and register at the school.
Even though I’m still a child, I must do this for my little sisters!

I hope that all that training paid off somehow.

The next day after that, a bandit group attacked the wagon I’m riding on.
Fortunately, there were some adventurers who rode the wagon with us, but that hope soon turned into despair.

An accomplice of the bandits, the adventurers who were with our side was defeated and ripped off there possessions.

Now I know that this world isn’t so sweet just like in the village. But if this continues any further there is a chance that I won’t be able to attend school.

I don’t have any weapons available other than the gauntlet that papa gave me as a present.

The color red variant just like my hair and with the jet black colors around the hardened knuckle areas.
A glove that is made out of basilisk leather and a metal knuckle made out of hardened Cockatrices claws. I am unable to measure just how valuable this is but this was given to me by papa.

That alone is an un-pricable thing. Well, this won’t get me anywhere so I have to move to.

By wearing the given gloves by father, I also pour mana into the gloves. The gloves then glow a red color, this means that the mana has passed through the gloves.

The bandits then moved to us who are now detained in one corner, they stole some of the merchants who were with us their money and valuables. They soon noticed me, is it because of my conspicuous hair color?

“Hey! This girl will sell neatly.”

“Yes, hey boss. What do you think?”

The bandits asked one of the adventurers who sided with them, a blonde-haired guy wearing silver-plated armor and an extravagant sword hanged at his waist.

If you weren’t just a bandit I would have very fallen in love with you. Tsk! What a waste!

The blonde-haired guy looked at me and smiled a smile that is so creepy.
The edges of his mouth stretch until to his cheeks, showing those eyes who is like looking at a prey with the teeth out.

Creepy.

“You’ll sell nicely girl”

His hand extends and touched my shoulders. I am not afraid but instead, I am nervous. Without a second thought, I ready my fist with the gloves on and filled it with mana.

Then punch the man in front of me with a straight fast uppercut to his chin. I see some teeth falling out of his mouth, but soon he regained back his balance.

“This girl! Never mind selling you, we’ll kill you right here”

I don’t give any word to the man, instead I attack once more. A technique taught to me by papa, by using the centrifugal force from my feet to my fist, I add a little spin to my wrist.

The thing is, papa said to not use this to anyone but potential enemies. Well, here you go one special fist right at your ugly face.

The sound of my gloves hitting his face was heard, soon after that, the man whom I punched is now unconscious at one of the sides of the wagon we are in. bleeding from his mouth and his unrecognizable face.

For my sisters!

 

So after the incident, one of the adventurers aboard the wagon went back to the city and called guards to detain the bandits.

One of the masters of the wagon going to NEir thanked me and would like to give me a reward, of course, I did not ask for any but instead they gave me back my money which I paid for.

Convenient.

Going through the roads we finally arrived at NEir, arriving at the gate each gave their own identification cards. Which I don’t have, fortunately, the wagon master paid the fee for me to enter NEir.

Well, I go straight to the school. Asking for directions at nearby travelers and peddlers, I arrived at my destination at no time.

A huge building made out of rocks, towering through the sky its top was not seen. Really, how did they make this?

After that, I enter the school grounds and registered as a student at one of the registers just near the gates. Then I need to also find a place to stay for tonight.

I leave the school grounds, it’s now afternoon and is nearing nighttime. Walking my way into the roads in the huge alleys, I follow the recommendations the wagon master gave me.

At last, I arrive, a simple but beautiful inn. There are not many extravagant designs such as in the ones in the cathedral. I walk my way into the inn and suddenly a group of men blocked me. They wear ragged clothing and look oddly suspicious.

“Hey, why won’t you come with us?”

I’m still 10.

“Hey, maybe you want a drink?”

I’m still 10.

“Why don’t you talk? “

I’m still 10... Wait, I don’t want to talk.

“Get out”

“Brave aren’t you?”

“Come on, let’s have some fun?”

They are getting in my nerve already, but they just kept asking me over and over again.

Eventually, one of the men blocking my way into the held my wrist tightly and brought out a knife. Threatening me by pointing the knife into my neck they pulled me back into the dark alleyways.

But without any second thought, punch the man who is holding my wrist and the knife. Then wear the gloves shortly after then punch them more. The noise of the bones breaking and the screams of the men were not heard by anybody other than me.

For my sisters.

Then I go out from the dark sides to the inn that I was supposed to stay at. I paid for the amount in one night, readied my luggage, and slept as it is. I already miss Kris and Tina… I want to hug them….

 

The next day, I ate breakfast at the inn and left my luggage in the inn for the meantime. After that, I advance to the school ground.

Unlike yesterday which was less populated, now in the morning there were a bunch of students attending this school.

Ranging from wealthy people to poor students like us. Near the stalls, students line up to get their own uniforms provided by the school whether poor or not.

A navy blue jacket with a gray shirt inside and a red ribbon for aesthetics. The skirt was also blue with patterns. A plaid style skirt. Other than that the uniforms provide extra protection against monsters or external attacks making the uniform one of the state of art best equipment by NEir city.

A city made from golems.

So walking my way into the stalls I line up and wait for my turn. There were other students that also came from our village, but they were at a higher level. Nevertheless, only a few are lined up in the stall I’m waiting at.

After that, we wear the provided Uniform at the nearest changing station provided near the school buildings. But if I look closely, surely this material which the school is made of is just like the one from the cathedral. A marble said by papa.

There are two stations, one for the boys and one for the girls. I try to be quiet to not make a ruckus; I move slowly and enter the booth. After that, I remove the clothes I’m wearing with the uniform provided instead.

Perfect! But my little sisters are cuter… I wish I was too.