The Frost Heart
Chit-chat
Jack and Dian went to work after breakfast. In the city of Hedgeshade is quite different from the world that used to be occupied by Jack and Dian. In the city of Hedgehade Jack and Dian feel like they are in medieval Europe. The way the people dress, the houses, and the vehicles are almost like in medieval times. But here, there was a special vehicle similar to a car.
Usually cars are commonplace in big cities and even the countryside is also in the world of Jack and Dian. Now in the Hedgeshade cars were reserved only for the upper class nobles and merchants of the sultan. The car named "Magic Train" is very expensive, about 20000 x Jack and Dian salary combined into one for a year. The way it works is the same as a car, without a horse and walking alone with a magic mechanism. Just the shape is different, like a horse carriage in general. And for the commoners of Hedgehade, they walked on foot, and sometimes some used chariots pulled by donkeys or horses.
The city of Hegdeshade is one of the many towns in the land of Dracvale. In the big city it is famous for its culinary, especially the sour-baked duck. In addition, the city of Hegdeshade is famous for an underground place filled with magical beasts. Material from magical animals is so valuable that many people visit, making a blessing to the residents of the city of Hedgehade in the field of culinary and lodging. The underground or other name of the Dungeon is called Lover. Why is that dungeon called Lover? Jack did not know.
In a new place like Hegdeshade, Jack doesn't take long to adapt to the townspeople. They are very accepting of new people, even those people are refugees from outside areas. Jack thought afterwards that the principle in the city of Hedgeshade was the same as Indonesia, namely tolerance and gotong royong. Jack was never treated badly because he was an outsider, making him think that way.
When Jack and Dian meet at a crossroads, the two go their separate ways. Their work locations are quite different and far away. Jack's workplace is near the city center, while Dian's workplace is on the outskirts of town.
On the way, Jack looked around the city hoping for something new that morning. The atmosphere of the morning was still so quiet, as the people were still in his house. The sun was not too hot and the atmosphere was cool that morning. The chirping of birds rang out in Jack's ears, creating a peaceful and peaceful morning atmosphere
After a few minutes of walking, Jack finally reached the city center. The centerpiece of the city of Hedgehade is a shower named "the angel of heaven" and the place is quite crowded from the place where Jack passed by. Those who formed the crowd were the hunters from the Hunting and Exploration Department who were looking for luck in that Lover dungeon.
The Department of Hunters and Exploration is a government organization tasked with hunting down vicious demonic and magical beasts while exploring mysterious places in Dracvale, such as Dungeon Lover. Said the person that Jack listened to, Dracvale is a vast territory with completely unexplored places. For several centuries witches have occupied Dracvale, but Dracvale is still so mysterious and strange to the layman. One of them is a Dungeon that is mysterious and always in Dracvale.
Near the location of the shower, there is a shop that reads in front of him "Happy Time" with a logo of a bowl that smoky content. That's Jack's place of work as a shopkeeper.
Jack did not enter through the front door of the store. That was the employee provision of the store, on the grounds that the front door was intended for customers. Jack had to go around the store and enter the back door of the store for the officers there.
"Ah, good morning, Jack."
"Morning, Jack..."
"Yeah, Jack. Had breakfast?"
When he entered, Jack immediately greeted the employees who had arrived first. Jack returned all the greetings and greeted those who had not greeted him. After that, Jack went into the customer's dining room to help arrange the dining benches.
The sun was rising and it was time for the shop to open. A lot of people go there for breakfast. Or those who lack work, tease the pretty waitresses in the shop. Luckily in the tavern there was a "beast dog", Jack called a male servant who had a creepy look. He could bully away those who were harassing the maidservants in the tavern. All the women who were bullied praised the creepy-looking man in return for driving away the underworked man.
After a long time working in the tavern, finally the sun was getting to the western horizon, the sign of the afternoon had come. The store will be closed in the afternoon and reopened at midnight. At night, the tavern will be transformed as a place of drinking for hunters who rest from their dangerous activities. Jack didn't get the night hours, which is why he went straight to his inn and rested.
"Jack?"
As Jack walked, he heard a voice calling out to him from behind. Then, he looked back where there was a woman who was very familiar to Jack.
"You...Mary, right?"
"Yes, it's me Jack. I didn't think we'd meet here."
"Truly unexpected." Jack laughing. The one chatting with Jack was Mary, the witch (she said) who brought Jack to Dracvale after the disaster 3 months ago.
"How are you? Healthy? Have you removed the wound stitches?" Jack asked when recalling he had once treated (albeit useless as well) by sewing Mary's wounds.
"Already, with the clinic doctor. The doctor said the wound sutures were very neat, like the stitches of a medical expert. But I rectified it if it was stitches from a scavenger and he didn't believe it. Who were you before?"
"As you know, I used to be a scavenger in the suburbs."
Mary feels that Jack is hiding something and intends to break it. Jack did not want to tell who he was.
"Better we don't talk on the street." Then Mary looked to the left right to find the right place to chat.
"Ah, how about chatting there?" Point it at street vendors.
Jack nodded. At the street vendor, Jack and Mary bought her snacks and chatted there.
After chatting there, Jack learns that Mary came here for a vacation to his uncle's house in the city of Hedgehade. His uncle was the number one person in the city of Hedgehade. That was told by Mary, making Jack a little surprised. But Jack did not hesitate with Mary and still spoke in a relaxed tone. Because indeed, Mary's family is not a careless family.
"You belong to the founding family, right? But why did you enter the lowly army?"
Jack remembers before being brought here, Mary confessed that she was a lowly soldier. It's a little strange after Jack learns that the names of the family of the land founder Dracvale.
"How strange?" Ask Mary.
"It's pretty weird, considering your background."
Mary was silent, but gradually she laughed.
"Ehm, no talent, strong system, and honest girl. That's a good reason why he's not of high rank. The world is interesting..." Inner Jack.
"Oh, yeah. Last time you didn't look this bad. You look tired and you have black eye bags under your eyes. What's up with you?" Mary realized Jack's tired and sleepy face.
"Oh, here...."
"Are you sleep deprived? Are you exhausted?"
"Ehm, i-yes. I actually lack sleep. I didn't sleep very well and wasn't as comfortable as before I got here."
"Lho, why?"
"I don't really know. But I always had nightmares when I closed my eyes and went to sleep. The dream felt. But I don't remember the details."
"Do you know the cause?"
"I don't know. But I was like this after being in Dracvale. I used to sleep well, even though there was an earthquake. Now, a cat's snoring alone can wake me up."
"Is it possible because of your fear with that Kurokaze?" Mary laughed a little considering Jack was running around in tears when chased by one Kurokaze.
"Ah, maybe." Jack only sighed considering his condition.
The conversation between the two stopped for a moment. They still enjoy their new food.
"Hey, Mary! Do afternoons like this you have free time?"
"Ehm, yes. I was confused what to fill it with. Why why?"
Jack breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Me and my friend who are refugees want to enter Rakuen Academy 4 months to come."
Mary then choked on her own food when she heard it.
"You..surely..enter Rakuen?"
"Why indeed?
"What is your friend and you don't know? Even ordinary people knew how fierce the competition in Rakuen academy was. You'll feel sidelined if you misstep."
"When we work hard and find a gap, can such a thing be a hindrance?"
Seeing Jack's confidence, Mary shook her head. He was no longer able to tell the facts to stubborn people. They can only be told when that fact comes by itself.
"So, what does this have to do with my free time?"
Jack smiled, "We want you to teach us about how magic works. At least until we feel where..."
Hearing Jack's words, Mary chokes again. But this time it was great. The food he ate came out of his nose.
"You..s-serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious."
"You're a witch? How can you not feel mana by yourself?"
"I've never told myself a witch, even before I didn't know what it was if I didn't read a library book..."
"L-then, why don't you freeze in the events of None Time?"
"Well, that's what we don't know. When I found out that only witches were immune from None time, we then checked ourselves into the clinic and well, we were not witches in the test results. Doctors alone are confused as to why it could be like that, so bring a trial sample to the center for further investigation."
Then Mary tries to calm down after hearing the rant from Jack, then thinks about Jack and his friend who can't feel mana, let alone use magic. Mary then breathed deeply.
"Training to feel mana is not too long, and also if it goes well, you and your friend can learn basic magic. I am not a person who is talented in magic. But as an experienced person, I might be able to help with a lesson or two."
Mary accepted her role as a teacher.
