Episode 1

 Yes, let’s commit suicide

　In the city of Distall, where I live, felony offenders are to be executed publicly.　

　By slashing the sinner’s neck in front of the masses, the sinner will be humiliated. Instead of just killing him, he ends his condemnation being exposed to helplessness.Think of it as a kind of show.

　To be clear, I truly did not enjoy this.

　What fun is it to see a person die, even if he is a sinner? I was skeptical.

　Well, I still am.

　I lookout from the only window in the hut.

　Beautiful snow falls in such an awful place, piling on the ground.

　It’s been six years since I became an executioner today.

　It’s been half a year since I killed her with this hand.

　While I was wrapping my body in a cheap blanket on a futon collected from a dump in a hut without heating, heavy footsteps have found there way into my ears. The sound is getting closer and closer, and the door opens with great haste.

　I knew who came in without looking up.

“Temee, how long do you plan to skip work!”

[TL Note: Temee is a very rude way of saying “You”. I felt that it sounded better than “You” but if you all disagree, leave a message in the comments.]

　・It’s my Master. They are large and unsightly, like a pig.

　Stomping on the soil floor, the master approaches. Their voice sounds a warning bell.

　I hasten to stand up in a hurry.

“Master–“

　My Master grabbed my bare neck, seeming to be intent on ending my very existence.

“Kaha”

　I stopped breathing for a moment.

　My Master throws me out of the hut.

　After being blown away, I kneel in the form of a passive being. Perhaps he didn’t like the fact that I was passive, my Master hit my abdomen.

“Tsu!”

　My Master’s right fist digs into my abdominal muscles.

　 Agony. He kicks me on the ground and kicks me in the face. My body folds.

“What..”

　Severe pain ran in the back of my head. It seems that the back of my head was hit against a solid lump of something, probably snow.

　The snow was cold. The solidified snow was as hard as a rock. It’s definitely a lump of it.

“There are dozens of convicts on death row already! Who will do it if Temee can’t do it!”

(You should do it!)

　This man who kicks me is Jean Baptist.

　The Sanson family has been in the executioner line for ages, generations, and my Master was also an executioner, but he couldn’t stand the job of slashing all day and decided to let me be one instead so he decided the best decisicion was buying me as a slave.　That’s why he’s  angry because I’ve been skipping executions for the last few months.

“I’m sorry. I’m sick…”

　I make the usual smile.

　A boy who is naturally clumsy, and has a nice smile, that is my way.

　Raise your voice, laugh, and wait for the yelling to stop.

　My Master slaps me again, and after hitting me a few more times, he spits out.

“You’ll definitely work tomorrow! If you don’t come to the execution table tomorrow… I’ll throw you into the river in the middle of winter!!”

　The Master turns on his heels and returned to the mansion.

　Oh my god, is it finally over?

“… I don’t like the river in the middle of winter.”

　It’s finally no longer possible to deceive my self.

　I don’t like the job of an executioner anymore. But I can’t stay here without the job of an executioner.

I do believe I must prepare.

　◆

　It is foolish to run away from home in winter.

　I mean, I’m a fool.

　A long time ago, I took a coat from my Masters room, I left home with bread I didn’t remember when I bought and a big sword I used to use for execution.

　Money? Of course not.

　It’s a sentenceless sentence, slavery.

I carry a big sword on my back, wrapped in cloth.

　It’s a big sword I brought for self-defense, but should I sell it somewhere for money?

　From what I’ve heard, this big sword for execution seems to be worth a bit.

　Let’s sell it when it comes out to the point when I need money desperately.

“Cold……”

　I thought I am a thoughtful person.

　I left home like this unplanned.

　Something is wrong.

“Really……”

　I finally noticed when I came out to a cityscape, I didn’t know where I was going.

–Oh, I want to die …

　When I think about it, it was a life without hope.

　At the age of seven, I was sold by my parents who were drunk with gambling.

　At the age of eight, I was bought by the head of the Sanson family, a family of executioners for generations.

　By the time I reached 14, I had judged more than 1000 sinners. The reason why so many sinners came out in just six years was the revolutionary war that ended six years ago. The Revolutionary Army, which disputed the current empire, waged a war, and as a result, the Revolutionary Army was defeated. A large number of revolutionaries were brought to my execution table. All of them killed.

　Every day I just swing the big sword and take a person’s life.

　That’s over.

　Today my life will come to an end.

　Surrounded by cold air and snow, my body temperature is stolen.

　It’s good. This will free me from such a terrible and boring world.

–Bachin!

“Gack!?”

　Something soft hit my shoulder.

　Looking back, a girl of the same age as me is watching me.

　A beautiful person.

　Light brownish green eyes that are in the shape of almonds.

　The beautiful long red hair that looks like it was painted with paint that attracts the eyes.

　All the clothes they wore were glittering

　A slave like me and a noble woman are different. 0 to 100.

“……Are you alright, madam?”

　I take it as one does, with a smile, the girl glared back at me.

“Where are you walking? Be careful!”

　…….

　Let’s sort out the situation.

　I was walking slowly on the highway with quiet and hasteless steps forward.

　Slowly down the sidewalk. The only fault I had was that I didn’t notice the footsteps.

　Meanwhile, she rushed at me from behind.

　There’s no where to go.

　If I was looking ahead and running, I wouldn’t have to have met her..

　In other words, that is bad. Without a doubt.

“Don’t disturb me! Do you know to whom you are speaking?”

“Who do you..?! Gah!”

　The girl ran away.

I can’t believe she fell for that. Did she take less than a second to seriously view me?

　Originally it was a fine coat. However, it has become tattered because it has been left unattended for a long time. Look at it, it’s a poor man, or rather a homeless mans outfit. 

　 I had met someone troublesome before I died. No matter how beautiful you are,.

“Hmm?”

　Something is on the falling toward the snow.

　It’s an envelope.

　When I picked it up and searched inside, I found two sheets of paper.

“Letter……?”

　First, I read the stuff on the first piece.

~~~~ Dear Sir, Himari-Lanfer ~~~~

　Thank you for applying to our school.

　As a result of strict document screening, you have passed and now must proceed.

　Therefore, please proceed to the practical test.

　The date and time is February 1, ####.

　The address and map of the test site will be shown on the back side.

　Please note that the enclosed admission ticket is inside.

～～～～ Magic Academy Yunferno Darts, Deputy Principal Refill-Harman ～～～～

　My eyes were heading for a certain point. It’s the name of the school written in the letter.

“Yunferno Darts? That prestigious school?”

　I’m not familiar, completely, with or want to know about Magic Academy. Not interested.

　Though I do know of  the magic school written in the letter.

　Magic train, magic radio, magic gun.

　The present age when magic is attached to all convenient items.

　The heyday of magic, in other words, the heyday of magicians.

　If magicians become the most popular profession, naturally people will gather at the institutions that raise them.

　Yes, the world is in the heyday of magic.

　Meanwhile, one magic school is running alone at the top popularity.

　That is the magic school <Yunferno Darts>.

　It has produced many heroes and is number one in terms of site area, facility availability, and population.

　Many young people are studying to  get there. The young people in the city where I lived also tried hard to be accepted by <Yunferno Darts> and were scattered ephemerally.

　I’m not very interested in magic school, but I know this much. That’s how famous the magic school called “Yunferno Darts” is. It’s a place too far for me.

　The second piece of paper is the admission ticket.

　You wouldn’t be able to take the exam without it.

　Well, the person who dropped that was probably the girl I bumped into earlier.

　I have no intention of delivering it.

　I’m not so good that I want to assist her when I see her attitude.

――I would have abandoned it..

“Lucky woman …”

　It’s special today.

　Because I’m on the verge of dying.

　Let’s do good deeds at the end and maybe, er, not go to hell.

“Location……”

　Look at the map on the back.

“Only a slightly distant place.”

　It’s a city that I do not know the land of, but you can find most of it by looking at the map.

　As I walked through the white-tinted city, I headed for the test site.

　This decision happened to change my destiny.