Grip Of Determination

Need is oppressive to the heart; yet often, it proves a source of help and salvation to the children of men, to everyone who heeds it betimes.

-- anglo-saxon rune poem

..............

He immediately goes to a certain artisan shop where loom could be find.

He hired an artisan that was working in the shop and paid for borrowing the tools needed.

He spend few hours to create atleast 2 futon and after finishing it, he put it at his storage book for convenience and he went back to the inn.

It was almost midnight and the blue sun has already sunken and the moon shines at the dark sky.

He activated his tracking skill to know the whereabout of the other two. Sherry was on a room, it was one of the room in the dormitory, seems like she get a room when she got accepted. The moment of thought, Mark will abandon the thought of buying a house to live if it's real that the accepted one's can get their own room. But it wasn't the right time to think about that.

On the other hand, he has pinpoint the location of the two, they were at the Inn.... Sleeping.

But he was surprised, because they sleep in the room he rented and there's only one bed at that room and the two was peacefully sleeping but since they were being watch by him, he saw they were shivering. Mark deactivate his skill.

'I wonder, how did they get there... Did I forgot to close the door? That doesn't seems to be the case, I clearly remember I lock it.. Well, as long as those two sleep peacefully'

After a few blocks of walking. He have arrived at midnight in the Inn.

He hasten his step and open the lock with the rented key.

He saw edelina asleep while katrina was awake, sitting besides the window waiting for him.

"ohh, I thought your sleeping too."

"I just sense you were coming"

"I see. Did you two eat yet? Where did you two go?"

"I thought you would already know, and yes, we already have our meal."

"then I'm quite hungry, I'll go to the kitchen to cook... By the way didn't the the door is lock? And how did you know the room that I rented?"

"we used the window"

"what?! Don't just used the window like a trapdoor, and don't just barge in like last time. You might get mistaken as a thief."

"what's a trapdoor?" she curiously asked.

Mark blatantly replied.

"just a normal flat triangular door that could be seen in the floor or the ceiling."

"but you seems sounds like you don't want to tell me"

"I already told you. Aren't trapdoor are common in this empire? , like the one in most tree houses?"

" You mean the vinryl?"

"yeah, aren't they trapdoor with an automatic open and close vine door?"

Vinryl was a trapdoor like plant vines, it was unique type of plant vine that coils at any shape of frame and when it recognized it's structure like when it completely covered the wooden frame door with vines, it's vines will reconnect with the others inside the frame like a chain-link wire. The reason it was automatic is that,

it react faster when touch, the vines that links inside, separates and goes back to the frame.

"I don't know what your talking about, aren't they just normal door? It's convenient since it opens whenever you touch it."

'for you it is a normal plant, but I can't get used to these strange plant, in this vast sea of trees.'

"sorry, I'm just spouting nonesense" spoke Mark while cooking.

The finish product was put into the table, it was a meat stew and a meat steak.

Edelina woke up from the fragrance scent of the meal.

"... March your already here?"

"ohh Edelina your awake, join us."

She yawns and reach the chair in the table, katrina seems to have also joins the sumptuous meal.

"katrina I thought you two already eat, why do you eat more than mine?"

"what? Can't it be just a sign that I'm also growing well."

"uhh, sure" while eating, Mark asked edelina.

'well, it's there problem if they grew fatter in the future' mark thought.

"but by the way. How did you know this was the room I rent?"

Edelina replied.

"we just asked the inn-keeper for your room number, although i didn't get the key to enter."

"so you use the window?"

"it was katrina's idea, do you want me to wait outside, while the night is cold?"

"no, no that's not what I meant... Let's not talk about this while eating"

The night ended after a joyous feast and after the meal, Mark spread out the futon from his inventory and they sleep comfortably during the night.

.....

The day arises and birds chirping up melody in the tall, green tree. Arkal horse, known as the root horse which made up of tree roots and vines neighing at the blue daylight.

Mark wake up in a fresh new day, it was the day the academy entrance examination has finally started.

He suddenly feel warmth beside him... It was edelina, he couldn't move as edelina hug him tightly, he wanted to wake her up but when he saw her sleeping comfortably, he didn't dare to move for a while even if he feel awkward but he wake them up later to prepare for breakfast.

"wake up, the sun is up high. Let's cook a meal before we leave."

"5 more minutes"

Until much later edelina's grip loosen and mark took the opportunity to move out of the bed.

"fine, sleep for a while, I'll be up preparing"

He stood and looked around. In the other side, katrina was also seems sleeping peacefully. Mark wanted to cook something from his homeland but. Not even one spices are familiar to him in this world nor he has discovered it, so he could only bitterly cook food recipe that this world has. Edelina taught him too. Intead he cook something new to his taste.

...

It's already been an hour since they had dinner. Front of a small metal fence and a front gate. Mark and edelina had arrived in their destination. The blue-leaf academy. As for katrina, she went to the other school just nearby blueleaf academy, the redleaf academy.

There were quite a lot of applicants mostly small kids just like the the three. Even though they were kids, they already have the intellect of 12 years old kid. It was quite crowded. Many were chattering around. There were two people that mark could precisely hears chatting nearby.

"are you also entering this year?"

"yeah. I dreamt to become a famous knight in the future"

"i hope you'll pass the test this time, it's already your 3rd time trying"

"yeah, i ace in written test but I'm weak at combat."

"goodluck then"

The chattering ends when the examiners enters the stage. The examiner spoke at the stage.

"hello, younglings are ready for the exam. You all seems pretty excited and lively today... But are you really ready?"

Kids Murmurs and chatters. Then the examiner continued.

"good, now everyone all ears. All of you seems ready, now go to the registration centers just nearby the gate and the staff on the reception will give you a number code in a leaf slip, then locate your designated classroom using that number code, there will be classrooms with numbers , good luck" then the examiner exited the stage just to tell a short announcements. The kids seems to understand it.