In front of a towering rock carved with the elegant characters for Seaside Village, Queen Genie and General Jade brought their footsteps to a halt. The morning air still clung to a hush of mist, and beyond the rock, the village lay veiled in soft light from the rising sun.
Genie turned slightly to face Jade, her expression sharp but playful.
"From this point on, we must not reveal our true identities," she whispered, adjusting the plain ribbon around her braided hair. "We're a married couple visiting the village to enroll our only child in school. You absolutely must not use the word 'Your Majesty.' Got that?"
She ended her words with a mischievous wink.
Jade gave a subtle nod, folding his hands behind his back to stifle the smile tugging at his lips.
"Understood," he said, the trace of amusement barely hidden in his voice.
Without another word, Genie took the lead, her steps steady and confident as she walked beneath the arching trees that lined the stone path into the village. Jade followed closely behind, glancing around at the peaceful seaside village that still slumbered in the early morning calm. A few gulls cried out faintly in the distance, and the scent of salt and pine filled the air.
The village was tidy, even elegant. Large houses with sweeping tiled roofs stood like quiet guardians along the road, each property separated by generous stretches of land and trimmed hedges. Genie took it all in with observant eyes.
"I'd heard this was one of the wealthier rural villages," she murmured, her voice low, "but it seems even more comfortable than I expected."
Jade nodded.
"Yes. I've traveled through many rural areas, but I've never seen a place with such spacious houses spread so freely apart. It feels… almost too peaceful."
They had barely taken a dozen more steps when a low, gravelly voice cut through the morning stillness.
"Who are you people?"
The voice came from their right. Both Genie and Jade turned quickly toward it.
A wiry middle-aged man had emerged from behind a stone fence. His hair was tangled and streaked with gray, his robe disheveled, and his eyes unfocused, as though he'd just woken from a drunken sleep or long grief. Despite his slight frame, there was a sharpness to him, like a worn blade still capable of cutting.
Jade instinctively stepped in front of Genie, shielding her with a casual but deliberate motion. His voice was calm, but firm.
"We've come looking for the village school."
The man narrowed his eyes, studying them both like a hawk assessing strangers in its territory.
"What business do you have with the school?"
Before Jade could answer again, Genie stepped forward, her posture relaxed yet composed.
"We have a child ready to start school," she said, her voice gentle, motherly even. "But the school in our home village is closed for renovations. So we've come here, hoping to enroll our child in yours."
The man's gaze lingered on them a moment too long. His eyes flicked from Genie's face to Jade's hands, then down to their simple travel-worn shoes. There was an odd silence, as if he were weighing something more than their words.
Finally, he spoke. "You've come to the wrong place. Don't waste your time—go back."
His words were blunt, like a gate slammed shut in the wind. Genie stiffened slightly, startled by his tone. She glanced at Jade, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.
Jade met the man's gaze steadily.
"We'd like to speak with the teachers of the school," he said with polite insistence, "and ask them directly."
The man scowled, his mouth twisting as if he'd bitten into something sour.
"I said no. Go ba—"
But his words were cut short by the sound of measured footsteps behind them.
An elderly man with a full head of white hair and a carved wooden cane appeared at the edge of the path, his robes flowing lightly in the sea breeze. Though age had stooped his back, his presence radiated an unmistakable authority—like a retired general who no longer needed a battlefield to command respect.
"What's going on here?" the old man asked, his voice steady and deep, though not unkind.
The middle-aged man immediately turned, his demeanor shifting from hostility to deference in a blink.
"M-Master…! What brings you here…?"
The elder's sharp eyes slid past his subordinate and landed squarely on Genie and Jade, scanning them with clinical precision.
"I don't recognize you," he said. "What brings you to our village?"
Genie stepped forward without hesitation, bowing her head slightly in respect.
"We've come to enroll our child in the Seaside Village school," she said. "Our local school is closed due to renovations."
The old man's gaze, keen and unrelenting, paused at Jade's waist—at the sword that hung there, simple in design but clearly not ceremonial.
His expression hardened.
"You won't be allowed into our school," he said curtly. "Be on your way."
Jade stepped forward now, his posture still composed but the air around him subtly shifting—more soldier than traveler, though his voice remained respectful.
"According to Hana Kingdom's education law," he began, "any child, regardless of village of origin, has the right to enroll in a rural school without discrimination. Whether we leave or stay after speaking with the teachers—that is our decision, not yours."
The middle-aged man clenched his jaw.
"I already said—"
But the old man raised a hand, cutting him off with quiet authority. "No use arguing. Follow me."
The subordinate blinked.
"M-Master…?"
"Quiet." The word was firm, final. Then, turning his back to them, the old man gestured with his cane. "This way."
Without another word, he began walking up the stone path that curved between two moss-covered walls. Genie and Jade exchanged a quick glance—hers with restrained relief, his with quiet readiness—then followed behind.
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant, but then shuffled after them, his eyes still darting suspiciously toward Jade's sword.
They walked in silence until they reached an imposing mansion nestled atop a gentle rise. Its grand, curved tiled roof stretched wide, gleaming faintly under the soft sunlight. A large wooden gate stood before them, adorned with golden inlay that shimmered faintly even in the morning haze.
The elder stopped and turned slightly.
"Go in," he said, stepping aside without further explanation.
Genie gave a polite bow.
"Thank you for guiding us this far."
Jade stepped forward and pressed his hand to the left gate handle. With a long, aching creak, the heavy wooden gate began to swing open.
As they passed through, side by side, a great building revealed itself—three stories of beautifully aged wood and slate tiles, standing proudly at the center of a manicured courtyard. It looked less like a school and more like a palace of knowledge, dignified and aloof.
Behind them, the gate groaned shut with a final-sounding thud, sealing them into a place that felt, all at once, curious and forbidding.
Feeling the bite of the early morning air against her cheeks, Genie pulled her shawl a little tighter and lifted her gaze to the roof of the imposing building before them.
"I've never seen a school this big before..." she murmured in quiet awe.
The structure before them was nothing like the modest village schools she had visited in the past. Its wide, sweeping tiled roof, delicately carved wooden beams, and towering height gave it the look of a noble estate rather than an educational institution. It was majestic—almost too much so for such a remote village.
Jade, too, scanned the façade with narrowed eyes, clearly surprised by the building's scale and grandeur. Yet beneath the beauty, there was something else—something subtly unsettling in its silence.
Genie turned her head left, then right, surveying the surroundings with growing unease.
"How can a school this large be completely empty, even at this hour...?"
Not a single voice echoed through the courtyards. No footsteps, no children's laughter. No sound of lessons drifting from the windows.
Just then, as if summoned by their thoughts, the wooden doors of the main hall creaked open.
A young man stepped out. He was dressed neatly in a dark vest and crisp trousers, and his face wore a bright, welcoming smile—almost too bright.
"You must be new here," he called out, his voice smooth and pleasant as he approached them. "What brings you to our school?"
Genie exchanged a quick glance with Jade, then stepped forward, slightly relieved by the man's friendly demeanor.
"Yes," she replied with a polite smile. "We've come to enroll our child in this school. The one in our village is undergoing renovations."
The young man's smile didn't waver. In fact, it seemed frozen in place.
"I see," he said lightly. "But unfortunately, our school is already full and can't accept any more students."
His eyes softened with practiced sympathy.
"I'm truly sorry," he added with a small tilt of the head.
Then, almost imperceptibly, his body shifted—turning slightly toward the gate behind them, as if ushering them back the way they came.
Jade's voice came calmly, cutting through the still air. "It's class time now," he said. "Why is there not a single student around?"