Fifteen days had passed since the incident later known as "The Mysterious Incident of Eliso Village." The weather was cold, the sky clear, and Eugene walked with confident steps, though tension marked his features. As he moved among the citizens of New Capital, he stopped and looked up in awe. Eugene felt a mix of awe, excitement, and nervousness as he said:
"Amazing! Is this really the Sun Academy? This is incredible!"
Rin, sharing a similar feeling with some nervousness, replied:
"Yes, this is the academy founded by Musa, one of the Four Guardians."
Eugene responded with surprise and curiosity:
"Musa? The Four Guardians? How do you know about them? And how do you know he founded the academy?"
Rin, confidence on his face, answered:
"I read books all the time. Of course, I know about them. The Four Guardians are four extremely powerful farmers with vast expertise who protect the Monian Empire. They are Eiron, Musa, Musashi, and Mr. Jan."
"You seem to have recovered and returned to your usual chatter," Eugene said with a teasing smile.
Rin glared, his confident gaze turning into anger.
Eugene's face lit up as he said:
"Hey! Why are you mad? I'm just joking."
At that moment, they heard a man with long brown hair, wearing glasses and carrying a book, call out:
"You two! Come inside, the registration ceremony is about to begin."
Rin and Eugene hurried, eyes scanning around. Cherry trees, waterfalls, tall trees, gray stone-paved grounds, and yellow-lit lamps surrounded them.
They stopped at the meeting hall. Eugene reached out and pushed open the heavy brown door.
As soon as they entered, all eyes turned to them; whispers spread:
"These are the only survivors of the Mysterious Eliso Village incident."
Rin and Eugene felt tense and sat at the back of the hall. The hall was enormous, decorated with beautiful ornaments and glowing chandeliers, wooden chairs arranged in tiers for dozens of students.
While they were seated, a man with long white hair, a monocle, and long blue robes said in a calm voice with a smile:
"Eugene, Rin, come and sit in the front seats."
Everyone, including the teachers, was surprised. Why would Musa, one of the Four Guardians and founder of Sun Academy, pay such attention to these two new students and ask them to sit in the front, something he would not do even for the richest or most famous students?
Whispers spread throughout the hall:
"Why does Musa favor these new students over the others?"
"Maybe they are close acquaintances of his."
"Perhaps it has something to do with the Eliso Village incident."
Rin and Eugene moved nervously, their hearts racing, sweating under the watchful eyes of everyone, especially Eugene, shy in this new environment, and Rin, who suffered from social anxiety.
They sat in the front row as the lights dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight on Musa. Some older students grew tense, warning the new students to step back lest they get hurt or disabled, as had happened to some before.
Musa rose from his chair, holding a blue gem known as the "Sound Amplifier," used to project one's voice. His voice carried excitement:
"Listen, new students! From the moment you enter this academy, you will no longer be ordinary people. You will become powerful farmers and great warriors. One day, one of you may even sit in this chair as the head of this academy."
"I cannot promise you will all survive, for the world of farmers is harsh, mysterious, terrifying, and bloody; only the strongest endure. But I promise that I and every teacher and worker in this academy will do our utmost to educate and protect you. In turn, I expect from you maximum effort, commitment, and repeated attempts to reach the top. Today is January 26, the beginning of a new generation of talents. Are you ready?"
Moments later, the hall filled with cheers and applause. Eugene looked at Musa, his face full of amazement and happiness:
"Amazing! He managed to excite everyone despite some students' fear," Eugene said, joyfully.
Rin replied with a hint of fear in his voice:
"Eugene, I don't think this is a good idea. He said there's a chance we could die."
Eugene answered:
"Rin, stop acting cowardly. We are under the protection of the Four Guardians and Sun Academy. We will receive the best training, resources, and guidance. Besides, we survived that terrible attack, so why fear death now?"
Applause and cheers continued for some time, after which everyone went out to register at the academy.
After Eugene and Rin registered their names, they were given a private wing. Eugene and Rin sat on their beds after a day full of celebrations.
"Ah, today was really exhausting."
"What? Exhausting? We were just celebrating. What's exhausting about that?"
Eugene opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling, recalling a conversation from days ago, specifically when he had been bound:
"Who are you? Why am I tied up? And where is Rin?"
The investigator replied:
"Don't worry, Rin is fine, he is in the hospital now. After we finished questioning him... my name is Mr. Fire, I am the investigator responsible for this case."
Eugene looked shocked:
"What? Case? What case are you talking about?"
In a calm voice, Fire leaned back and opened the file:
"On January 11, at 6:30, a massive explosion occurred, audible all the way to the southern watchtower. Reports were sent and received by Eiron, who rushed to the site. When he arrived, Mount Eliso was completely destroyed.
He also found two individuals: one seriously injured, the other having fallen from the mountain. They were taken for treatment, and we investigated the first: Rin Shadow, of unknown lineage, not recorded in any regional records. And Eugene Noah, also of unknown lineage."
"The strange part isn't the explosion or your presence there. The strange part is that no village named Eliso exists in Monian records. So let me ask: who are you?"
Eugene froze in shock, memories flooding his mind like a movie:
"How… how can there be no Eliso Village? We lived there with a thousand citizens! How did the village disappear?"
Fire replied, surprised:
"You say the village was full of citizens and you lived there?"
Eugene, frightened and anxious, answered:
"Yes… yes!"
"Alright, tell me everything that happened that day."
Eugene recounted everything, leaving Fire in disbelief. After that, his restraints were removed once confirmed he had no involvement in the explosion.
Once freed, Eugene asked about Rin's location. Fire, writing down everything Eugene said, replied:
"You'll find him directly in front of the Investigation Center, room 22, second floor."
Eugene ran to the hospital, ignoring the lights, the stares of people, and the pouring rain.
Moments later, he found Rin surrounded by nurses and doctors questioning him. Rin was nervous from all the attention, and Mr. Fire had instructed that he be well cared for.
Eugene ran to him and hugged him, eyes brimming with joy at his survival. After a while, they sat and talked, assuring each other of their safety.
The door opened. Mr. Fire appeared and, in a calm and slightly gentle tone (unlike his intimidating tone during the investigation), said abruptly:
"Eugene, Rin, listen to me. We will transfer you to Telshams Academy."
Rin, shocked and holding his head, asked:
"What? Sun Academy? Why?"
Fire, sitting on the chair, replied:
"Well, you are of unknown lineage, Eliso Village doesn't exist, and we don't know if that man with the strange emblem will attack again. So we will transfer you there, where you will train and live to become useful members of society. You will move tomorrow, after you take a break, of course."
Rin felt noticeably tense and fearful, as they would follow the path his mother had always warned him and Eugene about.
Eugene felt both excitement and anxiety because he would be taking the path he had always dreamed of.
Fire rose from his chair and, as he left, added:
"Also, Musa requested that the Justice Organization transfer you to the academy." This surprised everyone; considering your unknown lineage and the doubts surrounding you, it is unusual for Musa to make this request.
"Anyway, I wish you a happy life there, make friends, and see you next time."
—End of Chapter Two