Omelet continued his story.
"Greenpath is always covered in a thick layer of mist. That is why it is perfectly normal that you have never heard of it before."
The group was fascinated, their eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"Tell us more! Keep going, tell us everything!"
Omelet hesitated. He looked awkward, and his wings fluttered nervously as if he were hiding something. After a brief silence, he suddenly changed the subject.
"Actually... let's go outside and play! It is boring sitting in one place for too long!"
Without waiting, Omelet flew up and hovered in the air.
"Hurry up, let's go!"
Seeing this, the others didn't ask any more questions and followed Omelet outside.
The streets of Heavenfield were vast and bustling with life, lined with rows of buildings. As they passed a familiar narrow alley, Shinji pointed toward the front.
"Over there! That is Uncle Vuri's house. He is the man who looked after me."
Just then, the sound of children laughing and shouting echoed from deep within the alley.
"We caught the monster!"
The group was startled and immediately ran toward the noise. When they arrived, there was no monster to be found. Instead, they saw Bersen, the drunken old man, trapped in a net and hanging high in the air. Below him, the children were laughing and hitting him with wooden sticks and toy swords.
Shinji didn't hesitate and rushed forward.
"What are you kids doing?! Get out of here right now!"
He quickly climbed up to untie the rope for Bersen. However, instead of thanking him, the old man started shouting.
"You brat! What do you think you are doing?!"
Before Shinji could understand what was happening, Bersen drew the long sword from his hip. In less than a second, he sliced through the net and landed gracefully on the ground. He sheathed his sword and grumbled as he turned to leave.
"Why did you drive the kids away? What if they run into real danger? You are a foolish little brat."
He walked away, muttering curses at Shinji as he staggered down the street. Shinji stood there, stunned. His kindness had not only been rejected but thrown back in his face. Akidou stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It is okay, Shinji. Just ignore him. Let that old man do whatever he wants."
As the group turned to leave, Shinji suggested they stop by Uncle Vuri's shop, and everyone agreed. Suddenly, a long bell echoed throughout Heavenfield. The artificial sunlight began to turn a deep, dark red, signaling the end of the day. Shinji looked up, confused.
"The light here is created by Ares, right?"
"That is right. There is no natural light this deep underground."
As evening fell, it was time for them to return to their military quarters. They walked back slowly, noticing groups of elite soldiers appearing in the distance. These soldiers looked solemn and impressive, fully equipped with armor and weapons.
"They are our seniors."
No one said another word as they hurried back.
That night, the recruits gathered to listen to their seniors' instructions. One of them stood up and introduced himself with a smile.
"My name is Napoleta. It is a pleasure to meet you all. You probably already know this, but our squad commander is Argos."
The group immediately recognized the name—Commander Argos, the examiner from the Najarin Forest. Napoleta continued, lowering his voice slightly.
"But... Mr. Argos is quite difficult. He is very cold and strict, and he almost never speaks to anyone. It will be very hard for you to get to know him."
They were assigned to stay in the military barracks—a large two-story building standing in the middle of the training grounds. The ground floor was for the seniors, where the lights stayed on and the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the night. The second floor was quieter and served as the living quarters for the new recruits.
Shinji's group stayed on the second floor. The wooden stairs creaked softly as they walked up. The hallway was narrow and long, with identical doors on both sides under a dim yellow light.
Shinji pushed open the door to his room. it was small, neat, and simple. Inside, there was a bunk bed against the wall, a small table and chairs in the corner, and a single window overlooking the training field. From there, he could see the empty practice grounds that would be filled with warriors during the day.
Each room was only big enough for two people. Shinji and Lio shared the first room near the end of the hall. The room next to them belonged to Akidou and Omelet. As for Alba, because of his massive size, he couldn't fit into any of the rooms. Instead, he set up a simple tent outside in the middle of the sandy courtyard.
As night deepened and the world grew dark, everyone went to rest, preparing themselves for the battles comming.