Capítulo 2: Questions

Mike was carried by the large man for several minutes. The way the man carried Mike was far from comfortable. He was being held with just one hand gripping his clothes, as if he were a handbag, lying on his back with his feet and head dangling down, leaving him in an awkward arched position.

Because of this position, Mike could only look at the ceiling and walls as he was carried. Even though he was seeing everything upside down, he was certain he had never passed through the corridors they were traversing now. Then again, it wasn't like Mike had much knowledge of the building to begin with. The purity tests were only conducted in cities, so Mike had to leave his village and travel to the nearest city just to take the test today.

As the man walked through the building's corridors, Mike continued to stare at the ceilings and walls. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door opening, and a beam of sunlight hit his face, signaling that they had exited the building and were now outdoors. Mike's first reaction was to shut his eyes to avoid the direct sunlight, but the moment he closed them, he regretted it.

Mike felt the man's grip loosen, and suddenly, he was being hurled through the air. Opening his eyes in panic, unsure why on earth he had been thrown, Mike braced for the worst. However, when he landed, he was pleasantly surprised. He had been tossed onto a very comfortable cushioned seat. Looking around, he realized he was in an enclosed space with windows and another black seat similar to the one he was on.

Seated on that other seat was a middle-aged woman with purple hair, a hideous face, and a large wart on her nose. She stared at him with an indifferent gaze, but all Mike could focus on was the silver flame-shaped brooch on her chest.

"Professor, this is one of the successful candidates. His name is Mike, and he has no surname." The large man who had carried Mike walked in through the same door he had thrown Mike from and spoke respectfully to the purple-haired woman. The large man sat down beside Mike, facing the woman, but she remained silent even after he introduced Mike. Mike, too, said nothing, sitting quietly. After hearing the large man address the ugly woman as "Professor" Mike instinctively knew it wouldn't be wise to anger her.

The woman stayed silent for a moment before knocking on the wall behind her. "Let's go." Mike found her action strange, as he didn't understand why she was talking to a wall. However, he quickly realized she wasn't just some crazy person.

Mike felt the place they were in begin to move, and when he glanced out of the window beside him, he saw that they were lifting off the ground. Panicking, he moved closer to the window and looked down, only to see they were already several meters in the air. Below, he could spot the large building where he had taken the purity test and a line of identical black vehicles Mike had never seen before.

"Are those magical cars?" The thought crossed Mike's mind as he stared at the lined-up black vehicles. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked the large man sitting beside him.

"Yes, those are the royal academy's magical cars. In fact, you're in one right now." The large man responded politely, which surprised Mike. However, at that moment, Mike was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was inside a flying object.

Mike had never seen a magical car before but had heard of them. Magical cars were flying vehicles powered by mana, allowing them to move much faster than traditional vehicles. As Mike marveled at being inside a magical car, a realization struck him.

"Wait, I haven't told my family that I passed the test!" Mike exclaimed anxiously, turning to face the large man. He didn't know where this magical car was taking him, but he was certain it wasn't back to his parents' house. His parents were likely very worried about him, as he had left his village alone to take the test in the city. He wanted to let them know he was okay.

"The academy will send a letter to your parents informing them that you passed the purity test. If you pass the final test and are admitted, another letter will be sent notifying them of your admission. I'm sorry, but you won't have any other means of contacting your family until you either become an elite or fail the tests and return home." The large man explained calmly.

Mike listened silently. He sat back down, the excitement of being inside a magical car replaced by a bitter feeling in his chest. Clenching his fists tightly, Mike recalled the letter his parents had received, notifying them of his older brother's admission to the royal academy. It had been three years since then, but that letter was the last news his family had received about his brother. This was one of the main reasons Mike wanted to become an elite, he wanted to find his older brother.

"Sir, if I die while I'm a student at the royal academy… would my parents be notified?" Mike asked politely, his tone serious, though the emotion in his voice was evident. The large man, unaware of Mike's older brother, assumed the boy was simply worried about his parents.

"If you die or disappear during the admission tests or after being accepted as a student at the academy, your parents will be notified." The man replied seriously. He believed this would ease Mike's mind, assuring him that his parents wouldn't be left in the dark if something happened to him. Little did he know, his words only raised more questions in Mike's mind.

'So, he's alive then!' Mike thought, a glimmer of hope sparking within him. Over the past three years, it had been impossible not to consider the worst might have happened to his brother. However, since his parents hadn't received any letter about his brother's death or disappearance, as the large man mentioned would happen, Mike assumed his brother was still alive.

"Sir, you said I can't contact my parents until I become an elite, right?"

"Yes."

"So how long, on average, does it take for students admitted to the academy to become elites?" Mike asked hopefully, beginning to think his brother simply hadn't become an elite yet and that this was why he hadn't contacted their family.

Although Mike admired the elites and dreamed of becoming one, his knowledge about the royal academy and elites was extremely limited. In fact, all he knew was that he needed to pass the purity test to enter the academy. He had no idea how many more tests he needed to take or what those tests entailed. He also had no clue what becoming an elite truly meant or how long it usually took.

"Well, the average is about a year, but the best geniuses can become elites in six months or less." The large man answered without much thought. He had no idea that this response would shatter Mike's hopes.

"But there are some people who take longer than a year, right? The less talented ones might take three years or even more, right?" Mike tried to stay calm, but a hint of desperation was evident in his voice.

"Three years? That's impossible. Only the best geniuses are accepted into the academy. As far as I know, the person who took the longest to become an elite took two whole years, and to this day, they're considered a failure." The large man replied honestly. Seeing Mike's distressed expression, he quickly tried to reassure him, thinking the boy was worried about his own abilities. "Don't worry. If you make it into the academy, you're guaranteed to become an elite."

"Oh, right. Thank you." Mike didn't bother correcting the misunderstanding and simply expressed his gratitude. At that moment, he was too preoccupied wondering why his brother hadn't contacted their family. If the person who took the longest to become an elite had done so in two years and, considering that Mike's family hadn't received any letters about his brother's death or disappearance, this could only mean that his older brother, who had joined the academy three years ago, had successfully become an elite.

But if Mike's brother had become an elite, why had he never contacted their family? Was there another reason elites couldn't contact their families that Mike didn't know about? Could his brother truly not reach out, or did he simply not want to?

'What the hell happened to you, Jack?'