Rin and Reem arrived at the Organization, ascending a long staircase until they stood before a massive door adorned with intricate golden engravings.
Rin placed a hand against the polished surface and pushed.
The doors swung open.
Both of them froze for a moment.
An immense hall stretched beyond the entrance, bathed in the warm glow of countless golden lamps. Towering desks floated in midair, connected by winding wooden staircases that climbed toward higher levels. At the very center stood a statue of a woman, partially unclothed, holding a sword in one hand and a book in the other.
Reem's gaze lingered on the statue.
One eyebrow rose.
"Why is there a half-naked woman standing in the middle of the hall?"
Rin glanced toward it as they continued walking.
"The statue represents steadfastness and resilience. The book symbolizes knowledge and wisdom. The sword stands for sharpness and strength." He paused briefly. "As for the lack of clothing, it represents truth in its purest form—nothing hidden, nothing concealed."
Reem frowned.
"And they couldn't find a man to represent that?"
"If it had been a man, it would've looked much stranger."
They climbed another staircase, eventually reaching an upper floor overlooking the hall below.
White carpets stretched across polished floors. Long rows of dark wooden desks lined the area, while banners bearing various emblems hung from above.
Reem read the words embroidered into the fabric.
Knowledge is Light. Ignorance is Darkness.
Humanity's Greatest Enemy is Ignorance.
Between Life and Death Lies the Bridge of Knowledge.
Knowledge is True Power.
A faint smile touched her lips.
The slogans reminded her of her mother and her endless love for learning.
"It almost feels like home."
"Meow."
The sound drew both their attention.
Reem's cat trotted across the floor and wrapped itself around her legs.
Rin blinked.
"You brought your cat?"
"Of course I did."
She scooped the animal into her arms and scratched behind its ears.
"I'm not leaving her alone at the academy."
"Fine." A hint of amusement crept into his voice. "Just make sure she doesn't destroy anything."
"She won't."
Then she tilted her head.
"So why exactly are we here?"
Rin approached one of the desks and lowered himself into a cushioned leather chair.
Several metallic keys covered the desk's surface, each engraved with symbols and letters. Directly before him rested a transparent blue crystal sphere.
"Did you bring the information you recorded?" he asked.
Reem handed him her notebook.
Rin opened it and immediately began typing.
Click.
Click-click.
Click.
His fingers moved rapidly across the machine while his eyes scanned the notes.
Once he finished, he pressed a larger key engraved with a single word:
CONFIRM.
The crystal sphere began to rotate.
Green lights flickered within its depths, appearing and disappearing like living letters.
Moments later, a glowing square of light materialized in the air.
Lines of information emerged across its surface.
Rin pressed another key.
The projection vanished.
"Uh... what exactly is happening?" Reem asked.
Before he could answer, a blue glow appeared beneath the desk.
A narrow slot opened.
A sheet of paper slowly emerged.
Reem immediately grabbed it.
"Is this related to the murders?"
Rin rose from his chair.
"Yes. This machine searches through the Organization's archives, records, books, and reports. Think of it as a giant information repository."
Reem lowered her eyes to the page.
First Incident — Adel District — 12:30 AM
Victim: Albert.
Age: Mid-thirties.
Occupation: Surgeon at Rose Hospital.
Cause of Death: Arms and legs severed. Iron nail driven through the skull. No traces of blood found. Elevated Feather Rate detected.
Second Incident — Adel District — 1:00 AM
Victim: Gene Ron.
Age: Late fifties.
Former Occupation: Train Conductor.
Cause of Death: Identical.
Her eyes moved lower.
Third Incident.
Fourth Incident.
Same district.
Same method.
Different victims.
Then—
Fifth Incident — Green Meadows.
Her eyebrows rose.
The same method again.
A rancher from Sun Eye Village.
Sixth.
Seventh.
Eighth.
Four murders in Green Meadows.
Four in Adel District.
One in Pyramid City.
A pattern.
Her pulse quickened.
Rin sat on the edge of the desk.
"It looks like an organization is behind this."
"Or one person," Reem replied thoughtfully. "A high-ranking Farmer could potentially do all of this alone."
She tapped the report.
"Either way, it's deliberate. Similar victims. Similar ages. Same method of execution."
Rin nodded.
Then Reem suddenly remembered something.
"The symbol."
She opened her notebook and revealed the sketch.
Rin examined it carefully.
A moment later, disappointment crossed his face.
"There's no way to search for symbols through the archive system."
Reem groaned.
"Seriously?"
"Not directly."
Her eyes brightened slightly.
"But?"
"I can search for books related to symbols, sigils, and iconography."
"There's a book for that?"
Rin shrugged and returned to typing.
A few moments later, a small smile appeared.
"There is."
Reem practically launched herself forward.
Her face ended up only inches from his.
"Where?"
Rin froze.
A faint blush crept across his cheeks.
"W-Western section of the library."
"The library is huge, isn't it?"
"...Very."
Reem stepped back and stared into the distance.
"Do you at least know where the book is exactly?"
Rin slowly shook his head.
"Aaaah!"
She threw her hands into the air.
"So we have to search for it ourselves."
...
Five minutes later, after wandering through endless aisles of books, desks, and the scent of aged wood and amber, they finally stopped.
Reem stared upward.
And upward.
And upward.
The bookshelf before them was so enormous that it resembled a fortress wall more than furniture.
She pressed two fingers against her forehead.
"I'm going to grow old before I find this thing."
Then she turned toward Rin with forced optimism.
"This isn't the shelf, right?"
"It is."
Her expression collapsed instantly.
The Narrator sighed.
Let's leave them to their suffering.
Meanwhile—
Far from the capital, near the Empire's border, powerful winds swept across a lonely landscape of rocky hills and scattered forests.
Eugene dismounted first.
Ned followed.
Ahead of them stood a towering windmill whose giant canvas blades turned beneath the darkening sky.
"Why hasn't anyone built a railway out here?" Eugene complained. "We've been traveling since sunrise."
Ned snorted.
"You think anyone's going to build railroads through forests, ravines, monsters, and wolf packs?"
"Then make something smaller than a train."
"For farmers?"
Ned tied both horses to a metal post.
"When Flight Imprints already exist?"
"Not every farmer can fly."
"Enough of them can."
Eugene approached the windmill.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Silence.
Only the groaning of old wood answered him.
Nearby, Ned glanced toward a large field of wheat and sugarcane.
Its gate swayed violently in the wind, producing the sound.
"Ned!"
The shout echoed across the hill.
Ned returned.
"No answer?" he asked.
"I've been knocking."
Ned struck the door himself.
Nothing.
A frown formed on his face.
"That's strange. Old Jean Van Jean always answers."
Before Eugene could respond—
CRASH!
Ned drove his foot into the door.
The wooden frame exploded inward.
The instant they stepped inside, a foul stench slammed into them.
Eugene recoiled.
"What in the world is that smell?"
Ned's shoulders tensed.
His eyes narrowed.
"Something happened here."
Outside, dark clouds swallowed the sky.
The wind howled through the hills.
"What do you mean?"
Ned advanced deeper into the windmill.
The smell intensified.
A cold sensation crawled up his spine.
"I've had chills since the moment we entered."
"What does that mean?"
"It means..."
He stopped before an inner door.
The stench pouring from beyond it was overwhelming.
Slowly, he reached for the handle.
The door creaked open.
Eugene looked inside.
His face drained of color.
His eyes widened.
A powerful Farmer came here.
And he attacked.
Lying on the floor was the corpse of Jean Van Jean.
His arms and legs had been severed.
An iron nail pierced his skull.
Not a single drop of blood could be seen.
And as the wind screamed outside beneath the darkened sky, the smell of death filled the room.