Chapter 3 – The Academy of Hopes and Dreams

 

…

The leader went to Jed after he’d done all major matters. He left the remaining works to his men. The schedule was quite tight, but he still had time. He wanted to do something for the child. He heard something happened to the boy, so even just once, he would help.

“What do you think?” The leader asked Jed. They rode in an open carriage, driving to the center of south section and onwards to the outskirts of east section before standing in front of a house. It was the same as the other houses surrounding it. The only thing, these houses were pretty empty aside from important and necessities.

A man wearing a cool white shirt and black pants arrived in front of them. He had a log book pinned on his armpit.

“Hello, I am the agent here. I take care of renting these houses.” The agent looked at the leader, who looked at Jed. He didn’t speak immediately. The leader waited and smiled at the agent. The agent seemed to understand his intent.

“Why most houses are vacant?” Jed finally spoke.

“Sir, it’s like this. We organized the houses such that those nearer the academy are mostly vacant. This is because we wanted to use them as inn so travelers have somewhere to stay. If you are taking a permanent residency, then I’ll connect you to someone else. The permanent residency is deeper in the East Section.”

“How much is the rent?” Jed wetted his dry lips.

“The rent per day is one silver coin.”

After that, Jed took his time thinking. He only had five silver, so it didn’t seem practical. Several seconds later, he made a deep breath and asked. “Can I work for my stay?”

The agent blinked. The agent thought to himself, wasn’t the older guy neglecting the child? He peered at the leader first before saying, “You can but you still have to pay, of course, for a discounted price. Twenty bronze coins will do.”

 “Is that alright?” Drummed his hand against his torso, thankfully hidden by his worn-out cloak.

“Of course, there are many who work for their stay. And the work is only about cleaning. The academy usually needed cleaners. Others can clean the supermarkets.”

“Okay.” He exhaled.

“So, what is your decision, Sir?” The agent had a professional smile. He was patient and the boy could feel his consideration.

Jed smiled closed-lip. “I’m okay with it.”

“That’s great! I’ll go get the papers and the key to the house.”

Seeing the agent leaving, the leader shook his head. He patted Jed on the shoulder. “I will waive your first month, so you need not to clean anymore.”

“You just need to find work. It is enough to afford you food and the rent.”

“I got it, Sir.” Jed glanced upward then to his shoes, where one of his toes sticking out.

The leader sensed his awkwardness. He fondled the boy’s messy hair. “Another thing, make sure to be thrifty and save so you can buy your own house. They do loans here so you can do that then.”

“Thank you for your pointers.” Jed smiled once again. But this time, his smile was not awkward.

Maybe the leader felt it or maybe not, he just shook his head. “How could an immature child do by himself?” He thought.

The agent came back with papers that needed Jed’s signature and the key. The leader acted as the guardian and witnessed what transpired. After that, the agent bid them goodbye before leaving. The former didn’t underestimate Jed just because he was a child, neither his business would make him did that. It was a paid work after all. And the world they live in didn’t discriminate the children, especially.

The aesthetics satisfied the leader. He didn’t want to nitpick, but he just felt responsible with the child. Now that everything seemed fine, it was time to say goodbye.

“Boy, if you need help, you can just go to my store.”

“Store?” Jed tilted his head.

“I don’t have one now. But I’ll build a store here and leave few personnel to take care of it.”

“If you think you are up, I can make you take care of it for me along others. What do you think?” The leader smiled.

“Sure!” Jed felt excited and shouted. He immediately noticed this and scratched his head in embarrassment.

The leader laughed hard and once again patted the kid on the shoulder. Jed felt thankful towards the leader. Part of the reason the latter was making store was because of him. It was a help and investment that he needed to capitalize.

Jed saw him out before sitting in the dining. He didn’t switch on the lights nor lit up a lamp, all of this cost money so the room was dark. He didn’t mind it though.

There were few things in his sack. He brought it to the table and put everything out ‒ a ball pen low in ink, a pair of clothes, a notebook, a small book and a picture. These were his everything.

He laid the clothes on the side. Next, he touched the book with a title of Adventure of Roland. He traced the letters of the title with his finger. He liked this book not because of importance or meaning of adventure. And thinking about the difference of real-life adventure, he didn’t seem keen to it.  What he liked was the messages the story wanted to convey. He liked how Roland could be fearless against adversity. And he liked how he could be fragile with it, too.

After a small exhale, Jed put down the book and took the picture. Jed made the most sighs he had today. But when he saw the image in the picture, all of his worries soon vanished.

All that was left was one emotion.

Jed smiled and put the picture carefully between the pages of the book. Now, it was time to plan his next moves. He picked his pen and notebook and started taking notes about everything he needed to do and he needed to know.

He didn’t know much about the county, so he needed to ask someone. But relying from his previous incident with the guard, others should be very open and kind, so this was easy to do. He needed to widen his connections, too. Being shy would not help him, so he readied himself for this struggle.

He also needed to study how to manage the store. It would be bad if it got bankrupt because of his negligence. His rent was also solved. So, mistake was not an option. He also conceiving a thought of doing multiple jobs. After all, the path of strong was not only sweat and blood were spilled but also a river of money. Well, this needed more consideration.

Last, his training. He already had the inheritance of his clan. But he needed more substantial. Getting arts from others, especially from clans, will be too hard. On the other hand, there’s barely a good thing in the market. So, he thought about the school. It should be worth a shot.

About his acceptance to the school, he didn’t mind it much, but he had to do his best in learning. Asking for opinion from his teacher was a must have.

Above all was training and the equipment, tools, herbs, and resources that came along with it which needed an extensive amount of money and reputation. Thinking of this, everything came back to money again. But even with that thought, Jed chuckled. The future doesn’t seem less bad. So why worry?

…

Ben looked at the building in front of him. It stood aloof at the center of the county. It had one similarity with other buildings, simple. But compared to others, the building had imposing yet sacred aura, making it stood out amongst the others in the surroundings. Another noteworthy was it seemed older and more ancient. It was known as the Academy of Hopes and Dreams.

The academy occupied a large space. Nevertheless, there was only one tall building stood in the place. And unlike the mansions on the North Section, the academy’s building was only the one with the height of five story.

Though, it was called academy, it only had one classroom. There was only one teacher, which was also the principal. Only when he or she stepped down that another person could replace the position. All the citizens respected anyone taking this role. Though Ben didn’t know him.

An unknown emotion rose from his heart. This was it, Ben thought, where his goals and dreams are starting. Other than that, he felt fatigue. His sweat hadn’t dried up, so he took out a towel and starting wiping himself. He fixed his shorts to a comfort zone, satisfied, he trudged. Entering the building, the first thing Ben saw was the huge and high hall. It was so big that six-meter-tall statues didn’t seem that tall in comparison.

There were ten statues in each side. There was a woman with bow and pencil; a man with a parchment weaved from unknown animal’s skin; a strange old man holding a painting of a mural; and many others. Each statue seemed a person of stature but Ben didn’t know them. He just felt a huge amount of awe inside himself. These guys were remarkable just based on the life-like aura each statue possessed, he assumed.

He also saw the artistic designs of the hall. A hidden fresco of five men pointing in the bright star behind two columns and covered by a blood red curtain, a few parchments pasted on the opposite wall and the awe-spiring textured-patterned suspended ceiling and walls. Anyone who knew the value of these art would gasp in admiration. Because it was a work of someone before Cryptic Era. Anything related to that era could worth over hundred silver coins.

Too bad Ben doesn’t know how to appreciate them. Ben only appreciated how he felt walking at center of all these wondrous arts and statues. An aura of righteousness, morality and strictness. It was very oppressive, and Ben felt something clogging on his chest.

Ben faltered. Instead of feeling fear, Ben felt more exhilarated and confident with his decision to go here. Finally. He thought. He remembered others talking about people who walk past these walls. And anyone of them was respectable and strong person. An example was the man called ‘The Meteor’. Everyone praised him and love him for what he’d done for the county. Stories about him that could pile up into a book. He was also one of The Meteor’s fans and one reason that inspired him to be strong. He became one after his neighbor told the latter’s story.

“Brother didn’t even tell me about The Meteor. Sigh. I just hope someone will help me later.” Ben felt ignorant.

While lost in thought, a loud bang sounded behind him. A person entered with large strides. She was puffing while she balled her hands. Ben eyed the girl in the pink dress. He thought she was his classmate, so he tried to say hello. Unfortunately, one gaze from her froze him on his track and made the words stuck to his throat. Ben felt scared from her gaze, as if she was a dragon capable of devouring him with one swallow.

The face of the girl was purple. She thought once his father came or learned about what happened he would call her back, grounded and prohibited to school anymore. Contrary to her imagination, his father didn’t seem to faze about her antics. He even ordered the guards to at once send her to school. This made it more infuriating for her.

Him being unfazed.

She wanted him to be angry. She even expected him to console her. But she got nothing.

If she could, she would stay still in her home and train instead. Actually, her idea of sneaking differed from other children’s sneaking to play. She more likely goes to the wild and hunt to train.

“That last trip was amazing. But ever since then I wasn’t able to go out without a guard hindering me.” Her pout crooked even more.

Sarah didn’t like to get in this school. Rumors that this school was quite strange. But she knew more than that. Speaking about schools, there were more prestigious schools out there.  Especially the school in the capital county. The County of Hopes and Dreams was under the jurisdiction of Miracle Kingdom. Its capital county, the County of Miracles, had a royal school that produced several prodigies. In addition, it was quite near to them, they were considered a neighboring county.

Though, the Academy of Hopes and Dreams also produced prodigies, the average talent was quite low. Last generation was only The Meteor. The generation before that only produced two, which was her father and the current teacher-cum-principal of the academy. And her generation, which included everyone under the age of forty, seems lacking in comparison. Of course, she wasn’t included.

This didn’t mean that County of Hopes and Dreams was weak. She was proud of the military might of her county–considering her clan on top of it. It was just she couldn’t accept the lack of thrill and excitement. If she could go to those prestigious schools, it sure be messy and wild. The thought of trashing the so-called geniuses made her ravished in joy. Continuing with that idea, she could keep trashing all those teachers and next, those even stronger.

“The world is enormous, but I have a higher view than that.” In fact, if she considered herself a character in a novel, then she was someone who had massive cheats and thick plot armor.

…

The academy was strange if compared to most schools. It was so big, yet they only have one classroom. The massive hall instead occupied most of the space. In comparison, the training and resting room were quite small.

The classroom was at far end of the hall, so it was easy to find. The training and resting room were next to the library.

Currently, it was so quiet. There was no one; not even a shadow or squeak. Ben didn’t see the girl anymore and where she went. He felt deaf from numbing silence. Ben continued his exploration within this silence.

Talking about the library, one could go there by taking stairs. But a door hid the latter, which was also behind one statue. Opening the door makes one felt looking at a dungeon. Ben only discovered by ogling the elegant walls and the statue with a strict face and massive built. Seeing the dungeon-like appearance, Ben celebrated inside himself. He connected it to the stories he’d heard. They said that there were lucky opportunities that can make someone strong.

The door was well hidden. It was as if deliberate, making Ben imagined differently. He became itchy and took his first step when suddenly, another kid entered the hall followed by the next one. Ben immediately halted his step and hurriedly closed the door. The boy thought, “It looks like it’s time for the class.” Not that he was selfish, but he knew opportunities could only be enjoyed by one person.

Inside the classroom, kids bobbed their heads to and fro, like little radishes popping out of the ground, bubbling with nervousness, curiosity and excitement. All of them looked around nine to ten years old. They took a sit and look around the classroom, expecting what was to come.

The uniqueness of the academy was that they only accept one batch of students per year. They also would graduate one year later. So there was only fifteen inside the room, making it felt huge.

All the children saw was the white walls, the old brown chairs and table in front of them, yet it still maintained clean state, without molds. They also saw the painting on the ceiling. It showed a being sitting on a stone. He appeared preaching to the sky or the space or the world and beyond. He didn’t have any amazing aura, even the painting itself didn’t depict any phenomena. It was unlike every remarkable thing told in the stories. But the being’s face was lit up in delight. It was clear he enjoyed what he was doing.

After the children finished observing, some of them pouted and rolled their eyes. Only a few have calm face. It was then that the teacher entered the classroom.

…