The uncle and his nephew spent their time after meeting at Nexus's home and strolling around the following days. Alba showed Eagle the sights of Runes, answering all his questions along the way.
"I left Autozam more than twenty years ago. This place has changed so much that I thought I had landed in the wrong location. We didn't have gardens like this before. People lived in iron domes and had to wear masks to avoid breathing the polluted air when going outside." Alba listened attentively. "We didn't live as well as this... I embarked on an expedition to Cephiro to secure a Pillar position and investigate the system protecting that land. However, I failed and fell ill. Since then, I have never returned. I knew that Autozam was changing, but I never realized how much it had transformed."
"I heard Father utilized the knowledge you gained from Cephiro to rebuild Autozam's military."
"Yes. That's how he built his strength and carried out a much larger-scale invasion twenty years ago." Eagle fell silent. "It was an unpleasant time. My brother and I decided to turn against each other. He saw me as a traitor, but for me, I just wanted to protect what was dear to me. Do you also hate me like he does?"
Alba shook his head. "I don't live in his shadow. Besides, he's dead."
Eagle stared at him. He wanted to say something but hesitated as Alba shared something important to hear.
"I built my own life; this is who I am now. I have my people and a land to protect. I don't have a past like yours because I didn't live in that time. I have my own era, so I never concern myself with such things. If you ask me if I hate you, I can't answer because I don't know what that feels like, and why should I feel that way?"
Eagle sensed that Alba was very different, and it surprised him to see that this young man was not influenced by the greatness of his father's name. He was a Vision, heir to the bloodline of rulers.
"I live in the love of many people." Alba looked up and gazed at the statue of Shinre, the final destination of their trip. "You're right; this place and everyone in it has changed. We live under the new sun. And this sun guides us with the light."
Eagle also turned his gaze to Shinre, the statue depicting a pregnant woman. Her challenging gaze was directed toward the sky while her arms cradled small child figures.
"Since Father lost the war, Autozam has been dominated by the people of Runes. It was as if hell was brought closer to our world; they reclaimed their land and launched a mission to eradicate the Autozam people. Every day, magic swordsmen ride through the skies like eagles hunting their prey. My mother and my younger sister died because of it.
"But a new day came after such dark times, and a peace treaty was successfully made. The magic swordsmen, the people of Runes, decided to protect us, and we pledged our loyalty to them. If you're looking for where Autozam is, that land no longer exists, and that is not a disaster. This land is Runes, a land for two nations, Autozam and Runes."
"That's shocking. In the past..."
"Indeed. That's an undeniable reality. But we have managed to rise above all that. Everything has become much better since the grudges were erased." Alba stared intently at Eagle. "Now I want to ask you. What is your purpose in coming here, Uncle?" he asked sharply.
Eagle looked at him. He could not question the authority of this young man. "I will be honest; I am not just here for a stroll. I came to gather information, especially about the magic swordsmen."
Alba confirmed his suspicion. He had expected this.
"I am here to find those who caused great misery in Cephiro. Can you tell me about them?"
Alba shook his head, refusing. "If I tell you, what do you intend to do with them?"
For some reason, Eagle found it difficult to answer. Did he want to punish them? Get revenge for their actions? Of course. But he wasn't sure, because if he returned to his identity as an Autozam, he wanted to thank them.
"There are many things you don't understand, Uncle. I'll explain one thing: I am the leader of Runes. Anyone who lives and originates from this place is under my protection. However, I will still share what I know. The era of the magic swordsmen ended after the Runes-Cephiro War. They have gone since a long time ago, and none of them remain here. Their palace and towers have been destroyed. Haven't you seen that?"
Eagle was taken aback. Alba knew he had been investigating Runes since he arrived. "What about the previous leader of Runes?" Eagle asked.
"His Majesty Nair? Now I've taken his place and don't know what happened to him. I don't know where he is, too."
Eagle realized that Alba was hiding a lot from him. The young man was impenetrable. He was genuinely protecting Runes, just as he had stated. Alba subtly refused to cooperate with him.
"Alright. There's one more thing I want to ask." Eagle appeared to take something from beneath his cloak. "Have you ever seen this woman here?" He showed a portrait of a red-haired woman that was very familiar to Alba.
Slowly, Alba raised his hand and took the photo to examine it closely. It was a different image from the one he had. There was Hikaru, smiling back at him, her eyes sparkling. She looked different, draped in a beautiful black gown. By her appearance, she was no ordinary person.
Eagle observed Alba's reaction as he gazed at Hikaru's photo for a long time. Once again, Eagle could guess that Alba knew something.
"Who is she?" Alba asked then.
Eagle took the photo back from Alba and tucked it away again. "She is someone we care for deeply. She disappeared from Cephiro many years ago. We are looking for her."
"Her appearance seems unusual. Is she someone very important in Cephiro?"
So important? Eagle's eyes widened at Alba's question. Wouldn't he just reveal Cephiro's faults if he answered with a yes? Someone so important and beloved shouldn't have gone missing for so long.
"She is our friend." Eagle fell silent. The word "friend" felt too diminutive for Hikaru's status in Cephiro. But he hesitated to tell Albatross the truth.
"Do you all love her?" Alba asked.
Eagle was again surprised that Alba would ask such a thing, but he nodded. "Everyone wants her back. Everyone wants her to be part of us again. Like before..."
Like before? If that were the case... "She's not here. I've never seen her."
Alba sat alone in his study. In front of him lay the photo of Hikaru that he possessed. He gazed long at her smiling face, sprawled out, alongside Cail Lantis and Eagle Vision.
"She is someone we care for deeply. She disappeared from Cephiro many years ago. We are looking for her... Everyone wants her back. Everyone wants her to be part of us again. Like before..."
What had happened in her past? Alba closed his eyes, recalling when he first met Hikaru.
You chose to leave your own country... Leaving these people behind... What had you experienced in Cephiro that made you cry so sorrowfully? Why had you left the place you called home? What had caused you to abandon them? What had they done to you that made you not want to return?
Rather than trust the words of Eagle Vision, Alba preferred what he had grasped through the tears that Hikaru had shown. Something so tragic had happened to her, caused by the people of Cephiro. If that were the case, the people of Cephiro should not have her until the truth was revealed. For 17 years, she had become the guardian for Autozam and Runes... and now Autozam and Runes had also chosen to be her guardians.