For the next few days, Ethan ran around with barely a moment to himself. He had many things to do before the Academy's seniors were informed of the campaign they would wage against the hordes of beasts streaming down the Devil's Horns.

  He first visited the Academy's storehouses, where most of the supplies were collected. While his sister had told him the Academy possessed its own supply chain, he needed to ensure these pampered lords and ladies wouldn't starve as they camped in the mountain. After all, an army couldn't march on an empty stomach.

  To his surprise, the storehouses were full to the brim, filled with countless perishable goods put in stasis a long time ago through peculiar time magic. Judging by the quantity alone, that would be enough to sustain the population of the entire Capital for over a year.

  “How long ago did they begin to accumulate this much?” Ethan asked the man in charge of looking after this horde.

  He was an old man, long past the age of retirement. However, his mind and body remained surprisingly sharp despite the flow of time. He seemed as if he could easily carry Ethan's weight with but a single arm and was eloquent enough to fully articulate any answer Ethan required.

  "It began at the dawn of the Imperium," the man replied, pride radiant as he looked at the countless resources neatly packed on various shelves, just waiting to be used.

  “I heard the early Imperium experienced a lot of drought and famine," Ethan said, slightly mystified by the sight. "The First Emperor probably didn't want his subject to ever return to those times."

  “As expected of a librarian, I should say. You are well-learned," the old man said with a smile. "Not many remember those dark times, but the Academy would never forget. The Academy has existed for much longer than the nation, so the First Emperor only saw it fit to use it as the last bastion of its survival. If something were to happen to the Imperium, such as enemies laying siege to the Capital, they would still be able to feed the millions of people that would take refuge here."

  “But, are we truly authorized to use this?” Ethan asked with a frown. “While these rations are stored here, don’t they belong to the crown? Can the Academy use them as they please?”

  "Why not?" the old man shrugged, taking a large whiff of his pipe before letting out a cloud of blackened smoke. The smoke travelled slightly further towards the stored provisions, only to be stopped by an invisible boundary that destroyed any foreign or dangerous matter that tried to breach it. While the old man could see that Ethan was slightly stunned, he added, "This operation was approved by the Emperor himself. It's only right for him to foot the bill."

  Ethan could see an enormous smile plastered on the man's face, which brought his own to the surface. Still, the image of all that wealth safely stored within the Academy couldn't help but make him pensive.

  What did the First Emperor see that made him plan so far ahead? Was he just paranoid to not return to those dark times, or was there something more?

  While many thoughts swirled in his mind, Ethan never stopped his inspection. His next stop was the armoury. Although the Academy was one where they taught magic, they also had a knight division where they taught the gifted youths in the martial ways.

  In Ethan's opinion, this was what truly differentiated the Academy from all other colleges throughout the Imperium. They weren't content, simply instructing initiates to become mages. They wanted to create complete beings that stood heads and shoulders above their peers. While the results could be debated, there was no doubt that some emerged paragons among men, his sister being one of them.

  This wasn't the first time Ethan had made the trek toward the Martial Division of the Academy. It was located even further into the forest, behind the secluded hill where Elizabeth liked to do whatever it was she did.

  More than a single path led to this destination, but Ethan chose the most secluded one. It wasn't paved and was narrow, allowing just a single individual passage at a time. On both sides was the forest, wild and unaltered. Ethan could even feel the gazes of many wild animals as he walked the path, but unsurprisingly, none approached him. They weren't stupid, and they had learned the hard way. Those who walked this path were either fools or students of the Martial Division. The surrounding wildlife simply couldn't take that chance.

  Walking along this secluded road brought Ethan memories of when his sister used to study within that division. Many times a week, he would be asked to deliver some letters back and forth between her and Gilbert.

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  Ethan didn't know why they used such an antiquated method of communication instead of using their spirits, but he attributed it to romance or other such nonsense. At the time, Ethan hardly believed there was someone who could tame this wild cat of a sister.

  Many had tried yet had been maimed in the process. But Gilbert was different. At least, his sister seemed to think so, but to Ethan, he seemed like nothing more than a bum coasting through life—the complete opposite of his sister. Except for one thing, his spirit had always been one of a kind.

  This was also why the Dean offered him the Head Librarian job, despite his not being much older than the students themselves and not being noble in any way. This shocked Ethan the first time he learned about him and his engagement with his sister.

  He possessed no connection to any of the Magisters, yet their father went out of his way to gift his only daughter's hand to a man of unknown origins. But, surprisingly, their father's bet seemed to have paid off. This couple was now so renowned within the Empire that none ever dared to cross them, even though Gilbert still lived like a bum.

  Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Ethan finally saw the dirt path slightly enlarge until a sizeable three-story building came into view. However, just as the forest began to recede, Ethan felt something blow past him before embedding itself into a nearby tree.

  A large shattering sound echoed among the sturdy wooden pillars full of greenness, rattling their branches until countless birds chose to leave the comfort of their resting post to fly once again into the endless skies.

  To his left, Ethan saw the remains of a large trunk being blown away, splinters scattering everywhere. The top part of the tree fell to the side, crushing many smaller trees under its weight until they all hit the forest floor, resulting in a slight tremble that soon dissipated into the soil.

  Ethan was stunned for a moment as he noticed a sudden humidity hit his skin. It felt as fresh as the dampness after a light rain, yet there was no trace of a cloud in the sky. The sun blazed overhead with all its might.

  Ethan slowly turned his head to the right, following the trajectory of whatever blew past him, and he saw a small woman standing there, a bow in her hands, cocked back yet with no arrow on the string. She was aiming her weapon his way.

  She didn't seem much younger than he was, maybe two or three years at most, yet the look in her eyes made her seem like a seasoned veteran. If Ethan was to be told this little girl had already killed her fair share of men, he would be inclined to believe it.

  However, what took most of his attention was the light blue snake coiled around her neck and arm. Despite its size, the small woman seemed to carry it easily, almost as if it possessed no weight. It was only when he finally calmed down that he realized this was no ordinary snake. Looking closer, Ethan could almost see through it.

  A spirit? Judging by its hue and the damage she caused, it should be of the water element. However, I do not see her contract stone... She should be a student of this branch.

  Indeed, unlike the students of the Magic Division, those of the Martial Division operated under different rules, much closer to military doctrine. In fact, they were practically an army themselves, possessing both strength and discipline. This was why Ethan couldn't help but be blindsided by this rash act of violence.

  "Who are you?" she said, her tone sharp and eyes narrowed. "Identity yourself!"

  Ethan raised both hands, proving he had no intentions to fight, yet the young woman didn't relent. Her bow remained aimed towards him as the transparent snake slithered to the end of her hand.

  “It seems we have a visitor," Ethan heard from behind him, yet he couldn't afford to turn and look. He stayed still as he felt something emerge from the forest behind him.

  “What could one be doing so deep into this forest?” the voice asked. “Might you have some business with the Martial Division?”

  "Indeed, I do," Ethan said slowly, articulating each word. "My name is Ethan Lancaster. I have a meeting arranged with the Division Head."

  “He’s lying!” the young girl exclaimed, her gaze hardening. “No one should know about that path except for us. We should hold him for questioning and let the Head deal with it. He might even be the intruder everyone is looking for!”

  Ethan couldn't help but smile wryly, as even if it seemed ludicrous, she had hit the nail on the head. Still, he couldn't very well admit it. He wondered how to make her accept his words, yet drew a blank. For those stuck in their preconceived notions, mere words would never be enough. Fortunately, someone else seemed much more reasonable.

  "Lancaster, you say?" said the one behind him as they slowly circled to his front. "I seem to recall our seniors talking about a young man using this path to come and see his sister often two years ago. Might you be Gloria Lancaster's younger brother?"

  “That's me," Ethan said bluntly, only to look over where that voice originated from.

  It came from a young man approximately the same age as himself. However, there was one giant difference between the two. The man's eyes had remained closed the entire time, even when he spoke to him. In his hands was a large staff made of what seemed like stone. It seemed slightly taller than he was, and he seemed to use it as support and a tool to lead the way.

  As for whether he relied on physical clues or the echo of sound as he hit the ground with the butt of his staff, Ethan wasn't able to tell. Still, the man seemed to move himself as if he knew precisely the state of the world around him without using his eyes.

  “I am sorry to ask, but considering the recent happenings, do you have any ways to confirm your identity,” the man asked gently, yet he seemed to be anything but a pushover. Ethan felt he had no choice but to comply despite the hostile atmosphere he faced as soon as he stepped into this Division.

  “I don’t know if you can tell, but I wear the clothes and emblem of a librarian of the Endless Library,” Ethan said calmly. “This should be enough proof of my identity.”

  Without any confirmation from the young woman, the man struck Ethan with his staff, landing a soft blow straight on the emblem attached near his heart. Ethan barely felt the impact; only a slight heat was absorbed by the symbol, clearly showing that it was now infused with mana.

  Ethan had been granted this very same emblem on the very first day he became a librarian. It was infused with a small portion of the Head Librarian's mana, being unequivocal proof of his identity as no one could fake that mana signature. However, Ethan didn't know that this emblem also served as a marker, always showing his location to the one who left this mark behind.

  After a moment, the young man retracted his staff before turning around and heading toward the large building. The young woman frowned as she saw the man leaving so nonchalantly. Even Ethan felt slightly stunned, only for the young man to speak again.

  “Follow me, Ethan Lancaster. I’m sure the Division Head is eager to see you.”