While preparing for the next step of his research, Ethan was forced to put it on hold as the day of departure was finally upon him. He stood near the back gate of the Academy alongside a multitude of reinforced wagons filled with the supplies and armament he had secured weeks prior.

  Countless men and women stood alongside him, some in full armour while others merely wore the Academy's colours. Still, there was no trace of the seniors tasked with leading this operation. The only ones present were Gloria and Elizabeth; both were here to see him off.

  “Are you sure this is wise? You could wait for the others. They should be ready in two days at most,” Elizabeth said to Ethan, yet he didn’t seem concerned.

  "We've talked about this. You even agreed with me. Are you getting cold feet now?" Ethan replied with a slight smile, yet Beth seemed less than amused. He could feel a cold front strike against his exposed skin.

  “Relax. This is for the best,” he added, trying to expunge her doubts, yet his confidence only seemed to empower them.

  "What if you get ambushed on the way?" she asked. "There's been reports from the front line that the beasts have breached the perimeter. They've entrenched themselves along the roads leading to the Devil's Horns. They said they don't currently have the manpower to weed them out."

  “Isn’t that the reason we are going there in the first place?” Ethan cut her off, yet couldn’t help but be slightly surprised she was concerned for his well-being. It even showed on his face. However, Beth quickly shut those thoughts down.

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself!” she snapped back, her tone as cold as the morning frost in the dead of winter. “We just can’t afford to waste those supplies. Why not wait for the troops to be ready. It’s only two days.”

  “And what about the front lines?” Ethan asked back. “They’ve been stretched for months already. Ever since the Archon made her decision, the resources allocated toward this front have been diverted toward the West. It’s up to us to reapprovision them.”

  “Surely, they can last another two days,” Beth began, yet Ethan abruptly cut her off.

  “You've never starved, have you?" Ethan said, his tone filled with a slight disdain, which couldn't help but take her aback. This was the first time she had heard him take such a tone with her, not even when he suddenly broke up their engagement.

  “Neither have you!” she snapped back.

  Her tone was filled with outrage, something which shocked even her. She had never thought mere words could make her so emotional. Still, Ethan showed no reaction. He merely glanced at his sister standing next to his former fiancee. She had a slight smile on her lips, which couldn’t help but make him shudder. He barely could repress it as memories of a long time ago came flooding back—memories he wished would just disappear.

  “It matters not," he replied dismissively. "The army cannot fight without supplies. Besides, the longer we wait, the more threats will breach the defence line, making the journey even more perilous. Fortunately, I've already prepared for some supplies to be sent ahead of time. If all goes well, they should be arriving as we speak."

  “What?” she frowned. “Why haven’t you told me? I’m the one in charge of this operation!”

  "You weren't at the time,” Ethan shrugged. “I ran the idea past my sister, and she approved it. It’s all that was needed.”

  “When did you?” she asked, looking slightly frustrated.

  Ethan could see her tiny fist clenched tight, which he rarely saw. He also enjoyed the fact that he now had such an impact on her mental state. It was something he wouldn't have conceived back then. Despite being her future husband, he had never had such power over her. Although merely temporary, he wouldn't miss this opportunity.

  “About two weeks ago by now," Ethan said, staring back at her while looking rather smug.

  “How could you have had the time?” she asked, confused. “The official order hadn’t even arrived yet.”

  “I was surprised myself. Still, despite being a civilian institution, the Academy is really like a well-oiled machine. They really do employ the best of the best. Besides, did you think I sat on my thumbs for over two weeks while the Lords and Ladies slowly prepared themselves? I was quite busy—extremely so."

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  “Lords and Ladies?” Beth frowned. “Is that the reason why you chose to leave ahead of schedule? Do you think I’d allow your pettiness to influence your decisions?”

  "Of course you will," Ethan replied rather confidently. "Simply because this is the most rational outcome. Think about it. Why do you think the Archon chose the Academy’s seniors for this operation.”

  “That’s easy. She wants to test them, to know if they are worthy.”

  “You'd think so," Ethan replied, turning to face Gloria. "I wouldn't dare to speak for the esteemed Archon, but I don't think she cares about them. They may be the progeny of some of the most influential people in the Imperium, but they are still children in her eyes—almost everyone is. Why would she concern herself with them? Isn't that right, sister?"

  Beth also turned to face Gloria, hoping for any kind of affirmation, yet all Gloria replied with was an indistinct smile. She didn’t utter a word, but for someone like Ethan, who knew his sister well, this smile might as well have been an entire dissertation.

  “As I thought," he said, prompting Beth to turn back to him, looking somewhat confused but also exasperated by his lack of bluntness. She couldn't stand all this running around the issue.

  “Spit it out, would you?” she said.

  “It's quite simple, my dear Elizabeth Reinhardt," Ethan said. "The only one the Archon is testing is you. It seems she has quite the grand design."

  “Nonsense!” she spat back, shaking her head. “She may have extended her invitation into her personal guard, but I’m just one of many. What about me warrants such a special interest?”

  “Who knows?” Ethan shrugged. “Ask my sister. She probably knows something, but I wouldn’t put much hope in it. She’ll likely never tell.”

  Gloria merely stood a few steps away, arms crossed with the same smile plastered on her face, and as expected, her lips were sealed, no matter how much the two of them were to plead with their eyes. After a while, Beth gave up and returned to face Ethan.

  “What about you, then?” she asked, but Ethan showed no reaction, for he had already considered this.

  His appointment as Chief Logistic Officer had been genuinely bewildering. He didn't know who had the idea, whether it was the Dean or his sister. Knowing her relationship with his sister, he even considered the order to have come from the Archon herself. However, he had no way to truly know, and therefore, this information had no bearing on the decisions he made henceforth. Still, this thought always remained at the back of his mind, nagging at him like a dull, constant headache.

  “Forget it," Beth sighed. "Do you truly believe this is the wisest choice? Although the Academy possesses ample supplies, losing those would look poorly on you and me."

  “I do. Besides, I’m hardly alone.”

  Ethan spoke only the truth. While the students chosen for this operation were still preparing to set out, Ethan had already conferred with his sister and the heads of both the armoury and the supply chain to ensure everything would go smoothly.

  He had also discussed security with the Head of the Academy's Martial Division. He had been granted command of a few students to come along with him to clear the path. They were armed to the teeth, standing just slightly behind Ethan as he informed Beth of his intentions. Also, none of the hundred or so in this convoy were defenceless. Some were even retired veterans who now fought in the rear, contributing to the Imperium in their own ways.

  "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't leave simultaneously," Elizabeth exclaimed, arms across her chest.

  “Riddle me this, then. Which is more valuable? This small convoy of supplies or a bunch of spoiled brats going to war?"

  Elizabeth frowned. She was about to lose her temper. However, she took a deep breath and decided to humour him.

  “The supply chain,” she said sternly. “Humans can always be replaced, but if the supply chain falls apart, so will the entire battlefront.”

  "Always the pragmatic, but you've overlooked something important," Ethan replied. "Not everyone is as rational as you. What do you think would happen if a bunch of students were to wind up dead before they even made it to the battlefront? That would tank the entire military's reputation. It would be disastrous for morale, not to mention the various families they belong to."

  "All the more reason why you shouldn't act alone," she frowned. "Don't you also have quite a few students going with you? It would be the same if they were to fall."

  "Well, unlike the Magic Division, the Martial Division have always been trained for actual combat. They have a better chance of surviving. Besides," Ethan took a few steps forward, stopping just a foot in front of Elizabeth. Then, he stretched his neck forward and whispered close to her ear, "Someone needs to clear the way, and it might as well be me. Consider this. You've had so many objections to this, yet my sister hasn't said a word. Don't you think this is for a reason? Trust me, it's better for all of us if I'm the one taking these risks. Although I doubt it would come to this, I prepared extensively. Trust me."

  Elizabeth remained silent as Ethan pulled back. Her eyes seemed to want to dig a hole right through him, yet she couldn't help but concede his point despite not wanting to. Although she had made preparations for her own trip toward the border, she couldn't help but be slightly worried about having to babysit a bunch of nobles who had never wielded arms outside the safe space created by the Academy. Still, she couldn't always cuddle them. If this convoy could eradicate most of the opposition before they reached the Devil's Horns, she might acclimate them to joined combat by eliminating the remnants.

  “Have it your way,” she muttered as she turned away from Ethan and onto a strange blind man standing slightly at the back, which she addressed in a commanding tone. “You there! Are you in charge of this convoy’s security?”

  "That would be correct, commander," the man said, taking a single step forward as he softly planted his long rock staff into the pavement.

  This was the man Ethan had encountered on his first visit to the Martial Division, the same man the head of said division had told him wasn’t a student there. And yet, here he stood, among his fellow students, as if nothing happened. He was even chosen to lead them as they headed toward the border.

  Following the announcement this man would be coming with them, Ethan had tried to gain an audience with the Division Head, yet was refused every time, stating a lack of time and missed opportunity. Obviously, the man was expressly avoiding him. As to why, Ethan didn’t know, nor did he care. If the Academy and his sister had deemed that blind man trustworthy enough to ensure the safe travel of this convoy, who was he to deny them?. Despite being named as Head of Logistics, Ethan knew he was but a puppet in a much bigger scheme. He had no interest in making waves and attracting attention to him.

  "You better take care of them," she said sternly, then turned to face Ethan for the last time, yet she didn't say a word more; she only scoffed as she turned away, leaving Ethan with his sister.

  After a tearless goodbye, Ethan and company finally left the Academy. This was the first time he had passed through those gates in two years. Not once did he even step foot outside, yet now he was headed toward the eastern border, a wild land where civilization dare not tread, not even the might of the Imperium itself.