Klarion stepped lightly across the cobblestones as he made his way with Hatsune down the street away from the classroom now that Essence Studies was done for the day. Most of the students in the class had lingered, discussing the session with friends, others laughing over shared jokes. As soon as Professor Stormcloak had left, however, Klarion collected Hatsune and left for the Central Archives.


    While Professor Stormcloak had not been exactly what he was expecting, the class itself had been everything he had hoped it would be. The opportunity to start delving into the mysteries of the Multiverse, to pursue power in the form of Essences and magic would give him a major step up for the future that faced Earth. More, he had hope he would be able to achieve a lot himself without having to rely too much on professors or instructors, as Professor Stormcloak had said that Essence could only be cultivated through knowledge, experience, and willpower. Class and the Central Archive would help with the first, but he could gain the second and third through his own efforts. The first step to working on all three would be to get his hands on some Knowledge Coins, which was why he was rushing towards the Central Archives now.


    “Lord Klarion,” Hatsune spoke up, her voice curious, “why are we heading to the Central Archives? Aren’t you interested in returning to Blacksword Manor to relax for the rest of the day? From what I overheard, that is what many of the other scions in your class will be doing.”


    Klarion shook his head, continuing to head in the direction of the Central Archive. “Relax? There is no time for me to relax, Hatsune. I’m already behind. Every hour spent doing anything but my studies is a wasted hour for the other scions to pull ahead.”


    Her ears twitched, her steps faltering for a moment. “Behind? You’ve barely had time to settle in. Why are you rushing to start assignments?”


    “Because of the difference between me and them, Hatsune,” he said, glancing at her as they walked. “My best guess is that most first-year scions have spent their lives preparing for this moment. They’ve been doing all they can to prepare for studying Essences and magic, practicing combat, and building networks since they were children. I didn’t have that luxury. If I don’t take advantage of every hour I can, I’ll never catch up let alone surpass them.”


    The towering columns and intricate stonework of the Central Archives soon came into view. Rather than the front, the street they had followed along brought Klarion and Hatsune to the side of the massive building. He led her through a side entrance. Much like the main entrance, two statues stood on either side of the side door — some kind of lion with a snake tail, the other an owl with four wings clutching a scroll — stood watch.


    Sweeping inside, he was greeted by the smell of parchment, leather, and the faint scent of ink. Beyond the entryway, rows upon rows of shelves, each brimming with tomes, scrolls, and books, loomed around them. As much as he wanted to take some time to idly peruse them, he was currently more concerned about tracking down someone who could point him to a way he could earn some Knowledge Coins.


    Speak of the devil.


    A low-ranking librarian, an elderly man with thinning grey hair and round spectacles, stepped out from the shelves as they approached. His gaze lingered on Hatsune, or more specifically, her sword, before he turned his attention to Klarion. The librarian’s eyes drifted to the mark of Klarion’s House on his uniform’s shoulder. As soon as the old man saw the Blacksword crest on his shoulder, he straightened to face Klarion.


    “How may I assist you, young scion?” he asked.


    “I was looking for a place where I might find if the Central Archives has any open Academy Assignments,” Klarion replied. “Preferably ones that would help me earn some Knowledge Coins.”


    The old librarian blinked at the mention of Knowledge Coins. “Ah, of course. You’ll want to visit one of the public Academy Assignment boards in the building then. The nearest one would be…” the old man trailed off as he visibly tried to get his bearings by looking at the nearest placards denoting the various sections of shelving, before he finally continued, “…just that way, near the study rooms. You can’t miss them.”


    “Thank you for the help,” Klarion said, then gestured for Hatsune to follow him. They made their way down the lines of shelves until they came to an opened part of the floor in which rows of desks were filled with older scions working on their studies. Along the wall just beyond them stood a series of private rooms where groups of scions might study together. Normally, Klarion would be interested in getting a closer look at where he might well be spending a good chunk of his time in the future, but something else seized his attention.


    A large, ornate board stood in place of a shelf immediately before the open area that held the desks. Covered in columns of softly glowing words, as he stepped closer Klarion could see that each listing was a different Academy Assignment available for students to undertake. Klarion’s eyes swept over the options, his brow furrowing as he read the titles. A good number seemed to be a bit outside of his abilities, given the rewards counted into the thousands of Knowledge Coins and dozens of Seals of various sorts, but near the bottom seemed to be some that fit what he was looking for.


    Belong an Academy Assignment that alluded to a dragon hunt, a long list of Academy Assignments involving missing books caught his eye. The list stretched down that side of the board like a tapestry, each entry with a brief description of the book and the location it was last seen. One caught his attention, and when he focused on it, an Academy Assignment appeared on a screen in front of him.


    Academy Assignment - Missing Manual Fragment: Whispers of Black Steel (Rare)


    A Librarian at the Central Archives has issued a special task to recover a rare fragment of a lost beastkin sword-fighting manual, “Whispers of Black Steel,” which was not returned to the proper shelf. The fragment contains insight into the missing fighting style, making it invaluable to scholars and warriors alike. Your task is to locate the fragment of the manual and to return it to a librarian so that it might be properly shelved.


    Conditions for Success: Locate the fragment of “Whispers of Black Steel” and return it to a librarian to be reshelved.


    Rewards for Completion: A copy of the fragment of “Whispers of Black Steel”; 15 Knowledge Coins


    Accept: Yes/No


    While the title meant nothing to him, Klarion did find it interesting that it was a manual for a beastkin style of sword-fighting. He accepted the Academy Assignment.


    “I think I’ve found one that we can complete,” Klarion said, then shared the information with Hatsune.


    Hatsune, who had been standing slightly behind him, leaned in to read over the information that was displayed on the board. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw the title of the fragment they would need to find, a sharp gasp escaping from her lips. ”A fragment of Whispers of Black Steel…?” Her voice was filled with awe. “Lord Klarion, that’s… that’s not just any sword style. I recognize it from my people’s stories, but it has been lost for hundreds of years. Just how does the Imperial Academy have even this fragment?”


    Klarion was somewhat taken aback by Hatsune’s fervent tone, “I thought it sounded interesting, but is it really that important?”The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    “Lord,” Hatsune responded in an awed tone, “this is a fragment of one of the Lost Sword Arts of my people. If I could get my hands on that fragment… if I could read it—”


    “Well, it’s a good thing I accepted the Academy Assignment then,” Klarion interrupted her, as he could tell she was starting to work herself up. “The sooner we find it, the sooner you can read over our copy from the reward. Now, lets find someone who can direct us to where the fragment should have been. Perhaps it will be near that location.”


    Though Hatsune seemed shocked at the possibility that she might be able to read something so precious to her people, she did remember herself enough to follow behind Klarion as he sought out another librarian for help.


    It took them a few minutes, but eventually, Klarion found a younger elven librarian who was busy replacing some hefty tomes on a shelf. When Klarion asked him where they should start looking, the librarian’s response didn’t give him much hope.


    “The fragment you seek will not be an easy one to find. To make it into a formal Academy Assignment means that at least three assistant librarians were unable to find it. This one in particular has been missing for some time, and the last known location was… well, let’s just say it’s somewhere deep in a restricted section.”


    Klarion looked to Hatsune, who nodded. “Restricted section, huh? Well, we shouldn’t have a problem searching there first.”


    “You misunderstand,” the librarian shook his head, “I said that was the last known location. It is also where the librarians who created the Academy Assignment would have searched first. I would recommend you instead start with where it should have been shelved. Perhaps there will be a clue there.”


    After giving them a precise description of where to go, the librarian returned to his shelving. It took Klarion and Hatsune about ten minutes of walking to get there. The Central Archive really was massive. Apparently the section on exotic fighting styles they arrived at did not receive much interest from the general scion population. A thin layer of dust set on the shelves, and the majority of the books and scrolls looked like they hadn’t been moved in some time. Even the lights overhead were dimmer. Directing Hatsune to one side, they both took their time to look over the various titles, hoping that maybe the fragment had simply been misshelved in the same section. Eventually, Klarion’s fingers traced the edges of the books on the last shelf on his side, his eyes scanning for any sign that Whispers of Black Steel was there. But no luck.


    “Do you think it’s deeper in?” Klarion asked as he glanced at Hatsune who was just finishing on her own side.


    The Leporine shrugged, ears twitching in what Klarion was starting to learn was frustration. “I have no idea. But knowing it is in here, somewhere, I don’t want to stop searching until I find it.”


    Klarion nodded but didn’t move for a moment, thinking over their options. Before he could make much headway, he found his attention being pulled further down the rows. It almost felt like he was being watched.


    “Lord Klarion?”


    Before he could respond, a sudden noise broke through the stillness — a faint sound, like the snap of a twig underfoot, though that couldn’t possibly be what it was.


    Both of them froze, their instincts immediately on high alert. Hatsune’s ears were fixed in the direction of the sound, her sharp eyes darting along the bookshelves. Klarion’s hand instinctively reached for the hilt of his greatsword, only to remember he had left it back at Blacksword Manor since he had been told scions were not allowed to carry weapons to classes. He cursed under his breath.


    From the darkness ahead, a group of figures emerged. It was a small group — six individuals, half dressed in the uniforms of scions, the others clearly their bodyguards. Klarion’s heart began to race as he recognized at least two of them: the spoiled and unsufferable Chadwick alongside his friend from the Hall of Bonds.


    “Lovely,” Klarion muttered under his breath, anger already starting to build in him. “Just when I thought I’d be able to have a day free from this shit.”


    Chadwick smirked as he stepped forward in front of the others, his expression full of spite. “Well, well, if it isn’t Klarion the scion of House Blacksword. My, how my luck seems to favor me today.”


    Klarion straightened, doing his best to remain in control of his anger. He would like nothing more than to beat Chadwick’s face in for what he had said about Hatsune the other day, but he needed to keep a handle on his anger. At least until Chadwick made the first move, that was.


    Beside Klarion, Hatsune’s hand instinctively went to her waist, grasping the hilt of her sword, but she hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do. This was the Central Archive, not a street outside.


    Since Klarion had no desire to be suspended from this amazing place if he could help it, he reached out to gently prevent Hatsune from drawing her weapon.


    “What do you want, Chadwick?”


    “I’m afraid, Blacksword, that you already know the answer to that question,” Chadwick sneered. “You stole what was mine, and now I’m going to make sure you regret it.”


    Klarion’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly glanced over the six men facing him. Besides Chadwick, both of the other scions were unarmed, but their human bodyguards each possessed short swords and long knives that would not be too hampered by the close confines of the shelves. If Chadwick truly meant to resort to a fight, this could get bloody fast.


    “If you’re going to threaten me, you should at least have the decency to fight your own battles, Chadwick.”


    “Oh, I don’t need to fight my own battles,” Chadwick replied smoothly. “Not when I have capable people to do it for me.”


    As if on cue, the bodyguards behind him stepped forward. The first, a tall man with thick arms and a cold, calculating expression, approached Hatsune with a predatory gleam in his eye.


    Hatsune didn’t back down, though her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. But as she prepared to draw it, the other bodyguard struck first.


    The bodyguard lunged forward in a blur of motion, his hands grabbing her wrists with surprising speed and force. Hatsune gasped, stumbling backward as she tried to break free, but his grip was too tight. She twisted and kicked, but the man was already overpowering her, and before she could pull herself free, he had her restrained.


    “No!” Klarion shouted, his voice filled with fury. He moved to intervene, hands reaching for the bodyguard who held Hatsune, but Chadwick stepped forward, cutting him off as his mocking laughter rang out.


    “Did you really think you could keep her from me, Klarion?” Chadwick taunted. “The bunnykin was only ever meant to serve me. You really should just relinquish her into my care.”


    “Never!” Klarion’s fists clenched as his rage boiled over, but before he could hurl himself at Chadwick, the remaining two bodyguards stepped in front of him, their expressions hard and confident. Chadwick smirked from behind his protectors, content to let them fight for him.


    Klarion took a long moment to consider his approach, thinking over his approach. His sparring with Rolfun coming to his mind, which filled him with a steely confidence. Neither of these two had anything on the half-ogre Berserker. He raised his fists and waited for the bodyguards to make the first move.


    The first, a short brute with a mace-like fist, lunged at Klarion, while the other — a wiry man with a wispy beard — moved to flank him. Klarion’s fury ignited, and his senses sharpened at what he had to do. Hatsune was at risk. He was at risk. No mercy.


    As the brute swung, Klarion sidestepped faster than the bodyguard expected, and his own fist drove like a piston into the man’s ribs. The impact sent a resounding crack through the shelves, and the man staggered back, clutching his chest, gasping in pain. The second bodyguard, already moving to take advantage, aimed low at Klarion’s side before hesitating at the sound of the blow the Blacksword scion delivered. Before he could recover, Klarion spun with terrifying speed, catching his wrist in mid-strike. His grip was iron, and with a snarl, he twisted, forcing the bodyguard to the side. The wiry man lashed out with his free hand, but Klarion moved faster to drive his knee into his stomach, lifting him half a foot off the ground, only to hit the floor gasping.


    The brute, recovering, roared and charged again, but Klarion was already turning back to meet him head-on. This time, Klarion unleashed a flurry of brutal strikes that Rolfun had shown him in one of their sessions: a jab to the throat, a crushing blow to the knee, and a finishing uppercut that left the stocky man collapsing like a felled tree. When he came to a rest on the ground near a shelf, he did not rise again.


    Klarion turned once more back to his other attacker, who had begun rising shakily to his feet, holding his side with one hand. The bodyguard hesitated again, glancing at his fallen comrade, before drawing his dagger and lunging at Klarion with a desperate strike. Klarion caught his swing and wrenched the blade from his hand, flipping it in his grasp and pressing it against his throat in one fluid motion. He froze, eyes wide with fear.


    Klarion let him go with a shove, and the bodyguard stumbled backward, collapsing beside his unconscious ally. Klarion’s chest heaved as he turned his glare on Chadwick.


    The other scion’s smirk faltered, replaced by wide-eyed terror. He took an involuntary step back to stand with the other two nervous scions, his confidence evaporating. “Stay — stay away from me!” he stammered, voice shaking.


    “You’ll regret this,” Klarion growled, but he did not pursue Chadwick further. “I was willing to let things go, Chadwick. But attacking us like this, in the Central Archive no less, I now know that that won’t be an option.”


    “Oh, I know it’s not over,” Chadwick replied, his voice dark with renewed menace upon seeing Klarion halt his advance. “This is only the beginning. Do you think you will get away with stealing that bunnykin? Think again, Blacksword. You’ve made an enemy of House Copperhand, and I will make you pay.”


    Just as Klarion was preparing to rush forward, hang the consequences, the faint sound of footsteps came from behind him. A voice called out, soft but clear.


    “What’s going on here?”