Klarion and Hatsune enjoyed the warmth of the early afternoon sun as they walked together across campus toward the Central Archives. His first class of Etiquette and Courtly Manners had been draining, and the conversations that had followed had been worse, but the longer he was outside, the more his mood began to lighten. For as long as he could remember, it had always been the same. No matter the difficulty of a situation or the obstacles in his path, if he had concrete, actionable steps forward to address them, he could focus on moving forward. Class was done for the day and he finally had the time, not to mention the Coins of Knowledge, to figure out just what the hell was going on with House Blacksword and why he had so quickly become the target of so many other scions at the Academy.


    “You don’t think we should take a break and head back to Blacksword Manor for an hour or two?” Hatsune asked. Her nose twitched, a habit Klarion had come to recognize as her way of trying to hold back strong emotions. Given everything that had happened since yesterday, it was a concern for him she was likely trying to keep control over. “You’ve been through a lot, and some rest would do you some good. We can always go to the Central Archives later, before dinner at The Hearth & Ember.”


    Klarion gave her a small smile but did not deviate from his path. “I appreciate your concern, but right now I need answers more than rest. If I don’t understand the history of my own House, let alone what kind of class options I have open to me, I’m as good as lost given all the potential enemies arrayed against me.”


    Hatsune sighed but didn’t press further. “Fine, but don’t expect me to stand by and watch you overdo it.” She cut him off before he could respond, “It’s my job to keep you safe, after all. And that includes protecting you from yourself.”


    Rather than comment, Klarion decided to let the admonishment from the Leporine be. Truth be told, he was touched by the level of concern she was showing for him, even though she had only been his bodyguard for a number of days now. At some point, he would have to find out more about her past. He mentally added that to the long list of things he had to do, grunting in irritation at how many of them were critical to his survival. Hopefully, at some point, things will slow down a little. Perhaps once he got a class of his own.


    Soon, they came to the Central Archives. Despite having seen it multiple times now, Klarion still took a moment to appreciate the bas-reliefs of who he assumed to be scholars and adventurers from across the Empire’s long history. Passing inside through a side entrance, the air was cool and he breathed deeply of the faint smell of parchment and leather. After that moment of simple enjoyment, Klarion looked around for the nearest librarian. He might be able to figure things out on his own, but he knew he could save time if he simply sought the help of someone trained to provide it. There.


    Klarion approached a desk that stood alone nearby where an assistant librarian — a young man with round glasses and a meticulously pressed uniform — sat flipping through a thick ledger. He looked up as Klarion and Hatsune approached, immediately going into a polite bow after seeing the rank of Klarion’s school uniform.


    “Good afternoon, Scion Blacksword,” the assistant librarian said. “How might I assist you today?”


    “I was wondering if you might help me track down some information. I’m looking for a primer on potential classes as well as a comprehensive history of House Blacksword.”


    “I see,” the assistant librarian pulled out a second ledger, quite a bit thicker than the first, and began writing in it. To Klarion’s surprise, the words disappeared to be replaced by several lines of writing. Before he could get a closer look, the assistant librarian continued. “There are several options for both, but before I present them to you, how many Coins of Knowledge do you possess and which topic is more important to you?”


    Klarion took a moment to think over what the assistant librarian was asking. Clearly he was being asked because the young man did not think he had enough Coins of Knowledge to purchase access to the best information on both. So which topic was the more important one?


    The choice should have been straightforward. A primer on potential classes would shape the foundation of his future strength, and help him figure out what his best options were to ensure his survival and success at the Academy. But even as that thought crossed his mind, it rang hollow.


    What good was power if he didn’t understand the game he was playing? Or the players he was competing against?


    His estrangement from House Blacksword, the circumstances behind which he still did not know, apparently did not mean he was exempt from the machinations surrounding it. The attempted assassination by Dungeon was proof of that. To move forward without understanding the history of House Blacksword, and far more importantly the intricate web of their allies and enemies, would be reckless, to say the least. After all, the scions who had tried to kill him weren’t acting in a vacuum. They were pawns to greater struggles within the Empire — pieces on a board whose rules he was just beginning to learn. If he wanted to protect himself, and those close to him, he needed to understand House Blacksword’s current situation.


    “My priority is whatever you can provide me on the history of House Blacksword. Though, if I can afford it, I would like a primer on classes still,” Klarion eventually said. When the assistant librarian looked back up, Klarion remembered the second part of the question he had asked. “I have fifteen Coins of Knowledge I can exchange right now.”


    “Very well,” the assistant librarian said, looking back down at the lines of text that had appeared in the ledger in front of him. “With that number of Coins of Knowledge, and given your priorities, I would suggest The Path of Power: A Comprehensive Guide to Imperial Classes Common to Rare, and A Brief History of House Blacksword: Foundation to Five-House War. The first is relatively cheap, but a great place to start if you haven’t spent much time looking into classes yet, and the second is my recommendation for the best volume you might afford given the number of Coins of Knowledge at your disposal.”


    “I understand,” Klarion agreed, then hesitated. “Um, how does this work exactly? This is my first time using Coins of Knowledge.”


    The assistant librarian was not put off by his question, likely because it was a common one from first-year scions who hadn’t been to the Central Archives before. Reaching down, the young man opened a drawer filled with tiny glass spheres. Pulling it close to his face, the assistant librarian muttered something Klarion couldn’t quite make out, causing its surface to light up with faint, glowing runes. Bringing it to the entries that had appeared in the ledger in front of him, he pressed the largest rune to two entries. After it flashed once, he went to hand it over to Klarion.


    “This simple Sphere of Inquiry will guide you to the books you seek. Simply hold it in your hand and focus on which of the two books you would like to find first. Once you locate them, bring them back here, and I will create a copy of each using the Coins of Knowledge you have as payment.”


    Klarion nodded, taking the sphere in hand. Its surface was cool to the touch, and he closed his eyes, concentrating on the book about classes first. A tingling sensation traveled up his arm as the sphere pulsed faintly. Moments later, a soft glow appeared in the distance, deeper within the shelves of books. A thought suddenly struck him: why hadn’t he been able to use this item before to find Whispers of Black Steel?


    The assistant librarian smiled. “You should be seeing a light now, which marks the location of the first book you need. Once you collect it, you can use the Sphere of Inquiry to find the other.”


    “Thank you for your help, but I have one last question before we go track the books down,” when the assistant librarian nodded for him to continue, he did so, “if there exist such convenient items like this in the Central Archives, why would any scion need to physically search for a book here without them?”This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    “Ah, I’m guessing you previously completed an Academy Assignment to track down a missing book?” the assistant librarian asked. At Klarion’s nod, he continued, “Then the answer is these items are worthless if the book it is seeking is not properly shelved. It is only when the right book is in the right position within the specific part of the Archives that a Sphere of Inquiry can be helpful.” He smiled sheepishly, looking even younger than his already young age. “That’s also why there are so many assistant librarians working here, as without us to physically verify the locations and placement of books within the Archives, it would quickly become too chaotic to function.”


    Klarion mulled over the assistant librarian’s explanation as he returned to his work. The revelation that there were magical means to tracking down books, but that they only worked when they were properly shelved, was an interesting one. The fact that the Archives, with its endless shelves and meticulously cataloged collections, relied on the constant efforts of living staff rather than magic was both amusing and somewhat reassuring. There was something comforting about the imperfections of the system.


    Turning away, Klarion led Hatsune in the direction of the light that only he could see. Despite it still being the afternoon, there were very few people around, with most of those being assistant librarians going about their work.


    “Are you sure this is the right way to go about it?” The Leporine woman asked him quietly, her ears twitching as they made their way down the aisles.


    “It’s the only way,” Klarion said, his gaze still fixed on the distant shelves indicated by the light. “I can’t afford to make decisions blindly. Knowing the history of House Blacksword will help me anticipate how other scions will see me. And as for the primer on classes… well, it will be a starting point at least. I can always spend more Coins of Knowledge to get a better source from here if needed.”


    The book ended up being a thick volume bound in rich crimson leather with golden embossing. The pages on the inside were filled with vibrant illustrations, detailed tables, and carefully written text in an elegant yet legible script. Flipping to the table of contents to verify this was what he needed, Klarion saw that it broke down the book into sections focused on classes ranging from many common to a good number of uncommon and finally a range of the more studied rare classes documented within the Empire’s history. There was even a section for so-called hybrid classes, which seemed to be those that were based around a range of stats rather than just a pair of them. From what he could tell in that brief look, each class entry not only provided information on how to unlock the class, but also notes on its known strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully in this book would be a class that lined up with what he wanted. Perhaps even a hybrid class of some sort. As much as he had focused on melee combat, part of him was still attracted to the idea of using magic of some sort.


    Hatsune leaned over his shoulder, nose twitching in disapproval, her long ears dropping slightly at what she saw him looking at. “Hybrid classes? Really?” she asked. “You know those are some of the hardest to level, right? And you have to spread your free stat points around quite a bit more? They’re weaker at the start compared to pure classes. A lot of people say they aren’t worth the effort.”


    “That’s part of why I’m interested,” Klarion replied, closing the book. “If they’re harder to master, then they will likely be stronger in the long run. It seems like everyone here is looking for a shortcut to power, but that’s no the kind of strength I want.”


    Hatsune sighed, crossing her arms. “I get that you’re trying to play the long game, but this isn’t just about you, Klarion. You already have enemies, and you need to be able to protect yourself now. A hybrid class might leave you vulnerable. And that will make my job harder.”


    Klarion glanced at her, seeing the genuine worry in her eyes. “I appreciate your concern, Hatsune. But if I’m going to carve out a place for myself, I need to think beyond just surviving the next attack.” He looked around and, seeing no one else nearby, leaned closer to Hatsune with a smile. “Besides, you remember my stats? How many do I get per level…?”


    She blinked, then a small smile of her own touched her lips. He could practically see the gears turning in her head as she realized with that advantage, a hybrid class could be just as strong as the alternative but with greater flexibility.


    The first book found, Klarion focused on the second, which immediately caused him to notice a second light back in the direction they had come from, though off to the side from where he had talked with the assistant librarian. Leading the way, the two of them moved past the shelves and a nearby reading table. Hatsune walked beside him, her ears flicking in quiet agitation. After passing down the next aisle of books, she spoke again, her voice quieter this time.


    “You know, it’s frustrating,” she said. “You get to make choices like this — what kind of class you want, how you’re going to build your future. But for me, those choices don’t really exist.”


    Klarion glanced at her, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”


    Hatsune hesitated, then sighed. “In the Empire, Leporine like me… we don’t usually qualify for anything better than common classes. Unlike in my homeworld, where there are a lot more options tailored for my race.” She sighed again in frustration. “There might be exceptions here, sure, but I’d been hoping to take one of the ones my family has in any case. Not like that will happen now.”


    “That doesn’t seem fair,” Klarion said with indignation. “Surely there is a way we can change that.”


    “In theory, yes,” Hatsune admitted. “But it’s not easy. To qualify for a better class, I’d need to find a class primer in the Archives that presents classes from my homeworld, or at least ones tailored to my race. Then, even if I am able to find one, it is likely the class that I end up deciding on will be rare, and then I’d need specific materials to unlock it. Those materials aren’t just rare — they’re expensive. Way beyond what I could ever afford.”


    Klarion stopped abruptly, causing Hatsune to jerk to a halt to avoid running into him. “Well, what if I helped you?” he asked. “Given what you’re saying, I already expect I’ll need to track down materials for my class as well, so why don’t we work together and get enough for both of us? You shouldn’t have to settle for less because you ended up in the Empire as my bodyguard.”


    “You do know how long that might take, or how expensive that might be? To help me?” At Klarion’s dismissive shrug, her eyes widened, and her ears perked up in surprise. “You… you’d do that? Why?”


    “Because it’s the right thing to do,” Klarion said simply. “I know you didn’t sign up for all this. If I can help you reach your potential, then maybe we can both come out of this stronger.”


    Hatsune did not respond immediately. She looked down at her hands, her expression a mix of shock and contemplation. “I don’t know what to say,” she murmured. “No one’s ever offered me something like that before.”


    “You don’t have to decide right now,” Klarion said moving again in the direction of the second book he had come here to find. “Take some time to think about it. But if you want my help, it’s yours.”


    Hatsune nodded slowly, stepping up to keep pace at his side. “Thanks, Klarion. I’ll… I’ll think on it.”


    Finding the second book was as easy as the first. It was on a shelf full of other histories for this sector of the Empire, the Blacksword crest prominently displayed on the spine and cover. Unlike the primer on classes, Klarion did not open the book up to skim it, and instead only took the time to confirm it was the book he needed. Taking it in hand, he led Hatsune back to the assistant librarian’s desk near where they had come into the Archives. Thankfully he was still at his desk pouring over a ledger.


    “Here are the books, as well as the Sphere of Inquiry,” Klarion said, handing them over once he got the assistant librarian’s attention.


    Setting the ledger aside, he took them from Klarion. Returning the Sphere of Inquiry to where he had taken it from, he then repeated the hand movements Klarion had seen done before for the fragment of Whispers of Black Steel. Intricate patterns were traced by his fingers in the air, and threads of golden light began to weave around first one book, then the other. Slowly, identical copies of both books appeared beside the original. As soon as the duplication process was complete, he stacked the originals above a label on his desk that said returns.


    “Here they are,” the assistant librarian said, taking both magically copied books in hand. “The primer on classes will cost you two Coins of Knowledge, and the history of House Blacksword… well, that will be ten more.”


    Klarion nodded his agreement to the price in Coins of Knowledge. The assistant librarian then handed both books over to Klarion, and as soon as they were left in his hands, Klarion received a notification of the Coins of Knowledge being deducted from his total.


    “Now, is there anything else I can help you with, Scion Blacksword?”


    Klarion shook his head, tucking the books securely under one arm. “No, this is all I need for now. Thank you for your help.”


    The assistant librarian smiled warmly. ”Of course, Scion Blacksword. If you need anything else in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.“


    Turning, Klarion motioned for Hatsune to follow him. She fell into step beside him as they made their way out of the Archives.


    “You think that is all you will need?” she asked, indicating both books.


    “For now,” Klarion replied. “Let’s head to The Hearth & Ember. Hopefully, I’ll have some time to read before Valdre and Redrek get there.”