The second semester of the Imperial Academy had officially begun.
For most cadets, that meant a return to grueling lectures, brutal practical combat training, and the endless suffering that naturally came with the academy's curriculum.
For me, however, it meant something far more insidious.
Paperwork. A literal mountain of it.
I stared blankly at the towering stack of documents occupying nearly half the central table inside the Gourmet & Ecology Exploration Clubroom, seriously considering setting the entire pile on fire. The thought lingered in my mind for several deeply tempting seconds. Unfortunately, as appealing as arson sounded, destroying official academy property would probably just result in twice as much paperwork afterward.
Life was incredibly cruel.
Across the table, Clara Marigold peeked over the fortress of documents, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"Thinking about arson again, President?"
