Maxwell walked along the halls of the Academy sifting through her papers. She opened the room to see an ongoing lecture by one of the professors. She met the professor’s gaze for a moment before taking a seat near the entrance. The professor smiled for a brief moment before resuming his lecture.

“The great historian and philosopher Mihaly Shilage once asked the great question, ‘What is a nation?’ Can we see the physical boundaries? Is it rooted in common language, culture, or customs? Is it perhaps the people itself? Anyone?”

“Are you referring to his work titled The Essence of Nations: A Treatise Upon the Birth, Cultivation, and Decay of Countries?” Asked one of the students.

“That’s correct. Do you know what the answer is?”

“I don’t think he ever comes up with one. It’s rather abstract.” Answered the student a bit hesitantly.

“No he definitely has an answer. You see… A nation is not something that can be perceived through the human eyes. As Shilage posits that is in the mind. It exists collectively in our consciousness. Our country, Spyre, is only as real as we make it. Sure we can see it, even feel it,” The professor tapped his foot on the floor. “But this could be said of any place. Spyre is only real because we believe in it. The idea of what Spyre is has been engraved into our conscious minds. That is why it exists. Shilage was convinced that as long as people lived that believe in the idea of the nation that it will exist. Nations are born from people’s minds. Shilage discusses the idea of decay in his treatise as well… Anyone venture to guess?”

The room went quiet for a while until Maxwell raised her hand. The professor smiled at her. “Herald Maxwell?”

“If a nation were to fail its people then it would decay, and if it decays then it shall soon cease to be nation.” Maxwell answered.

“The end result being the downfall of said nation. As such Shilage actually says that this is a good thing. Even if it is your own nation that crumbles that it is probably for the best as it should make way for a new stronger nation to take its place. That is always the part that makes people run away from Shilage. Shilage was an unusual historian and philosopher even among his peers. He saw nations as… Something transitory, not permanent. He believed that nations would always fall down the vicious cycle of rise and fall, or as he calls it ‘The Curse of Reification and Disintegration’. That nations that took ideas from those that came before, and crumbled would be doomed to fail.” The professor looked at the clock. “Well I guess that’s a wrap. Tomorrow we’ll be covering the rest of Shilage and start on Rabunov’s Theological Sexualization: How Homosexuality Dressed Gaeric in Lavender.”

The students all packed their things as they were getting ready to go to their next class. Maxwell walked down the steps to meet with the professor.

“Herald so glad you could join us… Even if it was the last few minutes.”

“Well we can’t all spend our days reading nonsense. I mean Rabunov? Might as well make The Diclonius a required reading.”

“Surely you jest. Besides the Lavender Rebellions are an essential part of our history. As I’m sure you yourself can attest to.”

“Hmph. In any case I came here because we are updating our reading material for the younglings.” Maxwell laid the papers our on the desk for the professor to see.

The papers had a list of books on every subject possible that were then divided into categories. Children that were cultivated to become lawmakers would read books on philosophy, law, and history. The ones that were cultivated to become engineers would read books on science, math, physics, algebra, and calculus.

“Well it’s very robust I can tell you that. How many made it this time?”

“There were only thirty two failures out of two hundred.”

“That a fact?” Asked the professor rather surprised. “Well then…” He began as he pulled out a pencil. “I suggest Inomina’s Resignations and Contributions: How the Individual makes the Whole. It’s about the dynamics and relationships between the individual and the nation, and… Weylok’s Theory of History: Civilizations and its Deceptions. Personal favorite of mine… That should about wrap it up.”

“Thank you.” Maxwell grabbed the papers, and left.

“I heard that the Heroes of Tofar escorted you here. So I gotta know… What were they like?”

She recalled their battle with the monster. “Capable. It’s not surprising they managed to win.”

“Hmm imagine that.”

Maxwell nodded and left the room making her way down the halls to the nearest exit.

“Maxwell!” A voice called out to her that echoed in the halls.

Maxwell turned around to see Saph running to her. “Afternoon Saph, are you done with your classes?”

“You know you don’t have to be so formal.” Replied Saph annoyed by Maxwell’s tone.

“Be that as it may…”

Saph put her finger on Maxwell’s lips. “Shut it you. In any case you haven’t been home in a while what gives?”

“Work. I’ve been updating our reading regiments for the new batch of children.”

“Which ones?”

“All of them.” Answered Maxwell plainly.

“You work too much. You should at least take a few days off. Besides it’d be nice to show up to a habited apartment.”

Maxwell sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“This better not be one of those cases where you say you’ll do it then ask for more work.”

“Hey Saph hurry up the next class is about to start!” Yelled one of the students.

“Ah right! Well then I’ll see you later. I’ll have dinner ready.”

“Much appreciated.”

“Ugh you never change.”

“Hmph.” Maxwell grunted as she left the Academy grounds.

Maxwell hoped King Astopheles would be in the palace, and not in one of his walks around the city. Lately though he has been doing that much more often. Maxwell opted to take the king’s favorite walking route to ensure that she did not waste any time going to the castle. As she made her way to the edge of the city overlooking the mountain ranges she came across the boy that accompanied her on her journey sitting on the rail.

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Asked Maxwell as she approached him.

The boy simply looked down at the precipice. “I’m still alive.”

“Is that how you measure safety?” Asked Maxwell.

The boy looked up to the sky, and pondered about how to answer her question. “Isn’t that how we all measure safety?”

“There is some truth in that.”

The boy looked at her and smiled. “Truly. That’s quite the stack of papers you’re carrying.”

“Yes well I have places to be.”

“King Astopheles will be here soon. By now I imagine he’s left the palace to go on his walk.”

Maxwell raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

“He passes through here a lot. We talk from time to time about books.”

“Never attributed the characteristics of a reader to your person. Anything in particular that you fancy?”

“Hmm… Nothing that you’ve probably ever read… Or probably even heard of.”

“Obscure authors then?”

“Something like that. And you? Any authors that you particularly enjoy?”

“Amunostrov, Alpyek, Muyal, Olkenhaar’s good too.”

“Great thinkers of the Silver Age when Spyre ruled the world for little over twelve hundred years.”

“For some of us we still regard it as the Golden Age.”

“And I suppose that you would see it restored?” Asked the boy.

“No. Only an imbecile thinks like that. The past can never be restored, that’s why it’s the past.” Maxwell rested herself against the guardrail. “What I seek is to make my own empire. One that would crush that bygone travesty of the Silver Age. The empire that started with King Auzem, and ended when Victor Hugo led his rebellion should lay dead and buried in the pages of history. What I want is to make the world in an image that I see fit.”

“And what about those that would seek to forego your empire?”

Maxwell grinned. “They won’t have a choice.”

The boy examined her composure. She was certain. More than that. Here was someone whose morality was cultivated from a young age to encompass all qualities befitting, not just a ruler, but a King of Spyre. She would be the instrument upon which that new empire would rise as she laid waste to those that would seek to oppose her. She was someone who looked straight ahead, and let the past remain where it should be.

“And how many are you willing to sacrifice to see your dreams fulfilled?” Asked the boy.

“Life has no intrinsic value. Not even my own. Nothing would be lost. Those that would claim that life has value speak of it in superficial, and base terms. Their life has value because they live, but such thinking is erroneous. It leads to decadence, and moral decay. Even if I’am gone other would take my place. The only thing that is certain in life is its uncertainty.”

“So my life has no value?” He asked.

She looked at him. “No. If I were to value your life to King Astopheles’ life then we would see that neither of you are worth anything.”

The boy smiled. “Well then I suppose that King Astopheles, and I do share more in common than I thought.”

“Truly.”

After a moment King Astopheles joined the pair, but Maxwell left after she handed him the papers. She made her way back to her apartment to be greeted by the scent of Saph’s cooking.

“Ah hey you’re back! They dropped off some meat and potatoes this time. I’m finishing up the sauces now. Care to give me a hand?”

“Sure.”