Master Ian sped through the hallways of the examination center, making his way to the grand masters office. He was walking as fast as his old legs could carry him, he simply did not dare to let the others invigilators see this exam. The score this girl would get on the exam was simply too frightening.

The academy was not as simple of a place as it appeared to be at a first glance. With strategists having such a big influence in the empire, there were many nobles, guilds and other parties who would try to draw promising, faction-less recruits to their side and in this way tried to increase their power and influence in the empire. Due to this, there were a myriad of factions within the academy vying against each other, doing everything they could to suppress geniuses of other factions or trying to draw in more geniuses of their own.

If word of this exam got out, far too many factions would do everything in their power to get their hands on this little girl. Even kidnapping would not be too far fetched. Luckily for Jasmine, master Ian had no interest in the power struggles between all the different factions. For one he was too old and besides that, everything he did was for the empire. He did not understand why there should be infighting. In his eyes, if everyone just gave their fullest for the glory of the empire, the empire would be a far better place.

He did not know just how many casualties the infighting had caused thus far but he know that it was no small number. If all those casualties had been able to live up to their potential, the empire surely would have conquered every corner of the continent by now. At least that is what master Ian believed to be true.

Arriving at the grand master's quarters, Ian straightened his robes and gathered himself before lightly knocking on the door.

A few seconds passed, silence reigning through the hall until a calm voice resounded from inside. "Enter."

Master Ian pushed open the doors and quietly walked a few steps forward, his body not even showing a hint of the rushed appearance he had before. After his few initial steps inside the room, he came to a halt and waited until the grand master permitted him to walk further. He glanced around the room and noticed that, just as always, the two deaf guards in the room had their weapons slightly unsheathed, ready to strike if Ian made a single step that was not according to the rules.

While the grand master could easily have guards stationed outside of the room, he had never chose to do so, instead he had trained those who were permitted inside of his rooms to follow a stringent set of rules. One step not in accordance with those rules would end up with their life being taken.

Besides the guards, the room was filled with shelves, each of which was absolutely filled to the brim with scrolls and books on warfare. The scrolls within this room had detailed accounts from even the smallest skirmishes to the largest battles the empire had fought. Ian let out a small sigh as he remembered that only the grand master was allowed to read every scroll within this room. If a puny figure like himself wanted to read any of these scrolls he would need the grand master's permission.

Ian's gaze wandered to the middle of the room, where two leather couches sat parallel of each other, a bit of longing filling his heart as the running had tired his old legs. Yet he didn't dare to move until the grand master told him to do so. Yet another small sigh escaped his mouth and Ian looked at the grand master who was seated behind his desk.

Currently, the grand master was reading the last lines of a scroll with an extremely pensive expression on his face. After finishing the scroll, he took up a pen, wrote down a few sentences on the scroll and looked straight at Ian with hazel eyes that seemed as if they would pierce through him.

Unlike what one would expect the grand master was merely in his late thirties. His face was quite handsome even with his dissheveled hair and thinking wrinkles. A small smile suffused on his lips as he saw Ian and he called out with a voice filled with warmth. "Master Ian. What brings you to my quarters?"

"I was overlooking the exam for a seven year old earlier. You need to take a look at her answers, grand master." Ian hurriedly said.

The grand master let out a surprised "oh" and beckoned Ian to come closer, who hurriedly stepped forward and handed over the exam sheet.

Without saying another word the grand master focused on the examination sheet. After a silence that lasted more than a quarter of an hour, the grandmaster looked up and stared at Ian with a grave expression. "All of this was really written by that seven year old girl? None of this was due to your help?" He slowly asked.

"She never asked for help grandmaster. I watched her fill the exam in from start to finish. With every line she wrote I grew more and more astonished. She is only seven yet the things she wrote... I have absolutely no idea how a seven year old can possess knowledge of such high level tactics. Even if she would be lectured from the day she was born, it would be unlikely for a girl or anyone else of her age to be able to understand any of it. It is apparent that she has yet to fully understand them but this exam alone proves that she will grow up to be an absolutely monstrous strategist!"

He paused for a moment to catch his breath and then continued. "Even if we put the high level tactics aside, her other answers show a fierce and cruel decisiveness, one only rarely seen even in experienced generals or strategists. It almost seems as to her, a battle is just a game of numbers. However inhumane a tactic is, she seems to be willing to use it if it meant that her chances of winning would increase. Honestly, I can only describe this girl as an absolute monster, grandmaster."

The grandmaster nodded. "I agree. Bring this little girl to me. I wish to meet her."

"Yes grandmaster!" Ian dutifully replied before turning around and preparing to leave.

Right as he was about to open the door, the grandmasters warm voice sounded out from behind his back. "Ian, depending on how my conversation with this little girl goes, I might have to start my own faction. I hope you will not blame me for this. The situation surrounding this girl... I fear it is a lot more complicated than I would like. If my suspicions are true, she will need my full protection lest she be killed."

Ian stopped in his tracks and calmly replied. "I understand grandmaster. I will not blame you if it is to save a life." Having said what needed to be said, Ian opened the door and quickly and quietly brought Jasmine over to the grandmasters quarters. Following the same protocol as before, Ian quickly introduced Jasmine to the grandmaster before turning around, leaving the room and waiting in the hallway for further instructions.