Kilmainham Prison was located in the Marne District, separated from Val-de-Vas by two other districts.

  The carriage moved at a leisurely pace. Charlot dozed lightly along the way until the driver’s cautious voice woke him. “Sir, we’ve arrived at Kilmainham Prison.”

  Charlot stepped down from the carriage with a polite smile, bid the driver farewell, and hurried toward Kilmainham Prison. Handing his letter of introdu to the guard, he smiled and said, “This is aificatioer issued by the tral Gover Office. I am Charlot Meburg, an official employee here to assist with some tasks.”

  The prison guard carefully examihe letter before returning it with a respectful expression. “Mr. Meburg, proceed straight to the First Office Building and inquire with Receptionist Mrs. Pascal. She will take you to see Miss Menielman.”

  Charlot’s smile froze slightly as he asked, “I’m here to assist Miss Menielman? That Miss?”

  The guard’s face lit with pride. “Ihe Empire’s First Rose, Miss Menielman.”

  Charlot refrained from asking further questions, hurrying into Kilmainham Prison. He quickly located the First Office Building and, under Mrs. Pascal’s guidance, entered a private office where he entered the legendary Empire’s First Rose.

  Miss Menielman was a legend in the Fars Empire.

  Her unparalleled beauty was not the reason she had bee the most outstanding female figure in the empire. She was one of the rare high-level transdents, her mastery of bat energy profound and unparalleled.

  Dressed in an imperial military uniform, she was like a blooming rose. Her soft yet intense gaze radiated anger, and the bat energy emanating from her body was so trated it seemed ready to ignite.

  Several clerks in the room were visibly trembling. Papers were scattered across the floor, adding a touch of disorder to the office.

  Charlot barely spared a g the renowned beauty before nodding briefly to his colleagues and diving into work. He began gathering the scattered dots.

  Having lived through the era of i celebrities in his past life, Charlot, despite Miss Menielman’s breathtakiy, was hardly shaken. His experience as a twice-lived man and a seasoned First-Css Civil Servant from the tral Gover had steeled his resolve.

  On his way here, he had taken the opportunity to read the letter. Besides identifying him, it briefly described his task: assisting the prison’s warden offi anizing case files.

  Everyone knows that the best way to defuse an awkward office atmosphere is to appear busy—or to actually be busy.

  Though Charlot’s uy major had been mathematics education, and he had only dabbled in statistics, archival studies, and library sce, his efficy stood out in this archaic empire. He busied himself quickly, anizing all the dots scattered across the floor and desk.

  Miss Menielman, suppressing her anger, coldly observed this posed clerk.

  When Charlot finally pleted his work, she asked, “I o know what happened on March 18th.”

  Charlot responded calmly, “There are twe dots reted to March 18th, spanning four years. Do you require all of them, Miss Menielman, or dots from a specific year?”

  “The thirty-first year of the Lady of the Bck Moon Epoch.”

  “There are twenty-one dots in total.”

  “Retrieve all of them.”

  Charlot’s expression remained impassive, but internally, he felt a twinge of dread. He had noticed something he shouldn’t have while s the files.

  He handed over the twenty-one dots. Miss Menielman snatched them, her hand igniting with bright fmes of bat energy.

  In an instant, the dots were reduced to ashes. Brushing her hands together, she ordered, “N me all the files reted to the Night Window I.”

  Without a word, Charlot located the seven relevant dots and hahem over.

  Miss Menielman sed the room, addressing the other clerks. “You may leave now.”

  The clerks, as if granted a reprieve, shot grateful looks at Charlot before filing out of the room.

  Miss Menielman turo Charlot and said, “Sort through all the files in this office. I need every dot reted to Zimourman Axel Robin.”

  Gng at the room’s massive filing ets, Charlot replied evenly, “Uood.”

  Meanwhile, he couldn’t help but think, “The volume of dots here is surprisingly low.” As a high sath teacher in his previous life, a single semester’s test papers would have outnumbered the files in this entire room.

  Miss Menielman tio issue ands.

  Charlot executed each task fwlessly. Before long, the entire office’s files had been reanized, and Charlot had iently gleaned numerous secrets he probably wasn’t supposed to know. For instance…

  Fet it. Best not to eain such thoughts in front of Miss Menielman.

  They would be too... i.

  After destroying dozens of dots, Miss Menielman gnced out the window at the setting sun and asked, “Which departme you?”

  Charlot answered with calm posure, “The tral Gover Office.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Charlot Meburg.”

  “Whistitution did you graduate from?”

  Charlot lifted his head, his tone cool yet brimming with i pride. “Sheffield Uy.”

  Miss Menielman finally showed a hint of surprise. “Sheffield Uy?”

  “Yes,” Charlot replied suctly.

  The woman known as the Empire’s First Rose smiled for the first time since Charlot had ehe office. “I’m your senior.”

  Charlot returned her smile. “Sheffield Uy, Bck Moon Epoch, Year 33 graduate Charlot greets his senior.”

  Education in the empire was divided into six tiers: elementary education, sedary education, higher education, public academies, national institutes, and imperial uies.

  pleting higher education was already a signifit achievement. For a child from a poor family, pleting higher edueant asding the social dder.

  Public academies, funded by nobles, produced graduates distinct from oners.

  National institutes were famously known for serving the royal family, produg elite talents fover positions, with saries and bes unimagio most.

  Imperial uies, however, were on a pletely different level.

  As the sayi: national institutes served the empire and its royals, while imperial uies served the gods. Each imperial uy represehe favor of a divine power, and its graduates held unparalleled prestige.

  This was why Charlot had secured a position in the tral Gover Office, enjoyed a handsome imperial sary, and received annual leave privileges.

  He was a graduate of Sheffield Uy.

  One of the four imperial uies in the Fars Empire.

  Miss Menielman nodded, smiling as she extended her right hand downward.

  Charlot gently lifted her hand with both of his and lightly touched her delicate fiips with his forehead.

  This gesture was a signifit ritual in the empire, symbolizing the establishment of a pure friendship between a man and a woman.