The last rays of the setting sun.
Rumble, rumble...
As the Energy Source device at the core of Sky Fortress Two powered up to full capacity, a low resonant hum rose from the metal platform beneath their feet. The scholars, whose senses were especially attuned to energy, all came back to themselves.
Reilo lowered the astronomical telescope in his hands and slipped it into his spatial ring. After glancing solemnly at the darkening horizon, he looked as if sensing something and turned toward the entrance to the great hall on the first floor of Sky Fortress's High Tower.
Antonio, bearing the title Evolution's Profound Meaning, emerged from the hall with several military generals. They carried scrolls and wore grave expressions.
"Here are tonight's rotation lists: those resting, those on standby, and those deploying."
The rest list was for personnel repairing the platform of the Sky Fortress.
The standby list consisted of the guardians stationed around the Sky Fortress.
As for the deployment list, it comprised the frontline fighters facing the greatest danger.
As the spiritual leader of the Grand Royal Academician Committee, Antonio's reading of the lists was, without a doubt, a way of assigning tasks to the scholars gathered here.
"Corleon, the Dark Seal Master; Fladick, the War King; You Yan, the Nightmare Devourer; Shelly Rax, the Blood Mosquito Queen; Windsor, the Altar Communicator; Bina, the Rainbow Fish; Dewey, the Eye of the Thunder Roc; Reilo, the Sun Energy; Boraweis, the Straw Curse Master; Big, the Scale of the Terror Crocodile..."
Antonio read rapidly, his voice interweaving with that of the burly marshal from the military.
Including Antonio himself, eleven Royal Academicians would be directly taking part in frontline combat this time.
Among the many duchies of the Principality Lands, only the Xilan Duchy, besides the Grand Duchy, could