The Reconstruction Institute's Awards Ceremony

The doors to the Reconstruction Institute's main hall opened before the morning bell. Today was a special day.

The Reconstruction Institute was holding its first awards ceremony.

Shien had made the decision himself. Before the Blood Moon Season began, he wanted to review what the Reconstruction Institute had accomplished that year and rally everyone's spirits.

The institute's hall was now hung with displays of their work from the year, including plans for the new Blackwater River bridge, the overall Water Spirit transportation map, structural diagrams of the Wallwalker, and the Twelve Defense Zones Strategic Blind Spots Map.

These drawings had all been remounted, with their completion dates and participating departments marked in the corners.

Maren checked the front-row seats one by one.

He opened the master register and checked the original positions, specific contributions, and subsequent appointments again. These details would be copied into the Reconstruction Institute's permanent merit register, so each had to be verified carefully.

Years later, as long as those pages survived, future Recorders would be able to find out what these people had done.

Maren turned to the first list of core merit recipients, his gaze settling at the top.

His name was written there.

Warmth rose in his chest. When he first arrived in Tear Knight City, he had been an ordinary clerk responsible for copying accounts. Back then, all he wanted was to keep his job and collect his monthly pay.

Now he oversaw five archive teams and three field coordination teams, while also coordinating documentation across the Twelve Defense Zones.

Most staffing arrangements, requests for records, and interdepartmental reviews involved in the institute's daily operations came to his desk first.

And Lord Shien had given him all of this.

As the attendees entered the main hall, their conversations gradually quieted.

Maren closed the