Problems, problems, problems…
As the first weeks passed after the exodus of the army from Ravenheart, things steadily went from bad to worse.
Noble had expected the decline, but not so quickly.
The members of the Great Clans and their vassals were not only phenomenal warriors, but many of them had pivotal roles in the infrastructure of humanity. Lady Eunbin's thralls often helped haul materials for major construction projects, and Lady Hel predicted the weather so that farmers could plan their crops without worry that they would be caught unaware. The princesses and their followers were also the ones who monitored the front gate, weighed in on major decisions, and were a general deterrent to anyone considering a life of crime.
The royals weren't the only ones contributing to society either. The Legacy Clans were not wealthy simply because they had powers. Most of them had small or large businesses that were run in part by the Awakened who followed them. After the Sovereigns' call to join their cause, those businesses had to be altered, scaled back, or abandoned.
Shops that were once thriving enterprises were emptied overnight as resources were gathered for war.
It wasn't just Ravenheart or Bastion that was affected either. The waking world was feeling it even more keenly. With so many resources being diverted to the gateways, shortages and rationing began almost immediately. The government had to impose limits on the purchase of high-demand goods, and although Noble hadn't delved into it, she was sure that a black market for items such as these had formed almost overnight.
Things were a mess, and the real fighting hadn't even begun. As far as Noble could tell, both sides were still slashing their way through the Death Zone known as Godgrave. Information was incredibly scarce.
The bulk of the warriors were mired in a place that could not be escaped. Only the Saints could return to the waking world after making a tether, but even that was a risk. If they left, even for a moment, the people they were leading could be destroyed by hideous Nightmare Creatures or the never-ending red jungle that was said to return as soon as it was cleared. So any trips by Transcendents between the worlds were few and brief.
Until one or both sides claimed a citadel in the death zone to set up camp, that is how it would remain. Even then, there was no guarantee that a reprieve would be given to the weary combatants.
Noble's mind drifted to one fighter in particular. While she couldn't feel her connection to Rain just now, Child of Promise checked it first thing when she got back to the Dream Realm every night.
If her emotions were any indication, the girl was in a constant state of battle with little rest. Rain's troubled, tumultuous feelings kept Noble up at night, so much so that Fort had suggested that she sleep in the Provost's quarters when she couldn't take it any longer.
Thankfully, Saints did not need much sleep, and her mental strain received a small reprieve when she was at the Academy. That wasn't to say that people in the waking world weren't emotional. Far from it!
With the rising tension in the street, Noble fully expected a riot for food or other supplies to break out any day now. However, those people did not have a deep connection to the floating Saint, and she could mostly block out their influence over her.
She had enough internal stress without worrying about the general populace. The Academy was suffering as well, albeit to a lesser degree. So far, the foodstuffs had been delivered on time and in the appropriate quantity, but Noble knew that if people discovered what was in the shipment, not even an armored PTV would be able to get through the streets unharmed.
The Provost would simply have to hope their luck would hold. The students themselves were anxious as well. The total number in attendance had increased considerably since Noble had taken over the Awakened Academy.
While Noble would have liked to have taken credit for the sudden population boom, she knew that there was a much simpler explanation. The bulk of the overage of Dreamers at the Academy was almost entirely legacies. Their parents had come to the same conclusion as Queen Ki Song.
The Academy was the safest place for them to be while their clan was away. Their training, while not as rigorous as what their clans would offer, was still better than sitting idle and waiting for news of the war.
Noble wasn't sure whether she should feel offended that the clans viewed her as a glorified babysitter or if she should be grateful that they trusted her with their most precious asset–their future. She settled for somewhere in between.
If they wanted to cause war while sending their children to safety, then Noble would make sure those teens had positive interactions with those from the opposite side.
It would be very hard even for Sovereigns to perpetuate a war long-term if their up-and-coming warriors wanted to be friends instead of fight.
So that was Noble's goal…well, one of them, at least.
She had too many to count right now.
Signing papers until her vision was blurry was a daily occurrence. She was already rationing her most precious supplies, and the requests from the research arm of the Academy had to be examined more carefully. It was an arduous process to determine what was and was not essential to the functioning of such a large institution, but Noble did her best.
Only twice did she call the former provost for help. Once was to find a piece of information which Miss Mabel had not included in her manual.
The other was to ask about what the strange red button under the desk was for.
"Emergencies…" Alden had refused to elaborate. "When you need it, you'll know."
Mostly, Noble tried to figure out things herself. She had muddled through, though her time in the classroom had all but disappeared.
In the past three weeks, she had managed one seminar, and it had lasted so long due to student questions that she had missed dinner with her family.
That just wouldn't do.
Staring at yet another pile of papers just now, Noble wondered if she had had lunch. She shook her head.
The provost touched the intercom.
"Const…I…."
A young man with the scent of jasmine around him entered with a tray of food.
"Need some lunch?"
Noble nodded. "You read my mind."
"I do my best, ma'am." Const smiled at the compliment.
"You do more than I could ever ask." Noble nodded, taking the tray and almost inhaling the first bite of food. Paperwork and worry really had caused her to work up an appetite.
She swallowed. "But since I am asking, did you get a hold of someone from government headquarters about the transfer requests?"
"I did," Const nodded. "That was the real reason I came in here. I set up a call for you in five minutes."
"I'll eat quickly then. Who is the call with?" Noble shoveled the next bite of her sandwich into her mouth.
"I didn't get a name, just that we would be contacted." Const pursed his lips.
"I'll get their name when they call me, don't worry." Noble waved off his concern.
As it was an administrative question, it likely wouldn't be anyone high up in the government anyway.
Noble finished her meal, and soon enough the call came through as expected. But when Noble turned on her screen, she was in for a surprise.