It was a system designed to keep track of living weapons.
Once registered, the individual was granted a specialized badge that allowed them to operate freely within the Empire's borders.
Unregistered awakeners were hunted down as dangerous rogues.
But there was a distinct, fascinating quirk to the Empire's magical hierarchy, a quirk that completely inverted the tropes of the ancient legends Seraphina had read in her past life.
In the old stories, Dark Magic was the domain of villains.
It was the power of necromancers, demon summoners, and tyrants.
It was loathed, feared, and purged.
In the current era of the Empire, however, Dark Magicians were the most protected, precious, and honored individuals in existence.
This dramatic shift was born out of a historical catastrophe known as the "Great Calcification."
A century ago, the Church of the Holy Light had successfully eradicated nearly all the dark mages on the continent in a zealous crusade.
