Armin's eyes widened as he couldn't understand why the pocketwatch would just react like that....

He had carried the pocketwatch for years, aware of its strange connection to Vale, but it had never responded to anything like this.

Arthur noticed the reaction… He was still weak, but he was curious since he knew that the item wasn't a mystical artifact. He had it checked with various appraisers, and they all the same conclusion: this necklace was almost indestructible, but aside from it being so hard, it had no other functions.

Seeing Armin's eyes filled with question, the man immediately spoke…

"It… belonged to my family for generations. They said it was tied to something ancient. I never understood it. But perhaps… it was meant for you."

The client looked between them, bewildered but grateful. "If it helps you, then it's right. You saved his life. You deserve it."

Armin closed his hand around the necklace, feeling the resonance hum against the pocketwatch hidden in his coat. He didn't yet understand the meaning, but he knew this was no ordinary trinket.

"Thank you," he said quietly... "I'll keep it safe."

He had no clue why it was reacting, but he could find it out later on.

Arthur finally slumped on his bed as exhaustion started overtaking him, but his smile was still there... The client remained at his side, relieved that his friend was finally alright.

Just like that, Armin glanced once more at the necklace, then at the pocketwatch. The two artifacts pulsed faintly in harmony before he felt satisfied and kept them in his pocket.

***

In the meantime, while Armin was locked in battle with Envy and nearly lost his life if not for Lotus's intervention, Vale was occupied with matters of a different kind.

Faith had insisted that he involve himself directly in the development of the Marshall Academy, and Vale agreed.

The Academy was no longer just for a few students, it was becoming the foundation for the continent's future.

For now, he chose not to create another Avatar. Doing so would weaken him for several days, and with threats like the Void Immortals and the Chaos Immortals lurking, he could not afford such vulnerability. Instead, he focused his full attention on the Academy's growth as he sent the Dragons to the Chaos Immortal's base as Messengers.

"Urgh… This is a lot more work than I thought…" Vale mused as he realized just how much they were lacking.

At present, the Academy was prepared to teach only four major paths: Dark Arts, Mystic Arts, Psychic Arts, and Elemental Arts.

Then, Professors had already been recruited for Summoning Arts, Combat Arts, Rune Arts, and Holy Arts.

Yet several disciplines remained glaringly incomplete.

Knight Arts, Transformation Arts, Alchemy Arts, and Beast Arts still lacked qualified instructors. Vale knew that one professor per path would never be enough. Each discipline was vast, with countless branches requiring specialized expertise.

The Dark Arts alone demanded at least twelve professors. Ritual Techniques, Dark Alchemy, Spellcasting, Necromancy, Corruption, and the Malefic Branch were only a few of the divisions… They were also separated from the elementary level to the intermediate and to the advanced level…

Each was a world of knowledge unto itself, and each required a master to guide students safely through its dangers.

Common subjects like Elementary to Advanced Spirit Law, Fundamentals of Magic Zones, Magic Language, Arcane History, Rudimentary Usage of Mystical Artifacts, and many other common classes could be taught by competent mages with broad knowledge.

But advanced studies demanded experts. Vale understood this better than anyone. Without proper guidance, students might stumble into corruption or misuse, turning their gifts into curses.

Because of this, Vale considered using his Extraction power.

With it, he could transfer his own knowledge to others, shaping them into capable teachers. It was a dangerous shortcut, but perhaps necessary until the Academy could attract enough true masters. Still, he preferred to recruit naturally gifted professors whenever possible.

For now, his priority was infrastructure. He walked the grounds of Clovis City, where construction crews and spell‑engineers worked tirelessly.

Obviously, each Arcane Path required its own teaching ground, tailored to its discipline.

The new Dark Arts wing was being built with larger training halls, with stronger suppression runes to contain rituals and necromantic practices.

The Mystic Arts halls would sometimes be tested with high-level illusions since it would be designed to test perception and clarity.

The Psychic Arts wing was now being shielded with mind‑barriers made by the Dragons themselves, ensuring that stray thoughts would not overwhelm students.

Elemental Arts required vast training fields, with controlled zones for fire, water, earth, and wind.

But the unfinished wings weighed heavily on Vale's mind.

Knight Arts demanded arenas and sparring halls, Transformation Arts required chambers with stabilizing runes to prevent accidents, Alchemy Arts needed larger laboratories stocked with supplies of rare herbs and metals, and Beast Arts required a ritual ground where a Beast God Totem must be built.

Vale stood at the center of the Academy's grounds, watching as workers built the foundations of the newer buildings...

Soon, Faith approached as she seemed to have come from the library…

"You see now why you must be here," she said. "This Academy will not become the center of the continent with just your vision alone... It needs your hand to shape it."

Vale nodded. "I know. The continent is sending its heirs, its prodigies, and its future to us. If we fail to prepare… I can't even imagine."

Faith smiled, satisfied that Vale was indeed taking this matter seriously.

The Marshall Academy was still incomplete, but Vale knew that every stone laid, every rune carved, brought them closer to the ideal Arcane Academy they had envisioned before…

Then, as Vale was thinking of going to his next appointment, which was interviewing the Professors applying to teach Rune Arts, he suddenly got a message from Lotus and was informed about the presence of one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

'Envy… Interesting… Denise would surely want to capture that guy…' Vale thought as he recalled that Sloth's soul was in Denise's possession.

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