NOVPUBIn the basement of Herram Prison, several trainee guards were slowly walking along a dimly lit corridor that led to the warden’s office.
After leaving the teleportation hall, they crossed a suspension bridge, below which they could see the prison cells and the watchful guards.
From time to time, other guards wearing similar uniforms would pass them in the opposite direction. These guards seemed more serious, walking quickly with focused and tired eyes. They might nod in acknowledgment as they passed by the trainees, but quickly return to their tasks.
Among them were guards who wore worried and stressed expressions, seemingly busy with some thorny problem.
After crossing several suspension bridges, Hyperion and the Great Love Poet returned to an indoor space. There were tall bookshelves on both sides, made of dark oak, filled with hefty legal books and historical documents.
The guards who processed administrative work in the office seemed quite relaxed. They didn’t seem to carry any burden and always had a smile on their face. They were completely detached from the seriousness and heaviness of the prison. Some even humming little tunes, or lightly flipping through a book occasionally, fully immersed in their own world, much more at ease than the guards on the basic layer.
More than that, some were chatting leisurely by the office wall, their voices absorbed by the hallway’s walls, leaving a slight echo.
"..."
Without paying much attention to the first-floor guards, Hyperion swiftly led the others past them.
From observing the working guards, Hyperion noticed the variety and complexity of the role and status of the negatives first floor’s guards.
Some jobs simply required hands, while others demanded a do-or-die attitude.
Task assignment and distribution were the responsibilities of the warden.
As they approached the warden’s office, they noticed that there were fewer and fewer guards around.
It seemed that the other negative first floor’s guards had already received today’s job assignments for the morning shift.
The arrival time of these trainee guards was a slightly late compared to the regular guards’ shifts.
The double doors of the warden’s office were open. On one side was a brass nameplate, engraved with the room’s name and the negative first floor’s warden’s working hours.
Hyperion reached the entrance to the Warden’s office, paused slightly to make sure there were no restrictions, and then led the Great Love Poet through the wide-open brown heavy wooden doors.
The interior of the spacious warden’s office was as meticulously decorated as the main hall. In the center of the hall stood an old-world globe, its continental outlines already blurred with age.
Next to it was a row of wooden bookshelves, and document folders were piled on the tabletop. The glittering dark golden decorations on the fresh folder covers gleamed feebly under the dim light. The lengthy corridor between the bookshelves was paved with polished stone slabs, where one could vaguely see complex geometric patterns.
As Hyperion led the Great Love Poet deeper into the hall by the arm, the chorus of their footsteps echoed in the silence, intertwining with the occasional rustling of flipping pages and the hum of the operation of magical devices.
After circumventing the world globe, at the inmost part of the hall, there was a large, long table formed by connected office cabinets. It bore neatly arranged document folders and pen holders.
The warden, sitting behind the desk, was a lean middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties, his face stern.
He was engrossed in reading the documents with the negative first floor’s Central Control Magic Device, stamping each one. His name tag displayed his title - Warden Corentin.
As the trainee guards entered the office, the warden did not immediately turn his attention towards them. Instead, he slowly looked up from his reading, taking a careful look over these young newcomers through his glasses.
Then he returned to his work.
"Mr. Corentin, we are students from the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, here at Herram Prison to complete our guard internship evaluation. If possible, could you please assist us with the task assignment?"
Inside the warden’s office, Hyperion bowed slightly while addressing Mr. Warden.
Yet, the warden did not respond.
As if he had not heard them at all, his attention remained fully on his work.
Time passed second by second, with Hyperion standing there slightly confused, each second felt like an eternity.
She was unsure whether she should speak up again.
Finally, after Warden Corentin processed a few more documents and put down the papers in his hand, he turned to look at Hyperion, who was waiting like a punished student.
"Why didn’t you knock when you came in?"
Warden Corentin slowly raised his head, his voice low and powerful, expression challenging to decipher from their intense, piercing gaze.
Hyperion was taken aback.
Due to the working style of the negatives first floor, the Warden’s office where he issued tasks was more of a public area where guards frequently came in and out. She thought the door was left open for efficiency’s sake, so it had not occurred to her to knock.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Warden, we didn’t consider that."
Hyperion promptly displayed humbleness, with an apologetic tone in her voice.
Warden Corentin leaned back on his chair, took a drink from his glass, and glanced nonchalantly at Hyperion.
"Here, rules are the most important thing. If you all can’t even understand the most basic courtesy of knocking, how are you supposed to abide by systematic rules?"
His words were like a reprimand from an elder. He not only pointed out their mistake but did so with an air of authority that left no room for objection.
Hyperion did not argue but just nodded.
She had a determined and calm look in her eyes.
In this situation, the wisest choice was to be appropriately humble and respectful.
"Mr. Warden Corentin, thank you for your words. We will remember this lesson and strictly abide by the rules."
Her speech held no complaints or dissatisfaction, only sincere apologies and commitment to the job.
"..."
The warden showed little reaction to her words.
He took a folder from a distance, opened it, and took out several documents stamped with the Imperial Seal. He scanned them one by one with the Central Magic Device in front of him, then muttered, "Go and get these done."
With the warden’s operation, the black armbands of the trainee guards led by Hyperion started to glow a deep red, displaying newly assigned tasks.
They all looked down at their armbands. Above the band appeared detailed task descriptions and specific requirements for execution.
