In the dining hall, Livira asks about house readers and learns they summarize and translate texts for noble families, reinforcing the king’s authority through the library’s “truth.” Master Jost watches disapprovingly from afar. Arpix outlines the empire’s fragmentation and King Oanold’s claim to the library, while Jella pushes everyone back to class. Livira pockets bread, flashes to memories of the sabber attack, then hurries after her friends.

Livira collides with a girl carrying books—Serra Leetar—who mocks the idea that Livira will be a librarian and reveals her own direct access via Lord Algar. Livira notices an author’s name, Davris Yute, and later recalls seeing “Yute” scratched high on the rock near Yute’s house, wondering at the connection.

Over days, Livira devours reading and writing, helped by Carlotte and Arpix, while Meelan criticizes her quill work and Jella urges rest. Discussions reveal languages shift over centuries, unsettling Livira. When she questions the king’s age and the history of books, Meelan shuts her down. That night, Jella warns that speaking carelessly about the king brings trouble. Livira writes late into the night, dozing over boxed words and ideas.

In class, Master Logaris prowls among older trainees. Lord Algar arrives, speaks privately with Logaris, and departs. Logaris tests Livira’s “brevity,” then hands Arpix a slip demanding a specific book within two days, warning that failure means one trainee will be expelled. The group panics. Livira learns Algar’s gold disc marks him as the king’s mouth, recalls Serra wearing the same, and proposes a naive search plan—only to be told she has seen only the trainee library. The true library’s size is vast, effectively unknown, heightening the task’s peril.