the Tsarist wars and the battles with the orcs for the northern enclaves as the direct cause of Mortis' victory. He held office in Solvein almost until his death twenty years ago. Darius was curious to see what the office looked like now.
The guide opened the door and quickly disappeared to the right without saying a word. Bleist did not pay any attention to this and went inside. Much had changed here. Most of the room was taken up by shelves filled with books. Busts of former rectors were scattered randomly between the shelves. To the right of the entrance, the boy who had brought them there had set up a corner for himself. He had a desk covered with papers, smaller bookcases for reference books, writing utensils scattered in disorder, and various types of ink. The scholar was already sitting in his place, oblivious to his surroundings, leafing through a volume.
The floor between the bookcases was covered with a soft, light grey carpet. One large alchemical crystal had disappeared from under the dome and was replaced by a mass of smaller crystals floating in disorder, casting a pleasant, warm light. A passageway was marked out through the middle of the room to a dark red desk, from behind which Duke Karl von Konlah was just rising with a broad smile.
‘Gizel! Darius!’ The rector spread his arms wide to welcome his guests. Despite his large frame, he quickly found himself in front of the desk, heading towards them. ‘How nice to see you!
‘We're glad to see you too, Karl.’ The elf offered him her hand, which he immediately kissed, and then shook Bleist's hand firmly. ‘Sorry for coming so late. Unfortunately, our duties prevented us from coming earlier.’
‘I've heard a thing or two.’ The duke gestured for them to come in further.
When they passed the bookshelves, they entered a separate part of the room, which served as a study. There was a desk and a comfortable, soft armchair, visible from the door. On the right and left, almost by the window, there were round
