The Weight of the Siege

Journal Entry: March 30, 2026 Location: Ironheart Mood/Title: The Weight of the Siege

Today was a difficult but necessary lesson in the grim realities of our history. I led the class on "The Great Siege," moving past the battlefield maneuvers and into the brutal mathematics of starvation and the agonizing decisions faced by an Administrator when the granaries run low. It is one thing to study strategy, but quite another to confront the moral weight of the "Useless Mouths" and the cold calculations of survival. The students seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation; watching their reaction reminded me that these lessons are not just about history—they are about the heavy burden of leadership.

Outside of the classroom, I’ve been maintaining our new library space and refining the Academy’s file organization. I’ve ensured the "Kati's ACADEMY FILES" system is fully integrated and accessible to our group, providing a centralized hub for our records. It’s comforting to see the structure of the Academy becoming more permanent and organized, even as the topics we cover remain sobering.

I am looking forward to our continued studies on naval strategies and the War of the Thassa, but for tonight, I am ready for the quiet.

To Do:

• Grade the submitted Rationing Decree assignments from today's class.

• Continue to monitor the library file access to ensure students have what they need for the next series.

• Prepare for the naval strategy lecture scheduled for next week.

• Check on the begonias; the current humidity has been good for them.