548 First, Change the Children

Aron nodded. “It’s exactly what you think,” he said. “The awakening phenomenon isn’t over, and when people reach the early stages of puberty, the clock will start ticking down to their eventual awakenings as well. Thankfully, though, the process will be much smoother as it won’t be as... abrupt as the first awakening was.

“So, to prevent the orphans who are soon to awaken, the House of Hope plan was brought forward and made the main thrust of the Coeus Foundation’s activities. We will guide the newly awakened through their growth phase and seamlessly shift them into ‘hero academies’ as they reach the age of awakening. That serves a dual purpose—first, it’ll prevent them from their desperation driving them to a life of crime, and second, it’ll guide them into working for the empire instead of becoming part of private forces in the hands of noncitizens.