From a certain perspective, Anton had no responsibility to interfere with the conflict between Tenouna and Shreen. Indeed, it could have been said it was none of his business and he should stay out of things. If it was simply a war between factions that he didnt fully understand, joining either side would not be right.
But it also had to be considered that Anton had the ability to affect more than just battles. Resolving the conflict in a way that was beneficial to all parties would be best. As for how to accomplish that well, that was where things got tricky.
He could of course declare to Tenouna that they had to stop their raids. He could enforce that, unless they were willing to engage in all-out war. Perhaps even if they were, since he would be around Shrenn and they would have to defend themselves. But leading to an escalation was just the sa as joining his preferred side.
If he did manage to get Tenouna to back down, then what? People there would lose a source of food, as well as materials they desperately needed. Though there were details Anton still needed to work through. Because the fruit hed seen Aleksandra consuming was clearly sothing special to them. That also ant it was not commonly available to the people as a whole. Fancy furniture also didnt support the welfare of the common man. He needed to know exactly what was being stolen. But where could he get such information?
Oh right. He knew the planetary coordinator, and things had beco so regular that they calculated productivity with raids as a factor. It took a few days for Anton to think through everything he needed and wanted to do, then he arranged for another eting with Docia. Her schedule should be fairly busy, but she quickly found ti for him.
What do you need? she asked imdiately as he entered her office.
Who says I need anything? Perhaps I am just here to chat.
No, she shook her head. You are not. You would have found after work.
Is there an after work for you? Anton asked. You seem busy. He could already sense a line of assistants building up at a distance, not hovering outside the door so they didnt bother him. But yes. I do need sothing. Yearly reports on the goods stolen by raids, if possible. Also casualties.
Alright, Docia said. Well have that for you this afternoon.
Dont you want to know what I want it for? Anton asked.
Im hoping youre working to our benefit, she said, And if you were not, I dont see why you couldnt get that information elsewhere. But if you are, making things easy for you is best. And for .
Good idea. Wanna know a trick?
What sort of trick? Docia asked.
So thods to cultivate while doing paperwork, which would ultimately improve your efficiency. And a technique to read much more quickly.
How quickly?
I could read everything in this room in ten minutes, Anton said.
I dont believe you, Docia said clearly. There were hundreds or thousands of compendiums and ledgers, as well as drawers and cabinets full of loose papers.
Wanna make a bet? Anton leaned his elbow on the desk. If I win you have to spend an hour every day not swamped in paperwork, letting tasks build up as you practice these techniques to ultimately pull ahead. Itll be good for you.
And if I win? Docia narrowed her eyes.
Ill destroy the next weeks worth of incoming raider ships, Anton said. Either way, Ill be out of your hair in ten minutes.
How will I know you actually read it all?
Im sure youre familiar with everything here, Anton said. You can quiz on any of it, to your satisfaction.
... Fine. Might as well get started, then.
Books flew off the shelves just as quickly as Anton tore through them- and then they returned to their positions after flipping through them. He could theoretically read with his energy alone, but using his eyes made things faster, even if pages only flashed before his eyes.
For the loose papers, Anton made sure Docia could see that they all ended up in the sa order and position, just as they had been. He wasnt planning to make a ss of the organizational system.
Anton was hit with a whole ss of information, mostly covering the last few decades but so things spanning centuries. Clearly, this was not the whole of Shrenns records, rely key overviews of certain cities and information. Though Anton did find that much of it could have been condensed into less space, which would also make it easier to look through. It wasnt a problem with Docias organization per se, rather how it was built on earlier decisions of people just making things work before her. As far as things went, Shrenn wasnt the worst ss of bureaucracy they could have been, but the requirents that they monitor everything carefully to maintain their tenuous level of prosperity.
Done, Anton said- though that should have been clear to Docia as he slid closed the last drawer. Questions?
Who was the thirteenth planetary coordinator?
It took Anton about a second to retrieve the answer to that. He hadnt co across a list with that information, but he was able to put it together from context. Ottar.
Which moon produced the third highest yields of food twelve years ago?
By what tric? Anton asked.
Weight.
Togar. The third moon.
Which sect last won the biannual competition of strength?
Anton shrugged, Dont know. That wasnt in there.
Of course it was not. Docia frowned. I must have left that in the pile I brought ho.
Im also declaring you cant bring things ho. You have to use that ti for training.
I suppose I cant back down now, Docia sighed.
Co on, Anton said. Cultivation is fun! And if you dont like doing this, then thats more incentive to get quick at it. And train others to handle more of this for you.
I just dont have the ti, she sighed.
Youll never have the ti unless you make it. People can function without reports for a few weeks or months. They might even be glad, Anton said. Lets get you started on the Ten Thousand Scrolls. Also, I can personalize the training for you if you show your cultivation thod, but I can understand if you are hesitant to provide it.
She shook her head, Not really. My thod is basic and publicly available. She pulled out a book labeled Convening Fundants. It is widely usable, but not optimal for martial purposes.
Anton quickly looked through it. Ooh, farming techniques. I see a lot of flaws though, Anton handed it back. The good news is Id bet you reach Life Transformation in a couple decades if you get on the right track. I have to say, he said, looking at her hands, wrinkled skin plastered around bone. Its great for the joints.
I find it hard to believe you had joint trouble before you reached Life Transformation, if youve truly surpassed it.
Anton grinned. I had joint trouble even before I touched Body Tempering. I look a bit younger now. With prominent wrinkles and gray hair, that statent ant quite a bit. Make sure to get those docunts, Im still missing so relevant details not in all this, he gestured around him. And make sure to be ready for training.
-----
The area of most concern to Anton had been casualties. Fortunately, it seed that Shrenn had developed ways to minimize their own losses, maximizing their defense. The information on Tenounas losses was less clear, though it seed they generally avoided the areas they knew would be well defended. Shrenn planted in seemingly random places on their various moons, but they would not defend all of it. For example, they had entire forests that were mostly undefended, with raiders landing and chopping down what they could before being chased off. Even so, Anton didnt feel comfortable accepting any deaths on a continuous basis. Clearly it was sustainable over the long term, but it would obviously inhibit growth and the quality of everyones lives.
Anton approximated the number of individuals placed similarly to Aleksandra in Rolis and compared the results to the fruit and wood and other things stolen. Pretty quickly it beca clear that it was more than a relatively small population of elite could manage to use, so at least he confird that the general populace had to be benefitting from the raids. The food specifically could make up a significant portion of what Tenouna consud- though it was likely the staple foods such as drought resistant tubers that they would get.
Rice was completely unheard of, which made sense because nowhere had much water. Shrenn had more water underground than on the surface, but it didnt co with natural sunlight. There had been efforts to bring it to the surface, which was also where the moons got much of their moisture, but for the most part they conserved what they had as much as possible.
Anton considered the possibility of redirecting icy asteroids to help with the issue. The planets were space capable, though their technology seed limited in scope in that regard. Ultimately, Anton decided he didnt know enough. Ruteras scientists would be of much help in determining what made sense.
As for various interesting plants, Anton did not have enough seeds of any sort to imdiately support populations that needed whatever they could get. It was even possible that people would prefer to eat the seeds instead of planting them, if they were desperate enough. And making any significant growth on Shrenn and its moons would be difficult enough. He could get the process started for them, but ultimately that ant more work for so ti. Tenouna would need larger changes first. Anton simply needed more than he could manage on his own, and people with other expertises. Which ant he would have to leave things as they were, likely for years.
Before that, he had hundreds of samples to take. Soil, plants, and all sorts of other things. He also needed to see other places on Tenouna, to asure their potential willingness to negotiate a peace. That would require at a minimum food, and potentially reparations and apologies that Shrenn might not be able or willing to make. Who could have predicted that centuries long conflicts werent easy to fix?
But Anton simply couldnt let worlds devastated by the upper realms remain like this. Just to spite the Trigold Cluster, he wanted them to thrive.
-----
Returning to Tenouna was awkward, because they hadnt been terribly friendly to begin with. However, Anton thought up a way around that. Because of his strength it was unlikely anyone on Tenouna would refuse to host him- but it would also make them wary. Anton wasnt fully certain that he could survive if they saw him as a threat they had to remove at all costs. So, he would co bearing gifts. That could even include seeds for various sorts of cultivation enhancing plants and dicinal herbs that would improve cultivation- with the understanding that such things wouldnt significantly affect Tenounas ability to attack Shrenn for at least a decade or two. He didnt want to bolster both sides just to result in a larger war instead of the steady conflict they had now.
Though ultimately Anton wanted to try to seek out soone friendlier than Aleksandra, he decided he had to return to her first.
I snatched sothing from Shrenn as I stopped by to look at them, Anton said, producing so fresh and well preserved pear-like fruits. He tried not to pay too much attention to the relative opulence Aleksandra lived in.
Impressive, she said. I had not expected you to return.
In truth, Anton said, I stopped to speak to them as well. I have so plans sothing that might take so ti to co to fruition. I would like your assistance with it.
Making himself seem like a scher working towards his own benefit would most likely relax Aleksandra- and those she was in contact with. It was unlikely they could imagine soone interested in altruism, given the circumstances they had lived in their whole lives. And it was altruism, despite what benefits Anton might reap or personal satisfaction he could derive. He could gain much more from simply remaining on Ceretos, or simply binding their star as he pleased. Nobody could stop him.
Was he going to eventually ask for permission to do just that? Absolutely. But only after everything was settled, and he made it clear that there was no requirent or obligation. Though he had grown fond of the bright blue star on his two trips past it.
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