’The star road is distant, the deep sea silent.’
This saying is an adage from the early Fourth Era, a ti when humanity left Earth and entered the vast deep space. Now, Tilan once again felt the aning of these few words.
As the Starship gradually left the Federation’s territory, everything ’quietened’ down, with the countless voices and information on the past networks disappearing; the only things audible and visible were the people and matters around them.
"Though not knowing the outside situation may cause anxiety, this kind of life feels wonderfully fulfilling," Deloris said to Tilan one day at breakfast.
The young lady of the Incense Burning Workshop did not stay in the Federation to inherit the family business but chose to leave with Tilan, entering this vast starry sky.
"Because life has beco controllable," Tilan replied.
"In the original environnt where animals live, they are familiar with every corner around them, the terrain, pathways, other nearby animals, etc. Such a familiar environnt gives them a sense of stability and safety."
"But as humanity has developed to this day, much of our perceived world has been filled and occupied by the web, and plenty of information on the web is beyond our control. It generates new things daily and features various anxiety-inducing videos and articles that compete for attention. In such an environnt, it is challenging to maintain one’s stability and comfort."
"Most people cannot escape the various influences of the social frawork. Even if you have the resources and ability to do sothing, you still have to consider others’ opinions and views." Tilan sat upright at the dining table, cutting into the pancake on her plate with a knife before passing a portion to Deloris.
"It’s like an old fable where soone gives a friend a birdcage, saying to hang it in the living room and bets that the friend will soon buy a bird."
"The friend initially doesn’t believe it, but things develop as predicted, and he has to buy a bird."
"Because explaining why there’s an empty birdcage hanging there to every guest consud his energy and ti."
"Even if he wasn’t interested in keeping birds, he had to do what aligns with the public to reduce misunderstandings and trouble; this is the price of going against the environnt."
"The comprehensive spread of information constantly changes the environnt, and the ever-changing environnt causes anxiety and a sense of loss of control." Tilan put down the knife and picked up the finished pancake, taking a gentle bite and savoring it slowly. The slight flour on the surface felt a bit rough on the tongue, but the inside of the softly baked pancake, when bitten into, brought warmth and fragrance, with the occasional sesa seed providing a delightful surprise, adding layers to the taste.
Deloris watched this young girl enjoy her food earnestly and joyfully like a child, feeling a hint of happiness and amusent herself.
It seed like Tilan beca more lively and cheerful after leaving the Federation, or perhaps everything over there was just too heavy.
After finishing breakfast, the two strolled along the corridor on the outer side of the Starship. One side of the corridor was made of large transparent tal-glass through which the space outside the Starship was visible, while the other side was adorned with garden-like various plants and flowers. Faint phosphorescence shed down from above the plant boxes, providing energy for the plants’ growth.
"Was traveling to the Sigma chanical Council always part of Tilan’s plan?" Deloris inquired.
"Yes, I have always wanted to visit, but there was always a lot going on in the Southern Star Region, and because of my position, it was difficult to leave casually." She thought, realizing that the Sigma chanical Council was much larger than the Holy White lody and not sothing that a one or two-month visit could cover and understand.
"Before departing this ti, I instructed them on everything, so even if I am away for long, they can handle things according to the new managent frawork."
"As for Prin, I had an agreent with her that the Southern Star Region could accept the promotion of her policy ideas, but the military structure and industrial system could not undergo changes in the short term."
"Did Prin agree?" Deloris felt Tilan’s conditions were sowhat harsh, considering the Central Star Domain’s usual style of wanting everything.
"She agreed." Tilan leaned against the railing, staring out into the vast Star River while answering.
"Because if I didn’t yield and kept blocking, she would almost never unify the Federation, and the end may be that we would confront each other for nearly a century until we both grew old and passed away."
"That outco is not good for either of us, so I took a step back, allowing her to realize her ideas first, and I will return 20 years later to examine the country’s situation then."
"If everything progresses well as she claims and developnt marked by fiery progress masks and compensates for social contradictions, I will retreat another 20 years." Tilan tidied her hair.
"Forty years later, I will return for the second ti. If after forty years, her thod still brings endless vitality and progress to this country, then until her passing, I will not contest her for anything within the Federation."
"If she can’t maintain stability in the first 20 years, and internal contradictions within the country can’t be resolved, I will take control of the country from her to manage and lead my way."
"The sa process will be applied if the situation deteriorates after 40 years."
"But." Deloris stood behind Tilan, pondering.
"What if by then Prin is willing to hand over power, but the people around her do not allow it? To them, it could be like taking their life away."
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