Tori Transmigrated Chapter 81: Good Job

The snowstorm took another night to pass, but, as Tori feared, the road in both directions not only had a substantial amount of snow that needed to be moved, but there were several fallen trees that had to be cleared. To even get to the said fallen trees took ti.

They didnt leave the inn for another four days. In addition, while the snowstorm had subsided, there were still more snowfalls well into reaching Horizon, making them much more cautious when traveling. When they reached the city, it was still dusted in white, but much of the snow that accumulated was now muddy patches of darkened snow piled in awkward corners of streets and beneath stalls, carriages, and wagons that had yet to be moved.

I think Ive seen enough snow for a while, Ewan said as they looked out the window when they passed into his district.

At least its only up to the soles of our shoes and not eye level outside our windows, Tori said. Ewan let out a groan. It was interesting to see at first, but their situation had grown boring quickly and for soone who was used to being out and physical, Ewan had grown anxious waiting for the snow to subside.

They dropped him off in front of his house and his mother was ho. Their knights helped Ewan carry in his bag and box of souvenirs for his family. Ewans mother had tried to invite them to eat, but it was getting late in the afternoon and Tori admitted that she just wanted to get back and sleep.

She and Sebastian reached the sa rented flat they stayed in last year and Tori went straight to take a nap in her usual room while Sebastian sent his valet to pick up dinner for everyone.

He had to wake her up to eat dinner. Afterwards, Tori promptly returned to sleep. She had three days before they were supposed to move back into the dorms. It was nearly a week less than they initially expected. She missed the Pri Ministers party, as they had still been on the road when it was happening.

Tori had made sure to give the knights escorting Piers strict instructions on what to watch for in terms of his mannerisms to be able to know when it was ti to take him away from a situation. She patiently awaited their calls at the end of the night to give her their mission report.

All-in-all, everything went well. Piers seed to have continued to make good impressions on the other guests. He was not overwheld and when he did start to appear agitated, they led him outside for a change of atmosphere to let him calm down. Gideon did his job in regulating the attention his brother received, which was what Tori worried about the most.

The knights who reported to her didnt seem to ntion any of Gideons over enthusiasm nor complain that Gideon stood too close.

Sir Gartner told her that Gideon remained at a distance of two paces the entire ti, only shortening distance to one pace when he was being addressed by his brother.

She called Piers after breakfast the day after the Pri Ministers party for his own account and he went through a list of who he spoke to, the topics, and thoughts he had on them.

The knights told that you were able to handle the attention well and only had to go outside once to calm down, Tori had told him. Was your brothers presence helpful?

He did a good job.

If Piers said Gideon did a good job, then Gideon did a good job. Not a fantastic job, but he also wasnt clingy and troubleso. Gideon wasnt as useless as Tori feared.

She supposed she could give him a proper thanks and comnd his efforts in person when they saw each other in their horoom.

But before she moved back to Lyce and attended her classes, Tori was going to take a personal field trip to the Chamber Hall. The first Joint Chamber session of the year was happening the day before she moved back and since Sebastian was going to present sothing to the chamber for review, Tori wanted to go with him.

They took a carriage to the Central District, towards a massive t-shaped building that was surrounded by other, smaller governnt buildings. Just up the road was the imperial palace. Chamber Hall consisted of three eting spaces, all in what she thought was an Ancient Greek amphitheater style.

The east and west wings were smaller, holding etings for the Noble Chamber and the Representative Common Chamber, respectively. In the center, beyond the foyer, was the largest of the three halls that would hold all the chamber mbers. Sebastian parted with her in the foyer, and she was escorted by two Guevera Knights to a zzanine viewing area.

Henrik and the others had told her that Chamber Hall was a popular place for Horizon schools to bring children, especially in the last few primary school years, when they were learning about Soleils governnt. Apparently, all her local friends had co to Chamber Hall to watch a session at least twice as children.

Its boring and you cant even bring any snacks inside. Sonia had warned her when she told them she was going. Ilyana, who had never been, wanted to co, but had so work to finish at the guild. The others did not want to go at all and rejected her invitation.

The near empty zzanine was testant to how boring it mustve been. After climbing two flights of stairs to get to the viewing area that overlooked the massive chamber below, there were only three people there: Tori and the two knights.

Im sure if school was back in session, there would be more school children coming to watch the session, Sir Alverez tried to assure her.

Tori sighed and tried to figure out where was a good seat that would allow her to have an unobstructed view of the front of the hall and where her brother and Mr. Toledo, her familys representative, were seated. She had to move around twice to get to a suitable spot.

She then pulled out a piece of paper that Sebastian had drawn her that told her who sat where. On the left side of the center aisle were the nobles and noble representatives. On the right: the elected common representatives. There was one large desk in front of each side. In front of the nobles was the Chamber Lord and on the other, Pri Minister Guthry was already standing and speaking to so colleagues.

At the front, where a speaking area would be, there was what appeared to be three sides of half a hexagonal room.

Tori squinted and looked through the glass window in front of her. The windows appeared reflective. She could easily see a tinted reflection of the chamber in front of it, but couldnt see inside.

Tori looked down at her brothers crude map. The room was where the imperial family mbers attending the eting would be seated. There were knights inside with them, along with knights stationed on either side of the windows out in the Joint Chamber, and knights in the private walkway behind the wall.

The glowing crystal beam above the reflective windows let the Joint Chamber know when the imperial family had arrived. As soon as it began to pulse violet, it ant that the Emperor, most likely, was inside.

The Chamber Lord and Pri Minister Guthry stood up and then stepped to the aisles on either side of their desk to bend their knees and bow their heads in the direction of the imperial chamber, as Sebastian called it. Tori didnt know if these were official nas or ones Sebastian made up.

My lady, the crystal in front of us is similar to the crystal in front of the imperial chamber below. It is reflective and chamber mbers cannot see who is in the viewing area, Sir Alverez told her.

Can they hear us? Tori asked. She lowered her eyes to the strip of light blue crystal all along the edge of the balcony wall. If she was right, that was the sa crystal Sebastian used to keep noises contained within.

No, my lady, the other knight told her. They cannot hear or see us so that we may not cause a distraction.

Makes sense. She was sure if the viewing area were filled with children, it would be extrely loud and bother the n and won below.

Tori leaned forward as larger blue stones fixed overhead relayed sound from the chamber, similar to how the polo match was announced in the imperial familys box at the stadium, like speakers.

After the first series of representatives and nobles spoke, Tori completely understood why none of her local friends wanted to co.

When it didnt have anything to do with sothing that concerned her, such as crystals or the delta, she was bored out of her mind. mbers of the chamber argued out minute details from various policies; even ones she thought were unnecessary. A few policies were pushed back and forth, so were relegated to being re-reviewed by both chambers.

Very few actually seed complete and when the majority of both chambers agreed, it was then presented to the imperial box.

The first ti a policy was ready for imperial review, she thought a knight would co, take the portfolio, and bring it back to give to the imperial family mber. Instead, a narrow panel opened in the main window and the docunts were handed through like a mail carrier shoving envelopes into a mail slot.

The crystal bar above the imperial chamber would then stay a solid violet as a mans voice ca from the speaker-crystals and gave so opinions of the policy. Then, he would either confirm that it would be approved as is or be further reviewed and resubmitted to the chamber at a later ti.

How long is one session? Tori asked as the fifth or sixth policy was introduced and beginning to be debated. The policies were mainly dealing with minor details of existing ones. They didnt seem very major.

Each session is a full day, my lady, but there are two intermissions, splitting it into three parts.

Tori pursed her lips. How much longer until the first intermission? She made up her mind to tell Sebastian that she had a good idea of what the chamber was like and would go ho without him. No, lets go to the guild. I may be able to get lunch with Ilyana and Henrik.

In a few more minutes, my lady. We can leave at any ti, Sir Alverez told her.

Ill wait until the intermission. Will the chamber mbers co out? I should let my brother know if Im leaving.

Yes, my lady. We will bring you back to the foyer when this third of the session concludes, the other knight told her.

My lady, Lord Sebastian is standing to speak, Sir Alverez said. Tori sat up.

Finally, sothing interesting. She scooted to the edge of her seat and peered down. Sebastian, dressed every bit like the young lord he was and with his hair combed back, had gone to stand at the podium on the nobles side of the aisle.

Sebastian de Guevera of the Guevera March, Sur, he said, giving a brief introduction, though Tori was sure everyone knew who her brother was. I am representing the marches in a request to extend naval patrol and strength in the southeast gulf and corridor, particularly around the coastal region of Osten.

Tori narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. From her own studies, mainly looking into the safety of the delta, Tori took note that there was one large fortress on the Osten coast that doubled as a naval base, but it was a minor naval base at best. The rocky coastline of the area made it both difficult to invade from the sea and difficult to build additional fortresses.

Two other naval bases were on large island-cities offshore, but there was so distance between them and the Osten naval base. There was an even larger distance between them and zzaluna, which was more a rchant port city.

We would like to send a group of Western Naval surveyors to go through the southeast coast and find a suitable location for a base. The reasons include illegal sea trade coming unchecked through the area and concerns of infiltration from the Duraga Federation over water. Our presence in the area is currently limited, Sebastian said.

Tori furrowed her brows and thought for a mont. She could think of two suitable spots; one that was closer to Ostens southern coast about two days' travel from the delta and the other on the edge of the delta itself. Both would be suitable locations.

Sebastian cited those exact locations and Tori congratulated herself on having guessed correctly.

The crystal bar above the imperial chamber lit up once more. We approve for surveyors to review these locations as they would be closer to Horizon than zzaluna and Blauheim Fortress.

Tori drew her head back. That was Piers voice. Was he accompanying his father to the chamber eting? She nodded in approval. This was a good sign.

After so back and forth between the two chambers in regard to the request, intermission was called, and Tori shot up from her seat. She stretched out her arms and twisted her waist to try to get her blood flowing after being seated for so long.

Downstairs, the four sets of double doors to the Joint Chamber were open and various n and won were already spilling out in the hall. From the grand staircase against the wall, Tori could spot her brother in the crowd below.

...as we are currently, were leaving wide gaps in water trade routes along our southeastern border, Sebastian was saying with utmost seriousness. With the Kevaliro Strait scheduled for completion, we expect to see more trade coming into the gulf. They could easily bypass our current land bases, and we dont have enough of a presence to really secure that swath of sea and shoreline.

Tori was a bit interested in this, as the delta was part of that shoreline he was talking about. She wanted to keep listening, but her brother saw her, and his earlier, business-like deanor turned into a bright smile.

Tori! There you are! How was your first Joint Chamber session? Her brother raised an arm to call her over and she made her way to him, ignoring the eyes that looked towards her when her brother shouted her na in the crowded foyer. The three older n and two older won standing with her brother looked over.

It was interesting. Since were from Presidio, this is my first ti watching any sort of chamber session, Tori said. She didnt want to tell him she was bored, and that legislation was not for her.

Sebastian extended his arm and carefully put her hand on it before turning back to the people he was speaking to and introducing her.

You are the Lyce du Soleil student who is building on the delta, one woman said with an acknowledging nod. Thats quite a task.

It is manageable for now, Tori said. Remain vague, Tori. Dont give more than necessary.

The Cosora Delta? Another man - Tori wasnt sure if he was a noble or a representative, walked towards them and seed to look her up and down before frowning. He turned towards Sebastian. Is this why the marches are pushing additional naval strength in the southeast? To protect one of their owns little projects?

Sure, why not, Tori said, lazily. After all, following the Cosora River is the fastest way to Horizon. Its a marshy area and the waters along the mouth of the river are too shallow for most military vessels, but after that, there are no hills or mountains to cross. There are no thick forests or jungles. It gradually turns into flat farmland. Would it not be a promising idea to place a fortification near the delta to monitor who cos in and out?

My lady, having additional resources and a fortress there wont completely stop invaders, soone told her with a chuckle. The unsecured areas of the shoreline are difficult to monitor. They could sneak in from anywhere.

Tori narrowed her eyes. If soone could sneak into Horizon and try to kill the Emperor, Empress, or the princes, no one was safe. But as Sebastian said, the safety of the empire was an illusion. An illusion that was working.

Then you propose to leave the shoreline ntioned unsecured because there is no guarantee that it will stop invaders? Tori asked with a raised brow. Do you leave your doors and windows open because there is no guarantee that will stop thieves, so why bother to lock them?

The man shot her a glare and frowned. Those are two different things.

Okay, maybe the analogy isn't applicable, but the purpose of installing additional bases is to minimize vulnerability and expand insurance, Tori said. As of right now, there are too many gaps in our southeast shoreline. To my understanding, this ans that the navy is spread too far apart and there is a chance that enemies could slip through these large gaps before they are noticed by patrols, yes? She looked at her brother.

Sebastian nodded. Thats correct.

Therefore, increasing the naval presence in the area would allow for more manpower to patrol the region, shrinking the gaps, or windows of opportunity, for an enemy to co through. It would be like casting a net with a tighter weave to get more fish. The second thing to think about is how additional defenses can ruin invasion tilines. Most armies move following a specific plan and arent open ended. Every country has limited resources, so a conflict cant go on forever...or at least it shouldnt. Eventually, theyd run out of supplies, weapons, and people. Bearing that in mind, an enemy would need to launch their attack from a specific place for the duration of a specific ti in order not to strain themselves and run out of resources prematurely.

Having additional Soleil naval power in the region would put pressure on any enemies to reconsider their plans. Closer bases would also allow for faster logistics; we can get resources to where they need to be faster as there is less area to cover between them. While this may not stop an invasion, it may be able to disrupt it long enough for Soleil to prepare additional resources and launch a counterattack or prepare themselves to get an advantage. Ti is particularly important and may well be worth the investnt. What do you think, Sebby?

She turned back to her brother, who stared at her for a mont and then nodded, as if what she said was obvious. For her, ti was incredibly important in both planning and implentation. In order to get a project completed near schedule, it had to be well-tracked and parts needed to et due dates. A delay early on would delay the entire project.

What my sister is talking about are the possible advantages to our increased naval presence in the southeast coast. She mustve thought about it while building a city, he said, giving the others who surrounded them a smile.

They could be good economically, as well. Youd need to hire builders and arrange support services in the area. That can help boost local sales for food and textiles.... Tori trailed off. You should check with so of the professors at Universit to see what infrastructure is needed. I know they were of imnse help to in the delta.

She got discounted labor and professional knowledge in exchange for space and supplies. Really, she felt she was benefiting the most. She also had two talented crystal masters and if these people knew what Master Ramos crystal pillars around Anahata Island could do, theyd call her a liar.

The pillars could change currents and turn away boats. She wasnt sure how strong the boat needed to be to breach the pillars or if theyd be able to breach the barrier if they knocked down a pillar, but so far, their tests had turned away every fishing, supply, and transport ship they tried. For her, Master Ramos, and Instructor Ignatius, this was necessary to keep the important and highly classified work they were doing on the island a secret.

It wasnt all just air coolers and cooking pads.

Sebby, Im going to head over to the guild. Ill et you at ho this afternoon.

All right. Take a half dozen knights with you, Sebastian told her as he released her to the knights. As Tori walked away, she could hear him shalessly bragging about her managent skills and her progress at the delta.

Tori cringed. Perhaps she should tell Sebastian that they were trying to keep things quiet.