-"Any questions?"-Yuque General asked me.
-"Yes, why am I the one to do this?"-I asked, genuinely confused.
-"You said it yourself; we can only remain here for about five years. In that time, we will train our replacements and inheritors, while helping repair Yuque."
-"I know that; I'm asking why I'm here."-I looked around his office.-"Shouldn't Jingtian be one to deal with this?"
-"I asked him, but he rejected me. He said he doesn't have the ability to carry everything on his back."-The General shrugged.-"OK. No more delaying; the work won't complete itself."
With a resigned sigh, I returned to the reports before me.
It's already been a month since the Miracle of Glowswather. The repairs of Yuque were underway, with docks and residential areas already completed. Currently, I was working on reestablishing business relations and trading routes to bring some life to the ship, along with the necessary supplies.
While most of the Pseudo-Heroic Spirits were Cloud Knights, some among them belonged to the Six Major Commissions, so the basic operations of the ship could be restored quickly; now most of those Pseudo-Heroic Spirits are focused on training their replacements. With talented youths receiving intense lectures everywhere, I thought that I would be able to have more leisure, but the worst job fell to me.
-"Are you sure?"-I looked at the General.
-"Hmm?"
-"To train me as your successor. You know I'm not a Xianzhou Native."
-"Ah! This. Don't worry. The fact that Kālacakra Skyplume responded to you alone makes you a qualified successor. Adding your merit and abilities, your candidacy was approved by all other Generals and the Marshal."
-"All Generals?"-I tilted my head, not expecting to receive such unanimous support.
-"Well, I won't speak about myself and that guy Teng Xiao. Yueyu of Yaoqing was rather direct with her reasons: you fought for the Alliance, helped and innovated, not to mention you stepped onto the Path of Hunt, walking it further than most other Cloud Knights, so in her eyes you are as much of a Xianzhou person as those born on the ship."
I nodded; this was indeed something that fit what I heard about her.
-"Huaiyan was opposed at first; he always cared about traditions, but later, after observing you and hearing about your exploits, he changed his mind; he said that you might be the best person for the role of bringing Yuque back to glory, and your presence might breathe a breath of fresh air into the Alliance."
This was somewhat surprising; the already somewhat elderly Zhuming General was often described as stubborn by Teng Xiao.
-"The Xuling General is already close to retirement, so they didn't involve themselves as much as before, but they, along with their successor, followed the spirit of their ship by citing legal doctrines; not exactly opposing you, but certainly highlighting the danger of such a precedent. In the end, they, along with Marshal, will be presiding over your final appointment."
-"And Fanghu?"
-"Fanghu General was in support from the beginning; your merit and ability make you a perfect candidate, especially as Yuque is now starved for talent. They only asked to duel you, wanting to experience a fighting style from outside the world."
-"But what about Vidyadhara High Elders? I bet those old stubborn mules aren't happy with my candidacy."
-"That's where even I was surprised. While it was Teng Xiao and I who recommended you, the High Elders were the first to agree, even before other Generals. They were also clear with their reason: they hoped that you could use your Remembrance to help them bring souls of Vidyadhara that passed away back into Hatching Rebirth."
This made me stop writing and look up. This was actually theoretically possible, but to achieve it, many of their secrets would need to be disclosed, so if I were to take the position of general and be bound by the Oaths, that information would be much more secure than if I were just an honored guest of Xianzhou. An open conspiracy, but one that wasn't harmful to either side; they gain a chance to increase their dwindling population, and I gain their support and secrets.
-"But why should I take this position?"-I looked at him.-"Leaving aside the issues with your traditions and whether I can even be a dual Emanator of Remembrance and Hunt, I can't stay here forever. This position is mostly a burden to me; while it can give me benefits, those don't outweigh the requirements."
-"This is something that Marshal is still considering. I don't have any information, but I believe that you'll learn everything shortly."
I just nodded and returned to the documents in front of me. Even though those were only the most essential matters that required my attention, most minor affairs were already pushed to Fu Hua, Fuxi, and Nuwa, whom I brought here to assist some time ago; it still made me sit in this office for most of the day. And that was only the beginning of my responsibilities.
-"Lieutenant Eno, Lord General."-Yao Guang entered the office.-"The IPC representative arrived in the meeting room."
-"I'll be there in a moment."-I nodded to her.
After quickly finishing the documents, I quickly fixed my Yìxué Impression so that I was more presentable, bound the General's Seal to my belt, and had my eight swords float behind my back. I was Acting General, so I had to carry myself with the grace required of one; I was representing the face of Yuque and the Alliance after all.
-"It's an honor to meet the famous rising star of the Xianzhou."-The leading representative greeted me.-"Allow me to introduce myself; I'm Dongfang Qixing, co-founder of IPC."
-"It's I who should be honored by meeting such a legendary figure."-I shook his hand.-"I'm Enoch of Laterano, Acting General and the Sword Champion of Yuque."
-"Laterano?"-He raised his eyebrow.
-"My homeland."-I smiled.-"But that's not the subject we should talk about. I believe that our requests and requirements have been passed to you."
I signaled him to sit down while I myself took my seat, Fu Hua and Yao Guang standing behind me.
-"Yes. That's why I'm here. While the Alliance has excellent credit with IPC, some things require special consideration. I hope you understand."-He followed my lead, his assistants standing behind him.
-"Of course, even family need to keep their feelings and business separate, let alone allies. Then allow me to ask, what do you expect to gain from these talks?"
-"So direct? But I guess that's why you can walk the Path of Hunt. Our purpose is mainly to secure deeper cooperation."
-"Question is, with whom?"-I looked at him.
-"You, of course. The only confirmed Emanator of Remembrance and prospective Emanator of Hunt; just one of those identities is worth investing in, let alone the possibility of a dual Emanator."-He admitted it directly.
-"But I see that just building goodwill is not enough."-I smiled, facing the infamous, calculating, and ruthless mastermind behind IPC's rise.
-"Sadly, that's how the business works."-He shrugged.-"Let me state our demands first. We will satisfy your requirements and fully commit to Yuque's restoration, even providing you with our best technology, but in exchange, we wish to receive a Matrix of Prescience for our own use and enter a personal contract with you."
-"Quite an appetite, huh? Then let me state our refusal. Jade abaci are the Alliance's core secret; let alone receiving a whole functioning Matrix of Prescience, even acquiring a broken shard is out of the question; as for a personal contract, IPC has nothing to offer that would warrant it."
-"Isn't it a little hasty a decision? While IPC can help you, we can also impede your progress as easily."
-"I invite you to try."-The smile on my face turned more pleasant, but my narrowed eyes had nothing to do with it.-"I admit that your assistance is the best possibility to recover quickly, but it's not the only one. Even if you were to oppose us, there are ways to gather the resources we need. For example, I heard of a certain system that rebelled a few hundred light-years from here . I bet that the prisoners from the Asdana system would welcome us with open arms."
When my words ended, I could hear one of his assistants' breaths hitch as Dongfang Qixing's emotions stirred lightly.
-"I apologize for my bad wording; I would never do anything to threaten the relations between our two forces."-He bowed slightly.
-"I don't mind it. It's I who should apologize, after all, as an outsider, I'm not that well versed in your usual ways of dealing with things."-I also took a step back while also reminding him what my greatest value was.
-"It would seem that we took a wrong turn in our conversation, so how about both of us meet closer to the middle? We won't meddle in Alliance's secrets, but the matter of personal contract still remains."
-"I can work with that, but the contract will be that of equal exchange, not employment or debt. IPC will support the rebuilding of Yuque as we asked for; we will pay the expected price for materials, technologies, and manpower. At the same time, I will personally enter into cooperation with IPC; this contract will be one of exchange between worlds, knowledge for knowledge."
-"What if we wish for the contract to be deeper?"
-"Sadly, IPC doesn't have good credit with me. Providing you with any method to contact or access other worlds is out of the question, not only for their protection, but also for yours. To prove my words, I'll give you this."-I created two crystals on the table, Originium and Glintstone.
-"Those are?"
-"Materials from different worlds. The black one, Originium, is from my home world; a plague that destroys that world and a source of its progress. The blue one is Glintstone, a cosmic amber imbued with powers of the Stars; and Stars here aren't just cosmic bodies, but a power that controls Fate and souls from which gods of that world were born."
-"That's truly a deposit I can't refuse."-He observed those two materials.
-"For our long-lasting friendship, that is information about those two materials, including the proper way to handle them."-I handed him a stack of documents.-"I implore you to take care; Aeons are not all-powerful after all."
-"We will."-He nodded, but whether he took my warning to heart is something only he knew.-"To our cooperation then."
-"To our cooperation."
We shook hands, ending our negotiations.
Not long after, the whole IPC group left the room, most heading back directly to their ship. I also returned to my office, having more reports to deal with. After a while, Yao Guang came there once again, finished with her job as the person responsible for leading them.
-"Thank you for your help."-I nodded to her.
-"No problem, I'm happy to help. But is it a good idea to give those two gems to them?"
-"They won't be able to do much with them."-I shrugged.-"Using Originium requires genetic adaptation, while as a fuel it's not as efficient as other materials. As for Glintstone, I wish them luck."
-"Is it that bad?"
-"Glintstone can assimilate one's will and soul, so dealing with it is rather complicated; for a world where power is drawn from philosophy and actions, it's basically a death trap."
-"Then your arm."-She took a step back.
-"My arm is fine; it's a fusion of two, making it mostly safe, but also much more powerful at the same time. No need to worry."
-"I see. My Master asked you to be present for the next part of the repairs to the Deca-Light Reflection Barrier."
-"I'll be there."
Time continued to pass with a mix of work and more work, and soon, half a year passed. By now, most of Yuque's basic functions were restored, so the ship could finally set sail again. This was quite an important occasion, causing a festival to happen in the streets, but I was nowhere there. Instead, I stood deep in the underground halls of the ship, meeting with two people who would decide my future.
-"This is our first conversation, but we already know each other quite well."-A voice without a hologram spoke to me.
-"It's indeed so, Marshal."-I bowed slightly to show my respect to that legendary figure.
-"So let's not waste time on pleasantries. I hope you can become General of Yuque."
-"May I know why?"
-"Of course. Leaving aside qualifications, talent, and such, there was one thing that made us come to this decision: possibility. Your abilities and identity provide us with opportunities to change the status quo of our struggle with Abundance; this is why I wish you to join us."
I nodded, understanding her perspective. While I alone couldn't change the whole Aeonic galactic war, things like new technologies or powers could influence the outcome far more easily. This was also why I decided to join their ranks, to create opportunity through their technology and strength.
-"I understand that you have your stance and responsibilities; I've read the detailed report on your past and places you visited, so I, along with the rest of the Alliance, decided to extend an offer to you. In the name of the Xianzhou Alliance, I invite you, Enoch of Laterano, to join Hunt under Reignbow Arbiter, as both General of Yuque and representative of your world."
As she spoke, a detailed contract flew to me.
-"The races of your world shall receive the same treatment as other native races of Xianzhou, being recognized as members of the Alliance and granted rights equal to all born on the Xianzhou Fleet. Had your world ever encountered any calamity, the whole Alliance will stand behind you; I promise this in the name of Hunt."
I read the whole document, finding it fair, even slightly skewed in my favor, so I didn't have a reason to disagree.
-"I, Enoch of Laterano, agree to the agreement as the representative of Terra. I vow to serve as the General of Yuque, holding this position with my full dedication and commitment. Should the Alliance require me, I will respond; should the Alliance meet a tragedy, I will stand with it; I promise this in the name of Law; shall this vow be broken, may my Authority shatter."
The divine aureole appeared behind me, signaling the vow to be binding. I spoke the words that Alliance vowed before the Reignbow Arbiter.
-"To save future generations from war and bloody dispute,
To rid the world of suffering and safeguard equally the dignity and sacred rights of all people,
To reaffirm and appeal to justice and magnanimity,
To forsake plunder, suppression, exploitation, and torture,
To revert to mortality, eradicate the ambition of a deathless doom: I shall not rest."
In response to those historic words, the Kālacakra Skyplume erupted with a brilliant glow, blinding me momentarily, before I appeared in space-like space, with a deep blue starry sky and no visible ground. In the center of this space, a pure white light was surrounded by a swirling mass of an unknown substance and dark clouds, with asteroids and broken shards of planets and stars everywhere around.
This was a space only told in legends, where the audiences with THEM take place: the Path Space. I walked forward, stepping directly onto the void of space, walking toward the light in the center. And as I approached, a figure appeared before me; one I had never met but was familiar with. It was time for me to meet with THEIR trial, to prove I was worth their gaze and power; so without hesitating, I continued forward.