A ship like the Astral Spear which was relatively small didn’t have much spare room for luxury. Even the captain’s quarters only had a small lounge with a few couches packed close around a table.

“I wasn’t really prepared to receive any guests,” Kybele admitted. “I’m sure we could move down to Ozemdu…”

“If I was concerned about that, I would have suggested it already,” Anton pointed out. “Besides, I never understood those who needed space for ten people all to themselves.”

What was comfort anyway? Some liked good food and drink, and Anton certainly didn’t despise them. But he always thought something he’d grown himself, or anything from a close friend, far outweighed everything else he could eat. Well… perhaps there was some exception for someone like Heath, who devoted his life to cooking. But someone special like him, their food was not earned with money. Not truly.

The two sat in silence for a short time. “Well…” Kybele began. “As previously noted, I don’t have anything in the way of refreshments to offer. And now I… kind of don’t know why I asked to have you here.”

Anton smiled. He knew that was not true. She just felt awkward saying it. She’d already asked about it, indirectly. “You want guidance on your cultivation,” Anton said straightforwardly. “You feel stuck, since you can’t ascend. And it likely didn’t bother you until you saw me.”

Captain Kybele bit her lip. “Well… yeah. I suppose I was thinking something like that.”

Anton nodded slowly. “I would advise caution with your current path. That doesn’t mean it is wrong, but I certainly wouldn’t rush into anything.”

“My current path?” Kybele frowned. “My cultivation has remained the same since I reached the peak of Life Transformation. The only thing around here that has improved is the Astral Spear and my crew members.”

Anton just looked at her. Kybele shrank back into her chair. “What would you say makes me stronger than a Life Transformation cultivator?” Anton asked.

Kybele thought about that for a while, perhaps wondering if it was a trick question. “Your insights? And your natural energy?”

“The former would just make me a strong Life Transformation cultivator, perhaps a higher tier than the rest… but not truly different,” Anton shook his head. “No, the fundamental of cultivation is energy. And it came to a point that I could not draw solely upon myself. What is it that I turned to then?”

“... The origin of your cultivation? Stars?”

“That’s correct,” Anton said. “I forged a more direct connection with them.”

Kybele nodded. “That makes sense but… I have no connection to anything so powerful. Does that mean my cultivation is at a dead end?”

Instead of answering directly, Anton appeared to change the topic. “What do you think of trees?”

“They’re… good?” Kybele tilted her head. “I mean, I’m not a gardener like you. But they provide shade and air and sometimes food. They’re good.”

“Have you ever lost a fight to a tree?” Anton asked.

“No…?” Kybele looked seriously confused.

“So they’re not powerful, then? At least, relative to you.”

“Not really,” she confirmed.

“Do you think you could lose a fight to a tree? Perhaps not one you’ve seen, but one you can imagine.”

She furrowed her brow. “Well. Maybe. There are these trees I saw once. Their seed pods swell… and then burst. They pierce through kilometers of forest, making holes in everything in their way until they land in the dirt somewhere. So if there was one of those with… more energy I guess I could lose that fight, if I had bad timing.”

“I’ve lost a fight to a tree. And in fact, at nearly any time in recent memory, I could go do it again. The last decades being an exception for now.” Anton shook his head. “But the point is, power comes from the exceptional. Stars? They’re just a lot of stuff. Put enough stuff together, and it becomes a big fire. Develop a tree enough, and it is a fearsome foe. You’re looking for something that isn’t just strong, but that can become stronger. And I think you have that.”

“What is it?”

Anton shook his head. “If I answer that question for you, it won’t do anyone any good. Take your time to think about it. Who knows? Perhaps there is something even more suited for you than what I think. I only know you at a surface level, after all.”

Kybele blinked. “Oh. Yeah. I… forgot that somehow.”

“Enough time and training in Insight, and you can easily make people think you know their deepest secrets, when really all I did was scratch the surface of what I saw. Every cultivator wishes to grow stronger in some manner. Hearing about the Shining Cooperative’s experience, it’s natural to want to grow strong enough to outclass the invaders from the upper realm.”

She nodded. “They took… far too much from me.”

“For me, the losses happened on a much less glorious scale. And yet, the pattern fits. Those with power come in from the outside and think they can do whatever they please. Regardless of whether they were correct for a while, it doesn’t make it okay.” Anton leaned forward, “And they have no real stake in things, so their motivations are weak in comparison. Greed may drive people, but it can’t motivate them more than the loss of loved ones.”

“That’s right!” Kybele nodded vigorously. “For them, it’s a position of elder or a fancy new sword, but for us it’s our homes! That’s why… that’s why we have to stop them no matter what.”

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Anton looked at her in a manner that only a parent or grandparent with many years of experience in that role could do. Kybele was doubtless wondering if she’d forgotten some rule. As if they’d been in each other’s presence for more than a few hours total.

“Sacrifices for the sake of an important goal are often necessary,” Anton said. “But we must make sure we don’t become the thing we wish to eradicate. Those who overthrow tyrants all too often become tyrants themselves. I’m sure some think that of me, from their perspectives.”

“I may not know you that well,” Kybele admitted. ‘But I doubt that’s true. That you’re actually a tyrant of any sort, I mean.”

“And yet, I often tell people what to do, backed up more by my power than their loyalty or anything else,” Anton said.

“And what sort of horrible things do you force upon people?” Kybele asked playfully. “Farming?”

“What you speak of is no laughing matter,” Anton said, his tone growing serious. “It is the foundation of all civilization. Without it, no one can eat and no one can grow. People must toil in the hot sun to produce necessary food, with more than just bodily nutrition. Without their labor, worlds would collapse.” Anton leaned back slightly. “So obviously they need to be paid properly. Like everyone involved in foundational aspects of maintaining society. Though like everyone else, they should aspire to be more than just people putting seeds in the ground.”

Kybele looked down, not in shame, but instead her eyes were pointed towards the planet below. “I know that only half of that was serious, but it really makes me want to try what you have down there.”

Anton nodded. “You should. Perhaps we can arrange for a tasting, of sorts. I somewhat regret not having time to grow something more substantial. I would have liked to have enough for everybody to experience everything.”

“There’s plenty,” Kybele said. “Don’t worry.”

“Enough for the envoys and perhaps their staff. But your ship has nearly a hundred people on it, and your fleet has many more.”

“You really think it’s important for everyone to have some? Even the… lower ranking individuals?” Kybele asked.

Anton nodded. “It’s one thing if a few envoys return, wishing to have excellent food. But if everyone returns, unsatisfied with normal food… then my plans can come to fruition. Everyone will have to follow my instructions just to have a chance to experience it again!” Anton waved his arms dramatically. “And by that I mean the detailed plant tending guide myself and many others have put together over the centuries, meant for optimizing growth of natural energy in plants and their surroundings over long time periods.”

“I, uh, appreciate your passion. But I honestly don’t quite understand what you’re talking about and why it’s so important.”

“It’s quite straightforward,” Anton said. “And in some ways simple. But in other ways, it isn’t. You want to defeat the Trigold Cluster, correct? What is the best way to accomplish that?”

“... Strong cultivators? And good ships, I guess.”

“And how do you get those?”

“... training? Drawing in natural energy, refining the body and soul. That kind of thing.” Kybele frowned. “Is that not what you meant?”

“No, that’s indeed what I meant. And that natural energy you draw in, where does it come from?”

“The world. And sometimes it’s infused in wild plants, or special crops grown in sects.” Anton was nodding as she talked. “... and it’s also in some materials, or the bodies of powerful beasts.”

“After you consume a fruit, what happens to the total amount of natural energy in the world?” Anton asked.

“I… don’t know,” Kybele admitted. “I get stronger so, it increases? Or I suppose since I got the energy from the fruit, it stays the same. But I suppose I don’t perfectly absorb everything… so it might decrease?”

Anton shrugged, “I have to admit that one was a bit unfair. It’s a very complex topic. However, we can observe a general decrease in ‘useful’ natural energy. That lost energy you didn’t absorb most likely still goes somewhere.”

“So it stays the same,” Kybele said. “But I can use it, so overall we’re closer to the goal.”

“So then, what happens if you inject your energy into a growing plant?”

“... The total energy would still stay the same, right?” Kybele replied.

“In the immediate circumstances, yes,” Anton agreed. “But in the long term, assuming it is done properly, it can cause the plant to grow larger and produce fruit that have more natural energy in turn than you put in. Because it is not exactly a closed system. The plant can absorb more natural energy from you and its surroundings- and that tends to draw in more, especially from things like… stars.”

“So you’re saying I should have chosen a star focused cultivation method.”

“Well, I might, but that would be biased,” Anton grinned. “A star will still shine light on its planets and provide natural energy regardless of what styles people have. It’s just a matter of how they harness it, or don’t.” Anton stroked his chin. “How much time do you have? I could speak for centuries on how things weave together to create a flourishing world. Because things don’t just stop there. Every step of the way should have great care, both for its people and what they do. Look at this shirt,” Anton said, holding out his arm. “Who do you think made it?”

Kybele drew close to look at it. “The weave is extraordinary. The materials appear quite strong as well, though obviously that’s just a surface level. Some sort of master weaver, then?”

“Well, that’s not entirely untrue,” Anton said. “But I don’t know. I just saw it at a store and bought it. It could have been anyone. And I mean that literally. Something like this, anyone could make. Or rather, anyone could become the person with this ability. There’s always a field someone can excel in. And we try very hard to make sure people find one.” Anton shrugged. “There are some who choose a more mundane life, but it is relatively few in comparison. And I think you would be quite surprised if you saw one of our planets.”

“Maybe I should, then.”

“Maybe you should. But I don’t think I’m the best person to arrange that. I’d just drag people along and show up. It works for me, but not everyone is so… content about how casual it can be.”

“And you don’t trust us yet.”

Anton grinned. “Not yet. But I’m a little bit closer at every moment. I wouldn’t mind visiting one of your planets as well, and I promise not to tell people outside of my field of expertise what they’re doing wrong. And when I do say it… it will be done in a nice way. I’ve had many students, after all,” Anton nodded.

Kybele smiled in return. “Someday, then. I’m also not the person to arrange such a thing. And it’s not like I can really help, since you don’t need my ship to get there.”

“It would probably help people feel better if I was escorted in, though,” Anton said. “My schedule for the next few decades is currently pretty open, so I’ll try to keep in touch.” He hoped that someone had finished the communicators they were thinking about- enough to cover long distances quickly but not one that could compromise their network. Just in case the Shining Cooperative turned against them. They certainly couldn’t rely on going hundreds of lightyears or having people swing by in person. That would be a terrible way to maintain good relations as neighbors.

Pies were a good one, but it was hard to bake enough for a whole planet. And they’d never arrive fresh. So perhaps he’d have to send back some people with the memories of a pie, and consider that good enough.