A little bit less than three days since she had set out, Vigdis returned alongside the guards, just after everyone had eaten lunch. Her expression was relaxed and her gait steady–evidently, no major worries or headaches were looming nearby. Still, they had to hold a meeting nonetheless.
Not too long later, the usual suspects plus the cordially invited Cristyn had taken a seat in a conference room on the upper floors of one of the island's central residences. Standing in front of a detailed three-dimensional projection, Vigdis held a pointer, directing its tip towards the location at the very centre.
"This here is the home of the Sybillans, where we currently are–Pytho. As you can see, there are no other worlds anywhere nearby. Contrary to the groups of them that we've most commonly observed, this one is a solitary one. That affords us at the very least a bare minimum of breathing room. As for the next closest civilization, that would be..."
Moving the thin rod in her hand slightly towards the left, she pointed at a number of spots bunched together.
"... this one. With a dozen worlds under their command, after cross-referencing this data with what we could find from the Sybillans' side, we concluded that these have to be the territory of the 'Illyrian Union'. It's the oldest ally of the Sybillan Republic. They have advanced and retreated together numerous times. The vast majority of emigrants from here are now residing in the Union's lands."
Although they hadn't been granted access to the Republic's networks, that didn't mean that they couldn't simply infiltrate them or obtain the information via willing helpers. Ergo, almost nothing could remain hidden from them.
"Of immediate concern are only four other forces: the 'Iulian Empire', 'Krysmidonia', 'Tzyion' and the 'Sarasvain Federation'. Out of these, all but the Krysmidonites have previously clashed violently with the Sybillans."
Moving further and further away from the point of origin, by the time that Vigdis' short explanation finished, the tip of her pointer had almost reached the edge of the region of the Lesser True Void that she and the guards had scouted. There were some occasional isolated worlds that could be spied, yet the data accompanying them made it obvious that their Energy concentration was less than that of Pytho.
Despite having merely presented a very broad overview over her findings, Vigdis had made sure to annotate all of the data that had been obtained about each respective world right next to it. To a regular person's naked eye, it would be impossible to see, due to how tiny those boxes of dense text actually were. But to everyone present here, it all was as clear as day.
"As you've probably already noticed, there is a terrifyingly large number of worlds located even further away, occupying a vast area over in this direction. However, we didn't dare to probe too deeply into it, because it felt too dangerous. Still, due to the distance separating us from whatever force rules those parts, we shouldn't have much to fear."
Finally addressing the elephant in the room, the reliable secretary stared directly at the more than 200 worlds taking up a specific section of the outermost boundary of the projection.
Technically speaking, as the Lesser True Void had no spacetime of its own, to discuss anything located 'within' it using terms related to either space or time would always be somewhat inaccurate. However, if corresponding discoveries were dumbed down in this way, then they would be far easier for most to visualize–therefore, Theodore's Subordinates had opted to do so.
After all, none amongst them truly cared about the specifics. As long as the general idea got across sufficiently well enough, then they would be perfectly fine. Not one of them blamed Vigdis for not peering deeper into the unknown either. Whilst they were still in the second round's beginning stage, doing so would be the height of foolishness.
"Lady Reese, do you have any information about what this civilization might be?"
Turning to face the blindfolded Oracle, Theodore immediately noticed the confusion colouring her countenance, which gave him his answer before she could begin to open her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I have no idea. I never even heard about that Sarasvain Federation before, either. I'll have to browse through our archives some more when I get the chance–maybe I'll be able to find something."
Responding to her apologetic smile, he nodded at her in approval, then he returned his focus to the exact data on the various factions that they had on hand.
The Illyrian Union's worlds could barely allow a few individuals to enter the Gate Traversal Stage, yet that would be where any further progress would stall forever. As for the Iulian Empire's and Tzyion's territories, there were spots where the third realm of the same stage could be achieved.
Lastly, Krysmidonia and the Sarasvain Federation could allow their foremost experts to venture all the way to the extreme peak of the Gate Traversal Stage.
'Considering the foes that we're likely to face relatively soon, I should set aside an opportune few hours to educate Mei'er and Qiao'er on the various cultivation stages that should be achievable this round. It's also about time that they break through into the Holos Acclimation Stage–and me as well.'
Glancing at that mysterious bunch of worlds so incredibly far away, he interpreted the rather incomplete data, soon narrowing his eyes a little.
'It's likely that at least one of these worlds reaches the second round's absolute limit in terms of Energy concentration. That doesn't bode too well. If we can, it would be ideal to avoid any conflict with them for the time being. I won't have to fear a regular expert who has made it that far–but if they're even a bit outstanding, I won't currently be able to match them.'
Shaking his head to clear his mind of these worries for the not too distant future, he rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping over everyone in attendance.
"With solely weaklings nearby, we don't have to hold back. Distribute the usual Array Disks all throughout Pytho secretly. Tomorrow, we'll get everything done in one fell swoop. I will only intervene if completely necessary, as always. Lady Reese, I would like to leave handling the aftermath to you. Spin whatever narrative or tall tale that you want–or tell the people the truth. As the Sybillans' Oracle, you deserve to have the final say."
Delegating pretty much all tasks to his people, he didn't leave out Cristyn either. Whether she wanted to do it or not, now that he had so generously pushed the responsibility to lead her kind towards her, how could she possibly refuse?
"I've already made a number of preparations. I'll get the rest of them done by the end of the day."
Naturally, she had expected this. From her understanding of Theodore over this relatively short period of time, she knew that it was likely that he would let her deal with the miscellaneous matters herself. But in truth, she preferred it this way–she would do her utmost to ensure that the Sybillans' society would never fester to such a point again!
"Fantastic! You won't have to do anything during our operation. Just sit back, relax and wait for the good news."
Dismissing everyone shortly afterwards, Theodore strolled slowly along the paths connecting the many areas of his private island. Funnelling most of his Energy into the PLID as usual. From time to time, he could see a few of the people that Cristyn had brought over in the distance. His Subordinates had also publicly announced that he was recruiting skilled workers, therefore they would have to sift through many applications in the weeks to come.
Enjoying nature's wonders at a leisurely pace for once, a few more hours flew by. Right as the sun began to kiss the horizon and the world became aflush with shades of orange and red, the one who he had been patiently awaiting finally arrived.
"I hope I'm not late, Mr. Winter!"
A shy, sheepish smile lighting up her face, Cadi rushed over until she was not far from him, her aura, appearance and behaviour strikingly different from before. If this was their very first meeting, then she might have truly caught his fancy right then and there.
In every aspect, she could now call herself an equal to his lovers, her alluringly rose pink eyes and unpretentious, yet elegant and form-fitting dress stirring one's imagination. Even without making use of her charming abilities, she could likely seduce anyone that she fancied at this point.
"No, you're right on time. Come, join me for a walk. I'll explain my offer on the way."
Not one to shy away from appreciating such a marvellous sight, Theodore unabashedly let his gaze sweep across her, before shooting her a calm smile. Although he wasn't showing her any excessive kindness and his expression was the same as last time, compared to that encounter, it felt more genuine to her.
"S-Sure! What do you have in mind?"
Falling into step next to him, less than a metre away, she felt her cheeks heat up by a few degrees. 'Secretly' observing him, she didn't know if it was her imagination, but the corners of his lips had risen a little higher. Looking away the instant that she noticed him shift his gaze, she elicited a small chuckle from him.
"I'm quite satisfied with how far you've come already. Therefore, I'd like to give you an opportunity to show your worth. This island of mine and the employees who'll live here now and in the future need a manager. I know you have no relevant experience in this field, but this shouldn't be a huge challenge for you. Am I right?"
As obsessed with him as she was, she instantly nodded her head, not even considering any alternative. He had confidently stated that he believed that she could do it, so there was even less reason for her to shy away from it.
"Yes! I'll do my best!"
Not surprised by her response, he nodded slightly.
"Keep in mind, however, that everyone who joins my camp is under my protection. As a result, you shall never be allowed to abuse your authority. If you ever treat anybody unfairly for no good reason... well, you really don't want to find out what'll happen."
The faint hint of killing intent pressing down on her for but a moment towards the end of his words only served to reinforce his point. Still, why was it that at the thought of being punished by him, a hint of excitement sprouted in her heart?
"I understand. I really do!"
No matter how desperate for his touch that she was, she wouldn't let these cravings destroy her chances of impressing him. Short-term gains like those simply couldn't make up for the potential of a brighter future!
"Let's hope so."
Falling silent after remarking as such, the two enjoyed a few minutes of silence as the tropical scenery came and went. Each second of their togetherness caused Cadi's passion for him to grow. As a direct result, the concentration of enticing pheromones that she was unknowingly exuding increased.
"... there is one more thing that you should know. I'll be 'cleansing' this world tomorrow. Which means, everyone who should die, will die. That includes your grandfather."
These words hit her like a truck, rattling her to the core. She had long known that Nye had begun to take measures against Theodore, but she hadn't expected to hear that the one who she fancied had done the exact same–and far more successfully and rapidly, at that.
'I've got to warn grandpa! Or... at the very least, I have to beg for his life!'
Although that was the first conclusion that her mind came to, her heart had other plans for her. Overpowering her reason as if it was nothing, the strong apprehension and fear which had threatened to make her cry out were evaporated into thin air, replaced with obedience and strong love.
"Then I should prepare his funeral."
With a bright grin on her lips, even more pheromones burst forth from within her, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Theodore dripping with tenderness and loyalty.
'... that's strange. Is she really a Succubus associated with a Supreme Pillar? Her charming skills should at least surpass the Legendary-grade, therefore my Absolute Reflection shouldn't have been triggered. What has caused her to become like this? It's clearly not solely her feelings for me.'
He had originally been fully prepared to subdue her and lock her up until she accepted her fate, but this threw an almost uncanny wrench into his plans.
'I'll have to ask the Losta heiress behind her when I get the chance.'
Postponing this matter for now, he brought Cadi to one of the empty residences close to his own, which she would be living in from now on. Then, he retreated for the day.
Very soon, there would be a small feast waiting for him.