"As much as I would want to get started right away, there are some foundations that we need to lay down first."
To have the sect patriarch cooperate so willingly was an unexpected boon.
Knowing his history on quite the intimate level, Theo expected the man to try to stick to his guns at least a little bit more, too closely attached to his sect after years of struggle for its sake to just… give it all away.
And yet, just like that, Theo secured the man's cooperation.
Sadly, this didn't mean he could just turn around and start changing the world right away.
Still, while most of the things Theo was planning would take two days at the very least or months to fully play out, with Narmidor's cooperation, he now had the freedom to do the things he would normally never be allowed to do.
"You've struggled to break through to the sixth rank for quite a while, didn't you?" Theo added after taking some time to sort his thoughts out and build a timeline in his head for all the steps he would have to take. "Once the morning comes, I want you to announce you are about to do it, and get people to start preparing for a grand celebration."
There was no need to explain it any further.
Right now, what Theo needed was a huge amount of sugar and salt, a cover story for why he suddenly needed those, formation stones to set up the spirit stone farming area…
And well, the area itself for manufacturing those.
But while sugar, salt, and the cover story could all be solved in one move, the question of the area fitting for the spirit stone manufacturing was a little bit harder.
Which is why Theo cleared his throat and raised his eyes to the man.
"By midday, you will send me off to the city to procure the ingredients for the grand feast. We could even have a little talk when you request some cakes and pastries while I suggest to just buy the ingredients for them and cook them locally instead. Then, you will pass me an empty pouch to serve as money and then send me on my way."
"An empty pouch won't do," Narmidor quickly rejected Theo's idea. "I'm sure you are aware, but there are a lot of eyes in the sect. Why else would you need the cover story?" he pointed out while shaking his head. "The pouch cannot be empty, because they will notice it and start asking questions. And it's not like this sect is so poor we can't afford a feast!"
A hint of pride flashed in Narmidor's eyes. And Theo couldn't really fault him for it.
It really was quite the achievement for someone in Narmidor's shoes to somehow keep some money saved up despite the dire straits his sect was in and after all his failed business ventures.
Normally, one would use whatever reserves they had to push their business just a little bit further, clinging to hope that it would somehow work out. Narmidor, however, has just proved that even after all of his failures, he still remained disciplined enough not to leave the sect without an emergency fund.
"That's impressive," Theo openly praised the man, only to then shake his head in denial. "But unless you want me to just toss that precious gold of yours away, this won't do. Whatever space the gold would take in that pouch, I need for the spirit stones I'm going to craft while on my way to the city."
Theo then smiled a little, unable to hold himself perfectly focused when seeing the dejected look on Narmidor's face.
'I didn't expect that rejecting the money he worked so hard to save would push him to make a face like that… But I think I can see where he is coming from.'
It wasn't that Narmidor wanted to cast his money away. What most likely happened was the re-awakening of the hope in the man's heart, a hope for the sect's better future. And after trying so hard he ended up burning himself out and then still refusing to just blast the sect's emergency funds on any of the actual emergencies that happened in the recent past, how could he see the future of his sect change for the better… without any help from his side?
"There will be much better uses for that gold of yours, I promise," Theo stated. "And your point about an empty pouch still stands, so let's just say you will fill it with stones instead."
Narmidor stared at Theo's face for a moment before turning his chin a little down and releasing a long sigh. He then shook his head before raising his face while crossing his arms over his chest.
"That's all good and dandy, but that still leaves us with a minor issue," he pointed out as his lips started to twitch, morphing between amusement, tension, and irony. "I'm nowhere near breaking through to the sixth stage. And if my calculations are correct," his eyes shifted over to the upper left for a second, "I'm going to need at least a year, maybe a year and a half to reach that point."
At this point, Theo smiled before shaking his head with disbelief.
"After seeing all that I've showcased and hearing what I have plans for, do you still believe that your common sense applies to anything I touch?" he asked with open disbelief. "The only thing that's stopping you from cultivating the higher realm isn't the lack of theory but lack of resources. Or, in simpler terms," Theo's smile grew wider, "a lack of sufficient mana to achieve what your theories stipulate."
"That's right," Narmidor quickly nodded his head while squinting his eyes a bit. "And while it's true that you showed me some… unprecedented sights, I still struggle to believe you could…"
"I can."
Theo didn't bother arguing, cutting off the sect's patriarch with the simple statement.
"But let's put that for tomorrow. Today, we set the stage while I prepare a few more things I need. Oh, and before I forget," Theo's smile stayed as big as before, but now it took on some devious undertone. "As soon as the party is over, I will be heading out into the frontier. After all…"
Theo sighed out and wiped the smile off his face, freezing his face in a perfectly neutral expression, one that somehow appeared all the more villainous than his wicked smile before.
"What's a better place to hide a spirit stone farm than the wilderness no one dares to visit?"