The more one knows, the less certain happiness becomes, but confusion inevitably grows.
The flames of war in the Hera Star System are on the verge of igniting. No one knows exactly when the conflict will erupt in the coming years, how far it will escalate, or whether it will trigger a full-scale war between the Katon Civilization and the Star River Federation.
Liu Hai couldn't be certain either. Based on the information currently gathered by the Pioneers team, he judged that this conflict between the Federal Pioneers and the Kadon Explorers was likely to expand.
This stemmed from the Federation's increasing dominance over Hera Star System's resources over the past few centuries. The Kadon Explorers couldn't be said to have suffered complete defeat, but their losses had been severe.
Originally, both civilizations each controlled about one-fifth of the Hera Star System, with the remaining uncharted regions open for exploration and competition between their respective races. Though occasional friction occurred, both being fourth-tier civilizations meant neither held a decisive advantage, resulting in an overall balance of wins and losses.
But over the last few centuries—whether due to technological advancement or an explosion of talent within the Federation—individuals kept emerging who could identify crucial resource points in the vast darkness of space. Using these as footholds, they gradually expanded their spheres of influence, continuously compressing the operational areas of the Katon Civilization's Explorers. This relentless pressure accumulated resentment among the Kadon Explorers, leading to the current volatile situation.
The Stardust Star Region might be one spark igniting this resentment. More likely, the Katon Civilization had made significant technological progress, with their energy weapons breaking through fourth-tier limitations and advancing toward fifth-tier capabilities. Emboldened by this, the Explorers could no longer restrain themselves from testing the Pioneers' mettle.
Another possibility was that the Katon Civilization itself desired renewed conflict with the Federation. Compared to the Federation's position, the Katon Civilization faced worse circumstances.
No directly accessible wormholes had been discovered in neighboring star systems. Though the distance wasn't extreme—merely two to three hundred thousand light-years—traversing such a gap was arduous for a fourth-tier civilization. Thus, controlling the Hera Star System, which connected to other star systems, became a paramount objective.
Unfortunately, they encountered the Star River Federation. After over two thousand years of conflict in the Hera Star System, the Katon Civilization had never achieved outright victory—at best, stalemates. Neither side wished to escalate into full-scale civilizational war, resulting in the current equilibrium.
Now, having honed their capabilities, the Katon Civilization believed itself stronger than the Federation. Seeking greater space for survival and development was an inevitable outcome.
If Liu Hai could deduce this much, the Pioneers certainly understood the implications. Without explicit directives from the military, they had to seize opportunities themselves. Relying entirely on military intervention would negate the very purpose of pursuing the path of a Lord.
Becoming a Lord wasn't as simple as claiming territory and settling immigrants.
Over millennia, among countless Pioneers, only a few dozen had attained Lordship. Was this due to lack of capability?
That played a role, but it wasn't the whole story.
Three essential elements defined a Lord: a land for life to flourish, meritorious service to humanity, and unshakable willpower.
The first was straightforward—finding a Life Planet, occupying it, and developing it. Many veteran Pioneers possessed their own Life Planets, most often terraformed Earth-like planets.
Human merit is inextricably linked to military achievements. Without substantial merit points, it's impossible to gain recognition from the Federation's populace—a natural expectation, as significant merit represents the ability to safeguard the Federation's interests with one's strength and capabilities.
However, the third condition has left many scratching their heads. No council members have provided a detailed explanation, only that three candidate councilors have met the first two conditions but remain stuck on the third, preventing them from becoming Lord Councilors for centuries.
Liu Hai is equally baffled by the third condition. Recalling the words of several councilors and Li Yali's insistence on following her intuition, he senses a vague similarity between the two issues.
"Could it be... the soul?"
The thought stirs something inexplicable within him, making him feel he might be onto something. But do such metaphysical things as souls truly exist? The Federation has yet to produce any meaningful research on the subject over the years.
After consulting the Intelligent Nexus and failing to get a satisfactory answer, Liu Hai reluctantly sets aside what seems like an absurd idea for now.
Shaking off his thoughts, he refocuses on development and construction.
Currently, one Angel Frigate can be launched per month, each surpassing the combat power of a Federation Cruiser.
As more advanced Smelting Plants and Shipyards are completed, production speed will increase further. Liu Hai plans to keep the Angel Fleet grounded until the Mobile Fortress is operational. For now, the Clone Legion will maintain control, providing protection for the Pisces Starfield.
Time holds little value in the interstellar age—a single journey can span decades.
Two years later, while admiring a drill performed by a guard unit modeled after the elven armies from The Lord of the Rings, Liu Hai receives a communication from Irina.
She informs him that the family's trading fleet is nearing the Brolly Star System, having encountered no issues along the way. They will arrive within six months at most, so Liu Hai should prepare for the transaction.
Accompanying the fleet are Federation officials, there both to oversee the trade and to verify the authenticity of the Star Behemoth Biological Tissue.
The Federation has long sought the biological tissue of a Starry Sky Behemoth, but even at great cost, they have been unable to acquire it from friendly fifth-tier Humanoid Civilizations. Even if these civilizations possess any, it was obtained at an exorbitant price from sixth-tier civilizations—barely enough for their own research, let alone for trade.
The discovery of Star Behemoth Biological Tissue by Liu Hai thrilled researchers at the Federal Institute of Biological Research. Unfortunately, the Brolly Civilization had already extracted all the viable blood components, leaving only muscle tissue. While still valuable, its appeal to scientists has diminished significantly.
Many were puzzled by the Federation's silence and refusal to forcibly acquire the tissue from Liu Hai. However, the Council's orders had to be obeyed. Fortunately, the Elizabeth family purchased most of it, bringing the matter to a close.
This verification was just a formality, more about seeing this legendary thing with my own eyes. It wouldn't affect the transaction.
After receiving Irina's notification, Liu Hai couldn't contain his excitement about the fleet he was trading for. After all, the Angel-series warships hadn't yet formed a complete system—currently there were only slightly over twenty Corvettes, and not even one complete Destroyer-class, which would take another two months to complete construction.
"It's simple. Just take the fleet and fight a few more battles with them. If ten times isn't enough, then a hundred. I estimate that for wars at the corps level, about a dozen battles should be sufficient."
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