Though there had been a nebulous plan to stay in Carran for two months, that plan changed. For cultivators early in their growth two months was a rather long time, if they had the talent. Anton noticed that Catarina’s parents and Timothy’s father didn’t seem to be on track to complete the first star in the same time period as himself. However, they had other responsibilities to attend to besides madly cultivating to block out the world. Anton also understood that people had different aptitudes. Perhaps they could learn to be better at something, but the starting point of everyone was different. He had found that cultivation suited him quite well from his first experiences with it.

It was after one month that the group returned to the Order’s lands. Cultivating didn’t only require dense natural energy to absorb, but for breakthroughs and the like it was quite necessary. Nobody was on the verge of the next level, but their various experiences were helping with rapid growth and that the largest necessity was merely energy. Anton found that guiding others was useful for himself, as well. It made him think about why he did things a certain way, and if it was actually correct… or just a habit he’d formed. He was pleased that many times it was the former, but not always. That let him fix problem with his own cultivation, and he took notes in Path to Ninety-Nine Stars.

Anton found himself unable to rest for a single moment. Most of the past year he’d been active, but now he found himself especially motivated. He had more family. It wasn’t that he had forgotten the others who still lived- he kept every name in memory- but instead discovering Catarina’s connection to him imbued him with a sense of hope and vigor. It reminded him his task wasn’t just to grow stronger, but to do so for a reason. Of course, he knew that. Knowing something and feeling it were not as closely tied as people liked to think. He had already considered the task impossible, such that he almost forgot saving villagers of Dungannon or what remained of his family was actually something that could truly happen.

It would have been nice to say that the connection to new family had a direct connection to refining his marrow, but it didn’t. That was just his body, and he cultivated furiously to refine it. Perhaps every bit of natural energy he absorbed was just a bit more pure… or perhaps it just felt that way. Regardless, he spent several weeks cultivating… and seeking information from the Order.

The Order’s policy on information exchange was quite simple. Disciples in good standing were able to obtain information the Order had without charge, though some sensitive information required a request. If the information wasn’t available, it was possible to pay to have it obtained. After all, that would require someone to go on a mission and could not be done without charge.

There were always exceptions but the information Anton sought wasn’t secret, and if he needed a reason to request it he could easily provide it. Vincent would also tell him anything he needed, but some of that information would come from the same place. For example, Vincent had never seen the leader of the bandits. In Vincent’s own words. ‘If I had seen him and known who he was, he would be dead.’

But just because Vincent hadn’t seen him didn’t mean nobody had. Nobody was perfect, including cultivators. Survivors of villages that had been attacked by the bandits could identify some of the bandits. With descriptions and other information, scouts in Ofrurg had learned more. The best candidate for the leader of the bandits was a man named Maximillian Van Hassel. Likewise, it was presumed that the formation master was Nirmal Slusser- though information about his actual ability with formations wasn’t readily available. The information the Order possessed wasn’t completely certain, but they had been involved with the sale of slaves at various key times. Anton looked over all the information the Order had obtained on them. Their current locations were unknown, but he wouldn’t be able to fight them at his current strength regardless. Still, there was more he could accomplish before that point, if he went about it the right way.

-----

The council of Grand Elders rarely met. It was an unnecessary waste of time, unless there was something important. Vincent wasn’t a Grand Elder, but he was called to speak. He didn’t know much about the council meetings in the past, but he knew they very rarely met on matters concerning a single disciple. Even when appointing a new elder, the council of elders only needed the input of a single Grand Elder. Had they ever met concerning a Body Tempering disciple? Vincent was sure if they had, it wasn’t an old man.

Grand Elder Bohdana Matousek wasn’t nearly so old in appearance as Grand Elder Vandale, though Vincent knew there were merely a few decades between them. She waved her hand towards Vandale. “Grand Elder Vandale, why don’t you explain what you called us here for?”

“Of course.” Grand Elder Vandale inclined his head. “I’m sure you all want to know. As many of you will have heard from the elders serving under you, we have a rather strange new disciple. Normally, it is not the business of Grand Elders if a new disciple burns their way through Body Tempering with ease. But the circumstances of this one are… different. Elder Vincent, if you could explain when you met Anton Krantz.”

“Of course,” Vincent moved to stand in front of the Grand Elders. Of all of those he had recruited, none of them were on the list. Even the youngest was older than himself. Even so, he carried a measure of respect among them. “I was not searching for disciples when I first met Anton Krantz. If I had been… I wouldn’t have even considered him. It was a decade ago, when the bandits in the far eastern part of Graotan were first beginning to test the waters. I came across Anton Krantz out in the forest, when he was ninety years old.”

One of the other Grand Elders- Kunibert- frowned. “Did I not hear that he has achieved the seventh star only recently? That’s certainly an anomaly for an old man, but a decade to go so far… am I missing something?”

Vincent inclined his head. “Indeed, there is more to be said. As I said, I was not searching for disciples. He impressed me with his vigor for one of his age, and I found him pleasant to interact with, but that was all at our first meeting. I remained in the area off and on again for a decade as the bandits grew more bold. They finally destroyed his village. I arrived too late, only to find him dazedly wandering the remains. He had been out on a hunt in midwinter, and hadn’t been present during the attack. He had spotted their camp- and he led me to it. It was then I determined that they had a formation master keeping it hidden. Perhaps I was late in that realization, but that is not the important detail at this moment. Anton still had fire inside him, though he was close to being a sputtering torch. I gave him the Ninety-Nine Stars out of pity, so that he could die in an attempt to avenge his family and village. After that I set about to track down what information I could on the bandits. I merely found a few of their scraps and some potential candidates before I returned to the sect four months later. He was in a small bit of trouble for a conflict with another disciple… and was at that very moment breaking through to the Fifth Star.”

Grand Elder Bohdana widened her eyes. “He reached the fifth star in four months? It’s not unheard of but… for someone of advanced age who just took up cultivating, it’s nearly unbelievable.”

“But his pace has not slowed afterwards,” Grand Elder Vandale waved Vincent to seat himself. “Three months after that he reached the seventh star, which is where he currently is. He has been seeking information on the bandits, and clearly intends to seek them out. I-”

There was a knock on the council door as a messenger stepped in. “Message for Grand Elder Vandale.” She hurried forward and slipped him a note.

Grand Elder Vandale looked at the note in front of him, taking a moment to read it. “Oh. I see. There is some new information. Apparently, he has just achieved the eighth star… half an hour ago.”

Vincent muttered to himself, “That man sure has a sense of timing…”

“Regardless,” Vandale coughed slightly, his voice slightly weak. “It is clear his rate of advancement is… top tier. Few can match him. But one might wonder… if he was not a century old when he began to cultivate, what might that mean?” He looked over the rest of the council, letting them think for a moment. “But about why I called you here. Merely informing you of his existence would be sufficient… but we may have to do something. He is almost certainly going to head to Ofrurg soon. Though it is not completely lawless, it is not safe either. When one specifically is looking for trouble… it could lead to disaster. So what do we do? I doubt any of us here would have the audacity to tell him not to risk his life for those he cares about. Yet if we hold him back, perhaps his cultivation will expire. Even those who are young and healthy do not cultivate well when restrained. I have hopes for his future, but I don’t know if he will have one. So what do we do?”

Bohdana shook her head. “I think we should do nothing. I will admit he’s an enticing disciple, but if he cannot judge danger for himself… his future will go nowhere. Restraining his actions would almost certainly negate whatever future he has. But assisting him… may do so just as much. I would also prefer not to show too much favoritism to any new disciples- and he is new, still. Then there is the potential of war, if we settle the matter for him. We already considered that specific course of action.”

Kunibert once again spoke up, “Could we not at least send a discreet guardian? Or assist him with a team? I am already unsettled at how long those bandits have lived with minimal reprisals from our side.”

Grand Elder McAlister took her turn next. “I agree with Bohdana, though it may seem heartless at first. We should not interfere. Of course, if he recruits others to go with him on his own… that is also allowed. And… though we might think of those who advance quickly as young and rash, he is at least experienced with the world.”

Grand Elder Vandale sighed, “Justice will be done, one way or another. I sincerely hope he is the vessel that will bring it. While I am also concerned for his well being… in addition to fast advancement, his actual performance so far has been exemplary. His mastery of Spirit Arrows is beyond what we would expect at Body Tempering. But, though I would like to say I have full confidence in him… a single person is merely that. I suggest we provide a simple guardian in the middle of Spirit Building. That should not interfere with his development too much, or cause untoward amounts of trouble with Ofrurg.”

Vincent watched and waited as the Grand Elders discussed. He had no idea what the final result would be. He also had his own ideas on what should be done, though the only thing Vincent could be sure about was that whatever happened with Anton would surprise him. Hopefully, those surprises would continue to be good.