If Chiara thought that she might fully explain everything over the course of a day, she had been wrong. Everything made sense to her, but it had taken her far longer than she liked to admit to have the necessary change in perspective. Even though Oriana was open to something, her perspective wouldn't suddenly change.

Hopefully, it wouldn't take so many years. But regardless of really understanding, Oriana was at least willing to change a few basic features. First, no worship of the divinities- not that it was a plural anymore. That would directly weaken her, but she had been prepared to die as the losing side of a war. Any path forward where she could survive, even for a bit longer, was acceptable.

Not that she had much choice. It was difficult for her to refuse with Devon around. A full power divinity of the Holy Stars might have given him some trouble in their home territory, but the people's faith was nearly completely shattered.

Rather than try to piece it back together, Chiara thought it was better to repurpose the pieces into something useful. At a very minimum they could implement the base level of the Alliance's doctrine. Cultivation was for everyone, and implementing it into daily life allowed every aspect of culture to grow.

It wasn't that different from what the Holy Stars already did. The practical techniques were actually similarly developed. There were a few areas where each was ahead. The difference was that the common folk didn't have to worship specific individuals above them that didn't really care in return.

Just as individuals couldn't change greatly in an instant, an entire society couldn't just turn at the whims of those in charge. Those who remained positively inclined towards Oriana were confused at the change. They might not actually shift their attitude as they clung to the only thing they knew. Others were less inclined to follow new commands, though they would at least make a public effort.

Fortunately, the things that Chiara wanted to implement were quite sensible, once you were aware of them. It was just going to be a slow change. To that end, she needed more people on her side.

"I have no idea what to do," she admitted to Aerona. "Do I just… wait? Watch generations die off, living unfulfilling lives?"

"You could," Aerona's voice was nearly deadpan.

"But I shouldn't though," Chiara said. "What should I do? What do people want?"

Aerona was eminently qualified to answer the last question. "People want many things… though at the moment not quite as much as they should want. Some have given up and are merely going through the motions."

"But what should I do?" Chiara turned to Devon for answers. "Do you have anything practical?"

"Not myself, no. I am a breaker of chains. After that…" he shrugged. "Well, we just implemented good policy. But if people are unwilling I have little advice of my own. But I can tell you what a wise old man I know would say."

"What is it?" Chiara eagerly waited for something profound.

"Start a farm."

Chiara deflated. "Oh. Anton." She had nothing against the man. Indeed, he was well respected for good reason. "I must admit I've never done much… practical work. I don't think I'd be very good at it."

"It's not difficult," Devon said. "We have vast amounts of information available. Of course, starting with a simple primer is best."

"I fail to see how me starting a farm would help… all of the Holy Stars."

What was she going to do, feed hundreds of systems herself? On that topic, they might have to figure something out. Not every planet had been set up to be self sufficient, and with the reduction in power throughout the Holy Stars transportation was slower and just… less.

They couldn't order people to care, but at the very least someone with influence like Oriana should be able to get people to do more. It would be a shame if there was a complete collapse of social functions just because they overlooked the basics of human needs.

Just because people needed to eat, however, didn't mean that Chiara should start a farm. It was a rather silly suggestion. Devon also wasn't entirely serious… but he was at least partially serious. She had to consider that. What about it was a good idea? Simply getting people working? They already had farms. Would one more be helpful in any way?

Clearly it wasn't about that. She could ask, of course, but it was probably better to come to the conclusion on her own. It should be fairly simple. The real question was what was the problem she was trying to fix?

The Holy Stars was broken. They needed something new to believe in, but it wouldn't be easy to adapt quickly. No small scale project would make any difference there. Turning an entire planet into a farm was pretty unnecessary, because once more they already had those. They weren't all operating at full efficiency, even.

So why had the Holy Stars even bothered starting a war? They didn't need anything. They weren't close neighbors with friction between them. The Holy Stars had plenty of good planets in their systems and sufficient resources to continue at a measured pace. But perhaps that was it. Just enough to continue along, not to grow grand and tall as they intended. Was that really it? The reason they didn't just expand to nearby systems and develop them?

It would have taken too long, and their growth would have slowed. Maybe that would have broken the people's faith. Chiara wasn't certain about that, and the divinities hadn't left clear notes. All she had to go on was discussions with Oriana… which was far from nothing.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

-----

Not wanting to overwhelm Oriana too much, Chiara waited a few days before getting back into serious topics. She had already given the woman enough work to do anyway. Imagine, a middling angel giving orders to a divinity. But she probably wasn't even an angel anymore. Just a cultivator with nostalgic wings of energy. Not a proper Assimilation or Enrichment cultivator either… though perhaps someday.

"What was the purpose of… seeking out new worlds?" Chiara went easy with her wording. She could have said 'starting wars we can't win', but that wouldn't be helpful.

It took some time for Oriana to form an answer. Perhaps she was deciding how much she wanted to say, or maybe she hadn't really thought about it. "Everyone had their own reasons. The Sublime Branch would have benefited significantly from that first system, Klar. An environment with extreme benefits for the plants growing there could greatly enhance our weaponry."

"Was that all?" Chiara asked. "Don't we have grand trees of our own? Holy trees?"

"We have only so much space."

"There are hundreds of lightyears between here and there," she said. "How far did we need to roam? There had to have been something closer!"

Oriana shook her head. "Perhaps, but none of it was as good. We found… many systems of great power. It was only natural to covet them."

"Isn't that… a sin?"

"Not for gods. Or so we convinced ourselves. I have no will to justify myself anymore."

They really hadn't been any better than other cultivators. It was no longer a surprise, but it still stung to think about it. Perhaps that would go away if Chiara thought of herself as part of the Lower Realms Alliance. But… these were still her people.

"We could have made other planets better," Chiara grumbled.

"Do you believe so?" Oriana asked. "It is true that we did not devour the lives of our own planets like some short thinking cultivators. We maintained them and kept the planets prosperous. But that does not mean we were able to build them up to great heights to begin with." Chiara tilted her head. "Why do you think we venerate no ancestral home? It is a planet of little consequence and mediocre natural energy."

"So… all of the planets overflowing with energy are… stolen?"

"I wouldn't say- I wouldn't have said that previously," Oriana grimaced. "Liberated, perhaps. Many were being depleted rapidly by their locals. We have been good stewards of everything that entered our hands. And then we hit…" she shook her head. "I don't even know. All I really experienced was the death of Isiah."

"There are recordings, but I doubt it would make you feel any better," Chiara commented. "I saw the final battle in person. Adelardo tried to kill me when I fled to him."

"What a fool. And you yet live…" Oriana carefully assessed the other woman. "I don't believe you have that power, though."

"Aerona saved me. Even though I was a terrible friend."

Oriana sighed. "No wonder the Holy Stars collapsed, if people saw that."

-----

After the discussion with the divinity, Chiara knew what the Holy Stars needed. Well, aside from a change in name. She would probably let that come about naturally. No, what they needed was a new planet. For that, she was surveying their borders. She would go with something just outside of their traditional territory. There were likely good candidates within their borders, but that wouldn't achieve what she intended.

People of the Holy Stars needed to know that things could be better, not just 'as good as they had ever been'. That wherever they were, they could make that place into something great. For that, Chiara almost chose a fertile planet with decent resources. She almost went to the far end, a barren wasteland. But she didn't want to make the lives of her people miserable for no reason.

A planet that was truly unremarkable, with no marks of any sort in the Holy Stars' records besides its existence. A tolerable atmosphere and decent seasons. A very basic ecosystem that functioned.

It was perfect. Now all Chiara had to do was convince millions of people to transplant themselves to a new planet for… nothing.

"Leadership is hard," she grumbled.

"You do know you can offer something," Aerona pointed out. "Perhaps it's not interest of you given how you developed, but land itself is of great interest to the average individual. Free land… with tools paid for out of the coffers of the Holy Stars."

"Right," Chiara said. "I was going with the assumption of things that never came to pass. Like… our resources being drained."

The Lower Realms Alliance had primarily covered their side of the costs of the war out of savings, with the rest coming from the divinities in the final battle. They carried on them great value. They didn't loot the coffers of the sects of the Holy Stars, despite reasonably having some right to do so.

Ultimately, that meant that Chiara, who now wielded outsized influence in the Holy Stars, controlled many of those resources. It was intimidating… but she supposed if she had something to put it towards it was less so.

"We're going to found a planet so people can see it working in action," Chiara said. "And… everyone will be part of a different community so they aren't influenced by old thoughts." She frowned. "Wait, am I founding a cult?"

"The entirety of the Holy Stars was already a cult," Aerona pointed out. "You won't do people any favor by letting them linger without communities. Just because they are cultivators and can handle a longer time in limbo doesn't mean things are as they should be. But you already know that. Also, a very relevant point… if you don't actually force people to remain isolated they can think for themselves. I would suggest encouraging frequent trips to and from your new planet."

Chiara nodded. "That way, people can spread the word of the theoretical successes. Which I'm somewhat nervous about because I have no experience."

"You'll have to find people that have experience. And are willing to listen to instruction from others," Aerona commented. "But I can help you sort through leadership, at least. It's something I'm good at."

The Lower Realms Alliance could have simply sent some of their people to help found the planet directly… but then it would have been their own project. Using their instructions and techniques was necessary to prove that things could work to develop a planet beyond its base level- in a relatively timely manner. If they took nothing from the Alliance, not even guidance, they would waste centuries trying to recreate the same things.

Chiara also had to admit that part of her purpose was to control the future of her people, as any leader would. It didn't have to be a cult. As long as the path ahead was actually better, people could be taught to understand it. She just hoped that the Holy Stars hadn't ruined them forever. Waiting for future generations to be born would allow far too much death and despair along the way.

If they were already doomed to such a future, she at least wanted to minimize the negative consequences. But if they could do better, she wanted to show people hope as soon as possible.

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