The decision to travel to the Heavenly Sword Sect was a logistical risk, but a political necessity. Arion, having secured the capital's Order, needed the Grand Sky-Jade to complete the Stage 10 Standardized Golem—the key to continental stability. The negotiation required direct engagement with Lady Seraphina, the Empress-Select, and her Stage 9 Elder, Mu, who still viewed Arion's System with suspicion.
Arion prepared the Imperial Envoy not as a military convoy, but as a demonstration of Logistical Perfection. The Envoy consisted of:
Arion Hwa: The Emperor (Stage 8, Logistical Certainty).
Commander Joon: Commander of the Standardized Guard (Stage 2/Synchronization 98%).
Twenty Iron Standard Automatons: The ultimate expression of infantry synchronization.
One Standardized Logistics Transport: A vehicle, built from former Guild assets, that could automatically calculate the most efficient path and resource consumption for the journey.
The Political Calculus of the Envoy
The journey itself was a diplomatic statement. Arion's goal was to trade the Absolute Stability of his standardized domain for the Material Refinement of the Sect.
Arion met with Lady Seraphina and Elder Mu one last time before their departure from the capital. The meeting was held in the Imperial Reception Hall, still stabilized by the Diplomatic Synthesis Array, ensuring Elder Mu could not rely on her Stage 9 intimidation.
Elder Mu was visibly frustrated by the constant neutralization of her domain. "Emperor Hwa, your decision to travel is foolish. The roads are chaotic. Bandits, regional warlords, and the remnants of the Merchant Guild operate freely outside your walls. Your standardized automatons are impressive in a single, controlled environment, but they cannot adapt to the chaos of the true Mortal Realm."
"Elder Mu, chaos is simply an inefficiency that has not yet been quantified," Arion replied calmly. "My journey will not be an act of travel; it will be an act of Standardization. Every chaotic obstacle encountered will be analyzed, neutralized, and logged, improving the efficiency rating of the entire Imperial Road Network."
Lady Seraphina, however, spoke with a subtle interest. She was Stage 8, possessing the traditional power of Spiritual Insight, which allowed her to perceive the chaotic truth of the world. But she was exhausted by the constant, unpredictable political maneuvering required to keep her Sect safe.
"Your Majesty," Seraphina began, her eyes reflecting the complex spiritual chaos she wielded. "I saw what your Certified Value Unit did to the currency crash. It was absolute. But what guarantee do we have that your Order will not stifle the spiritual freedom that my Sect requires to reach the next stages? We value the chaotic insight of the Dao; you value the perfect path of a blueprint."
This was the core conflict. Arion needed to convince her that his Order was not stifling, but foundational.
"Lady Seraphina, the most complex, Stage 12 spiritual enlightenment still relies on the base logistical support of food, refined Qi, and structural integrity," Arion explained, using the language of his System. "Chaos breeds unpredictability. A chaotic supply line means an unreliable food source, an unreliable defense, and ultimately, a shortened lifespan. I do not demand you stop seeking insight; I demand that the foundation upon which you seek it is perfectly stable. My standardization is not a ceiling on spiritual freedom; it is a floor of absolute certainty."
Arion paused, allowing the logic to settle. "I offer your Sect a trade: my Perfect Certainty for your Refined Material (the Grand Sky-Jade). The Golem needs the Sky-Jade to stabilize the Order; the Empire needs the Golem to stabilize the Realm. It is a perfect, logistical co-dependence."
Seraphina slowly nodded. She understood the appeal of a mathematically stable foundation. The chaotic power of her Sect was often wasted fighting for simple resources.
Elder Mu, still skeptical, issued a challenge. "The roads to our Sect pass through the Wild Pass, a region controlled by the chaotic forces of the Red Sand Bandits—Stage 7 leaders who command vast forces of Stage 5 warriors. If you arrive at our gates having neutralized the Red Sand Bandits and standardized the Wild Pass road network, we will consider the trade for the Grand Sky-Jade."
The challenge was audacious. The Red Sand Bandits were an external chaos that had resisted the Empire for centuries. Defeating them was the perfect demonstration of Arion's power outside the capital.
"Accepted," Arion stated immediately. "The Red Sand Bandits are a logistical inefficiency that will be corrected during the journey."
Preparing the Golem's Shadow
Before the Envoy departed, Arion needed to prepare the Golem frame for its eventual activation. Since the Grand Sky-Jade was not yet installed, the Golem was immobile but still contained its Stage 10 kinetic power. Arion created a single, final blueprint for the Capital Arc.
BLUEPRINT 110: TETHERED STABILIZATION FIELDA Class 7 auxiliary array designed to perpetually maintain the stability of the capital's defense, even in the Emperor's absence. It funnels the Golem's latent, unchanneled Stage 10 power into the entire network of Iron Standards.Focus: Autonomous Capital Defense, Force Projection. Input Required: 5 Units Purified Gold Alloy (for connection), 1 Unit Refined Silk (for structural integrity).
The Tethered Stabilization Field ensured that even without Arion, the 100 Iron Standards and Commander Joon's elite unit would maintain their 99.9% synchronization and Stage 6 burst power, powered by the Stage 10 Golem in the pit below. The Capital would remain in a state of Perfect Order, immune to internal attack.
Arion looked at his Commander, Joon, who now moved with the cold, perfect discipline of a machine, yet retained his human flexibility.
"Commander Joon, you will remain here and oversee the capital," Arion commanded. "The Standardized Golem is your shadow. Maintain the Order. If any external force, no matter how great, attempts to breach the capital, the Golem will neutralize them with a proportionate, kinetic counter-force. No chaos is permitted in my absence."
Joon accepted the charge. His loyalty was no longer personal, but systemic—rooted in the objective, undeniable truth of the System's efficiency.
With the capital secured and the external challenge accepted, Arion mounted the Standardized Logistics Transport. He had left the safety of his perfectly ordered domain to face the unpredictable chaos of the wider Mortal Realm, all for the final piece of the Standardized Golem. The journey would be the first true test of his Logistical Certainty against the world's ancient, entrenched inefficiency.