"I welcome you all to this momentous occasion. A first in the history of our great nation, but with many more such days to come.

"Today, we embark on a new journey. We will not rail against a changing world, to be slowly lost to time as it consumes us. We will embrace the new while holding our traditions close.

"People of Merista, my nobles, the coming years will be the ones where we cement our legacy. Let us do what we must to make sure that we lead our people to glory."

King Edward raised his glass, the rest of the room following suit. Laurel declined, knowing this next part was going to be tricky enough without balancing a wine goblet.

"To Verilia as it enters a new era, to Merista, and Decorra as a whole. May wonders continue to grow, and those that seek to stop us fade into history."

That was her cue.

This would have been easier at the sect house, with a better visual as well, but the whole council had insisted they needed the gravitas of the throne room. And the implied royal power that went along with it. Adam had been spitting mad at the idea of a pack of nobles visiting anyway, so to the palace it was.

She reached deep into her connection to the Core, tugging ever so slightly with a strand of mana. In an idea inspired by Devon's commentary on her sparring match with Martin a fortnight before, the ambient mana resolved itself into a representation of the Core. It was hazy and translucent, but everyone in the room could now see the crystalline structure, emanating golden light.

Like a bucket filled to the brim, ready to slosh over at each moment, Verilia was ready to take the plunge. It was easy as a sigh to tip over that edge. The golden light bubbled and frothed, then, with a single nudge, poured out of the crystal. Another thing just for show, but it made an impression nonetheless.

Closest to the center, Laurel was first to feel the mana infusing her. It was refreshing, like a shower after a long day. She took a deep breath and embraced the feeling, letting it rejuvenate her body and spirit.

Most of the nobles present didn't actually live in Verilia, and so the light passed through them with no effect. The king and his council, those bound to the city at least, were hit next, along with the servants. Their reactions were a bit more extreme. For most, it was the first experience they had actually feeling the mana within their bodies. It was only positive though. A healthy Core could not harm its Citizens. Around the room she saw people standing taller, smiles taking over from neutral expressions. The king himself did an admiral job of not reacting, only a subtle shifting of feet betraying the change. Curson stood stock still beside him, not flinching at all.

Laurel indulged herself and closed her eyes, letting her senses spread out on the ripple of mana. Riding the wave through the city, flashes of her new Citizens rose to the fore of her consciousness. Most felt it as a shiver and then moved on. Some stopped what they were doing, waiting for the warm sensation to pass. Then they continued on with their day, livelier and with an unexplained good feeling. The smallest group had a more extreme reaction. Laurel felt a few dozen at least throughout the city, becoming cultivators. Or having the path to becoming a cultivator eased. They would be her job for the next few days, tracking them down and explaining what happened. Extending offers of guidance or suggestions as needed.

With a twist of mana she activated one of the new features available in the Core. They would each be monitored, and Laurel, or Martin if she was busy, would be alerted to any changes in their mana that might signal something dangerous.

As the wave reached the edges of the Core's domain, each of the pillars she had painstakingly placed around the city began to glow. Anchor nodes didn't have to be so flashy, but they had mana to spare, and it was the best way to access many of the Core's functions. At least, according to the sect records.

It struck her then, like a raging bull. Or Martin when she let her guard down. This was as far as the Eternal Archive had ever been before. They had the theoretical understanding of what it would take to become a Capital, had been close with the Citadel. But they hadn't reached that goal when the world went sideways. A dozen sectmasters had spent centuries, carefully guiding the development of the Citadel. They had schemed and fought to bring the sect to prominence, suborning the sects in the entire region through careful politics or strength of arms, all to reach the same point that Laurel had found within a handful of years.

It defied belief. That it was her, and not one of the hundred more qualified cultivators she could have pointed to as a better option.

Standing there, in front of nobles she didn't care about, and a few friends she very much did, Laurel made a silent promise. To all the members of the sect that had come before, ascending or dying as their path led them. To those that perished in the fall. To Borin, sacrificed on the altar of her own fears. Finally to the members today, of a sect that had risen like a phoenix from the ashes, and the people of the country they called home. They would become a Capital, then a World Capital. They would make sure magic users and mortals had a way forward in harmony. And they would break open the Order of Decorra and drink the marrow.

Laurel opened her eyes and surveyed the room. "We are a City. Let's party."

Turns out nobles are just as willing to cheer for free booze as anyone else.

***********

George had been warned along with the rest of the sect, so he was ready when the mana changed. Like the others he had found somewhere soft to wait. As the mana infused his body, he started cultivating. It was supposed to be a small but noticeable boost for the next day, and Laurel had made it very clear that they would all be taking advantage of it.

With his guns in his lap, he followed the breathing patterns he had been taught, and urged his mana to move faster. After a while he forced the part of him holding the pattern to the back of his mind and was able to meditate on his cultivation.

"A metal attunement gained more by luck than anything else" was how Laurel had described it to him months ago. Ever since he had been trying to focus on the aspect, see what else he could get out of it or develop it into. But he had found almost no resonance with anything except his guns and ammunition. Laurel and Devon were both metal cultivators in some sense or another but he hadn't yet had the courage to ask them about it. He would. Once he made some progress on his own.

**********

Following their sectmaster's suggestion, Rebecca and Eric had both spent the day cultivating outside the city. The extended range of the Core and the life-aspect of both of their cultivation made it easier to connect when surrounded by nature. Things had settled about an hour ago, and Rebecca gave up and flopped back. Whatever changes had happened were done now, they could relax.

"How'd it go?" Eric's quiet voice reminded her she wasn't alone.

"Oh. Went well, I guess? Like usual but a bit better. You?"

"Yeah, the same I guess." He leaned back against a tree they had cultivated under. It was a good one, Rebecca could tell. Old, weather-beaten. It had seen a lot of life and still came out thumbing its nose at the city, as though daring it to encroach any further.

She realized after a few beats of silence that she had no idea what to say. Eric was always around, but the boy faded into the background. Not like Gabrielle or Leander, who everyone was forced to notice. Rebecca struggled to remember much more than the basics, which made her feel terrible. She saw Eric every day. In cultivation they were the most similar of their little group, that's why they were out here in the first place.

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Whether because he felt the same pressure from the silence, or just because he felt like it, Eric swerved their conversation onto a different track. "How is your hand?"

Rebecca reared back like he'd punched her in the face. No one ever mentioned her hand. No one even looked at it. She could tell, when people glanced away too quickly or ignored it when she dropped something.

"What do you mean?"

Her tone had Eric shifting where he sat. "I don't know. Just how is it in general?"

"Fine. I guess? Missing some fingers."

He looked encouraged when she didn't immediately attack. "So, I came across something in my research and I thought you might be interested."

"Research?"

"Yeah. I've been looking into other cultivators with injuries. There aren't a ton. Usually only the powerful ones leave records, and most of those can regrow pretty much anything. And I found a technique I think you should read. The guy was an earth cultivator. But like stone, specifically. I guess he was a big deal, helped build some of the original sect. Anyway, he lost an arm while he was young in a landslide or something. They couldn't heal it, he doesn't say why. But after that, he figured out a way to build an arm out of rock. So like, whenever he had to fight, or build or something that was easier with two hands, he just made a new arm."

"You've been reading about injured cultivators?"

"Yeah. Did you hear the story? I'll lend it to you."

"But why?"

Eric actually blushed and averted his eyes a bit. "You're my friend. I'm supposed to be the healer and the most I can do right now is help a scab form if someone gets a cut. Of course I'm looking into it."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. Here she was thinking about how she didn't really know Eric that well, and he was doing his best to find ways to help her.

Flint chose that moment to drop out of the tree onto Eric's shoulders, hugging the boy around the head. They both broke into snickering laughter. Rebecca fished out a piece of dried fruit and passed it over to Flint, who took it with a bob of his head.

"He's getting smarter," Eric said.

By unspoken agreement they started back towards the sect house, and what was sure to be an incredible feast to mark the event.

"Yeah, I think so. Laurel said to expect some changes but that there was no set path he would take." Inspiration struck. "If you've been doing so much research have you seen anything on spirit beast companions? I should have looked it up before now but, well, I got distracted."

"A pointless rivalry will do that. But I can show you around."

"Pointless?!"

They laughed and joked all the way back to the sect. Rebecca was right, the dinner Esther had come up with for the evolution of the Core was the best thing either of them had ever eaten.

*********

Another day, another council meeting. The journey Laurel had been on could be mapped by how hard Mansfeln frowned when she walked into the room. They were in a good era, the ghost of a smile didn't immediately fall off the man's face. Laurel took her time to get settled, ordering her favorite tea blend that the palace kept in stock from one of the aides, and like the others, waiting until it was brewed while making small talk before they started on anything important. But it couldn't be put off forever.

"Verilia has now reached the status of City. From my count, 42 citizens awakened cultivation during the Core evolution. Several more afterwards. That will slow down now that everything is settled.

"The Core's domain now extends several kilometers outside of the City, on both land and extending into the ocean. That means better notice if strange cultivators show up, or anything else we might need to look at.

"We've already talked about most of the perks. With so many people and so much mana, we'll be able to create a City Feature about once every other month or so. Faster for the easier ones, longer between the big ones. I know we made a list but just in the last few days I've realized quite a few more options. I'd like to revisit that list, though we have time. Not a lot but some."

She wrapped up her report feeling rather pleased with herself. A fully-fledged City within less than five years was something to be proud of, no matter what shortcuts she had taken. The tea was smooth and rich when it slid down her throat.

"It's quite something," Curson said. "Just how much the world has changed, and how much it hasn't with the rise of magic."

"Quite." King Edward agreed. "But I'm afraid we can't rest on our laurels." A long pause. "Apologies, I've been saving that for years. But we do need to consider what comes next."

Laurel gave a quick moment of thanks to the universe at large that Martin was not here for that pun. "Agreed. While I'm rather proud of the achievement, we're still well behind Laskar. Rushing a Core evolution might be rather gauche but it is necessary."

"What does the next step take?" Theresa asked.

"More of the same, mostly. We need other Cores developed, and then I will build sort of magic pathways between them. We end up with a network of Cores. When that gets wide enough, we become a Capital. I think."

"You think?" Mansfeln repeated her last phrase, making it clear it was a demand more than a question.

"We're getting into new territory for this planet. There aren't any more guidebooks to reference. But I can tell that's what the Core needs for now. It might need something more before we can officially evolve again."

"Let's hear some suggestions." The king cut off what was sure to be an impressive tirade from Mansfeln about operational planning. "We've spent the last year or so mostly trying to plug the gaps with Cores in our smaller towns and villages. Even our soon-to-be-Cities are mostly being managed by a rotating group of volunteers. Thoughts?"

"We have found a recipe that works here, why not try it again?" Theresa suggested. "We are already offering a similar deal to Devon to start another sect in Harock, we can encourage similar individuals or groups in our larger population centers."

"It has worked here yes, but it is not so simple," Mansfeln countered. "Madam Stormblade and her sect's defensive prowess is a large reason she is given such latitude. At these new sects, we will need to station military battalions anyway to prepare for beast waves. Our whole deployment strategy has been shifting. Does that amount of freedom really make sense for others?"

"We already have nobles and guilds that have significant privileges outside of the crown's authority," Ridge added. "Is another group with such power the way to go? Sorry Laurel but it needs to be said."

"Why not split the difference?" Laurel said. "I'm a proponent of the sect system. Offer any group that can prove a minimum level of competency a reduced version of the deal with the Archive. For the groups that don't have the combat power, station more soldiers. You could even make soldiers the backbone of some of the city's sects. Whatever you need to do to get the Cores cultivated."

"I don't suppose you have a few more friends waiting in the wings, that might be interested in such a deal?" The king asked. He mostly stayed out of the debates, letting the council go back and forth and reach a conclusion. But with a sense of humor, apparently.

"If I do, they're either worlds away or traitors. Believe me when I say no one regrets that more than me."

"Apologies. That was crass of me."

Laurel waved off the moment and let the conversation continue. Nothing would be decided today, but they would make progress, and that was the important thing. She had plenty of work to start on for herself. They wouldn't be lagging behind for long.

************

Some rustling noises tried to intrude on his concentration, but he was able to ignore them. After months of practice, he had found a use for his mana aspect beyond throwing ink at things and hoping for the best result. Eyes narrowed, he laser focused on the page, where a thin stream of ink was writing out sentences in an even hand. It was slower than just writing normally. By quite a lot, if he was honest. But the handwriting was better than anything he could produce, and saved him the cramps from a day spent clutching a pen. He would improve with practice.

"Ahem."

Adam looked up to see Annette sitting with a raised eyebrow. "When did you get here?"

"Five minutes ago. Honestly, how did you survive a spy mission across continents?"

He forced himself not to flinch. It was getting better, day by day. The memories didn't fade, but they did soften into something that didn't hurt to touch. He still didn't like being reminded of how very close he had come to not surviving said mission.

"I didn't do much reading," he said, hoping the flippant comment let her drop the whole thing.

"Making up for lost time on the translations, then, or something else?"

Adam tipped the blank, leather-bound book up to display to Annette, letting her read the title.

"A History of the Eternal Archive, from its Second Founding. You're recording our history."

"Yes!" he exclaimed. This new project was verging into obsession. "We've seen how much we rely on knowledge from the past. And how much we suffer when it's not there.

"Just think. We have what every scholar can only wish for. The opportunity to record history in a thorough and straightforward manner. We are crafting the primary sources of far-off generations. Our own place in history."

He reached down and pulled out a notebook, this one handwritten, with crossed out lists and hastily drawn diagrams. "I've put together a framework. We can have all the members keep journals of their cultivation. Along with their personal accounting of events that transpire. We can index based on cultivation features, along with demographics of each cultivator, their backgrounds, age, et cetera. Even listing out what techniques they try or works they choose to translate."

Annette held up a hand, halting the onslaught of ideas. He had been getting a bit loud. "Ambitious. I'm not sure you'll get everyone to do it, but it's an interesting idea. I'll have Natalia add it to the contribution system as a yearly repeatable for earning extra points."

"Natalia? The lass from out east?"

"Yes. She and a few of the others will be taking rotating assistant roles to help with the administrative aspects of the sect. Laurel is anticipating another influx of members, and I need time for my own cultivation."

He leaned back in his chair and looked Annette up and down. "How much did that hurt you to say?"

That finally got her to crack a smile. "A bit. It gets easier each time I admit I might need some help."

"Good."

"Good." She said back.

They both burst into laughter. When they had finally calmed down Adam looked back at Annette.

"Things are going to get even crazier, aren't they?"

She let out a long sigh. "I think that might be what we signed up for."

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