Chapter 246: The Search for the Right Law

Chapter 246: The Search for the Right Law

Noah sat at his desk with several reference materials open on his terminal. He had spent the morning studying the Law of Metal, examining its principles and the accounts of planetary lords who had successfully comprehended it. The subject interested him, particularly because of Eldrath’s reliance on manufacturing and advanced machinery. However, after several hours of reading, he still had not decided whether it was worth pursuing.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at the list of Laws he had been examining over the past few days. Fire, Metal, and Life were among the subjects he had returned to most often. He had already studied their introductory principles during his year of training, but now that he was seriously considering which Law to comprehend, the decision had become much more difficult.

The Law of Metal had initially seemed promising. Eldrath possessed enormous industrial capabilities, and metal remained essential to almost everything the goblins manufactured. Their factories produced everything from ordinary machinery to the sophisticated equipment used in their arcane-industrial systems. Even their most recent technological achievements depended heavily on materials and components manufactured through conventional industrial processes.

Noah considered how that knowledge might benefit the planet, then turned his attention to what comprehending the Law would mean for him personally. He had encountered several references describing its principles, but none gave him a clear idea of how well it would suit his development as a planetary lord. There was also no guarantee that he would be able to comprehend it simply because he understood the importance of metal to his civilization.

He opened the reference for the Law of Fire. The material covered principles associated with fire and its behavior, along with accounts of how different planetary lords had approached its comprehension. Noah spent another hour examining the descriptions before closing the document. He could think of many industrial uses for heat, but those applications did little to help him understand the Law itself.

The Law of Life presented a different possibility. His goblins were living beings, and the continued growth of their civilization depended on their survival and development. Noah found the subject interesting enough to read several additional sections, although much of the material went beyond what he had previously studied.

He attempted to follow one of the introductory comprehension exercises. After settling into meditation, he concentrated on the principles he had just read, trying to understand them through the methods taught in the World Integration Technique. His first attempt produced no progress. He tried again, taking more time to work through the exercise, but eventually opened his eyes without having achieved anything.

Noah checked the time. Most of the afternoon had passed.

He had spent an entire year improving his understanding of Law comprehension. When he first received the World Integration Technique from Garran, even its introductory instructions had been difficult to follow. He could now practice much of the technique without referring to the text. Yet whenever he attempted to direct that understanding toward a particular Law, he encountered difficulties that his general training had not resolved.

He returned to the list of available Laws and continued reading.

Over the following days, Noah repeated the process with different subjects. Some Laws were easy enough to understand at an introductory level, but their descriptions did not convince him to pursue them. Others interested him immediately, only for the comprehension exercises to prove far more difficult than he had expected.

He tried concentrating on one subject for an entire morning, then returned to it the following day. When that produced little progress, he spent more time studying its principles. Several days later, he was still working through the same material.

The other trainees had already begun settling into their chosen directions. Noah occasionally encountered them in the camp library, where books on specific Laws were becoming increasingly popular. Some students had gathered extensive collections of reference materials concerning a single subject. Others spent nearly all their time meditating in the designated training rooms.

Noah had no such direction. His studies continued to cover several different Laws, and each new reference seemed to introduce another possibility.

One evening, he returned to his quarters carrying several books borrowed from the library. He placed them on the desk and opened the World Integration Technique again. The passages concerning planetary integration were familiar by now. He had read them repeatedly throughout the previous year, and his practice had given him a much better grasp of their instructions.

He began another meditation session, concentrating on the principles associated with the Law of Metal. He tried to follow the technique while keeping his attention on the subject, but his understanding remained limited to the descriptions he had studied. After nearly two hours, he ended the exercise and rubbed his forehead.

Perhaps he was approaching the decision incorrectly.

He had spent most of his time considering what each Law could contribute to Eldrath. Whenever he examined a new subject, he immediately began thinking about its relationship to the goblins’ industries, resources, or scientific development. He had devoted much less attention to what the Law might mean for his own advancement.

Noah sat quietly for a while, considering his previous experiences as a planetary lord.

He had participated in military campaigns, commanded the deployment of goblin armies, and fought alongside Imperial forces. There would undoubtedly be more battles in the future, particularly once he advanced beyond his current stage. Whatever Law he eventually comprehended would become part of his own development, and he would have to rely on that comprehension in circumstances far removed from Eldrath’s factories.

He reopened the Law of Metal and examined it with that concern in mind.

He could appreciate the principles described in the reference materials, but appreciation was not the same as comprehension. The industrial capabilities of the goblins were also changing rapidly. Their civilization had already incorporated mana into machinery, something Noah had never expected when he first received Eldrath. Given enough time, they would probably develop technologies he could not currently imagine.

He found himself wondering whether it made sense to choose a Law based primarily on the industries they possessed today.

Noah switched to the Law of Life and continued reading. Its subject seemed broad enough to remain relevant regardless of how far the goblins advanced technologically. However, he had made little progress in understanding its deeper principles, and he was uncertain how it might strengthen his personal capabilities.

He spent another three days examining the subject. During meditation, he tried to apply what he had learned, but his attempts ended without a breakthrough.

By the fourth evening, he was becoming increasingly irritated with the amount of time he had spent sitting in his quarters. He closed the reference materials and stood, stretching his stiff shoulders before walking toward the window. The training camp was quiet, with only a few students crossing the grounds below.

He could continue studying the same books for months without making a decision. He needed something more than descriptions of Laws and accounts written by people who had already comprehended them.

Noah returned to his chair and turned his attention toward Eldrath.

Through his planetary connection, he observed one of the major industrial cities. Large manufacturing complexes occupied entire districts, connected by transportation networks carrying workers and materials between facilities. Arcane-powered machinery operated beside conventional equipment, while enormous processing plants prepared magical crystals for industrial use.

He watched the activity for a while, moving his attention between factories and research institutions. The goblins were continuing to improve their technology without his involvement. New equipment was being tested, and industrial facilities were expanding to accommodate the growing demand for arcane components.

His attention settled on a manufacturing complex where several engineers were examining a machine that had stopped working. One of them removed a panel while another inspected the damaged assembly. After discussing the problem, they disconnected several components and began replacing them.

Noah watched the repair for a short time before moving elsewhere.

He visited a laboratory where researchers were conducting experiments with magical crystals. Several scientists stood around a measuring instrument, discussing the results displayed on their terminals. One researcher adjusted a setting, and the others waited for the next reading.

The scene was familiar. He had observed similar activities many times throughout Eldrath’s development.

He moved his attention away from the industrial district and toward the surrounding residential areas.

A crowded street came into view. Goblins walked between shops, carrying purchases or stopping to speak with acquaintances. Several children ran along the sidewalk while their parents followed behind them. A delivery worker unloaded boxes from a vehicle outside a small business, pausing occasionally to check the address on his terminal.

Noah watched the street for several moments.

Most of his previous observations had concentrated on Eldrath’s development as a civilization. He usually examined its military capabilities, manufacturing industries, scientific institutions, and expanding infrastructure. Those were the places where changes were easiest to see.

But the goblins living in these streets were rarely part of those observations.

He shifted his attention to a small restaurant where several workers were preparing food. Customers occupied the tables, speaking with one another while waiting for their meals. The owner moved between the kitchen and dining area, helping whenever the employees became busy.

Farther down the street, a merchant was negotiating with a customer over the price of several household items. The conversation continued for some time before they reached an agreement. The merchant completed the transaction, and another customer approached almost immediately.

Noah continued watching the city.

He eventually withdrew his attention from Eldrath and returned to his quarters. The reference materials were still open on his terminal, but he left them untouched for the rest of the evening.

The following morning, he resumed studying the World Integration Technique. After completing his meditation, he turned his attention to Eldrath again, this time concentrating on the lives of individual goblins.

He began with a farming community located beyond one of the major cities. Several farmers were working in cultivated fields, inspecting crops and checking irrigation equipment. One goblin noticed a damaged section of a water channel and called another worker over. Together, they removed the obstruction and repaired the damaged section before returning to their work.

In another settlement, Noah watched a teacher helping a group of young goblins with their lessons. One student struggled with a problem while the others continued working. The teacher approached the desk, explained the instructions again, and waited while the student attempted another solution.

He later observed a family preparing dinner. The parents were occupied in the kitchen while their children argued over who would set the table. After a brief disagreement, both children began carrying dishes into the dining area.

None of the activities resembled the work performed in Eldrath’s research institutions, yet they occupied much of the goblins’ daily lives.

Noah returned to his meditation afterward, considering the different things he had observed.

He had originally assumed that Eldrath’s industrial development would provide the clearest indication of a suitable Law. Now he was less certain. The planet contained countless goblins whose lives extended far beyond factories and scientific laboratories. Each had interests, responsibilities, and problems that had little to do with technological advancement.

Over the following weeks, Noah divided his time between studying the World Integration Technique and observing Eldrath.

He watched goblins working in factories, attending schools, managing businesses, and caring for their families. Sometimes he concentrated on a particular profession, while at other times he selected an ordinary settlement and observed whatever happened there.

He saw disagreements between merchants, workers celebrating the completion of difficult projects, and families gathering during local celebrations. In hospitals, medical personnel attended to patients while relatives waited anxiously outside examination rooms. Farmers worked through poor weather, and transportation workers continued moving supplies between distant settlements.

Occasionally, something he witnessed encouraged him to examine a particular Law again. Watching the hospitals renewed his interest in the Law of Life, while the manufacturing facilities brought him back to Metal. He returned to the reference materials and attempted further comprehension exercises, but neither subject produced the progress he was hoping for.

His studies continued without any decisive improvement.

After several more days, Noah began questioning whether his expectations were unreasonable. He had encountered numerous Laws with established comprehension methods and extensive reference materials. Other planetary lords had successfully pursued them, and some were considerably more experienced than he was.

He could choose one of those subjects and concentrate entirely on understanding it.

Yet every time he considered doing so, he found himself thinking about how quickly Eldrath continued to develop. In only a year of his own time, the goblins had spent centuries developing an entirely new branch of technology. Their civilization was already considerably different from the one he had known before the Arcane-Industrial Integration Package.

Noah also had his own future to consider. He could not depend entirely on the goblins whenever he encountered danger. Advancing as a planetary lord would eventually require him to face challenges beyond his planet, and he needed a Law that would contribute to his personal development as well.

He returned to the World Integration Technique and practiced throughout the afternoon. The familiar exercises proceeded smoothly, but when he attempted to concentrate on a specific Law, he encountered the same difficulties as before.

By evening, he was exhausted.

He closed the manuscript and leaned back in his chair. He had spent weeks examining different Laws and observing the goblins, yet he was still unable to make a decision. He had hoped that studying their daily lives would help him identify something he had overlooked, but so far the observations had only given him more possibilities to consider.

For the first time, Noah seriously considered abandoning his search for the ideal Law.

Perhaps he should simply choose one of the subjects he understood reasonably well and devote himself to comprehending it. He had already spent more than a year preparing for his advancement, and continuing to search indefinitely would only delay him further.

He glanced at the references still open on his terminal. The Law of Metal remained among his leading candidates. He had studied it extensively, and its introductory principles were familiar. With enough practice, he might eventually achieve the comprehension required for advancement.

Noah considered returning to it the following morning.

Before ending his studies for the day, however, he decided to observe Eldrath once more.

He turned his attention to a residential settlement on one of the continents. Evening had arrived there, and the streets were crowded with goblins returning home from work. Shops were closing, while restaurants and small businesses remained busy with customers.

Noah moved his attention through the settlement, observing the residents as they went about their activities.

He had already watched countless similar scenes over the past several weeks. He found nothing that helped him narrow his choices.

His attention drifted toward another part of the settlement. Several goblins were gathered near a public square, while others passed through on their way home. He watched them briefly, then prepared to withdraw his attention from the planet.

He was beginning to lose hope that his observations would lead him anywhere.

Just as he was about to end the connection, however, one of the goblins caught his attention.

Noah stopped.

He turned his attention back toward the goblin and observed more closely.