Here, seniority, connections, political maneuvering, and a deep understanding of the Church Court's ancient traditions had all lost their former magic.
What mattered here was efficiency, output, the ability to solve problems, and the degree to which one accepted and mastered the ever-changing "new technologies" and "new knowledge."
A young Cultivator from a humble background, skilled in mathematics and mechanics, could be rewarded for optimizing the production process of a workshop and see his status rise rapidly.
But he, Ambrosius, a Cardinal who had navigated the currents of the Church Court for decades, with students and old friends everywhere, might face subtle questioning from his subordinates simply because he couldn't understand a damn financial report or grasp the meaning of some "standard operating procedure." He could even be refuted into silence by a younger colleague's data during a meeting of the Cardinals.
