Chapter 1071: Getting Better

On a personal level, Gawain regarded Melita as a friend and held a natural goodwill and admiration for the glorious draconic civilization. But when it came to making decisions, he couldn’t simply act on personal feelings. As the ruler of an empire, he had to ensure that every bit of wealth his citizens created was put to proper use.

Now, Talrond was in trouble. Although Melita and the other envoys hadn’t formally asked for aid yet, it was only a matter of time. Gawain could certainly offer help, but any assistance had to come with reciprocal benefits—political, technological, economic, resource-based, or even purely humanitarian. All these factors had to be weighed carefully.

After considering all these angles, Gawain ultimately concluded that aiding Talrond now was a potentially lucrative investment.

A centipede may die, but it doesn’t lie down dead. Even in decline, the once-mighty Talrond civilization was a treasure trove. Beyond the ancient technologies buried beneath the wastelands and the wealth the dragons had amassed and preserved through the wars, the dragons themselves were a formidable force on this planet—one that no mortal kingdom could ignore. The chance to assist such powerful beings was truly once in a lifetime.

Gawain sat on the sofa, thoughtfully pondering the implications and the necessary measures to take. Rebecca watched curiously, unable to hold back after a while. “Ancestor, what are you thinking about?”

Gawain glanced at the young woman and smiled. “Just thinking about providing aid to Talrond… It’s a rare opportunity to earn the gratitude of the dragons.”

Heddy, sitting nearby, blinked and her mind started racing. “Should we get the merchants moving? We could buy up large stocks of surplus and even old grain from the northern countries. That way, before the first harvest this year, no one else could spare any more food to help Talrond. We’d become the dragons’ biggest—and maybe only—source of food aid. That would be a monopoly of sorts. Given the dragons’ tradition of honoring contracts and ethics, we’d secure their fullest and longest-lasting support. It might cost a lot, but compared to the dragons’ backing, the grain is a small price to pay.”

Heddy’s clever idea caught Amber and Rebecca’s attention, and even Gawain looked a bit surprised. But after a moment’s thought, he shook his head. “Honestly, I like the idea… If this were the old days, we might have done exactly that. But not anymore.”

Heddy was momentarily stunned. “Why not?”

Before Gawain could answer, Amber spoke up. “It’s simple. Times have changed. Cecil used to act alone, but now we’re building an alliance with rules everyone must follow. We can’t just hog all the meat and leave others with nothing—not even the broth. We have to share, or else who in the world will trust Cecil’s idea of ‘shared destiny’?”

The half-elf’s offhand explanation surprised both Gawain and Heddy. The latter’s eyes widened. “That’s not something I’d expect you to say!”

Amber put her hands on her hips. “Why not? It’s just about making friends and alliances. I’ve seen plenty of that back in the slums.”

Her words made sense, but her smug expression was infuriating. Heddy fought the urge to blast her with an ice arrow—though she knew she probably wouldn’t hit. After shooting Amber a sideways glance, Heddy turned back to Gawain. “So, ancestor, how do we ensure Cecil takes the lead in this matter?”

“Simple,” Gawain said with a smile, seizing the chance to teach Heddy about future international affairs. “We can’t monopolize grain purchases anymore, but we can be the first to step up, to call and organize. The difference between being a lone hero and playing a role in an alliance is that your ‘voice’ equals real power and resources. If you use your prestige and balancing influence to lead an effort, even if you don’t actually contribute much, everyone will think you gave the most.

“Of course, people aren’t fools. If we contribute nothing, no matter how much prestige or influence we have, it will fade. Besides, the alliance is still in its infancy—we don’t have much prestige or leverage yet. So real money and effort have to go in. Leading means acting like a leader. It costs more than just doing a little, shouting a lot, and putting on a show—but it’s worth it in the long run.”

Gawain spoke patiently, and Heddy listened intently. In just a few sentences, she gained insights she’d never considered before. Once she understood, everything clicked.

“Well, there’s no end to this kind of talk,” Gawain finally said, noticing the late hour. A complex, self-deprecating smile crossed his face. “I’m really turning into an old man, lecturing without realizing it.”

“Please don’t say that. Your ‘lectures’ are invaluable,” Heddy quickly replied. “Your experience and wisdom are a treasure.”

“Alright, alright, flattery won’t get you anywhere,” Gawain chuckled, waving her off. Then he turned his gaze to the dragon egg resting nearby on a grooved stand. It shimmered faintly gold under the light, runes flickering across its surface, mysterious patterns faintly visible beneath the shell. Gawain’s expression grew strange. “Maybe I should focus on what to do with this thing…”

His words immediately drew everyone’s attention back to the egg. Amber couldn’t help but circle it once before blurting out, “Speaking of that egg… Are you really not involved? You were summoned by that dragon goddess late at night, spent the whole evening talking, and soon after, Talrond sent the egg over—specifically asking you to take care of it. Doesn’t that sound like… uh, yikes!”

Amber’s sentence ended with a startled shout as a nearly head-sized ice orb whizzed past her ear—Heddy had grabbed her staff and was glaring daggers at the troublemaker. Gawain quietly advised, “Next time, try aiming a little lower…”

Cold sweat dripped down Amber’s temple. Rebecca, trembling beside her, dared not say a word. She suddenly recalled she’d said something similar not long ago and felt like she deserved a beating.

After a moment, Heddy finally lowered her staff, shooting a sharp look at both Rebecca and Amber. Then she glanced at the dragon egg and back at their ancestor. “Are you really going to hatch it? We still don’t know the true intention behind the ‘goddess’ entrusting you with this egg… Even if she means no harm, the consequences of hatching it could be unpredictable.”

“I understand your concerns,” Gawain said. “But we have to try first to see how it reacts to external stimuli. And honestly… aren’t you curious?”

Heddy stared at the egg, hesitating before nodding shyly. “I am curious what might hatch from it.”

“Set up a special room for it,” Gawain said thoughtfully. “Maintain the temperature according to Melita’s parameters. Have technicians install magical nets and conversion devices inside. Then arrange shifts to monitor it constantly for any unusual changes.”

…

Under the night sky, Cecil City still blazed with light. Artificial illumination sparkled across the land, turning the city at the foot of the dark mountains into a dazzling city that never slept. Near the central district, Cassandra was curiously observing this human capital, so different from the northern port city.

She maintained her sea serpent form, slithering leisurely under a streetlamp at the square’s edge. The light glinted off her shimmering scales, casting a dreamlike glow. Sleepy Tyr followed beside her, waddling forward with a swaying head—he’d been dragged out by Cassandra, since the deep-sea witch was unfamiliar with the city and needed a guide. Tyr was the only one of her kind here.

Occasionally, curious citizens glanced their way, eyeing the two sea creatures strolling through the square. But no one was rude enough to approach. This city had a strange pride and reserve. Its inhabitants were curious and adventurous but always maintained a polite, restrained demeanor around outsiders. Cassandra didn’t know how this culture had formed but found it admirable.

“Seriously, can you stay awake for once?” Cassandra finally snapped after Tyr nearly nodded off for the third time. “When I looked for you this evening, you said you needed a nap. When I found you later, you were napping. Now it’s almost ten o’clock, and you say you’re going to nap again? Don’t you think something’s wrong?”

Tyr lazily lifted his eyelids and gave his long-lost kin a look. “Obviously, it’s night. Of course I’m going to sleep. Ten o’clock sharp. What’s wrong with my schedule?”

Cassandra had heard of “Tyr the Sleeper” back in Antavian but hearing his confident logic now made her bury her face in her hands. “Sleeping at night is fine, but you’re supposed to be awake during the day… I’m just wondering—do you ever actually stay awake?”

Tyr raised his head. “Of course! I’m awake in my dreams!”

Cassandra was speechless.

The deep-sea witch shook her serpentine tail and slithered toward a nearby late-night shop. A few night-shift workers passed by in groups, two of them glancing curiously at Cassandra’s tail. Though they quickly smiled politely and looked away, Cassandra noticed the stares—and recalled the strange looks she’d been getting since arriving in the city. She frowned and looked at her kin. “Tyr, something feels off…”

Tyr, still half-asleep, looked up. “What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t the people of Cecil familiar with sea creatures?” Cassandra gestured to her tail. “But today, many humans seemed surprised and stared at my tail with intense curiosity…”

“How should I know why?” Tyr shrugged carelessly, his long tail curling up as he waddled forward in little hops. “Why don’t they just stare at my tail instead? So it’s definitely you who’s got the problem. Come on, come on, let’s go already. After I show you around the nearby shopping street, I’m going back to sleep…”

Is it really my problem?

Cassandra pondered this quietly, then shook her head and straightened up, ready to catch up with Tyr, who was already waddling away. But after just a couple of steps, she finally noticed the way his tail was moving in those little hops.

In an instant, the deep-sea witch realized what the problem was.

“Tyr!! You still haven’t learned how to crawl normally?!” Cassandra shouted. “For the love of the Endless Deep—look, if you really can’t manage it, just grow some legs and walk upright, okay?”

“Nope. Walking on legs means I can’t curl up and sleep whenever I want.”

Tyr waved his hands dismissively, offering a set of excuses to brush off Cassandra’s request. The deep-sea witch grew annoyed and shouted angrily from a distance—while beside them, the sleepless city buzzed ever louder and more vibrant under the glow of countless lights.

Human scholars from the northwestern city-states strolled leisurely through the streets, discussing arcane technology and the roar of machines in factories;

Short gray elves weaved through the night market stalls and crowds, tall western orcs and dark-skinned Red Valley tribesmen walked alongside humans;

Not far away, above a magical broadcast device, a holographic documentary on elven culture played, drawing a few golden-haired, long-eared silver elves who watched with curious expressions as humans tried to understand customs rooted deep in tropical forests;

Further off toward the harbor, northern night vessels had just docked, and a group of young people from the Old Capital had just set foot on this land, their hearts burning with dreams of the future. The legendary mage-tycoon Philm was their hero.

Wings flapped and buzzed overhead as a massive shadow swept across the city skyline. Amid the navigation lights and blinking beacons, the outline of dragon wings could be seen—students from the Holy Dragon Principality, training for night flights under their instructor’s guidance. Wearing steel wing apparatuses designed for training, they took off from the Imperial Academy, flew over the city, and headed toward the training camp in the western forest, where they would join officer cadets for a two-week spring training.

The top dragonborn student in each class would receive a brand-new, permanently owned steel wing apparatus, complete with Princess Rebecca’s autograph.

From the tall Autumn Palace tower, Melita Pernia lowered her gaze from the sky. Watching the excited dragonborn students soar overhead, a faint smile finally appeared on her face.

“Things are looking up…”

(End of chapter)