Chapter 1086: The Closed Loop

Everything that needed to be discussed had been discussed; the direction had been set. As the great sun slowly climbed to its zenith, its faintly wood-grained radiant crown bathed the entire Silver Base No. 112 in light. High King Gawain raised his glass one last time to Rosetta Augustus—after this, what came next was a matter for the diplomats of their two nations to handle.

Gawain didn’t know how the nobles of Typhon would view the outcomes of this closed-door meeting, nor how future historians might record or speculate about these negotiations. For him personally, the exchanges of interests between Cecil and Typhon were never the main point. All of this… was just one piece in his grand design to reshape the world.

Everything was for a greater victory. He wasn’t sure if Rosetta Augustus had fully grasped the ambitious scope of his goals, but judging by her demeanor… this brilliant and strategic ruler was likely not entirely oblivious.

Gawain rose from his seat, but before leaving with Amber, he couldn’t suppress a final flicker of curiosity. “I’m curious—how exactly did you figure out the true purpose of the Winter’s Chill?”

This was the question that had been nagging at him: in an age when all humanity had turned away from the seas, when no one even thought in terms of naval power, how had Typhon connected a lone warship patrolling the ocean’s surface to the concept of a near-shore blockade? How had they even conceived of repairing outposts hidden in the ship’s blind spots to protect their maritime sovereignty?

“To be honest, it wasn’t me who first noticed,” Rosetta said, surprising Gawain as she shook her head and gestured toward Matilda, who had spoken little throughout the meeting. “It was my daughter. She was the first to realize that your true objective might never have been Winterhold.”

Only then did Gawain turn his gaze to Matilda—the “Jewel of the Empire,” who had remained quietly attentive like a modest junior, speaking little. Matilda met his eyes calmly, her expression serene.

“Would you share your thoughts?” Gawain asked gently, as if making casual conversation.

“From the very beginning, I never believed you truly intended to occupy Winterhold,” Matilda replied with a faint smile, answering like a respectful younger relative responding to an elder’s question. “I didn’t think you’d make any demands or conditions over Winterhold. You would withdraw your troops unconditionally—and you would do so openly, making sure every nation knew you took nothing in return.”

Gawain’s eyes sharpened, and he nodded slightly. “Go on.”

“You would do this because your real goal isn’t Typhon,” she continued. “You want the highest voice in the Alliance. You want to be the one who sets the rules. Winterhold can’t be taken because the whole world is watching Cecil’s next move—watching what the future ‘Alliance leader’ intends by imposing their order. Of course, you could justify occupying Winterhold in countless ways—after all, Typhon was the first to ‘start the war,’ so morally they’re at fault, and Cecil’s occupation is a legitimate counterattack. But no matter how sound those reasons are, taking Winterhold would damage the Alliance’s cohesion.

“For the smaller, cautious nations watching, it doesn’t matter if the occupation is justified—they only care about the outcome. You could claim Winterhold with a reasonable excuse, or even take other territories with better reasons. But if you do, even if they join the Alliance, no one will fully trust most of your promises anymore.

“Besides, the truth about this ‘war’ will come out eventually, and that truth will further undermine your legitimacy in occupying Winterhold. I’m sure you’ve considered that.”

Gawain listened to Matilda’s analysis with some surprise, a look of genuine appreciation crossing his face. “Well said. You have a keen sense of the situation.”

“It’s not really about judgment,” Matilda said, lowering her head. “It’s just a simple cost-benefit comparison. Compared to controlling all of Loren’s continent, Winterhold is too small, isn’t it?”

“…The era of grabbing war gains through raw, brutal means like land occupation and resource plunder is over,” Gawain said gravely, then shifted gears. “But why did you think my real goal was those islands? Isn’t taking islands still taking territory?”

“Because most people only think of ‘territory’ as land on the continent,” Matilda answered immediately. “The division of interests at sea is a blind spot for most nations—they don’t even consider it anyone’s territory. They focus on Winterhold but ignore whether you’ve taken a few remote islands. Only countries beginning to step into the ocean realize that beyond the coastline, gold and silver flow just as surely. And according to our reconnaissance, the Winter’s Chill’s patrol route has always hovered near those islands.”

Gawain smiled faintly. “Child, you seem to think very ill of me.”

“No, I admire you—second only to my father,” Matilda said, lifting her head. Her clear yet profound eyes fixed on Gawain’s face. “I just think you’re so powerful it’s a little frightening. So I watch carefully for any sign of aggression. You’re a hero, but heroes aren’t always saints. A competent ruler must be greedy—if only to protect millions under their care, they must constantly weigh gains and losses. Unfortunately… in this accidental war, Typhon lost the initiative.”

“Heroes aren’t always saints…” Gawain was silent for a few seconds, then nodded softly. “I’ll remember that line. Well said, Matilda.”

He withdrew his gaze and turned to leave, but Matilda suddenly called after him, “Please wait.”

Gawain stopped and looked back at the dark-haired Typhon princess. “Yes? Is there something else?”

“If—just hypothetically—if we hadn’t set up outposts on those islands, what would you have done? If you had more than just the Winter’s Chill, what then?”

Gawain thought for a moment, then answered calmly: “If I had more warships, I’d seize every island immediately. And if you didn’t respond, I wouldn’t just take them—I’d demand a century of free, unrestricted passage along the entire eastern coast—from Dragoncall Bay all the way to Mobius, and from Mobius down to the southeastern shores of the Highland Kingdom.”

Matilda’s eyes widened slightly, surprised. Then she lowered her head and whispered, “…I understand.”

Gawain left the room with Amber, leaving only Rosetta and Matilda in the sunlit reception hall.

Silence lingered for several minutes before Rosetta finally broke it. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”

Matilda looked up, surprised. “Father, what do you mean?”

“He wouldn’t occupy those islands, nor demand free, unlimited passage,” Rosetta said, his expression suddenly very serious. He furrowed his brow, lost in thought for a long moment before his stern face softened into a complex smile. “I thought I’d figured out his intentions after his second ‘concession’…”

“We’ve only signed an internal memorandum so far. The real negotiations haven’t even begun,” Matilda said quickly. “We still have some room to maneuver…”

“No,” Rosetta interrupted, his smile growing even more complicated. “If he hadn’t mentioned Talrond and the Theocracy Council, I wouldn’t mind losing some face. But now… he’s shown me a future that’s hard to refuse. His price is high, but it’s worth the challenge.”

He gradually wiped the complex smile from his face and turned to Matilda, speaking quickly and seriously: “Contact the ambassadors of the Highland Kingdom and the Silver Empire immediately. Finalize those trade and port-opening agreements. If necessary, lower our demands. No matter what, before the Continental Ring Route agreement takes effect, we must hold onto our markets and influence at the southern tip of the continent.”

“Is it still possible? The Cecilians have probably already started preparing. Gawain Cecil even met with the Silver Empress yesterday afternoon… They have personal ties.”

“Friendships that go back seven hundred years…” Rosetta’s expression darkened briefly. He glanced at the red fruits on the nearby tea table, feeling the helplessness of dealing with a man who seemed to have stepped out of history itself. But he shook his head and said gravely, “We’ll do what we can. Hold on to as much as possible. Cecil may be ahead, but they’re still far from the southern continent. They can’t eat this entire feast alone.”

…

In a town rich with elven style, the lively atmosphere was everywhere. Magic-powered carriages bearing the Cecil emblem rolled down the main avenue. Along the roadside, members of various nations’ delegations mingled with elven officials responsible for order and hospitality. Gawain and Amber sat in the back of one carriage, admiring the foreign architecture while relaxing their slightly tense nerves.

In a corner of the carriage’s interior, subtle runes glimmered softly. A small soundproofing barrier blocked out the noise outside, making the cabin especially quiet and comfortable.

After a long silence, Amber finally broke it. “You never really intended to take those islands, did you?”

“…Not exactly,” Gawain smiled. “If they were offered for free, I wouldn’t refuse. But if Typhon doesn’t realize the value of a foothold at sea, why should I worry about their future?”

Amber scratched the back of her head. Though brilliant in intelligence work, she was less experienced in other areas. “…Is a Continental Ring Route really that valuable?”

Gawain glanced at the half-elf, who was clearly thinking hard. “More valuable than those islands, at least. The Ring Route itself is just a ‘route,’ but add one condition and it becomes something else entirely—right now, Cecil is the only nation capable of assembling large-scale trade fleets and ocean-going warships.”

Amber repeated the word instinctively: “The only one…”

“If our fleet can circle the continent, and every nation along the way depends on us to maintain their maritime trade lines—if their modern trade systems are built with our help—then all the coastal regions of Loren become our shores. Those nations, reliant on the Ring Route and profiting hugely from sea trade, will even help us maintain it. We’re both their provider and their maritime guardian. The logic isn’t hard to grasp.”

Amber finally caught on. “…Whoever first challenges Cecil’s naval authority threatens the economic lifeblood of all coastal nations.”

Gawain nodded gently, though there was one thing he didn’t say aloud.

Although his plan for the circumnavigation route around the continent was far-reaching, there was still one nation on the Loren continent that he found difficult to influence: the Silver Empire, located at the extreme southern tip of the continent, much of whose territory lay on a massive island. Though the elves had been in decline for many years, the legacy of their ancestors remained formidable. Their deep-rooted national strength was equally unshakable. With such abundant resources at their disposal, the Silver Elves naturally held considerable sway over this route.

But he wasn’t worried about that. The Silver Elves’ heritage was as much a burden as it was a blessing. Their powerful ancestral legacy gave them great strength, but it also, much like the Deep Blue Well of old, bound them tightly within a “fortress” woven from the Star Temple and various ancient factories. This binding shaped the Silver Empire’s characteristic of “non-expansion.” At least for the foreseeable future, this trait wasn’t something easily changed.

That meant the Silver Empire would fully enjoy the benefits brought by the circumnavigation route and, to some extent, help maintain its operation. For Gawain, that was already enough to meet his goals.

Of course, the Violet Kingdom in the north of the continent was another matter… but as for this “hermit kingdom” hidden behind layers of mist, he didn’t have many thoughts at the moment. After all, during their limited previous contact, the mages there had already acknowledged the existence of North Harbor and opened the straits between the Violet Kingdom and the northern coast. That was sufficient.

Gawain rubbed his slightly tense forehead, letting his racing mind gradually cool down.

Just then, a figure appeared by the roadside, and the magi-car suddenly slowed.

Amber casually cracked open the car window a bit. The figure slipped a note inside, then quickly melted back into the crowd nearby. Amber unfolded the note and scanned it swiftly.

“Two groups have left the Typhon delegation’s residence—one headed to the Gaoling Kingdom’s embassy, the other to the eastern part of the city.”

“They’re going to see the Silver Queen,” Gawain said casually.

“Looks like they’re quick to react,” Amber blinked. “Should we do something?”

“Do what? Assassinate foreign envoys?” Gawain glanced at the half-elf, then closed his eyes slightly, leaning back in his seat to rest. “Let them be. This is within the ‘acceptable margin.’ Like we said before—when we eat meat, we have to leave some broth for others, maybe even a little meat.”

(End of chapter)