Chapter 1095: Talrond’s Commercial Revival Plan

The intelligence Melita relayed sent a cold sweat trickling down Amber’s back, while Highwind remained composed. He looked Melita in the eyes and asked, “Had none of you considered the problem with that tower before?”

“Some of our kin did, but we were powerless until now,” Melita sighed deeply. The current state of Talrond weighed heavily on her—there were too many hardships they couldn’t openly discuss with outsiders. But since Highwind was one of the few “old friends” the dragons had among the mortal nations, she no longer held back. “The Inverse Tide Tower lies in the northwest of the continent, while the safe zones we’ve reclaimed are mainly around the Broken Coast in the southeast and the nearby lands. Between them stretches a vast wasteland, a harsh and unforgiving environment. Even now, we can’t venture too deeply. So the only way to check on the tower was to circle around it by sea—taking a huge detour to avoid the worst pollution and spatial rifts. For us until recently, that was just too costly.”

“So now you finally have the resources to focus on that tower?” Amber couldn’t help but ask. “Is there anyone—any dragons—assigned to keep watch over there?”

“After barely stabilizing short-term food supplies and dealing with some of our kin’s adverse reactions to enhancers, the Argondor faction sent a small team to the northwest coast,” Melita nodded. “They found a relatively safe foothold and set up an outpost. They contact Argondor every two days. It’s a poor surveillance schedule, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Every two days?” Highwind frowned immediately. “Isn’t that a huge gap? A rogue dragon could easily cross the Storm Sea in that time.”

“There’s no other way,” Melita sighed again. “Talrond’s communications are severed. The old Omega network has collapsed. We salvaged some ancient signal stations from the ruins and restarted a factory to produce small communicators, but these only support limited-range contact. For the outpost team to reach Argondor, they first have to fly over a polluted zone to the top of the atmospheric static layer. Meanwhile, Argondor’s dragons must cross a large polluted area along the southern coast to reach a recently repaired relay station. Then, with powerful transmission magic and the station’s amplification, they establish contact. Given the outpost’s situation, two-day intervals are the absolute limit.”

Highwind opened his mouth to question further but swallowed his doubts. After a long pause, he sighed, “…Sounds incredibly difficult.”

“At least we’ve managed to establish a secure refuge near the Broken Coast. Things are moving in the right direction,” Melita forced a smile. “And according to reports from the outpost, so far no dragons have been affected by whatever’s inside the Inverse Tide Tower. That team monitors the sea and sky around the tower day and night to ensure no intelligent beings enter.”

Highwind listened quietly, then slowly said, “Is this what Heragor wrote in his letter?”

Melita nodded. “Yes.”

“Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” Highwind frowned. “Often when your superior says, ‘Things might get rough,’ it means the situation’s already collapsed…”

Melita was visibly startled by his words, her expression tightening nervously. But she quickly regained composure and, after a moment’s thought, shook her head. “I don’t think so… Heragor is a rational and strong leader. He wouldn’t be vague on something this serious. And even if Heragor’s judgment is off, I trust Chairman Andal. He’s also keeping a close eye on the tower.”

Highwind pondered and nodded lightly. “Alright, we should trust our leaders. But as Heragor said, even if the tower isn’t a problem now, it’s bound to become a hidden threat eventually…”

“But at this stage, we probably can’t deal with the tower,” Amber interjected. “The strongest dragons are down, the god who could suppress the tower is reduced to an egg, and the only mortal nations left are on the Loren continent. Yet the strongest naval force they can muster is a single ship—the Winter’s Chill. Even if all the ships under construction were suddenly completed and fully crewed, that fleet couldn’t take down an ancient relic like that, right?”

Highwind glanced at Amber, who was seriously analyzing the situation. Every word she said was a magnet for resentment—but frustratingly, she was right…

He shook his head and sighed. As one of his most trusted confidants and the empire’s intelligence minister, Amber now knew almost as much about ancient secrets as he did. Usually, her sharp mind and quick thinking helped solve many problems—if only she could be a bit more careful with her words. She’d been so composed and clever when meeting Rosetta earlier; how did she turn into a loose cannon after work? Was it because overtime wasn’t paid?

“We can’t take it down,” Highwind said, gathering his scattered thoughts with a serious expression. “Given the strength of the Eternal Stone Tablet, I doubt our weapons can even breach the tower’s defenses. For now, our best bet is to quickly establish a joint warning perimeter—especially deploying enough anti-air defenses along the northern coastal waters. We must be ready to shoot down any contaminated dragons if they appear. No matter what, we can’t let a polluted dragon enter Loren and come into contact with its intelligent inhabitants… The divine contamination is far too dangerous.”

“Also, we need to issue a warning at the next meeting,” Melita added. “They must understand that contaminated dragons are far more dangerous than those simply raiding for food. The latter might still be reasoned with; the former… contact is a disaster.”

Amber rolled her eyes. “I almost feel sorry for the delegates—they’re going to have their emotions tossed around like a roller coaster these days.”

“Building mental resilience will help them handle the pressure. They’ll need it sooner or later,” Highwind said casually, then his expression grew thoughtful. “But here’s a question… how do we distinguish between dragons contaminated by the Inverse Tide and those just hungry and raiding? Logically and morally, we should try to save as many dragons as possible.”

Highwind’s words were tactful, but the unspoken implication was clear: if no reliable way to differentiate exists, then all unidentified dragons approaching Loren must be shot down. It might sound harsh, but once the joint sea and air perimeter is in place, the combined might of the three empires could easily handle weakened dragons.

Hearing this, Melita’s expression flickered with hesitation—awkward and uncertain.

Amber’s curiosity was piqued. “What’s wrong? There’s a way, but it’s tricky?”

Melita’s embarrassment deepened, but she nodded. “Actually… Heragor mentioned a fairly effective identification method in his letter. It’s not difficult to implement…”

Highwind and Amber fell silent, watching her with keen interest.

“You see, the biggest difference between dragons affected by the Inverse Tide Tower and those raiding for food is their motivation for coming to Loren,” Melita explained helplessly. “Contaminated dragons are driven primarily to spread ‘knowledge contamination.’ This mental influence even suppresses their physical instincts, so they fly straight toward the densest populations of intelligent beings. Other dragons come mainly because they’re starving…”

Highwind’s eyes lit up. “Got it. Set out a feast on the ground—those flying straight for the food can be reasoned with. Those ignoring it and crossing borders or heading straight for crowds to spread their ‘lessons’ get shot on sight.”

“That’s a bit blunt, but yes, that’s the general idea,” Melita said resignedly. “Still, even this method risks collateral damage. So if possible, and conditions allow, please try to preserve those dragons and contact the nearest Talrond aerial squad. We’ll rush to the scene for identification and handling. Of course, we know this is a tall order, so just do your best.”

Highwind nodded. “Of course. Our initial goal is to save as many as possible. After all, we’ve agreed that every rescued dragon refugee means a dragon mercenary bound to serve for a hundred years under Typhon, Cecil, or the Silver Empire—I remember that clearly.”

Melita’s expression grew complicated. “Yes, there is such a ‘deal’ between Talrond and the three empires…”

Highwind noticed her somber mood and sighed softly. “It may be a cold bargain, but it effectively protects dragons who can be saved, doesn’t it? We can’t overestimate or underestimate human nature—sometimes a cold deal is what keeps lives alive.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t let emotions cloud my judgment on this.”

“All right, the basic plan is set. Let’s leave this topic here,” Highwind cleared his throat and shifted the mood with a lighter tone. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you—didn’t plan the timing, but since you’re here tonight, it’s perfect.”

Melita looked curious. “What is it?”

“Remember what you said to that delegate who questioned the Talrond incident? About the thrilling yet safe Talrond tour…”

“Oh, I was a bit angry then,” Melita said quickly. “But thinking back…”

“Thinking back, I think it’s a great idea,” Highwind interrupted with a serious nod. “If you can guarantee travelers’ safe round trips to Talrond and allow some controlled visits to safe zones in the wasteland, that would be even better…”

Melita blinked in confusion. “??”

“What’s that look? You think I’m joking?” Highwind glanced at the blue dragon lady. “I’m serious. Talrond is short on food and funds, right? You’re struggling to find a breakthrough for commercial ties with Loren. Your wasteland holds many valuable technologies and relics, but turning those into quick cash isn’t easy. Loren can provide some food aid, but aid alone won’t solve long-term problems. So your most urgent task is to develop a commercial sector that can quickly take shape, generate income, have lasting value, and operate regularly. Your speech today gave me an idea—Talrond’s unique wasteland might just be the perfect opportunity…”

Melita listened, stunned and struggling to keep up. When she finally confirmed he wasn’t joking, she couldn’t help but say, “Wait, hold on, friend—hold on! That’s the wasteland! A place even dragons struggle to survive. You want humans and elves—more fragile races—to ‘visit’ there?”

“I never said we’d actually send travelers into those deadly polluted zones,” he said. “Didn’t you mention there’s a safe area along the Broken Coast and nearby lands in southeastern Talrond? Cassandra’s reports confirm that the environment there is tolerable for most races. As long as the dragons provide some protection and secure the boundaries of the safe zone, there’s no reason we can’t welcome guests from the continent of Loren.”

“Well… in theory, that sounds possible,” Melita said thoughtfully, nodding but still uncertain. Then a bigger question popped up. “But would it really be profitable? Would that many people actually pay to go suffer in the wasteland? There are plenty of breathtaking landscapes around the world…”

Gawain cut her off. “Sure, the world is full of stunning mountains and valleys, but Talrond is unique. The only other place with a similar wasteland is the polluted region at the heart of Loren—Gondor’s wasteland. But Gondor’s is off-limits, a dead zone with no life. Talrond is different. Some parts might be even more dangerous, but others still hold potential for development.

“As for whether people would pay to risk themselves in the wasteland—I’ll tell you, they absolutely will. In droves.”

At that, Gawain’s mind drifted to memories from his past life, and he muttered to himself, lost in thought. “Never underestimate human ‘adventure spirit,’ or their curiosity… To you, Talrond is a scarred ruin, a place of survival crises. But to many, it’s a land of legend and mystery. Even if it’s been ravaged by war, it’s still the ruins of a sacred place. A ruined house, a broken wall, even a charred stone there holds a deadly allure for curious explorers.

“What you need to do is simple—find those people, bring them safely to Talrond, make sure they don’t actually get themselves killed in the process, and then charge them.”

(End of chapter)