Chapter 1426: Communications Reconstruction Plan

“Miss Melita, would you be interested in leasing several Gorgon signal relay stations?”

Rebecca’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the dragon ambassador before her, her face lighting up with her trademark radiant smile. Melita, however, instinctively glanced at Gawain upon hearing this, her expression oddly conflicted. Gawain felt a bit awkward under that strange look. “What are you staring at me for?”

“You two really do share the same bloodline,” the blue dragon lady murmured softly. “Her tone is getting more and more like yours—like when you’re sweet-talking your ‘business partners’ into bleeding themselves dry.”

“That’s not sweet-talking at all,” Rebecca cut in before Gawain could respond. “I’m serious. This is a highly feasible plan—abandon the harsh surface environment, give up on repairing those irreparable ground stations, and move all communication nodes onto semi-permanent aerial platforms. The cost is actually much lower than rebuilding the entire network across the wastelands of Talrond, and it’s much faster too…”

“That… actually makes some sense,” Melita admitted, her tone thoughtful as she considered the new proposal. She had heard some reports about the Dawn of the World’s Sky Battle Group deploying an aerial communications network on the western front of the continent. She knew that during the early, most desperate days of the war—when communications were completely cut off within the Ogure tribal borders—this temporary network had played an astonishingly vital role. Without it, the Ogure, who were on the brink of collapse, wouldn’t have been able to stabilize and even muster a force to the front lines before the war ended. Still, she had her reservations. “The question is… can this network really operate stably over the long term? After all, what you built back then was just a temporary setup…”

“In theory, it’s quite feasible—so long as the communication nodes are mounted on large platforms like the Gorgon,” Rebecca nodded eagerly. “Before the war, we considered an aerial networking scheme, but back then the proposed platforms were specially modified, unmanned ‘Dragon Riders.’ Those small platforms have inherent limitations—they can’t sustain long-term high-altitude missions, and their simple automated mechanisms struggle with complex atmospheric conditions. The Gorgon doesn’t have those problems.

“The Gorgon is a semi-permanent aerial platform, very similar in principle and architecture to the Dawn of the World—though it’s several times smaller than the sky fortress. It has a complete large-scale power spine, a rotating array of anti-gravity engines, and most importantly, a ‘main brain’ system. It’s not afraid of harsh high-altitude environments; it can even hover steadily near the turbulent layers. Its power supply is abundant, and if equipped with a large magic network hub, a single unit can cover an area equivalent to an entire province. Plus, it has a brain—not as flexible as a human’s, but smart enough to handle many problems autonomously…”

Rebecca grew more animated as she spoke, quickly pulling out a stack of documents filled with blueprints and annotations, shoving them in front of Melita while pointing to the details. “Also, look here—the Gorgon platform has plenty of space. Even with large communication nodes installed, there’s still room left over. If we add some magical automatons, it can perform simple self-maintenance and repairs, which greatly reduces the burden of ongoing upkeep. You know how much trouble it is to maintain these big machines, and you’re already short on manpower…”

If Rebecca’s technical explanations had only piqued Melita’s interest, this last point struck a chord deep within the blue dragon’s heart—severe labor shortages were Talrond’s biggest problem.

An aerial communications platform with a ‘brain,’ capable of self-maintenance and problem-solving… that was enough to sway any great dragon.

Talrond desperately needed these platforms. Though Melita’s face remained composed, her mind had already made up its decision—even if these things were expensive, Talrond needed them.

The “Coming of Age” had destroyed everything of Talrond’s civilization. Once-glorious cities and treasures accumulated over millions of years were buried beneath the scorching wasteland. Yet, the dragon civilization still had some reserves. As order gradually returned to their homeland, exploration teams sent by leader Heragor had uncovered several well-preserved underground warehouses. Along with treasures salvaged from the ruins, these resources meant Talrond was no longer as desperate as it had been last year. Trading some currently useless “junk” for critical infrastructure was a deal worth making.

Images of the unearthed treasures—ancient relics that had miraculously survived the war, shining crystals, gold, silver, and artifacts—flashed through Melita’s mind. As a dragon, she couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor in her heart.

But she quickly steeled herself—after all, those treasures weren’t hers. Back when she was paid, her salary vanished as quickly as it came; the dragon’s nest was full of fake crystals, and even the gold coins were just copper plated iron. Nothing to mourn over…

“I can’t make this decision on my own, but I will report to our leader as soon as possible. The leader should understand the value of these platforms. I don’t think there will be any major issues,” Melita said, regaining her usual serious, elegant, and dignified demeanor as she turned to Gawain. “I’ll need a complete dossier on the Gorgon platform to help our scholars evaluate it—and, of course, a ‘price quote.’”

“I had a feeling you were wrestling with yourself just now… but whatever,” Gawain shrugged. “As for the information, Rebecca has it all here. Pricing depends on whether you want to buy or lease—we offer flexible commercial options.

“The Gorgon platform is an expensive, large-scale facility, and a single unit can serve for decades or even centuries. That might not be long for dragons, but as a temporary ‘stopgap’ solution, leasing for a few years might be more cost-effective than outright purchase—after all, Talrond’s surface environment won’t be this hostile forever. Eventually, you’ll want to rebuild a conventional communications network.

“Of course, you can buy them outright. The Gorgon’s versatility is high—once you no longer need the communication modules, they can be converted into aerial research stations or weather observation posts. With proper use, buying one is a good long-term investment. We also offer long-term upgrade and retrofit services for outright buyers, basically at cost.”

Melita’s gaze toward Gawain grew increasingly strange. When he finished, she couldn’t help but ask, “I know I’ve asked before… but are you really not a dragon in human skin?”

Gawain smiled faintly, dismissing the notion. Come on, even the most shameless dragons in legends only knew how to raid human castles for gold. But raiding gold… that’s nowhere near as profitable as doing business.

He wasn’t worried that Talrond’s dragons would reject this “deal.” The value of the Gorgon platforms was obvious. And honestly, he didn’t intend to charge exorbitant prices—he genuinely hoped Talrond’s situation would improve quickly, that communications between the dragon homeland and the Loren continent would be restored soon. The alliance’s strength growing was his heartfelt wish. But on top of that… he’d make a little profit along the way.

Melita then took the stack of documents Rebecca had brought and quickly flipped through the most important parts. After gaining a basic understanding, she suddenly looked up at Gawain. “By the way, what about an aerial fortress on the scale of the Dawn of the World?”

“Sorry, that’s not for sale—at least, not for now,” Gawain spread his hands. “The Dawn of the World’s manufacturing cost is astronomical, and it requires massive manpower to maintain. Unlike the Gorgon, which is a general-purpose platform that can be converted into unmanned workstations, the Dawn of the World was built for war. It needs thousands of operators and garrison troops to function. I don’t think it would be very practical for you dragons.”

“Understood,” Melita nodded gently. That answer was expected; she had only asked casually.

As for the “supercritical accelerator” onboard the Dawn of the World that had left such a deep impression on everyone… she didn’t even bother to ask.

Half an hour later, Melita left the room with a pile of documents. She needed to report these matters to Talrond quickly and send news of the Talash conference back home. Rebecca stayed behind in the study, and once Melita was gone, she grinned and sidled up to Gawain. “Ancestor, how was my sales pitch?”

Gawain’s eyebrow twitched. “You did fine, but why are you learning this? I’ve never seen you interested in this kind of thing before.”

“Aunt told me to learn from you, to become a great person,” Rebecca said without hesitation. “I’ve been watching for a long time and figured this is the best thing to learn.”

Gawain blinked. “…?”

“Is there something wrong with my performance?” Rebecca’s expression suddenly turned nervous. “Was it the way I acted or my choice of words…”

“Ahem, I think you should just stick to what you like,” Gawain coughed awkwardly to cover his embarrassment. “Other people’s paths aren’t necessarily right for you, even if it’s the one I took. And honestly, if you’re going to learn from me, maybe learn something else…”

Rebecca gave a half-understood “Oh,” and Gawain quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, about those Gorgon platforms—while our plan is theoretically feasible, rebuilding Talrond’s communications won’t be easy. The sheer land area and harsh environment make it a far tougher challenge than the Ogure region.”

“Exactly. So the first step is to restore communications between Talrond and the Loren continent. That’s relatively easier and lays the groundwork for subsequent projects,” Rebecca nodded. “According to my calculations, we only need to set up a fixed aerial platform above the former Eternal Storm Sea, plus large magic network hubs at North Harbor and Talrond’s southern coast. That would enable real-time communication with the dragon homeland.

“Then, on Talrond itself, priority goes to restoring communications between current settlements and expansion zones. Based on the dragons’ pollution zone classifications, we aim for full coverage in green zones, basic communications in yellow zones, and establishing some ‘signal zones’ in red areas. As for deeper regions… we’ll have to give up for now. Although the Gorgon can operate safely above polluted zones, their numbers are limited. They’re big machines—even if structurally simpler than the Dawn of the World, they’re not something you can churn out overnight.”

Gawain tapped his fingers absently on the table—a habit when deep in thought. After a moment, he suddenly asked, “What standards did you use when designing the Gorgon platforms for Talrond?”

“Huh?” Rebecca blinked, then answered instinctively, “Just normal parameters.”

“A communication platform doesn’t need to support the power system of a supercritical accelerator, nor does it need fortress-grade shields to withstand a ‘cataclysmic blast.’ Overall, it just needs to operate normally in harsh high-altitude conditions,” Gawain stopped tapping and smiled at Rebecca. “I have a modification plan…”

“First, we cut the energy array in half, reduce the shield generators by a third, and replace the remaining generators with standard models. Since the energy array is downsized, the power spine can be smaller too—it doesn’t need to support such a heavy load anymore. We’ll shave off some of the rigid framework and keel as well, since we’re not mounting giant cannons on it anymore. At most, we’ll install some anti-air defenses to fend off flying monsters or magical entities.

“The crew compartments can be completely removed, leaving just a few modular rooms for occasional maintenance staff. We can also scrap the armor around the living quarters, which will help shrink the overall size. As long as it’s functional, that’s enough. As for the anti-gravity engine array… since we’re going for an overall ‘lightweight’ design, the anti-gravity rings can be adjusted accordingly.”

As he spoke, Gawain thought it through and quickly outlined the main directions for the retrofit. Then, summing up, he added, “Basically, aside from the mainframe’s survival environment, I think everything else can be tweaked.”

Rebecca listened and took notes silently. When Gawain finished, she looked up, her face a mix of surprise and hesitation. “Is it really okay to modify it like this?”

Gawain countered, “Why wouldn’t it be? Is there any theoretical problem?”

“Theoretically… no, as long as the adjustments are precise, it should meet operational needs,” Rebecca scratched her head. “Plus, this would drastically cut costs and production time. In fact, the 115 Project’s production base still has some unfinished semi-assembled units. With a bit of disassembly and reconfiguration, we could ‘piece together’ several finished products.”

“That settles it,” Gawain waved his hand. “When we first exported the original magic crystal railguns and mana engines, we did similar modifications. That’s what you call the export version.”

“But the dragons will probably notice, right?” Rebecca said, a bit worried. “They’ve seen the real ‘Gorgon’ on the battlefield, and they’re pretty experienced.”

“That’s why we have to be upfront with them,” Gawain said seriously. “We can’t deceive our clients. So you’ll prepare a report explaining the specifics and reasons for this ‘downgrade’ to Talrond. Make it clear that it’s still fully functional and, compared to the original, much cheaper. Given the dragons’ usual pragmatism and Talrond’s current situation, they’ll definitely consider this more cost-effective option—especially after seeing the original Gorgon’s price tag.”

Rebecca nodded, half understanding. Then, almost instinctively, she asked, “So… does this ‘modified’ Gorgon still get called a Gorgon?”

Gawain thought for a moment. “Let’s call it the Gorgon Youth Edition.”

(End of chapter)