Chapter 847: The Wheel of History

Railway investments and aid construction, multinational business cooperation plans, the concept of settlement zones, a new ambassador program…

The people of Cecil clearly placed great importance on this exchange with the Principality of Saint Dragon, preparing an abundance of plans and proposals.

So much so that Sir Gorosh found it somewhat overwhelming.

The dragonborn realized something—although the Principality of Saint Dragon had always considered itself attentive to the shifting dynamics of the continent, believing it was merely keeping its gates closed rather than fully isolating itself, in the face of this rapidly rising new empire, the dragonborn were still too insular and slow to respond.

If Gawain Cecil had presented these materials to the principality’s councilors and elders, most of them would likely have been left confused and bewildered.

Fortunately, Grant Duke Baloguer had prepared thoroughly. At least within the delegation led by Sir Gorosh, every member had done their homework in advance. They had conducted basic research on the new developments emerging from Cecil’s lands and were not completely in the dark about the proposals Gawain had brought.

The documents were distributed to everyone. Sir Gorosh quickly skimmed through some of them, and after gaining a general understanding, he looked up. “This clearly requires serious discussion—I hope you understand that many of these matters are quite sensitive.”

“Of course,” Gawain smiled and nodded. “Today is just an initial meeting, mainly to exchange ideas. Besides, all these business plans are merely Cecil’s proposals. More important than any of them is establishing a stable diplomatic relationship between the Principality of Saint Dragon and the Cecil Empire.”

Sir Gorosh smiled faintly. “That’s exactly my thought as well.”

…

The closed-door meeting lasted nearly the entire day, from morning well into the afternoon. During the break, Sir Gorosh and several dragonborn representatives were invited to dine with Gawain inside the Cecil Palace. By the time the meeting finally concluded, the sun was already dipping close to the horizon.

After wrapping up nearly a full day of friendly negotiations, even Gawain felt a trace of fatigue.

“We’ll need to hold an internal discussion once we return,” Sir Gorosh stood, a slight smile on his face. “Many of the commercial proposals you presented seem… meaningful to me, but we can’t give an immediate response. We’ll try to reach a preliminary conclusion before tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Understandable,” Gawain said, unsurprised by the day’s outcome. Successfully conveying the business plans and future diplomatic outlook intact was already his goal for today. “Then I hope everyone rests well tonight. Let’s look forward to tomorrow’s meeting.”

The dragonborn left, carrying with them a hefty stack of Cecil’s commercial proposals.

Gawain sank back into his high-backed chair, rubbing his temples as the orange glow of the setting sun filtered through the open window.

A gentle breeze drifted in, swirling twice around him before Amber materialized from the air, grinning as she stood beside him.

“I saw the dragonborn leave—I thought you’d keep the meeting going all night!” The elf’s voice was teasing. “You seemed to have prepared a mountain of materials…”

Gawain lifted his eyelids to glance at the half-elf. “Spring’s here, it’s warmer, the cold north wind has shifted east—you can come in through the window again now, huh?”

Amber crossed her arms, proud rather than embarrassed. “Honestly, I hadn’t been near that window all winter. Jumping down from the sill just now, I actually missed the feel of it…”

Gawain: “…”

If not for the risk of causing misunderstandings in front of foreign envoys, he would have filled every window sill in the Cecil Palace with mousetraps yesterday!

Seeing Gawain’s helpless expression seemed to amuse Amber. She had no intention of tiring of her window-jumping antics, and after another dramatic “death leap” in front of him today, she was satisfied and quickly changed the subject.

“So, any progress in today’s meeting? How much consensus do you think we’ll reach with the Principality of Saint Dragon?”

Gawain smiled, tapping the armrest of his chair. “If old Mr. Gawain were here, he’d write: ‘Both sides conducted fruitful consultations, exchanged views thoroughly, and concluded the talks in a friendly atmosphere.’”

Amber nodded knowingly. “Oh, so basically no consensus at all… sounds like no progress.”

Having held a key position in the government office for some time, she was quite familiar with such “official jargon.”

“Not exactly no progress,” Gawain shook his head. “At least we exchanged opinions fully. I believe those business plans, new technologies, and products have piqued their interest. And the letter from Grant Duke Baloguer clearly shows the principality’s willingness to open its gates and establish relations with Cecil. On the other hand, the dragonborn remain cautious. They weren’t dazzled by all the flashy new things. Even Sir Gorosh stayed composed when it came to the railway system.”

“So, the ‘prosperous and advanced new world’ isn’t as effective on the dragonborn as it is on the Typhon people, huh? They may have come down from the mountains, but they still look at the human world with pride and restraint,” Amber raised an eyebrow. “I called it this time—you owe me five gold pounds.”

“Accurately judging the psychology and likely actions of your target is a basic skill for an intelligence minister like you…”

Amber held out her hand. “Five gold pounds.”

Gawain casually brushed her paw away. “I never said I wouldn’t pay.”

“Good, I’m keeping track,” Amber said, satisfied, then her eyes flickered. “By the way, I have something else to tell you—I’ve already spoken with Maggie. She’ll be meeting with Sir Gorosh.”

Hearing this, Gawain paused for a moment before quietly saying, “I don’t like using family ties as a bargaining chip. I don’t want Maggie’s relationship with Sir Gorosh to become part of this diplomatic affair…”

“I know that, but sometimes the cards aren’t in your hand—they’re already on the table,” Amber shrugged. “Your arrangement is already quite humane; that gentleman should sense it. Honestly, after talking with Maggie, I can feel her conflicted feelings—she’s not rejecting her father, just the life she once had. If she can meet Sir Gorosh somewhere outside the principality, she’s actually quite happy.”

“That’s good,” Gawain sighed in relief, then shook his head with a smile. “When I first heard from Victoria’s message about Maggie’s connection to the ‘dragonborn ambassador,’ I was really startled… None of us expected the usually low-key Maggie to have that kind of identity.”

“Anyway, here’s my impression: those dragonborn are just… how did you put it? ‘Hardcore,’” Amber rummaged through her mental archive of “Gawain Cecil the Great’s sacred witty remarks,” her expression a little odd. “Jumping off Dragon Leap Cliff and gliding all the way to the northern lands just to ‘run away from home,’ or rolling down the mountain in a barrel as a ‘child’s game’…

“Oh, and I found out something else. That Lady Asalina in the dragonborn delegation also ran away from home during her travels in the human world. Her journey to the southern lands was even more incredible: she sold herself to mountain bandits, tricked them into ‘free transporting’ her south, then turned around and defeated the bandits, selling them to the local lord of Carol for money. She bought a longsword and became a mercenary for five years… Anton was stunned when he gathered all the info.”

Gawain stared at Amber, dumbfounded. “…You even investigated that?”

“My monthly salary isn’t for nothing,” Amber shrugged. “I also found out something more shocking—Lady Asalina was a mercenary under Byron back then…”

Gawain: “…”

He looked Amber up and down. Though he had witnessed her intelligence skills many times, he couldn’t help but feel a bit amazed at his intelligence chief.

Some investigations didn’t really need to be that deep—he was about to remind her of that.

But this story was just too fascinating.

He leaned forward. “Tell me the details…”

…

Back at the Autumn Palace, Sir Gorosh summoned several advisors from the delegation—including the dragonmark witch, Asalina.

In a spacious room, starkly different from the northern style, the glow of magic crystal lamps dispelled the gloom. A cool night breeze drifted in through the window. The red-haired Asalina paced the four corners of the room. With each step, invisible magic gathered into a barrier, flickering “dragonmark runes” flashing briefly in the air.

“The room’s confidentiality is secured,” she reported, returning to Sir Gorosh and the other advisors with a slight nod.

The dragonborn trusted the sincerity and enthusiasm of the Cecil people in this diplomatic endeavor, but they also believed that the humans’ long-standing presence on the continent was supported by more than just goodwill and enthusiasm—caution was never excessive when traveling abroad.

“Cecil has presented many interesting things,” Sir Gorosh sat in a leather-bound chair, looking at the seated advisors. “I want to hear your opinions on these.”

“They are all valuable, that’s beyond doubt,” a middle-aged man with short brown hair said after a moment’s thought. “For us, and even more so for the Cecilians. They seek certain benefits in dealing with us, but as long as those benefits are reasonable, we can consider acceptance. After all, whether it’s magical technology or alchemical potions, these are good things. And commercial exchange… in the long run, it’s an inevitable step once the principality opens its gates.”

“Since His Highness Grant Duke Baloguer has decided to open the principality to the human world, it means he is prepared for these exchanges. I believe no one here disagrees,” Asalina said, glancing around at her compatriots. “But I want to remind you—when trading, humans rarely reveal all their expected gains. When you deal with a human who says they want to take a copper coin from you, be prepared that they’ve already set their sights on every copper coin in your pocket.”

Sir Gorosh frowned slightly. “You mean the Cecil commercial plans aim to take more than just money from us?”

“That’s obvious—the investment plans all have long-term strategies behind them,” Asalina shrugged. “They put money, people, and technology into building a factory on our land, which means they’re ready to earn back the profits of ten factories. I’ve dealt with human ‘merchants,’ Sir Gorosh—magical technology and investment companies are new to us, but not to them. Then again, who would deal with a realm forever shrouded in snow and mountains without profit motives? So the only question is: are Cecil’s plans worth it for the dragonborn?”

“As for my personal view… I have serious reservations about any projects involving resource development and construction.”

Sir Gorosh had known Asarena for some time now, and he caught the meaning behind her words. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he said, “You mean…”

“The Cecilians’ idea of ‘relations’ has clearly gone beyond what we initially expected. We came here to discuss establishing diplomatic ties and opening regular trade channels, but what they want is obviously more than that. It’s not that these matters are off the table, but I believe we need to report these details to Duke Balog before proceeding. Trust me, Sir Gorosh, Duke Balog will actually appreciate our timely update.”

Sir Gorosh furrowed his brow slightly, but the tension quickly eased.

Looking at the red-haired sorceress before him, he gave a slight nod. “Very well—let’s proceed as you suggest. Use your abilities as the ‘Dragonmark Witch’ to contact Dragonspire.”

(End of chapter)