Iron Dragon's Advancement Journey

Page 150

　"Master of the Black Staff, Lady Silverhand."

　"Don't be so polite," Lyra said with a smile, waving her hand. "We're visiting old friends in a private capacity. How are Meisel and Ellasdra?"

　"I'm fine, Madam, but I've had some concerns lately," Messer replied. "You know the situation in the North. The orcs are quiet for now, but who knows when they'll come south again?"

　"That's why cooperation is necessary," Kelburn interjected, his tone as calm as ever. "The power of Waterdeep is crucial to the entire North."

　Meisel noticed the wording: "You said Waterdeep City, not Waterdeep Territory?"

　"The name doesn't matter," Kelburn glanced at Piergellen, "What matters is that this city is still willing to take responsibility."

　The conversation continued late into the night. The Kelburns and Piergalen took turns describing the current state of Waterdeep, from post-disaster reconstruction to institutional reforms, from widespread education to the magical industry. Messer listened with increasing focus, occasionally asking questions.

　"Wait a minute," he interrupted Lyra's description, "You mean, those kobolds are teaching human children to read?"

　"Not just kobolds," Lyra corrected, "but also goblins, half-dragons, and even a few reformed drow. Race is no longer an obstacle in the face of education."

　Messer fell into deep thought. After a long while, he slowly spoke: "Lady Elasdra has always dreamed of building Silvermoon City into a second Mysdranor. But now it seems that Waterdeep is taking a completely different path."

　"They are indeed different," Piergellen acknowledged, "but they lead to the same goal: prosperity, peace, and a better life for all. Isn't that our common objective?"

　The formal talks took place the following morning in the Blue Crystal Room of the Deepwater Palace. While not the most luxurious meeting room, it boasted excellent natural light and a panoramic view of the entire port area. Casalos had specifically chosen this location to showcase the vibrancy of Deepwater City to his guests.

　From Waterdeep, besides Casalos himself, there was Rutledge, the chairman of the Merchant Guild—a shrewd halfling merchant; Marcus Ironhammer, the representative of the Industrial Guild—a dwarf engineer; Adniel, the headmaster of the Education Committee; and Piergalen, who was present as an observer. Each of them was accompanied by a professional scribe.

　On the Silvermoon City side, besides Messer and Toland, there was the magic advisor Iliana Starsong—a young high elf mage; the military observer Brandon Oak Shield—a burly human ranger; and the chief scribe Tyrese Moonwhisper.

　After introductions were made according to diplomatic protocol, the talks officially began. (The remaining text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

　"First, please allow me, on behalf of Silvermoon City, to express my admiration for Waterdeep City's achievements in post-disaster reconstruction," Messer began. "Madam Elasdra specifically instructed me to convey her greetings to Lord Casaloz."

　"Please convey my respect to Lady Silvermoon," Casalos replied. "Waterdeep City's current state is also thanks to the support of various parties in the North."

　After the pleasantries, Torland opened the thick folder: "Let's get down to business. First, regarding trade cooperation. Silvermoon City wishes to establish a preferential trade agreement with Deepwater City. The specific terms are as follows:"

　1. The tariff on magical items, artworks, and elven handicrafts exported from Silvermoon City to Waterdeep City will be reduced to 5%.

　2. Deepwater City will provide a dedicated storage area for Silvermoon City's goods, with an area of ​​no less than 30,000 square meters;

　Third, establish a joint chamber of commerce to coordinate trade disputes between the two cities;

　IV. Currency is freely convertible, with exchange rates negotiated quarterly.

　Rutledge immediately replied, "Lord Torland, your proposal is very sincere. But I'd like to know, in exchange, what preferential treatment can Silvermoon City offer for Waterdeep City's goods?"

　"That's exactly what I wanted to say." Toland turned to the next page. "Waterdeep's magical industrial products, standardized equipment, and other manufactured goods entering Silvermoon City will also enjoy a 5% preferential tariff. In addition, Silvermoon City can open a special zone in the Moon Market for Waterdeep merchants."

　"Moon Market?" Marcus Ironhammer interjected. "Isn't that the most bustling commercial district in Silvermoon City?"

　"Exactly." Toland smiled. "This shows our sincerity. Of course, the specific size of the territory we can acquire depends on the growth of trade volume."

　Iliana then spoke up: "I'm more concerned about the standards for magical items. How can Waterdeep guarantee quality with its 'standardized production'? The stability of magical items is paramount."

　Dean Adnier continued, "Ms. Starsong's concerns are reasonable. We have established a rigorous quality inspection system. Every product undergoes three inspections, including magical stability testing, functional integrity testing, and safety testing. The defect rate is controlled to within 1%."

　"1%?" Iliana frowned. "This number..."

　"That's already very low," Marcus interrupted. "Traditional handmade magical items often have a failure rate exceeding 10%. By standardizing, we've reduced costs while actually increasing the success rate."

　As the discussion deepened, the two sides began to haggle over some details. These included who would bear the warehousing costs, how the members of the joint chamber of commerce would be allocated, and which law would apply in the event of a trade dispute.

　After a morning of negotiations, the framework of the trade agreement was basically finalized. After a short break at noon, the afternoon session moved on to the second agenda item.

　"Regarding academic exchanges," Messer personally chaired this part of the discussion, "Silvermoon City boasts the best magic and art academies in the North. We are willing to accept outstanding students from Waterdeep City, but there are some conditions."

　"Please speak," Casalos said, gesturing to listen.

　"First, students must pass our entrance exam; second, the number of students admitted each year is limited to 50; third, tuition fees are charged according to the standard rate, and students are not eligible for subsidies for local Silvermoon City students."

　Adniel frowned. "Fifty spots? That's too few. Water Deep has nearly a million inhabitants, many of whom are exceptionally talented young people."

　"This is already a significant concession," Iliana said somewhat curtly. "Silvermoon City has limited educational resources and cannot accept an unlimited number of students from other areas."

　"In exchange," Casalos began, "the new school in Waterdeep is willing to open to Silvermoon City. There are no limits on the number of students or age; anyone willing to learn is welcome."

　This proposal surprised the Silvermoon City representatives. Brandon Oak Shield spoke first: "You mean, people from Silvermoon City can freely enter the schools in Waterdeep?"

　"It's not arbitrary; it's through the normal admissions process," Adnier explained. "But we don't reject anyone because of race or origin. That's our educational philosophy."

　Meisel said thoughtfully, "Including those...non-traditional teachers? I've heard your teaching staff is quite unique."

　"Indeed," Adniel readily admitted. "We have kobold teachers, goblin teachers, and even a few drow. But they have all undergone rigorous training and are fully qualified to teach."

　"This..." Iliana was clearly finding it hard to accept, "Let a kobold teach elven students? Is that appropriate?"

　"Why not?" Casalos retorted. "Knowledge is knowledge; it doesn't change because of the race of the person imparting it. Does one plus one equal two, but when a kobold says it, it becomes three?"

　A brief silence fell over the meeting room. Finally, Meisel broke the silence: "We need to go back and discuss this issue. Now let's move on to the third, and most important, topic."

　The atmosphere instantly became tense. Everyone sat up straight.

　"The Northern Alliance," Messer said, emphasizing each word. "You all know the importance of this alliance. It is the cornerstone of the Northern city-states' united fight against the orcish threat. Waterdeep was once a core member of the alliance. Now, we need to ascertain whether, under new leadership, Waterdeep—or rather, Waterdeep Territory—is still willing to fulfill its obligations under the alliance."

　Casalos didn't answer immediately. He stood up, walked to the window, and pointed north: "The orcish threat certainly exists. But I want to ask a question: Is the Northern Alliance still functioning effectively?"

　"What do you mean?" Brandon frowned.

　Piergellen then spoke up: "Let me explain. How quickly did the Alliance react during the last orcish invasion? Were the reinforcements sent by the various city-states timely and coordinated?"

　Brandon fell silent. He had personally experienced the chaos of that war.

　"Therefore," Casalos turned around, "Deepwater Territory is willing to assume the responsibility of defending the North. But what we need is not an alliance in name only, but a truly effective mechanism for cooperation."

　"For example?" Meisel pressed.

　"First, establish a permanent joint command headquarters for rapid response in wartime; second, conduct regular joint military exercises; third, share intelligence in real time, no longer operating independently; fourth—" Casalos paused, "build infrastructure that enables the rapid mobilization of troops and supplies."

　"You mean?" Toland's eyes lit up.

　Casalos gestured for his assistant to unfold the map: "Two options. The railway and the canal."

　For the next two hours, Casalos gave the bewildered Silvermoon City delegation a detailed introduction to the two transportation projects, covering everything from technical feasibility and economic benefits to military value and civilian prospects.

　"A military train can transport a regiment of a thousand men from Waterdeep to Silvermoon in three days," Marcus added. "A conventional march would take at least twenty days."

　"The canal has a much larger transport capacity," Rutledge continued. "A single large cargo ship can carry the equivalent of five hundred horse-drawn carriages. Imagine how quickly we could deliver supplies if war broke out."

　The representatives from Silvermoon City were awestruck by this grand vision. But soon, practical problems emerged.

　"And what about investment?" Toland asked the crucial question. "How much funding do these two projects need?"

　"A preliminary estimate is that the railway will require five million gold coins, and the canal will require three million gold coins," Marcus replied truthfully.

　"Eight million gold coins!" Iliana gasped. "That's equivalent to ten years of Silvermoon City's tax revenue!"

　"But the payback period is only twenty years," Rutledge immediately added, "after which it's pure profit. And this is just the economic calculation, not taking into account the military and political value."

　"The problem isn't just money," Brandon pointed to another difficulty: "The railroad goes through the territories of many small lords. Will they agree to it?"

　"This is where Silvermoon City's influence comes in," Casalos smiled. "If the Silvermoon Alliance supports this project, would those minor lords dare to oppose it?"

　Meisel fell into deep thought. After a long while, he looked up: "These two proposals are indeed very attractive. But such a significant decision is not something we, a few envoys, can make. I will report the facts to the Alliance Council."

　"That makes sense," Casalos said understandingly. "Rome wasn't built in a day. We have plenty of time to discuss this."

　As the talks drew to a close, Messer raised one last question: "Lord Casaloz, if I may be so bold, your plans are indeed grand, but have you considered the reactions of other powers?"

　"What do you mean?"

63. Consensus

　As soon as Messer finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Blue Crystal Hall subtly changed. Toland stopped writing with his quill pen, Iliana unconsciously straightened her back, and even Brandon, who had maintained a soldier's posture, couldn't help but frown.

　Casaloz remained seated in its human form in the main seat, a basic sign of respect it showed to the Silvermoon delegation—to converse on equal footing. Its half-elf form, easily integrated into Silvermoon City's culture, was accompanied by long, delicate fingers that, in stark contrast to its dragon claws, gently stroked its chin, revealing that it was deep in thought.

　The Moon Elves' diplomatic rhetoric was subtle, but the meaning was crystal clear: Waterdeep's grand plan would face numerous obstacles, and behind these obstacles lay either complex entanglements of interests or the unique mobile "chasms" of Faerûn, namely the Dragon Plague.

　"Lord Messer has considered everything very thoroughly," Casalos said slowly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "It seems Silvermoon City is indeed very interested in this project; otherwise, they wouldn't have analyzed the potential obstacles in such detail."

　These words surprised Messer slightly. He had thought that asking these questions would trouble the other party, or at least make him hesitate, but he did not expect that the dragon lord would seem so confident.

　"However," Casalos changed the subject, his indigo eyes, matching his dragon form, flashing with the unique brilliance of dragon magic, "do you think Waterdeep's rapid reconstruction after the tsunami was because we were afraid of challenges?"

　It stood up, maintaining the graceful posture only an elf possessed, and walked to the huge map on the wall: "Let's analyze these issues one by one. First is the Krypt Garden Forest, the territory of Old Bone Chewer Claudia Marta."

　"It seems you know a lot about it?" Brandon interjected, his tone carrying the alertness of a professional soldier.

　Casalos chuckled inwardly. Understand? That damned old green dragon has been causing trouble for Waterdeep for ages, and besides, it has a god-like perspective—how could it not know? However, on the surface, it simply said casually, "As neighbors, maintaining necessary understanding is basic etiquette."

　"So what do you plan to do?" Iliana pressed. "The Ancient Green Dragon isn't something that can be easily dealt with."

　"Who said we were going to just get rid of it?" Casalos retorted, his faint killing intent barely revealed before being completely concealed, so that no one present could sense it. "The Deepwater Territory will be responsible for resolving the problems at Clypt Garden. A complete and permanent solution."

　Marcus Ironhammer understood the deeper meaning in those words and tentatively asked, "Does Your Lordship mean...?"

　Casalos didn't explain the problem, but traced several distinctive marks on the sandbox map with his finger. "Besides Old Bone Chewer, we might encounter other... similar creatures along this route. For example, the drow dragon Nephrite 'Dark Lady,' active near the Eternal Waste, and the old blue dragon Orosent, whose roaming range covers almost the entire Northlands."

　Messer immediately grasped the deeper meaning of those words. Casaloz was telling them that the problems among dragons were none of the concern of humans or elves; Deepwater Territory—or Casaloz himself—had the ability and means to handle these troubles.

　"I understand." Messer nodded slightly. "Then what about the other human lords in the North..."

　"That's where we need to work together." Casalos smoothly changed the subject, already having some ideas on how to catch the slippery tail of the old bone-chewing dragon. That cunning old green dragon was too cautious; force alone wouldn't be enough to completely defeat it.

　"In contrast," Casalos continued, "the problems of the High Forest require far more wisdom. The red dragonflights that inhabit this area will not let any wealth pass through their territory, but..."

　It paused deliberately, looking into the expectant eyes of everyone present, before uttering the crucial name: "'Soft Wings' will not allow any red dragon to invade."

　The entire conference room fell silent instantly.

　"Soft Wings?" Meiser's voice was filled with surprise. "You mean, the floating mountains of Vera Marandes?"

　"Exactly." Casalos nodded. Having many trustworthy metal dragon friends is naturally very beneficial. For a minor matter like the chromatic dragons posing a threat to the long railway transport line, what could be more suitable for handling than metal dragons?

　"The reason the railway detours through the High Forest instead of taking the more direct route through the Eternal Wilderness is because 'Soft Wings' will also become one of the key hubs of this major artery of the North."

　"So you've already reached an agreement with the esteemed Golden and Silver Dragons!" Messer's tone was a mixture of amazement and admiration. "No wonder you were so confident."

　Casalos smiled noncommittally. How could the gold and silver dragons refuse such a legitimate, reasonable, and absolutely orderly way of making a fortune? They were just limited or even had their thinking fixed by their inherent knowledge; they weren't fools.

　"However," Messer quickly discovered a new problem, "even with the support of the golden dragon, the Father of the Oak and those spirit creatures..."

　"This is where Silvermoon City's help comes in," Casalos said, extending an olive branch of cooperation. "As far as I know, Queen Melika of the Forest is one of Silvermoon City's protectors. She has always been warm and friendly to the people of Faerûn, and as a god, she will surely see the changes the railway's construction will bring to the lives of the people along its route. Furthermore, the Grandfather Tree is not only the sacred site of the Father of Oaks, but also the territory of Queen Forest Bell."

　Iliana immediately understood Casalos's meaning: "You want us to persuade the Father of the Oak through the goddess Melicae?"

　"To be precise, it's about asking the goddess Melika to explain the benefits of this project to her followers," Casalos corrected. "After all, our railway doesn't actually pass through the core area of ​​the Father Tree, only along its periphery. This actually benefits the local druids—even if they don't want the other conveniences, at least they can more easily travel to various places to spread the doctrines of nature, right?"

　"If your side is willing to mediate, I believe the Father of Oaks will give his daughter some face."

　Iliana pondered, "If we can ensure that the impact on the original natural environment is minimized..."

　"We will use the most advanced engineering techniques," Marcus Hammer assured. "If necessary, we can build viaducts or underground tunnels to minimize damage to the surface forests."

　This is not difficult at all. Thanks to the convenience of magic, the technological development of the underground dragon realm has skipped the first and second industrial revolutions based on fire and directly entered the electrical age. The versatility, convenience and efficiency of electricity completely overwhelmed the technology of boiling water, and it also inherently possesses the "environmental protection" function that Sylvanas cares about.

　In Casalos's previous world, the fundamental obstacle limiting the large-scale use of electricity was storage. However, on the continent of Faerûn, magic solved the problem of energy storage at its root. A certain balancing rule of the magic network even thoughtfully addressed transmission losses and the stringent requirements for precious metals. Therefore, Faerûn's first railway network, centered on the Deepwater Territory, started with all-electric trains powered by a high-voltage DC platform. Aside from the damage caused by the construction itself, its environmental impact was virtually nonexistent.

　A more accurate assessment is that even if a fully loaded train made a hundred round trips between Waterdeep and Silvermoon, its impact on the High Forest would be less than the breath of a young red dragon.

　Hundreds of red dragons wreak havoc in the High Forest every day, yet Sylvanas seems unfazed. If, with Meliquette's intervention, he were to still obstruct anything, Casalos might have to consider whether the Father of Oak harbors some prejudice against him. Iron dragons and Sylvanas, a human god from elsewhere, are normally completely unrelated, but recently, the Dragon Queen's condition has shown signs of spiraling out of control, and she's considering using a ritual performed by the Father of Oak to break the curse. If it's truly possible that Sylvanas has some kind of prejudice against him, he'd better find another way as soon as possible…

　Meisel nodded thoughtfully. "If that's the case, there is indeed room for maneuver. The Father of Oaks, though strict, isn't entirely unreasonable. As long as we can prove that this project won't disrupt the natural balance..."

　"It might even help maintain the balance of nature," Casalos continued. "Think about it: with convenient transportation, druids in different regions can respond to natural disasters more quickly, and merchants won't have to disturb the tranquility of the primeval forests to take shortcuts. In the long run, this will also benefit the Father of Oaks."

　The discussion continued, and the atmosphere gradually eased. Toland even began discussing specific rates of return on investment with Rutledge, clearly impressed by the project's commercial prospects.

　After a moment, Toland spoke up: "In comparison, the canal project seems to face less resistance?"

　"That's how it seems on the surface." Casalos returned to his seat. "The canal mainly passes through human territory, so as long as the distribution of benefits is agreed upon, there shouldn't be any major problems. But..."

　"But what?" Brandon pressed.

　Casalos began stroking his bald chin again, perhaps reminiscing about the entrenching tool that could cleave open a red dragon's chest: "Don't forget the other issue Lord Messer mentioned earlier—those forces that don't want to see a unified power emerge in the North. Santyr Fortress and certain southern powers won't stand idly by."

　"Do you have any solutions?" Meisel asked.

　"Yes," Casalos replied succinctly, "but this requires the combined efforts of all the city-states in the North. That's why I just agreed with Mr. Brandon's suggestion—to start with small-scale military cooperation."

　Brandon immediately perked up: "You mean exchanging military observers?"

　"Not just observers," Casalos corrected. "I suggest each side send several hundred-man teams for a joint operation along the planned railway and canal lines. Ostensibly, it's engineering reconnaissance and preliminary wilderness clearing, but actually..."

　"It's actually a show of force," Pilgalen spoke up for the first time, "to show those with ill intentions that the North is not a disorganized mess."

　"Exactly," Casalos gave Pilgellen an approving look. "And such joint operations have other benefits. The two armies can learn from each other's tactics, develop tacit understanding, and lay the foundation for possible large-scale cooperation in the future."