Chapter 1093 — The Joint Sea and Air Vigilance Ring

He felt little regret over this, however, for from the very beginning developing allies had been his intended approach: this world was so vast, and the road Cecil must walk still long. He could already smell the breath of crisis drawing near; time was limited, the situation pressing. He could not resolve every danger in this world by his own strength alone—in the end, the power of heroism is limited, and only by developing this world as a whole could greater hope be brought forth.

While Gaoyang pondered inwardly, Wenna Whitebloom's voice came again from across the hall: "Then who is to bear the expenses of establishing this Joint Vigilance Ring? What must the protected member states pay in exchange for this 'security'?"

There is no such thing as a free lunch beneath heaven—even children understand this principle, and the grey elves, shrewd in matters of business, understood it all the better. The cost of such a "Joint Vigilance Ring" was undoubtedly immense; even with the three great empires plus a host of dragons working in concert, shielding the whole of the Loren Continent would be no easy task. The member states within the ring who received protection would surely have to pay some price to make the arrangement fair.

After all, the first principle of the alliance Gaoyang had just mentioned was "watch over and aid one another; every nation bears the responsibility and obligation to ensure the interests of the alliance as a whole"—understood from another angle, this plainly meant that in times of difficulty all share the burden: those with strength contribute strength, those with wealth contribute wealth, and those with nothing... well, they would likely have to pay a price more costly than gold.

Gaoyang glanced at the grey elf, then cleared his throat and said: "Rest assured, the purpose of this Joint Vigilance Ring is to protect our common land, not to extort or plunder any member state. The protected nations need bear no military expenses of any kind, nor any form of 'hiring fee'; they need only provide the necessary stationing sites for fortifications. The operating costs of the Joint Vigilance Ring shall come in part from the revenue shares of the circumcontinental route belonging to Typhon, Cecil, and the Silver Empire, and in part be borne by Tarronde. Considering that at this stage the Loren Continent has not yet established trade interfaces with Tarronde, and that Tarronde has difficulties of its own, this portion of the cost shall for the time being be advanced by Cecil."

Here he paused, then continued: "Of course, as members of the alliance, the member states along the vigilance ring have responsibilities of their own—to join the circumcontinental route, to sign a charter of alliance trade, and to welcome with us a more prosperous new age. This is the most fundamental and most important contribution each member state makes to the alliance as a whole."

The representatives in the hall fell into hushed discussion; they began to examine the question in earnest and to weigh the gains and losses hidden behind Gaoyang's terms. Much of it was not difficult to consider, and the tall leader from the northern city-state league soon rose: "In other words, only nations that are alliance members and have also joined the circumcontinental route will be included within the vigilance ring?"

"That is inevitable," Gaoyang nodded. "We cannot protect a nation that deliberately keeps its distance from the alliance. This, too, is the most basic mutual respect, is it not?"

"...Then may we take it that this is still a form of disguised 'kidnapping' and 'extortion'?" A representative who had spoken little until now could not help rising. "Forgive my bluntness of wording; I have no intention of impugning this grand plan with malice, but since we have convened this conference, a voice of doubt is needed in this hall, is it not? Now we must join an alliance in order to receive protection—it sounds as though those who do not join will be destroyed by dragons. I know this sounds rather conspiratorial, but... who can guarantee that everything that happened in Tarronde is true?"

Someone had raised doubts—an expected situation, and one Gaoyang in fact welcomed, for only after doubts are fully voiced and answered can this newly founded alliance rest upon a firmer foundation and face a future freer of hidden peril. This time, however, he did not step forward to answer; instead, Luoyan Augustus, seated not far off, rose to his feet.

"Please distinguish correctly between 'kidnapping,' 'extortion,' and 'the equivalence of rights and obligations,'" Luoyan said, his voice low, his tone calm yet carrying the power of conviction. "First, the Joint Sea and Air Vigilance Ring is not compulsory; anyone has the right to refuse to join, and the right to leave after having joined. Even the alliance itself is free to come and go. If a member state believes its interests and dignity within the alliance are not safeguarded, it may withdraw at any time—so long as it has not attacked other member states during its membership, this is no betrayal of the covenant.

"Second, the protection of the Joint Vigilance Ring is a 'benefit' to nations unable to contend with uncontrolled dragons alone, and secure survival within the alliance system is also a basic right of member states. To enjoy rights is to bear equivalent obligations and responsibilities, and I do not consider joining the circumcontinental route and accepting the alliance covenant to be a matter of 'being extorted'—it is a matter beneficial to both sides.

"Finally, if any friend here harbors doubts about the matter of Tarronde... I believe this dragon ambassador has something to say."

Luoyan looked toward Metzen Pernia nearby. After a slight nod of acknowledgment he sat back down, and Metzen rose composedly, turning an expressionless gaze upon the representative who had spoken before.

"Tarronde opens itself to the nations of the Loren Continent—we welcome new friends at any time to visit our homeland," she said, unhurried. "Tarronde will establish skyports in the Holy Dragon Duchy and in the capital of the Cecil Empire; there will be at least three 'flights' to and from Tarronde each week. Our transport duties are heavy, but carrying a few extra passengers is more than we can manage—and you may rest assured that the dragons will ensure the passengers' safety throughout the journey. Sir, would you be interested in applying for the first place?"

The representative's expression shifted at once; plainly he had not expected Metzen to suddenly toss out such an "invitation," and the unforeseen turn left him somewhat at a loss. After a brief moment of thought he shook his head: "No... not this time. But should the opportunity arise in the future, perhaps I will consider it."

Gaoyang instinctively glanced at Metzen—from what he knew of this dragon lady, he could be almost certain that the "invitation" just now had been improvised on the spot, and most likely carried a touch of grievance. Yet on closer thought, there did seem to be much that could be done with such a thing...

He would have to discuss it with her later, to see whether, provided safety could be ensured, a "Tarronde Wasteland Tour" could truly be organized. The project would require considerable protection from the Tarronde side, but the fees could simply be set high—this world had no shortage of fools... explorers willing to scatter fortunes for a glimpse of the dragons' mysteries, and those mages enamored of arcane knowledge were richer one than the next.

Handled well, this might well prove a breakthrough point for Tarronde in its present straits—perhaps these wretched dragons' first foreign exchange earnings would come from exactly this...