Chapter 1160 — A New Direction of Endeavor

A gentle, mild pale-gold radiance flowed across the surface of the great egg, and Enya gave a soft sigh, and in that sigh was relief: "It seems that even without me, you truly can walk on by yourselves... Hragor served at my side for many, many years. Whatever heavy burdens lay behind that companionship, in the end it deepened our understanding of one another. I am certain that so long as Hragor stands firm, the revival of Talrond is only a matter of time. As for Anqian and Bayangor... their wisdom and experience are Hragor's greatest support, and your most precious treasure."

"Please rest assured, we understand that very well," Noretta the white dragon said at last, entering the conversation with a solemn nod. "We have already established a new refuge city at Agondor. In the more stable and secure regions, pioneering camps and forward bases have gradually taken root. The three leaders are guiding our people each in their own way and with their own strength, and the great majority of us... know very well what we must do."

"That is good, that is good..." Enya said slowly, her attention finally settling on the dragon egg beside Meitzen, a size smaller than herself. "I noticed you brought a dragon egg? And it appears to have already reached the third stage of incubation."

"This is an egg we adopted together," Noretta said at once with a nod. "We found a great many healthy dragon eggs in the ruins of the incubation factories. The dragons are adopting them in temporary 'families,' and through the old methods of incubation, these healthy eggs will become the first truly healthy, pure dragons this world has seen in one million eight hundred and seventy thousand years..."

"The healthiest hatchlings in a million years, facing the harshest Talrond in a million years... They carry a mission, and the lives ahead of them will not be easy," Enya said in a calm, gentle tone. "But I shall bless them all the same... though my 'blessing' no longer carries much effect."

Meitzen lowered her head and said with utter sincerity: "Such a 'blessing' is already precious beyond measure."

"They hope to leave the egg here to incubate," Gao Yang said, seizing the moment to interject. "Preparations on the embassy side will take a while yet, and the two of them have only just been posted here, with plenty of work of their own—they likely cannot care for the egg properly. There are incubation facilities ready here, and royal attendants to help watch over it. It seemed fitting to me. Of course, it is your opinion that matters."

"I guessed as much the moment I saw the egg," Enya said with a laugh. "Of course it is fine. I have no objection—I would even be glad to. When it comes to caring for dragon eggs and hatchlings, I do have a little confidence in myself."

At that she added, still smiling: "And after all, even I am a 'lodger' boarding under your roof, just like those two little ones who refuse to leave the Shadow Realm. How you arrange your own property is none of our concern."

That last remark was clearly no more than courtesy, and Gao Yang paid it little mind. He only nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze to the two envoys of Talrond: "Does this arrangement suit you? The egg can stay in the incubation room here, and Enya can help care for it. That is surely more reliable than entrusting it to anyone else, and you can come by to look in on it whenever you like."

"Honestly, I never imagined things would turn out this way," Meitzen could not help exclaiming, and then she nodded. "Of course I have no objection. This is far better than what we expected."

"Nor do I," Noretta nodded along, then could not resist rubbing her temple. "And yet, it is truly hard to believe... I am still half convinced I have fallen into some illusion... If we reported this to Speaker Anqian or Chief Hragor, I suspect it would startle them both."

"I rather look forward to the sight of them startled, Hragor especially," Enya said at once, a smile in her voice. "Over a million years at my side, and he kept his face rigid for over a million years. Sometimes I would frighten him on purpose, and he would only go on keeping that face rigid while trembling with reverence... I really am curious what he looks like when he is startled."

Meitzen and Noretta: "..."

They had already begun rapidly considering whether that last sentence of Enya's ought to be reported as well...

And so the matter of the dragon egg was settled, and the atmosphere in the incubation room finally grew relaxed. Afterward the two envoys of Talrond spoke at length with their former god—of memories, of the present, and more still of visions for the future. In truth, for most of the time it was only Meitzen or Noretta speaking, and Enya simply listened quietly, as she had done for over a million years in her role as a god: listening, and keeping silent.

But this time, that listening had at last become a little less piercing.

And throughout it all, whether Meitzen and Noretta or Enya herself, they deliberately steered around the subject of that final battle.

When the sun sank in the west, the two envoys from Talonde finally departed. Once again only Gao Yang and Enya remained in the hatching chamber, but this time the room held one thing more: a dragon egg that drifted with a soft luster under the lamplight.

"Next time I'll have someone make another stand and set it right beside you," Gao Yang said, looking at the dragon egg. "It'll be steadier on a stand, at least. Otherwise I keep feeling it's going to roll around everywhere..."

No response came from the giant golden egg. Enya seemed to have fallen deep into thought, and after Gao Yang's words trailed off, she kept her silence.

"Enya?" Gao Yang looked at the golden egg with some curiosity. "What are you thinking about? Still worrying over the Talonde business?"

"Gao Yang, my friend," Enya finally spoke after another two seconds, her tone more grave and earnest than ever before, "have you ever had experience caring for young?"

"Caring for young? You mean raising children?" Gao Yang paused, then gave a somewhat awkward laugh. "Well... to be honest, it's a bit shameful. Back then... I mean, in my memory, 'back then' I spent most of my time either fighting or on the road to a fight. When the children were born one after another, I wasn't actually there, and as for their education..."

He finally reacted, his eyes going wide as he stared at the giant golden egg. "Wait, don't tell me you... you actually don't know how to hatch a dragon egg or care for a hatchling?"

"...I have the knowledge, but no practical experience."

"No experience... right, how could you possibly have experience in this!" Gao Yang stared at Enya's eggshell, dumbfounded. "Then just now you still..."

"..."

Enya kept her silence. Gao Yang stared at her for a long while, then finally ventured cautiously: "Don't tell me... it's because of pride?"

The giant golden egg finally broke its silence: "...In any case, I have a direction to strive in again."