Chapter 1087 — Closed Loop
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Everything that needed to be discussed had been discussed, and the direction that needed to be set had been set. As the giant sun climbed to its zenith, its resplendent crown, faintly veined with wood-grain, shone over the entire Silver Stronghold No. 112. Gao Yang clinked glasses with Royan Augustus one final time—what came after this would be the domain of the two nations' diplomats.
Gao Heng knew how Typhon's nobles would view the outcome of this closed-door meeting, and he did not know how later historians would record and speculate about these negotiations. As for himself alone, the exchanges of interest between Cecil and Typhon were not the point at all. All of this... was merely one link in his drive to reshape the world.
Everything for a greater victory—he did not know whether Royan Augustus had already sensed this ambitious goal of his, but from the man's demeanor... this ruler of grand vision and strategy was perhaps not entirely unaware of it.
Gao Yang rose from his seat, but before leaving with Amber, he finally could not restrain his last small doubt: "I'm curious—how exactly did you come to realize the true purpose of the Winterhowl?"
This was the point that greatly intrigued him: in an era when all of humanity in this world had turned its back on the sea, when no one possessed any awareness of sea power, how had Typhon managed to leap from a single warship prowling the ocean's surface to the concept of near-shore blockade—and even to the notion of repairing and establishing outposts in the warship's blind spots to protect its maritime sovereignty?
"It wasn't I who noticed first," Royan shook his head, to Gao Yang's surprise, and pointed to Matilda, who had spoken very little throughout, "It was my daughter. She was the first to realize that your objective might never have been Winterwolf Keep at all."
Only then did Gao Yang finally rest his gaze on Matilda—on this "Pearl of the Empire" who had possessed so little presence throughout, speaking sparingly like a modest junior listening attentively. Matilda raised her head with composure and met Gao Song's gaze with calm, steady eyes.
"Could you share your thoughts?" Gao Song's expression was gentle, as though casually inquiring over everyday conversation.
"From the very beginning, I never believed you truly intended to hold Winterwolf Keep—nor did I believe you would raise any difficulties or set any conditions regarding it," Matilda said with a faint smile, answering like a gentle, well-bred junior responding to an elder's question. "You would withdraw the soldiers occupying Winterwolf Keep unconditionally, and you would do so conspicuously, so that every nation would know you sought no compensation or exchange in the process."
Gao Song's gaze turned serious, and he nodded slightly at Matilda: "Go on."
"You would do this because your greatest objective was never Typhon at all. What you want is the highest voice within the Alliance—to become the rule-maker of the Alliance. Winterwolf Keep absolutely must not be occupied, because the whole world is watching Cecil's next move, watching what purpose the future 'leader of the Alliance' is pursuing in advancing its own order. Of course, you could have countless reasons to occupy the Winterwolf region, and those reasons could even be quite reasonable: it was Typhon who first 'launched the war,' Typhon that stood on the wrong side of justice, and Cecil's occupation of the Winterwolf region was a legitimate act of retaliation. But no matter how defensible those reasons might be, they would erode the future Alliance's cohesion.