The expressions of the representatives of various countries were different, but except for the three empires, they all had one thing in common, and that was worry, undisguised worry.
"Can I ask a question?" A tall, dark-skinned representative stood up. He came from the northwest border of the Augre tribal kingdom and was the leader elected by several independent city-states north of the mossy forest. He looked at Melita with a very serious look. "How strong are the Dragons' magic resistance? How strong are their scales? Sorry, my question may be offensive, but this is very important to us. "
Melita seemed to have expected that someone would ask this question. She was very calm and showed a polite smile when she answered. "You don't have to be so formal. The Dragons are here to establish an equal exchange with friends of the Lolun Continent. As for your question … it is difficult to give an accurate quantitative answer. After all, Dragons are also divided into strong and weak, and different dragon species have different strengths.
"In general, according to the standard of an adult Giant Dragon, the magic resistance is above average, the body is healthy, there is no major disease, and there is no professional combat equipment. Most of the magic below the mid-grade will cause zero damage to us. The mid-grade magic can cause some damage to the Dragons, but it requires a certain number of attacks and continuous attacks, depending on the power of the spellcaster. If a mid-grade Extraordinary who has just broken through to the mid-grade and has insufficient magic reserves faces an adult Giant Dragon alone, then the threat to us is still zero.
"High-ranked to Legendary-level Extraordinaires can effectively fight against adult dragons, but the frail bodies of most mortal races are still a fatal weakness. If they want to remain unscathed under the dragon's breath, they need the protection of powerful armor and shields.
"The above is limited to the magic resistance of the Dragons. As for the strength of our scales … Do you know the city gate that is made of purple steel? It is lined with a layer of mithril as thick as a finger. The black dragons are almost at the same level. The Giant Dragon of other colors is slightly weaker in terms of the strength of their scales, which is equivalent to not being lined with mithril. "
The leader of the northern city-states stood there and listened carefully to Melita's description. After the voice of the ambassador of the Dragons faded away, he thought for a moment and thought that it was best not to curse here, so he sighed and sat down.
Another representative could not help but stand up. "Then what should we do … to shoot down these Giant Dragons that have been 'expelled' by Tarlonde? If they are as strong as you said, it is obviously beyond the ability of many countries to deal with. Perhaps the heavily guarded key points of the kingdom can deal with these attackers, but the ordinary border areas may not necessarily have a large army stationed everywhere! "
"Dragon Calamity" was undoubtedly a slightly awkward word for the representatives present at the scene, but they had to face it. The emissary from Tarlonde stood here with the intention of peaceful coexistence with the countries of the Loren Continent. However, their out-of-control compatriots were obviously not so harmless. No one knew how many powerful Giant Dragons would attack the borders of the Loren Continent. These proven threats were far more terrifying than the end of the divine war.
"This is what I'm going to say next." Gwen stood up at this moment. He looked around the hall, and when everyone's eyes fell on him, he continued. "When we establish the alliance, the first thing we need to do is to solve the problem of 'safety.' Therefore, one of the initial tasks of the alliance is to deal with the hidden dangers that threaten the safety of the member states, such as the out-of-control Giant Dragon.
"One of the purposes of the alliance is that the member states should help each other. Every country has the responsibility and obligation to ensure the interests of the entire alliance. Under this premise, I call on the countries that are currently capable of fighting the out-of-control Giant Dragon to be responsible for establishing a 'Joint Sea and Air Alert Ring' around the Loren Continent. The specific implementation plan is as follows:
"With the route around the continent as the alert base, a series of sea lookouts, patrol ships, coastal ports, civilian fleets, and so on will form a complete monitoring chain to constantly guard against threats from outside the continent. At the nodes of the alert ring, set up air defense bases, anti-air ships, military ports, and other armed forces to protect the safety of the alliance member states at all times.
"Considering that the out-of-control Giant Dragon may become a long-term threat, the 'Joint Sea and Air Alert Ring' will also be run as a long-term project until the threat is eliminated. At that time, we will hold another meeting to discuss whether to retain the series of facilities and troops built during the alert period."
Gwen's voice trailed off, and he gave time for the representatives to express their opinions. The representative from the tribal country of Auglay, a gray elf with shoulder-length hair, stood up first. Gwen recognized her. She was Wenna Baizhi, the chief of the gray elves who had always had a good relationship with Cecil. The petite lady looked up and said with a serious expression, "Who will be responsible for establishing this' Joint Alert Ring '?"
Gwen looked at the Silver Queen, Bersetia, and the Emperor of Typhon, Rosetta, who was further away. After confirming with his eyes, he withdrew his gaze and nodded to the chief of the gray elves and said, "Cecil, Typhon, and the Silver Empire. The three countries will be responsible for establishing a line of defense on the sea, land, and air according to their specific conditions. We have the ability to intercept small groups of Giant Dragon that attack the Loren Continent. Even if the opponent attacks in large numbers, we can also assemble enough troops to shoot it down in a short time. Besides … "
As he spoke, he looked at Melita, who was not far away. She immediately nodded and stood up to respond, "Tarlonde will also send a certain number of air forces to establish this alert ring with the Loren countries. This is a difficult thing for us, but the Dragons will bear the responsibility to the end. "
"Don't be so pessimistic, Miss Ambassador." Gwen looked at Melita and smiled slightly. "First of all, there will be three chances to talk, right? I believe that most of the Dragons who made the wrong decision when they attacked other countries did not mean it. If they knew that there was another choice, I think most of them would be willing to return to the civilized world. "
As he spoke, he sighed in his heart. No matter how you looked at it, it was necessary to establish a line of defense against the dragon disaster. On the one hand, it was to ensure the safety of the alliance members. On the other hand, it was to promote his plan of circumnavigating the continent and further ensure the influence of the Cecil Empire on the entire Loren Continent. However, this was not something that Cecil could undertake alone. Even if he was given a few more years of stable development, it would be difficult for him to build a military force that could encircle the entire Loren Continent. So, he had no choice but to get some "helpers" to join in the situation.
But he did not regret it. After all, from the very beginning, developing allies was part of his plan. The world was vast, and Cecil still had a long way to go. He could already smell the approaching danger. Time was limited, and with the current situation, he could not solve all the dangers in the world by himself. At the end of the day, the power of heroism was limited. It was better to let the world develop as a whole to bring greater hope.
While Gwen was thinking, Wenna Baizhi's voice came again from the opposite side. "So, who should bear the cost of establishing the joint security circle? What do the member states have to pay in exchange for this' security '? "
There was no free lunch in the world. Even a child knew this, and the gray elves, who were very shrewd in business, certainly knew it better. There was no doubt that the cost of such a "joint security circle" was extremely high. Even if the three empires and a group of giant dragons worked together, it would not be that easy to protect the entire Lorien Continent. Therefore, the member states under the protection of the security circle would have to pay a price to make it seem fair.
After all, the first principle of the Alliance that Gawain had mentioned earlier was "Every country has the responsibility and obligation to ensure the interests of the entire Alliance". To put it bluntly, this sentence meant that everyone should shoulder the burden together when encountering difficulties. Those who had the strength to contribute, those who had the money to contribute, and those who had nothing … would have to fork out something more expensive than money.
Gwen glanced at the gray elf, then cleared his throat and said, "Please rest assured that the purpose of setting up this joint security circle is to protect our common land, not to blackmail or plunder any member states. The protected countries do not have to bear any military expenses or any form of 'employment costs'. They only have to provide the necessary station for the defense. Part of the operation cost of the joint security circle comes from the profits of Typhon, Cecil, and the Silver Empire. The other part is borne by Tarlonde. Considering that the Loren Continent has not yet established a trade interface with Tarlonde, and Tarlonde has its own difficulties, this part of the cost will be borne by Cecil for the time being. "
He paused for a moment and then continued, "Of course, as a member of the alliance, the member states along the security circle also have their own responsibilities. Join the continental route, sign the Alliance Trade Act, and welcome a more prosperous new era together with us. This is the most basic and most important contribution that the member states make to the alliance as a whole."
The representatives in the hall began to discuss in low voices. They began to seriously examine this issue and think about the hidden gains and losses behind the conditions proposed by Gwen. Many of them were not difficult to consider. The tall leader from the Northern City-state Federation quickly stood up and said, "That is to say, only the member states of the alliance and the countries that join the continental route will be included in the security circle?"
"This is inevitable." Gwen nodded. "We can't protect a country that takes the initiative to keep a distance from the alliance. This is the most basic mutual respect, isn't it?"
"… Then can we still think of this as a disguised 'kidnapping' and 'blackmail'?" A representative who had not spoken much before could not help but stand up and say, "Please forgive my straightforwardness. I don't mean to speculate on this great plan with malice, but since we are holding this meeting, we need to have some doubts, don't we? Now we have to join an alliance to be protected. It sounds like those who don't join will be destroyed by the Giant Dragon. I know this sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, but … who can guarantee that what happened to Tarlonde is true? "
Some people raised doubts, which was expected, but Gwen was actually very happy about it because only after sufficient doubts and doubts could the newly established alliance have a more stable foundation and a more secure future. But this time, he did not continue to answer. Instead, Rosetta Augustus, who was sitting not far away, stood up.
"Please correctly distinguish the concepts of 'kidnapping,' 'blackmail,' and 'equal rights and obligations,'" Rosetta's voice was low, and his tone was calm but convincing. "First of all, the joint sea and air security circle is not compulsory. Anyone has the right to refuse to join, and they also have the right to choose to leave after joining. Even the entire alliance itself can come and go freely. If a member thinks that their interests and dignity in the alliance are not guaranteed, then they can withdraw at any time. As long as they do not attack other members during the period of joining the alliance, this is not considered a breach of the covenant.
"Secondly, the protection of the joint security circle is a 'benefit' for countries that are unable to fight against the out-of-control Giant Dragon alone. Safe survival in the alliance system is also a basic right of the member states. To enjoy rights, one has to bear equal obligations and responsibilities. And I don't think joining the continental route and accepting the alliance covenant is a matter of 'blackmail.' This is something that benefits both sides.
"Finally, if any of you have doubts about Tarlonde … I think Miss Dragons Ambassador has something to say."
Rosetta looked at Melita Pânia, who was not far away. After nodding slightly, he sat back down. Melita got up calmly and looked at the representative who had spoken before with a blank expression.
"Tarlonde is open to the countries of the Lolun Continent. We welcome new friends to visit our homeland at any time," she said slowly. "Tarlonde will set up airports in the Duchy of Holy Dragon and the capital of the Cecil Empire. There will be at least three 'flights' to and from Tarlonde every week. Although our transportation task is heavy, it is more than enough to carry a few extra passengers. And you can rest assured that the Dragons will ensure the safety of the passengers throughout the journey. Sir, are you interested in applying for the first place?"
The expression on the representative's face changed. Clearly, he did not expect Melita to suddenly throw out such an 'invitation'. This unexpected situation made him feel a little helpless. After a short moment of thought, he shook his head and said, "No … Not this time. But if there is a chance in the future, maybe I will consider it. "
Gwen subconsciously glanced at Melita. Based on his understanding of the Giant Dragon, he was almost certain that the 'invitation' was improvised by Melita, and most likely with a little bit of resentment. But when he thought about it carefully, there seemed to be a lot of things that could be done …
He had to discuss with her later to see if it was possible to set up a 'Tarlonde Wasteland Tour' project under the condition of ensuring safety. This would require a lot of protection from Tarlonde, but at most, the fee would be a little higher. In this world, there were many wronged explorers who were willing to spend a lot of money to explore the mystery of the Giant Dragon. Those mages who were obsessed with all kinds of secret knowledge were richer than the other.
If this was done well, it could be a breaking point for Tarlonde, who was currently in a difficult situation. Perhaps the miserable Giant Dragon's first foreign exchange would come in just like that …
These messy thoughts only took a moment before Gwen quickly collected them. He looked at the representative who still looked a little embarrassed. After identifying the flag behind the representative and comparing it to the information in his mind, he smiled and said, "Actually, what Ambassador Siward just raised is very normal, and I think this is what many people here are worried about. For the establishment of a new organization, the members have to establish sufficient understanding and trust. First of all, these doubts and hidden dangers have to be brought to the surface for everyone to discuss and solve openly. This is also one of the purposes of the Alliance: openness, transparency, honesty, and mutual trust.
"Everyone, don't worry. For example, the establishment of the Alliance has not been decided yet. As for the issue of the Alliance's joint air and sea warning circle and the route around the continent, we have only proposed a proposal. It is not time for a vote yet.
"We need to have a full understanding of the future Alliance before we can make an accurate judgment. And now, we have talked about many problems regarding the crisis … Next, we should talk about positive things."
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