Sword of Dawnbreaker

Gray Elf Venna sat in a reception room adorned with a soft thick carpet, with decorative shields and rune tapestries hanging on the walls. The light from the magic crystal lamps illuminated the smooth round table, casting a mesmerizing glow among the colored glass tiles. She looked at Duke Baldwin Franklin before her, a faint smile on her face: ”Our first cooperation in this new era has been very successful—the first batch of alchemical potions and textile samples from the east were enthusiastically received in the plains and hill areas. The Fairy King has commanded me to present a gift to His Majesty Gawain Cecil to demonstrate our friendship.”

Despite her petite stature like a human child, Lady Venna is actually a leader of a large tribe of gray elves. As she spoke, she gestured to the Attendant beside her, who promptly stepped forward to place an exquisitely ornate, approximately one-foot square small box on the table in front of Baldwin.

A faint rune glow flashed, the magic mechanism on the small box was released, and as the lid opened, a crystal ball about the size of a fist lay quietly on a velvet cushion.

”This high-purity crystal ball hails from Ancestral Peak. As you know, the crystals produced there possess the highest quality on the continent. This crystal ball was personally carved and polished by the dwarf craftsman Mackintosch Greyhill and blessed by the Fairy King, hoping that the friendship between the two kingdoms remains as pure and flawless as this crystal.”

”I shall pass this precious gift along to our emperor,” Duke Franklin nodded, instructing the Attendant to store the gift, ”Once the roads are clear in the coming spring and our mutual embassies are established, with ambassadors dispatched, I will certainly invite you to visit our imperial capital. You will surely enjoy the prosperity of its commercial atmosphere.”

”I am very much looking forward to it,” Gray Elf Venna smiled, nodding gently, then asked, ”Additionally, our king wants to confirm when we might be able to supply the second batch of textiles and alchemical potions? In the plains region, the demand for these items is significant.”

”We can supply alchemical potions readily in large quantities, as we’ve established an Alchemy Factory in the west. As for the textiles from Typhon...” Baldwin Franklin hesitated, gripping his chin, ”You know, they require a lengthy transport process. The previous batch of samples was relayed via the White River and land caravans from the east to the west, but now the bulk river transport on the White River has been temporarily halted due to seasonal changes, and the railway needed for the magic-guided train... will not be completed this year.”

”Of course, even so, we can still supply a small amount of textiles that will at least meet part of the demand gap.”

”Being able to supply enough alchemical potions already solves half the problem,” Venna said with a smile, ”As for textiles... we understand your difficulty; transporting bulk goods from the east to the west is indeed a challenging task.”

At this point, the gray elf tribe leader paused a moment, then naturally shifted the topic: ”Moreover, since you mentioned ’magic-guided train,’ I have indeed heard this peculiar term several times recently... Could you tell me more about it?”

Baldwin’s mouth twitched slightly, as he lightly stroked his fingers and leaned forward: ”Oh? You’re interested in it?”

”Being able to swiftly transport a large amount of goods across the entire Empire, and it seems at a low cost—I think no sensible merchant would lack interest in it,” Venna said in a soft, mature voice, ”Not only am I interested, but even our Gray Elf King and several other kings are very interested.”

”Ah, then I must detail it for you,” Baldwin’s face was filled with a smile as he gestured towards a nearby shelf, where an intricately made model of the magic-guided train smoothly flew into his hand. ”First, we begin with the concept of ’magic-powered vehicles’...”

...

As Fog Month deepens, the year is drawing to an end. In this special year, this young and ancient country has experienced too many events and too many transformations.