Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

Darkus first glanced at the point on the map that Darrowland had pointed to, then turned to look at Darrowland. His gaze was calm, without questioning or scrutiny; he simply and objectively looked at the point and then at the person who had pointed it.

"Too close."

In his view, that point had a similar positioning to the island of Hawaii, but the problem was that it was too close to the mainland of Ausuan.

It was a very short word, but to Darrowland's ears, it was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples that spread outwards in circles.

"Ha ha……"

He let out a dry laugh, a short, soft laugh that carried a sense of "I knew it" helplessness.

He knew that he had one more task to complete.

Dakos's statement that it was "too close" meant that the point, the city, needed to be re-examined, repositioned, and rearranged. And he, as the representative of the Kosquieu province, had an inescapable responsibility.

He was pointing to none other than Tal Andar.

This is a rugged fortified city, lacking the elegance of Lorthene, the grandeur of Tal Corelli, and the white towers and golden domes that inspire poets. It is a city born for war, with grey stone walls, low towers, and narrow streets—everything prioritizes practicality and defense.

The people living here are partly from Anirene, partly from Tal Corelli, and a small number from the Kingdom of Iris due to its border with the Kingdom of Iris.

This is related to Tal Andar's positioning.

There are no nodes here; it simply exists as the first line of defense against serious maritime threats.

In layman's terms: This is a naval base shared by the Kingdom of Kosqui and the Kingdom of Iris, and occasionally a fleet from the Kingdom of Itien is also stationed here.

It can advance or retreat – the fleet can set off from here and blockade the entire sea area between Iris and Kosquie; it can retreat or retreat – if the war goes badly, the fleet can retreat to the magical defense zone of the Drifting Islands and use those unpredictable channels and reefs to deter pursuers.

After the Drift Islands were transformed into a magical defensive zone, the area underwent a large-scale expansion. The council allocated funds, and artisans flocked to the site, adding extra berths to the existing docks and constructing supporting living facilities on the islands' open spaces, including warehouses, barracks, canteens, hospitals, and even a small Matheran Temple.

That was the most glorious period for Tal Andar; the whole city was filled with clanging and clattering, and scaffolding and construction crews were everywhere.

However, as the navy expanded again, its carrying capacity became increasingly limited. The docks were not long enough, the berths were not deep enough, the warehouses were not big enough, and even the barracks were crowded.

Before Finnubar went to Elsin Alvin for diplomacy, Kosqui's council had discussed further expanding the area, upgrading Tal Andar from a "base" to a "fortress".

But expansion inevitably involves money, not small amounts, but large sums.

So, in the end, they got stuck on the question of "who will pay for it".

Shelved...

After Finnubar returned from Elsin Alvin, there was no longer any need for expansion.

It's not because we have enough money, it's because the situation has changed.

Duruch's raiding ships were no longer patrolling the waters of Ausuan; the threats that once required Tal Andal's defense were now reduced to a few insignificant Norscan vessels. The expansion plan was indefinitely postponed, the blueprints were locked in drawers, the construction crew was disbanded, and the scaffolding was removed.

The pier, which couldn't handle the load, stretched out forlornly into the sea, like an unfinished finger.

It's been put on hold for a long time, until now.

But now, Dakota says: It's too close.

“You have seen iron ships,” Dakota explained, his tone flat, as if stating common sense.

Seeing Darrowland nod, he added another sentence, which made Darrowland's eyes widen.

"Future iron ships will be larger and have a greater carrying capacity. And larger means that more fuel will be needed to power the iron ships."

Darrow's eyes widened as images of those iron ships flashed through his mind—the iron ships he had seen docked in the harbor for supplies. They were much larger than the wooden ships, with deeper drafts, wider decks, and more gun emplacements.

If "larger" means even larger than those...

How big would it be? What weapons would it be equipped with? A twisting cannon? And what about its carrying capacity?

His imagination ran out.

Ignoring Darrowland and Kelisses's reactions, Darkus continued speaking to himself, his finger leaving Tal Andal and pointing northeast along the edge of the map.

"Besides the iron ships, the magical defense system of the Drifting Islands will soon be dismantled. So?"

The "so" was drawn out, as if giving Darrowland time to think. But Darrowland didn't need to think; his gaze had already followed Darkus's finger to the northeastern edge of the map. Although it wasn't marked there, he knew Darkus was pointing to Obian, to Elsin Alwyn.

Compared to Kelisses, whose mind was filled with the thought of "bigger iron ships," and the poor shipyard owner who was too terrified to think beyond the word "bigger," there was a stark contrast.

Darrowland had a more comprehensive and grander perspective. He knew what Darkus's words meant: with the magical defenses of the Drifting Isles crumbling, the elven navy would no longer need to cower behind the islands, no longer need to rely on those unpredictable waterways and reefs for protection. They would be able to sail out, to the open seas, to places once ruled by elves but now occupied by humans.

Shift from defense to offense.

The place Dacules was referring to was the gateway to that new sea.

Tal Andal was built on a vast island, and expanding it would allow it to function as a naval base as before. But as Darkus said—it's too close.

It's too close to Kosquière's homeland.

A fast boat can get you there in a day, and a slower boat can take at least two days, unless you get lost among the drifting islands.

what does this mean?
The replacement of wooden boats with iron boats is an irreversible trend.

Darrow knew this all too well.

If he had to choose, he would also choose an iron boat, not a wooden one. Not because he didn't love wooden boats; he loved them his whole life and lived his whole life smelling sawdust and tung oil.

He was also an excellent sailor, but feelings are feelings, and reality is reality.

The era of wooden boats is coming to an end.

But the iron ships represented more and larger quantities of supplies.

Fuel, Darrowland understood the concept—it was what made ships move, just as people need food and water. If Tal Andal continued to be used as a naval base, it meant that fuel would have to be transported there.

One day's flight, several days of unloading?

This is just fuel; there's also a supporting system.

Repair requires parts, parts require factories, factories require raw materials; construction requires materials, materials require transportation, transportation requires docks; supplies require storage, storage requires warehouses, warehouses require management.

This is a complete, interconnected chain, and Tal Andar only has the first link.

There's no point in doing this.

Having witnessed Slan's power, Darrow knew that Slan could completely alter the structure of the cliff beside him, turning it into a terraced shape. Those hard shale rocks, weathered by sea winds for millennia, would be nothing more than a lump of clay that could be molded at will in front of Slan.

Tal Corelli is located at one end of the peninsula. If it were developed into the urban cluster that Dakos described, the bay embraced by the peninsula would become the best port and the best naval base. Goods could be gathered here by rail or by ship. In addition, there would be a supporting shipyard, not a workshop like the Silver Wave Shipyard, but a real large-scale shipyard with docks, gantry cranes, and a complete industrial chain.

So, he had one more task.

They persuaded Trasina to abandon Tal Andar and relocate the people living there back to Kosqui's homeland to build Kosqui.

This is not an easy task.

Trasina is not the kind of person who is easily persuaded. She lived in Tal Andar for so many years, treating it as her home, her career, and the meaning of her existence.

Asking her to give up is tantamount to asking her to deny the rest of her life.

But who made him the acting governor of the province of Kosquière?

Only he can do this task.

Darrowland lifted his gaze from the map and looked at the distant, grey-blue sea. There were ships, birds, and the shadows of clouds on the water. He didn't look at those things; he looked at the other side of the horizon, where Tal Andal lay, the city he had to persuade, and the people he had to persuade.

The sea breeze blew from the direction of the cliff, making his cloak flutter. He didn't move; he just stood there, looking in that direction, as if he were looking at a mission that hadn't even begun, a first battle that hadn't even been fought.

Kelisses stood to the side, barely daring to breathe. His gaze darted back and forth between Dakos and Darrowland, as if watching a game of chess that he neither understood nor dared to miss.

Darkus withdrew his finger, carefully folded the map, and handed it to Renn. Renn took it and put it in his pocket; the action had become a habit, done without hesitation.

There's no need to study or discuss Elicia and Tar de No. 2 anymore. The fate of these two adjacent cities has already been decided by another land.

The Burntwood Wasteland contains copper, as well as molybdenum, a by-product and steel reinforcing agent, in large quantities. With the Burntwood Wasteland gradually stabilizing, mining has now resumed.

Elves need electricity, and electricity naturally requires copper. This will be true, at least for now and for a long time to come.

Besides mining and copper processing, and the related electrical and electronic industries, it is also an excellent port. Deep-sea fishing vessels can depart from there, venture deep into the vast ocean's fishing grounds, and return fully loaded, processing, freezing, and packaging their catch directly within the port area before transporting it by rail to various parts of Ausuan. Later, these two cities will also develop into a cluster, complementing and supporting each other, just like Tal Corelli, Anirenne, and Tal Weir.

With this, the basic framework of the Kosquieu Province's planning was essentially established.

But this is just the beginning. There are still a lot of things to do. It's like he stands on an empty lot, waves his hand, and says he wants to build a complex of buildings here. Then there will be blueprints, foundations, materials, workers, money, and time.

But at least, it's a good start.

When Darrowland finally turned his gaze away from Tal Andal and stopped staring blankly at the gray-blue sea, Darkus extended an invitation.

"Shall we go somewhere else?"

Darrowland nodded without asking any further questions.

So Darkus, Raine, and Darrowland got moving.

As for how they moved...

The three of them found a small boat and started rowing.

Kellys stood on the dock, watching the three row away, then slowly exhaled and turned back to his shipyard. He still had ships to build, workers to manage, and concepts like 'container ships' and 'bulk carriers' to digest.

The small boats were common barges at the dock, wooden, narrow-bodied, with two oars, usually used to ferry boats between each other or transport small goods. Darkus sat at the stern, Renn at the bow, and Darrowland in the middle.

None of the three spoke; only the sound of oars cutting into the water, splash, splash, splash, one after another, unhurriedly, like the pulse of the city.

Actually, there's not much to see in Tal Corelli.

It was very small, more like a small town than a capital city in Dakota's view.

Although it has all the essentials, the "completeness" is condensed, crammed together, as if it wants to cram all the functions into a single shell. Starting from the shipyard, it's just a short distance north to see the naval base's dock; going south, it's only a short while to see the rest palace on the cliff.

The entire city is like a ship washed ashore by the waves—compact, sturdy, and every inch of space is used to its fullest potential.

The palace and military quarters stand side by side, like twin brothers. Six magnificent palaces overlook the harbor, their white stone walls gleaming softly in the sunlight, their columns carved with patterns of waves and sea monsters—a display of the Kosquiens' maritime heritage. On either side sit the mansions of Kosquiens' wealthiest and most noble nobles, each with its own garden.

Along the wide, tree-lined avenues within the area stand rows of elm and poplar trees, sculpted by magic to present perfect symmetry. The canopies of those trees are meticulously pruned into spherical, conical, and columnar shapes, like rows of soldiers in formal attire.

The military camp here is home to citizen soldiers who serve aristocratic families. They are not a standing army, but militiamen with businesses and families. In peacetime, they engage in commerce or farming, and in wartime, they don armor and go into battle. They train in the square plaza at the intersection of the tree-lined avenues, practicing formations and martial arts against the backdrop of exquisite landscaping and shimmering fountains.

Sunlight shone on the fountain's mist, refracting into delicate rainbows, beneath which the soldiers' shields gleamed coldly. Aside from soldiers, usually only nobles and their servants were allowed into the palace grounds.

Ordinary people won't come here unless they have something to report; if they do, they have to report it first.

Most business activities took place in the mansion’s meeting room or the trade hall, a tall building with arcades and skylights where light poured down from above, illuminating the negotiating table and contracts.

However, the city's daily trade is mostly concentrated in the merchant district, where underground warehouses store luxury goods and exquisite elven handicrafts. Some merchants also hoard rare minerals. The protective vaults storing magical items for sale are heavily guarded, with runes engraved on the doors, and can only be opened by authorized spellcasters.

Ordinary people conducted their daily buying and selling either at the fish market or on Zhulin Avenue.

The fish market was located in the dock area, right next to the pier where fishing boats were moored. At dawn, fishermen carried their catch, caught overnight, ashore and laid it out on wooden planks to sell. The air was thick with the pungent smell of the sea, and the ground was damp, covered in water stains and fish scales. The sounds of bargaining rose and fell, carrying with them Kosquieu's characteristic straightforwardness and fiery temper.

The Zhulin Avenue presents a completely different scene.

The Column Avenue is the city's main thoroughfare, with wide streets lined with stone columns supporting red-tiled roofs and providing shelter for pedestrians. These columns are not bare; they are carved into statues of historical figures dressed in classical high elven attire, each a hero or ruler from Kosquie's history.

Their stone eyes surveyed the mortals and merchants passing by, their expressions unchanged for millennia. The streets were filled with vendors, their stalls and shops hidden behind pillars, only a glimpse of a signboard or a string of wind chimes visible. They sold cloth, pottery, spices, old books, trinkets—you name it.

If you're looking for something unusual or strange, this is the place to be.

As for entertainment, ordinary people spent a great deal of their leisure time visiting theaters, art galleries, and museums in the northern part of the city. The buildings there were more ornate than those in the commercial district, with thicker columns, higher lintels, and huge theater posters hanging on the walls.

At night, laughter echoes from the numerous bars, restaurants, and spas in the area. The people of Kosquieu make their living at sea by day and enjoy themselves on land at night; this is their tradition and their way of life.

The streets are winding and poorly marked, often leaving visitors disoriented. The narrow alleys and dead ends seem deliberately designed to test your patience; you never know what you'll find around the next corner—perhaps a small square, a wall, or a half-open door from which music and laughter drift.

The artists, living in brightly colored houses, created their art in underground studios and workshops. The exterior walls of these houses were painted blue, yellow, and red, resembling collages embedded between gray stone walls. Their paintings, figurines, jewelry, and other ornaments were highly sought after by merchants, not for their artistic value, but because they could fetch a good price.

The temple district overlooks the entire city from the peninsula's ridge, like a god gazing down upon it. A sacred tranquility pervades this sparsely populated area, even the sound of the wind softens.

Like Lorthene, the residents of Tal Corelli preferred sturdy one- or two-story houses to towering skyscrapers. Their structures were reinforced to withstand the elements—not decorative reinforcements, but real reinforcements, bound together with stone beams and iron hoops.

Most of the houses are square or rectangular, with walls made of white stone and roofs covered with heavy blue-grey slabs to protect them from storms. Although simple and unadorned by elven standards, these dwellings are neat and elegant.

Then there's the underground level connecting the city and the docks—another city, a hidden, unseen city beneath your feet. The cave network is illuminated by luminescent stones and natural phosphorescent crystals in the rock strata, the light soft and dim, like an endless twilight. The passageways connecting the caves are paved with white tiles, and some areas are inlaid with exquisite mosaics depicting waves, flying fish, and ships—all ocean-themed.

The walls are covered with murals, some ancient and some modern, each with a different style, but all sharing the same theme: the sea.

Besides being a communication hub, this place can also be used to conceal troops and supplies.

Soon, the trio, huffing and puffing as they rowed, arrived at the naval base not far north of the Silverwave Shipyard. (End of Chapter)