Chapter 73: Investment 1 |
Tyrone brought up the rear, flying swiftly behind the fleet to prevent any Dwarven pursuit.
Saga scouted ahead, responsible for reconnoitering the sea in front.
Disos swam back and forth on the flanks, observing movements to the left and right.
Meanwhile, Xia'er held the center, firmly maintaining air superiority.
Tina, along with the Frogmen, stayed beneath the sea to guard against any potential underwater attacks from sea beasts.
It could be said that the security of this loot-laden fleet was guaranteed crystal clear, leaving no possibility for any sudden ambush.
Soaring high in the sky, Xia'er's heart swelled with pride and satisfaction.
This time, they had captured over five thousand Dwarves!
Among them, only about nine hundred were military prisoners of war. The remaining four thousand-plus Dwarves were the 'merchant Dwarves' who had lived in Eastern Sea Port.
If not a craftsman, they possessed some other specialized skill; otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to Eastern Sea Port, a city engaged in frequent trade with humans.
The number of Dwarves in Eastern Sea Port was now drastically reduced, likely leaving only a few stragglers and the hundred-plus wounded Dwarves Xia'er had deliberately left behind—a move specifically designed to sow discord in Dwarven-human relations.
Over five thousand Dwarves.
It could be said that one-sixtieth of the Dwarven Kingdom's core population had been snatched away by her. While not enough to cripple the kingdom, it was absolutely a significant bloodletting.
Xia'er was extremely pleased and began pondering privately.
She needed to think of a way to keep all these Gold Coins firmly under her control.
Rather than dividing and distributing them to each dragon's lair, only to sit and watch them rot and mildew.
"......"
Star Mist Archipelago, White Pearl Island Royal Court.
Five massive figures surrounded a newly piled, still sea-scented hill of Gold Coins. The intense metallic aroma and palpable greed in the air almost solidified into a tangible substance.
The kobold servants had long been driven to the very edges of the cavern by the oppressive draconic aura, trembling in fear.
Xia'er's enormous emerald body coiled in the primary position, her dragon claws unconsciously toying with a few scattered coins, producing crisp clinking sounds.
"Ahem."
Xia'er surveyed the other four dragons, contemplated for a moment, then opened her maw. "Everyone, the fruits of victory lie before us. According to the rules of the Star Mist Archipelago and my promise, the spoils shall be distributed thusly: I, take five-tenths. Tyrone, for his outstanding merit, takes two-tenths. Saga, Disos, and Tina, each take one-tenth."
Before the words had fully left her mouth, Tyrone jerked his head up, a dissatisfied growl rumbling in his throat. He seemed on the verge of erupting, but after considering that he probably still couldn't beat Xia'er in a fight, he settled back down.
"I agree."
On the Chromatic Dragons' continent, strength reigns supreme!
Saga spoke steadily, "I accept Xia'er's distribution. It is fair and reasonable."
Disos immediately followed suit, "What Saga says is right."
Tina, though her eyes were glued longingly to the gold, also nodded vigorously. "What Xia'er says is right! I listen to Xia'er!"
Xia'er nodded with satisfaction. "The distribution plan is settled. However, regarding the handling of these shiny little things, we need a more far-sighted perspective."
Having said that, Xia'er's voice took on an extremely seductive, almost wise tone. "What do you plan to do next? Haul these coins back to your damp lairs and let them lie on cold stone? No! That is a desecration of wealth! It is the foolish thinking of Lesser Dragons!"
Upon hearing this, Tina felt a slight twinge of dissatisfaction.
Hey!
What did Lesser Dragons ever do to you?
But for the sake of the gold, Tina held her tongue.
*She's not talking about me. I have half Ocean Dragon blood. I'm basically an Ocean Dragon already,* Tina comforted herself internally.
Then, Xia'er continued, "These treasures lying dormant in your lairs are merely dead objects. But we can make them come alive! Let them multiply! Grow!"
"Multiply?"
Tina tilted her massive head in confusion.
"Precisely!"
Xia'er's voice brimmed with confidence. "We shall establish an indestructible Royal Court treasury belonging to the dragon flight! All Gold Coins, including my rightful five-tenths share, shall be deposited into it! This treasury will be the common foundation of our flight, the cornerstone of our future hegemony!"
Tyrone immediately grew wary. "Deposit into a treasury? What's the difference from burying it in the ground?! I want *my* gold! I want to sleep on it!"
"The difference lies in this."
Xia'er's voice dropped to a magical whisper. "Interest! Annually, the Gold Coins you deposit into the treasury will automatically increase! By 3%! Yes, without you needing to plunder, without you needing to fight, simply by waiting patiently, your wealth will grow larger by itself each year! Like seeds sprouting and branching in fertile soil! Deposit one hundred Gold Coins this year, and by this time next year, the treasury will automatically hold one hundred and three for you! The year after, it will be one hundred and six Gold Coins and nine coppers! Compounding year after year!"
"Automatically... grow more?"
Tina's eyes instantly shone like stars, her massive tail thumping the ground excitedly. "Really, Xia'er? Gold Coins can really give birth to more Gold Coins?"
"Absolutely!"
Xia'er stated resolutely. "This is a rule I establish in the name of the Master of the Dragon Flight, the Star Mist Dragon Lord! It applies to all depositors, including myself! My five-tenths will also be deposited, equally bound by the rule, equally waiting for it to grow!"
A gleam of understanding flashed in Saga's eyes. He grasped the stability this implied and its effect on flight cohesion. "A common treasury, common rules, common growth... This indeed holds more power than scattered hoarding."
Disos also nodded in agreement.
Tyrone's anger was temporarily suppressed by the concept of 'automatic growth,' but doubts remained. "Then... when can I take *my* gold back? And the extra ones?"
"For the long-term, grand development of our dragon flight!"
Xia'er's voice suddenly rose, filled with unwavering determination. "To accumulate the capital that will truly allow us to look down upon the continent and establish an eternal draconic empire, this wealth needs time to settle and expand! Therefore, I decree: All Gold Coins deposited into the treasury must remain deposited for a full twenty years! Fif—... never mind, twenty years. For twenty years, no one, not even I, Xia'er, has the right to arbitrarily withdraw a single coin! This is iron law!"
"Twenty years?!"
Tyrone roared, the anger he'd just suppressed flaring up again. "That long?! What if... what if you embezzle it?"
"Embezzle?"
Xia'er let out an authoritative snort, her draconic aura pressing down on Tyrone like a physical weight. "Tyrone, are you questioning the credibility of the Master of the Dragon Flight? Or are you questioning that I, Xia'er, would violate a rule I myself established, a rule that also binds me? Every single Gold Coin flowing in and out of the Royal Court treasury will be recorded by Saga as the overseer on dragon-scale ledgers, accessible for review by all flight members! This money is for our shared future—to build more magnificent lairs, arm more powerful minion armies, purchase rare magical items and knowledge, even... to conquer richer lands in the future! Dividing it now is merely momentary pleasure. Saving it for twenty years, we will gain wealth and power several times over! This is true draconic wisdom!"
Saga fell silent for a moment, then spoke for himself and Disos. "Reasonable. We agree to deposit and abide by the twenty-year covenant."
All eyes focused once more on Tyrone.
The Red Dragon's chest heaved violently. He looked at the pile of gold that seemed both within reach and yet impossibly distant, then at his companions who had reached consensus, and finally at Xia'er's cold, unwavering gaze. He felt immense frustration and resentment.
Not touching his own spoils for twenty years?
That was almost worse than killing him!
But to refuse? He couldn't bear to give up that 3% profit.
It was somewhat coincidental, really.
Under Xia'er's leadership, the dragons under her command were quite rational.
Red Dragon Tyrone, though still hot-tempered, could listen to reason.
Other Red Dragons hearing such a proposal would have flipped out long ago.
As for Black Dragon Saga, needless to say, he was inherently clever.
Tina, with her Ocean Dragon lineage, was rational by nature, and Disos was practically the little Einstein among White Dragons.
Regarding Xia'er's proposal, all the dragons analyzed it rationally and found no flaw.
Finally, under Xia'er's tangible pressure and the irresistibly tempting promise of 'future doubling,' Tyrone still opened his maw and said, "Hmph! Twenty years... fine, twenty years it is! But Xia'er, you'd better keep your word! You have to calculate the interest on every single coin clearly for me!"
This money could finally all be put to use.
As long as it turned a profit in twenty years, everything would be fine.
If, in twenty years, she couldn't even earn fifty thousand Gold Coins, then what kind of Dragon Lord was she? She might as well find a place to bury herself and eat dirt for three hundred years.