Chapter 2631: Duty-Bound, Plan Demonstration

At the meeting, through a Q&A session with a pre-arranged "plant," Xia Duo clearly explained most of the issues regarding the Water Vapor Migration Plan; naturally, the two routes were also very clearly presented.

Should the water vapor be migrated to the Narrow Sea or the Arctic, or should it be migrated to Calimshan?

The consensus among everyone was unanimous: if not for Xia Duo, they would certainly prefer to migrate the water vapor to the Narrow Sea, as it would be faster and more convenient. Even if it meant paying Arcane Crystals, they would just pay them; as for the favor, as long as they didn't acknowledge it, what could the other party do?

It was just that without Xia Duo, this matter might not have happened at all. Even if Calimshan were also willing to help migrate the water vapor, the price would certainly not just be a few Arcane Crystals.

This was, of course, not Xia Duo's arrogance, but his confidence as the Controller of the core technology and even the key materials for the Mythallar. The easiest way for Calimshan to obtain a Mythallar was through him; there was no other path to take.

Although Yinaole also mastered the core technology and even the key materials for the Mythallar, after the Seven Towers obtained a Mythallar, Yinaole had long since stated clearly that he would no longer participate in matters related to the Mythallar.

Currently, if a Netheril Lord wants to obtain Mythallar technology, they can only find a way through Xia Duo or the Seven Towers, and the mature materials for manufacturing a Mythallar only exist on Xia Duo's side.

The Seven Towers only have the initial version of the David String; there is still a long way to go before they can improve it to the point of being able to manufacture a Mythallar!

Therefore, although many Councilors at the meeting hoped to migrate the water vapor to the north, because this matter could not bypass Xia Duo, if Xia Duo did not agree to this route, they could only choose the other one.

Of course, as Yinaole said, maintaining technological superiority over outsiders is the bottom line for every Councilor. In fact, there is no psychological burden in choosing the latter route, it's just that they can't "freeload" like they could before, and there is one problem they have to face—

Who should be sent to the south to negotiate water vapor transit with Kaitemier and Zhamu Dasi?

For Xia Duo and the other Councilors, this question is actually not a problem at all; for such matters, the Seven Towers, which holds the Executive position, is completely duty-bound!

Xia Duo was also the first to propose that the Seven Towers send someone to the south. As for Badijiaer, he did not show any resistance, but agreed directly.

This is, in fact, diplomatic power; if he doesn't take it now, he might not be able to get it back when he wants it later!

Although the Diplomatic Affairs Department has already been established under the Council, the Seventon Council has only met a few times since the New Covenant, and the scope of the Diplomatic Affairs Department's Permission Level and internal personnel appointments have not yet been negotiated.

In other words, it is an empty shell. The more this is the case, the less likely the Seven Towers are to let their guard down.

……

Of course, according to custom, this matter still required a vote to decide, and it was ultimately passed with a high approval rate of 40 votes in favor and 5 abstentions.

The subsequent selection of the Envoy does not need to be discussed at the Councilor meeting; it will be decided entirely by the Seven Towers internally. However, Xia Duo always feels that the Seven Towers will send someone he is relatively familiar with to the south.

"Councilor Xia Duo, since this matter is led by you, the work of coordinating with the Calimshan people will be left to you!"

"Understood, I will be personally responsible for this matter. However, the Calimshan Scholar mentioned earlier that the movement of water vapor causes quite a stir, and the domestic side also needs to notify the various Lords in advance to appease the populace."

"That is only right! I will have the Pioneers and Lords Affairs Department discuss it later, and then notify the various Lords."

Currently, among the ten subordinate agencies of the Council, only the Arcane Union and the Pioneers and Lords Affairs Department can be considered to be officially operating.

After all, both of these have predecessors and were given priority in previous meetings.

Besides these two agencies, the progress of the Councilor Secretariat is relatively fast, because this agency is essentially an intelligence agency that provides reference information for Councilors. The sources of the situation are currently provided entirely by the Seven Towers, and Councilors only need to send representatives over, which is relatively simple.

Other agencies involve actual power to varying degrees and require continuous negotiation before they can be finalized; it is impossible for the Seven Towers to occupy everything.

What the Seven Towers possesses is the Executive position and leadership; this does not mean they can control all power, as they always need to share it with the various Councilors.

Taking Xia Duo as an example, although he hasn't sent anyone to serve in the Arcane Union due to the shortage of manpower in the Tower of Time, the spots have been reserved in advance—that is, he and Niya can each send one Councilor there.

The Council of Councilors is the governing body of the Arcane Union, similar to how the Councilor meeting is to the Seventon Council.

It's just that the Seventon Council governs everything, while the Arcane Union only manages domains directly related to Magic, similar to the Ministry of Science and Technology + Ministry of Industry and Information Technology + Patent Office in Xia Duo's hometown.

As for the Pioneers and Lords Affairs Department, Xia Duo did not participate in this; not just him, other Councilors basically did not participate either. After all, it is not a powerful department, but more like a registration office, still using the personnel from the Seven Towers.

……

After the meeting ended, Xia Duo met with Yinaole before returning to the Territory, and by this time, Talafu had already returned from Calimshan.

As soon as the two met, Talafu couldn't wait to share the results of the trip. Although they had already been in contact via Wind Messenger, meeting in person obviously allowed for more details—

"My grandfather has agreed to contact allies to fully support Netheril's Water Vapor Migration Plan. I also confirmed before I came that this time, including Luohaxi, at least four Wind Lords will participate in the operation, along with a large number of Elders and Elite elementals assisting."

"Four Wind Lords? Is that enough?" Xia Duo didn't know much about this aspect and could only ask Talafu, as this was originally a suggestion proposed by the other party.

To this, Talafu's answer was affirmative, "Actually, one Wind Lord could barely carry out this plan. Now there are at least four; I guarantee the plan will be a success!"

Although in his heart, he still had some distrust of his good elder brother, this was, after all, a major mission concerning the family's interests, so he thought his brother, as the heir, should not be so unwise!

"Tell me about the specific plan?"

"Hmm, I was just about to explain it to Lord Xia Duo!"

Since both of their bloodlines involved wind elements, Talafu directly drove the wind elements to demonstrate. He first used sparse wind elements to outline a map of Cloud Qi covering a considerable area centered on Daxia Territory, then explained:

"This is the distribution of Cloud Qi around Daxia Territory. Although it is only a partial view, it can be used to demonstrate the specific plan."

Next, Talafu placed a Wind Lord about ten New Li east of Daxia Territory on the Cloud Qi map, and then this Wind Lord continuously accumulated wind power; the place where he resided slowly turned from a small vortex into a large vortex.

This large vortex pierced through the dark clouds, stabbing straight into the firmament, sucking up large swaths of dark clouds from the surroundings and spiraling them upward, forming an extremely high and slender inverted funnel in Xia Duo's field of vision.