Chapter 2765: The Elemental Tower Scheme, the Banquet Begins

Is Yierlan intending to import Elemental Towers from Calimshan?

Upon first hearing this news, Xia Duo thought Talafu was joking; there is no geographical barrier forcing a separation between the Northland and the South, so if Yierlan wanted to import Elemental Towers, would they really need to wait until today?

But Talafu did not seem to be joking, and the matter of importing Elemental Towers could only be hidden in the initial stages; once an Elemental Tower is established, or even just as construction begins, it would be very difficult to keep the news under wraps.

But why on earth would this be?

Xia Duo could not fathom it; looking through the history of the Northern Elf Kingdoms, it seems there has never been a period or a country with a particularly high demand for Gemstones.

Gemstones are indeed rare and precious, but the Northland is not without production, especially Danzo, which is an important Gemstone-exporting country in the Northland.

The Underdark is rich in mineral deposits, and Dwarves are skilled at prospecting and mining, so it can be said that Gemstones have never been in short supply; if one really must speak of scarcity, it would be large-volume, high-quality Gemstones, the kind that can be used to craft an Energy Core.

For normal use and consumption, the Northland not only lacks a shortage, but actually has a tendency toward a surplus.

Previously, when Netheril was conducting water vapor migration, Xia Duo had chatted with Talafu about Calimshan's Elemental Towers; only a very small portion of high-specification Elemental Towers can produce the high-quality Gemstones used to craft Energy Cores.

Ordinary Elemental Towers produce various common Elemental Gems, and occasionally a few fine pieces, but to say they could be used to craft an Energy Gem is still falling a bit short.

In Calimshan, the greatest use for Elemental Gems is raising Elemental Creatures; could it be that Yierlan is importing Elemental Towers just to raise Elemental Creatures?

This is not impossible!

And the Elemental Essence produced by Elemental Creatures is related to the automation development of Magic Industry; it would be impossible for Xia Duo to say he is not worried at all, but he cannot appear to value it too highly, otherwise, Calimshan would inevitably raise their prices again.

Thinking of this, Xia Duo very naturally skipped over this topic without going deeper; after all, Talafu telling him this was somewhat suspicious of leaking secrets, so he quickly changed the subject and asked Talafu:

"I wonder what the Mairide Family thinks of the cooperation proposal I put forward last time?"

When the water vapor migration ended last time, which was actually at the beginning of this month, he had proposed a plan to introduce an Element Ranch when seeing Talafu off, namely—

The Mairide Family would teach him how to raise Wind Elementals, and afterward, he would sell cheap Elemental Essence to the Mairide Family; if there were other breeding techniques for Elemental Creatures, they could also refer to the cooperation plan for Wind Elementals.

The premise for Xia Duo being able to propose this plan is that he possesses a Mythallar; the cost of elemental breeding is lower than Calimshan's Elemental Towers, and his family's output is not enough to shake Calimshan's elemental breeding industry.

In short, it is profitable for both sides without harming Calimshan's interests.

If he did not have a Mythallar, then his plan would have become a one-sided technology import, destined to be fleeced.

Looking at it from this point, Yierlan importing Elemental Towers must also contain some opportunity for a win-win, otherwise, there would really be no need to voluntarily be fleeced.

And while Talafu did reveal Yierlan's intentions to him, he didn't even mention the key details; if things went poorly, the foundation of interaction he had previously built might instead be taken advantage of by Yierlan!

Thinking of this, Xia Duo became even more curious about Yierlan's purpose in seeking to import Elemental Towers, but unfortunately, whether it is Yierlan or Calimshan, before things are completely settled, they likely won't reveal anything beyond the existence of the matter itself.

For a moment, Xia Duo's mood became somewhat complex; even listening to the "Heaven Suite," which sounded like celestial music, could not completely calm his mind.

And at this moment, the content of Talafu's Sending further reinforced this—

"Besides attending the Yierlan Grand Banquet as an Envoy, I have another task this time, which is to discuss the details of the cooperation with you, Lord Xia Duo; the family has agreed to this cooperation in principle, but the details still need to be negotiated."

Agreed in principle—does that mean they don't agree, or that they will fleece him harder? Regardless, this is certainly not a reply that makes one feel at ease.

After all, since they are at a banquet, chatting for a bit is fine, but if it were used to discuss formal matters unrelated to the banquet, it would be disrespectful to all three parties, including Yierlan.

……

Just as Xia Duo was chatting with Talafu, Fema'ai, and others, the guests at the various seats within the Fanxing Shengdian had arrived one after another, including the spouse and children of Crown King Helien.

With the arrival of the guests, the music in the sanctuary also changed; it was still the "Heaven Suite," but if it had just been a prelude to warm up before the banquet, it was now the theme song for the start of the banquet.

From the ethereal and distant feeling at the beginning, it was suddenly pulled close to one's side, giving the actual sensation of slowly ascending into Heaven, able to hear the details of the heavenly sounds that cannot be heard in the Mortal Plane more clearly.

Just then, the court master of ceremonies chanted in a long, drawn-out tone—

"The banquet begins—"

Hearing this announcement, all the guests stopped their private conversations and turned their gazes in unison toward Crown King Helien in the main seat.

"Elders, Envoys of various nations, and those of merit who have made outstanding contributions in the Meitelier incident, good evening.

"Nobles, distinguished ones, and loyal subjects of Yierlan, good evening!"

After the two greetings ended, before there could be any reaction within the Fanxing Shengdian, a tidal wave of responses erupted from the plaza outside the sanctuary; the clearest among them was the name of Crown King Helien, followed by the names of the Elders of the High Tree Elder Council.

Xia Duo witnessed this scene and could not help but feel his heart surge; at this moment, the Elf banquet attendant behind him used a gesture to ask him a question—whether to pour the wine.

Xia Duo did not refuse, and it was at this moment that Crown King Helien said again: "On this longest night of the year, let us enjoy the food, the wine, and the joy to the fullest; everyone, raise your glasses!"

This counts as the opening toast; of course, this is not actually the first glass of wine the guests attending the banquet could drink, as the drinks had already been placed on the dining tables when they arrived, and one could have easily had a glass or even a bottle beforehand.

Although Xia Duo himself did not start drinking early, there was no lack of those at the Elder seats who were already drinking heartily; although the Grand Banquet was held in the name of the Crown King, the Elders are also the rulers of this country.

As rulers, there is nothing to criticize about being a bit casual.

Aside from the Elders, Xia Duo did not see any other Elves start drinking early.

……

After finishing the opening toast, the rest was truly very casual; at least in terms of eating and drinking, there were no other procedures, just enjoy it to the fullest.

But if the Grand Banquet were this simple, it wouldn't be called a Grand Banquet; wouldn't it be better to eat at home? Not to mention the Yierlan dignitaries, even for a foreigner like Xia Duo, wanting to get a set of Grand Banquet recipes is not an overly difficult matter.

The key is still the things beyond eating and drinking.