Since midsummer, everything had fallen into place, and this vast nation had begun to accelerate along the course Gawain had set for it.
In the study, carpeted in velvet, a cool breeze drifted from the vent in the corner. The sunlight before noon was bright, making the old-fashioned bookshelves and decorative weapon racks seem much brighter than usual. Gawain sat in his usual chair, listening to the report, while Heti stood across from his desk.
The desk had been replaced with a new one, though its design was much the same as the old one.
"This is the report on diplomatic and economic activities from the Western Region," Heti said as she placed the organized documents before Gawain and briefly summarized their contents. "Overall, contact with the remaining tribes of Augurey has gone smoothly—including the Spirit Race, whose stance had previously been unclear. So far, the Grey Elves and human tribes that first made contact with us have established stable commercial exchanges with the Empire and agreed to introduce the Magic Network and railway systems within their spheres of influence. The remaining races have agreed to establish commercial channels, but as for the Magic Network and railways... they wish to wait until they see the 'results' in Grey Elf and human territories before considering them."
Gawain nodded in satisfaction. "The Ogre Tribes Nation is a loose alliance, and they are accustomed to things being that way. We can only deal with them step by step. At least the Five Kings Council has shown friendly intentions, and that is the greatest progress so far. Has there been any news from the Dwarf Kingdom on the western coast of the continent?"
"The dwarves are very interested in our machines, and the Grey Elves have helped bridge the gap for us, so negotiations