They talked from dusk until nightfall.
The red glow of lava within Shadowflame Volcano illuminated the two massive creatures crouched atop the crater, making the dragons look even more ferocious than they did by daylight.
In the end, they agreed that the Shadowflame Grand Duchy would build eight Torrent Scale Towers for the Torrent Dragon.
Six of them would be spread across the snowfields to the due east, northeast, southeast, due north, due south, and southwest of the Shadowflame Grand Duchy.
The remaining two.
One would be built in the Fire Ant Swamp to the northwest, and the other in Thunder Marsh to the due south.
"A Scale Tower is a tall tower that enshrines dragon scales. Naturally, a Torrent Scale Tower enshrines the Torrent Dragon's scales. Through the Torrent Scale Towers, the Torrent Dragon can swiftly transmit its power... just as His Highness Shadowflame joined forces with you to repel Snow Giant Da that day."
During dinner, Count Merlin explained it to Russell. "With these eight Torrent Scale Towers, the Torrent Dragon can support the Shadowflame Grand Duchy at any time... but aren't the Torrent Scale Towers also tentacles through which the Torrent Dragon can spy on the Shadowflame Grand Duchy?"
"Grandfather, why does the Torrent Dragon insist on building a Torrent Scale Tower in Thunder Marsh?" This was what concerned Russell most.
He clearly understood that this move was likely aimed at him.
If that was truly the case, it meant the Torrent Dragon might monitor him through the Torrent Scale Towers at any time, probing his secrets.
"I do not know, but you can ask His Highness Shadowflame."
"I will." Russell nodded, then asked, "Grandfather, with the Torrent Scale Towers, will the Dragon Blood Knights still need to patrol the borders?"
"Of course. Not only must they