About ten minutes passed, and Astari began explaining the significance and function of the dock. Her words aligned closely with what Isabel and Logan had shared earlier, but this time, the most important thing was thatBegonand the others were fully grasping the gravity of the situation.
Astari painted a vision of a future, one that spoke of prosperity and growth.
"Building a naval force?"Begonpondered aloud.
"Establishing a dock town?" Kro added, eyebrows furrowed.
From Astari's words, the group could sense the potential unfolding before them, a grand blueprint of what the future might hold. It was an alluring vision, yet none of them spoke right away. Instead, they all fell into a collective silence, each person lost in their own thoughts, weighing the options.
Astari, standing patiently, allowed the quiet to linger. She knew this moment well; it was how decisions were made in this tribe. Everyone knew who had the final say, and as long as Logan showed interest, there was a good chance the plan would move forward.
Finally, Begon who seemed the first to break free from his contemplations, stood up. His voice cut through the air with certainty. "Chief, I support the idea of building a port town!" he declared.
However,Begonwasn't finished. He turned, glancing at the others before continuing, "That said, I don't fully agree with the idea of establishing a navy just yet. It feels premature. Right now, we should focus on something more immediate, expanding our fishing fleet. The meat from the animal pens can't possibly supply enough food for our tribe.
Tens of thousands of people rely on it daily, and we're expecting the population to grow to a hundred thousand soon. A larger fishing fleet would help us sustain ourselves in the short term."
Begon's voice was firm but practical. "So yes, a dock is necessary, to harbor our ships. As for relocating the Snake People to this new dock town, I have no objections. It suits them. They've always lived near the water, it's in their nature."
Logan, who had been listening intently, nodded in agreement. "What my uncle says makes sense," he remarked, affirming Begon's perspective.
Astari, upon hearing Logan' words, exhaled quietly, relief washing over her. She could feel the momentum shifting; the vision she had shared seemed well on its way to becoming a reality.
But before she could settle into the comfort of the moment, Logan turned his attention to Kro and Lotts, the tribe's commanders. "You two," he said, addressing them directly, "what's your opinion on the matter of the navy? As commanders of the army, your input is crucial."
Kro and Lotts exchanged a glance, silently weighing their thoughts. After a moment, Kro stepped forward, speaking respectfully. "Chief, I have to agree with Lord Lot. It's far too soon to be thinking about a navy. There's simply no need for it at this time."
Kro's words were blunt, but they came from a place of experience. He had seen firsthand the challenges they were already facing. Just the day before, Logan had reprimanded the Wolf Cavalry, and that tension had filtered down into the infantry as well. The troops were restless, and the idea of diverting focus to something like a naval force seemed impractical, even reckless.
"In my view," Kro continued, "what's the point of establishing a navy when we don't even have a coastline worth defending? The tribe isn't facing the sea. We'd be better off focusing on strengthening our cavalry and infantry, preparing for more immediate threats."
He paused, eyeing Logan before adding, "Besides, what we're talking about here isn't a true navy. The waters near the tribe can only hold small ships, ten meters at best. Anything larger would run aground in shallow waters. A navy requires grand ships, massive vessels that can sail the open seas. We're nowhere near that stage yet."
Logan, though equally stunned, had his mind on something else. The thought of this powerful region sparked new possibilities for the future. If the Silver Mane Tribe ever sought to expand its influence across the wasteland, claiming the Golden Basin would be a top priority. Shipbuilders on that scale could reshape the tribe's fortunes entirely.
Breaking through the group's collective amazement, Logan turned his gaze back to Astari. "You mentioned senior shipbuilders," he said. "Can they only build ships up to thirty meters in length, or can they construct even larger vessels?"
Astari smiled and shook her head. "Chief, shipbuilding is never the work of just one or two people. Senior shipbuilders can indeed oversee the construction of larger ships, but the real challenge comes with size. For our people, a thirty-meter ship is about as big as it gets."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice growing more thoughtful. "The larger the ship, the more complicated the problems become. It's not just about skill, it's the materials and the power needed to move such a vessel. The longer the ship, the slower it moves, and the more sailors are required to operate it."
"The real issue," she continued, "is power. Right now, we don't have the mechanical power devices necessary to drive ships over thirty meters long. Even between twenty-five and thirty meters, we still rely on manual rowing to supplement the power we have."
Lot and the others nodded, following her reasoning. But Astari wasn't finished. Her voice lowered slightly as she delivered the next revelation. "The largest ships in the Golden Sea, those massive merchant ships or even the dreaded pirate ships, are mostly built by the Goblin Empire. The goblins have mastered shipbuilding in ways few can match."
She took a breath before revealing the most astonishing part. "The Goblin Empire controls one-third of the world's oceans. It's said their imperial-class warships are colossal, some reaching up to a thousand meters in length. These ships are like fortresses on the sea."
A murmur spread across the room. Kro, ever the skeptic, was the first to react, his eyes widening. "A thousand meters long?" he exclaimed. "Is that even possible?"
Begon though quieter, shared Kro's disbelief. "A ship that large... how could something like that even exist?"
Logan himself was visibly taken aback. He had seen much in his time, but the idea of a kilometer-long ship sailing the seas was something else entirely. "A kilometer of ship... on the open water?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming. How could such a massive vessel be powered? What sort of force would it take to keep such a beast moving through the ocean?
"Could the Goblin Empire have discovered steam engine technology?" he mused aloud, trying to make sense of it. "Or perhaps it's driven by magic?"
.net
Logan understood that in a world filled with magic, the possibilities were endless. Certain magical devices could be powered by the energy contained in monster cores or the raw power of elemental magic crystals. It was possible, he supposed, that these ships might use such forces. But even then, the cost of running a thousand-meter-long ship would be astronomical.
He shook his head, still trying to imagine it. Was it steam? Magic? Or something entirely beyond his understanding?
"I don't know," Astari admitted, breaking into his thoughts. "It's just a rumor. I've never seen one of those ships myself."
Logan took a deep breath, slowly pulling himself back to the present. "Alright, let's not get too caught up in distant empires and ships that may or may not exist. That's far beyond us right now," he said, his voice regaining its usual calm.
The others nodded in agreement. For now, their focus had to remain on the immediate challenges ahead, the docks, the fishing fleet, and the Snake People who stood before them, their skills offering a glimmer of hope for the future.