Chapter 323: The Swordhorn Bay Peninsula

Although Siren was merely a duchy, when it separated from the larger realm, it took away nearly one-fifth of Gadré’s land, covering an area roughly equivalent to three times the size of Celt North County. Of course, this referred to its nominal territorial extent; in reality, the inhabited parts of Siren’s lands were at least 50% smaller than what was shown on this map. Siren was also a relatively remote and barren country on the continent, with mountains and hills in the west that were almost entirely uninhabited. It was less than a hundred kilometers away from the Orcs’ Northwest Wasteland, so its level of development was far behind that of the fertile commercial regions in the southern part of the continent.

This situation was somewhat similar to that of the Northern Lands, where human survival was affected by land development.

Donald used his mental power to imprint the entire topography of Siren into his mind. At the same time, he further refined the world map project that had been underway since his arrival in this world, as outlined in the Book of Truth. It now included the geographical environment of the Northern Lands and the northern part of the continent. More detailed information could be obtained later when he had the chance to visit those areas again.

After examining the territories pointed out by the Grand Duke of Siren, Donald found them somewhat unremarkable and not particularly appealing to him.

So he turned his attention to those empty, uninhabited lands. Eventually, his gaze settled on a coastal peninsula west of Dragontooth Fortress.

This area belonged to Siren’s western coastal territory, located at the northernmost end of the Dragonback Mountains, a vast mountain range that ran along the northwest coast of the continent. If the Dragontooth Mountains, where Dragontooth Fortress stood, resembled a dragon’s mouth when viewed from the sky, then the complex terrain of this bay peninsula Donald wanted was like the dragon’s horns—slightly curved. It had coastal areas such as ports and beaches, as well as internal forests, hills, and other terrains. Remarkably, there was even a small natural plain suitable for building towns. A coastal mountain range and cliffs marked off this plain, protecting it from stormy waves.

This peninsula, covering about a hundred square kilometers, might be small, but it had everything needed—essentially a miniature kingdom.

“What place is this?”

Looking at the crescent-shaped peninsula Donald was pointing to, the Grand Duke of Siren frowned and said, “This place is called Swordhorn Bay Peninsula. It is said to have been a landing site for the sea folk when they invaded the continent. The sea folk even established a stronghold here, but due to the unfavorable terrain and numerous threats from the sea, no one settles here. Why do you find this place so attractive? I think it’s better to choose another location!”
“What’s the problem with this place?”
Donald pretended to be puzzled.
“There isn’t really a problem. Although it’s a bit larger than a count’s domain, the terrain isn’t good, and it’s not suitable for living. It’s a place no one wants. Should we take another look?”
Donald said firmly, “No need to look anymore. Since the Grand Duke says there’s no problem, I’ll take this territory. As for it being unsuitable for living, in the eyes of our mages, that’s not an issue at all! Moreover, I’m not planning to develop the population or commerce here. I want to build a mage tower here. Besides using it to suppress spatial passages used by demons, I also intend to recruit some talented mages from Siren. So, a remote place close to the Abyssal Passage is perfect!”
“Is what the Baron says true? Do you really plan to build a mage tower in Siren?”
The Grand Duke of Siren was overjoyed upon hearing this!
It should be noted that the power of mages in Gadril was in the hands of the noble families and the royal family. Since their Cardochi family became independent, they lost the support of high-level mages, making it very difficult to handle certain situations. Currently, the most powerful mage in Siren was at most a silver mage, and that was thanks to their family’s full efforts in nurturing him!
Over the years, those powerful noble families in Gadril who had ill intentions toward Siren had joined forces to suppress Siren’s mage power. If this great mage built a mage tower on Swordhorn Bay Peninsula, it would not only strengthen Siren’s defense in the west but also bring a boost in mage power to Siren.
Considering Gadril’s situation, even the smallest elementary mage tower would require at least one silver mage in charge, as was the norm among the continent’s mage forces.
Moreover, this person had two gold grand mages and several silver mages under his domain. Who knows, after the mage tower was built, it might even bring him a surprise!

Thus, the Grand Duke of the Sirens strongly supported Donald’s plan to build a mage tower. If not for his limited knowledge of mages, he would have planned to get involved and offer full support!
Although Donald said this verbally, he didn’t truly think so in his heart.
With the economic awareness and advanced mindset from his past life, he believed that compared to inland political or military centers, coastal areas were destined to become the most economically developed regions of a country or even the entire world. The basic situation of humans in this world was similar to that on Earth, so his conclusions wouldn’t deviate much.
Therefore, this peninsula, with its considerable size and favorable location, had significant potential for development.
The natives of the main world, like the Grand Duke of the Sirens, were not optimistic about such areas because from ancient to early modern times, the western coast of the continent was often attacked by sea creatures. Additionally, the terrain was unsuitable for farming and settlement, with mountains blocking transportation, so neither the noble lords of the ancient Magic Empire of Banai nor later the kingdoms of Gardrel and Siren showed much interest in this region.
However, in Donald’s view, these were not major issues. Not only did he have the convenience of the Book of Truth, but with the power of the mages under his command, it would be relatively easy to create a safe passage from the peninsula to Dragon’s Tooth Fortress—no need to mobilize large numbers of civilians for labor; magic alone could suffice.
As for building towns in the new territory, that was even easier!
The only inconvenience was that this place was too far away from the other two territories. Even with advanced means of transportation like magic ships and alchemical airships, traveling back and forth was too troublesome, and the routes along the way were unsafe. Just crossing the northern parts of Gardrel and Siren could be considered a journey across the continent, enough to deter ordinary merchants. Thus, in the eyes of others, the territory Donald wanted had no real use.
But Donald had other plans. After cultivating so many followers in the demi-plane and securing a source for faith power, divine energy was no longer as scarce as at first. He no longer lacked the means to build costly magical structures like magic portals, which he had previously been unable to afford.
Now that there was a stable source of divine energy, building a few magic portals between the territories would surely solve the biggest problem of excessive distance between them.