"A mask that has a constant [Transfiguration]? You're going to fool me with this cheap, low-level magic item? ”

Zuo Si raised the silver metal mask in his hand, his tone revealing strong dissatisfaction, and at the same time, his eyes became quite aggressive and dangerous.

Because this thing has no effect at all except for being able to change the wearer's appearance, and it is far worse than the [Transfiguration] of the four rings that can change the shape of the body and even the race.

Probably the only use is to give races like the Dark Elves and Tieflins, which are unpopular in many cities, a little bit of disguise, and that's it.

What's more, the other party arrived at the scene through teleportation magic so quickly, but anyone who is not a fool can see that there is a problem.

Xi Manmeng only felt as if he was being targeted by a legendary spellcaster like his teacher Manson, and his sixth sense frantically issued a warning, and a large number of beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

For the first time, he realized that the polite and good-talking Zuo Si he had met in the Candle Castle was not the whole character of the young man in front of him.

Quite the opposite!

At this moment, this kind of behavior of turning his face when he says it, and even showing his murderous intent without concealing it, is the true side that he hides.

There's nothing more terrifying than an ally who can work together and laugh one second, and the next then suddenly become an enemy without warning.

Although according to the original plan, Simon Meng intended to use some "art of language" to resolve Zuo Si's dissatisfaction.

But now it seems that if he doesn't hurry up with a magic item of sufficient value, he will most likely die here today, just like those Shirek believers who were killed in just a few seconds.

Without any hesitation!

The man, who had always tried to maintain his graceful demeanor, took off his cloak as quickly as possible, and then barely squeezed out a smile and explained: "I'm very sorry that due to my negligence and the fact that I left in such a hurry that I forgot to carry the payment that should have been paid to you. Why don't you use this [Gargoyle Cloak] as a compensatory. It transforms the wearer into a gargoyle every day for an hour. ”

"I'm sorry, but this garbage cloak doesn't appeal to me in any way. Give me your two Aene Stones. ”

Zuo Si pointed to the lilac and green Ayn stones floating above the other party's head, and asked for them directly unceremoniously.

His behavior is actually no different from Ming robbery.

Because the Ayn Stone is a rare treasure for any spellcaster.

It's not like magic rings, necklaces, and the like that have a limited number of items, and if there are too many, they will interfere with each other.

No matter how many Ain Stones you have, you can equip them all in one go, wrapping them around your head to provide a variety of additional abilities and protection.

It is said that during Netheril's time, many Grand Arcanes would equip at least a set of twenty-four or more Aein Stones as a means of strengthening themselves.

So Zuo Si has been collecting these magical gems through various channels.

Unfortunately, so far no one has been willing to sell, even at twice the market price.

After all, other mages and warlocks are not stupid, they all understand how scarce the Ain Stone is in this day and age, and even if they lack money, they will give priority to selling other magic items.

Since Xi Manmeng gave Zuo Si this excuse today, if he didn't take the opportunity to blackmail, he would be too sorry for such a good opportunity.

"You...... It's a robbery! Extort!

Siman was so angry that he trembled.

The two of the Ains he was equipped with were both standard "Spell Absorption" Stones, each of which could absorb twelve levels of magic attacks, adding up to exactly twenty-four.

It is precisely because of this hole card that he dares to wander around all kinds of dangerous people, and at the same time solve some potential threats for his teacher Manson.

"Say whatever you want. Anyway, now it's either give me the Ain Stone, or get ready to fight. No one can owe me anything in return! Not even God! Perhaps you can see if these two Al Ain Stones can help you fend off attacks from the Elect's special abilities. ”

Zuo Si posed as a "hob meat", exuding a suffocating sense of oppression all over his body.

In particular, the divine power that was about to come out of his body made Xi Manmeng feel like a big stone was pressed on his chest, and it became difficult to even breathe.

In the end, after weighing the pros and cons several times, Mansong's most trusted disciple still chose to retreat, and with an unwilling face, he took off the two Aein Stones and handed them over: "You won!" Here, they're yours now. ”

"Thank you. I am very satisfied with the remuneration. In addition, next time, remember to prepare the things that should be paid to me in advance, so as not to have to make trouble. ”

Zuo Si, who was still with a straight face in the last second, appeared with a kind smile in the next second, and casually put the two Aene Stones into his control.

In the blink of an eye, the Aynstone entered an invisible state.

Since he knew that many "bad-eyed" guys would target the Ain Stone floating above his head, he added a magic device to himself to keep the Ain Stone from being revealed.

At least until some invisibility spells are used, others will not be able to see the existence of the Ainstone.

Xi Manmeng undoubtedly noticed this, and held back the anger in his heart, gritting his teeth and responding, "Don't worry. I will definitely not forget next time. ”

"Good. If there's nothing else, I'll go back first. Happy to work with. ”

Zuo Si turned around and walked towards the other side of the portal as if he was nothing.

Just as he was about to pass by, Simon suddenly asked, "Some time ago, at the junction of the Supreme Wasteland and the Troll Roaring Forest, you were attacked on a large scale by the top of the Emerald Society?" ”

"Well, that's right. It's just some trivial misunderstandings, which have all been resolved. ”

Zuo Si stopped, turned around and replied in the affirmative.

As an intelligence network covering the entire continent of Faeron, it didn't surprise him that Santarin would know about this.

Or rather, it's strange if the other person doesn't know.

"Misunderstanding? Was an ambush of that magnitude really a misunderstanding?

Besides, what about the Dragon Spear Castle?

According to adventurers and merchants, the night you arrived, there seemed to be a lot of devils pouring out of the underground portals.

Even high-level demons like the Deep Hell Purgatory and Horned Demons.

Even the temple of the god of war, Tampas, was destroyed by the terrifying nine-ring spell [Meteor Burst].

And there is currently a man named Marshall, who claims to be the lord of Dragonspear Castle, and himself is loyal to you.

He also took control of a massive hydra lizard by some unknown means. ”

Simon asked all the information he had collected through the dark intelligence network in the recent period, as well as what he didn't understand.

The cunning man didn't expect Zuo Si to answer head-on.

As long as he can give one or two relevant clues, then he can analyze a lot of useful things.

"How is the Dragonspear Castle doing now?" Zuo Si asked rhetorically with interest.

The reason why he allowed Marshall to use his name in the first place was purely from the perspective of "civilization", and he did not want to see those survivors be ravaged by monsters in the Supreme Wasteland after experiencing the attack of the devil, which eventually led to the loss of this important stronghold between Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep.

As for the spies of the Santarin Society, who mistook the Oranri Hydra for a hydra, he didn't bother to correct it.

After all, the hydra lizard also has several heads, and the appearance is very similar to that of the Oranri hydra.

The only difference is that the former is a swamp and aquatic super-giant magical creature, while the latter is a terrestrial magical behemoth in the forest.

However, Simon apparently did not know this, and replied meaningfully: "Marshall has done a pretty good job.

It can be seen that he is a very capable man, and he also has a certain prestige among adventurers and merchants.

By manipulating the behemoths you left behind to constantly encircle the goblins, orcs, and gnolls, this guy not only brings back a huge amount of loot, but also uses the captives as free labor.

After a period of construction and repair, not only did it regain its former prosperity, but it also reclaimed a lot of wasteland, and it seems that it was ready to grow winter wheat.

Right now, Marshall had gathered two or three hundred adventurers around him, as well as merchants attracted by loot, monsters, and human robber slaves.

He even invited several priests of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, to build a new temple in Dragonspear Castle.

But judging by your reaction, it doesn't seem clear what he's done, right?

I'm curious, why would you allow Marshall to use his name?

Are you really planning to make Dragonspear Castle your own? ”

"No, of course not." Zuo Si sneered and shook his head. "In the beginning, I just wanted to give a little help to these people who were left behind. However, he later realizes that the portal to Bato's Hell in the lower level of Dragonspear Castle must be watched. Otherwise, I can't guarantee when those demons will sneak into the material world again. ”

"Those devils are coming at you?"

Xi Manmeng suddenly felt that he had grasped the key, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes that was not easy to detect.

"Sorry, no comment."

Zuo Si sensed that the other party was testing his reaction, and immediately ended the topic without hesitation.

After saying this, he ignored the other party's reaction, turned around and walked through the portal back to the docks of Askatra.

Simon stood still, touching his chin and thinking for a few minutes, before disappearing in place with his teleportation magic.

As for the Shirek believers who have evaporated from the world, no one cares whether they live or die.

Even the belongings left on the ground were quickly disposed of by the spies who arrived.

No one is more professional when it comes to destroying corpses.

Zuo Si was not interested in the follow-up actions of the Santarin Society, and all he was thinking about was how to learn the most important Seven Rings of magic as quickly as possible, and then make them into corresponding travel mage cards.

The more he has a clear understanding of the nature of this world, the more he will be able to appreciate the importance of power.

Whether it's Manson and Fuzor Chamberbery of the Santarin, or the immortal Talisman Masters, or Irenikas who wants to become a god, as long as he is strong enough, he can take it in stride.

Unfortunately, on the way back to the Mage Tower, Zuo Si was stopped by several priests of the Church of the Goddess of Poison and Disease, who were waiting halfway.

Looking at these devout Talona disciples, he immediately frowned and asked in an impatient tone, "Is there anything you guys have to do?" ”

"Yes, Your Excellency the Elect. There is a very important matter within the church right now that you need to decide. Lord Evette has sent us to invite you to the temple. The female pastor at the head hurriedly explained.

Although this "child of the plague" usually ignores the church and the believers, she knows how much Talona loves the mortal in front of her, so she does not dare to slack off at all.

"Something important? Need me to decide? ”

Zuo Si's brows furrowed even tighter.

Because the last time he spoke to Yvette, he made it clear that he would not be involved in any management of the church.

"It's not convenient to talk about this in public, so please make sure you go to the temple. And...... The celebrant also said that he had prepared an incomparably precious gift for you. ”

When she said this, a trace of bitterness and helplessness appeared on the face of the female pastor.

I'm afraid no one will believe it.

When a god's church invites its own goddess's elect, it even resorts to "inducement."

But the cruel reality is that Zuo Si really eats this set.

When he heard that there was a gift to take, he agreed to follow the other party to the temple without saying a word.

The group made their way through the chaotic bridge area, and it didn't take long to arrive at the magnificent temple that had just been inaugurated.

However, unlike other white temples in the area, the exterior walls and dome of Talona's temple are painted in silver-gray paint, giving it a strange beauty.

The moment he walked into the hall, Zuo Si immediately felt that he was wrapped in an invisible energy.

Through these energies, he could clearly feel an incomparable emotion of joy and joy.

There is no doubt that these energies are the divine powers that are born from faith.

Joy and happiness were conveyed from the huge statue in the hall.

"Your Excellency, you have finally arrived."

Yvette, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly took the initiative to greet her, and bowed with one hand to her chest in a very humble gesture.

Not only her, but all the priests and other clergy who followed behind her, without exception, paid their respects to the goddess's "child of the plague".

Countless priests and believers bent down and bowed, and the scene was spectacular.

But it's a pity that Zuo Si is not interested in this situation and the things on the scene at all, and simply asks neatly: "You asked people to call me over, what is the important matter?" Now let's talk about it. ”

Yvette nodded thoughtlessly, "Of course." Actually, here's what happened......"

Soon, the chief priest of the Amm Church gave a complete account of the previous controversy about the unauthorized revision of the doctrine and the unusual reaction of the goddess.

In particular, it is important to emphasize that the small groups of young pastors have developed a large number and size of believers.

If one is not handled properly, it is likely to lead to a series of quite serious consequences.

After listening to this, Zuo Si immediately commanded: "What about those young priests? Let them choose a representative to meet me. ”

"As you wish."

Without saying a word, Yvette gave her cronies a look.

The latter understood, and immediately turned and disappeared into the corridor leading to the living quarters behind.

In about seven or eight minutes, he came back with a young man who looked to be around twenty-four or five years old and had short black hair.

"Your Excellency, this is the probationary priest who tampered with the teachings of the Goddess.

His name was Ilze, the son of a pharmacist.

However, because his father made a mistake in preparing herbs, he accidentally poisoned a patient in the wrong dose, so he ended his life in self-blame and shame.

Since then, he has joined the church and become a member of Talona, studying viruses, bacteria and toxins. ”

Yvette succinctly introduced the young man's identity and background.

Zuo Si looked into the young man's eyes with interest, and it took a full minute before he asked in an uncertain tone, "Why are you taking a huge risk to tamper with the doctrine without authorization?" Or rather, what prompted you to have such thoughts? ”

The young man replied with a wry smile: "You may not believe it, but I don't know why, but I just suddenly had the idea that poison and plague should not only have an evil side.

It should be neutral, like magic, knowledge, and death, and should exist objectively and should not have a specific position or camp in itself.

Moreover, my father taught me more than once when he was alive that many poisonous plants and animals are in fact essential materials for making potions.

If toxins can save people, why can't plagues?

With this in mind, I began to learn more about the viruses and bacteria that can cause various diseases, and began to teach people how to prevent them through good hygiene.

Since there was no need to use magic and the results were so effective, many poor people from the bottom of society volunteered to become Talona's followers.

No one knows better than them how terrible it is to be sick.

Often, a sudden illness can destroy a family, leaving the only man who can earn money bedridden, and may even be burdened with heavy debts.

So I think that if you want to increase the influence of the goddess in the continent of Faren and the number of believers, this is a very good direction of development.

After all, there will always be more poor than rich, and there will always be more commoners than nobles.

But the faith and influence offered by the two are not much different. ”

After hearing these words, which did not look like what a trainee pastor could say, Zuo Si's face suddenly became very strange.

For he seriously suspected that Ilzer's idea was not due to his own volition, but to some kind of "inspiration" or "hint".

To put it simply, it is the young man's soul and mind that has been affected by a greater force.

You don't need to ask to know that the biggest suspicion of being able to unconsciously manipulate a priest is naturally the god he believes in.

Thinking of this, Zuo Si raised his head and set his eyes on the giant statue of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, in the hall.

I don't know if it's an illusion, he always feels that the corners of the statue's mouth are a little more upturned than when he first came in.

Is it possible for a chaotic and evil goddess to actively plot to change her side?

Zuo Si strongly doubted this.

But the problem is that now the facts are in front of us.

Just as he was deep in thought, Yvette, who was standing next to him, finally couldn't help but cautiously probe: "Your Excellency, may I ask if there is a problem with this doctrine?" Or can the church recognize its legitimacy and then promote it on a large scale? ”

"I don't think it's a big problem.

And, as Ilzer mentioned, doing so can greatly increase the number and influence of the goddess in the mortal world.

However, in order to avoid doctrinal contradictions, it would be better to separate Ilzer from like-minded young pastors and form a new denomination on their own.

In this way, two conflicting doctrines can be compatible at the same time.

Just as many neutral faction gods will give birth to various sub-sects based on their own understanding. ”

Zuo Si shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

For him, there is not much difference between Talona and the evil camp and the neutral camp.

The only good thing is that if the goddess of poison and disease really changes from chaos and evil to absolute neutrality, then his reputation as a constituent will change slightly better.

At the very least, it doesn't cause nervousness among the local rulers as soon as it appears.

"I see! I understand! Rest assured, in two days I will be personally responsible for this and find a place for the newly formed sect. ”

Yvette did not hesitate to make assurances.

Although the chief priest of the Church of Amm knew very well that if the sect of Ilze developed in the future, it would definitely have a huge impact on him.

After all, different sects that believe in the same god do not deal with each other, or even hostile to each other, and quarrel with each other as soon as they meet, which is a relatively common situation in Faerun.

One of the most typical examples is Sivannas, the god of nature and the father of the oak tree.

From the outset, its adherents were divided into "extremists" and "moderates".

Even if the former sees a woodcutter entering the edge of the forest to cut some firewood, he will regard it as disrespect and destruction of nature, and then kill him as an "enemy of nature" without saying anything.

This is true for chopping wood, not to mention mining and large-scale logging.

If they deem it necessary, they will even summon countless beasts and elemental creatures to launch a massive assault on the towns around the forest.

In contrast, moderates are slightly better, more advocating the harmonious coexistence of civilization and nature, and even if they encounter things such as logging and mining, they will at most expel them, and generally will not easily kill people.

Moreover, the two groups of people often clash because of different philosophies, and even evolve into the killing of one faction against the other.

In the land of Faerun, which was influenced by the gods, the clash of ideas and philosophies was so intense that there were "demon people" whose thoughts and actions were extremely extreme.

If the Goddess of Poison and Disease turns out to be a neutral deity, then there will inevitably be a conflict between the good and evil camps under her command.

Compared to these internal contradictions, the immediate priority is to comprehensively enhance the influence of the goddess and promote it from a weak divine power to a medium divine power.

As for the sectarian struggle, we will have to wait until later.

Obviously, Yvette's big-picture vision surprised Zuo Si.

But after a short period of surprise, he quickly returned to his usual attitude of almost indifference, and said with an indifferent face: "Don't bother me with this kind of thing in the future, you can just make your own decisions." And what about the gift you promised? Why haven't I seen it until now? ”

"Wait a minute!"

Yvette immediately walked up to the huge idol, bent down and carefully picked up a scepter enshrined in front of the idol, and then held it in front of Zuo Si with both hands.

"Your Excellency, this is a weapon commissioned by the Church to be made by a master smith of the Grey Dwarves. Together with other high-ranking priests, I blessed it with powerful divine magic, and finally the goddess herself blessed it. No one can pick it up or use it except you. ”

"You mean, it's an artifact?"

Zuo Si raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

Yvette nodded solemnly: "That's right! The name of the scepter is Talona's Favor, and it is a weapon specially prepared by the Goddess for her sole chosen one. As for the specific effect, you should feel it for yourself. ”

"Exclusive Weapon ......"

Zuo Si showed a puzzled expression, completely unable to understand what the goddess of poison and plague was doing.

But considering that the other party could not harm himself, he still stretched out his hand and grabbed this scepter, which was very gorgeous and beautiful.

Next Second......

All of the weapon's abilities popped up in my mind.

【Talona's Favor】

Sub-artifact

+6 Scepter

You can add an additional seventh, eighth, and nine-ring magic slot to the equipper.

You can release [Implosion] and [Energy Absorption] once a day.

When hitting a target, there is a 25% chance to release [Sword Blade Protection], a 20% chance to release [Ashes], and a 5% chance to release [Soul Binding] on the target.

When the target soul is captured and imprisoned by the Scepter, the wielder gains all of the soul's class level, special skills, and spell-like abilities, which they can use as if they had them.

The Scepter can only capture and hold one soul at a time, and must release or destroy previously imprisoned souls if it is to be replaced.

The scepter has the ability to transform into any weapon the wielder is good at, including swords, halberds, hammers, axes, spears, mallets, and more.

Note!

This scepter is a weapon given to her by Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, and cannot be used by anyone else.

Otherwise, its soul will be instantly captured and imprisoned within the scepter.

After reading all the introductions to this weapon in his mind, Zuo Si was stunned.

Although he had known for a long time that Talona had an incomprehensible obsession with himself, as evidenced by the large number of voters he had bestowed on him last time.

But in any case, I didn't expect this goddess to be so bloody.

While secondary artifacts aren't technically true artifacts, many Legendary Spellcasters are theoretically capable of crafting them.

But the problem is that this is an "exclusive customization", and it is a free gift without any strings attached!

There is even a relief at the end of the scepter where Thalona kissed Zuosi and gave him strength......

Just look at the high-ranking priests around them who can't hide their envy, jealousy and hatred in their eyes, just know how amazing the power and value of this scepter is.

It's a pity that no matter how envious and jealous they are, they don't dare to think anything wrong about this weapon.

"[Talona's favor] really lives up to its name......"

Zuo Si tried to swing it, only to find that the scepter seemed to have no weight.

But the moment he gently smashed down on the wall next to him, the hard stone wall was immediately scraped off like tofu, and a layer of crumbs was easily scraped off.

The whole process was completely unhindered.

Needless to say, the hardness of this sub-artifact is probably far greater than that of Adamantite, and it should be the use of another unknown enhanced magic alloy.

And unlike most of the bells and whistles on the front of the scepter, its front end is designed exactly after the mace.

If anyone is hit by it, I am afraid that the whole head will inevitably open the scoop while wearing a helmet.

"Your Excellency, do you feel the selfless love of the Great Goddess? She has gone above and beyond to pamper you. Count all the voters in the history of Pharon, and there are few who can compare with you. Yvette said with a frenzied expression.

Because this old woman could already perceive the changes that this young man in front of her had brought to the entire church and even to Talona's faith in the material world.

You must know that in the past, the believers of the goddess of poison and disease could often only choose to act in a low-key manner, and even recruited believers to be secretive.

But now?

Not only did you succeed in building a majestic temple in the gold capital of Ascatla!

At the same time, it has the endorsement of the government and the government, and can openly carry out activities anywhere in Amm!

So Yvette's real hope is that Zosi will abandon that slightly disgusted attitude and contribute to Talona like the elect of the other gods.

"Love? Maybe. Zuo Si smiled meaningfully and shook his head. I do have plans to talk to the Goddess, but not now. Alright, let's get ahead of you, I've got a step ahead of me. ”

Immediately after, he completely ignored the shocked eyes in the temple, and directly turned around and walked out, without the slightest pause.

As for Ilze, who was allowed to form a new sect, he stood there like a fool and didn't know what to do.

But after a while, Yvette, who was the chief priest, took her to another room and had a secret conversation that lasted for three or four hours.

By the end of the conversation, all twelve of the nearly recently joined pastor trainees had been assigned to him.

In order to better spread and strengthen the faith among the common people and the poor, the stronghold of the new church was set up in a private house between the slum and the bridge area, quite close to the Dharma's tower in Zuosi.

It doesn't take long to know that Yvette wanted to use the deterrent power of the electorate to ensure that the new denomination would not be strangled by other hostile forces when it was founded.

After all, the security situation in Ascatla is really not optimistic.

In particular, the open and secret battles between the various hostile gods and churches have reached the point of incompatibility.

Fortunately, Zuo Si had just gotten a sub-artifact with amazing power, so he was in a pretty good mood and didn't mind the other party's careful thoughts.

After returning to the Mage Tower, he first sent a batch of goblin skeletons and zombies to the Emerald Society gem pit controlled by Rein and the Dragon Lich, intensified the mining of the ore veins, and then began to concentrate on learning arcane magic, while helping the two new core members to craft life boxes and complete complex lich transformation rituals.

At the same time, he also took the time to go to the Cherimba Swamp to join forces with the black dragon that had been lurking there for a long time, capture and seal the two prime-aged black dragons in one go, and collect all the treasures in their lair for himself.

Just when Zuo Si was digesting the magical knowledge he had collected some time ago and enjoying the fun of being a "Pokémon Master" in Faerun, Baldur's Gate, far north, was in a huge crisis.

To be precise, a large-scale, planned, premeditated act of retaliation.

Ever since Vanessa gave the Nellantel Islands fleet an order to move more than half of its main force to the waters south of Sword Bay, and to charge three times the normal protection fee on merchant ships sailing to or from Baldur's Gate, a severe contraction of trade and economic depression has inevitably occurred.

Moreover, those merchants who had to take this route did not hesitate to pass on the losses they suffered directly to the chambers of commerce, nobles, and commoners in the city.

Whether it is food, steel, salt and other necessities, although the price has dropped from the previous negotiations with Am, it still makes the life of many less wealthy civilians tighter.

In addition, large chambers of commerce such as the "Seven Suns Business Alliance" and the "Business Alliance" have begun to use various means to pressure the dukes, asking them to come up with a solution as soon as possible.

As for the "Iron Throne"......

I'm sorry, but the Iron Throne has already been bought by Sir Christian's terms at Sir Christian's suggestion, and has become the "anti-bone boy" that Amm has planted inside Baldur's Gate.

They will use their influence to constantly interfere and divide the merchant class of Baldur's Gate from within, so that they cannot twist into a rope to deal with foreign enemies.

In return, the Iron Throne can obtain high-quality iron ore from Naxikai at an extremely good price, and then sell it at a high price to the West Hartland region, including Baldur's Gate.

This alone can make a very significant profit every year.

What's more, the caravans and merchant ships under the command of the leader of the Iron Throne, Reta, can also enjoy the preferential tax treatment of Amm merchants in Am.

That's why he didn't care about the lives of the dukes and the other merchants of Baldur's Gate.

"What? The lords of Waterdeep have rejected my offer to send troops together? Why? ”

After listening to the reply of the envoy who had just returned from the north, the Duke of Irtan abruptly rose from his chair with a look of shock and disbelief on his face.

You must know that in order to fight against the fierce competition from the southern Am, Baldur's Gate has always been relatively close to Waterdeep.

Not only are the two cities important members of the "Northland Lords Alliance", but they also joined forces to exterminate the Great Goblin Chieftain entrenched in the Dragonspear Castle two years ago.

In the eyes of the Duke of Iltan, dealing with a group of Nerainsel pirates who extorted merchants at sea should be very much in the common interests of both sides.

The envoy explained with a wry smile, "Because in the eyes of the lords of Waterdeep, those guys who are collecting protection money can no longer be regarded as pirates.

Because they are not simply plundering wealth, but at the same time they are actually providing services and protection.

This situation that ended the chaotic situation from Sword Bay to the Sword Sea was a change that Waterdeep and even Neverwinter would be very happy to see.

What's more, those pirates only levied three times the exorbitant protection fee for Baldur's Gate, and only one percent for the other city-states.

Buying this loss for a safe environment at sea is nothing to most businessmen who would otherwise be on the verge of taking huge risks.

And as there are fewer merchant ships docked here, it is natural that other surrounding cities will take more of their share of trade, and Waterdeep is naturally one of the cities that will benefit from this.

So it makes perfect sense that they would refuse.

In addition, a masked lord reminded me that Baldur's Gate had outlawed the worship of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, and expelled priests and even the elect, which had in fact involved insults and blasphemy.

He suspects that the catastrophe we are currently suffering may actually be the revenge of His Excellency the Elect. ”

"Revenge?!"

Duke Irtan suddenly remembered that the captain of the guard who was in charge of guarding the city gate some time ago had sent someone to report to him about Zuo Si being intercepted at the gate.

The latter also threatened to make the dukes, including himself, kneel down and beg for mercy.

At the time, he didn't care at all, just as an emotional vent, or as an impotent rage.

But now, combined with the current crisis that Baldur's Gate is facing, everything seems to make sense.

It's just that Duke Irtan can't figure out what kind of method Zuo Si can use to successfully control the chaotic pirates in the Nraincel Islands, and even organize them into a powerful sea fleet.

Not only did they not plunder merchant ships, but they also achieved sustainable development by collecting protection fees.

According to some merchants who have recently visited the Nerainsel Islands, the pirates have built large tracts of houses and streets on the islands, as well as vast fields that can be cultivated.

It seems that he is preparing to build a city or even a country of his own.

Just as the envoy was about to say something, the Duke of Silver Shield suddenly burst in from outside the door and roared angrily, "Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable! We can't be patient any longer! War must be waged against the pirates who deserve a thousand cuts! Send them all into the sea to feed the fish! ”

"What's going on? Happens to make you so out of shape? ”

Duke Iltan asked in a tone of not very certainty.

"The five boats of my family and some of my allies originally wanted to sail into the Meandering River and secretly transport goods worth more than 200,000 gold coins back to Baldur's Gate by land.

But who knows, he was caught by this group of greedy bastards.

As punishment for evading the payment of protection fees, they confiscated all the ship and its cargo, and only released the captain and crew. ”

As he said this, Duke Silvershield's eyes were red.

There's no way not to be popular!

You must know that those ships and goods are his lifeblood.

Once it's really gone, not only your own family but also your allies will suffer heavy losses.

And it won't be long before he will be hit hard by his prestige and finally be ousted from the duke's position.

After all, the Duke of Baldur's Gate is not hereditary, but was elected by merchants and chambers of commerce.

That's right!

It was a one-person-one-vote election, but it was limited to the burghers and merchant classes who owned a certain amount of property.

This also means that whoever has the higher strength, financial resources and personal prestige can sit firmly in the position of duke.

At present, the four dukes of Baldur's Gate, except for Iltan, who is the military archduke in charge of the "Flame Fist Mercenaries", the other three are basically dukes in charge of trade and guild management.

Among them, the Duke of Silver Shield was in charge of maritime trade, so he suffered the most losses in this crisis.

In contrast, the other two were much better at river transport and overland trade, at least without the risk of losing their duke titles.

Quite the opposite!

They also took advantage of the crisis to successfully regain many of the rights they had previously lost from the Duke of Silver Shield.

So for the Duke of Silvershield, the situation was so bad that it was time to do something.

Otherwise, even if he was a secret ally of Duke Irtan, he would inevitably step down in the face of strong dissatisfaction and protests from the merchants.

(End of chapter)