Chapter 187 It doesn’t matter who is behind the scenes (10,000-word chapter, please subscribe)
As all the monsters that launched the attack disappeared or died, the envoy’s camp finally became quiet again.
Since there were no injuries, most of the people who were attacked died immediately, so no medical treatment was needed.
Dig a hole on the spot and throw in the corpses that can be found to bury them to prevent them from being eaten by other beasts or monsters.
Then the priest will preside over a simple funeral, and the weapon used during death will be inserted into the ground together with the helmet as a tombstone.
This is considered an explanation for the deceased.
After all, the Yunwu Mountain Area is so far away from Askatra, and it is basically impossible to transport it back for burial.
What's more, Sir Crispian, the top leader of the envoy, has not yet decided whether to continue to Candlekeep for negotiations, or to turn around and report the attack to the Six-person Council of Amn first. .
The most important thing is that no one knows who the attacker is and what his motive is.
There is also no guarantee whether there will be a second or third attack after this attack...
Looking at the camp destroyed by the white dragon's freezing breath and the thick ice covering the camp, Sir Crispian subconsciously pulled his cloak and asked in a slightly solemn tone: "Sir Soth, what do you think we will do next?" What should I do?”
“You ask me? How do I know?”
Zuo Si shrugged innocently.
He originally came here just to make soy sauce and earn some pocket money, and by the way, they went to Candlekeep to acquire the knowledge that he lacked most at the moment.
How to know the thoughts of Amn’s senior officials.
From the perspective of Zuo Si, an outsider, the trade dispute between Baldur's Gate and Amn is essentially a group of greedy businessman interest groups biting each other, with no one good at all.
Especially the Dukes of Baldur's Gate are simply examples of greed and stupidity. For the sake of short-term gains, they even allowed unscrupulous chambers of commerce like the Iron Throne to expand wildly.
The only difference is that Amn dares to tear off the disguise and directly declare that it is a country ruled by a merchant oligarchy.
Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep are disguised as so-called "enlightened systems", but in essence they are not much different.
"What I mean is that if you are sure that the envoy can reach Naxikai safely, we will continue to move forward. If not, we will turn around and return to Kerimur first."
Seeing that Zuo Si failed to understand what he wanted to express, Sir Crispian quickly opened the skylight and spoke frankly.
Because he may not care about the lives of those soldiers, paladins, priests and masked mages, but he does care about his own life.
After all, no matter how much political capital this negotiation can bring, it is meaningful to at least ensure survival first.
“It depends on what conditions you can offer. My principle has always been to use money to do things. As long as the remuneration is high enough, everything is not a problem. But there is one thing you must be aware of. If you offer If the conditions cannot be fulfilled afterwards, I will take the most extreme and violent method to collect the debt."
Zuo Si made no excuses and made his attitude straightforward.
When Sir Crispian heard these words, he couldn't help laughing immediately, and while laughing, he promised: "No problem! I swear on the honor of my family that as long as you can reach Candlekeep safely, you will definitely get a generous sum." Because what Amm lacks most is money.”
“That’s no problem. I’ll leave as usual tomorrow morning. I want to see if the person behind the attack still dares. Launch a second attack."
After that, Zuo Si's eyes flashed with coldness, and he stood up and returned to his tent to rest.
But just because he could sleep, it didn't mean that others in the mission could also sleep.
Especially those soldiers who were frightened by the white dragon, centipede demon insect, winter wolf and ice troll, did not dare to close their eyes again, and maintained a tense state of mind throughout the night.
I was afraid that once I fell asleep, I would never have the chance to open my eyes again.
Sir Crispian also tossed and turned all night long, his brain uncontrollably replaying images of himself just one step away from death.
......
At the same time, the five senior members of the Emerald Society who planned this attack are currently gathering in K'Zula, a city east of Amn near the Serpent Forest.
Hundreds of years ago, a large population flooded here due to the discovery of large amounts of gold and iron mines, and finally the city of Kezula was established.
But after two centuries of continuous mining exhausted the veins, it soon fell into a long depression.
But all this developed again with the sudden discovery of gem veins decades ago.
The Emerald Society took a fancy to this, so they chose to establish their headquarters in K'Zula.
Because this place is not only far enough away from Askatra, but also relatively remote among the many cities in Amn, the masked mage's monitoring here is very weak.
If you are really exposed and surrounded, you can go directly to the Viper Forest in the north or the secret stronghold in the Yunwu Mountain Area to hide for a few days to avoid the limelight.
At this moment, the five people who planned the attack on the Amn mission were sitting around a table.
The masked man was the first to break the silence and said: "You should have seen the battle just now. Let's talk about it now. How was the strength shown by this elector in the battle?"
< br>"Very powerful! Much more powerful than we expected. Especially those shadows that are as numerous as the tide, are definitely a terrible threat. He doesn't even need to do it himself, as long as he removes the protective spells on his opponent, The shadows will automatically rush up and kill every living person they can touch."
Another member gave his opinion in a slightly heavy tone.
Not only him, but the short member sitting in the corner also added: "In addition to the large number of shadow creatures, the warrior who can collide with the centipede monster head-on is also very worthy of note. He wears a red dragon armor and is almost completely immune to the damage of high temperature."
"There is also the final means of making all living creatures disappear out of thin air. I seriously doubt that this is some special ability given by God to the chosen people."
Another person pointed out what he thought should be paid more attention to.
The five people talked to each other like this, and they made a list of Zuo Si's abilities.
The leading man picked it up and took a look at it, and immediately complained in a low voice: "Damn it! I didn't expect that two white dragons, a centipede demon insect, so many winter wolves and ice trolls could not even give this one a try in the end. The chosen one of the goddess of poison and disease has caused some trouble, and I haven't tried out how many protective magics he has and what spells he is immune to."
"So I doubt that it is correct to not take action this time. The voters have more hidden cards than we expected. If any of us are captured, the consequences will be disastrous," the member who sounded like a woman said with lingering fear.
The slightly fat guy nodded vigorously: "Agree! It is too dangerous to deal with a chosen one of the gods rashly, and we need to collect more intelligence. In addition, I am not sure whether Talona will give people information through dreams and illusions. Soth provided clues about the Emerald Society. "
"Then what do you think we should do now? Inform Irenekas to abandon the in-depth cooperation agreement we reached." The short member asked.
"No, of course not. We can tell him the real situation and then ask him to join the action. If Irenicas agrees, then we have a powerful helper. If he Rejection means there is something wrong with this matter. We must be more vigilant."
The fat man gave a solution without thinking.
He has obviously noticed that Erinikas is not really cooperating at all, but is using the resources, channels and power of the Emerald Society to achieve his ulterior ambitions.
"Speaking of Irenikas, I remembered it. In Askatra, didn't we also absorb a powerful necromancer named Asta? Why hasn't he contacted us recently?" The leader The man suddenly interrupted.
You must know that the Emerald Guild will do its best to fight for all high-level arcane spellcasters who have not been absorbed by the Masked Mage Guild.
"Asta? That lich? He should be hiding in his house to study magic. Don't forget, lichs are far less sensitive to the passage of time than living people, so it is normal to disappear for a period of time occasionally. ." The fat man shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
The leader of the man laughed and complained: "What you said makes sense, and I am speechless. But since he is a key development member of the organization, he will still be there next time when someone goes to Ascatla. It’s better to take a look on the way.”
“Don’t worry, I will go to Askatra to talk to Erinikas in person after a while, and take a look at Asta.”< br>
The member who sounded like a woman took the initiative to take on this task.
In this way, the five people decided to temporarily abandon the action against Zuo Si after discussion.
Because the risk is too high, and they don’t have any certainty.
However, the senior leaders of the Emerald Society did not know that every move they made was watched by another organization.
The latter’s name is the Entanglement Talisman!
Yes!
Shangela, the Lord of Talisman, had long discovered the unusual movements of the Emerald Society, so he hid in the dark and watched the entire battle that broke out in the Yunwu Mountain Area.
Right now, I am standing on the top of a mountain covered with snow all year round, and I am asking my former lover behind me with great interest: "Jimana, what do you think the magic that Soth used to make those creatures disappear out of thin air just now is?"
"Hmm - I think it should be some kind of expulsion or sealing."
The female lich known as Jimana touched her chin and gave her own judgment.
She was wearing a silver mask on her face at the moment, and she looked the same as when she was alive. She still had smooth and white skin, as well as alluring and concave and convex curves.
But anyone with a little common sense will understand that all of this is an illusion created through magic.
Behind the illusion is actually a dry and rotting corpse.
As the only talisman master in the organization who is not a legendary mage, Jimana is not as casual and relaxed as his lover Shangla.
Because although she has a mage level as high as LV19, there are too many enemies that need to be dealt with and they are too powerful.
If you are not careful, you may die instantly.
“No, dear Jimana.
That is not an ordinary expulsion or seal, but a magic technology from another world.
How beautiful!
How charming!
If it weren't for my identity as a voter, I would definitely find an opportunity to talk to Soth face to face.
Do you know?
After so many years of becoming a lich, this is the first time I have a heartbeat.
It's like the first time I tasted the sweetness of power, the first time I killed a black dragon with the power of magic, the first time I had an intimate relationship with you.
Obviously, Soth hides many secrets.
Even the gods have a strong interest in these secrets.
It's a pity that because of Lagon's overly cautious attitude, it ended up like this.
If we had decisively taken action to absorb him into the organization when we were in Calimport, all of this would belong to us now. "
When saying these words, Shangla's tone was full of resentment towards Lagon, the current leader of the entangled Talisman.
Of course, this is not the first time he has complained. I believe it won't be the last time.
After all, Lagun's talent in "Gou" is obvious to all.
Anything, as long as there is a slight risk of exposure, he will definitely choose not to participate.
Because of this, those kind-hearted Churches of Gods and members of the Harper Alliance who were desperately investigating were unable to do anything with the Entanglement Talisman.
But the price is that many opportunities for development and growth are lost.
When Jimana saw this, he immediately smiled and teased: "Is your heart eager for adventure starting to get restless again?"
"Hahahaha! You still understand me. The Emerald Association really did a good thing this time. I can take the opportunity to send someone to infiltrate, and then contact Soth in the name of the Emerald Association. In this way, we can both Breaking the rules of the organization and getting what you want." Shangela laughed and said her plan.
You must know that the insidious and despicable method of "backdooring" is the specialty of entanglement symbols.
Many of the Lord of Talisman's cronies are very good at disguising themselves as members of other organizations, such as the Zhentarim, the Dragon Cult, the Red Robe Wizard, etc.
They use these identities, or even join directly, to secretly complete some unknown tasks.
"What are you going to do?" Jimana asked meaningfully.
Shangla replied without hesitation: "First, I will send my most trusted disciple Lei Yin to break into the Emerald Society.
Then as a traitor, I will secretly tell the secrets of the Emerald Society to Soth and others. Winning his trust.
The rest is to work together to uproot and devour the Emerald Association.
When my disciple becomes the top leader of the Emerald Association, we will naturally be able to deal with him openly. Make transactions and get what you are interested in little by little
How about my plan? ”
Jimana smiled and nodded: "It's indeed perfect.
Leyin's spellcasting level should be close to breaking through the legendary level, right?
It seems that it won't be long before there will be another problem in the organization. There's a new Sigil Lord, and you'll gain a trustworthy ally.
But before that, you'll have to deal with the Zhentarim and the Harpers.
According to the information obtained by my spies, Xi Manmeng, Mansong’s most trusted apprentice and the manipulator behind the dark intelligence network, had set out from the Dark Fortress in the Sunset Mountains not long ago, and the destination should be, as expected, Candlekeep.
Similarly, there is another big news. Elminster, the great sage of the Valley of Shadows and the first chosen one by the Goddess of Magic, also left his home, and his destination is also Candlekeep.
Guess, why did these two people go to Candlekeep? ”
Hearing these words, Shangela suddenly fell into a terrible silence.
He is not a fool. He understands that the only person who can alarm these two people at the same time is heading towards Candlekeep. Zuo Si.
As for the war and conflict that broke out on the border between Amn and Baldur's Gate.
To put it bluntly, it is not worthy of attracting the attention of so many forces and legendary mages.
After a long silence, Shangela suddenly showed a meaningful smile and murmured to himself: "It's a bit interesting. In that case, let's play a game. Let's see who it is, Be the first to dig out the secrets he had hidden from Zuo Si."
Soon, the two talisman masters used teleportation magic and disappeared without a trace.
About a few hours later, a woman named Lei Yin joined the Emerald Society.
And by virtue of his very high spellcasting level and his ruthless killing of masked mages, he quickly won the trust of the top management of the organization.
You know without asking that she is the disciple Shangla mentioned.
......
Through the dangerous Cloud Mountains, Amn's envoy only encountered a surprise attack from a gnoll tribe. After killing them all, they successfully arrived at the iron mine. The town that made the fortune - Naxikai.
Since the armies of Amn and Baldur's Gate fought here not long ago, all the residents of the town looked very nervous.
A large number of corpses of dead soldiers were buried in the cemetery, so much so that the priests had to hold up the Holy Emblem every day to dispel the accumulated negative energy.
Otherwise, it won't take long for a large number of ghouls, zombies and skeletons to be born.
Sir Crispian ignored these soldiers who died fighting for Amn. He didn’t even bother to get out of the car and give a symbolic salute. He went directly to the top military commander stationed here—— General Laurel.
He told the other party his experiences in the Yunwu Mountains without even a word of nonsense.
After General Laurel heard this, he immediately opened his mouth in shock: "White dragon? Centipede devil insect? Winter wolf? Ice troll? Who did this? Are they crazy? How dare they Attack an envoy against all odds!"
"Your Majesty, General, I hope you can use all means to convey this news to the six-member Council of Ascatla as quickly as possible." Sir Crispian made his request forthrightly.
"No problem! I will immediately arrange for the masked mage accompanying the army to pass the news back immediately." Laurel agreed without hesitation.
I saw him wink at his adjutant, who immediately understood and turned around to leave the room and go downstairs to find the military mage stationed there.
After a while, the adjutant came back with a note.
General Laurel took it, glanced at it, and quickly handed it to Sir Crispian. He frowned and muttered in a low voice: "Strange! The six-person council didn't know anything about this matter. , not even a clue.
It seems that Baldur's Gate is not very suspicious.
With the character of Duke Iltan, the supreme commander of the Flame Fist mercenaries, he should not do such a thing.
But that’s not necessarily true for those guys like the Iron Throne who suffered heavy losses in this iron catastrophe conflict. "
"Damn! This matter seems to be getting more and more complicated. "
Sir Crispian threw away the note in his hand and couldn't help but curse in a low voice.
Because the six-person council issued a death order, he must go to Candlekeep to complete this mission. Negotiate, and bring a truce that is favorable to Amn
Seeing that these two senior officials, who were considered to be high-ranking officials in Ascatra, had a gloomy look on their face, Zuo Si couldn't help but laugh, and comforted him while smiling: "Don't be so pessimistic. In fact, this is "This is actually a good thing for negotiations." "Oh? Do you have any suggestions?" General Laurel asked slightly.
Zuo Si replied meaningfully: "With no clues at all, it is no longer important who is behind the scenes.
The important thing is, How to use this attack to gain an advantage in negotiations
For example, insist that the attack on the envoy is a conspiracy by Baldur's Gate executives.
For their own benefit, they did not hesitate to collude with evil forces and launched this shameless sneak attack on the mission in order to continue the war.
Those Flame Fist mercenaries who died tragically in the war were actually victims of the greedy desires of despicable nobles and businessmen.
At the same time, they loudly promoted that this war was started by Baldur's Gate, and that they wanted to annex Naxikai's mineral veins through force.
In this way, Amn can stand on the moral high ground and render Baldur's Gate into an evil city-state that is as unscrupulous as Luskan to achieve its goals.
Even made a request to the Northern Lords Alliance to kick Baldur's Gate out of this organization.
Through propaganda and diplomatic isolation, not only can the trade of Baldur's Gate be severely attacked, but also the merchant alliance can be contacted privately, promising them some benefits in exchange for these people changing their stance.
In addition, methods such as uniting with chambers of commerce in other regions to raise the prices of some daily necessities, and provoking conflicts between ordinary citizens and nobles and businessmen were also used.
In short, there are many ways to hit a city hard.
But war is undoubtedly the most stupid behavior and the most likely to arouse public resentment. ”
“Walkien, the goddess of wealth, is here! Sir Soth, you are a genius. ”
Sir Crispian jumped up from his chair as if he had found a treasure, and bowed deeply to Zuo Si excitedly.
For the first time, he realized that he had so many cards to play.
You must know that Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep are Amn's two main competitors in trade.
The six-person council dreams of suppressing these two opponents with unlimited potential, so that they can occupy as much share as possible.
If one of them could be defeated without using force, they would probably be able to laugh out of their dreams.
As a nobleman with very high political sensitivity, Sir Crispian sensed a huge opportunity.
He had a hunch that if he could really use this opportunity to hit Baldur's Gate hard, he would definitely be able to gain huge support in the parliament after returning, and even climb to the position of the six-member council in his lifetime.
No hesitation!
After briefly discussing some operational details, General Laurel immediately mobilized the army to assume a posture of seeking justice for the mission.
Almost at the same time, he did not forget to spread the news to the outside world, killing the despicable and shameless people from Baldur's Gate who attacked the envoys sent by Amn.
On the other side, the shadow thieves who infiltrated Baldur's Gate also took action and began to spread various gossips and rumors in the streets and alleys of Baldur's Gate.
Suddenly, this vital commercial hub and port city in the Sword Coast was firmly labeled as a "black pot" amidst the uproar from the outside world.
Although the Dukes and merchants of Baldur's Gate stood up and tried their best to refute, but as the saying goes, if you start a rumor, you will lose your legs if you refute the rumor.
In addition, Sir Crispian hired bards to spread the story of how the paladin of the Knights of the Burning Heart fought bravely in the face of the evil white dragon and finally died tragically. It quickly won the tears and sympathy of countless people.
So the direction of public opinion almost inevitably began to tilt significantly towards Amn.
Baldur's Gate's reputation took a huge hit as a result.
Especially the questions from the Lords Alliance made Duke Silver Shield, who controlled the maritime trade, and Duke Iltan, who controlled the Flame Fist mercenaries, feel overwhelmed.
Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine that an otherwise ordinary peace negotiation would cause such a big mess.
The attack on the Amn mission completely put Baldur's Gate into a passive position.
Pressure from all aspects has completely nullified the original plan to strive for favorable conditions.
In the current situation, let alone taking advantage, it is probably a good thing not to be taken advantage of by the other party too much.
After all, the longer the war drags on, the worse it will be for Baldur's Gate.
If the reputation is really as bad as that of Luskan, then many merchants will choose to bypass Baldur's Gate and no longer do business with the Chamber of Commerce here.
At that time, businessmen who cannot make money will flee in large numbers, and the entire city will inevitably fall into depression.
"Damn it! It seems we have to make some concessions." Duke Silver Shield said through gritted teeth.
Duke Iltan immediately nodded with a wry smile: "At this point, it is difficult not to give in. It seems that there are experts on Amn's side to give guidance this time. Otherwise, they would not be able to think of anything based on their usual style. Such a powerful method. By the way, how about the investigation of the attack? "
"This group of attackers was so mysterious that they left nothing behind except some footprints. There is also definite news that the reason why the envoys were able to escape was because the chosen ones of Talona, the goddess of poison and plague who has become famous recently, are among them."
In. When he said these words, Duke Silver Shield's tone suddenly became serious.
Because anyone who is not a fool knows what it means for the six-person Council of Amn to stuff this intimidating weapon into the envoy.
When Duke Iltan heard this, he immediately hit the table with his fist and roared loudly: "Asshole! What do they want to do? Threaten us by spreading the plague?"
Duke Silver Shield helplessly spread his hands: "This is an obvious thing. If one tenth of what the Church of Talona preaches is true, then we must take it seriously. After all, the plague is not a war. It can be ended through negotiation. Once the plague breaks out in Baldur's Gate, the blow to the entire city will be devastating."
"According to what you said, we can only accept Amn. What are the conditions offered?" Duke Iltan was obviously unwilling.
As the supreme commander of the army, what he hates most is having to surrender to the enemy.
“There is nothing we can do about it.
Although giving up some trade shares will cause losses, our situation will only become more and more difficult if this continues.
Do you know?
Some chambers of commerce in Waterdeep City have begun to take advantage of the situation and deliberately raise the prices of goods.
These commodities are necessities such as grain, salt, cheese, iron products, beer, herbs and other daily necessities.
Citizens in the city have begun to complain about rising prices. ”
The Duke of Silver Shield did not hide anything and directly stated the serious situation.
You must know that in the vast land called "West Heartland" surrounding Baldur's Gate, although there are countless settlements and villages scattered, most of them are self-sufficient, and they are very scattered and trivial, with basically not much The surplus grain is used to supply the city.
In addition, since the city was first established, fierce conflicts broke out between foreign businessmen groups and local farmer groups.
Therefore, the farmers in the surrounding areas have no good impression of Baldur's Gate, but are full of hostility and hatred.
Once given the opportunity, they will 100% choose to drive up food prices to show off the businessmen who have suddenly become the ruling class.
This means that Baldur's Gate actually has to rely on external food to ensure that famine does not occur.
If it were normal times, businessmen in other areas would naturally be very happy to sell the excess grain after the harvest to earn the price difference.
But now, all chambers of commerce have clearly seen the huge crisis that Baldur's Gate is in, and without exception they want to take this opportunity to make a big profit and use the money that the city has accumulated over the years. All wealth is sucked dry.
......
As the "little tricks" provided by Zuo Si began to ferment, Baldur's Gate finally became a little unable to hold on.
More than a month later, the two sides finally began to prepare for negotiations in the Candlekeep standing on the cliff by the sea.
The representative sent by Baldur's Gate was Duke Silvershield, who was in charge of trade, while the representative from Amn was Sir Crispian, who had been authorized by the six-member Council.
As soon as they met, the two old rivals looked into each other's eyes.
A full minute passed before Sir Crispian took the lead to speak out: "Your Excellency, Duke, do you have anything to say about the attack on the Amn envoy?"
< br> "I am deeply sorry for those who died. But I can swear that this incident has absolutely nothing to do with our Baldur's Gate." Duke Silvershield responded while suppressing the anger in his heart.
He knew very well that the other party was completely using this incident to threaten him into making concessions.
But the problem is that as long as the real attacker is not found, the suspicion of Baldur's Gate will never be cleared.
Who let them start this border war first?
After all, Amn simply raised the price of steel.
In the eyes of outsiders, if you find it too expensive, you don’t have to buy it. What’s the point of starting a war?
“Sorry, we don’t believe a word you just said.
But for the sake of precious peace and why those innocent soldiers no longer died for the ambitions of a few people, the six-member Amn Council reluctantly agreed to today's negotiations.
Please remember, Your Excellency the Duke.
The people of Amn are not weak, it’s just that we cherish peace and the lives of those poor soldiers more than you do. ”
Possessed by the actor Sir Crispian, he recounted the scenes he learned from Zuo Si, instantly placing himself in the position of the victim and at the same time seizing the moral high ground.
Just listening to the speech, people who don’t know it think he is a just, kind and widely respected "good man"
But in fact, if a priest or paladin releases Detect Evil, then his body will 100% be exposed to a dark red aura symbolizing the evil camp.
That’s right!
Sir Crispian is a standard lawful evil noble.
According to rumors, his family has been secretly engaged in illegal smuggling and obtained unimaginable wealth from it.
Without a doubt!
The words that were openly and secretly blaming the top management of Baldur's Gate just now made Duke Silvershield's blood pressure rise instantly. He couldn't help but want to have an attack several times, but he finally endured it.
Because he noticed that among Amn's delegation, there was a boy of about ten years old with black hair and black eyes and an oriental appearance.
Baldur's Gate has long received information, so they know that this is the legendary plague bringer who destroyed a world with plague, the favorite chosen one of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease.
So the Duke of Silver Shield did not want to give the other party any excuse to launch revenge.
After a brief confrontation, Amn immediately gained the upper hand in momentum.
After a while, the two sides began to argue fiercely over trade, tariffs, steel prices and other aspects.
Seeing these "upper-class people" tearing off their disguises and spending every penny like street vendors, Zuo Si's lips turned up slightly, revealing a sarcastic smile.
Because all this has nothing to do with him.
And not long ago, the Six-person Council specially sent someone to make a promise that after the negotiations were completed and they returned to Amn, they would pay Zuo Si 70,000 gold coins as a reward for protecting the envoy at the critical moment. .
In addition, the other party also granted him permission to open a shop next to his mage tower, specializing in various magic items, potions, scrolls and books.
You must know that this is Askatra, which prohibits all unofficial arcane magic, but scorpions are the only ones who shit.
Before this, only the Masked Mage Guild had such privileges.
Places like the Adventurer Market in the Waking Mall area can only sell some magic weapons and armor at best.
Such as potions, scrolls, wands and various triggering magic devices are prohibited.
Zuo Si felt that this privilege should be because the six-person council rewarded him for giving advice to Sir Crispian, which dealt a heavy blow to the competitor of Baldur's Gate.
Just when he was bored and sitting on the chair and being the "mascot", he suddenly found that there was a young man on the side of the Baldur's Gate delegation who had a similar reaction to him. He was yawning non-stop, and he was very concerned about the negotiation. The process and results are completely uninteresting.
Out of curiosity, Zuo Si nodded at the other person, and the young man responded with a smile, not at all as wary and hostile as the others.
When the morning negotiations ended, the latter immediately avoided the members of the Baldur's Gate delegation and followed them secretly.
Finally, the two met behind the bookshelf on the second floor of Candlekeep.
Without saying a word, this young man who looked strong and tall put one hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and greeted with a smile: "Nice to meet you, Your Excellency Soth."
"Do you recognize me?" Zuo Si raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The young man nodded without thinking: "Of course! Your name of Son of the Plague has already become known to everyone with the propaganda of Talona Church. But most ordinary people I don’t know your appearance, so I might not recognize you even if I see you.”
“Then how did you recognize me?” Zuo Si asked with interest.
“My father is Rita, the leader of the Iron Throne Chamber of Commerce, so he has always been well-informed. Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sarevok, and I am currently studying in Candlekeep. In fact, I am not a negotiator, but my father ordered me to come and observe and report the results of the negotiations in a timely manner."
The young man made no attempt to conceal his identity and openly stated his identity.
Sarevok?
Son of Baal?
The mastermind and culprit behind the war between Baldur's Gate and Amn in the future?
All the information about this big BOSS suddenly popped up in Zuo Si's mind.
Looking at the sunny and confident Sarevok at the moment, it is hard to imagine that he will look different in just a few years.
"Nice to meet you, Sarevok."
A hint of amusement flashed in Zuo Si's eyes.
"No, I should say that I am the one who feels honored." Sarevok quickly bowed humbly.
After all, he still doesn’t know that the divinity of Baal, the god of murder, flows in his body, let alone what this power means.
When he thought that the small Candlekeep had gathered the three sons of Baal, Aberdare, Imoen and Sarevok, at the same time, Zuo Si couldn't help but secretly sigh that fate is such a wonderful thing.
However, I don’t know if it’s because of Gillian’s strict protection. So far, he has not seen Aberdare. Instead, he has met the lively, active, and naughty little Eamonn in the only inn in Candlekeep.
What is even more frightening is that there are thousands of Sons of Baal like this throughout Faerûn.
Some of them have realized the power within their bodies, while others are still ignorant and live as ordinary people.
No one realizes how dangerous and terrifying it is to be a son of God.
In the history of Faerûn, there are countless gods who have used their sons of gods as carriers to achieve resurrection from the dead.
Because God is the ultimate product of spirit and faith.
If a god's influence is strong enough to allow his followers to worship him even after death, then he can return from the astral realm after accumulating enough power.
This means that no matter who finally ascends the Blood Throne, he will have to fight against the influence left by Baal, the God of Murder, in the mortal world.
If the secret cults and believers who still worship Baal cannot be eliminated in time and their faith in the mortal world cannot be completely eliminated, Baal, the god of murder, will inevitably be reborn from the body of his own descendant.
And this is also the reason why Baal deliberately left so many heirs when he predicted his death in advance.
In his plan, these sons of Baal were originally the nourishment for his resurrection.
Had it not been for some minor accidents, the God of Murder was betrayed by his most trusted chosen one, and he would have been resurrected and returned by now.
Facts have proved that the relationship between the electorate and the gods is not a strict superiority and inferiority as others imagined, but closer to cooperation.
Not all the elect are obedient to the God who gives them strength.
Because of this, Zuo Si's almost indifferent attitude towards the Church of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, did not seem too strange.
After all, one of the chosen people of Musk, the god of thieves, once ridiculed some of the deeds of this god in person.
But as a god, Musk, instead of punishing the voter who offended him, readily accepted the criticism and said he would make corrections in the future.
(End of this chapter)