Chapter 386 The Real Smart Man (a 10,000-word chapter, please subscribe)
Just when Zuo Si’s clone in Mirrodin got Meili Lai, he began to use his innate ability to attack the nature of Shuoyou. At that time, far away in the commercial powerhouse Sambia in the "Sea of Fallen Stars" in the center of the Faerun continent, a smokeless food war had begun quietly.
Sergant is an important trade node and port city that stands in the northwest of the Sea of Fallen Stars and has a permanent population of tens of thousands.
Although it is not the capital of Sambia, it is the richest and most powerful place in the country, and it is also the place where the power struggle among big businessmen is fiercest.
The reason why the Six-member Council of Amn chose this place to dump food was because they recognized the complexity of the commercial and political factions within Sergante.
As long as there are enough benefits, the city's arrogant ruling class does not care about the life and death of other parts of Sambia, especially those "country bumpkins" who make a living from land and planting.
Although they sit on the Aken River and have the most fertile land and the largest irrigated area in the country, only a small part of it is grown in food.
Most of the rest are cash crops, such as cotton, flax, rape, sesame, olives and other things used for textiles and oil extraction.
In addition, the convenient transportation network is also one of the reasons for being selected.
After all, to the west of Sergante are the two cities of Darren and Uraspil, close to Cormyr, which may be the most powerful feudal country on the continent of Faerûn.
Sambian merchants purchased large tracts of connected land here, owned countless manors, vineyards, orchards and hunting grounds, and even maintained private armies, secretly keeping the notorious and most important slavery One of the grain producing areas.
If the price of grain in Sergante is suppressed by dumping, then this area will be the first to be affected and respond quickly.
The northeast direction of Sergante is connected to Odulin, the capital of Sambia, which is located inland.
This is the most densely populated area in the country. It cannot be self-sufficient in food and has long relied on transportation from the southwest.
As we all know, the cost of long-distance transportation on land will definitely not be low, so the price of food around Odulin has always remained high.
If food prices in Sergante plummet, the first reaction of Sambia's supreme rulers will certainly not be alarm, but uncontrollable ecstasy.
This means that they only need to spend a small amount of money to feed the large population in the core ruling area.
Anyway, after those manor owners realized that growing food was not profitable, they would immediately switch to growing other high value-added crops such as sugar cane and sugar beet.
As for the life and death of ordinary farmers, these guys don't care.
It’s better to be broke!
You can also take the opportunity to purchase their land at a low price and sell their entire family into slavery to obtain cheaper labor.
If it doesn't work, you can still sell it to a merchant in Seer or a red-robed wizard as a slave.
If someone asks what the difference is between the business empires of Amn and Sembia, it is that the former has at least a little bit of shame, and will decorate its appearance through various charitable donations, allowing saints like the Knights of the Burning Heart to Samurai organizations enforce the law within the country to maintain so-called "justice."
But the latter didn't even bother to cover up. The major business tycoons and the families behind them were completely above the law and basically said the same thing in their own territory.
And although slavery was legally prohibited, in practice it was everywhere.
Especially the peasants working in the manor, almost 50% or more are serfs without personal freedom, and even life and death are in the hands of their masters.
The people in power also collude with the dark elves operating in the Cormanthor region in the north, and often make deals with evil forces such as red robe wizards and Zhentil Keep. The Harper Alliance has long held Sambi. ATV is considered the same threat as Sale.
However, Bernard doesn't care at all how miserable the lives of the people at the bottom of Sambia are.
He came this time with a mission assigned by the six-person council. He wanted to destroy Sambia, a powerful competitor, in one fell swoop through legal business activities, and ensure that Amn was invincible in the trade activities of Faerûn. Controversial dominance.
And this ambitious businessman also understands that such an important action is also a test in itself.
If he can successfully complete this series of operations, he will be treated like a hero when he returns to Askatra, and he might even be able to enter the candidate list of the six-member council based on this merit.
Many families are eager to become the person in charge of this operation.
The reason why he stood out was not because of his superior strength, but because he had an extremely powerful backer behind him, and Zuo Si also provided the most important food for this operation.
Thinking of this, Bernard couldn't help but secretly rejoice that he had made the right choice. Then he raised his head and asked the assistant who was sorting out the information: "How much food have we dumped at low prices? Today Serge What is the special price of grain?”
“One hundred and seventy thousand tons, we have dumped a total of 170,000 tons of various grains.
According to the information provided by the Shadow Thieves Guild, all the granaries in the towns around Sergante are full.
As for the price of grain, it has dropped to only one-fifth of the original normal price, which is far lower than the cost of planting.
Almost all manors and farmers who grow food are worried about how to quickly sell the food in their hands to recover the cost.
After all, as the granaries in the surrounding areas are full, they have no place to store them, and it will definitely be too late to build the existing granaries.
In addition, as the weather begins to turn colder, the Falling Star Sea area will soon experience frequent autumn rains.
If it is not processed before the rainy season, all the food piled outdoors will be wetted by the rain and become moldy and rotten.
So it is foreseeable that these people will eventually reluctantly sell the grain in their hands at a price far lower than the cost, further triggering panic selling until grain prices completely fall to the bottom.
By this time next year, all landowners will no longer choose to grow food. "
Another Amn businessman in his forties reported excitedly.
Because through these days of operations and dumping, he is basically certain that Sambia will be 100% sure this time. It's over.
After several rounds of large-scale dumping, the confidence of agricultural production groups in the surrounding areas of Sergant in food prices has been completely destroyed.
And with the subsequent panic selling, it will quickly spread to other places and even the Kingdom of Cormyr and other cities in the Sea of Fallen Stars.
After this heart-wrenching lesson, no manor or farmer in Sambia will risk growing food again.
This means that when there is no way to temporarily switch to growing grain in March or April next year, we can start to close the net and change from dumping at low prices to purchasing at high prices.
At the very beginning, raising the price of grain purchases would even make the Sambian merchant class and rulers, whose barns were full, smile. They thought they had taken advantage of the opportunity to make a huge profit from the price difference, and they carried out it unscrupulously. sell off.
Since Sambia was originally a country united by businessmen and oligarchs, the major cities basically maintained their autonomy, and it was impossible to have a modern national statistical system. Therefore, they did not know that there was no land to grow food in the country. They thought they would wait until the autumn harvest. This gap can be filled back in time.
The result is that after the grain in the warehouse is almost sold, it is discovered that there is not even a grain of grain in the country for the autumn harvest.
At that time, there will be no need for Amn to take action. The local selfish businessmen in Sambia will start hoarding on their own and continue to raise the price of food to harvest the wealth of the people at the bottom.
When the people cannot survive, a terrible riot will completely break out.
At this moment, it has become impossible for the rulers to purchase food from other neighboring countries to quell the civil strife.
After all, other countries are not fools either.
With the negative teaching material of Sambia in front of us, we will naturally be more vigilant and give priority to protecting our own food reserves.
What's more, there are millions of people in Sambia, and food consumption cannot be satisfied by the surplus food of one or two regions or even the country.
Coupled with the negative impact of previous low-price dumping, the grain production around Falling Star Sea will definitely be reduced to varying degrees.
This also means that for at least a year, Sambia will not be able to obtain sufficient food supply, and can only watch the people at the bottom who cannot survive rise up, and the entire country will inevitably fall into division and disunity. civil war.
"Only 170,000 tons? Too little! Keep adding more! At least 600,000 tons of grain will be dumped in the next two months."
Bernard narrowed his eyes and gave instructions quickly.
In his opinion, a mere 170,000 tons of grain surplus is not enough to have a devastating impact on Sambia agriculture.
The assistant quickly nodded vigorously: "Understood! I will arrange for people to disguise themselves as merchants from Sale as soon as possible, and continuously transport more food to major port cities. Anyway, we have that treasure, as long as We only need to leave the port and go around the coast to fill up all the empty warehouses."
"Let our people be careful and remember to change sails, marks and sailors every time we leave port. , Don’t be caught out,” Bernard warned with a serious expression.
"Please rest assured about this. The Masked Mage Guild has provided us with enough magic masks. As long as you put them on, you can immediately turn into another face. So far, no one has been suspected." The assistant vowed. Give guarantees.
After all, this is also an important action that has attracted the attention of the six-person council. All forces in Amn have provided help to the best of their ability, whether in terms of materials or manpower.
After hearing these words, Bernard finally showed a satisfied expression: "Very good. This is a very important opportunity for me, and the same for you. So I don't want anything to go wrong. , Do you know? By the way, where is the servant Uthea sent by Lord Sos?"
"He? He seems to have been attending dinners held by high society recently, and he has even become a member of Andas. Ijamal’s guest.”
After thinking for a while, the assistant quickly told what he knew.
"Have you blended into the upper class? As expected..."
Bernard stopped abruptly mid-sentence.
Because others may not know who Usiah is, but he knows that the other person is not a human at all, but a small devil who turned into a powerful and frightening hell fiend. He is also Zuo Si's servant and follower. Demon pet.
Everyday communication with the Mage Tower is basically done through Usiah.
Just when the assistant was about to say something, a familiar figure opened the door and walked in from the outside.
"I seemed to have heard someone mention my name just now?"
Usiah took elegant steps, ignoring the guards guarding the door and the shadow thief hiding in an inconspicuous corner, slowly Came in from outside.
Although it was just past noon and there were still at least four hours until night, he still smelled of alcohol all over his body. From his forehead to his cheeks, to his neck and chest, there were at least twenty traces of alcohol. A few lip prints showed that he had just attended a rather "wild" private banquet, and his face was filled with an extremely satisfied smile.
Of course, this "satisfaction" does not refer to the desire for beauty, indulgence and alcohol in the hearts of mortals, but to see Sambia's behavior that perfectly conforms to the values of the devil in hell.
First of all, the people here abide by the contract and are good at finding loopholes in the contract, which are the devil's specialty.
Secondly, almost all Sambians like to climb up by any means within the limits allowed by the rules, and are keen on playing tricks and betrayals. Moreover, the society is full of various secret societies formed due to interest relationships. It is simply A replica of the politics of hell.
Finally, the country's business class has an insatiable thirst for money and wealth, which is exactly the same as the devils in hell's thirst for souls.
There is no doubt that Uthiah likes this place and the people here even more.
If he had not cut off the connection with Baator Hell, he would not even be able to help but take out a few pieces of parchment, sign a contract with those humans whose souls exude evil light, and then wait for their death Later, he transformed his soul into his right-hand man.
The only regret is that Sembia lacks a leader with absolute power, unparalleled vision and wisdom like Asmodeus, the Lord of Hell.
The current commander-in-chief, Odus Yamast, has exhausted all his energy just by being busy fighting with other forces every day. He is simply unable to concentrate the power of the entire country like the six-person Council of Amn.
Bernard winked at his assistant, who immediately understood and quickly turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.
When there were only two people left in the room, he couldn't help but ask: "How is it? Are the wealthy merchant families who rule Sergante worried about the recent collapse in food prices? Are you wary?"
Usiah sat down on the chair and responded in a slightly contemptuous tone: "Be wary?
Don't be stupid!
Major families and chambers of commerce are busy taking this opportunity to devour the land and property of bankrupt farmers and small estate owners.
They thanked us before it was too late, so how could they become vigilant.
Everyone is short-sighted, especially profit-seeking businessmen.
At present, almost the entire upper class rulers are happily talking about how many loan sharks their family has granted, how much land they have increased, and what more profitable crops they plan to plant next year.
He even laughed at those stupid country bumpkins who only knew how to grow grain, thinking that they deserved to go bankrupt due to the collapse in grain prices. ”
"So...our backup plan may not be used?"
A trace of undisguised joy flashed in Bernard's eyes.
"Judging from the current situation, it is indeed no longer needed. However, those weapons and equipment can be packed up and prepared to be sold to the rebels in the next stage. Oh, by the way, I also helped you find them. There are a few suitable people, you can consider sending someone to contact them."
As he said that, Usiah took out a list of seven or eight pages from his pocket.
Under each name, there is its life, experience, preferences, good and evil tendencies.
Some of these people are ambitious leaders of the Thieves Guild;
Some are rebels who have seen through the greedy, shameless, and never-satisfied face of Sambia's ruling class and long to overthrow it from the bottom of their hearts;
>
There are also avengers whose families were ruined by businessmen's exploitation and watched helplessly as their lovers, friends, parents and children left them one by one. In the end, they became angry and only wanted to destroy everything and destroy everything.
Although there seems to be no necessary connection between them at first glance.
But they all have one thing in common, that is, they are extremely dissatisfied with the current situation in Sambia, and they also have a certain degree of personality charm and leadership skills.
This means that when food begins to be scarce and famine sweeps across the country, as long as they receive appropriate funding, everyone can quickly pull together a team and kick off the drama of burying the entire existing regime in Sambia.
Bernard took over the list and checked it over and over again, then picked up a pen and circled a few of the names, and said meaningfully: "Now even the last piece of the puzzle has been put together. Next. All I have to do is wait patiently and wait for the planted seeds to take root and sprout."
"Yes! There is a full half year between now and next March. I can have fun with those interesting mortals. "Although the master doesn't allow me to interfere in your affairs, he doesn't say that I'm not allowed to have some fun, right?" A smile like that.
Although he is currently maintaining his human form with the help of magic props, Bernard can't help but feel the hairs all over his body stand up instantly.
For a hell fiend, the so-called "playing" is not as simple as it sounds in the literal sense.
Maybe there will be violent turmoil and civil strife in the upper class of Sambia, and it is not surprising that some families that now seem to be strong will be wiped out.
After all, whether it is the political structure, social environment, or people's way of thinking in this country, the devil can blend in perfectly without even arousing anyone's suspicion.
After a full minute, Bernard broke away from the fear and reminded with a wry smile: "You'd better be careful. Mr. Soth doesn't like too many accidents, let alone the original What went wrong in the smooth plan?"
But Uthia shrugged indifferently: "Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion.
What's more, the master has so many things to do now and has no energy to take care of Sambia.
Not to mention anything else, the Northland Lords Alliance meeting held in Luskan and the internal conflicts of interest that broke out among the towns after the external threats disappeared were enough to give him a headache.
In addition, there is Ms. Alustriel from Silvermoon City..."
I have to say that as someone who has followed Zuo Si for a long time and has a magic connection and an emotional connection, Demon pet, Uthea still knows his master well.
Although his habitual flattery and flattery often slap him on the horse's legs.
At this moment, Luskan, the northernmost city on the west coast of Faerûn, came from Neverwinter City, Waterdeep City, Silvermoon City, Mirabar, Mithril Hall, Longsaddle Town, Red Pine Town, Yatta, and El. Representatives from Ward and other towns were already gathered in the huge conference room.
Even Marshall, the steward of Dragonspear Castle, came all the way to join in the fun.
In addition, many noble lords who control one or two castles and several small village chiefs also arrived at the scene.
After all, the Northland Lords Alliance is a semi-open organization. As long as you can prove your identity and legal possession of the land under your control, you can apply to join and become a member of it.
In fact, barons, viscounts, counts and dukes who own one or two castles and several villages are the largest number of joining members in the Lords Alliance.
However, unlike the "harmonious and friendly" scene expected by Alustriel and Lord Nasir, not long after the meeting began, Bruno, the king of Mithral Hall, took the lead in attacking and quarreled with the representatives of Mirabar.
Since the main economic structures of both sides rely on mining, metal smelting, and the forging of weapons and armor, Miraba secretly adopted a series of shady and despicable methods in order to attack its competitors.
Generally speaking, more mature leaders will not bring this kind of fight to the table, in case there is no way to end it after a quarrel.
But who is Bruno Warhammer? He's one of Drizzt's best friends!
The legendary dwarf blacksmith who forged the powerful magical warhammer - the Fang of Aigis!
When I was in Icewind Dale, I successfully smashed the war started by the evil artifact Shattered Magic Crystal!
And he also found his former hometown of Mithril Hall through adventure, and personally killed the evil dragon named Shimmer!
Then he abandoned his position as king and drove the flame carriage gifted by Alustriel across half of Faerûn, just to support his friends!
Later, when faced with the roaring Dark Elf army from Menzoberranzan, he fearlessly led his people to resist heroically, splitting open the Heavenly Spirit Cap of the old matron of the Baenre family with a sharp ax in his hand!
Will such a dwarf leader honestly sit down and follow the unspoken rules to play those dirty political games?
Stop being ridiculous!
He didn’t just pick up the ax and chop the person down first, so he was quite calm and restrained.
With Bruno taking the lead in overturning the table, the remaining town representatives simply stopped pretending and began to expose each other's past.
After all, in a place like the Northland, which is full of dangers and rampant with monsters and bandits, it is possible to establish a foothold and continue to this day. There are a few really clean bottoms.
As a result, the quarrel was quickly replaced by rude abuse and personal attacks. The conference room was ten thousand times noisier than the outdoor market.
Seeing that the situation was starting to get out of control, Alustriel immediately exchanged a look with Lord Nasir, and they both stretched out their feet under the table and lightly kicked Eric.
The latter suddenly woke up from his doze, and then showed an innocent expression, as if to say, what's the point of kicking me? I'm just a puppet without any real power. The only thing I want to do is to be treated as a slave. Just enjoy life where you are now.
What's more, when these guys fight, they have nothing to do with Luskan and Nelanthel Islands?
In desperation, Alustriel lowered his voice and explained: "Your Majesty Eric, if you don't stop them, the abuse will soon turn into violence and bloody conflicts.
I believe that Soth would not want to see the Northland Lords Alliance meeting held on his own territory end up with casualties, right?
If it really happened, it would be quite embarrassing. ”
In an instant!
Eric finally came to his senses, stood up suddenly, waved his fist and hit the table hard.
Bang!
Accompanied by vibrations and sounds, the conference room, which was as noisy as a vegetable market one second, suddenly became quiet the next second.
Everyone turned their heads and stared at the titular king.
Eric, who was a pirate, did not have stage fright. Instead, he deliberately put on a serious face and pretended to reprimand: "Look at what you look like now! What words!
If The people of the North know that the people they have high hopes for are now quarreling, blaming, and insulting each other like street gangsters. What will they think?
So please be sensible!
At least sit down and have a serious talk about how to solve the problem instead of letting the conflict escalate into hatred. ”
“That’s right! Everyone should not be so excited. After all, compared with the harsh living environment before, at least we don't have to worry about the conspiracy and invasion of the Arcane Brotherhood now. Even the orcs, the biggest threat, have disappeared. What's left are just some trivial troubles, which can be solved through negotiation. . "
Lord Nasir of Neverwinter hurriedly followed suit.
He couldn't understand why the external environment had obviously gotten better, but the situation within the entire alliance had gotten worse.< br>
Alustriel also suggested: "I think it is better to rest for two days to give everyone some time to calm down and think. Otherwise, everyone will be angry, and it will be impossible to calm down and sit down together to resolve conflicts seriously. ”
"Agree!"
"I agree too!"
"Let's rest for two days first. Maybe we are all too tired, so our tempers become grumpy."
...
Soon, the proposal to temporarily adjourn the meeting was unanimously approved.
Representatives of various towns and castle lords also realized the possible consequences of a complete quarrel, and they all stood up and left the table with twinkling eyes.
However, cracks have appeared, and it is basically impossible to return to the previous state.
Just the opposite!
This rift will only grow larger as external threats disappear and conflicts of interest and friction between each other arise.
After everyone was gone, Alustriel sighed slightly and asked Eric directly: "Where is Soth? Why hasn't he shown up yet?"
"Sorry, madam, you really asked the wrong person this question. What makes you think that I am qualified to know the whereabouts of Lord Soth?" Eric asked in a slightly self-deprecating tone.
You must know that so far, he has only met Zuo Si twice.
Once was to pay the ransom in Calimport, and the other was at the meeting to decide on the establishment of a political power after occupying Luskan.
The rest of the time, the lich in the organization is responsible for issuing various notices and orders.
Because of this, Eric knows better than anyone else the huge power hidden in the darkness, and he has never had any improper thoughts because of becoming a king.
Because he knows that if he has any thoughts that he shouldn't have, everything he has now will be lost.
"What about this Northland Lords Alliance meeting? Doesn't Soth want to stand up and become the leader of the entire Northland?" Alustriel frowned and continued to ask.
Hearing this, Eric couldn't help but laugh, and while laughing, he joked: "I don't think Lord Soth would be interested in such boring things."
< br>"Bored?!"
Alustriel showed a surprised expression.
"Yes! Whether it is the Northern Lords Alliance or the Silver Moon Alliance led by you, Lord Soth scorns it. Because both organizations are too loose and do not give leaders enough power. It is even less possible for them to be integrated together to form a true rule and country," Eric commented sharply.
Although he was born as a pirate and did not receive a decent education at all, he has read a lot of books related to politics and power struggles in the past two years.
Coupled with observing how the bureaucracy of Luskan and the Nelanthal Islands works, his knowledge is higher and broader than that of most of the rulers of this world.
Alustriel obviously did not expect that the puppet in front of him could actually say such a thing. He raised his eyebrows in shock. After half a minute, he asked: "The Northland Lords Alliance is temporarily here." Why do you think the Silver Moon Alliance cannot unite to form a country? "
"Because of power!"
Eric gave the answer without thinking, and explained to himself: "In Lord Soth's concept, building a country requires many prerequisites.
For example, it can be passed Unimpeded legislative and law enforcement power, a powerful central administrative power that can completely control local areas, a corresponding series of financial powers such as economics, trade, taxation, etc., and absolute control of the military
Only when all these powers are centralized will a truly unified country be formed.
Which of the above rights do you have in the Silver Moon Alliance?
The answer is obviously none.
The laws you enact can only cover Silvermoon City and its surroundings. Each town has been politically independent and autonomous for a long time, and its finances are even more independent. You even need to pay several tolls to pass through the territory of the Silvermoon Alliance. Finally, Each town has its own army that only responds to its own orders.
The best you can do without violating the existing framework of the Silver Moon Alliance is to glue them together with your strong personal strength and charm.
And it took hundreds of years.
It would be impossible for an ordinary person to live such a long life.
If you unfortunately pass away one day, or step down from your position as Queen of the Silver Moon Alliance, will there be another person who can continue to maintain this situation?
Unless you change your current style and attitude, use various methods to suppress local forces, and forcibly seize judicial, administrative and military power bit by bit.
Otherwise, the Silver Moon Alliance would never have become a nation. ”
There is no doubt that Eric’s speech made Alustriel, Lord Nasir, and the Golden Dragon Queen Veramalandis and Aribeth who followed these two people... They were amazed.
They originally thought that this guy with a pirate background was just a puppet who was greedy for beauty, pleasure and vanity, but they never expected that the other party had such profound and unique insights.
< br>At least there are no obvious holes in the logic.
Eric noticed the change in the eyes of these people, and immediately said in a half-joking tone: "Don't look at me like that.
These truths are not understood by myself, but come from Soth Some books donated by Your Excellency.
He also said that even a puppet with no real power must have the minimum political understanding and consciousness since he is in this position.
Otherwise, it is easy to be taken advantage of by people with ulterior motives and eventually become a tragic victim."
"You are too humble, Your Majesty Eric. In my opinion, you have far surpassed most of the people in this world. A ruler who can become a wise monarch even if he holds real power," Alustriel praised without hesitation.
But Eric shook his head indifferently: "No, you are wrong, madam.
A guy like me who is lustful, lazy, and just wants to enjoy without taking responsibility, It is absolutely impossible to become a qualified ruler.
I understand it regardless of the theory, but it is very difficult to stay awake and rational when entering the actual operation.
No matter what. Whether it is the flattery from his subordinates or the intoxicating feeling brought by having great power and wealth, it will continue to corrode a person's heart.
This is what I admire most about Mr. Soth.
He will never be confused by these things and always knows what he really wants.
And he understands people's hearts and human nature very well, knows what each of his subordinates desires, and will satisfy them when the other party performs well.
Take me for example, this kind of life where I have status and status without having to shoulder any responsibilities, and have a lot of money to spend and enjoy, is what I have always longed for.
If I were really allowed to be a powerful king, I would not feel happy, I would only think it was a heavy burden.
So the advice I want to give you is that you must not regard the rulers of the towns of the Northern Lords Alliance and the Silver Moon Alliance as being as kind and noble as yourself, with lofty ideals and ambitions.
Most of them are probably like me, they just want to acquire more wealth and make themselves and even their entire family members of the privileged class. ”
After saying this, Eric stood up and bowed slightly to the four people present. Then he hugged the hot-bodied and scantily-clad female secretary waiting outside the door, turned around and disappeared. At the end of the corridor.
After a long silence, Lord Nasir took a long breath and said in a rather emotional tone: "It seems that we have all underestimated this King. Not only was he not stupid at all, he was one of the few truly smart people. "
"You are right. I can't believe that a pirate who has never received systematic education can have such knowledge. "Arebeth agreed with deep understanding.
But Alustriel shook his head disapprovingly: "No, this has nothing to do with Eric himself, but the result of Soth's training. Not only him, but also the entire Luskan's clean and efficient bureaucracy that far exceeds other cities, is worth learning from. ”
Golden Dragon Queen Veramalandes responded helplessly: "We can't learn.
Because Soth maintains this system not by law, but by another set of violence that is independent of the judicial system. and terrorist tactics.
If we just follow the judicial process, I think those bureaucrats will not be as awed as they are now, but will do their best to exploit loopholes in the law to defend themselves.
< br>It is difficult to suppress the growth of corruption and money-power transactions by relying on the law alone. This has been proven countless times.”
Just when Aribes was about to say something. , a tall man covered in crimson armor suddenly walked in from the door, it was Davian, the flame dragon knight.
He first looked around, then bowed to the only four people left in the conference room with one hand on his chest.
"Ms. Alustriel, Queen Valamarandais, Lord Nasir, and Ms. Aribes, the master has prepared sumptuous food and wine, and is waiting for your arrival outside."
“It’s you?!”
Villamarandez’s pupils suddenly dilated, contracted, and then dilated again, and the muscles all over her body tightened rapidly, as if she might transform into an ancient golden dragon at any time. .
You don’t need to ask to know that through the smell and the amazing fire element energy, she immediately recognized that the strong man in front of her was the flaming red dragon that caused panic not long ago.
"Huh? Have we met?"
Davian blinked in confusion.
He did not remember having any interactions with this golden dragon who maintained a human appearance.
Villamarandez clearly noticed that there was no trace of hostility in the eyes of the Flame Dragon Knight. She immediately relaxed a little and answered in a dumbfounded voice: "Uh - you really don't know me, but I do. You were wandering around the Northland killing evil chromatic dragons and monster tribes some time ago."
Instant!
Davian suddenly understood and immediately showed an apologetic expression: "Ah, so that's what happened. I'm very sorry that my hunting has caused you trouble. But please don't worry, it doesn't mean anything else, it's just to clear the wilderness. Possible threats. "
"You don't have to apologize, because after the cleanup, the security situation within the Silver Moon Alliance has improved significantly. By the way, are you a red dragon? Landais probed cautiously.
“No, I am not a red dragon, but a knight who can transform into a flaming red dragon. At the beginning, I was just a human, and then I gained the power I have now with the generosity of my master. ”
Davian did not hide anything and showed his identity openly.
Because since the battle with Sharptooth, his identity and abilities are no longer a secret.
"Ah! I remembered! You are Davian! One of the most powerful warriors under Soth!"
Alustriel remembered something and suddenly exclaimed.
Davian smiled and nodded: "Yes, I have always been the most reliable servant around my master. Well, let's stop talking about me. Everyone, please follow me."
After that, he turned around and walked towards the outside of the building.
The remaining four people looked at each other and immediately stood up and followed.
When they arrived at the door, Alustriel, Valamalandis, Lord Nasir and Paladin Aribes were surprised to find that what was parked here was not a carriage, but a ship they had never seen before. "Boat".
The moment everyone boarded it with curiosity and doubts, the "ship" actually flew up out of thin air and passed directly over the largest market in Luskan, attracting the attention of countless people below. and scream.
You don’t need to ask to know that this is a small airship built only in the floating city.
And the hydrogen inside has been replaced by safer helium.
Zuo Si himself stood in the middle of the hall filled with sumptuous banquets, opened his arms and said to the four guests with a smile: "Welcome! First of all, please allow me to apologize. How about catching up with the meeting of the Northern Lords Alliance? The dining place I specially arranged is not bad, right?”
"It's more than good! The feeling of dining on the sea and in the sky is exciting just thinking about it."
Lord Nasir stood next to the glass window, looking out at a thousand meters in the sky The majestic scenery screams admiration.
After all, he is a warrior. Although he traveled around on adventures when he was young, he has never experienced what it feels like to fly in his life.
Now that I can experience it through the airship under my feet, it’s strange that I’m not excited.
Of course, the reaction of the paladin Aribes on the side was not much better. His eyes kept flashing with a strange look, and his joy was beyond words.
In contrast, Alustriel and the ancient golden dragon Veramalandes, who possess powerful magical power, are much calmer. They are just very interested in this device that can carry people and want to understand its working principle. .
Especially the former, who was chosen by the Goddess of Magic, quickly noticed a ghost ship loaded with glass bottles placed on a table not far away.
Through the transparent bottle wall, you can even see the ghosts and resentful spirits floating inside and making piercing screams...
(End of this chapter)