Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 13 sets the stage for the adventure.

Upon arriving at the bounty board, Zhang Yuan didn't rush to accept the mission. Instead, he looked around, intending to find a team of companions first.

As a newbie who had never even killed a chicken and had never received any survival training, he still had that much self-awareness.

Just as he was looking around, a familiar tall figure came into view. Zhang Yuan walked up and patted the big guy on the shoulder: "Hi, Sory, it's me, Chanem."

The tall man turned around, saw Zhang Yuan, paused for a moment, scratched his head, and looked down at him: "Oh, which mage are you? Is there something you need?"

"I'm planning to take on missions to earn money. I wonder if you have a regular mercenary team?" Zhang Yuan extended an invitation after learning from Kent that although the big guy was a bit dull, he was very reliable in both strength and character.

The big guy blinked his small eyes, which were surprisingly cute, and said in a deep voice, "I already have a fixed team, so I can't join your team."

Seeing that the other party didn't understand his intention, Zhang Yuan simply laid it all out: "Are you still short of people? Would you welcome a mage to join you?"

The big guy looked very hesitant: "I don't know, I need to discuss it with the captain and the others."

Just as Sori was explaining, a man in full armor, carrying a longsword and shield, suddenly walked over. He slapped Sori on the head and said with a laugh, "By the time you've finished thinking, he's already left. Why don't you invite this gentleman to come to our camp for a chat?"

The big guy who had been slapped on the head chuckled twice, then stepped back without arguing, leaving the newcomer to talk to Zhang Yuan.

“Hello, I’m the captain of this guy Sorey. I’m glad to hear that you’re interested in joining our team. My name is Ska.” The man extended his hand in a friendly gesture.

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment. Of all the members of the Flame Fist, Ska was one of the few names he could remember in the game.

Coming to his senses, Zhang Yuan reached out and shook hands with Ska, replying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Ska. You can just call me Chanem."

“Alright, may I know your class rank and spellcasting school, Mr. Chanem?”

When asked about his spell level, Zhang Yuan said somewhat shyly, "I am a level one mage, of the general school, and currently I have mastered seven level one spells."

Fearing elimination due to his professional level, Zhang Yuan quickly added, "But my physical condition is good, and I can accept close combat training."

That's true. Although it's impossible to measure exactly how strong my physical fitness is after the system modification, the feeling is quite obvious. Whether it's the clearer muscle contours on my body, the lighter speed when walking, or even the fact that I haven't been eating or sleeping well since I transmigrated, I still feel full of energy the next morning.

The system hadn't lied to him after all. Whether it was the successfully cast spell or the increased physical attributes, the Sword Saint class he had taken on must also be real.

After joining the mercenary squad, Zhang Yuan secretly planned to let those professional warriors train him and see if he could develop his sword saint skills. He was also thinking about how to persuade them to accept him.

“No problem, welcome to our team!” Ska made the decision straightforwardly.

"Uh... thank you." Zhang Yuan, who hadn't expected the other party to agree so readily, didn't know what to say, and all the reasons he had prepared fell flat. "Is it rare for mages to join your Flame Fist team?" Zhang Yuan asked, genuinely curious about how he had been so easily invited to join the team.

Ska sighed and said, "Those mage gentlemen aren't so easy to hire. They're either nobles who are rich and don't need to worry about money, or they've been trained by mentors since childhood and don't need to earn this reward."

“Only those wandering mages without any local connections would accept missions from the mercenary guild, not to mention that a significant portion of them simply become magical advisors to nobles,” Ska continued to explain.

"But I only know level one spells. Aren't you worried that my strength is insufficient?" Since the other party was so easy to talk to, Zhang Yuan became much more straightforward.

Ska chuckled and said, "Level one spells can already provide some support, and besides, let me ask you, do you have a fixed salary?"

Zhang Yuan understood a bit and said, "No, do you mean the team's income distribution?"

“That’s right, you reacted quite quickly. You’re not a member of the Flame Fist and don’t have a fixed salary. We’ll just pay you a share of the bounty each time.” Ska straightened his face and reminded Zhang Yuan seriously, “In addition to the fixed salaries of our team members, all other income is distributed according to performance and contribution. So as an unofficial member, if your performance doesn’t keep up, even if you’re a mage, you won’t get any special treatment.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yuan didn't feel any resistance. On the contrary, he felt a little more at ease. After all, he didn't have the nerve to let someone join so easily and offer them a lucrative position with generous benefits.

If you encounter such a windfall, there are only two possibilities: either your parents, who are actually billionaires, set up a company specifically for you to practice with, or you've encountered an organization that asks you if you've heard of Amway as soon as they meet you.

And so, filled with curiosity, anticipation, and the nervousness of a job interview, Zhang followed Ska and the big guy to the team's base.

Although it's called a base, it's really just a private residence with its own small courtyard. Pushing open the door, you'll find all sorts of training equipment in the yard, including weights, barbells, and archery targets—it's practically a small training ground.

After passing through the training ground, the group arrived at the entrance of the residence. It was a two-story, flat-roofed building, entirely constructed of sturdy large stones. The windows were small, and a low wall surrounded the flat roof, complete with small crenellations.

Zhang Yuan grinned, "Am I at a mercenary squad's base? Or is it a Japanese pillbox?!"

This architectural style, which is consistent with the Flamefist headquarters and even the Grand Duke's mansion, can only mean one thing: Baldur's Gate and even the Sword Coast region rarely dare to hope for peace, so much so that any key building is primarily considered for military purposes.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuan felt his heart grow heavier. He shook his head, trying to shake these chaotic thoughts out of his mind, and followed Ska into the building.

Upon entering, they found the accommodation surprisingly quiet. Apart from a few team members still training hard on the field, there was almost no one in the dormitory.

Ska seemed to sense his confusion: "Today, apart from Sorey and me on duty at headquarters, the other team members are either on leave or out on missions. Never mind that, come with me."

Leading Zhang Yuan upstairs, Ska pointed to several empty rooms: "The rooms downstairs are all occupied, but there are a few empty rooms upstairs. You can pick any one you like."

(End of this chapter)