Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 142 The Beginning of the Adventure Team
As he spoke, Bud noticed Nancy standing nearby: "What's she doing here?"

Before Zhang Yuan could explain, Nancy spoke up first: "I'm the vice-captain, so what, you shorty, you have a problem with that?"

Bard quickly shook his head, feeling a bit scared, and hurriedly clung to the new captain's leg: "Boss, you have to stand up for me when the vice-captain bullies me."

After Kegan's reminder, he also realized how he had won against that crazy woman yesterday. The Archmage's disciple, she was a real powerhouse.

“We still have a lot to do, so let’s save our energy.” After stopping the female thief, Zhang Yuan turned to look at Münster.

The big guy was quite straightforward: "Woman, witch."

"Very good, you are our team's witch guardian."

"My sword is for your use."

Trouble has arisen with the old pervert.

“I’ve gotten used to life here with Flame Fist, to my companions, and everything else. Chanem, I’m sorry I can’t join your squad.”

Lawrence's reasoning was impeccable, but his wavering and shifty eyes suggested that his true motives were probably not what he claimed.

"cough!"

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to persuade the other party, Ska stepped forward.

“Lawrence, this is the Grand Duke’s order, not something to discuss with you. Chanem and the others are undertaking an important mission.” Ska said, then flattered the old lecher: “As the best wanderer among us, you have an inescapable responsibility.”

With one hand pressing down Nancy, who wanted to discuss with Ska who was the best rogue, Zhang Yuan knew that Ska was playing the bad cop to help him, and now it was his turn to be the "good guy".

"Lawrence, you're over forty now, and you're still unmarried. You just have a maid you like with the shy mermaid, right?"

I had heard about these things from the other party before, and the so-called maid was just to save face for the other party. The shy mermaid sounded like a disreputable place, but in reality, it was the largest underground brothel in Baldur's Gate.

"So what?" Lawrence didn't deny it, but he didn't react in any other way.

"Have you never thought about buying her freedom and building a stable family with her? You're over forty, how many more years can you make a living like this?"

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Zhang Yuan continued to press: "A wanderer is not a spellcaster. The accumulation of experience cannot stop the ruthlessness of time. Everyone knows what you are thinking, but how many more opportunities do you have to accumulate the wealth needed for your future family life?"

“I don’t need you to remind me.” Lawrence, usually so smooth, had tears welling up in his eyes for once, and said, word by word, “I will give her a future, I definitely will.”

"Tch, and then what? How long do you want to wait? Until she's too old to be a 'maid' and is disliked?" The special meaning of those two words was particularly jarring when Zhang Yuan emphasized them.

"You son of a bitch!" Lawrence, his rational nerves finally snapping, grabbed Zhang Yuan's neck with both hands in a rage, but this amount of force was nothing more than child's play for someone with his monstrous physique.

Lawrence's teammates quickly pulled him away, and Nancy, feeling somewhat sorry for him, asked her new captain, "Chanem, is this really necessary? Are you going to force an enemy to serve our team?"

Zhang Yuan shook his head without answering the question. Instead, he walked up to Lawrence, gestured for Münster, who was supporting his arms, to release them, and looked directly into the man's bloodshot eyes, saying:

"Lawrence, you are a teammate I requested from the Grand Duke, and an indispensable member of our team. I don't want this matter to continue to trouble and bind you. Tell me honestly, how much more do we need?"

Hearing this frank and straightforward statement, Lawrence, though still showing traces of anger and agitation, forced himself to suppress it and gritted his teeth, saying:

“Those damn scumbags forced her to stay in that godforsaken place with a debt contract. It cost a whole thousand gold coins! I’ve saved up for over four years and I only have a little over six hundred gold coins. I’m still short at least four hundred gold coins.”

The people around shook their heads, but they didn't have any good ideas. Even in their previous lives, there were cases of using debt to force good people to do good, let alone in a place like Faerun. Even Flame Fist wouldn't dare to extend his reach into such a dark corner. "Four hundred gold coins is indeed a stretch. If you want to establish your own family and give her a stable life, you'll need at least another hundred."

"You're willing to lend me this money?" Lawrence looked excitedly at the guy who had become an archmage's disciple after listening to Kegan's boasting.

Lawrence only half-believed the claim about archmages, but even an ordinary mage was far wealthier than a wanderer like himself.

“I can lend it to you.” Zhang Yuan smiled, and after the old lecher calmed down his ecstatic mood, he continued, “This money will be deducted from your salary or bonuses, but if you die in battle, it will be considered as your pension, and I will not pursue this debt. What do you think?”

After saying that, Zhang Yuan immediately took out the five Woking Gold Vouchers, handed them to the other party, then clenched his fist and pushed it against his chest.

Lawrence, who had carefully hidden the gold voucher close to his body, looked at his new captain. Unlike his previous unreliable self, he nodded silently and forcefully.

It was already late at night, and the group was starving, but they were enduring it for the sake of this matter. Someone waved his hand generously: "Let's go to the tavern, dinner is on me."

They headed straight for the Jupalin Tavern, and while waiting for their food, they drank and chatted.

Nancy brought up the old topic again, saying she wanted everyone to vote on the name of the adventure team, and then read out the three names Canaan, Steel Rose, and Flame Rose for everyone to comment on.

Nancy's little trick worked wonders. It was already two against one, and besides, the name Canaan was confusing and didn't make sense, so everyone naturally started discussing the two names Nancy had provided.

Just as Nancy looked at Zhang Yuan with a smile, she noticed that he showed no signs of impatience, but instead adopted a calm and composed demeanor.

Nancy, who pretended not to care that the new captain was still a formidable force even after his death, was suddenly struck by a remark.

"By the way, Canaan was my suggestion, and the other two were Ms. Nancy's ideas. You can choose whichever one you think is better."

A captain's casual remark immediately produced a reaction that Nancy had not anticipated.

"I think the name Canaan is good. It has a mysterious charm. It is no wonder that it was a title that the mage came up with."

This blatant flattery naturally came from the dwarf, Mr. Kegan.

"Me too, I think the name 'Fake,' 'Jia' (夹), and 'Canaan' (CAN) are good."

This awkward flattery came from another less experienced, short, barrel-shaped man, Mr. Bud.

"Canaan is better."

This is Mr. Barbarian Münster.

"I listen to the captain."

Mr. Old Pervert clearly knows who the financial backer and leader of this team is; he wouldn't make a wrong choice even with his eyes closed.

"Very good, then our Canaan Squad is officially formed! Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, but Ms. Nancy, who had felt she had a great advantage just moments before, hadn't even realized what was happening and her chances had slipped away. She could only force a smile and join in the toast.

Bitter wine enters the throat and causes pain in the heart.

At that very moment, on the twenty-seventh night of the Sun Moon, in DR 1364, in the Sword Coast region of Faerûn, at the Júpalín Tavern in Baldur's Gate, a small, unknown, utterly insignificant, and seemingly unremarkable Canaanite Squad was formed!
Whether this event will leave a ripple or a ripple in the long river of history, and whether future chronicles will mention what happened here today, our strangers have finally acquired a small but ultimately their own foundation.

(End of this chapter)