Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 165 Epilogue and a New Journey

Skater and Kegan, the two seasoned veterans in charge of the arrangements, had considered almost everything needed. When Rick and Morty, the two pot-bellied bastards, came to report, Skater had already gone to the Flamefist quartermaster to urgently purchase a batch of dry rations.

As for Nancy, she had little interest in these trivial matters and seemed to be just waiting for the meeting to end, her absent-mindedness suggesting she was simply waiting for it to end.

"We've been delayed for a while now, and all the preparations are complete today. Everyone, get a good rest tonight, and we'll meet at the training ground tomorrow morning to set off."

After the meeting adjourned, Zhang Yuan followed Shika to the basement, which served as a temporary storage warehouse for supplies, while the team members went off to have dinner or attend to other matters.

Upon entering, before Ska could even open the ventilation window, the mage cast a light spell and surveyed the neatly categorized and organized supplies.

The camp was fully equipped with a wide variety of items, including dry rations, tents, cooking utensils, a first-aid kit, water bags, tableware, sleeping bags, bedding, trap materials, and so on.

All of these things combined would probably require three supply wagons. Just think of those big-bellied men in the group; their rations alone would take up more than one wagon.

If it weren't for the storage pouch, Zhang Yuan wouldn't have had the confidence to prepare so thoroughly. A small team of personnel plus logistics would have required the establishment of a Canaan caravan or a carriage company.

This is still within tolerable limits. Eight people can squeeze in, and Nancy can rent two carriages by relying on her connections. Anyway, someone's knight pieces can also serve as laborers to pull the carriages.

After packing the supplies into his storage bag, Zhang Yuan was then given a briefing by Skara about the situation north of Baldur's Gate. Knowing it was out of kindness, Zhang Yuan decided to host a farewell dinner for Skara and several of his close Flame Fist teammates, including Thaurissan.

By sunrise the following day, the fourteenth day of the sunken month, the Canaan squad had already assembled at the entrance of their encampment.

After two Chaos Knights were summoned and joined the glorious wagon-pulling team, the eight members bid farewell to the Flame Fist crew and left the camp in two modified wagons.

The job of driving the carriage was taken over by Münster and Kegan. Münster was undoubtedly skilled, and Kegan, with his extensive adventurous experience, was also adept at driving a carriage.

Inside the carriage driven by Münster sat Zhang Yuan, Nancy, and Old Pervert. The three of them leaned against the carriage wall behind them, swaying in sync with the carriage's bumps and jolts.

The faint sounds of loud laughter, some boisterous and some simple-minded, drifted from another carriage. It seemed the four dwarf brothers and the half-ogre brothers were having a lively chat. In fact, someone who had witnessed their harmonious interaction yesterday thought that Rick and Morty were simply not smart enough to see through the dwarfs' self-aggrandizement.

Here, however, the situation was quite different. Nancy was holding her two longswords, her head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.

Lawrence sat leaning against the window, one hand on the dagger at his waist, the other clutching a pendant, staring blankly, like a Shakespeare who had lived most of his life peeking through a crack in the wall at the women's bathhouse.

The usually taciturn Münster focused intently on driving the carriage, occasionally reaching out to smooth the mane on the horse's back.

As for our esteemed mage?
Someone with a premonition was unwilling to waste any time, even using the free time in the carriage to read classic texts.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan was seen with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep, nestled against the carriage. However, his furrowed brow and tightly pursed lips revealed that his heart was not so peaceful.

"What is this thing? Is this how the Anywhere Door works? No wonder it can only teleport people to places within sight or known locations, without a definite and stable anchor point. Who knows where this spell can teleport people to?"

A mage, who was reading the fourth-circle arcane book "Anywhere Door," thought to himself.

Yes, he wasn't resting with his eyes closed, nor was he asleep; this was simply his current reading method. He had thoroughly memorized the few copied books he brought out from Gaolibao, and had temporarily set aside Herbart's books on transformation. Relying on the mental library stored in his mind through the system was undoubtedly the only option.

Coincidentally, compared to traditional reading methods, this method of reading directly on the mind's eye or retinal projection is undoubtedly more suitable for the bumpy conditions of riding in a carriage.

Since leaving Gaolibao, in the past month or so, whether it has been pleasant, tense, a period of rest, or a period of travel, this person has never stopped the monk's practice - study and meditation.

As his perception of the deeper magical networks became clearer, and his understanding of the casting principles of conjuration and evocation magic, as well as the corresponding fourth-circle spell structures, deepened, he knew that that moment was not far off.

Travel days are always somewhat mundane and boring.

The team members who were initially interested in the scenery along the way lost their enthusiasm after a day. As for veterans like Nancy and Kegan, they were even less interested and didn't feel any novelty at all.

The Canaan caravan then drove their wagons out of Baldur's Gate and continued along the northeast-facing trade route.

The Trade Route is a vital artery connecting the major cities of the northern Sword Coast, facilitating trade, transportation, and travel. It begins at Baldur's Gate in the south, winds around the Troll Mountains, and travels northward, passing through several trading cities located on the Sword Coast, including Waterdeep, Neverwinter, and Luskan.

At its northernmost point, it extends eastward along the Mirar River from Luskan to Miraba, while the branches extending from Deepwater City even span the entire Silvermoon Federation.

It is the Coastal Road and the Trade Road, two major transportation arteries that converge at the Port of Bodø, that form the backbone of the Sword Bay transportation network.

The journey was relatively smooth, with only a few foolish monsters occasionally trying to rob the road, which were then smashed into mincemeat by the bored and anxious ogre brothers.

Although it was a bit boring, it suited Zhang Yuan's mind perfectly. He was so focused on his meal that he almost wanted to close his eyes, so he had no time to bother with these insignificant thieves.

On the third day, the convoy reached a section of road near the riverbank, where the sound of rushing water could be clearly heard.

Awakened from their reverie, both the mage and Nancy's expressions changed, and they looked at each other with a hint of seriousness in their eyes.

We've been traveling northeast along the trade route for several days now, and we've reached the vicinity of the Winding River. But that's not the key issue. The problem is the area our route will pass through ahead—the Land of Death, the Troll Mountains!
The Land of Death is a remnant of the war between the elves and the dragons, and the Crown War within the elves. The once lush forest has now vanished, and over the years, the former woodlands have become a treacherous and treacherous swamp of death.

No one knows what lies inside this swampy land, and few dare to risk their lives. Those who dare to do so and still survive are either extremely powerful experts or incredibly lucky individuals who have eaten dog shit to their heart's content.

Both of these are extremely rare, and no one present had ever heard of them.

However, the trade route only passed by the edge, so it was not a big problem. The real danger lay in the Troll Mountains behind it.

This term is a collective name for the vast region spanning nearly 400 kilometers, including Troll Mountain, Troll Claw, and Troll Howling Forest, and the trade route runs through this region, cutting through its gaps.

The origin of the region's name is self-evident.

Thank you to Lazy Dormouse, Waiting for Me to Smash My Cup as a Signal, Destroying Machines Every Day, and Purple Starry Sky for your monthly ticket support! Thank you everyone!



(End of this chapter)