Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 231 Decision
"Alright, what you all say makes sense. No matter what direction our team takes in the future, we still have to repay the Duke's favor." Zhang Yuan's words made Nancy's face brighten, but upon reflection, she felt a strange sense of unease as she pondered the deeper meaning in his words.

Regardless of what the female thief thought, Zhang Yuan looked at Kegan again:

"If we just return to Baldur's Gate like this, even if the Flamefist faction doesn't mind, where will our future lie as a team?"

For the first time, he talked to his teammates about their future. He hadn't before, not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't have the means. Back then, it was just an adventure team of a few like-minded friends. Even though the mage had enough confidence in himself, it was difficult for his teammates to entrust their future to him.

That's right. Master Zhang never intended to just set up a small adventure team and be done with it. He's come all this way to Faerûn, so why not establish his own business and have a real place to live? Or is he destined to be an apprentice for life? Or wander the world like those wild adventurers?
"You all know the situation at Baldur's Gate. Although there are various disputes and conflicts behind the scenes, things are calm on the surface. In other words, there is no more space for us to occupy. Are you willing to go back and become ordinary mercenaries?"

Then he changed the subject again: "But this trip is an opportunity. Once the sordid things hidden in Neverwinter are exposed and ignited, the whole situation may be thrown into turmoil and reshuffled. This is the opportunity, and the fuse is now in our hands."

As Zhang Yuan spoke, he kept an eye on his teammates' reactions. Although it was somewhat unexpected, he believed that after the experience of getting along well on this journey, his teammates, who had gone through so much together and witnessed so much, would not disappoint him.

Indeed, this was the case. Kegan and Lawrence, who were already inclined to support Captain Zhang, as well as Bud and Münster, who had always had a good relationship, had no objections, not to mention the simple-minded Rick and Morty.

On the contrary, Nancy, who had insisted on going to Neverwinter, was somewhat worried:

"We only need to find concrete clues and some evidence. If we are the ones who ignite this fuse, the consequences will be unpredictable."

Then she looked at her adopted disciple: "Chanelm, you may not know the power of Deszel and Manuel in Neverwinter. We may be able to operate in the shadows without any problems, but we must attract their attention..."

Zhang Yuan was well aware of the risks involved, but he wasn't so arrogant as to become the target himself. In his mind, the matter of Wudong City was just one of many opportunities, and he would never gamble with his own safety.

Before he could reply, Bard spoke up first: "Boss, don't we have some connections with Lord Wrath of the Sky? Should we talk to him about this? Demons and cults are pretty much the same, aren't they?"

Good grief, do you think legendary druids are like donkeys in a production team? You can order them around however you want?

Zhang Yuan glanced at the other person sideways, gave Kaigen a look, signaling him to explain to his buddy, and then continued:
"We don't have enough intelligence on Neverwinter and the cult yet. We might get some results at Carrick's house tomorrow. Bard, come with me."

Good morning, Mrs. Dussel. I apologize for bothering you.

The following morning, Master Zhang arrived as promised, accompanied by his dwarf guards and, of course, the little elf girl with the tail.

"Welcome, Your Excellency, it is an honor for the Dussel family."

As Zhang Yuan gently grasped the young widow's slender, delicate, and boneless hand, a story from his past life came to mind:
Long ago, on the banks of the Rhine River in Prussia, in the province of Westphalia, there lived a beautiful woman named Düssel, whose beauty was captivating.

Such a beauty naturally had no shortage of suitors, and she soon got married. Unfortunately, she was destined to be widowed, and her first husband passed away not long after.

But this didn't deter the endless stream of admirers, and one young man after another became Düssel's husband, yet in the end, the lady remained a widow. Finally, the corpse lying there blocked the Rhine River, so the residents begged Miss Düssel to stop her supernatural powers and even renamed their city to appease her.

Yes, that's where Düsseldorf got its name. (I'm sure of it!)
Although his mind was filled with random thoughts, his hands moved decisively, and there was no silly, ridiculous thing like him holding hands and refusing to let go.

The other party was also very straightforward, without any beating around the bush. After exchanging greetings, they led the three of them to the door of a study and said in a soft voice:
“This is my husband’s study, where he usually handled business and documents at home. I hope you can find it.”

She then excused herself under the pretext of preparing refreshments and left, leaving Canaan and the other two standing inside.

Without saying a word, Zhang Yuan cast the Arcane Vision spell, surveying almost every corner of the study, but found nothing.

This is troublesome. In this situation, either there are no valuable clues or these clues are preserved in the most primitive and simplest way.

For example, a page in a book, a scroll hidden in a corner, or a mysterious symbol on a piece of furniture.

Sometimes, the more primitive something is, the harder it is to crack. You can only bite the bullet and search for it, hoping to get lucky.

"Take all these books out and look through them to see if any have been smuggled in. Also, pay attention to the corners and crevices, and don't miss any important items."

At the captain's command, the three men buried themselves in their work, turning the books, documents, and even the entire study upside down.

They found nothing, despite their earnestness, comparable to that of virgins in a sex education class, searching and examining every inch of the body.

"I really don't believe it, there isn't a single trace?"

Zhang Yuan slammed the last book in his hand shut and, having changed his strategy, began to re-examine the study. The hidden compartment of the secret box made him subconsciously think that there must be some hidden space that had not yet been discovered.

That's what they say, but if it were that easy to find, it wouldn't be called a hidden compartment.

Now Zhang Yuan began to regret not bringing Lawrence along. Everyone has their own expertise, and it was that old lecher who solved the secret box problem back then. How could he have forgotten that?

Fortunately, Dussel's family also settled in the trade district, in the Black Horn neighborhood, not far from the inn where the team was staying. Just a few steps from the inn, after turning onto Dragon Avenue, was Prophet Avenue.

Shortly after Lawrence connected with his teammates via the communication crystal, he was called over by a "phone".

Lawrence, who was led to the study, looked around at the layout of the room, but instead of rummaging through the drawers, he pulled out something from behind him—a club!
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(End of this chapter)