Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 233 Direction
Seeing that the argument among his teammates was escalating, Captain Zhang interrupted the scene, tapped the table, and waited until everyone quieted down and looked at him before speaking.

"We absolutely must investigate the contents of this letter, otherwise our trip to the North will be meaningless. It's pointless to abandon a hard-won clue; that's not how things should be done." The mage set the tone for the upcoming plan from the outset, and then continued:
“But it is indeed risky to investigate Deszel and Manuel directly. After the previous failure, their vigilance will probably be even higher. If we act rashly, we may immediately expose ourselves and attract their attention and retaliation.”

"Boss, don't try to be a peacemaker. You've already said all that, but what are we supposed to do?" Kagan asked anxiously.

Facing the eager or puzzled looks from his teammates, Zhang Yuan patted the letter that had been returned to his desk and said with a smile, "What should we do? Doesn't this letter already tell us what to do?"

???

The teammates were completely confused.

"It's like going to war. If you're facing a powerful enemy with a fortified city, it would be unwise to launch a full-scale attack, but you don't want to retreat or give up. What should you do?" Zhang Yuan still had the leisure to keep the conversation in suspense.

“Digging tunnels? We dwarves are experts at it!” Bard’s loud voice was the first to ring out, and Kegan beside him agreed.

"Assassination, or bribing guards in key positions," Nancy suggested, prompting Lawrence to agree.

"Why not just use a Ring of Light ritual? Unless the opponent has a mage tower to support them, or is favored by the gods, what can they use to defend themselves?" Tylinda, who comes from a family of sorcerers, also had a good idea.

Now it was Zhang Da Guanren's turn to be completely dumbfounded.

Well, in his smugness, he forgot about the unique local conditions of Faerûn; they hadn't even considered a proper frontal siege.

"Hmm?" Zhang Yuan exhaled somewhat awkwardly through his nose, looking at his teammates: "Wow, I just realized that you guys are all incredibly skilled!"

Too lazy to play riddles anymore, he laid it all out:

"With a formidable enemy at hand, a direct confrontation is not a good strategy. It would be better to outflank them and attack from the rear."

"What detour? What rear? What do you mean, boss?" Münster, who had been listening attentively, was a little confused, and he wasn't the only one who didn't understand.

"Where is their rear? Luskan is their rear! As for the detour?" Zhang Yuan's expression was somewhat amused, then his face turned serious, and he said decisively, "Bypass Neverwinter and take Luskan straight!"

"Hey boss, isn't our target Neverwinter? How did we end up in Luskan?" Münster was having trouble keeping up with his captain's train of thought.

“Luskan is even further north than Neverwinter, almost to the Spine of the World. Not to mention the climate of the far north and the dangers of the journey, Luskan is no safe place either,” Bard said with some concern.

This is by no means unfounded worry. The far north is sparsely populated and has always been the lair and paradise of non-human creatures and monsters. Even the legends of giants and dragons hang like dark clouds over the inhabitants of the north, never dissipating.

To put it simply, the legend of Icewind Dale, the origin of the Ten Towns story, is not far from Luskan.

Nancy, however, was considering something else: "Why do we have to bypass Neverwinter? The Mandane family is there, along with the Moonstone Masks' intelligence network. We can get support and help from them." "When doing something, either don't do it at all, or do it decisively and cleanly. Avoid dragging things out," Zhang Yuan said slowly but firmly.

"Your last trip to Neverwinter was at the beginning of this year. Who can guarantee that no one noticed you? In addition, the situation this time is quite delicate and sensitive. It is best, and safest, to avoid all possible contact and exposure until we have real intelligence evidence."

“It’s just too far. It’s still a long way past Neverwinter,” Kagan muttered.

“I’ll handle this; you don’t need to worry about it.” After everyone had no objections, Zhang Yuan continued, “As for the temple, have the survivors of Golden Clover report it, since they are also involved.”

"Shouldn't we try asking the temple for help?" Lawrence looked over.

"I'm afraid it's not very meaningful. We have no evidence of the evil god, and an attack by a mere cultist is nothing. As for human trafficking?" The mage sneered, "Even if it were true, would the temple of Waterdeep be able to judge the nobles of Neverwinter because of it? Besides, it's just a letter that's hard to prove."

"In any case, let Sandur and the others go to the temple first. We also need some time to rest," Zhang Yuan said in his final remarks, and then the meeting adjourned.

After having dinner together, Zhang Yuan returned to his single room alone and sat in deep thought. Although he had appeared incredibly confident and decisive in the meeting, he couldn't help but feel a little heavy-hearted when he thought about traveling to Luskan.

If it weren't for that treasure he obtained from the cloud giant, he wouldn't have dared to make the decision to pull off such a stunt.

Of course, besides the long and arduous journey, Luscan himself was also fraught with danger. In that turbulent, chaotic city, only sufficient power could be a true reliance.

Fortunately, although Zhang himself cannot be considered among the strong, he should be able to protect himself without worry.

But that's a story for later. Let's enjoy this rest period first. There's a lot to look forward to in Water Deep City.

After his usual study and practice, Zhang Yuan, his mind full of thoughts, tossed and turned for a while before finally falling asleep.

"That's right. The one who attacked you back then wasn't a mindless troll tribe. The mastermind behind it was actually the Lord of the Ancient Tomb, that despicable lich god. No one knows what His goals and objectives are. If you're worried about future troubles and retaliation, you'd better seek the protection of the Temple of Justice."

Zhang Yuan, along with Canaan and his group, found the people from Golden Clover again. They selectively recounted the truth behind the events, emphasizing the pros and cons, embellishing the story, and using exaggeration and deception until the other party turned pale.

"I won't say any more. You'd better take care of yourselves." The mage said this and left, leaving behind several bewildered merchants looking at each other in confusion.

Zhang Yuan left gracefully, refusing even the other party's attempts to persuade him to stay, adopting an attitude of detachment and not wanting to meddle.

While it may seem somewhat inhumane, how else could they have urged them to seek help from the temple and the Knights after they thought the situation had calmed down?
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(End of this chapter)