Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 264 Shining Gold Coins
The Canaan squad is currently passing through the not-so-busy and crowded market area and has arrived at the Raiders' Path.

It was afternoon, which should have been the busiest and most lively time of the market. However, Luskan, this cold and desolate place, had a total population of less than 20,000, far less than Neverwinter and Baldur's Gate, let alone Waterdeep.

Of course, the fact that many migrant workers are not accurately counted is also a factor.

Even with such a small population, the Luscans still managed to create something extraordinary, including not only the High Captains' Council but also a Captains' Council similar to the House of Representatives.

In essence, it's nothing more than a forum for gangsters under a gang leader to form cliques and fight for interests.

What they need to do now is go and pay their respects at the temple.

Going directly to Suyak is obviously unrealistic. He's a big shot, and no matter how eager he is, he wouldn't come to handle human resources himself. The people doing the actual work are the city council, which is a lower level.

Beyond the market, on the other side of the street lay a scene of ruins, which appeared abruptly before everyone's eyes, like a scar on the city.

That's not entirely wrong.

“Look, the ruins of Iluska are just ahead,” Zhang Yuan gestured with his chin.

"Iluska? There are ruins of an ancient elven kingdom here too?" Talinda, who was born and raised in the Farview Forest, was somewhat surprised; the name did sound somewhat similar.

"No, Iluska is actually the predecessor of Luskan." Seeing his teammate's curiosity, the mage simply began to recount the ancient story:

"To be honest, it was the Rotherm who crossed the sea and established this city more than four thousand years ago. After that, it was repeatedly destroyed and changed hands many times due to frequent wars. It was completely destroyed more than a hundred years ago. It was only with the help of Waterdeep and Neverwinter that the lost territory was recovered and Luscan was rebuilt."

"Then why does Luscan still have such a bad relationship with the two cities?" Münster asked, a layman's question.

"Pshaw, what's the point of talking about sentiment in politics? Besides, do these pirates even have any sense of honor?"

Nancy sneered upon hearing this.

Following the Raider's Path, past the ruins of Ilusca, an area partially enclosed by high walls appears to the right of the road – except for the side facing the street.

This is where the city council and military camp are located.

They were called city guards, but when everyone saw the group of pirate marines who were stationed at the gate of the castle-shaped military camp, trying their best to pretend to be regular soldiers but unable to hide their bandit-like nature, they shook their heads repeatedly.

They are indeed elite, and fierce beyond measure, but the most crucial element is the discipline of a regular military organization.

Haha~
Despite the numerous heroic figures in history and biographies who single-handedly turned the tide of battle, on the actual battlefield, unless one is an extremely powerful, almost legendary warrior with inexhaustible stamina or a great mage who dominates the battlefield with magic, the overall quality of the army still matters.

It's no wonder that Luskan could only deal with Neverwinter through clandestine means. These pirates were good at plundering and causing trouble, but they were far from skilled in conventional warfare.

Turning his head away and ignoring the group of guards, he saw that the Captains' Council, also known as the Secondary City Council, was not far from the military camp.

The secondary parliament building is smaller, and its architectural style is somewhat similar to that of the parliament building, but it is much more square.

There were quite a few people coming and going, and the arrival of the Canaanite squad attracted a lot of attention. Many scrutinizing and unfriendly gazes were cast upon these uninvited guests, but they immediately subsided when they landed on the burly and imposing figures of Münster and the half-ogre brothers. At this moment, Zhang Yuan was not wearing a robe, but was still wearing his brand-new inlaid leather armor, making him appear like an ordinary swordsman in the group.

As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind. A mid-level combatant squad and a squad led by a mage are not the same thing.

If Suyak were to be eager to recruit talent and treat them with respect, then the stock market guru and his team would be firmly in the enemy's sights.

That would be very bad.

As he walked toward the main gate, he was immediately stopped by a guard.

The guard was dressed entirely in black armor, without any gang or fleet insignia on his body, except for the Luscan badge on his chest that identified him. Though not solemn, he skillfully stopped the Canaanite group and ordered them to show their identification or letters of introduction from their captains.

Having anticipated this, Zhang Yuan calmly stepped forward and presented a document.

The employment contract was almost flawless, and it bore the emblem of the Seven Suns Alliance.

The contract was drafted by Lawrence, a seasoned veteran of the Flame Fist who knew the guild's contracts by heart. Unless someone from Baldur's Gate exposed the forgery, the document would be considered genuine.

After examining the tokens and the team members' clothing, the guards, finding nothing amiss, routinely questioned the team's background and purpose of visit before letting them pass.

An old thief is an old thief after all. Lawrence is not only skilled in thievery, but he has probably also mastered forgery and deception to a high degree.

In a sense, Old Pervert is the real diplomat of the Canaan Squad, while Stupid Bird only takes charge of Zaun's diplomacy under special circumstances.

The group registered at the office next to the building entrance as free mercenaries who had broken away from the merchant alliance. Of course, Nancy used a pseudonym, but just in case, she used the alias Viconia.

As for why it's called that?
Anyway, Master Zhang made the decision for her, and it was a trivial matter, so the female thief didn't mind much.

The rest of the team members, except for Zhang Yuan and Lawrence, were asked to leave the building, and only a maximum of two people were allowed to enter the building.

After waiting in the lobby for a while, the two finally got to meet Ferdinand, the human resources director of Blackfinger, the gang led by Suak, commonly known as a small boss.

“Oh, you come from Baldur's Gate? The city that Baldur's Gate founded.”

After listening to Lawrence's explanation, Ferdinand asked with some curiosity, "A team of mid-level professionals like yours must be treated quite well by the Merchant Alliance, right? Why did you go through all this trouble to come here?"

"The years before were alright, but then those Grand Dukes and Flame Fist bastards messed everything up." Lawrence lamented, as if he were not one of them.

"These old-fashioned and conservative people have completely destroyed the spirit of freedom established by Lord Bodøegan. The Baldøy Gate is no longer the Baldøy Gate it once was."

The old lecher unleashed his full acting prowess, shouting loudly:
"We simply couldn't stand that stale and oppressive atmosphere, which is why we came here. As soon as I arrived in Luskan and stepped off the port, I discovered how sweet the air was. Walking through the streets, I could see beautiful scenes of freedom everywhere."

Thank you to Niernierwoshinengneng, Wanliutongyuan, Aibelusi, ZSPZSP, and Bujirushizuode for your monthly ticket support! PS: By the way, OK2001, the little Wei you requested has arrived, please check it (maliciously acting cute).

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(End of this chapter)