Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 311 The Return of the Sea Wolf
After three other mages arrived, the portal began to close.

The old dean interrupted his two old apprentices' mutual digging: "Everyone's here, Chanem. You can start moving your submarine now."

Zhang Yuan nodded in agreement and called Lily over to convey the instructions to the repairman to sail along the predetermined route. He then turned back to the old dean and said:
“We plan to enter my base in the heart of Luskan via the mouth of the Mirar River. Please keep your spells silent, lest they detect anything when we pass through the river delta.”

The group of six mages, led by Grimwald, all nodded in understanding.

Nobody's a fool to put on airs at this crucial moment, especially since the mage in front of them, though a bit young, seems to be one of their own.

The submarine approached the mouth of the Mirar River smoothly, but the rest of the voyage became somewhat troublesome.

Although the carefully maintained drive mechanism of the old clockwork is fine in terms of power and reliability, this noise reduction function...

While the swift currents at the river mouth could provide some concealment, the increased power of the propellers would inevitably generate greater noise as the submarine travels upstream, thus increasing the likelihood of its own exposure.

Fortunately, Zhang Yuan was prepared. If he couldn't hide it, he simply wouldn't. He was already quite adept at using a sensational gimmick to cover up his true intentions.

So, the day after the Money Gang's new ship sank immediately upon launch, becoming a laughing stock, the situation took a turn for the worse. The Money Gang's spokesperson, Lawrence, once again stepped forward and made a high-profile announcement:

"Given that there are some misunderstandings about our newly developed ironclad ship, I would like to make a clarification here."

"The Seawolf was not built for ordinary shipping trade, but for the development of a new business."

"Undersea salvage operation."

The onlookers below were completely bewildered, and Lawrence sighed.

Not only the other party, but even they themselves were still completely confused, not understanding what the captain was up to. They were just reciting from the script and talking nonsense.

He extended his palm as if to press down, and after the noise from the crowd subsided slightly, he continued:

"There are many reefs along the coast of Luscan's Sword, and many ships have run aground and sunk in the nearshore area over the years. These are the targets of our salvage business. The hulls are fully covered with iron sheets and can be submerged without being flooded. Divers can freely explore and salvage the nearshore seabed aboard the Seawolf."

He bragged so much that Lawrence himself almost believed it.

But it ultimately fell short. The onlookers listened with great interest, but their eyes didn't reflect doubt; rather, they seemed to say, "You think you can fool me? Who are you trying to fool?" This was blatant distrust.

When Lawrence finally proposed establishing a guild of offshore salvagers and invited everyone to join, most of the crowd dispersed, leaving only those who had come to watch the show. Only one curious person asked:
“Sir from the Money Gang, we have no doubt that this iron boat can submerge in water, but the question is, how will it surface?”

"This was planned in advance. We hired a special towing vessel. Once the Seawolf arrives at the mouth of the Mirar River, it will be towed to the dock on the riverbank, where the items salvaged by the divers can be sorted and stored."

No matter how enticing Lawrence's vision was, not one of the onlookers present was fooled.

Are you kidding me? If shipwrecks were so easy to salvage, would it even be your turn?

The complex underwater ripples, the undead creatures and sea monsters lurking in the wreckage, and even the demanding requirements for swimming skills and experience required for the salvage operation itself.

Even if such a tin boat were truly as Lawrence boasted, it wouldn't solve the fundamental problem.

However, this was no longer important. Believe it or not, after going through the formalities, Lawrence turned his attention to the Seawolf, which was being towed upstream along the Miral River to the dock by a tugboat.

With its engines completely shut down, the submarine was now like a large tin can, obediently being towed into a berth in the riverside dock.

The crowd watched with curiosity the ironclad ship that had sunk shortly after its launch and then returned. In a sense, it was a legendary warship. However, it was mostly a topic of lighthearted conversation.

Of course, there were also some thoughtful individuals in the crowd whose eyes were darting around. After all, being able to dive into the water without sinking, even if the mobility seemed a bit weak, was not without its merits.

Lawrence didn't care about any of this. After this was over, he and his group were going to pack up and run away. Why would he care about this?
Before everyone's eyes, the notorious pretty boy leader of the Money Gang emerged, followed by several burly men carrying boxes.

Lifting the lid of the box revealed nothing of dazzling jewels or auspicious jewels. The somewhat decayed box contained only faded silver coins and rusty copper coins; the few glittering gold treasures were pitifully few.

That's it?

The remaining onlookers inwardly scoffed, wondering if the harvest would even cover the cost of hiring a tugboat, let alone the expenses of the iron boat.

When Zhang Yuan announced that the Seawolf needed maintenance and that interested donors could stay and have friendly negotiations with the Shining Gold Coin team, the onlookers were unwilling to stay any longer, turned around and left, disappearing completely in the blink of an eye.

"Münster, go and prepare those carriages. Telinda and Kegan, you take a few summoning soldiers to guard the perimeter and make sure no unauthorized personnel remain around."

Then Zhang Yuan suddenly changed his mind: "Never mind, Lawrence will go with Kegan, you stay here, Talinda."

The Canaanites, who all knew the importance of the matter, obeyed orders with utmost respect, but the curious Kegan still asked a question.

"Boss, are the reinforcements from Neverwinter City about to arrive? How many are coming?"

"Not many, just six."

"How come it's only..."

Before Kegan could finish speaking, Zhang Yuan interrupted him: "Each of them is at least a high-level spellcaster, and some of them are old acquaintances of yours, Mr. Kegan."

"An old acquaintance?" The dwarf was stunned. "I don't know any mages, except for you, boss."

"Oh, that's the indescribable evil archmage from Highhold."

"I'm going to keep watch now, I'm on my way!"

The dwarf leaped three feet high and, clad in heavy armor, darted faster than a rabbit.

"Alright, Telinda, come with me to meet the mages. The rest of you, spread out and be on guard."

As they spoke, the team members and the chess pieces almost completely surrounded the submarine berth.

"Hey, why are you joining in too?"

"As the vice-captain, I have the responsibility and authority to be present at such a crucial occasion, don't I?"

Nancy, who had run over, said matter-of-factly.

This…

Thank you him1994 for the monthly pass!

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(End of this chapter)