Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 364 Preparations Before the Departure
Münster, Bard, Kegan, Lawrence, and Morty each feature a motif based on a reindeer, a warhammer, an axe, a raven, and a roaring skull, respectively. Details include branches, flames, and weapons. Münster leans towards green, Lawrence prefers dark gray, and the others lean towards warm colors such as red.

Nancy's idea was already set: rose vines entwined around the gold gloves, clearly revealing her peculiar taste.

Mr. Zhang didn't have many fancy ideas about his emblem; it was very simple and unadorned.

A mage tower resembling a high fortress stands against a sky-blue background, surrounded by purple mist and silver stars.

In front of the tower are crossed staffs and longswords. The emblem is not a conventional shield shape, but a circle, with gears and ears of wheat as borders.

Using the magic of rubbing, he meticulously depicted these heraldic designs on parchment and instructed Lawrence to deliver them to Edmond's mansion.

The fervent noise and excitement finally subsided, and all that remained was for the supplies promised by the Mandaen family and the Academy to arrive before setting off on a new journey to the high cliffs.

These were conditions agreed upon beforehand. In return for uncovering the truth, allowing the Mandane family to reap the benefits of the spoils, and recovering some of the rights to Leicester Harbor, Nancy's knighthood and a sum of supplies under the guise of supporting her were her rewards.

As for the academy, it was actually a sum of money distributed by the former dean and Barras under the guise of an award. Although they were not very optimistic about the development prospects of this rising star's territory, they still had to show some basic courtesy and make some investment.

Not only that, but a certain unscrupulous apprentice, shamelessly pestering Tyranitar before his departure, also happily acquired a batch of scrolls that would make any civil engineering student green with envy, such as: Fossil to Mud, Mud to Stone, Rock Metamorphosis, Advanced Stone Shaping...

There's nothing we can do about it. With the current manpower, building fortifications and repairing the castle in a short time would be nothing short of a pipe dream without the help of magic.

After all, he had not sided with Nash, and it was unrealistic to expect to receive strong financial and manpower support from him like the protagonist of Neverwinter II.

Moreover, Zhang Yuan was quite filial, and he quickly said that he would definitely take the Void Mask to Gaolibao for a proper check-up next time.

He also asked for two advanced teleportation scrolls under the pretext of making it easier to go home in the future…

Archmage Tyrantir was exasperated; who could have imagined that his lazy disciple's shamelessness would actually increase along with his spellcasting level...

Since it was a matter of direct involvement from higher-ups, the academy reacted quite swiftly, allocating the reward and aid funds just three days after the investiture ceremony.

The reward is simple and straightforward: money!
With a wave of his hand, the academy handed over 5,000 gold coins to Master Zhang. With this windfall, his total savings of about 17,000 gold coins finally gave him more confidence.

Four days later, at Nancy's urging, the Mandaen family's reward was delivered to Canaan's temporary residence within the college.

Compared to the academy, which has a deep foundation and abundant wealth, the Mandaen family, which has been suppressed before, does not have that kind of extravagance.

Although the situation has improved and there are signs of a turnaround after reaping a wave of benefits, it is not something that can be done overnight. The expansion of their own territory and manpower has put them under financial strain, so where would they find so much spare money?

However, established families naturally have their own methods. If they can't afford money or manpower, they'll just give them gifts.

Seeing the various tools that Nancy was brought over—farming implements, handicrafts, weapons and armor, and even furniture—Zhang Yuan was both amused and exasperated.

It's not fair to say that the other party was just throwing away junk to appease a beggar. These things were definitely a lifesaver for a newly appointed lord with no foundation. However, Zhang Yuan, who already had Industrial Plan 1.0 in mind, really didn't think much of these outdated tools. Only the furniture looked quite tasteful. He genuinely didn't think the rest of the stuff could compare to the industrial assembly line production he had planned.

“Your Excellency, even if there are better facilities in the future, the factory workshop cannot be built in a short time. I have checked these things and they are quite complete. There are even forging tables and molds. We can set up a blacksmith shop by building a furnace. With basic production materials, future industrial upgrading will be much more convenient.”

At the last group meeting before departure, the most composed and reliable old man stepped forward to explain. This conversation also brought some comfort to Mr. Zhang's wounded heart, who always felt he was at a disadvantage if he didn't gain an advantage.

Consul Sandelha also came forward to support this claim:

"...and we also need to consider whether the spring plowing plan can proceed as scheduled this year,"

"According to the local calendar in Faerûn, it is already halfway through winter, and there are only a little over two months left until the storm month, which is suitable for clearing land and planting."

"According to the manager's plan, we have to complete a lot of preparatory and planning work in such a short time. It is a question how much time we will have left to acquire these tools."

The mage reconsidered and realized that the two heroes' words made sense, so he stopped arguing, nodded, stood up, and looked at Lawrence beside him:
"I told you to remember."

Lawrence quickly stood up, holding a scroll of paper and a quill pen, and assumed a posture of listening attentively.

"I have made the following arrangements: Nancy, Bard, Kegan, and Lawrence will accompany me back to Baldur's Gate to carry out the next step of the operation."

"The departure time is set for the morning of the day after tomorrow. We will travel directly to Old Harbass's General Store in the Bodhi City gate area via the academy's teleportation array."

"All preparations for the journey must be completed within two days."

"Münster, Rick, Morty, and Talinda will stay in Neverwinter. Their only task is to guard this batch of supplies and keep an eye on the displaced population in the city."

"We can try to recruit anyone who has a skill or is honest and hardworking, especially migrants with families. It doesn't matter if we spend some money."

The harsh winters of the North are not easy to endure. It's alright in the city, since the climate is special and there are no major safety issues. But for the surrounding towns and villages, the biting wind and snow and the occasional monsters and wild beasts pose a real threat to survival.

Every winter, there are always unfortunate people who, unable to endure the hardship, flee to the city.

"After we arrive at Baldur's Gate, I will arrange for you two, Kegan and Bard, to travel with the caravan to Trill Town. You will then leave the caravan and head to your hometown, Trill Tower Hills."

"I don't care if you're being sincere or just using sweet talk, there's one thing you have to do: when you rejoin the team, I want to see at least twenty of your own kind following you around, and technical personnel are a must."

Thank you to Wanliu Tongyuan and Ye·Bingyuan for your monthly ticket support!

P.S. It's recently the end of summer vacation and the start of the new school year. A whole bunch of kids are rushing in, and I'm completely exhausted. Updates are hard to maintain consistently, sorry.

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(End of this chapter)