Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 369 The Grand Duke's Troubles

Although Baldur's Gate, now deep in winter, is not as frozen as the Northlands, it is still covered in a layer of white frost and snow. If you want to find a warm winter, you have to go south to Ascatella.

Most people choose to stay at home during this season, gathering around a bright fireplace with their wives and children, watching sparks leap and splash from the charcoal, enjoying the tranquility of winter and the warmth of the fire. Even the usually busy Flame Fist Guild is rarely visited.

In an office in a corner of the lobby, the aroma of coffee mingled with the rising steam. Two guys were openly slacking off at work, chatting animatedly. Occasionally, other colleagues would come over to join the discussion, also asking for a cup of coffee.

When Canaan and his group came downstairs, this was the scene they saw: a group of people sitting around a table, sipping coffee and chatting, creating a lively tea party atmosphere.

It's no wonder they're so lax. While they are undoubtedly a well-trained military group, the Flame Fist does have a semi-mercenary nature. They're fine in terms of obeying the law, but it would be too harsh to judge them by the standards of the military in my previous life.

Putting aside other matters, take the Canaan Squad itself as an example. While they are extremely meticulous in their preparations for battle and never slacken in their marches and garrisons, once they are in a relaxed and safe state, even if a certain captain repeatedly emphasizes discipline, it cannot stop those old hands from slacking off.

This situation became even more pronounced when Luskan was involved in gangs.

When they fought for territory, no one could deny their bravery. Even Lawrence, who was usually somewhat similar to a cunning rabbit, showed some tiger-like ferocity when he pressed his advantage.

When they were able to establish themselves and make money, Lawrence, the dwarf, and even Nancy's lazy side was fully revealed.

These guys are quite proactive when it comes to getting things done and collecting money, and there are no major issues with their accounts and financial management. But their efficiency is just off the charts; they've really taken procrastination to an extreme.

Take Kegan, for example. He can spend an entire afternoon collecting insurance premiums for a store, which basically means he's just shopping.

Of course, Zhang Yuan himself has no right to criticize others. He's the kind of guy who goes into seclusion to do magic research all the time. It's normal for him to not show up for ten days or half a month. He's basically a hands-off manager.

So, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; the eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother.

Upon seeing Zhang Yuan and his group return, the clerks, still holding coffee cups in their hands, remained calm, and many of them even came forward to greet Nancy.

Zhang Yuan, who was about to leave, was in no hurry to go. He quietly waited for the female thief to deal with these trivial matters.

Before long, Nancy came over, clucking like a proud little hen.

"Let's go."

"Hey? Aren't you going to ask what just happened?"

"Oh?" Zhang Da Guanren's expression was ambiguous, he looked the female thief up and down until she became somewhat uncomfortable before he spoke:

"You're not trying to say that they're all your admirers, are you?"

After saying that, he turned and left, not giving the female thief a chance to argue. The latter was so angry that she ground her back teeth, stomped her foot, and followed him.

"What do you mean? Are you underestimating me?"

"No, no, I'm just a little surprised."

"..."

After leaving the Flame Fist headquarters and stepping onto the street, Nancy, who had been making a ruckus, calmed down, fiddled with her hair, and turned to look at the mage: "So, what do you say? Are you really willing to let that child come with us?"

"I didn't want to do this either, but, sigh!"

Master Zhang sighed, looking somewhat troubled.

In fact, their negotiations with Grand Duke Iltan went very smoothly, even more smoothly than expected. So smoothly, if it were written as a novel, it might be considered too bland by readers and accused of being heavily padded.

This development was not without reason, nor was it due to the Grand Duke losing his mind; it was precisely because Iltan was overthinking things.

First, he rescued his only son, then he went on a long expedition to the north to eliminate the mastermind behind the crime, and paved the way for a future reconciliation with the Mandaen family. This is an established fact.

Putting aside the kid's strength, the key is that he has the backing of a mage academy, and what's even more deadly is his lineage.

Archmage Tyrantir!
After seeing off Canaan and his party, Iltan, who was sitting alone in his room, couldn't help but press his temples with his fingers as he thought about this.

Neverwinter City and the Mage Academy are far away, but Highhold... is very close!
As the military leader of Bodhi, how could he not have heard of this powerful mage who was within his "sphere of influence"?

Of course, even if he were given a giant dragon's gall, he wouldn't dare to truly regard a great mage as his own commander-in-chief, ruling over the people under his rule, but he still had the intention and courage to make contact and befriend him.

The result was a complete humiliation...

The other person didn't care about his purpose or his identity at all. Iltan even vaguely felt that he didn't care much about Baldur's Gate, the city with nearly 50,000 people. It seemed that his first impression of this large city was:

Oh, that old Habathir's lair!
Therefore, when he learned from Skarner that a disciple of Tyrantir had appeared in his ranks, he was undoubtedly very surprised. However, since the other party seemed unwilling to reveal his identity and the journey was imminent, the Grand Duke did not make a fuss about it.

Now, this man, who was once just one of the many soldiers of the Flame Fist, has returned to Baldur as a mid-level mage, as a disciple of an archmage, as a Baron of Neverwinter, and as a powerful lord. Even the usually mature and composed Grand Duke Iltan couldn't help but feel a sense of surreal disorientation.

A little over a year, is time really that long? Can it really transform a person completely, like being reborn?

Do not!
This is just a misconception created by other people's children!
Iltan felt another headache coming on when he thought of his only son, who had been so hard to find.

It goes without saying how much the Grand Duke, who had never remarried, valued this only son he had lost and then found again. But if valuing children were so important, they wouldn't have become such a long-standing problem shared by two worlds.

It's not that Gaviel is disobedient; on the contrary, he's too obedient, to the point of being almost weak and indecisive.

Sometimes Iltan even wished that he could be a little rebellious, stand up for himself, and say no to his father, but he couldn't force the other to disobey him, could he?

The decisive and tough style that Iltan, who dedicated most of his life to military service, possessed and championed was nowhere to be found in Gaviel, who was deeply influenced by the style of a circus wanderer.

Frustrated by repeated failures, the Grand Duke admitted that there were indeed things in this world that neither swords nor magic could solve.

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(End of this chapter)