Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 48 Each with their own secrets

With a creak, the dusty latch was pulled open, and the tightly locked door was pushed open. The weary Flame Fist Squad finally returned to their long-lost base.

The training ground, which I hadn't seen in a long time, was still as familiar as ever, except that there were many more fallen leaves. A few uninvited crows strolled around the yard with their tails between their legs, as if they were in their own nest, occasionally letting out a few slightly noisy cries, adding a touch of life to this desolate yard.

With everyone's return, the once desolate camp seemed to come alive all at once. The sounds of laughter, playful banter, shouting, footsteps, clinking glasses, and toasts at the banquet finally resounded once more.

Unfortunately, this cheerful melody is missing one of the most important notes.

Just as everyone gathered to celebrate the end of the mission and to reward themselves for their journey with fine wine and food, Ska, the captain of the Flame Fist, stood before Grand Duke Iltan.

"These are the facts we know so far. We and Naxikai have been fooled by the other side. This force has its own armed forces. The bandits who plundered the ore caravans are probably being controlled by them. Their intention is probably the entire iron ore industry."

Ska reported the entire mission to the Grand Duke, concluding, "I am convinced that the real mastermind is the Iron Throne; only they have the ambition and ability to do something like this."

"I believe your deduction, however, speculation cannot serve as evidence, at least not enough to judge these maggots." The Grand Duke's eyes narrowed slightly, less imposing than usual, but more solemn.

“The bandits’ headquarters are in the Sharp Tooth Forest. We can wipe out these scumbags directly and then search for evidence of their collusion.” Ska was a little excited, and his tone rose two octaves.

“Skaar, the power of the Flame Fist is indeed immense, but it is not limitless. We are responsible for the order and security of the entire Baldur's Gate and even the Sword Coast. That is why we must use our power cautiously,” Iltan said, somewhat helplessly looking at his stubborn subordinate, but still continuing in a gentle yet unquestionable tone.
"Have you considered this: if we deploy our already limited forces to such a vast area as the Sharptooth Forest just to find a group of elusive bandits, regardless of the outcome, what will happen to our other areas? What will happen to Baldur's Gate?"

“We don’t need to search the entire forest. Once we have the exact location, we can organize an elite force to take care of the target before things escalate.” Ska’s cheeks were flushed, and the blue veins on his forehead were faintly visible, standing out even more against his reddish skin.

Iltan clenched his fist so hard it almost left a dent. He had to admit that Skaar's suggestion made some sense. If they could really pinpoint the bandits, it would indeed be a good opportunity to teach the Iron Throne a lesson.

"I need to know what method you plan to use to drag these rats out of the Sharptooth Forest."

Knowing that the Grand Duke was somewhat moved, Ska was invigorated. Perhaps this time he could persuade the Grand Duke to agree to his plan.

"The Sharp Tooth Forest is indeed vast, but it cannot isolate the power of magic. With the help of divination magic, it is not difficult to determine their location."

"This is your so-called method?" Iltan almost laughed in anger. "I've been the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate for so many years, how come I never knew our city had a prophet?"

Ska suddenly felt a little embarrassed, and his momentum weakened a bit: "This was the opinion given by our team's mage. He was very sure that the other party was a true prophet."

"Just because of one sentence from your mage, and some silly tricks from some clueless prophet, you dared to lead your Flame Fist comrades to venture into that godforsaken place, the Sharp Tooth Forest?" Iltan's face was no longer filled with expectation, only disappointment. He wasn't just dissatisfied with Ska's suggestion, but also felt that he might have had too high expectations.

"This kid doesn't seem to truly see himself as a leader yet," Iltan sighed inwardly, then said aloud.
"Let's go, we need to have a good talk with Grand Duke Belt as well." When Ska returned from headquarters, the gathering at the squad's base was coming to an end, and Ska's return naturally ignited the final climax of the gathering.

But gradually everyone noticed that something was wrong with Ska; their captain seemed a little distracted during the joyous banquet.

Sory didn't seem to mind, continuing to eat and drink as usual. Steve, however, was getting restless. The way Scar looked after returning from the Grand Duke's place could only mean one thing.

"Was our proposal rejected by the Grand Duke?" Unable to contain himself, Steve went directly to Scar.

Ska shook his head: "It's not that we're rejecting it, but we can't produce any evidence that can convince the Grand Duke, and he doesn't believe that a prophet could find the bandit camp."

"Everything is still uncertain. We'll only know for sure when Chanem meets the prophet tomorrow. Besides, it's a fact that iron ore transport is currently blocked. If we don't deal with the bandits, how can these industries continue to function?"

"The Grand Duke mentioned to me that future ore transport would be escorted by the Chamber of Commerce's guards and our Flame Fist." Ska also said helplessly.

"But wouldn't that mean our forces would be further weakened?" Steve asked, puzzled.

"Yes, but this is Duke Belt's opinion. He believes it is the safest way at present, at least safer than blindly searching for bandit dens in the Sharp Tooth Forest."

The banquet began with revelry but ended in a strange atmosphere. However, Zhang Yuan didn't take it to heart. After cleaning himself up, he lay down on his bed. Back in his old haunts, he finally relaxed and had the mood to reflect on his long journey.

What left an indelible mark on him were the battles along the way, with all sorts of monsters, fierce and cunning enemies, and dazzling spells flashing before his eyes.

The sounds of steel cutting through flesh as swords were swung, the roars of those charging into battle, the suppressed groans of the wounded, and the desperate cries of the dead echoed in my ears, like curses or whispers.

He recalled the scene of his first encounter with the monster, that huge green worm. He was terrified when he encountered such a big guy in his first battle. Luckily, the big guy Münster rushed up for him. He laughed when he thought about how helpless he was at the time. But who doesn't have a green rookie period?

He then thought of those poor goblins and kobolds. They had the advantage in numbers or terrain, so they weren't without a fighting chance. Unfortunately, they encountered a special summon like Little, and their strength was never fully utilized. They died in a very frustrating way.

Someone couldn't help but smile, a sense of pride in being a powerful figure.

Then, recalling that bloody tragedy and the bandits' cruel slaughter, his brows furrowed into a deep frown. This was the opponent Flame Fist had to deal with, and the one he was now meticulously plotting against. Although he wasn't terrified, his chest felt heavy, and he even paused for a moment to breathe.

As he thought about it, he remembered those damned, disgusting, hideous, stinking jackals! His hand unconsciously moved to the wound on his back, rubbing it through the gauze. The wound, which had not yet healed, still ached faintly.

(End of this chapter)