Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 514 Maintaining Media
The monk was about to act as a text relay when he was interrupted by the frowning Grand Duke:

"Wait a minute, I think I've seen this play before, but the name is a little different. It's something like 'Liangshanbo and Romeo,' and it's said to be a new work written by Han Feizi."

Ah this...

Is this a case of Li Kui meeting Li Gui, or Guan Yu fighting Qin Qiong?

"Let me finish."

The slightly overwhelmed monk quickly interrupted, recounting the outline of this classic Shakespearean tragedy from his previous life in one breath, and immediately saw the other person's face change color.

"Are you implying that we are the villains? That wicked noble elders have broken up our children's beautiful love?"

Iltan's tone was somewhat doubtful, but he knew the other party wasn't that naive; he was just testing the waters.

"how is this possible?"

The mage chuckled and said, "I mean, it's time for you and the Silver Shield family to become enemies and have a showdown."

"what!?"

The Grand Duke, who had been puzzled just moments before, was now completely dumbfounded. What kind of logic was it to have to break ties and fight with his prospective in-laws before even getting married?
Iltan's confusion was practically written all over his face, so the mage patiently explained:
"What do you think of the story of Romeo and Juliet? I mean, from Miss Smith's perspective."

"this…"

The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile:

"Although I don't want to admit it, for girls of that age, such far-fetched melodramatic plots are probably quite attractive."

"That's it."

"But wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

Iltan, however, hesitated:
"The purpose of a marriage alliance is to solidify the alliance between the two parties. But to achieve this, they have to turn against each other first. Isn't that a joke?"

"Your Excellency misunderstands. Why make such a fuss over trivial matters of love and affection? It's just a good show, after all."

The monk smiled and began to explain his ideas in detail.

The melodramatic soap opera plots I was exposed to in my past life were no ordinary thing. Even if you just picked a few plots and put them in a cultural desert like Faerûn, they would be completely outclassed.

Iltan's eyes widened, and his gaze toward the mage was quite complex, containing both admiration and something else that was hard to describe.

"Your Excellency Chanem, may I ask..."

The Grand Duke finally spoke, asking a question the mage hadn't considered:

"You were also a bard by trade? Could Gavial have reached your level of achievement?"

. . .

Mr. Zhang was momentarily speechless at the sudden question. His words swirled in his mouth before he swallowed them back, finally letting out a long breath:

"Your Excellency is too kind. I merely enjoy reading books in my spare time. As for my initial experiences in the Flame Fist, I believe you are already aware of them."

"I'm sorry, I was overthinking it."

Iltan sighed, then fell silent again.

"Why ask about a hero's origins? Even legendary figures like Elminster were just shepherds who spent the first half of their lives in the countryside, but what does it matter?"

"But this good show can only be done with the full cooperation of the Silver Shield Duke. If we reveal any flaws, it will backfire."

The monk offered a few words of comfort, and seeing that the other person's expression had softened, he quickly changed the subject.

Are you kidding me? How many Elminsters are there in Faerûn? And your son's mistress is named Mistra?

The Grand Duke, who had been misled and was crippled, didn't investigate further. After pondering for a while, he frowned deeply.
“I’ll explain the pros and cons to Anta, and it won’t be hard to understand. But this charade is not easy to put on. There are too many aspects involved, and it’s not so easy to fake.” You should know that both the Flame Fist and the Silver Shield families are behemoths that have been entrenched in Baldur’s Gate for many years. Their influence and interests are as deeply rooted as an old tree, deeply embedded in every aspect of this land.

Is this really going to be a dramatic showdown?

What if things accidentally escalate into a real-life affair?
Knowing the Duke's concerns, the mage remained calm and quickly brought the other man's wandering thoughts back on track with a single sentence:

"There's no need to involve so many people and things; it's enough to limit its impact to the domestic affairs of the two families."

"Or do you, Your Excellency, believe that Miss Shi Ji's insight and understanding have reached a level sufficient to discern the power struggles between political forces?"

Upon hearing this, Iltan's mouth opened slightly, then he gave a wry smile:
"But I'm overthinking it. If she really has that ability, we'd feel much more at ease."

Grand Duke Flame Fist was also a man of decisive action. After inquiring about the mage's wishes, he immediately invited him to visit the Silver Shield family's mansion.

As for afternoon tea time, that's naturally...

"Ha, look who's here, my old friend Iltan. What brings you to my afternoon tea party all of a sudden?"

Anta Silver Shield, who was enjoying the afternoon with his wife, rose to greet the two who were being welcomed by the butler, his posture elegant and his face bearing a friendly smile.

"And this one, must be the rumored new mage lord of Neverwinter, old friend, why don't you introduce him to me?"

Well, everyone here lives a rather refined and elegant life, while the Silver Shield family is also enjoying tea and snacks.

The mage initially exchanged a few polite and flattering words with the Silver Shield Duke with a touch of reserve, but the silver-shining Anta quickly warmed up the atmosphere with just a few words.

The two sat around the tea table, pretending to be serious, holding teacups and stirring them occasionally with silver spoons, acting as if the monk were their long-time friend.

"High Cliff is located at the gateway to Neverwinter, covering a vast area and possessing a fine harbor. My chamber of commerce also has many dealings with Neverwinter, perhaps..."

"Anta, wait a moment. Right now, the most important thing is your daughter's matter."

As the Grand Duke of Silver Shield chatted, he started talking about cooperative trade. His throat got a little dry, so he took a small sip of tea, and then he heard the voice of his old friend.

"Ok?"

Anta Silver Shield looked up at the other person with some confusion, and the latter continued:

"It was actually Lord Chanem's suggestion that we discuss this today."

Upon hearing this, the Silver Shield Grand Duke was taken aback at first, then looked at the mage beside him with a scrutinizing and thoughtful gaze.

"I probably know."

His expression calmed down again, and he turned to his old friend with a hint of reproach:

"You've come today to act as matchmaker for Lord Chanem, which is fine, but why didn't you give us prior notice? This is too hasty. The two young people haven't even met yet."

Cough!

puff~
To everyone's surprise, the Silver Shield Duke's mind worked so fast and his ideas were so novel. This sudden remark almost made the other two choke.

"Your Highness, you misunderstand. Iltan and I have come here to facilitate a marriage alliance between the Flame Fist and Silver Shield families..."

The monk, who was leisurely enjoying his tea and waiting for Iltan to explain his purpose, unexpectedly found himself in trouble and hurriedly explained the whole story in detail.

After a long period of this and that, he finally said:

"This matter is beneficial both publicly and privately; I earnestly hope that Your Excellency will consider it carefully."

Thank you to Legion101, Ssczy, and Yao Yuyan for your monthly ticket support!



(End of this chapter)