Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 571 A Name

As for the idea of ​​taking her in as a maid, it was ultimately abandoned.

Helpless, seeing the young girl in front of him, not even sixteen years old, panicking like a lamb entering a wolf's den, Master Zhang could only laugh and cry and had no other thoughts.

Leaving aside the farce here, the two took turns explaining the inside story.

"So, all my hard work in creating the finished product, shipping it to Karinsan for sale, only resulted in a 30% profit?"

"Thirty percent is considered good. If an outsider comes without any background and happens to encounter someone with an overbearing style, even twenty percent might be too much."

Lias shook his head repeatedly.

The monk frowned upon hearing this, thinking, "Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?"
"That's really a bit domineering. Speaking of which, how well have you managed yourselves all these years?"

"It's unavoidable, sir."

Khomeini, understanding the implication in the other party's words, quickly explained the situation:
"Not to mention that our base has long since moved to Sword Bay, even if the local bigwigs from Karinsan came, it would be of no use."

"In Sword Bay, even if the lords and nobles offer exorbitant prices, we simply choose to avoid them. But in Karinsan..."

“Alas, the Pasha and the Sultans have divided everything up and seized it all. Apart from the sand bandits who have been forced to make a living in the desert, even the birds that fly over the oasis have to pluck their feathers to pay tribute.”

"Yes, don't be fooled by the fact that Karinsan is a trading nation, even openly trading slaves. If the taxes paid to those Pashas are even a little less, hmph."

Lias continued his denunciation: "The merchants who seem to possess enormous wealth are nothing more than puppets they put on the table. The entire Karinsan seems to be shrouded in a net they have woven."

The monk, who had been listening quietly, showed a barely perceptible tremor in his eyes. He glanced at the former's face, which was full of righteous indignation, and understood what was going on.

They are indeed all puppets, but the one pulling the strings is probably someone else.

Oh, wait, how can you call them people? They're clearly a bunch of sneaky old fogies.

Knowing some of the inside story, Zhang Yuan quickly pieced together the general outline, but chose not to reveal it.

They have already provoked the powerful Arcane Brotherhood, and are temporarily safe under the protection of Neverwinter Academy. However, the high-ranking undead entangled with the runes are even more troublesome.

The market pie is huge, but it's actually a chicken bone – tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away.

"My lord, why not consider Am?"

Khomei's slightly magnetic voice reached the ears of the mage who was struggling with his problem, and he offered his advice:
"Ascatella is known as the capital of gold coins, and most of its council members are merchants. Although they are not immune to some dirty tricks like demanding and extorting, at least the security of trade is generally guaranteed."

"Hmm, Ascatra?"

Zhang Yuan's heart stirred. To be honest, Ammu was his first choice for the next stage of his plan. After all, it was an important journey for the Son of Baal to ascend to godhood, and many opportunities and accumulations were made here.

Needless to say, the dangers during this period were numerous, but fortunately, the place was a mixed bag with few constraints, leaving Zhang with a fair amount of room to stir up trouble.

The city council's limited power was barely enough to manage the rabble within Ascatra, and who knows how many local tyrants were lurking in the vast Amn territory.

The only concern is whether the Masked Mage Society and the Knights of the Blazing Heart will overstep their bounds.

The monk, whose mind was filled with various thoughts in an instant, nodded slightly, a look of interest on his face.

"We operated in Ascatella for a while. Although there were more connections to make, we also had some room to maneuver, which is..."

"It's just the additional investment in the early stages. Hmph, if we don't use gold coins to feed the City Guard and the Shadow Thief Guild, we'll be unable to make any progress."

Rias interjected, and Khomeini nodded in agreement.

"That's it,"

After pondering for a moment upon hearing this, the monk said:

“I’m willing to make a small initial investment, so you don’t need to feel pressured.” “I’ll leave this to you. First, test the waters in Ascatella. Once you’ve established a foothold, it would be appropriate to set up a White Tower branch.”

Offering money and making empty promises—this old trick has never failed. Even if the two people see through each other's scheme, it doesn't matter. This is an open conspiracy.

Ultimately, how can living under someone else's roof compare to the vastness of the sky and the sea? Although there is a three-year period, what if the lord loses his temper and makes it three years after three years? Would we still have any room to resist?
This trip to Amne was neither a spur-of-the-moment decision nor a rash one; rather, it was a return visit to a place where one had a strong backing.

Having witnessed the strength and advantages of the White Tower Chamber of Commerce firsthand, the two were quite confident that they could make a name for themselves in the City of Money.

At that time, we will be far away in Amn, running our own business. Not to mention we will be cut off from High Cliff, which will definitely be more comfortable than being under the watchful eye of that mage lord.

Khomei and Rias's idea was undeniably brilliant, but unfortunately, from the moment they set their sights on Ascatra, many things began to slip in a strange direction.

So you're far from the emperor's reach, right?
If I were to personally arrive, what would you do then?

They were all scheming and calculating, but when one of them was also a player referee, the strategies on the field became irrelevant.

The plan was not implemented immediately after it was finalized. Although the two newly appointed business managers were eager to take up their posts, there were still a lot of things to deal with at the High Cliff. It was better to focus on the Ammu layout on the other side of the Misty Mountains. Let's put our plans on hold for now.

For example, one such case came right before our eyes.

"Your Excellency, Guardian of the High Cliffs, Baron,"

At the high cliff dock, a tall man clad in full armor, with a resolute face that hinted at fierceness, yet whose demeanor was quite refined, greeted the mage lord with impeccable manners.

"The last batch of iron ore has been delivered. Please inspect it."

The mage glanced at the list handed to him and waved for the dwarven blacksmith and the apprentices from the territory who had come with him to board the ship to inspect and move the goods.

"Well, the deal between Gaoya and Yanquan went smoothly. Please give my regards to Grand Duke Iltan."

This wasn't the first time the two sides had traded iron ore, and with other trade and personal exchanges, nothing unpleasant had happened.

“Your words will reach the Grand Duke’s ears like the wind.”

"The cold winds of the North? That's enough to make our Lord Iltan sneeze."

The monk chuckled lightly, finding it rare for him to have such leisure time in such a good mood:
"I remember that Maxim led the team in the previous trips, why are you the one this time?"

"No matter who it is, they all bear the mission of the Flame Fist."

Seeing the other party throw out such an impeccable and beautiful statement to clear their name, the monk scoffed and didn't bother to investigate further.

On the way here, they had to clarify the final link in the entire iron ore transaction. On the way back, they also had to be responsible for the transportation and trade of the new White Tower products. As the size of the High Cliff and White Tower Chambers of Commerce grew day by day, this voyage was no longer a simple exchange of favors or a matter of running errands and delivering messages.

The person who dares to jump out and reap the rewards at this critical juncture must have some impressive background...
But what do these internal strife within the Flame Fist have to do with me?

The monk turned and left, leaving the remaining trivial matters to be handled by designated personnel.

"You can rest for one night at the port inn and return to port after the cargo handover is completed."

Lawrence stepped forward to greet the group of Bode guests.

"Clovesa thanks you, Your Excellency."

"You're welcome, just call me Lawrence."

A strange yet somewhat familiar name drifted into his ears on the sea breeze, causing Zhang Yuan to pause almost imperceptibly.

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(End of this chapter)