Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 78 Double Surprise
As the funeral bells rang and the funeral ended, the remains of all the fallen comrades were placed in coffins.

Amidst the bows and gazes of the crowd, the priests and attendants of the temple placed the coffin in a pre-prepared corner of the cemetery and buried it. The funeral ceremony concluded with a mass sung by the pastor.

But the matter did not end there. Under the strange gazes of most of the Flame Fist soldiers and the knowing looks of a few, Grand Duke Belt solemnly ascended the steps where the high priest had stood.

Based on Lawrence's previous statements, Zhang Yuan had a general idea of ​​what the Duke wanted to say. He crossed his arms and watched the other man's movements without saying a word.

With an expression of extreme sorrow, Grand Duke Berthe first clenched his right fist and pounded his chest in a solemn bow, then spoke in a low, grief-stricken tone:

"Ever since the heroic Lord Baldur's Gate was legendaryly established on the land beneath our feet, this great city has never ceased to be threatened by all sorts of enemies and monsters."

Belt's tone gradually rose: "These vicious, cunning, and malicious fellows have, in the past, present, and even future, brought unspeakable pain to our city and the people living in it more than once."

"However, there is a group of people who tell us that we have other options besides crying, tears, and the fear of being suddenly awakened by nightmares in the middle of the night."

"That is blood for blood, tooth for tooth!" Grand Duke Berthe's voice could almost be described as impassioned and deafening.

Zhang Yuan didn't listen to much of what followed; it was mostly praise for Yan Quan's contributions and sacrifices to the city.

It's not that I scoff at or dismiss his speech. Although Bert's speech did have a lot of theatricality and deliberate elements, given his position, there's no need to be overly critical of him for doing even the most superficial things right.

However, Zhang Yuan was now pulled back into his own world by a jumble of thoughts.

On that chaotic battlefield, death and despair were almost everywhere, even within reach.

The shocking events had numbed him, making him indifferent to everything, but today, attending the funeral of his comrade for the first time in both his lives still deeply moved him.

My first time participating in a real war, my first time killing someone with my own hands, my first time facing death.

After the excitement and tension subsided, the person was able to calm down and seriously examine themselves.

For a rookie, experiencing the baptism of war and death is nothing short of a rebirth. If the training at the garrison gave him the seed of becoming a soldier, then through countless adventures and battles, that seed has slowly sprouted, grown, and broken through the soil to show its potential.

War, even a war of such a small scale, is a cup of poison brewed with blood and death in the most intense form of conflict; it inflicts pain and leads people to their deaths.

Only when a person truly overcomes this hurdle can the sprouted seed grow from a seedling into a sapling, withstand the test of wind and rain, and become a pillar capable of standing alone.

The improvement in warrior level is undoubtedly an acknowledgment of this growth, and the awakening of the new power "Qi" is also a pleasant surprise. Now, Zhang Yuan needs to consider how to integrate his own power system.

The Sword Saint's cultivation of Qi can only be explored through his own efforts, while Nancy's training is undoubtedly a great help to his melee improvement. It is imperative for him, as he cannot wear armor, and his need for expertise in footwork and agile movement is far more urgent than for other warrior classes.

It would be even better if I could learn Nancy's dual-weapon fighting techniques as well. I already have a foundation in this area, so it wouldn't be difficult for me to pick it up.

As for the mage, the cooperation with Old Man Bentley can only be postponed for a while, even if that old guy is jumping up and down in a panic, there's nothing we can do about it.

Just as Zhang Yuan was sorting out his thoughts, Grand Duke Belt's speech came to an end.

With a round of applause that wasn't particularly enthusiastic but was polite enough, Bert finished his speech and then went down the steps to exchange a few words with Iltan.

After taking the stage, Iltan was very straightforward. After expressing his condolences and paying tribute, he loudly announced: "Each Flame Fist soldier who participated in this battle will receive a reward of at least one hundred gold coins, and the families of the fallen will receive double the compensation."

"We are the sword of flamingfist!" This time the cheers were louder and more genuine.

It cannot be said that the Flame Fist members are only doing things for money, but the recognition and reward for their efforts and sacrifices is an incentive for anyone.

Of course, the novice who was secretly calculating how Grand Duke Belt would benefit had even more in mind.

The rewards this time are so generous that it is obvious that they are compensation and a gesture of goodwill from Grand Duke Belt. The reward of one hundred gold coins per person, totaling nearly ten thousand gold coins, is indeed astonishing and a truly generous gesture.

However, this amount of money is nothing compared to the profits from iron ore trading.

However, the accounts cannot be calculated that way. After all, that pile of iron ore was originally the property of the Merchant Alliance. Now it is just a matter of recovering lost property. Furthermore, protecting the city and trade is also Flame Fist's duty and responsibility.

Having figured this out, Zhang Yuan felt much more at ease. One hundred gold coins was no small amount, and with the Grand Duke's reward from last time, he now actually had a small stash of 500 gold coins.

This was no small matter. Someone was secretly rubbing their hands together, trying to figure out how to deal with this "huge sum of money."

Anyway, we can't let Lao Bante know. If that old bastard asks us to pay him back now, we'll have to go back to those tight-fisted days.

"It's only been less than two months since we borrowed it, what's the rush? With Old Bante's big-spending ways, he could have more than 500 gold coins even if he plucked a single hair," Zhang Yuan thought shamelessly.

Just as everything had settled down, Zhang Yuan, who was preparing to return to his base with his teammates, was stopped by a voice—it was a man he didn't recognize.

“Please wait a moment, Lord Chanem.” As he spoke, he stepped forward. The man was not old, only about forty years old, with a buzz cut of black hair and a full beard around his lips. He looked like a very capable warrior, but he was wearing a mage's robe.

The man who approached Zhang Yuan bowed in a mage's salute: "I am Matthews, the magic advisor appointed by Grand Duke Belt. May I have a moment to spare?"

Having nothing urgent to do, the person naturally agreed and, following suit, returned the greeting politely, saying, "So it's Lord Matthews. I presume you bring news from Grand Duke Belt? I'd be happy to hear it."

Matthews first praised Zhang Yuan's contributions on the battlefield and his ability to turn the tide in magical combat, which made Zhang Yuan very happy inside but a little embarrassed on the surface.

"This is a personal gift from the Grand Duke to you as a token of his gratitude. Please accept it." Without much pleasantries, the other party pulled out a belt from somewhere and handed it to Zhang Yuan.

Somewhat surprised, Zhang Yuan quickly took the belt and examined it in his hand while repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

Seeing that the other party had accepted the item, Matthews began to introduce it: "This is no ordinary magical item. This Hill Giant Power Belt is made from the skin of the chieftain of the Hill Giant tribe."

"You know how rare this raw material is, and this is just the raw material. The processing, engraving of magic arrays, rune carving and a series of other processes are all done by masters."

Understanding the other party's meaning, Zhang Yuan repeatedly expressed his gratitude: "I have only made some minor contributions, how could I deserve such a precious reward? Please be sure to convey my gratitude to the Grand Duke, Lord Matthews."

Satisfied that he had achieved his goal, Matthews turned and left, leaving Zhang Yuan alone to ponder something.

(End of this chapter)