A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

Tesil City is a small city that stands on the edge of the Dragon Coast, across the sea from the Kingdom of Cormyr. It is also the closest port to the West Gate on land.

Its history is very short. It was founded by a group of merchants probably in 1312 DR. It has a permanent population of only 10,000 to 20,000 people. Like many city-states that started from business, it is mainly ruled by a parliament composed of merchants.

Due to its close proximity to Ximen, its religious composition and population structure are also very similar.

Astorian, a thieves guild infiltrated by Ximen's "Dark Night Mask" organization, has more than 700 members in the city and controls almost everything secretly.

By the way, the so-called "Mask of the Night" organization was actually founded by a vampire mage.

This guy calls himself the "Prince of the Night" and has established his own power within Ximen by creating descendants and derivatives. Even the businessmen and nobles who are the ruling class dare not provoke him easily.

Therefore, in the eyes of many people, Texir City is somewhat similar to a vassal of Ximen, whether politically or economically.

Of course, all this was just the state before Fuzoul Chamberry arrived.

Since the landing of Tilburg's army, all important cities along the Dragon Coast have been occupied and purged.

Due to the strong hard power support and the bonus of religious belief, whether it is the thieves guild, the secret vampire group, or the apparent rulers such as nobles and wealthy businessmen, they were all defeated in a very short period of time. Uprooted.

Especially the "Prince of the Night" who used to mainly rely on threats and intimidation to achieve his goals, was directly targeted by a large number of priests and mages and had nowhere to hide. In less than a day, even his subordinates and their own coffins were lifted.

The last clone of Manson personally led the team and killed all the vampires and undead in the entire tomb.

As the "Mask of the Night" organization completely disappeared, the thieves guild Astorian naturally lost its backstage, and was immediately wiped out by the army's purge.

In particular, the Benn Church's principle of preferring to kill by mistake, makes these guys' crazy behavior of controlling interest groups and coercing people to violently resist law enforcement meaningless.

After a tragic massacre, all three thousand people who participated in the riot in Taysil City were turned into mutilated corpses.

The blood that flowed out even dyed the entire street and the walls of nearby buildings black and red.

Fuzor Chamberry used practical actions to prove how he got the title of Tyrant of the Moon Sea.

Since then, the city of Taysil has been completely reduced to a lost dog with its back broken. It kneels in front of the invaders and does not dare to resist at all. No matter what the request is, it will be met immediately.

Even if the entire upper ruling class was confiscated and all the ships in the harbor were forcibly requisitioned, there would not be a single complaint.

But now, the army of Zhentil Castle has completely retreated to the west gate, and the coalition army led by Vera has become the new owner of the city.

Although at the beginning, a few ambitious guys took this opportunity to encourage the people under the guise of "fighting for independence" and wanted to force the coalition to recognize their power and status.

But soon, the bodies of these idiots who led the charge were found in the alley in front of their homes the next morning.

The cause of death was, of course, an attack by Zhentarim assassins and agents.

After all, Fuzoul Chamberlain had just left, so it was reasonable to leave some assassins and spies behind to create chaos and disrupt public order, right?

No one cares what the truth is.

To be precise, anyone who is not blind can see that Amn is determined to expand northward this time, swallowing up the entire large area of ​​​​land from Baldur's Gate to the Dragon Coast, making itself from a land area to The population more than doubled in an instant.

Anyone who attempts to hinder this process will be eliminated without mercy.

After the discordant voices completely disappeared, the actors who had been arranged in advance immediately incited the civilians to stage a "heartfelt" petition, which was exactly the same as what happened at Baldur's Gate before.

However, the successful annexation of Taysil City did not make Vera feel very happy.

Quite the opposite!

She was currently having a headache over what to do with Aribes.

Because today's representatives from various towns within the coalition are divided into two completely different camps on this matter.

Some people believe that this paladin did not choose to stick to Iliaba to complete his mission, but instead took a huge risk and chose to pursue Yalusel, which in itself made a huge mistake.

In addition, they abandoned their allies on the battlefield and failed to rescue them in time, which eventually led to a major diplomatic incident such as the capture of the Iron Princess. No matter how you look at it, you must accept severe punishment.

There are even suggestions that Aribes should be imprisoned for at least five to ten years.

Others believe that Aribes just made a wrong judgment at the wrong time, which is far from the level of going to jail.

The Iron Princess Yalusel is the culprit in this whole thing.

Most of the reason why she was defeated and captured was because she was greedy for success and had no desire to blame others.

Aribes takes no responsibility at all.

In short, due to the astonishing influence that the Kingdom of Cormyr has over the entire continent of Faerûn, it is inevitable that some "spiritual Cormyrians" will appear among the "bumpkins" in the North.

The performance was that he hoped to put the responsibility on the coalition side by severely punishing Irebes, so as to reduce the humiliation suffered by the other side in this matter, and thus win the favor of the royal family.

If they can take this opportunity to establish friendship, they can use it as bragging rights to others after they return, thereby improving their own and even their family's social status and influence.

After all, compared to the Northland, which has little cultural heritage, the Kingdom of Cormyr, which has more than a thousand years of history and uninterrupted feudal rule, is prosperous and stable, and is simply a perfect country, a spiritual home and lighthouse for all mankind.

As the royal family, the Oberschier family is the most dazzling light at the top of the lighthouse.

In terms of influence in the cultural field, even Waterdeep City and Silvermoon City cannot compare with it.

Therefore, on the entire west coast of Faerûn, except for Amn, Tethyr and Kalimshan in the southern region, which were once affiliated to the more ancient Sharn Empire, the rest of the region has a large number of "spiritual Cormyrs".

Whenever I mention the legendary King Asan IV of Cormyr, as well as the country’s iconic Purple Dragon Knights, War Mage, as well as the dressing, food, living habits, etc., these guys who have never been to Cormyr will think like It was as exciting and thrilling as a shot of chicken blood.

It seems that even the sewers in the city of Cormyr, which are filled with feces and domestic garbage, emit an indescribable fragrance.

As a member of the ruling class of Amn, Vera can be said to be quite contemptuous of the behavior of these Northland bumpkins kneeling down and licking Cormyr.

What's more, Neverwinter is the city with the best relationship with Zuo Si and the closest interests in all aspects of all the forces in the North. She would not punish Irebes unless she was squeezed through the door.

It's just that I haven't figured out yet how to end this farce and teach those "psychic Cormyrs" who are making noises a lesson.

In addition, the diplomatic disputes and conflicts between Waterdeep City and the Kingdom of Cormyr are also a big trouble.

After all, since the agreement was signed, Waterdeep City has become a part of the Trade Alliance.

This also means that when dealing with the outside world, as the leader of the Trade Alliance, the Amn Empire must give priority to the interests of its allies.

At this moment, Vera Salem finally woke up from the wonderful taste of wielding huge power, and began to re-examine the complicated relationship between herself and the various forces in the Trade Alliance, and felt very troubled by it.

Similarly, she also understood how politically clever Zuo Si was in the past when he could use various means to suppress or win over the entire alliance by himself.

However, her headache returned. Vera still managed to gather her strength and raised her head to stare at the huge map hanging in the office. She asked without looking back: "If we attack Ximen now, what are the chances that we can capture this dragon coast?" To the last important port?”

"hundred percent!

As long as I'm here, neither Fuzoul Chamberry nor Manson can get any advantage.

What's more, we have an overwhelming advantage militarily.

What, are you going to do it directly? "

Flame Dragon Knight Davian answered without thinking.

When Zuo Si left last time, he left him with the coalition forces just in case.

It's just that except for Waterdeep City, Silvermoon City and Neverwinter City, representatives from other towns are not sure how terrifying this strong man wearing red dragon armor is, and they think he is just a warrior with dragon blood. bodyguard.

Vera quickly shook her head: "No, I'm just planning for the worst case scenario.

Lord Soth has warned me more than once that war is a continuation of politics.

No matter how many wars are won, it will be meaningless if the stated political goals cannot be achieved.

At this stage, we have two political goals.

One is to maintain unity within the Trade Alliance and drive out the forces of Zhentil Castle;

The other is to try to avoid intensifying conflicts and redeem Iron Princess Yalusel through negotiations to ensure that the relationship with the Kingdom of Cormyr will not become an enemy.

No matter which one it is, it cannot be easily achieved through force. "

"Okay, tell me when you need to use force. After all, I am just a warrior. I am not good at other things except fighting and killing."

Davian shrugged his shoulders and returned to his previous standing posture as motionless as a sculpture.

Just like before he was promoted to follower, he retained the conscientious character he had as a soldier, keeping a wary eye on everyone who passed by in the corridor outside.

Vera glanced at the simulacrum sitting at the desk, and couldn't help but sigh slightly, hoping that the master she was loyal to could come back soon.

Just when she picked up a thick stack of documents and planned to deal with the appointment of officials who had recently occupied several towns, several tall and beautiful figures suddenly appeared at the door out of thin air.

They are Alustriel, the Queen of Silvermoon City, Qilu, the youngest of the seven sisters in the North, Lyra, Kelben’s wife, and the leader of the Harper Alliance and Elminster’s good helper— —Storm·Silverhand.

Seeing the four elects of the Magic Goddess arriving at the same time, Vera immediately put down the work at hand, stood up and asked in a slightly surprised tone: "Dear ladies, what happened to you all of a sudden to come to me together?" Is it a big deal?"

"Where's Soth? Hasn't he come back yet?"

Laila glanced at the indifferent simulacrum not far away and frowned and asked.

She had obviously known for a long time that this guy was not really Zuo Si, but had stayed here to deliberately fool outsiders who knew nothing about magic.

After all, the essence of the simulacrum is a construct creature created by magic. Although it has a certain level of intelligence and can communicate verbally, it does not have any creative thinking.

Perhaps it is more than enough to imitate ordinary people, but imitating a powerful planeswalker like Zuo Si, who has distinctive character traits and unique way of thinking, will easily reveal flaws.

Especially those eyes, which are not as profound as the original body can reveal, as if they can see through a person from head to toe.

In addition, there is no silver fire in the body of the simulacrum, so the Magic Goddess elector will find something wrong after a little induction.

"No.

The master should be dealing with some more important matters and may not be back for a few days.

If you encounter any problems or troubles, please tell me first.

He gave me enough power before leaving. "

Vera acted businesslike, neither humble nor overbearing.

This is also one of her most admirable strengths.

No matter what the identity, origin, or personal strength of the other person is, this woman can always remain calm and collected.

Alustriel couldn't help but complain: "What's more important? Damn it! What's more important than solving the current crisis and establishing a unified empire? This is his country!"

Vera spread her hands with an innocent face: "Sorry, madam, I don't know anything.

Maybe the master is busy saving some other plane or time and space.

You should know that he is a planeswalker and does not belong solely to Faerûn on the planet Toril.

And the current situation is far from bad enough that he needs to personally take action.

Doesn’t Fuzoul Chamberry want to negotiate?

Then we can have a negotiation as he wishes. "

"No! You don't understand that now it's not just a matter of negotiation, but the political situation within the Kingdom of Cormyr is experiencing violent turmoil.

The annihilation of more than 300 noble knights made many nobles in the country feel strongly dissatisfied and even unwilling to support the royal family anymore.

The rocky land north of the Stormhorn Mountains, which had finally been stabilized, is now in danger due to the loss of the support of the nobles.

Dangerous Rock Keep is currently being attacked by thousands of goblins, gnolls, orcs, and local human barbarian tribes. It is difficult to say whether there is support from the Zhentarim behind it.

The most important thing is that Bran Yongsword, who was appointed Baron of Rockland, was assassinated at this sensitive moment, and was in a dangerous situation where he was seriously injured and unable to command the army to fight back.

If Rock Castle is lost, the hinterland of the Kingdom of Cormyr will suffer a catastrophe, eventually causing the royal family to completely lose its prestige and dominance.

Once the Kingdom of Cormyr falls into civil strife, the entire valley and Cormanthor will also follow suit.

Coupled with the civil war in Sambia, the power of Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim will expand unprecedentedly.

This is a huge threat to all people who long for peace and tranquility. "

Storm Silverhand spoke out about the terrible situation in the entire region.

A quick glance at the map revealed that a large area of ​​land located east of the Aenook Desert and close to the coast of the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars was basically a confrontation between the two regional powers, the Kingdom of Cormyr and Zhentil Castle.

If the Kingdom of Cormyr declines or falls, Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim will take the opportunity to expand.

Elminster and the Harpers Alliance alone are unable to stop this trend from spreading.

Once Zhentil Keep successfully annexed the lands and populations on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Cormyr, it would grow into a second Seir ruled by red wizards.

Even more powerful than the latter.

After all, the church of Bane, the god of tyranny, will not engage in boring political systems such as parliamentary system and voting.

Instead, it will use all possible means to complete the centralization of power and mobilize all wealth and resources to launch wars of external expansion.

But unfortunately, Storm Silverhand's words did not impress Vera.

Instead of showing any signs of nervousness, she smiled and asked, "What does that have to do with us?

I don't believe that after suffering this big loss, Fu Zouer Chambery dared to set foot on this land again.

If he does, then I guarantee the war will no longer be limited to the Dragon Coast, but will continue until the Moon Sea razing Zhentil Keep to the ground.

Sorry, my position is as a member of the Six-person Council of Amn, so I will only be responsible for the members of the Amn Empire and the Trade Alliance.

As for other countries, unless they merge with Amn or join a trade alliance, I have no obligation to harm my own interests for the benefit of others. "

moment!

Storm Silverhand's face became extremely ugly.

She originally thought that as long as Akatsuki showed its interests, the Trade Alliance that replaced the Northern Lords Alliance would definitely choose to side with her.

After all, if you want to do business, you must first avoid wars as much as possible and keep the surrounding areas in a peaceful state. Only then will trade prosper.

Especially Amn, a country founded on commerce, has always upheld the tradition of peace and prosperity.

It is a pity that Storm Silverhand does not know that Amn's internal power structure has been almost split up for a long time. The parliament with legislative power is also useless, and the major families have been beaten so hard that they dare not say a word.

Otherwise, those few examples of being dismembered by the commercial version of the promotion order will happen to them again in minutes.

To be precise, today's major families in Amn have gradually changed from their previous crazy monopoly and expansion to how to maintain the accumulated wealth.

You must know that those heirs who have no inheritance rights are now eagerly waiting for the family to be forcibly split up so that they can get a piece of the pie.

Backed by the government's promise not to confiscate property, some nobles and children of wealthy businessmen would even secretly provide evidence of their families' crimes.

As the saying goes, "People do not suffer from scarcity but from inequality."

How come we all have the same blood, so you can inherit such a huge family fortune but I can't?

In the past, there were no legal provisions in this regard, so everyone just tolerated it.

After all, relying on a big family can still get some benefits.

But now, why should I let another person take it all when I can get more if the family is split up?

Especially after being allocated a large amount of property, some people who were originally abandoned and marginalized can move to the countryside to enjoy a prosperous and beautiful life, instead of staying in the big city and being constantly despised and ridiculed.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit tense, Kui Lu immediately stood up and changed the subject, saying in a slightly relaxed tone: "The war is almost over now. If possible, I would like to take the dark elves back to Dragonlance Castle and check the underground by the way. The construction progress of the city. What do you think?"

"Yes. Thank you and your Dark Elf allies for your assistance. I think every member of the Trade Alliance will be impressed by their performance in the war."

Vera replied in the affirmative with a smile.

The original purpose of letting the dark elves participate in the war was to break prejudices and make the major city-states of the Trade Alliance familiar with them, or at least tolerate their existence.

Now that this goal has been basically achieved, there is no need for them to continue to suffer casualties.

After all, the number of dark elves who believe in Eilistraee is not large in the first place, so it is better to stay and reproduce and produce more offspring.

Otherwise, once they are attacked by the followers of the Spider Goddess Rose, most of them will be killed or injured in one fell swoop.

"Thank you, it's an honor for us to serve for the alliance."

Kui Lu put one hand on her chest and bowed slightly.

Just when she was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly saw a familiar figure standing at the door, and immediately screamed: "Soss?! You...are back?"

"Yes, I rushed here as soon as I heard the news. I have to say that this Iron Princess of the Kingdom of Cormyr really caused a lot of trouble."

Zuo Si sighed helplessly.

moment!

The originally tense atmosphere in the room suddenly became relaxed.

Whether it was Laila who was frowning or Alustriel who looked a little irritable, they couldn't help but smile slightly.

Because these two voters of the Magic Goddess knew that from the moment the young man appeared in front of them, all the troubles were no longer a problem.

"Thos, a political crisis has broken out within the Kingdom of Cormyr. I think you should know what it means, right?"

Storm Silverhand quickly asked.

Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Yes, I have obtained enough information before coming here, and I am considering what to do to calm the situation down.

Now, go and call the representatives from each town within the alliance.

Especially the much criticized Aribes.

Next I will announce some decisions in public. "

"I'll make arrangements right away."

Without saying a word, Vera immediately gave orders to the attendants at the door, and the simulacrum was also teleported back to the mage tower.

After a while, the originally empty room was filled with hundreds of representatives.

Aribes from Neverwinter has obviously been under tremendous pressure recently. She is no longer as high-spirited as before. Not only is her face pale and haggard, but her long flowing hair has also lost its luster and the ends have become a bit dull. Dry and bifurcated, and obvious dark circles can be seen around the eyes, which is obviously a sign of extremely poor sleep quality.

When she saw Zuo Si, tears suddenly appeared in the eyes of the half-elf paladin lady, and she quickly stepped forward and said in a tone full of self-blame: "I'm sorry, Lord Soth, I have disappointed you. ."

"No, you did a good job and did not let me down. Besides, it is not your responsibility that Iron Princess was defeated and captured."

Zuo Si stretched out his hand to help the other party wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and comforted him in a very gentle tone.

His move instantly surprised many people present. Aribes was even more moved. There was a flash of light in her originally dim pupils. She wanted to open her mouth several times to say something, but she was choked. I couldn't say it out, and in the end it just turned into two words.

"Thanks……"

"No need to thank you, because you deserve it. As an ally, I will always believe in Neverwinter City, and I also believe in you."

After that, Zuo Si hugged the paladin gently, then raised his head and scanned the crowd with sharp eyes. The blue light shining in his pupils made those guys with ulterior motives feel numb and frightened.

At this moment, they suddenly recalled the legend about the young man in front of them and the terrifying magical power he possessed.

You don't need to ask to know that the blue light is a sign that the magic of soul and thought detection has been released in large quantities.

Pay attention to the shocked and disbelieving reactions of several Magic Goddess electors and high-level mages present, and you will know how amazingly powerful these magics are.

Anyone who has not blessed himself with psychic protection spells or wear corresponding equipment has exposed all the secrets in his heart just now.

Similarly, Zuo Si also knew which ones were pure "spiritual Cormyrs" and which ones were deliberately causing trouble, so he said straightforwardly: "As for whether Aribes should be responsible for the whole thing, I only want to say two things. Two o'clock.

First, inviting the Kingdom of Cormyr to participate in the war is not an invitation from the Alliance, so we have no obligations to them, let alone an ally.

If you must investigate the responsibility, you should go to Waterdeep City, which issued the invitation.

Second, the pursuit out of the city was strongly requested by Iron Princess Yalusel herself, and Aribes only cooperated after weighing the pros and cons.

Moreover, she was on the ship at the time and had no way to quickly cut into the battlefield for rescue.

By the time they entered the engagement area, the battle on the other side had already ended.

In this case, choosing to retreat is undoubtedly a rational choice, and I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

So the debate about punishing Aribes ends here.

From now on, I don’t want to hear any rumors about blaming her. Do you understand? "

"Understood!"

"Everything you said is right!"

"We have long believed that Ms. Aribes was not responsible for this incident."

"It's all the fault of that arrogant princess. It was her reckless actions that put us in this dilemma."

…

For a moment, everyone nodded in agreement, whether sincerely or against their will, as if the previous quarrels and conflicts no longer existed.

Obviously, this is a comprehensive manifestation of deterrence, leadership and dominance.

The reason why there were differences of opinion and confusion in the past was entirely because the town representatives did not take Vera seriously.

She has neither enough prestige nor any outstanding achievements to convince everyone.

Seeing that Zuo Si immediately suppressed the problem that had been unresolved for several days as soon as he came forward, the expression of Pier Galen, the open lord of Waterdeep City, immediately became very solemn.

There is no doubt that he is one of the masterminds behind the scenes who secretly connects representatives with evil intentions.

The purpose is also very simple, which is to establish a secret alliance against Zuo Si within the Trade Alliance and prevent its penetration, control, assimilation and annexation of towns in the North.

It would be better if we could usurp the leadership of the Trade Federation and return Waterdeep to its previous position.

But unfortunately, the disputes and conflicts that were just stirred up were nipped in the bud before they began to intensify.

Especially the guys who had reached an agreement in private had a 180-degree turn in their attitude after Zuo Si showed up. They were obviously a group of people who acted according to the circumstances. It was more practical to expect them to contribute than to expect a sow to climb a tree.

Realizing that his plan had completely failed, Piergalen immediately and quietly retreated slowly, taking advantage of the fact that no one else around him noticed him, and quietly came to the end of the empty corridor outside the room.

Just when he was about to light up his pipe and take a puff to relieve the pressure, Kelben suddenly appeared next to him out of thin air and warned in an emotionless tone: "You have done a stupid thing. Playing this kind of political game with Soth There is no way you can be his opponent due to his conspiracy.”

"Hmph! How do you know if you don't try? Anyway, he doesn't know who did it."

Piergalen rolled his eyes angrily.

"Not sure?

idiot!

Do you know that he had scanned the minds and memories of hundreds of people through some unknown spell just now?

And when you use this matter to make a fuss, have you ever considered the blow to the credibility of Waterdeep City?

Have you considered that Lyra and I will face censure from the Cormyr royal family? "

When he said these words, Kelben was obviously very angry, and a scary expression appeared on his already serious face.

Obviously, after this incident, the relationship between the couple and Assan IV was completely over.

Not to mention friendship, as long as they don't turn against each other and become enemies, it's considered a good thing.

Just when Piergalen was about to defend himself, he suddenly noticed that there was a phantom that seemed to be created by magic.

The phantom's appearance is none other than Zuo Si himself.

"What are you two talking about? If you don't mind, how about adding me?"

Zuo Si said hello with a smile.

Although he kept a smile on his face, there was no warmth at all in his eyes, which was so cold that it made people feel creepy.

"Do you really know everything?"

Piergalen tried to force himself to be calm.

Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Yes.

Yatta, West Combo, Noisy Water City, Locke Town, Red Pine Town...

I have now made a list of all the representatives who have reached cooperation with you privately, as well as the families and chambers of commerce behind them.

What, you want to see it?

To be honest, I don't quite understand why you are so hostile to unification and mergers.

After all, I have tried to adopt gentler measures instead of war full of destruction, killing and death.

And I have enough ability and means to make this land more prosperous and stronger than ever before. "

"Because I want to ensure the independence of Waterdeep City, and the free will that this city is most proud of. Waterdeep City does not need the rule of a dictatorial tyrant, and we know how bad that is."

Piergalen gritted his teeth and replied.

There is no doubt that certain characteristics of the upper class of Waterdeep City can be clearly seen in him, such as that kind of overwhelming pride, which can even be said to be arrogance.

"Free will?

The rule of a dictatorial tyrant?

This kind of words coming out of your mouth is really full of irony.

If I remember correctly, Waterdeep's political system is actually a secretive small elite group making policies and laws that are then enforced by a bureaucracy, right?

So do you think that in this case, the so-called free will can really be reflected?

Do ordinary civilians, who make up the overwhelming majority, really have a chance to change the current situation?

Don't kid yourself.

Your secret lord system is actually another form of tyranny.

It's just that it's not one person who holds the power, but a small group that was eventually formed through mutual introductions.

Maybe it's running pretty well now.

But as time goes by, sooner or later the masked lords will evolve into a class with vested interests.

At that time, the political system that is opaque and without any supervision will eventually breed the most terrible corruption and the absolute monopoly of power by a few people.

In my opinion, the reason why you want to destroy the unity is nothing more than two reasons.

One is afraid that the power in his hands will be diluted or even deprived of him, and the other is that his self-esteem and pride as the lord of Waterdeep City have been hit.

So don’t describe your selfish motives as noble, and don’t pretend to represent justice.

Politics is politics.

No one who participates in this game has a clean butt. "

As Zuo Si blurted out these words that specifically poked people's lung tubes, Piergalen suddenly turned red and opened his mouth several times to refute, but he didn't know where to start.

After all, what hurts the most and breaks people’s defenses the most is always the naked truth.

Especially the modern rulers of Waterdeep City are basically appointed by the previous public lord, and more than half of them are direct bloodline of parents, children, etc.

Piergalen himself, out of selfish motives, recommended his daughter to succeed him as an open lord in the future.

If things continue to develop like this, the secret lord system will sooner or later become a situation where inheritance is based on blood ties.

Seeing that his old friend was unable to say a word, Kelben couldn't help but sigh slightly.

"Alas - I have long said that you will not be his opponent.

There is a huge difference in your thoughts, realms and levels between you.

Tell me, Soth, how are you going to handle this?

If possible, I hope not to involve too much, otherwise it will cause violent turmoil. "

"Don't worry, since this matter is within the framework of the political game, then I will abide by the rules of the game and end within the framework.

All participating individuals and their families will immediately be isolated and ostracized by other political forces in the towns they represent.

And I will give hints to the merchants of the Trade Alliance to stop any business dealings with these individuals and families.

In other words, these people and their families will become poorer and decline bit by bit, and eventually collapse completely and become ordinary people without any influence.

As for Lord Pilgalen, I hope he will step down from his position as public lord of Waterdeep.

I don't care who the successor is, that's Waterdeep's internal matter, but as long as it's not his daughter or relative, that's fine.

So, this condition is not too harsh, right? "

Zuo Si calmly put forward his request.

"No! I will never accept it! Why do you abolish my status as lord!"

When he realized his fate, Piergalen immediately roared like crazy, and his eyes almost burst out with fire.

But unfortunately, neither Zuo Si nor Kelben ignored him.

The two looked at each other like this for more than ten seconds. Finally, Kelben chose to compromise, stroking the beard on his chin and nodding slightly: "Yes, on behalf of the Lords Council of Waterdeep City, I agree to your request. From now on. Since then, Piergalen has ceased to be an open lord."

"What?!"

Piergalen obviously did not expect that he would become an outcast. He grabbed the Archmage by the collar and roared: "When? When did you convince the other members of the Lords Council behind my back?"

“From the time you started doing these things secretly.

Waterdeep City is not yours alone, and it is even less likely that you will suffer huge losses because of your nonsense.

All the masked lords agreed that you will bear all the consequences yourself.

Whether it's putting Lyra and I in embarrassing situations, or secretly driving a schism within the Trade Alliance, trying to fight someone you simply can't afford to mess with.

Sorry, old friend, your political career is over. "

Kelben raised his chin slightly and sentenced the open lord to death in a condescending tone.

From that merciless attitude, it is not difficult to see that Piergalen really pissed him off this time.

It is true that Lyra, the Iron Princess, must bear an unshirkable responsibility when she is captured.

But what do you mean by fanning the flames?

Don't you think there's enough trouble in Waterdeep?

Or do you think the Kelburns are not embarrassed enough?

The fear and hostility towards Zuo Si's rapid expansion caused Piergalen to lose his calm judgment and urgently wanted to use all means to check and balance.

He was completely unaware that what he was doing was not in the interests of Waterdeep City, so it was only natural that he would be abandoned in the end.

What's more, Kelben definitely played a role in fueling the flames.

Zuo Si nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, let's end this matter.

I hope this ending can serve as a good warning.

Unfortunately, dear Monsignor Piergalen, you are out of this political game.

In other words, as an open lord of Waterdeep City for a long time, you have never understood the basic principle that the essence of politics is compromise and exchange of interests.

When you fail to provide benefits to your political group and instead undermine their interests, the outcome is already doomed.

And you can thank Kelben for that.

If he hadn't hastened the end of your political career and you had continued to do things that split the trade alliance, I can't guarantee whether I would have taken some more extreme actions.

For example, let's say you watch your whole family die in front of you in the most painful way.

Don't think this is any intimidation or threat.

Because I will really take action..."

As the last word blurted out, a huge devil form suddenly flashed in front of Piergalen's eyes. The evil and terror coming from the shop made his heart stop on the spot.

But just a second later, the devil's form changed into Zuo Si's, making him unable to tell whether it was an illusion or reality.