A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

From Ascatla at the western end of the empire's continental territory to West Gate at the eastern end, and then to the Pirate Islands in the center of the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars, this distance is equivalent to spanning half of Faerûn.

Normally, even if we use the convenient water transportation of the Chongsa River and only take the almost ten days of land route from the eastbound city to Texir, it will take at least a month or even longer.

If you happen to encounter extreme weather, such as heavy rain, it is common to be stuck in a certain town and unable to go out for seven or eight days.

On the one hand, the road conditions are too bad. Excessive rain will make the ground muddy, so that the wheels often get stuck in pits and cannot climb out due to insufficient friction;

On the other hand, horses, cattle, mules and other livestock that have been exposed to rain for a long time will cause illness and death. Certain goods should also not be affected by moisture or water.

Therefore, unless it is an extremely urgent situation, no one with any sense would choose to travel in the rain.

This means that according to the original traffic and transportation levels of Faerûn, without establishing a stable portal, any large-scale mobilization of materials and personnel will have to have a buffer of at least one and a half months from the west coast to the dragon coast. Expect.

If this is the case with the convenience of river and sea transportation, it would be even more disastrous to rely on pure land transportation.

This is why, except for a handful of forces such as Cyre, Mulhorand, Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim, Faerûn rarely launches large-scale foreign aggressive wars.

Even the above forces usually only attack their neighbors, rather than launching cross-sea expeditions with the help of fleets.

Even if they want to cause trouble in a distant place, they will adopt strategies such as infiltration, bribery, inciting coups, and supporting puppets.

This is not because their strategic thinking is not broad enough, nor is it because they do not understand the importance of using sea control. It is more due to the huge logistical pressure caused by a poor and backward transportation system.

To put it bluntly, if we send too few troops, we will easily be beaten back by the locals and those nosy "righteous people". If we send too many troops, we will not be able to keep up with the logistical supplies.

Even if an important city stronghold is captured, there is no way to divide a large number of troops to control the grain-producing areas in the countryside.

We can only continue to consume finance and our own reserves of materials, and continuously transport them from the rear.

In this case, the longer the war lasts, the more disadvantageous it will be to the invaders, and the final result is often that they can only retreat to stop losses.

The reason why Fuzoul Chamberry dared to bring Zhentil Castle's army across the sea and invade the West Heartland region from the Dragon Coast was mainly because Zuo Si had already helped him handle all the logistics.

After landing, this guy captured Ximen Port and directly obtained weapons, equipment and food supplies that were enough to support the army for several months.

Coupled with the huge amount of resources and wealth obtained by looting the local ruling class in various towns and villages along the way, they finally achieved the feat of capturing Baldur's Gate.

Therefore, in the eyes of the red-robed mage Thel and the mortal rulers of the Mulhorand Empire who had just been liberated from the divine power, even if they engaged in some small conspiracy in the West Coast Empire, the other party would not be able to start a war because of it.

Because one of the two parties is at the far west of Faerun, and the other two are at the east of Faerun, separated by the entire Sea of ​​Fallen Stars.

Just the intricate terrain of the Pirate Islands and the large number of pirates inside are enough to give you a headache.

Don't think that the pirates in the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars, like the pirates in the Nelanthal Islands on the west coast and the pirates in Luskan in the north, are cowards who can only hide from the regular navy.

Just the opposite!

The pirate tradition here is much older and more powerful and terrifying than on the west coast.

In DR1180, the once powerful Sambia naval fleet disappeared inexplicably on the Pirate Islands, and not even a single ship or survivor could escape.

The legendary pirate king--Imkh once even ushered in the era of great pirates, sweeping almost all the forces in the Falling Star Sea and establishing maritime hegemony.

At its peak, it had hundreds of large and small fleets, and many famous coastal port cities were attacked and plundered by him.

In order to avoid this kind of disaster, more than 70% of the towns had to pay tribute to his vassals, offering treasures, wine, food, and beautiful women in exchange for the pirate king's mercy.

Later, the Kingdom of Cormyr took the lead, and several coastal countries and dozens of city-states formed a joint fleet to fight a decisive battle. This destroyed the golden age that pirates were proud of.

Although the Pirate Islands later declined, they are still a force that cannot be underestimated.

At least no city-state or even country along the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars dares to enter this dangerous water filled with undercurrents and rocks.

Most of the other forces involved in the conspiracy also took a fancy to this, so they chose to join forces with Sel and Mulhorand, wanting to test the ruling power of the new West Coast Empire and what they might do. reaction.

However, these people obviously ignored one thing, that is, Zuo Si has the big killer weapon of airship, which can directly ignore the obstacles of terrain and project military power to any place at any time.

Moreover, the number of airships owned by the West Coast Empire is not only the apparent number, but also includes the terrifying magical industrial manufacturing capabilities of the floating city of Plantia in another world.

In just a few days, a super aerial gunboat had already appeared in the sky above the Pirate Islands across half of the continent.

Before the pirates could react to what was happening, countless cannonballs fell like raindrops with a deafening roar, plowing the open space outside the simple town.

Whether it was trees, stones, or the arrow towers built to ward off beasts and monsters, they were all reduced to ashes in a single volley.

Although the smoky gunpowder provided by the Church of Gond, the God of Craftsmen, looks very much like primitive black powder or maroon gunpowder, it is still an energy explosion in essence, so its power is not much worse than high explosives.

The pirates were completely frightened when they saw the large pits in the open space outside the wall, the ground that had been flattened, the dust rising in the sky, and the fire and shock waves generated by the explosion.

Some people who were desperate tried to escape by boat, but before they could get very far, they were forced back to the port by dragon knights who swooped down and breathed flames, lightning, strong acid, and freezing air.

There is no doubt that this was a forced surrender through force.

About a few minutes later, Arthur Meier, the supreme commander of the operation, landed in the square on a red baby dragon that had grown to about ten meters in length.

He declared to the leading pirate leader without any nonsense: "Either surrender or destruction. Now you make the choice."

As these words blurted out, countless dragon knights soared from the landing platform of the giant airship, directly covering the sky above the small town in front of them.

The pirates had never seen such a battle before. They were instantly frightened out of their wits by the dragon's roar and power, and many of them had their pants wet.

More than 70% of the guys couldn't even stand firmly. They fell to their knees on the ground with a plop, and their whole bodies were shaking violently uncontrollably.

"I...we surrender."

The pirate leader's face looked as ugly as constipation, and he chose to follow his heart without even thinking about it.

He didn't understand at all what the other party was doing to get such a huge advantage.

As for what!

He is obviously just an ordinary pirate leader!

Although I have done some burning, killing and looting, and occasionally robbed beautiful ladies on merchant ships, I have never done anything like attacking and looting a city.

You have such terrifying strength, wouldn’t it be better to launch wars to conquer more towns and lands?

Why are you trying to get in trouble with me?

Do you know that this is killing a chicken with a knife?

Just as the pirate leader was complaining crazily in his heart, a satisfied expression appeared on Ashemer's face.

"very good!

I like your crispness.

From now on, take your men and go out to sea to rob Thare and Mulhorand's ships.

Remember, only these two countries are allowed to be robbed, and ships from other countries and city-states are not allowed to move.

Take this so you can send a signal if you get into trouble or can't beat him.

As long as our dragon knights are patrolling nearby, the signal will be quickly pursued for air support.

After successfully completing the robbery, you can take the loot to Ximen Port for sale without worrying about being hunted down as a pirate. "

After saying that, Arthur Meier stuffed a mobile terminal device into the opponent's hand.

The pirate leader was stunned for a moment. He lowered his head and glanced at the gadget in his hand, then raised his head and glanced at the giant gunboat and dragon above his head. He subconsciously swallowed his saliva and carefully tested in a frightened tone: "What do you mean? … We can now conduct legal robberies and call in dragons for air support? Are you representing the West Coast Empire?"

"That's right.

You are now considered an outside member of the Imperial Army.

If you perform well during this period, you may be promoted to a formal naval captain.

Don't forget, the empire's navy was originally transformed from the pirates of the Nelanthel Islands.

So work hard and I guarantee you will have a bright future.

But if you slack off in your work, or violate the regulations and attack ships of other countries and city-states, then all these promises will be void. "

After saying that, Arthur Meier reached out and patted the dark and strong man in front of him on the shoulder to show encouragement.

After he rode the dragon back to the landing platform, the other dragon knights who had threatened with force also returned one after another.

After a while, the huge airship climbed up again and headed towards the next island.

Since the death of the legendary pirate king Imuk, there has never been a leader here who can truly unite all the pirates, so it will take some time to conquer the entire archipelago.

Fortunately, the airship is fast enough, and dragon knights can also be sent out for low-altitude reconnaissance.

Therefore, no matter how hidden these pirate gangs build their strongholds, they cannot escape the sharp eyes of the dragon.

In this regard, the advantages of airships paired with dragon knights are not comparable to those of surface fleets that also rely on landing for reconnaissance.

When the huge airship completely turned into a black dot and disappeared in the distance, the frightened pirates got up from the ground one by one.

One of the half-orcs, who looked like an adjutant, calmed down for a moment and immediately came up to ask: "Captain, what are we going to do next? Do we do as they say?"

The pirate leader rolled his eyes angrily: "Do you even need to ask?

How long do you think we could live if we didn't obey orders honestly?

Even without those giant gunboats and dragon knights taking action, other pirate gangs will kill us in order to gain a future.

Judging from the posture, the other party plans to directly recruit all the pirate captains in the entire archipelago.

This also means that this operation will be a war between the West Coast Empire and Cyre and Mulhorand for hegemony of the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars.

You just heard that as long as we perform well enough, we may be transformed into the empire's navy at any time.

Moreover, the stolen ships and goods can be taken to Ximen Port for legal sale.

This can make a lot more money for black marketeers than dealing at low prices.

Those damn vampires always reduced the value of the goods to half of the market price or even lower.

How can I be worthy of myself if I don't give it a try for such a good opportunity?

Go and notify all your brothers and ask them to pack their things and prepare to board the ship immediately. "

"Hey, I understand."

The half-orc adjutant grinned, revealing his iconic sharp canine teeth, and then he kicked, kicked, and cursed the other pirates.

In about twenty minutes, they completed all supplies and boarded a medium-sized paddle boat that was not very large but very fast and set sail.

Since the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars is an inland sea of ​​the Faerûn continent, or a super large lake, the wind and waves are very small.

A paddle boat is more useful here than a sailboat, especially in pursuit situations, as it can burst out at amazing speeds in a short period of time.

If you look down from the air for a long time, you will find that in the past two days, more than 300 pirate ships like them have left the archipelago one after another and started to cruise along the busiest channels in the Falling Star Sea.

Once Mulhorand or Thayer's ships are discovered, they will immediately approach them and launch an attack.

If they find that there is a mage or other strong person on the opponent's ship that they cannot defeat, they will use the Shuoyou mobile terminal to send out a distress signal.

The other two gunboats docked on the north and south sides of the Aglalon Peninsula respectively to perform blockade missions will immediately send dragon knights to support.

Usually, when the people on the boat see the dragon appearing and attacking them, they will soon give up resistance and choose to surrender.

Because slow and clumsy ships are basically a living target in front of the dragon with air superiority.

Although it is not impossible to shoot down a giant dragon with a powerful crossbow like in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the probability is so low that it can be ignored.

Usually it is caused by the dragon being too arrogant.

Otherwise, the dragon only needs to keep flying around the ship at high altitude, avoid the shooting angle of the giant crossbow, and then swoop down to breathe out the dragon's breath.

One of the two sides firmly holds the initiative, while the other can only defend passively. It is clear who is superior and who is inferior.

At this moment, on another airship, Steel Princess Yalusel was condescendingly admiring the scene of flames on the sea, as well as the scene of a large number of warships being destroyed by salvos of artillery and sinking to the bottom of the sea with billowing smoke.

Countless soldiers and sailors from Cyre wailed on the boiling sea, begging for mercy and forgiveness from their opponents.

But all they got was shells falling from the sky, explosions, and the dragon's deadly breath.

Even a layman would know that this was not a war or a battle at all, but a one-sided massacre.

As for the objects that were massacred, they were of course the garrison fleet from Ser Araul Province.

The so-called Araul Province refers to the two southernmost islands of the country far away from the mainland. It is also the smallest province in terms of area.

Although it is small in size, it is the largest naval base in Serre.

Yalusel believed that if the warships in this base and port were allowed to exist, it might cause certain damage to the blockade plan. Therefore, after gathering more than 40 pirate ships, he took the initiative to attack here.

With excellent strategy, she first used pirates as bait to pretend to launch an attack on the coast, and successfully deceived the fleet in the port.

Then, relying on the speed and air superiority of the gunboat, they directly launched a surprise attack, intending to annihilate Serge's most powerful fleet on this burning and boiling sea, and completely interrupt the opponent's will to resist with one blow.

Facts have proved that this Iron Princess is definitely a qualified or even excellent commander when she is not facing an opponent of the level of Fu Zouer Chamberry.

Under her calm control, the dragon knights cooperated with the covering fire of the artillery, and often a single dive could set a ship on fire and send it to the bottom of the sea.

Less than half an hour after the war started, Serge's main fleet had lost more than 60%, and most of the remaining ones had lost their combat capabilities. They either abandoned the ship on the spot and fled or struggled hard on the sea.

More than a hundred mages who were equipped on the battleship and tried to take off for combat were all killed mercilessly by the dragon knights.

You must know that these dragon knights created by Zuo Si are not just warriors with long-range magic weapons.

Instead, it is based on the magic knight of Mutahar Floating City, and has undergone a series of optimizations and genetic modifications to make it closer to the armored dragon warlock.

It's just that they master fewer spells than Dragon Vein Warlocks and cast only about half the number of spells, but they also have good melee capabilities.

Perhaps in a one-on-one battle on the ground, you may not necessarily be able to defeat a spellcaster of the same level.

But if you ride a dragon and fight in the air, a mage below LV13 will basically have no chance of winning.

What's more, Yalusel didn't come alone, he also brought a heavyweight ally to sit here.

This "special guest" is none other than Xinbu, the ruler of Aglalon who hates the red-robed mage Thel and is known as the Queen of Storms.

Her biggest characteristic is that no matter who wants to cause trouble for the red-robed mage, she will definitely come forward to help.

With Xinbu here, not to mention the ordinary red-robed Tour de France instructors who dare not show up, the chiefs including Sazhastan also have to behave honestly with their tail between their legs.

As a true believer in the theory of firepower superiority in the field of magic, the Storm Queen was undoubtedly interested in the astonishing destructive power of the huge war machine beneath her feet. She looked through the window at the spectacular scenery of the burning sea below without looking back. asked: "This thing must have been made by Soth, right?

How much does it cost to build?

If it's not too expensive, I'd like to buy one to deal with the endless invasions of the red wizards of Cyre. "

"Sorry, Your Majesty, I can't answer any of your questions."

Yalusel shrugged helplessly.

To be precise, if she and Zuo Si hadn't worked hard to get this opportunity to go out to fight, no one would have known that the empire still had such terrifying war weapons.

Moreover, Princess Iron knows very well that she is just a guest and not a member of the empire's military and political system, so it is not convenient for her to inquire about too many secrets.

Even this appointment as supreme commander of one of the airships was a bit unexpected.

Xinbu turned around, looked up and down the youngest member of the Cormyr royal family with great interest, and then said with a smile: "Interesting.

I'm curious, how close is the relationship between you and Soth?

So much so that he will give you such a powerful military force to command. "

Hearing these words, Yalusel's face suddenly turned red, and he hurriedly stammered and explained: "We are just friends who appreciate each other. He gave me command of the army just out of trust."

"Haha, I'm afraid you don't even believe this statement.

Forget it, I'd better ask Soth myself later.

At least he is quite honest in this regard and never hides or refuses to admit it.

Now let us seize the time and deal with those escaping Serge ships first.

I just noticed that there should be a dragon in the cabin behind the flight deck that is not dispatched.

How about lending it to me? "

As he spoke, Xinbu stretched out and began to move his limbs as if no one was watching, and his joints made a clicking sound.

"Of course, no problem. Here, this is an armband that can communicate with the dragon. After wearing it, it can accurately understand the various commands you give through the spiritual link."

Yalusel took off the silver armband set with emeralds from his arm and handed it over.

You don't need to ask to know that the last dragon that was not dispatched was assigned to her as the supreme commander of the ship.

Xinbu was not polite, took it and put it on his arm.

About three to five minutes later, she jumped up from the flight deck on a red baby dragon, dived down at an extremely fast speed, and caught up with a fleeing warship in the blink of an eye.

Before the soldiers and sailors on the ship could react, the Storm Queen raised her hand and threw a fireball.

boom!

The dazzling red fire instantly exploded in the densest place of the crowd.

More than ten soldiers died on the spot, and the captain was killed instantly.

Just as the scene was in chaos, the red dragon opened its mouth and breathed out a deadly breath of fire under Xinbu's command.

A dazzling bright cone-shaped flame sprayed from the bow to the stern of the ship. All the unlucky ones on the deck were burned to death and wounded on the spot. Countless people on fire jumped into the sea one after another in extreme pain.

As for those who hid in the cabin, they were not much better.

The entire ship soon turned into a mobile incinerator in the raging fire, and finally burned up quickly and sank to the bottom of the sea.

"Hahahaha! Well done! This is much more exciting than a normal spell duel."

Xinbu laughed and patted the red baby dragon on the head.

Her long silver hair flew in the wind under the strong airflow, and she then raised her altitude again to chase the next target.

If I had to describe the scene on the water in one sentence, it would be that the sea is burning.

The hundreds of warships that Serge had managed to accumulate with great difficulty were now like huge torches, stretching for several kilometers.

Naturally, it was impossible to hide this large-scale battle that broke out in the sea east of the Surban volcano and west of the Araul province.

Because whether it was the huge roar of the gunboats when they fired from a high position, or the so many dragons and dragon knights flying and diving in the sky, or the largest fleet of Serge being annihilated on the sea surface, the soaring fires and The thick black smoke could be clearly seen from miles away.

When this shocking news spread, the first reaction of all the countries and city-states along the entire Falling Star Sea was to be stunned.

They simply couldn't believe that the West Coast Empire actually launched an expedition across the entire Sea of ​​Fallen Stars just for a trivial test, and even defeated the navy of the traditional powerhouse Cyre until it was almost completely annihilated.

You must know that it is Sel ruled by the red robe mage!

Possessing the top military and magical power in Faerûn.

Even Mulhorand, which also has a huge land area and population, is much inferior in comparison.

If it weren't for the constant fighting between the chiefs, it is estimated that the surrounding areas such as Jugu, Cesk, Seleman, Nafell, Aglalon and other areas would have been annexed to establish a huge empire dominating the east.

Its land area is almost the same as that of the West Coast Empire that has not yet annexed the Northland.

But now such a powerful country was beaten to the point of losing almost all its maritime power in one battle. It might not even be able to save the isolated province of Araul overseas.

Not to mention the red-robed mages who had been beaten into a daze and were dumbfounded, the rest of the people who were planning to watch a fight between dragons and tigers were also dumbfounded.

The most outrageous thing is that it was only one of the three aerial gunboats that achieved this feat.

After receiving the news, the rulers of several coastal cities in Mulhorand immediately ordered their fleets to return to the port and hide inland along the river.

They didn't want to make the same mistake as Serge and lose their entire fleet.

In that case, not only would it be impossible to launch an invasion of neighboring Unser, but it would also make the Alambo Inland Sea, the most important maritime traffic artery, a playground for pirates to wreak havoc.

In fact, after destroying Ser's main fleet, Yalusel and the gunboats she commanded docked on the sea west of the Araul province to perform blockade missions, and did not continue to launch attacks on Ser's coastal ports and inland areas. attack.

But the pirates she brought over started their unbridled carnival unceremoniously.

Since the Araul Province was originally two small islands, there were not many soldiers stationed on it after the fleet was destroyed, and it was easily captured by the pirates who arrived later.

Not only were all valuables robbed, but the families of the officers, soldiers, and mages left on the island were also in great misfortune.

Some of them who tried to resist were killed mercilessly, and young women became tools for the pirates to vent their desires.

However, the pirates did not just destroy and kill, they were also very experienced in freeing the oppressed slaves at the bottom and absorbing them into the team to strengthen themselves.

Because to a certain extent, slaves are naturally the most ideal soldiers for pirates.

Because they are born with a strong desire for freedom, and at the same time they are wanted after getting rid of the shackles of their masters, there is no way to return to normal life.

This means that slaves will not easily run away or become traitors.

Many pirate gangs grew up through constant attacks on slave ships.

After being supplemented by two to three thousand slaves from Araul Province, their number quickly exceeded the four thousand mark.

Some of them began to launch an all-round three-dimensional attack on Sayre's ports, towns and villages along the southern coastline.

The other part went south to expand business in the waters controlled by Mulhorand, and also established an alliance with the resistance forces in Unther, using the intelligence provided by the other party to continuously attack the logistical supplies of the invading army.

It can be said that with the three gunboats firmly occupying the most critical nodes of the route, the entire Falling Star Sea is under the deterrence of the imperial military power.

Sale and Mulhorand, which originally occupied a large share of trade, quickly collapsed under the pursuit of pirates like mad dogs, losing hundreds of ships in a very short period of time.

Ximen Port, where trophies can be legally sold, has become the largest trading market for commodities and second-hand ships.

Many merchants gather here to buy cheap goods and cargo ships captured by pirates.

With the Surban volcano as the boundary, the maritime trade in the west is still very prosperous, while there are almost no ships in the east.

Even if you see them, they are probably pirates operating here and plundering along the coast.

With water transport blocked, merchants in Sale and Mulholland were forced to take the more expensive road route.

Suddenly, the prices of many imported goods began to soar exponentially, while the prices of other local specialties plummeted because they could not be shipped out.

The rapid deterioration of the economic situation has led to a large number of uprisings and rebellions in the Mulhorand region, which was already very unstable politically, just like the neighboring countries when Unther's rule collapsed in the early days.

In comparison, Serge, who implemented autocratic rule, was slightly better, but not much better.

The massive amount of food they obtained through undead agricultural production had no price advantage at all after losing cheap sea transportation.

But that's not the most ironic thing.

The most ironic thing is that in order to get rid of this serious surplus of food in exchange for funds, they can only sell it to those neighboring countries that have invaded at extremely low prices, allowing the other party to earn a price difference several times their own profit.

Not only that.

The red-robed mage, who has always been arrogant, has to endure and use the channels of these countries to import various materials necessary for the magic research institute at high prices, allowing the other party to peel back and forth.

That kind of psychological gap and imbalance has even caused many members within it to become strongly dissatisfied with the current chief leaders who are inactive.

As the closest country to Cyre on land, Aglalon, ruled by Storm Queen Ximbu, simply lost out in this weird situation.

In particular, ultra-low-priced grains not only solve the country's food shortage problem, but can also be exported in large quantities to earn profits.

As for the magic materials that the red-robed mage most urgently needs to obtain, he directly sells them to the other party at a super double price, and occasionally even deliberately disgusts and makes things difficult for him.

If possible, Xinbu hopes that this blockade can continue until the red wizards of Ser can no longer maintain their rule and eventually collapse and disintegrate.

At this moment, Sazastan was throwing all the bad news on the table in the chief council, and said to the other chiefs in a very gloomy tone: "I warned you before, don't provoke that damn guy easily.

Because he is a madman!

A sane madman!

Any stimulation from the outside world will inevitably give him a strong desire for revenge.

Now who can tell me how to deal with this situation? "

"Can't we gather people and use teleportation magic to get people up and grab those three air gunships? Even if we can't grab them, we can destroy them through magic rituals."

Another chief expressed his opinion.

Perhaps for other forces, there is no good way to deal with airships floating two or three kilometers in the sky.

But for the red-robed mage who controls many arcane spellcasters, it is not invincible, but it just needs to pay a certain price.

"seize?

destroy?

Even a small attempt to incite rebellion caused Soth to have such a big reaction.

What do you think would happen if you followed this approach?

I can tell you very clearly, that will trigger an all-out war!

He will unceremoniously show his trump card and launch an attack on the entire territory of Ser, leading tens of thousands of troops and mages to kill every red-robed mage who is unwilling to surrender until our rule collapses and disintegrates.

Not to mention that there are many gods standing behind this madman.

If you want to die, go ahead, but please don't take me with you. "

Sazastan glared at the other party fiercely, with undisguised contempt and disgust in his tone.

The longer time passed, the more he felt that the chief council system when the organization was originally established was a piece of shit.

How can we govern the country well with such a group of insects who fight among themselves and hold each other back all day long?

Especially Aznar Sruel, a political opponent, is an out-and-out scourge.

The little trick they made with Mulholland in private this time was probably related to him.

"Then what do you think we should do? Are we just going to watch the other side block maritime transportation and trade?"

Another chief frowned, obviously dissatisfied with the coercion.

Sazhastan sneered and asked: "Otherwise?

Are you planning to fight Soth?

He did not take the initiative to attack our homeland, which is to show that his attitude is limited retaliation.

Any counterattack at this time would be tantamount to declaring that the scale of the war would be expanded.

What's more, now Xinbu has joined in.

Coupled with Kelben and Laila who have been standing by Soth's side, if we start a war, we need to deal with four chosen magic goddesses with silver fire at the same time.

This does not include the power of his Arcane Society and the Masked Mage Guild.

Oh, by the way, in addition to this, there is also the great arcanist left over from the Netherese era—Ovo the Undead. "

As these words blurted out, all the chiefs present fell into silence.

You must know that just one Storm Queen Xinbu has already made all the red-robed mages feel fearful.

After being silent for a long time, Aznar Sruel finally couldn't help but suggest: "If it doesn't work, just send an envoy to admit defeat.

In exchange, we give up all naval defense capabilities.

As in the Sword Coast and the Sea of ​​Swords, each ship pays a protection fee based on the value of its cargo.

In this case, he shouldn't refuse. "

"At a time like this, do you think this little concession can satisfy Soth's appetite?

Don't be naive!

If I guess correctly, in order for him to lift the blockade, he needs to cede at least two islands in the Araul Province.

Once Araul is occupied and transformed into a military base, the entire Ser will be within the attack range of those gunboats and dragon knights.

There will never be peace in our skies. "

After saying these words, Sazastan was obviously very angry, and his eyes made him want to eat the other person alive.

Thanks to the information provided by the Wizard King Larok, he is very aware of how terrifying Zuo Si and the west coast empire he rules are today.

Especially after cooperating with the church of Gond, the god of craftsmen, the army was equipped with gunpowder weapons in large quantities, which allowed ordinary soldiers to exert power comparable to low-level mages in war.

Aznar Srul was obviously feeling guilty. He avoided Sazastan's murderous eyes and responded in a evasive tone: "Then let's cede it.

As you said, what else can we do now?

I can't fight.

If the blockade continues, many provinces will fall into financial difficulties.

Not to mention providing us with funds to research magic, there may even be problems with its own operation.

Ser's rule and order must not collapse.

I believe that everyone here should have this consensus. "

"I agree!"

"I agree!"

"Pay a price and let this farce end."

"At worst, be more cautious when dealing with Soth and the West Coast Empire in the future, and try not to provoke this lunatic."

…

In just a few seconds, the chiefs present expressed their attitudes.

Since Ser owns eleven provinces, and the one that needs to be ceded is the smallest province of Araul, which does not belong to any chief's sphere of influence at all, they don't feel bad at all.

Seeing this situation, Sazastan became more determined in his heart to kill all these insects and take over the power by himself.

However, his plan is still in the brewing stage. He can only hold back his anger and nodded: "Okay! Since everyone agrees, then we will officially send an envoy to negotiate. But the question is, who will be this extremely important envoy?" Come and take charge?"

"If you don't mind, leave this matter to me."

Demetra Vlas stood up and took over what was obviously a hard job.

As one of the few women among the Chiefs, she is a secret ally of Sazastan, moving between the two rival factions so that both sides consider her one of their own.

But anyone who knows something about the politics of red-robed mage knows that the more this kind of person is, the more dangerous he is.

In fact, Demetra Vlas' role in the Chief Council is to sell both sides' plans and intelligence to each other to ensure that both factions know each other's plans, thus forming a delicate balance.

You don’t need to ask to know that the risks of doing this kind of thing are high, but the rewards are also very high.

Otherwise, with her qualifications, it would be impossible for her to climb to the chief position at this age.

Sazastan glanced at this dangerous woman, and finally nodded slightly: "Then leave it to you. Remember, when facing Soth, never try to show so-called toughness to try to bargain. Just state our conditions directly.”

"Don't worry, I still have some experience in diplomacy. What's more, I have a perfect candidate this time."

Having said that, Demetra Vlas stood up and bowed slightly, then activated the teleportation magic and disappeared.

As she left, the other chiefs also stood up and left one after another.

It is not difficult to see from the tense atmosphere that the conflicts among the country's top rulers have accumulated to a terrifying level and may suddenly break out at any time.