Crown of Chaos

PS: Ahem, cough, cough, today is a medium-sized chapter of 5,000 words!

The Great Temple of Aidas, the Spring Goddess, in the Ainook Desert.

Since Harald the Ruthless announced his surrender, the countdown to the Bedai Barbarians' surrender has begun. Relying on Harald's prestige, the influence of the Seven Gods of Nese, and Aaron's personal prestige, a total of 45 small tribes of the Bedai Barbarians have begun to surrender. He came to surrender, and Haral's scattered tribes regrouped. Soon, a barbarian army of more than 12,000 horsemen immediately surrendered to Aaron's tent.

As for Aaron's march into the desert this time, among other things, he brought enough supplies of food and water. In addition, he showed strong military strength, ruthless massacres along the way, and generous treatment after surrendering. , the Bedai barbarians no longer hesitated, and finally all surrendered to Aaron.

In the great temple, Eleanor had just scolded Robert. The priestess was obviously very dissatisfied with Robert's behavior of allowing the army to massacre the Bedai barbarian cavalry. She went up and slapped Robert on the ear, hitting half of Robert's face. It was swollen, but my cousin seemed very strong. He firmly believed that he was not wrong and expressed his willingness to be punished.

Aaron also gave Robert a very severe punishment. He announced that his cousin would be fined three months for being lax in his duties.

Later, Aaron announced that the left army had the fastest advance and the most fruitful results. As commanders, Baron Maximian of Suplin and Baron Robert of Welf each received a salary of 10,000 stone and a bounty of 10,000 lion coins.

Aren't you not punishing me, but are you still rewarding me?

Eleanor was so angry that she gritted her teeth and twisted several knots on Aaron's waist, making Buyer envious.

After the important matter was decided, Aaron and Eleanor strolled in the great temple of the spring goddess, letting the sparkling light and shadow of the spring sway on their faces.

Miss Priest followed Aaron and held hands with Aaron: "Haral is already gathering and reorganizing all the Bedai cavalry...Aaron, I feel very strange. Since you plan to use the power of the Bedai barbarians, why? What if we don’t accept Harold’s surrender? If we had accepted Harold’s surrender, we would have been able to raise at least 20,000 horses now instead of only 12,000, and we have no shortage of logistics.”

Aaron couldn't help but smile when he heard this. He pulled Miss Priest and walked in front of the Seven Gods of Nese. He chuckled and said, "Take a guess, dear Eleanor."

"Hmm..." Ms. Pastor's golden braids were dangling behind her head, and the silver-moon-shaped forehead protector on her forehead flashed under the light and shadow reflected in the spring water. There were both complaints and curiosity on her bright and delicate face. With an expression ready for the challenge: "Is it... is it because Harald believes in Amaunata? And he respects all the seven gods of Nese equally?"

"This is just a small reason, guess again." Aaron smiled and shook his head.

"Well... is it because Harald is so brave and loyal?" Miss Pastor asked tentatively. As a pastor of Suellen in the neutral and good camp, Eleanor naturally had key words such as loyalty, kindness, morality, and courage. It will resonate with her.

"This is just a small reason." Aaron continued to shake his head: "Harald showed such qualities just because he was really desperate. He was unwilling to cooperate with the Zhentarim. It was just because he was very proud. No. Willing to bow to Cyric or Bane, that’s all.”

"Is that... to show off the strength of our army?" Eleanor was a little annoyed. Miss Pastor pinched Aaron's cheek and her little face bulged slightly: "Speak quickly! Otherwise, in the next three months You are not even allowed to touch me!"

"Dear Eleanor, you have to understand one thing. The fundamental of governing a territory is not to understand the right and wrong. Politics never cares about good and evil, only about order and chaos." Aaron put his hands behind his back, his face The smile gradually faded: "Let them fight the civil war between the Bedai barbarians and leave some Bedai barbarians who are useful to our shogunate."

Hmm~ Why can’t I understand?

Eleanor pouted, Miss Pastor crossed her arms and turned her head to express, "Can't you speak more clearly?"

"What's that expression on your face?" Aaron glanced sideways at Eleanor. Seeing that Eleanor didn't understand, he had to explain it more clearly: "Based on the circumstances, Harold's surrender is different from Harald's surrender. What's the difference?"

"Harold surrendered with purpose and reservation. He just wanted to borrow my power. If we didn't come, Harold would still have a high probability of winning this civil war. In other words, he could still become Bei King of Dai.”

"Harald is different. His failure is almost doomed. If we hadn't come, then there would have just been a few more new skeletons in the Enook Desert. On the contrary, we saved him in a desperate situation. After marrying him, we are willing to support him to become the King of Bedai. How can this kindness be compared to how we helped Harold?"

"If you can win, I can make him lose. If you can lose, I can make him win." Aaron said lightly: "This is politics. What I give you is yours. If I don't give it to you, you can't Rob."

The pastor's sea-blue eyes finally stopped flickering. She looked at her fiancé with a strange look. The two had known each other for twenty years. If we count from the time Aaron started to awaken, she had already known Aaron. It had been eight years, but from this moment on, Eleanor felt strange.

"If there is anything else, it is that Harold is only about 40 years old this year, and has many adult children who are not around. Even if he dies in the future, his children can still set off the flames of rebellion in the desert, and Harold I am nearly fifty years old, and he only has a son, Halfdan the White Robe. Now that Halfdan the White Robe is under our control, the cost of his betrayal is destined to be very high. As long as he realizes that his son If you can shine in my army and have an unlimited future, why would Harald betray you?"

"Since you have made up your mind to support Harald, you must seal the title to the highest degree and reward to the highest degree. The paladin in the desert once said that nothing can win the hearts of subordinates more than generous rewards."

Aaron slowly turned around: "Not only the white-robed Halfdan, but also the elite and adult descendants of these Bedai chiefs. I want to control them all and build a new army to serve me."

Aaron's majestic figure cast a long shadow in the great temple: "I will give them an offer they cannot refuse."

Eleanor was shocked by Aaron's blueprint. The pastor was silent for a long time, and then she sighed: "Aaron, you have really grown up."

"Oh, don't you know best whether I am big or not?" Aaron immediately changed his face to a smile after saying the heavy topic: "Or, let's measure it now?"

"You guy!" Miss Pastor patted Aaron on the back. She blushed and put her index finger on Aaron's back, warning him that she would always be his nemesis.

Sure enough, Aaron immediately made a gesture of surrender. He pulled Eleanor into his arms, held Miss Pastor, felt her broad mind, and asked in a low voice: "By the way, let me ask you, we are about to go We are going to take the Moon Sea and burn Cyric and the Zhentarim's home base to ashes. Do you plan to stay here and preside over it, or do you want to go with me?"

"Of course I want to go with you." Eleanor's attitude was very firm. She poked Aaron's waist: "I want to prevent you and Robert from doing bad things again. My Lord has told me, I am Your watcher!”

"Okay, okay~" Aaron picked up Eleanor by the waist and walked around the temple three times: "You have to monitor me for the rest of your life, dear Eleanor."

"Humph~ It's good to know." Miss Pastor hummed, which was considered as an answer.

Just behind the two of them, among the statues of the seven gods of Nese, the statue of Su Lun showed an undetectable motherly smile.

The statue of Shar twitched the corner of his mouth.

…………

"Hehehehe~"

Three days later, at nightfall, Harald the Merciless was officially crowned at the entrance to the great temple of the spring goddess Idas, becoming the King of Bedai, and since then declared his surrender to the Grand Duke Aaron Salian of Rivellon. Oath of allegiance to Aaron in the manner of a vassal.

It is worth mentioning that King Bedai only owed allegiance to Aaron and the Salian shogunate led by Aaron, not to Cormyr.

This may be the so-called vassal of my vassal is not my vassal.

After a period of subjugation and notification, a total of 45 small tribes from the Bedai barbarians came to surrender and declared their submission to the Salian shogunate. Among them were many well-known warriors. King Harald of the Bedai also gathered many defeated tribes. The army re-expanded its troops to thousands.

And Aaron waved his hand and directly placed the Bedai barbarians under Harald's banner.

After learning about Aaron's generosity, the Heartless sighed so much that he almost burst into tears. Combining the strength of the shogunate army, Amaunata's will and Aaron's generosity, Harald thought that his life would be lost in the future. It is given to His Highness the General.

Subsequently, Aaron compiled 1,500 elites from the Bedai barbarians, led by the white-robed Halfdan, the only son of Harald the Ruthless, and all the children of barbarian chiefs and tribal leaders as officers. Aaron's direct control.

Named by Aaron, the Varangian Guard,

Boxes of ice-cold Chaos Raw Coke and Arabelle Dry Red, the Water of Suzal were delivered to the banquet site, the cattle and sheep from Rivellon were slaughtered and eaten on the spot in the desert, and the druids of the Flower God Order were sent to the banquet site. Fresh vegetables were produced on the spot, and the Bedai people finally enjoyed a real gluttonous feast after the long civil war. After eating so many Bedai people almost swallowed their own tongues, and some old Bedai people Dai Ren cried while eating.

Nese, we miss you.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Aaron suddenly said to Harald the Heartless: "King of Bedai, don't you want revenge?"

"Revenge? What does Your Highness mean?" Harald didn't understand.

"Harold is funded by the Zhentarim." Aaron held a bottle of Chaos Coke, the black liquid bursting with bubbles: "Don't you want to take revenge on the Zhentarim?"

"Your Highness is willing to send troops to the Moon Sea?!" Harald understood, and King Bedai immediately stood up.

The Zhentarim originated from Zhentil Keep, a city in the northwest of the Moon Sea. It is a secret military organization supported by Bane.

Their power spread across the northern part of the continent, and their influence on commerce and trade was important in many regions and cities.

The reason why they are able to maintain such a status is largely due to their control of the black road.

The Black Road is located in the center of the Eno Oak Desert, and there are very few desert oases scattered along the desert.

Through the Black Road, the Zhentarim can transport all kinds of goods from the eastern part of the mainland to the major cities along the Sword Coast in the west more quickly than all of its commercial competitors, or transport goods from the Sword Coast to be sold to east.

This naturally creates a fundamental conflict of interest with the Bedai barbarians, because the Bedai barbarians also rely on issuing passes to survive to a large extent. The hatred between the two sides is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea. No matter who meets whom in the desert, There is no need for anyone to talk nonsense, and the fight will begin immediately after making eye contact.

There will be absolutely no prisoners after the battle, and no one will leave anyone alive for the other.

In the hundred years since the Zhentarim opened up the Black Road, the Zhentarim caravans who died at the hands of the Bedai barbarians and the Bedai barbarians who died at the hands of the Zhentarim combined can circle the Black Road twice.

"Of course!" Aaron smiled, and he held Harald's hand: "Let us burn the Zhentarim and his Zhentil Keep to ashes together!"

"What I wish for!"

…………

Moon Sea, Zhentil Keep.

The most powerful city in the Moonsea region and the Zhentarim's main base of operations.

Zhentil Castle is a relatively young city in the country. Before 640 years ago in the Valley calendar, Zhentil Castle, like Baldur's Gate, was just a small trading center.

In the year 747 of the Valley Calendar, Zhentil Castle was built under the joint construction of twelve Zambian merchants. However, as soon as the castle was completed, a merchant couldn't wait to move into the castle and proclaimed himself the Lord of Explosion. Then other merchants were unwilling to do so. Showing weakness, they moved into the city one after another and proclaimed themselves city lords. They began to collect taxes, formulate laws and establish private soldiers to execute orders on their behalf. The ruling class of Zhentil Castle began to appear. Due to its location in the middle of the Moon Sea, the city soon Start thriving.

But the castle soon encountered an old problem, that is, nearby monsters always interfered with trade and city security. To this end, the twelve city lords found a mage named "Zhentil", and the mage agreed to the lord's request. They asked to expel the monsters, but he asked for a seat on the city council with the same status as the lords, and the merchant lords agreed.

However, on the day Zhentil arrived in the city, six of the twelve lords died suddenly. Instead, five mages and a priest inherited the seats of the merchant lords, and the remaining merchant lords realized The problem was that a conflict broke out between the merchant faction and the mage faction, which ended with the death of the leader of the merchant lords and the mage representative Zhentil. Both sides suffered heavy losses in this conflict, so that in the end they decided to cease the war and put the Zhentil mage His death was blamed on "outbound assassins from the south," portraying him as a hero of the city.

The city has since been named "Zhentil Castle".

After that, Zhentil Castle gradually expanded its influence in the Moon Sea and became the dominant force in this region.

The current chief lord of Zhentil Castle is Mansu. In 1250 of the Valley Calendar, he left Zhentil Castle with Ches, the son of another lord of Kalto, on the order of his father, Lord Halshan, to go out on an adventure to prove that He was worthy of becoming the next Zhentil Lord, but not long after they left, Harshaen and Kaltor died unexpectedly at the same time, and Bane's priest took the opportunity to steal the Lord's position.

Mansu vowed to take back everything that belonged to him. He returned to Zhentil Keep in 1260 Vale Calendar and regained his leadership position with the support of a Bane priest, Fuzor Chebery. , and he supported Fuzor as the chief lord to become the leader of the Bann Church. In this year, the Zhentarim Order, which the two jointly founded, was established and exists to this day.

A hundred years later, the fall of Bane and the rise of Cyric forced Mansu to change his appearance and fall into the arms of Cyric.

But Cyric is so capable. If Bane is a cruel and harsh ruler who also distinguishes rewards and punishments, then Cyric is a schizophrenic who changes orders day by day, all based on preference and cruelty. Zhentil In the past ten years, the castle has been tortured by the dark sun, making the people miserable and in chaos.

Fuzor really couldn't stand Xirel's capriciousness and lack of contract spirit, so he turned to the arms of Shamu, the son of Bane, but Mansu couldn't, because he was not only the leader of the Zhentarim, but also the Zhentil. The chief lord of the castle!

Recently, Cyric proposed a new plan to Mansu.

Cyric wanted to organize an army composed of frost giants and white dragons. They would march to the gates of Zhentil Castle first, and severely intimidate the residents of the city to let them know what would happen if they didn't believe Cyric, and then fight with Zhentil. The armies of Erborg merged and went south to attack the Valley of Shadows in the valley in one fell swoop, sending the Elminster, Storm Silverhand and Shadow Valley, the chosen ones of the Magic Bitch, into the sky.

Mansu is very excited about this plan, and he has been planning how to proceed recently.

But at this moment, spies from the Zhentarim quickly arrived outside.

"Your Excellency, your subordinates are not doing things well, please punish them!"

Mansu's expression changed, and he immediately recognized the other person as a secret agent from the Great Desert Branch: "Why are you so panicked?"

"Aaron, Aaron-Salian conquered the desert in just two months. The Bedai barbarians have surrendered. The new Bedai king Harald the Heartless has sworn allegiance to the Salian shogunate!"

The secret agent said in pain: "Furthermore, in the name of revenge, King Harald of Bedai invited Cormyr to send troops and marched towards the Moon Sea!"

Mansu was furious when he heard this: "Is this serious?!"

"Absolutely true!"

Hurrah! The chief lord of Zhentil Keep, the master of the Zhentarim, the legendary archmage Mansu's face turned red, thinking that I haven't dealt with you yet, and you actually sent it to the door yourself?

good very good!

Immediately report this matter to my Lord the Dark Sun! Cyric, the majestic king of three crowns and the number one god above all gods, will let you understand what cruelty is!

The Moon Sea will be the place where you, Aaron Salian, die!

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