Duke Iltan asked with a serious expression after thinking for a moment.
Under the current circumstances, it seems that there is no other choice except to fight a decisive naval battle.
But the problem is that although Baldur's Gate is a port city, it has never established a professional navy.
Because a quick look at the map will show that the city's real location is actually along the Chongsa River, a short distance from the ocean.
So no matter who wants to attack Baldur's Gate from the sea, they must come in from the relatively narrow river mouth.
The reason why "Sword Bay" is called this name is that the coast of this sea area is basically composed of steep cliffs and bare peaks that are hundreds or even thousands of meters high, which look like sharp swords from a distance.
This means that as long as some catapults, crossbows, crossbows and the like are set up in a high place at the mouth of the river, the invading enemy fleet can be easily destroyed in the narrow river.
Since we have an impregnable defense, there is naturally no need to spend so much money to build a professional navy.
After all, the cost of building a sturdy warship and its daily maintenance are not comparable to those of a mere merchant ship.
What's more, the mere fact that a large number of trees were cut down in the surrounding area to build merchant ships had already caused strong dissatisfaction among the shadow druids in the Cloak Forest.
This is an extreme sect that values the forest more than human life. Many nobles and merchants who hunt animals near the forest have been hunted by them.
If even rarer and more precious ancient trees were cut down to build warships, the Shadow Druids would probably explode on the spot and directly summon a large number of animals to launch indiscriminate attacks.
Therefore, Baldur's Gate does not have the strong need and necessary conditions to build a strong navy like Amn.
If a large-scale naval battle really had to be fought, it would mean requisitioning at least twenty large merchant ships.
As for the soldiers, naturally the most elite Flame Fist mercenaries would be sent to take over.
Anyway, in Duke Iltan's opinion, there is no difference between naval battles and land battles. Both use bows, slingshots and ballistas for long-range attacks before getting close.
After the boarding, it is natural to see the equipment, discipline, training level, willpower and professional level of the soldiers on both sides.
In this regard, the Flame Fist Mercenaries are the best on the entire west coast of Faerun, and even Waterdeep cannot compare with them.
Duke Silver Shield took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, then said in a very firm tone: "Let's start the war! At this point, the other side has made it clear that they are deliberately restricting and blocking Baldur's Gate's most important maritime trade. If we don't give it a try, our wealth and trade will only become less and less, and we will eventually lose our ability to resist."
"Are you sure? You should know that the cost of forcibly requisitioning merchant ships is not small. Given your current situation, once you provoke a collective backlash from the merchants, your resignation will almost certainly be inevitable. Even if I intervene, I may not be able to protect you." Duke Iltan issued a serious warning.
"Do you think I have any other choice?" Duke Silver Shield asked with a wry smile.
"That's true. Having come to this point, you and I have long since had no way out. Do you know? According to a masked wizard lord in Waterdeep, the actions of the pirates from the Nelanther Islands this time are most likely due to our previous declaration that the faith in Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, is illegal, and we also expelled her priests and voters."
Duke Iltan did not hide anything and told the messenger exactly what he had just heard.
Because he understood that, to a certain extent, he and the other party were grasshoppers tied to the same rope.
If something does happen, no one can expect to be safe.
After all, it was they who proposed together to completely expel the power of the Church of Talona from Baldur's Gate to prevent Amn from intimidating them in the same way again.
If citizens, merchants, and major chambers of commerce knew that the source of all crises was caused by this fact...
Even though Duke Iltan was the nominal supreme commander of the Flaming Fist Mercenaries and controlled more than 70% of the troops in Baldur's Gate, he could not guarantee that he could withstand the overwhelming anger of the people.
After all, no matter how obedient the Flame Fist Mercenaries are, they are still living people.
They also have families and friends, and need to go out to buy groceries on a daily basis, have a drink at the pub they frequent, and relax their body and mind from the intense training and tasks they perform on a daily basis.
Once these soldiers find that their superiors are no longer respected and instead become rats crossing the street and everyone wants to kill them, it is difficult to guarantee that they will remain as loyal as they are now.
There might be a few officers who are desperate and who, together with their soldiers, would declare "abandoning darkness and joining the light" and then launch a military coup d'état.
"What? You mean... the actions of the pirates of the Nelanther Islands are actually revenge against us by the Chosen One named Soth?" The Duke of Silver Shield opened his mouth in shock.
He couldn't believe it even in his dreams that the other party would actually launch a naval blockade and trade sanctions against the entire Baldur's Gate just because he was denied entry into the city once.
Duke Iltan nodded expressionlessly. "Although I don't quite understand how he did it, this is the only reason and motive that makes sense at the moment. Otherwise, why would they only charge triple protection fees to merchant ships sailing from and entering Baldur's Gate, since we have no grudges against those pirates in the past or present? This doesn't make sense from a logical or rational point of view."
"Damn it! According to you, we made a huge mistake when we expelled the church and priests of Talona?" The Duke of Silver Shield's face suddenly became extremely ugly.
"Don't ask me. I don't know whether that decision was right or wrong. But one thing is certain, that is, we have provoked a difficult and dangerous enemy."
As he spoke these words, Duke Iltan's tone was filled with intense uneasiness.
Because as the highest-ranking and most powerful warrior in Baldur's Gate, he knows better than anyone else how terrifying high-level spellcasters are, especially those who possess a large number of divine abilities.
What's more, Zuo Si is the chosen one of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease.
Even though this god is only a weak one, the threat and damage he can cause to cities and armies are far more terrifying than many powerful gods.
In addition, there is no decent spellcasting organization in Baldur's Gate, and the various temples and churches are indifferent to the dukes, so if something really happens, they can only hope for the best.
"Then can this naval battle still be fought?" The Duke of Silver Shield was obviously feeling guilty.
Just as many nobles who are used to the sense of superiority brought by power, when they suddenly encounter adventurers who do not take them seriously, they are often frightened out of their wits by the other party's fierce eyes and bad attitude, and suddenly realize that their so-called power is not worth mentioning in the face of real strength.
At this moment, he also found that the tactics, schemes and methods he had used before were now completely useless.
In the end, things will have to be resolved through war and force.
"Of course we have to fight! Only if we win, will you and I be qualified to sit down and negotiate and bargain. Otherwise, the other party won't even give us this opportunity." Duke Iltan said firmly.
Compared to the Duke of Silver Shield, as the highest military commander of Baldur's Gate, he is more aware of the importance of the army and force.
"Damn it! I hate this feeling of being cornered and having to fight to the death to survive. All right! Just as you said, we will fight those pirates from the Nelanther Islands first."
The Duke of Silver Shield gritted his teeth and slammed the table with his fist.
Seeing that his allies had finally made up their minds to fight to the bitter end, Duke Iltan smiled with satisfaction and gave a straightforward instruction: "Remember! Requisition a few more ships with wide hulls and decks. Only such ships can maximize the combat effectiveness of the Flame Fist Mercenaries. Once we successfully dock, our elite troops will be able to beat the shit out of those rabble."
Duke Silver Shield nodded without hesitation: "Don't worry! I'm risking everything this time! Even if I have to offend all the merchants and chambers of commerce engaged in maritime trade in Baldur's Gate, I will collect enough large ships for you."
After saying this, he left the Flame Fist Mercenary Headquarters Castle without looking back and headed straight for his own territory in the port area.
In less than two hours, the resolute Duke of Silver Shield gathered together all the ship owners of merchant ships with a certain carrying capacity in the city and announced in public that he would requisition the ships of all the people present to launch a naval battle.
Without a doubt!
Such actions that infringe upon the core interests of all businessmen will, as expected, immediately lead to overwhelming opposition and protests.
You know, ships are like lifeblood to these maritime merchants.
If a ship sank or was captured in a fierce naval battle, even if it received official compensation from Baldur's Gate afterwards, the time from placing an order with the shipyard to completion would be too long, resulting in a large amount of trade share being squeezed out by its peers.
If it were any other time, with the Duke of Silver Shield's weak character, he might have chosen to compromise.
But this time, he had no way out, so he completely ignored the fierce opposition from merchants and chambers of commerce and chose to impose compulsory collection.
In less than an hour, the Flame Fist mercenaries took over the ships docked at the berths and along the river.
As for those ship owners who had temporarily lost ownership of their ships, they all stood on the shore with their servants and guards and cursed loudly, almost cursing the ancestors of Duke Silver Shield and Duke Iltan, as well as all the female relatives in their families, without any of their usual etiquette and manners.
But the latter seemed to know that he was in the wrong and chose to turn a blind eye to such cursing.
But they didn't know that just as they were about to launch a surprise attack on the fleet of the Nelanther Islands cruising the waters near Baldur's Gate, some angry merchants chose to send people to secretly inform the pirate captains under the cover of night.
Because only in this way can the merchants get their requisitioned ships back after the defeat in Baldur's Gate.
Of course, if you get sunk, you'll just have to consider yourself unlucky.
After about half an hour, the relevant information was placed on Vanessa's desk.
The lich picked it up and glanced at it, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Those stupid dukes finally couldn't hold back and wanted to fight back. Very good! Very good! Immediately give orders to the fleet near Baldur's Gate and have them prepare for the battle. I will personally lead all the mages and warlocks to teleport there later."
"As you wish, Master."
Eric placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply, a cold and cruel smile on his face.
Although the naval battle has not yet begun, he already knows the outcome in advance.
From the beginning to the end, Baldur's Gate did not have even the slightest chance of winning.
The reason is simple! Currently, there are more than thirty mages and warlocks who can cast third-level magic in the Nelanther Islands.
This means that when the war begins, they will all fly in the sky, carrying out large-scale bombing on the enemy's slow-moving ships from a high vantage point.
Unless there is an equal magical force to counter it, no matter how elite the Flame Fist Mercenaries are, they are nothing more than living targets floating on the sea.
After seeing Eric off, Vanessa immediately stood up and performed advanced teleportation to the Mage Tower in Askatla, and reported this exciting "good news" to Zuo Si.
The latter was shocked when he heard it and asked, "Really? Are Iltan and Anta Silver Shield crazy? What gave them the courage to fight us on the sea? Even if they don't understand magic, at least they should know that no matter what kind of ship it is on the sea, it will be destroyed in a few minutes if it is hit by a fireball."
"Hehe! I think they must have been pushed into a corner. Especially not long ago, several ships of the Silver Shield Family that were loaded with valuable cargo did not pay protection fees, and we caught them red-handed. All of them were seized. If there is no response, he will no longer have the qualifications and prestige to continue to be the Duke of Baldur's Gate in charge of maritime trade." Vanessa explained with glee.
"I see. If that's the case, then let's completely extinguish their last hope." Zuo Si ordered casually.
"Do we want to take the opportunity to kill Iltan? According to the information I have obtained so far, he should follow the fleet to attack." Vanessa tentatively asked with a little excitement.
Because he knew that Duke Iltan was a warrior who had truly crossed the threshold of legend.
If you can kill it and bring back the body, you can create a powerful Death Knight through necromancy magic.
No necromancer could resist such temptation.
After all, legendary warriors are rare in Faerun, at least not as many as legendary wizards.
The reason is simple! Mages can extend their lifespans through various means, and even turn themselves into immortal liches.
But the warriors don't have such ability.
As they get older, their physical functions will decline rapidly, and they will eventually become old people who need a cane to walk.
In order to maintain their body functions from aging, some warriors even choose to enter the Astral Plane with the help of spellcasters and settle there forever, even if they have to endure harassment and siege from Githyanki bandits all day long.
Only in the astral realm where there is no flow of time can they continuously develop and explore the mysteries of the body and hone their combat skills until they transcend the limits of physiology and even species and reach the level of transcendence.
Otherwise, in the material world where time flows normally, many warriors would probably have started to age physically before they even crossed the threshold of legend.
Zuo Si was very good at necromancy, so he saw through the lich's idea at a glance, smiled and shook his head: "No, no. Irtan can't die now, at least not in our hands.
Otherwise, whether it is Waterdeep, Neverwinter, or other city-states in the Northern Lords' Alliance, they will be wary of the new forces in the Nelanther Islands.
Killing the leader of a political force is a taboo, and we cannot start this trend.
Besides, keeping him will be of other use in the future."
"Then according to your opinion..."
"Capture him first, then let Baldur's Gate and the family behind him pay for his ransom.
In addition, the signing of the agreement ensured that Baldur's Gate would not be able to build or own even a single warship in the future.
And one-tenth of the fiscal tax revenue must be taken out as commission for the Nelanther Islands to protect the maritime security of Baldur's Gate.
And allow our fleet to be stationed, docked, and supplied in Baldur's Gate, and at the same time cede several strategically important islands near the estuary to build fortresses.
In short, after this naval battle, everyone must clearly realize that the new power of the Nelanther Islands has become the undisputed overlord from the southern Sword Bay to the Sea of Swords.
Whoever dares to provoke us will be dealt with most severely.”
Zuo Si told all the methods he could think of against Baldur's Gate.
Without a navy, one would be at the mercy of others and unable to protect one's own sea trade routes. Over time, one would have no choice but to rely on the protection of the fleet of the Nelanther Islands.
Especially merchants engaged in maritime trade will inevitably turn to the Nelanther Islands, thus causing a rift in the Baldur's Gate merchant group.
In the future, this city will form two major business groups and political forces.
One is the sea merchants who have completely surrendered to the Nalanther Islands, and the other is the local land merchants.
The two sides will continue to hinder each other because of their different interests.
In this way, Baldur's Gate, the most promising port city on the Sword Coast, will never pose a threat to the Nelanther Islands.
Vanessa is undoubtedly a smart person, with a unique and profound understanding of sea power. She immediately understood what Zuo Sixiang wanted to express, and immediately responded with a smile: "Please rest assured, I will slowly turn Baldur's Gate into a trade node under the control of the organization."
Zuo Si nodded in satisfaction. "Just do what you think is right. Also, try to control the casualties in the battle and don't let the Flame Fist Mercenaries suffer too many casualties. After all, this is one of the most elite armies on the west coast of Faerun, and we may need them in the future."
"I know. I will ask my apprentices and the mages and warlocks employed by the organization to be gentle and use less lethal spells and use spells of immobilization, control, and charm instead. It would be best to force the other party to surrender voluntarily through intimidation."
After saying this, Vanessa quickly returned to the Nelanther Islands through the portal that had just been built in the high tower. She gathered the local mages and warlocks and sent invitations to other members of the organization.
About two or three hours later, four other liches, including Jeffrey, responded to the invitation and joined the "carnival" with their apprentices and private armed forces.
Since this was the first collective action since the establishment of the Arcane Mystic Society, the liches found it very fresh.
A new member who had just completed the transformation asked in a half-joking tone: "Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss to deal with a fleet that was just put together by Baldur's Gate? Any of us here, as long as we bring a fireball wand, should be able to easily annihilate it, right?"
"No, you don't understand, this is not a matter of formation.
Instead, it is to demonstrate strength to all the port cities on the west coast of the entire continent of Faerun.
Let them understand the serious consequences of being our enemy and submit to the maritime rules we set.
Of course, the most important thing is to take revenge on those foolish and arrogant dukes of Baldur's Gate for the leader of the organization, Lord Soth."
Jeffrey responded meaningfully.
"Do you want to reveal your identity?"
The newly born lich subconsciously touched the beard on his chin.
Since his body had just died not long ago and was preserved with a large amount of necromancy magic, his long flowing beard was well preserved.
Vanessa immediately shook her head: "Of course not. The purpose of our organization is to keep a low profile.
So everything can only be done in the name of the Nelanther Islands.
In other words, Eric is the nominal supreme leader, and we are just mages hired by him.
In addition, I have prepared masks for you to block magic detection and cover your face. You will all wear them when you take action later."
After that, Vanessa distributed the magic masks that she had made in advance to the core members one by one.
Not only them, but even the lich's apprentices had a part.
Since the secret mark that the "Mad Wizard" bestowed on the Green-footed Dragon Snake was cracked, and a lot of research on first and second ring magic was done based on this, the production cost of such low-level magic items has become shockingly low.
Although there is no way to match Zuo Si's creator ability, it is still no problem to compress it to two or three hundred gold coins.
“Nice little gadget.”
The lich took it in his hand, looked at it, and quickly put it on his face, then covered it with the hood.
After everyone put on their masks, Vanessa activated the portal she had built and began to let the apprentices who had been waiting outside for a long time pass through, while she and other core members followed behind.
After a while, dozens of mages and warlocks were transferred directly from the Nalanther Islands to the warships floating on the sea.
Also transferred with them was Eric, the nominal fleet commander.
The latter took over the flagship in less than five minutes and began to give orders in an orderly manner, arranging more than forty modified warships gathered here into an intercepting formation.
About two hours and forty minutes later, when it began to darken, the lookout suddenly reported that a fleet of merchant ships from Baldur's Gate was observed at the mouth of the Chongsa River, heading towards them.
"Are we going to block them directly at the river mouth?" Eric asked in an uncertain tone.
Vanessa shook her head slightly. "There's no need for that. Just let them out. Otherwise, if the sunken ship blocks the river, it will affect our subsequent plans."
"Understood."
Eric instantly realized what his loyal master was planning and quickly issued orders to the entire fleet through the flagship.
In this way, the ships led by Duke Iltan and Duke Silver Shield safely left the Chongsa River and entered the wide bay.
Since they are all large merchant ships, their "bellies" appear to be round and they are all oval in shape designed to carry more cargo.
Even with the sails fully hoisted, the speed remains neither fast nor slow.
A large number of elite Flame Fist mercenaries were already wearing armor and standing on the deck, arranged in a tight square formation like on land, intending to deal a devastating blow to the enemy the moment they came into contact with the enemy.
Although they were not professional naval forces, they were very familiar with ships and there was no widespread seasickness or other symptoms.
Because both fleets discovered each other's relationship, they immediately began to circle around four or five islands near the estuary and looked for opportunities to launch an attack.
Soon, Eric used his rich experience in naval warfare to deliberately reveal a flaw to the enemy.
He left three ships full of undead behind, deliberately creating a situation where the ships were out of sync due to improper command.
Although Duke Iltan had extensive experience in land warfare, he was basically a novice in naval warfare. He chose without hesitation to let the fleet he led advance, wanting to eliminate the enemies on the ships first and weaken the opponent's advantage in numbers.
As it was already dark and visibility was extremely low, he did not notice that the swaying black shadows on the enemy ship were actually a group of skeletons and zombies with the smell of decay and death all over their bodies.
On the other side, the Duke of Silver Shield, who was in charge of coordination and support, obviously realized that something was wrong, but he had no way to remind his allies, so he could only follow suit and outflank from the left.
In fact, the reason why Baldur's Gate chose to attack in the evening was that they wanted to take advantage of their better understanding of this area of water in the dark.
Especially the reefs near several islands.
If a ship hits it, it will instantly create a big hole in the bottom of the cabin and then slowly sink.
After all, when caught in a melee, not many people would notice what is hidden under the water.
At that time, we only need to sacrifice one or two ships as bait to lure the enemy fleet into waters full of reefs and win the naval battle.
I have to say that the idea is good, but the reality is cruel.
Before Duke Silver Shield could successfully lure the enemy to the reef, Duke Iltan fell into the enemy's bait.
The first two ships that approached were immediately besieged by hordes of undead as soon as they touched the ship's side.
Although relying on strict discipline, the Flame Fist mercenaries maintained their formation at the beginning.
But when the ogres and minotaur zombies launched the charge, the spearmen who were in charge of the front row holding large shields finally collapsed.
Because they were on the boat, they had no space to adjust their formation or maneuver.
In addition, zombies are creatures that are not afraid of pain at all, and do not care how many holes are poked in their bodies. They simply rely on their own powerful brute force to rush forward, disrupting the formation wherever they pass.
The zombies and skeletons behind followed closely behind, and under the command of the undead lieutenant, they waved their spears that could shoot lightning, and electrocuted a group of people to death at the first sight.
More than half of the more than sixty Flame Fist mercenaries on the ship were killed or wounded in less than a few seconds. The remaining soldiers lost their morale and jumped off the ship.
Some people didn't even have time to take off their armor weighing more than ten kilograms. As a result, they sank to the bottom of the sea as soon as they entered the water and were drowned.
"Damn it! What's going on with these undead creatures?"
As the distance got closer, Duke Iltan finally saw the densely packed undead creatures on the warring ships, and his face suddenly became extremely ugly.
Anyone who is not a fool can realize that this is definitely a bait and trap.
Just when a Flame Fist officer nearby was about to say something, he suddenly saw countless red light balls appear above his head.
The next second...
Boom!!! A fireball flew down from a height of more than 100 meters and exploded in the middle of the mast.
The dazzling and brilliant fire almost devoured the canvas in an instant, and turned the entire wooden mast into an enormous torch burning.
The soldiers on the deck were in even greater panic.
Some people carried buckets of water to try to fetch sea water to put out the fire, while others used axes to try to chop off the burning mast and throw it into the sea to prevent the fire from spreading to other places.
Unfortunately, just as they started to get busy, a large oil stain instantly covered the deck.
Several soldiers who were standing by the side of the ship pulling buckets of water slipped and almost fell off.
fortunately!
Then the sticky spider web fixed it in place and made it unable to move.
"Mage! It's a mage! There are so many mages above us!"
At this moment, many people who were lying on the ground with their faces up could see clearly what the red light ball was all about. It was a group of arcane spellcasters who were casting fireballs with their hands.
As long as they want, they can drop powerful fireballs at any time and send the Baldur's Gate fleet into the seabed.
fear!
despair!
For a moment, even the most determined soldiers realized that this naval battle no longer needed to be fought after seeing this scene.
Because in front of so many arcane spellcasters, what's the point of having more ships and soldiers? Can they fly? "Impossible! Where did those damn pirates find so many wizards and warlocks?"
Duke Iltan suddenly stood up from his seat and roared like a madman.
He might be able to accept failure after a bloody battle, but he absolutely could not accept a situation like this where he was crushed by his opponent right at the beginning.
After all, when fighting with Amn, the masked wizard only sent a dozen people as support.
But now the number of spellcasters standing in the air has exceeded fifty.
Those bright fireballs that are ready to be launched at any time are like the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, serving as both a deterrent and a warning.
Duke Iltan understood that the other party did not kill him because they were waiting for him to surrender.
Otherwise, if there is even the slightest disturbance, all the elite Flame Fist mercenaries brought out today will be wiped out.
As for the two mages he had hired as his trump cards, they were now trembling with fear at the scene and did not dare to make any move.
If he hadn't mastered the fifth ring [Teleportation], he would have run away immediately.
In fact, the several ships led by the Duke of Silver Shield on the other side had already tactfully lowered their sails, dropped anchor, and then hoisted white flags on the top of their masts, indicating that they had stopped all resistance.
With his lead, the other ships in the Baldur's Gate fleet quickly followed suit.
No matter how disciplined and obedient the Flame Fist Mercenaries are, they are still mercenaries who do things for money.
So when they realized that resistance would only bring disaster to themselves, they all chose to lay down their weapons and surrender.
Seeing one ship after another lowering its sails, dropping anchor, and hoisting the humiliating white flag, Duke Iltan clenched his fists tightly and squeezed out three words through his teeth: "Surrender..."
moment!
The officer, who was nervous the previous second, breathed a sigh of relief the next second. Without saying a word, he ordered a soldier to take off the white shirt under his armor, tie it to a wooden stick and swing it hard.
As Duke Iltan's flagship also announced its surrender, this farcical naval battle finally came to an end.
Except for the unlucky guys on the two ships that first came into contact with the Undead warship, the rest were basically unharmed.
Especially Duke Iltan, a powerful legendary warrior, did not even have a chance to fight, and his status fell from the supreme commander to a prisoner.
Even if he was strong enough, he could kill all the pirates on a ship by himself.
But unfortunately, considering that his allies and other Flame Fist mercenaries were captured and imprisoned on other ships, the man didn't dare to act rashly.
After about half an hour, he was taken to a fully enclosed cabin.
Brought along with him was fellow captive Antar Silvershield.
The two didn't say anything, just looked at each other, and then sighed at the same time.
As the most powerful people in Baldur's Gate, they knew very well that they had been tricked from the very beginning.
These are not the pirates from the Nelansel Islands mentioned in the intelligence, but another unknown powerful force.
Because it is impossible for the pirates in the Nelanther Islands to hire so many wizards to work for them, and they do not have the connections or financial resources.
Unfortunately, it's too late now.
Just when they were about to say something, the tightly closed door behind them was suddenly pushed open.
Vanessa walked in from outside.
Because of the magic mask and hood, neither Iltan nor Silver Shield could recognize who the person in front of them was.
The lich looked at the other person with interest. After a full minute, he sneered with contempt: "Sometimes I really want to pry open your brains and see if they are filled with feces or something like that. Otherwise, why do you keep doing extremely stupid and arrogant things again and again?"
"Who are you? Why are you targeting Baldur's Gate? What benefits did the Chosen of Talona give you?"
Irtan, who was a little angry, gritted his teeth and asked.
"Humph! You idiot, you still haven't figured out why all this happened, right?
And I must correct you a little bit, Lord Soth has never targeted Baldur's Gate, he has only targeted you arrogant, conceited and stupid dukes.
Besides, we were not hired as you might think.
In fact, whether it is the pirates of the Nalanther Islands or the spellcasters including me, they all obey the orders of Lord Soth.
He has been our unquestionable leader from the beginning.
So you can understand that everything we did was to avenge your humiliation of Lord Soth."
Vanessa did not hide anything and revealed the answer directly.
Because he can't wait to enjoy the other person's reaction, as well as a series of negative emotions such as shock, anger, regret, etc.
The fact was just as the lich had expected. When Anta Silver Shield and Irtan learned the truth, they were so shocked that they were speechless.
They simply could not imagine how Zuo Si had managed to recruit so many wizards in such a short period of time and integrate the extremely chaotic pirates of the Nalanther Islands into a maritime force under his control.
What was even more unbelievable to the two was that such a big action was just to avenge the humiliation they suffered at the city gate?
So crazy!
It was so crazy that Anta Silver Shield and Iltan felt like they were in a nightmare and wanted to wake up quickly.
After several minutes, the latter, who was relatively steadfast in mind, came to his senses first. He raised his head and asked tentatively: "What is your ultimate goal? To occupy Baldur's Gate? Or to plunder it?"
Vanessa smiled and replied, “No, neither.
Next I will show the people of Baldur's Gate what kind of people their elected Dukes are.
Don't be impatient. After we capture the military camps and fortresses on both sides of the river, I will send the fleet into the river and make you look ridiculous in front of the people you rule.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that.
Don't expect to write down the conversation just now and then tell Waterdeep or the Northern Lords' Alliance.
Someone will soon come to clean and weave the memories in your brains."
As soon as the words fell!
A powerful psychic power suddenly came out from behind the lich, directly controlling Anta Silver Shield and Iltan, and reweaving the memories in their minds at an extremely fast speed, even adding some things.
Seeing the dullness in the two people's eyes, Vanessa immediately smiled and turned to Wilmes who remained in human form and said, "Thank you for your help, ma'am."
"You're welcome. It wasn't me who did it anyway."
Wilmes shrugged nonchalantly.
As the strange creature ate more and more brains, she could feel that this guy's psychic powers were becoming more and more terrifying.
Especially controlling the legendary warrior Iltan who possesses powerful magic and mental resistance in an instant is something that even a real mind flayer cannot do easily.
Of course, this may also be related to the fact that after Zuo Si decided to raise goblins, the strange creatures had sufficient food sources.
It eats the brains of at least ten goblins every day and then throws the bodies into the deep pit to feed the burrowing worms.
Vanessa obviously knew about the red dragon in front of her and the strange thing that coexisted in her brain.
However, the latter does not seem to like communicating with third parties other than the master and host.
So he could only communicate with Wilmes, so that the strange object could use psychic power to modify the memories of Anta Silver Shield and Iltan.
Soon, under the joint attack of several other liches, the fortress and military camp of Baldur's Gate built on the high ground at the mouth of the Chongsa River were completely razed to the ground in less than ten minutes.
After all the ballistae, slingshots and crossbows were burned, Eric ordered the fleet to lower the sails to half and slowly sail along the river towards the city's port.
When the fleet appeared within the sight of nearby residents, the entire Baldur's Gate instantly fell into unprecedented panic and chaos.
A large number of residents living in the port area did not dare to stay for even a second and immediately rushed out of their homes and ran towards the Flame Fist headquarters castle, trying to get these reliable soldiers to protect themselves.
But unfortunately, when they got closer, they found that most of the Flame Fist mercenaries had been taken away by Duke Iltan, leaving less than a hundred people behind.
Similarly, upon learning that their side had been defeated and nearly 80% of the Flame Fist mercenaries had been captured, the other two dukes immediately issued emergency orders to recruit young and middle-aged men in the city and distribute weapons, preparing for continued resistance in the city.
But it wasn't long before the citizens discovered that these guys from the Nelanther Islands had no intention of going ashore.
Even the warehouses in the port area were not looted.
They simply threw the captured Duke of Silver Shield and Duke of Iltan onto the shore and made them speak out in public about the unknown political secrets of these years and how they embezzled the city's financial revenue through various means and turned it into their family's wealth.
In short, in a place like Baldur's Gate ruled by merchants, no one who can climb to a high position has a clean bottom.
In addition, the final act of forcibly requisitioning merchant ships angered the merchant community, so it soon caused an uproar.
Tonight, Baldur's Gate is destined to usher in a sleepless night...
(End of this chapter)
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