In the solemn court next to the municipal office building of the Azkatla Administrative District, a lawsuit that attracted the attention of everyone in the city and lasted for two weeks was held as scheduled.
One of the parties is known without asking. It is the Paladin of the Knights of the Burning Heart who confirmed after investigation that the expedition team had committed an unforgivable crime.
In order to ensure that these horrific crimes could be tried fairly, Captain Weatherland even personally appeared in court and made an impassioned speech.
"Your Honor, Attorney General, and all the citizens who are here to listen.
I must tell you that after questioning all the sailors, it is basically confirmed that the first thing Cordel and his Golden Mercenaries did after discovering the Maztec continent was to carry out an inhumane massacre of the local indigenous people.
In total, they looted seventeen villages, six small towns, and a city that housed more than ten thousand people.
The number of people who died directly as a result exceeded 6,000, including the elderly, the weak, women and children who had no ability to resist.
As for being displaced, even more people eventually died of starvation, thirst, injuries and infections.
If one can commit such a crime and still get away with it, and even enjoy the wealth looted.
Where is justice? Where is the law?
Where is the axiom?
Most importantly, these evil deeds were committed in the name of Amn, greatly damaging the reputation of the city and the entire country.
It can be predicted that the indigenous people of the Maztec continent will remain hostile and vigilant towards us for a long time.
It is well known that Amn sent out expeditions in order to expand trade and do business with more cities and countries.
Just imagine, if the indigenous people of a continent are all hostile and don't even allow us to get close to their gathering places, how can merchants carry out their trading activities?
Therefore, Cordel and his Golden Mercenaries must be brought to justice! Only in this way can we prove to the natives of the Maztec continent that they are just a group of robbers who are greedy for money and that everything they did was not authorized or permitted by the government..."
It has to be said that Captain Weatheran of the Knights of the Burning Heart is quite eloquent. Not only did he criticize Cordel and the Golden Mercenaries from the standpoint of good and evil, but he also analyzed the pros and cons from a businessman's perspective.
His purpose was very simple, which was to make the man standing in the dock pay the price for the heinous crimes he had committed.
Because this is not about the murder of a few or a dozen people, but about genocide and extermination of thousands or even tens of thousands of people.
As a paladin serving the God of Justice, Weatheran would never allow Cordel and his Golden Mercenaries to escape the punishment of the law.
If the laws of Amn fail to render a fair judgment, he will risk falling out with the Council of Six and lead the Knights of the Burning Heart to attack and kill all these villains whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent people.
Just look at those fully armed and solemn paladins standing at the door to know how angry these holy warriors who swear to defend justice and protect the weak are.
Especially Sir Kaidong who was standing in the front row, tightly grasping the two-handed giant sword shining with golden light in his hand, and when he looked at the members of the Golden Mercenary Group, it was as if he was looking at a group of dead people.
You know, in the not-too-long history of Amn, there has never been any case like today that could make the entire Order of the Burning Heart come out in full force.
The judge and the prosecutor sitting on the stage kept wiping their sweat, completely frightened by this never-ending momentum.
They know very well that these stubborn paladins will not make any private deals or compromises with you, nor will they simply threaten or intimidate you like the gangs under the Shadow Thieves do, but will really act without hesitation.
A few months ago, Duke Telja, whose territory was in the Giant Plains, revealed the whereabouts of a team of paladins sent by the Knights of the Burning Heart to a vicious wanted criminal.
As a result, the latter set up an ambush and almost wiped out the entire team, with only Cassius and Kaidong surviving.
It was these two who, through tracking day and night in the wilderness, finally found the enemy's lair and slaughtered them all.
After returning to Askatla and reporting the matter, the Knights immediately sent people to question Duke Telga.
The latter initially refused to admit it until irrefutable evidence was presented, and then he hid in the castle and tried to fight against the law enforcement agencies with his private army.
However, they were overwhelmed by a wave of attacks from the Paladins and apprentice knights of the Knights of the Burning Heart.
Not only was the entire family uprooted, but numerous other crimes were also unearthed in the process.
During this process, no matter how the nobles involved with Duke Telgar pleaded, pressured, and threatened, the holy knights remained unmoved and steadfastly completed all legal procedures.
In the end, not only were Duke Telgar and his men who were directly involved sentenced to death, but the family territory that had been passed down for hundreds of years was also confiscated, and even their descendants were expelled from Amn, never to set foot on this land again.
Therefore, in the eyes of those evil camps and those who have committed unforgivable crimes, paladins are more terrifying than mercenaries and killers.
Because the latter can at least be bribed with money, but once the paladins are determined on something, not even death will make them back down.
Cordell, standing in the dock, was soaked in sweat. He was racking his brains frantically to think about how to defend himself, while secretly cursing Bernard and Sir Kelvin.
If these two guys hadn't asked the Knights of the Burning Heart to arbitrate, things wouldn't have turned out like this.
Right now, the only person he could count on was the solemn-looking High Priest of the Guardian God, Osig, who also had the title of “Chief Inspector,” sitting in the audience.
As long as this powerful man is willing to come forward, then given the Amn Council of Six's consistent weak attitude towards the Church of God, they will most likely try to smooth things over and let the matter go.
As for those stubborn paladins of the Knights of the Burning Heart, they can just bribe the Masked Mage Guild and use teleportation magic to escape. There is no need to confront them head-on.
However, Cordel was not sure about the attitude of "Chief Inspector" Osig, nor did he know whether the Church of the Guardian God Heim would kick him out after his deeds were exposed.
Just as he was about to defend himself, a commotion and noise suddenly came from the passage not far away.
Soon after, the three sponsors of the expedition appeared in everyone's sight.
Especially Zuo Si, who had disappeared for a long time, instantly made some members of top powerful families feel that something big might happen.
After all, as the chosen one of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, his identity is extremely sensitive.
In addition, he also holds the title of advisor to the six-member council, so if he expresses his views, it will inevitably lead to a series of very serious consequences.
Looking at the silent courtroom and the somewhat confused judge and prosecutor, Zuo Si looked around, walked straight to an open place, put one hand on his chest and bowed symbolically.
“I’m very sorry. Since I was not in Askatla some time ago, the other two sponsors, Bernard and Sir Kelvin, were unable to express their opinions, which led to the current dire situation.
But now, on behalf of all sponsors, I officially declare that the crimes committed by Cordel and his Golden Mercenaries in the Maztec Continent have nothing to do with us, and we are willing to give up all the wealth obtained through killing and plundering.
Not only that!
We also want to publicly condemn their bestial behavior and their actions that bring disrepute upon the Chamber of Commerce and this country.
On top of that, Cordel still sought to link his evil deeds to the guardian god Heim, and invaded Talona's domain while deliberately spreading plague and disease.
This is pure blasphemy! As the chosen one of the gods, I demand that the entire Golden Mercenary Group, including him, be sentenced to death!
If the Church of Heim has any objection to this, then a divine judgment should be held.
Let's see if the Guardian God will still recognize such people as his believers."
While saying this, Zuo Si raised his head and looked directly into the eyes of "Chief Inspector" Ousig in the audience.
He knew very well that the reason why this lawsuit had been delayed until now was entirely because this guy was reluctant to remove Cordel and his Golden Mercenary Group from the sequence of the Heim Church.
Although it is not clear what the other party is thinking, and what kind of hidden relationship and transaction there is between him and Cordell.
But as long as Zuo Si forces the Church of Heim to conduct a divine judgment, then no matter what Osiger is planning, it will be exposed in front of God.
You have to know that Heim is a god of the neutral camp, so the composition of his believers is quite complex.
Coupled with the almost strict internal discipline, corruption and degeneration are particularly likely to occur.
There is no doubt that facing the questioning of another chosen one of the gods, Osig had no room to retreat.
Because if he chooses not to answer, not only will the entire church be disappointed, but it will also lose a large number of believers.
In fact, ever since the actions of Kodel and the Golden Mercenaries on the Maztec continent were exposed, the situation of the Church of the Guardian God has become extremely bad, and the number of believers has dropped drastically in a short period of time.
So after hesitating for a moment, the "Chief Inspector" finally stood up slowly and responded in an emotionless tone: "There is no need to hold a divine judgment. I officially declare in the name of the Guardian God that from this moment on, Cordel and his Golden Mercenary Group will no longer be part of the church organization. As for the crimes they have committed, they will be judged however they should be judged. I have no opinion."
Wow——
Following Osig's remarks, the entire courtroom was in an uproar.
No one present expected that Zuo Si's appearance would directly cause the top leader of the Church of Heim, the guardian god who had always refused to express his position, to choose to retreat.
"Damn it! Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"Are the chosen ones of Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, so powerful? Even the church of Heim, the guardian god, is so afraid of them?"
"I don't think it's that simple! Maybe Osig had some secret deal with Cordel, and maybe the massacre on the Maztec continent was instigated by the former."
"What? Really? Would the Heim Church do such a thing?"
"Humph! What's so strange about this? In some places on the border between civilization and barbarism in the north, many followers of the Guardian God have become depraved and corrupt to a shocking degree, and some have even become bandits."
"I see. No wonder Cordell and his Golden Mercenary Group would do such an outrageous thing."
…
For a moment, everyone in the hall was talking about it.
You must know that in the turbulent years not long ago, the guardian god Heim was so inhumane that he killed the goddess of magic who wanted to return to the Pantheon to expose the conspiracy of the three gods of death to the supreme god Io, which directly led to a series of subsequent disasters and the deaths of thousands of civilians.
Therefore, many city-states, regions and countries in the continent of Faerun have a rather negative view of the Church of Heim.
With such a huge scandal this time, it is estimated that his reputation will not be restored within decades.
But Osiger didn't have any intention of explaining, he just stood up and walked out.
When Cordell in the dock saw this, he could not help but shout, "Sir! Lord Chief Inspector! You can't just abandon me like this! We have an agreement!"
Unfortunately, Osiger acted as if he didn't hear it and disappeared at the end of the corridor without looking back.
"Your Honor, I think you can make the verdict now." Zuo Si reminded bluntly.
From beginning to end, he ignored Cordel, the abandoned clown, and never felt that the Golden Mercenary Group was worthy of his attention.
Quite the opposite!
Whether it is Cordel or the Golden Mercenaries, they are just pawns pushed to the front.
Zuo Si even suspected that the Church of Heim had known about the existence of the Maztec continent through certain channels a long time ago, so it ordered Cordel and the Golden Mercenaries to be the pioneers, taking advantage of Amn's ambition for overseas colonial expansion to achieve its own ulterior motives.
However, no one knows what the purpose is except Osig.
Of course, none of this matters now.
Because according to the laws of Am and the fair contract previously concluded, as investors, Zuo Si, Bernard and Sir Kelvin have already obtained the right to develop this new continent.
As for the Heim Church, it was out the moment it chose to retreat.
Whatever plans they had made before, they have now completely failed.
The reason is very simple! If you want to cross the dangerous ocean to reach the Maztec continent, the first thing you need is ships, a lot of large ocean-going ships with amazing weight.
And on the entire west coast of Faerun, the country with the most ships and the strongest navigation capabilities is undoubtedly Am.
Next comes the rising Nelanther Islands.
At present, one of these two forces is completely under Zuo Si's control, and the other has become a member of his upper ruling class.
So he has plenty of ways to completely thwart the plans of the Guardian God Heim Church.
Just like that, under the gaze of countless eyes, the judge and the prosecutor lowered their heads and discussed in a low voice for a few minutes, and then publicly sentenced Cordel and the Golden Mercenaries to be guilty. Three days later, they were burned at the stake on the execution ground, which means they were tied to a wooden rack, poured with oil and burned to death.
It has to be said that this result was applauded by many kind-hearted people with relatively high moral standards.
There are also some families who want to use Cordel to muddy the waters and then take advantage of the opportunity to intervene, secretly cursing this guy and the Heim Church behind him for being so useless.
In short, in just a few minutes after the verdict, all kinds of human conditions were fully displayed.
But they had one thing in common: no one cared about Cordel who was forcibly dragged away by the guards, or his mercenaries whose hands were stained with the blood of the Maztec indigenous people.
After everyone in the gallery had left, Weatheran, the leader of the Knights of the Burning Heart, came over like a holy knight, and solemnly bowed deeply to Zuo Si with one hand on his chest.
"Thank you very much for your timely appearance, Lord Soth, the Chosen One of the Goddess of Poison and Disease. Although I do not agree with Talona's teachings, I still want to thank you for upholding justice, fairness and law today. Otherwise, things might have gone in the worst direction."
"You're welcome. I just did what I should do. We, the sponsors, are actually unaware of what Cordel did on the Maztec continent, and we don't want a good expedition to eventually turn into a despicable killing and plunder. By the way, I don't quite agree with the teachings of the goddess of poison and disease." Zuo Si responded with a smile.
In Amn, the Knights of the Burning Heart are a very special organization.
First of all, it does not belong to any church of any god, nor does it even obey the Amn government completely. It is a small group spontaneously organized by paladins who serve good gods.
At the beginning, they did not even have the power to enforce the law and could only engage in some work to mediate conflicts and disputes.
Later, the Six-member Council discovered that this organization enjoyed very high prestige among the people and could greatly ease the conflicts between the lower-class poor and the upper-class merchants and nobles, which is why they gave them a certain degree of law enforcement power.
But in return, the Knights of the Burning Heart must not violate any laws and regulations of Amn, nor engage in any activities that may subvert the country's existing order and upper ruling class.
In other words, by granting them law enforcement powers, the Council of Six put a shackle on these paladins, turning them from potential threats into tools to help them maintain their rule.
It has to be said that in this regard, the top dignitaries of Amn are much smarter than the merchant class in Baldur's Gate.
In fact, for a long time, the Knights of the Burning Heart were the sharpest sword used by the commercial nobility to suppress the traditional nobility.
However, in Zuo Si's eyes, the Knights Templar actually played a very important role at the social level.
In particular, it brings hope to the poor and civilians at the bottom of society who are not living a satisfactory life.
As long as these holy warriors are still active, it proves from a certain perspective that this country has not yet become hopelessly corrupt, and the law has not completely become a toy in the hands of the powerful.
Of course, this is just wishful thinking.
In fact, if the Knights of the Burning Heart really played such a big role, the Shadow Thieves would not be able to maintain such a large scale and influence.
"You really are as special as the rumors say." Weatherland couldn't help but laugh.
For there is nothing more comforting than to hear from one of the Chosen of an evil deity words that disapprove of that deity's teachings.
Zuo Si shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly: "It's not that I'm so special, but I have never believed in Talona from the beginning to the end."
"But I heard that, under your influence, this evil goddess who was feared by countless cities and countries is now turning towards a neutral camp. In particular, the new sect established near the slums no longer has any trace of evil. Instead, it actively teaches the poor to maintain good hygiene habits, thereby reducing the chances of illness and poisoning."
Since this god had formed the "Three Holy Alliances" with Ilmater, the god of suffering, and Tyr, the god of justice, long ago, they often worked closely together in the churches on earth.
Therefore, Kaidong learned some inside information about Zuo Si becoming the chosen one of the goddess of poison and disease through the Church of the God of Suffering.
"No, that was the goddess's own choice. It has nothing to do with me. To be exact, I never participated in the management of the internal affairs of the Church of Talona, so no matter what they did, it had nothing to do with me."
Zuo Si did not hesitate to completely separate himself from the goddess's believers and followers.
Because he had no way of being sure whether Talona from the Chaos Camp would suddenly have a brain storm and change her mind.
There is no way. The Chaos Camp is too arbitrary and it is really a headache.
“那个新教派的成立不是出自于你的授意？”凯东瞬间愣了住了。
不光是他，其他的骑士团圣武士也都纷纷露出见了鬼的表情。
要知道塔洛娜可是一位相当古老的神祇，在长达数千年的时间里一直都是极度邪恶与混乱的代表，根本没有任何理性可言。
可随着左思这位选民的出现，一切居然开始发生了变化。
他们搞不清楚，这究竟是女神对于这位选民过分宠爱的体现，还是有什么其他的谋划。
左思轻轻摇了摇头解释道：“当然不是。关于这个新教派，我当初只是给了一些参考建议，仅此而已。
另外，我觉得你们最好不要太过乐观。
因为我觉得塔洛娜之所以弄出了这样一个教派，与其说是在改变自己的阵营，倒不如说是在报复伊尔玛特当初打断了她的好事，故意在跟苦难之神抢夺信徒。
当然，随着信徒数量的增多，她的阵营也肯定会发生一些不可避免的变化也就是了。”
“这么说来，我们日后要对这个新教派多加注意才行。”威瑟兰团长露出了若有所思的表情。
“不仅仅是塔洛娜的新教派，还有海姆教会最近一段时间的行为。我觉得那位总监察者似乎隐瞒了什么。”左思意味深长的提醒道。
听到这句话，在场的圣武士都下意识皱起了眉头。
凯东更是直言不讳的询问道：“你觉得黄金佣兵团在马兹特克大陆针对土著居民的屠杀和掠夺，是得到了海姆教会高层的授意？”
“关于这一点我暂时还没有证据。
不过你们多注意一下海姆教会接下来的动向。
如果他们真的对马兹特克大陆有什么企图，未来肯定会大规模派遣牧师和信徒前往。
另外，我建议骑士团最好派遣一支圣武士小队跟随船队前往马兹特克大陆常驻，以确保类似的事情不再发生。
毕竟随着新大陆和安全的航线被发现，未来肯定会有非常多的冒险者、佣兵和商人涌向那边淘金。
考虑到聚集地和港口的建立需要时间，所以可能会有很长一段时间的法律真空期。
没人知道这些贪婪的冒险者、佣兵和商人在失去约束之后会做出怎样丧心病狂的行为。”
左思毫不掩饰向炙热之心骑士团发出了邀请。
考虑到地球殖民时代的血腥跟暴力，他觉得有必要借助圣武士的力量来震慑那些想要效仿黄金佣兵团前往马兹特克大陆进行掠夺的家伙。
尤其是影贼和一些偶尔客串海盗的商会，都是需要重点盯防的目标。
威瑟兰团长明显有些心动，低着头思索了片刻很快回答道：“这的确是一个不错的想法。但我不能一个人做出决定，需要回去召开会议认真讨论一下。”
“没问题。无论在任何时候，我们在马兹特克大陆建立的港口和据点都欢迎炙热之心骑士团的成员进驻。”
此时此刻，左思给人的感觉就如同一名崇尚善良和秩序的“好人”。
以至于在场的圣武士都对其产生了一定的敬佩。
还有些人觉得他之所以会成为剧毒与疾病女神的选民，完全是阴差阳错的结果，亦或是塔洛娜的一厢情愿。
但一旁的伯纳德却非常清楚，这一切不过是感官上的错觉而已。
只要左思愿意，随时都可以表现出完美符合善良、中立和邪恶阵营的价值观，并让对方认为这是自己人。
正是这种强大的欺骗和伪装能力，让他可以游刃有余在不同阵营之间。
等炙热之心骑士团的人离开，凯尔文爵士这才忍不住询问道：“索斯阁下，您真的打算邀请这些圣武士去马兹特克大陆？”
“为什么不呢？”左思笑着反问道。“难道你有把握控制那些冒险者、佣兵和商人的行为吗？”
凯尔文爵士苦笑着摇了摇头：“怎么可能做得到。或许在定居点内，我们还可以凭借安姆六人评议会所赋予的权利来对其行为进行约束。可一旦进入到野外茂密的丛林，谁又能知道他们做过些什么。”
“正因为如此，所以才需要炙热之心骑士团的圣武士。
在很多时候，只要有他们在就能唤醒一些人内心之中的良知和底线，不至于让即将在马兹特克大陆建立的定居点变成地痞流氓和盗匪的聚集地。
记住，我们需要的是与当地土著进行贸易，而不是被他们视作入侵者和害虫。”
左思郑重其事的警告道。
“关于这一点，您不说我也明白。另外，关于第一个定居点和港口建立在什么地方，您有什么好的提议吗？”凯尔文爵士摸着下巴上的胡须小声询问。
左思略微沉吟了片刻，很快回答道：“如果可以的话，最好建在一个距离大陆比较近的岛屿上。
这样一来既能保障自身安全，又能与当地土著居民保持一定距离，防止不必要的冲突跟麻烦。
除此之外，对于那些前期想要跟随船队前往马兹特克大陆的人提前签订好条约，确保其在五年之内不得返回费伦，防止航线过早暴露。”
“好主意！看来下次组建船队出航，可以适当多招募一些农民和工匠。”伯纳德兴奋不已的补充道。
“总之，关于建立据点的事情就交个你们了，在这方面我恐怕帮不上什么忙。”
左思干脆利落表明了自己的态度。
因为这可不是一两年就能搞定的事情，光是移民就得起码五年打底。
当整个聚集地的人口规模勉强大到上万时，一座真正的港口城市才能建立起来。
除此之外由于距离费伦大陆太远的关系，据点还需要自己解决粮食、住房、金属冶炼、武器防具的维护和保养等等一系列的问题。
就算有六人评议会的全力支持，也需要时间来一点一点的建设。
正所谓万事开头难。
更何况马兹特克大陆的自然环境是雨林，到处都是茂密的丛林、湖泊跟沼泽，想要找到一个适合的定居点本身就不容易。
就这样，三个人在离开法院后径直来到阿斯卡特拉的市政大楼，与等候多时的六人评议会进行了长达一个小时不为人知的秘密商谈。
没人知道双方达成了怎么样的协议。
反正没过几个小时，一封公告就被贴在了市政大楼的门口，并由专门的公告员向路过的平民、商人和贵族大声进行宣讲。
至于内容也非常简单。
第一条是六人评议会承认了对于资助这次探险的商会的所有法定权利。
第二条是安姆政府决定一次性资助二十条船，还有大量建立据点所必须的工具和物资，作为对于新大陆开发的支持。
第三条是对外招募开拓者，不仅可以获得丰厚的安家费，同时还许诺每个人都能获得一大片属于自己的土地。
最后，也是最重要的一条。
所有想要前往马兹特克大陆做生意的船只，都必须服从安姆政府的统一安排，并且还得缴纳高昂的费用，否则将会被视作违法。
凡是私自出航的船只，一经发现轻则俘虏扣押，重则直接击沉。
很显然，六人评议会想要通过这种方式，来彻底垄断与新大陆之间的贸易路线，从而赚取巨额的利润。
从探险队带回的东西，他们已经可以确定好十几种费伦从未出现过的特产。
而这些东西，将会为整个安姆上层统治阶级带来难以想象的巨大财富。
除此之外，马兹特克大陆还盛产贵重金属、魔法金属和各种宝石。
总之，在左思和六人评议会的协调下，安姆上层统治阶级悄无声息完成了一次利用瓜分。
为了庆祝这一历史性的时刻，还破例在市政大楼的上层召开了一场宴会。
各大家族的领导人，纷纷向左思这个在大半年之前就成功预言马兹特克大陆的“先知”表达感谢，随之而来的还有宛如潮水般用来的赞美和吹捧。
“索斯阁下，当初吸纳您成为安姆主人中的一员，可能是我们这辈子做过最正确的决定。”一名五十岁上下的贵族商人用十分严肃认真的语气说道。
旁边另外一名同样年纪不小的老妇人深以为然的点了点头：“没错。这片充满未知的马兹特克大陆，将会为我们所有人带来丰厚的收益。尤其是那种叫做可可的豆子，服用后可以让人的精神保持兴奋，甚至能在某种程度上起到催情的作用。我觉得只要找到适合的烹饪方法，很多人会疯狂的爱上它。”
“女士，如果你指的是可可，那么我可以告诉你，让它变得美味非常简单。加入少许的糖和牛奶即可。哦，对了，我这里刚好有一块现成用可可做成的零食，你们可以品尝一下。”
说着，左思从随身携带的挎包内，掏出一罐韦斯莱家双胞胎兄弟送给自己的巧克力。
If he guessed correctly, this thing was probably something George and Fred had sneaked into the Hogwarts kitchen and asked the house-elves for during their night tour of the castle.
"This is... made of cocoa beans?" The old woman showed a surprised expression on her face.
"Yes. Simply grind it into powder, add milk, sugar and a small amount of flour, stir, and then pour it into a mold to cool, and you will get this delicious snack."
As Zuo Si explained, he opened the jar and gave a small piece to everyone around him.
The noble first put it in front of his nose and smelled it, then licked it with his tongue, and finally put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly.
After about a few seconds, their eyes began to light up, obviously amazed by the unique taste.
The old woman licked her lips and exclaimed, "Unbelievable! I was originally wondering how to remove the bitter taste from cocoa beans, but you gave me the answer directly. With this formula, I think it won't be long before a large number of workshops specializing in making cocoa-based foods emerge in Athkatra."
"It seems that we can determine what special products the first fleet heading to the Maztec continent should bring back."
"Hopefully those indigenous people will have enough cocoa beans to provide us."
"Don't worry. I heard that there are a lot of trees of this plant over there. As long as we can provide them with goods that they are interested in, there is no reason for them to not agree to the deal."
"I'm going to dispatch two ships to the Maztec continent and bring them back filled with cocoa beans!"
"Fortunately, the Heim Church was kicked out. Otherwise, it would not be easy to monopolize the trade in the New World so smoothly."
…
All of a sudden, everyone present expressed their liking for this slightly addictive snack.
After all, Amn now monopolizes the only route to the Maztec continent and completely controls the source of raw materials, so it can sell food processed from cocoa beans at the same price as luxury goods.
In order to avoid competition with each other, the leaders of these big families got together to divide the exclusive areas of each family in detail and set unified prices.
In terms of doing business, no city-state or country in the entire Faerûn, except Sembia, can compare with Amn, which has begun to capitalize.
Of course, as the heroes who discovered the New World, Zuo Si, Bernard and Sir Kelvin got the biggest piece of the pie.
Looking at the large area painted red on the map, the young businessman Bernard clenched his fists excitedly and said to his father-in-law: "We are really going to make a fortune this time. It doesn't take much. We can make a net profit of at least 300,000 gold coins by shipping back a ship of cocoa beans. This is faster than robbery!"
"Yes! We have caught up with the best era, and we have also met people who can fight for the greatest interests for us."
Sir Kelvin touched his gray hair and cast his eyes towards Zuo Si who was eating a bowl of seafood noodles attentively.
"What are your plans next?" Bernard asked excitedly.
"First, we will choose a location to build a stronghold. Then, with the support of the Six-Man Council, we will recruit as many immigrants as possible to the stronghold, and trade with the natives of the Maztec continent to obtain more cocoa beans. We will continue to invest the money earned from selling cocoa products into the construction of the port city. Once the port is built, we will benefit from it in the next few decades or even hundreds of years."
Sir Kelvin did not hide anything and stated his plan openly.
Compared to making quick money, he was obviously more concerned about building a permanent port.
"I support your decision. But when withdrawing funds, it is best not to withdraw too much at once, otherwise I am afraid that Mr. Soth will be in trouble when he suddenly needs money." Bernard reminded in a low voice.
You know, the huge cost of building the Mage Tower last time left a big shadow in his heart.
Sir Kelvin smiled and patted his son-in-law on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I know how high-level wizards spend money, so they will save at least one-third of their funds as reserves. Compared to this, I am more concerned about you and Edith. You have been married for almost half a year, how come there is news of pregnancy. Could it be that you have encountered some problems in that area?"
Hearing this, Bernard's face instantly turned red, and he quickly denied it, "No, of course not, please don't misunderstand. In fact, Edith didn't have her period last month, but I'm not sure if she really did."
"Oh? Really? That's great. Lord Soth is a priest and an elected official. I'll ask him to help after the banquet."
Sir Kelvin dragged Bernard to Zuo Si without saying anything and told him the whole story.
In Faerun, wealthy and powerful people would ask a priest to confirm the position, health, gender, etc. of the fetus when their wives were pregnant.
At the same time, it will ensure the safety of the baby and the pregnant woman during delivery and prevent death caused by sudden heavy bleeding.
It has to be said that this request stunned Zuo Si, who had never given birth to a child and had never seen anyone else give birth.
Although his mind was filled with a lot of knowledge about childbirth and prenatal examinations collected from the British Library, he had absolutely no practical experience.
But in the end, under Sir Kelvin's enthusiastic invitation, he reluctantly helped Bernard's wife to do a health check after the banquet, and immediately confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.
However, since it is only less than two months old, the gender cannot be confirmed yet.
Upon learning that he was finally going to be a father, Bernard was ecstatic. Not only did he give his servants an extra month's salary as a reward, he also sent a butler and donated 5,000 gold coins to the temple of Ilmater, the goddess of suffering.
Because this god is the one who cares most about babies and young children among all the gods in Faerun.
So the merchant hoped that Ilmater could bless his child to be born smoothly and grow up healthily.
Since a considerable donation had been made before, the temple priest, upon learning of this situation, was very considerate and made a blessed amulet out of wood as a return, which could help the pregnant woman and the fetus maintain a calm mental state.
At the same time, he also promised that when the baby is born, he would personally go and deliver the baby.
You should know that the priests of the God of Suffering often help the poor give birth for free, so their experience and skills in this field far exceed their peers, and even professional midwives have to admit defeat.
(End of this chapter)