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.
"The establishment of that new sect was not your idea?" Kaidong was stunned for a moment.
Not only him, but other paladins of the Knights Templar also showed expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
You have to know that Talona is a very ancient god. For thousands of years, she has been the representative of extreme evil and chaos and has no rationality at all.
But with the emergence of Zuo Si, the chosen one, everything began to change.
They couldn't figure out whether this was a reflection of the goddess's excessive favor towards this chosen one, or if there was some other plan.
Zuo Si shook his head and explained, "Of course not. Regarding this new sect, I just gave some reference suggestions, that's all.
Also, I think you'd better not be too optimistic.
Because I think the reason why Talona created such a sect is not so much to change her own camp, but rather to take revenge on Ilmater for interrupting her good deeds, and deliberately snatch believers from the God of Suffering.
Of course, as the number of believers increases, some inevitable changes will occur in her camp."
"That means we have to pay more attention to this new sect in the future." Captain Weatheran showed a thoughtful expression.
"It's not just the new sect in Talona, but also the recent behavior of the Church of Heim. I think the Chief Inspector seems to be hiding something." Zuo Si reminded meaningfully.
Hearing these words, the holy warriors present frowned subconsciously.
Kaidong asked bluntly, "Do you think the massacre and looting of the indigenous people by the Golden Mercenaries on the Maztec continent was authorized by the top leaders of the Heim Church?"
“I have no evidence for this yet.
But you should pay more attention to the next move of the Heim Church.
If they really have any intentions towards the Maztec continent, they will definitely send a large number of priests and believers there in the future.
In addition, I suggest that the Knights should send a team of paladins to accompany the fleet to the Maztec continent to ensure that similar things do not happen again.
After all, with the discovery of new continents and safe shipping routes, there will surely be a large number of adventurers, mercenaries and businessmen flocking there to seek gold in the future.
Given that it takes time to establish clusters and ports, there could be a long legal vacuum.
No one knows what kind of crazy behavior these greedy adventurers, mercenaries and merchants will do after losing their restraints. "
Zuo Si openly extended an invitation to the Knights of the Burning Heart.
Considering the bloodiness and violence of the Earth's colonial era, he felt it necessary to use the power of the Holy Knights to deter those who wanted to follow the example of the Golden Mercenaries and go to the Maztec continent to plunder.
Especially the Shadow Thieves and some Chambers of Commerce that occasionally act as pirates are targets that need to be closely monitored.
Captain Weatherland was obviously a little moved. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then quickly replied, "This is indeed a good idea. But I can't make a decision alone. I need to go back and hold a meeting to discuss it seriously."
"No problem. At any time, the ports and strongholds we have established on the Maztec continent welcome members of the Burning Heart Knights to station there."
At this moment, Zuo Si gave people the impression of being a "good man" who advocated kindness and order.
So much so that all the holy warriors present had a certain respect for him.
Some people also think that the reason why he became the chosen one of the goddess of poison and disease was completely the result of accidental combination, or it was just Talona's wishful thinking.
But Bernard on the side knew very well that all this was just an illusion of the senses.
As long as Zuo Si is willing, he can always demonstrate the values that perfectly conform to the good, neutral and evil camps and make the other party think that he is one of their own.
It is this powerful ability of deception and disguise that allows him to move between different camps with ease.
After the people from the Blazing Heart Knights left, Sir Kelvin could not help but ask, "Sir Soth, are you really planning to invite these holy warriors to the Maztec continent?"
"Why not?" Zuo Si asked with a smile. "Are you sure you can control the behavior of those adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants?"
Sir Kelvin smiled bitterly and shook his head. "How can that be possible? Perhaps within the settlement, we can still use the power granted by the Council of Six of Amn to restrict their behavior. But once they enter the dense jungle in the wild, who knows what they have done."
“That’s why we need the paladins of the Knights of the Burning Heart.
In many cases, their presence can awaken the conscience and bottom line in some people's hearts, so that the settlements to be established on the Maztec continent will not become a gathering place for ruffians and bandits.
Remember, we need to trade with the local indigenous people, not be seen as invaders and pests by them."
Zuo Si warned solemnly.
"I understand this even without you saying it. Also, do you have any good suggestions on where to build the first settlement and port?" Sir Kelvin asked in a low voice, stroking his beard.
Zuo Si hesitated for a moment and quickly replied: "If possible, it would be best to build it on an island close to the mainland.
In this way, they can ensure their own safety while keeping a certain distance from the local indigenous people, thus preventing unnecessary conflicts and troubles.
In addition, for those who want to follow the fleet to the Maztec continent in the early stage, a treaty should be signed in advance to ensure that they cannot return to Faerun within five years to prevent the route from being exposed too early. "
"Good idea! It seems that next time we form a fleet to set sail, we can recruit more farmers and craftsmen." Bernard added excitedly.
"Anyway, I'll leave the matter of establishing a base to you. I'm afraid I can't be of much help in this regard."
Zuo Si expressed his attitude clearly and concisely.
Because this is not something that can be accomplished in one or two years. Immigration alone requires at least five years.
When the population of the entire settlement barely reaches tens of thousands, a real port city can be established.
In addition, due to its distance from the continent of Faerun, the stronghold needs to solve a series of problems on its own, such as food, housing, metal smelting, maintenance and upkeep of weapons and armor, etc.
Even with the full support of the six-member council, it will take time to build it up bit by bit.
As the saying goes, the beginning is always difficult.
What's more, the natural environment of the Maztec continent is a rainforest, with dense jungles, lakes and swamps everywhere. It is not easy to find a suitable settlement.
So, after leaving the court, the three men went straight to the municipal building in Athkatla and had a secret discussion for an hour with the six-member council that had been waiting for a long time.
No one knows what kind of agreement the two sides reached.
Anyway, within a few hours, a notice was posted on the door of the municipal building, and a special crier loudly preached it to the civilians, merchants and nobles passing by.
As for the content, it is also very simple.
The first was that the Council of Six recognized all legal rights of the Chamber of Commerce that had funded the expedition.
The second is that the Amn government decided to fund twenty ships at one time, as well as a large number of tools and materials necessary to establish a base, as support for the development of the New World.
The third is to recruit pioneers from outside, who will not only receive generous resettlement allowances, but also be promised a large piece of land of their own.
The last and most important one.
All ships that want to go to the Maztec continent to do business must obey the unified arrangements of the Amn government and pay high fees, otherwise they will be considered illegal.
Any ship that sails privately will be captured or detained at best, or sunk directly at worst, once discovered.
It is obvious that the Council of Six wants to completely monopolize the trade routes with the New World in this way and make huge profits.
From what the expedition brought back, they have been able to identify more than a dozen specialties that have never appeared in Faerun.
And these things will bring unimaginable wealth to the entire upper ruling class of Amn.
In addition, the Maztec continent is also rich in precious metals, magical metals and various gems.
In short, under the coordination of Zuo Si and the Council of Six, the upper ruling class of Amn quietly completed a division of power.
To celebrate this historic moment, an exceptional banquet was held on the upper floor of the Municipal Building.
The leaders of the major families expressed their gratitude to Zuo Si, the "prophet" who had successfully predicted the Maztec continent more than half a year ago, followed by a flood of praise and flattery.
"Sir Soth, accepting you as one of the masters of Amn was probably the best decision we have ever made in our lives." A noble merchant in his fifties said in a very serious tone.
Another old lady nearby nodded in agreement: "That's right. This unknown Maztec continent will bring rich benefits to all of us. Especially the beans called cocoa, which can keep people excited and even have an aphrodisiac effect to some extent. I think as long as we find the right cooking method, many people will fall madly in love with it."
"Ma'am, if you mean cocoa, then I can tell you that it is very simple to make it delicious. Just add a little sugar and milk. Oh, by the way, I happen to have a ready-made snack made of cocoa here, you can try it."
As he spoke, Zuo Si took out a can of chocolates given to him by the Weasley twin brothers from the bag he was carrying.
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 be compared 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)
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