Its geographical location is very advantageous. Not only is there a small river that is not marked on the map running through the north and south, but it is also located near the road between the important cities of Amn, Crimur and Kzura.
Normally, a territory like this, which has both water irrigation and convenient transportation, should be prosperous.
But the problem is that when the castle was first built, Amn had not yet become a unified country, and conflicts and even wars often broke out among the lords.
Therefore, in order to maximize its defensibility, the leaders of the first generation of Deanis family built it at the southern end of the easternmost turning point of the Cloudy Mountain Area.
This place is not only the source of the rivers that run through Lake Wu and Askatla, but also a paradise for countless monsters and beasts.
The complex and rugged mountains and densely vegetated forests hide countless threats including trolls, ogres, orcs, goblins, snakemen, winter wolves, and many more.
As the source of the river, the water flowing down from the melted snow on the top of the mountain often causes floods.
Therefore, successive owners of De Arnisbourg had to invest most of their tax revenue into the endless task of repairing dams and clearing out monsters.
Generally speaking, a small castle with thirty to fifty soldiers is enough to deal with most emergencies.
However, De Arnisburg has to maintain a staff of nearly 150 people all year round, and military expenditure is maxed out.
Otherwise, once besieged by monsters, they would not be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive and would be quickly defeated.
Moreover, if the climate is slightly abnormal, the snow will melt several times faster than usual, and the river embankment that has been built with great difficulty will be washed away by the flood that roars down from the top of the mountain.
In the face of such a natural disaster, there is simply no better solution but to rebuild it over and over again tirelessly.
After all, once the dam is built, floods may only occur once every few years or even decades, and smaller floods will basically be blocked by the dam.
But if it is not repaired, this thing will come every spring and summer, directly submerging the farmers' fields and turning them into a muddy swamp, making it impossible to farm.
It was thanks to De'Anisburg that the monsters were unable to rush into other castles, manors and villages in the heart of Amn to burn, kill and loot.
However, the nobles and wealthy businessmen of Am, who were used to being selfish, would not feel grateful or want to repay.
Just the opposite!
Without exception, they all secretly laughed at the stupidity of the Deanis family and their "inflexible" persistence.
At this moment, Sir Deanis was sitting alone in the study, looking at the financial report that had just been sent by the castle steward, his face full of worry.
This strong warrior who could easily smash the troll's head with his ancestral [Flail of Time] is now so weak and powerless when facing economic difficulties.
Of course, this doesn't mean that De Arnisbourg is so poor that he can't afford a penny.
In the family's secret vault, there are gems, weapons, armor and various magical items accumulated over hundreds of years.
As long as we sell it, it won't be a problem to get tens of thousands of gold coins.
But as a traditional land nobleman, Sir De Arnis did not want to sell these precious "ancestral properties".
After all, magic items are easy to sell but difficult to buy back.
Many high-end items are often not available just by having money.
And until now, he has not told these bad news to his only daughter, Nalia, his adopted son, Isiah, and his sister, Deshia Kenn, who is widowed at home after her husband died.
Especially the last one, who thinks every day about how to participate in various social activities among nobles, and the expenses are extremely high.
Even attending the most ordinary banquet or dance would cost at least fifty to one hundred gold coins.
Half of it is used to buy clothes and accessories, and the other half is used to buy a decent enough gift for the organizer.
Otherwise, if you go empty-handed or bring a gift that is not valuable enough, you will definitely be laughed at by other guests.
This will undoubtedly make the already dire financial situation even worse.
What’s even more frightening is that so far, after sending so many loan requests to the surrounding neighbors, not a single one has responded.
Whenever he thought of this, Sir Deanis, who had just reached middle age, looked particularly tired and old, and finally let out a helpless sigh.
"Alas - I am really incompetent."
Just as he was about to take a look at the vault to see if there was anything unimportant that could be sold, there was a sudden and urgent knock on the door.
Then the castle steward's voice came through the crack in the door.
"My lord, good news. Our neighbor to the northwest, Ibbi Pallen, the steward of Lake Castle, brought a response from Sir Soth. They are willing to lend us 20,000 gold coins, but there is a small request."
moment!
Sir De Arnis stood up suddenly from his chair, opened the door without saying a word, and asked in a hurried tone: "What is the request?"
"According to Ibbi Palen, due to the castle's current poor finances and to prevent the loan from becoming a bad debt, Sir Soth requires that before all debts are repaid, if one day you die unexpectedly without leaving a will, he will automatically become Miss Nalia's legal guardian." The castle steward answered cautiously.
Because letting other nobles become the guardians of one's children often involves taking considerable risks.
Especially when parents and elders have passed away, leaving only an underage child.
Then the designated guardian will have unimaginable and enormous powers.
Not only can he manage and control the family property at will, but he can also gain astonishing returns by manipulating the child's marriage.
In a situation like the Deanis family, which has only one daughter and no male heir, the family might be swallowed up by the other party in a marriage and disappear completely.
The castle steward did not think that his young lady, with her innocent, kind and sympathetic character towards the lower classes, could win in such a cruel and bloody battle.
"Okay! I agree!"
After pondering for a long time, Sir Deanis finally gave an affirmative answer.
First of all, he didn't think that he would die within a few years given his strength and health condition.
In five or six years at most, Nariya will be an adult, and then this restriction will naturally no longer exist.
Secondly, in his opinion, a legendary spellcaster like Zuo Si, who possessed huge assets and a great reputation, should not be able to spy on the family's insignificant property.
So this additional condition is just a means to reduce risk and ensure that the loan can be recovered 100%.
What's more, Sir De Arnis really needs a large sum of money now to alleviate his dire finances and prevent default on previously borrowed debts.
Otherwise, once the credit goes bankrupt, the whole family will become a laughing stock among the nobility.
So he immediately met with Ibi Palen to discuss the details, and soon signed a legally binding contract.
After the latter left in the carriage, Sir Deanis immediately used the money to repair the dam, kill or drive away the werewolf robbers, and provide seeds and daily necessities to the farmers who were robbed, without noticing that all his actions were seen by Isiah.
This young man was like a sinister and cunning poisonous snake, always looking for opportunities to avenge Sir De Arnis's "betrayal" and "indifference to his fate".
To this end, he even went so far as to approach and please Nalia, hoping to make this naive girl fall in love with him, and then seize the Deanis family's property through marriage.
When the plan is accomplished, all we have to do is kill Sir Deanis and imprison the girl. Then we can torture and abuse her and vent our anger and desires in any way we want.
It's a pity that although Nariya is somewhat naive and kind, she is not stupid. She saw through Isiah's evil nature from the very beginning and never gave the latter even the slightest chance to get close to her.
Moreover, she herself is a very talented mage apprentice and has already mastered the second-ring arcane.
When he was a child, he often climbed up and down the castle, sneaked into doors and picked locks, and developed excellent thief skills.
This meant that the coercion, inducement or violence that Isiah had used before to deal with civilian girls simply did not work on Nalia.
Not to mention the horrific rage that Sir Deanis might erupt into upon learning that his beloved daughter had been raped, the magic missiles, acid arrows, and scorching rays released by Nalia alone would be enough to make him feel a fate worse than death.
Therefore, after several failed attempts, Isaiah completely gave up on attacking Nalia and instead focused his attention on Sir Deanis himself and his stupid, arrogant and vain sister.
通过鼓动德希亚·肯恩不停去参加贵族之间花费不菲的社交活动，他成功让德阿尼斯家族的财政状况不断恶化。
紧跟着又暗中跟一名成功躲过追捕，以前在家族中负责从事奴隶贸易的男人取得联系，并在对方的帮助下人为制造了一场洪水……
是的！
这场让德阿尼斯爵士承受了巨大损失的洪水并不是“天灾”，而是彻头彻尾的“人祸”。
此刻，伊塞亚就躲在城堡后山不为人知的山洞里，跟一名留着棕色短发、脸上有一道明显疤痕的中年男子小声交谈。
“盖里斯，你觉得我应该怎么利用这件事情？”
伊塞亚眼睛里闪烁着恶毒的光芒率先开口询问。
后者摸着下巴上浓密的胡子思索了片刻，很快意味深长的建议道：“我亲爱的少爷，您现在要做的最重要事情，就是先搞清楚那份合同的内容。
毕竟湖堡的主人索斯阁下可是真正不折不扣的大人物。
无论是掌握着安姆最高权力的六人评议会，还是影响力巨大的财富女神教会，亦或是官方唯一指定合法奥术机构蒙面法师公会，以及同样强大的影贼公会，都与其有非常密切的联系。
当初您的父亲法辛顿·罗诺尔公爵，就是想要通过讨好他，从而获得进入阿斯卡特拉上流社会的门票。
如果您的行为或是动作不小心惹恼了他，那结果可能会非常严重。”
“该死！如此说来这是一个坏消息？”
伊塞亚脸色突然变得十分难看。
被称之为盖里斯的男人笑着摇了摇头：“不，起码不完全是。
如果仅仅是一份普通借贷协议，那么对于您计划几乎不会产生什么影响。
毕竟只要确保德阿尼斯家族在被吞并、占有之前，偿还掉这笔债务，那么对方就没有理由掺和进来。
但要是那位索斯阁下盯上了某样东西，那您最好赶快搞清楚情况，然后把这件东西双手奉上。
记住，我亲爱的伊塞亚少爷，永远不要尝试去挑衅那些你惹不起的人，而是要竭尽所能的去讨好对方，这就是您父亲的成功秘诀。”
“明白，我知道该怎么做了。”
说罢，伊塞亚·罗诺尔下意识攥紧了拳头，眼睛里闪烁着名为野心的光芒，迅速转身走出洞穴，骑马踏上返回城堡的路。
他前脚刚离开，在更深处的黑暗中缓缓露出一双散发着淡黄色光芒的眼睛，用一种略带嘶哑的声音质问道：“盖里斯，你不是向我保证过整个计划万无一失吗？为什么现在出现了如此大的变故？”
“抱……抱歉，主人。
我也不知道那位魔法女神和剧毒与疾病女神的选民为何会突然插手。
但请您放心，我会尽快利用伊塞亚这个蠢货把真相调查清楚，绝对不会耽误您的计划。”
盖里斯跪在地上瑟瑟发抖的给出保证。
从那轻微颤抖的身体，以及额头与脖子上密密麻麻冒出的汗珠，不难判断出他真的非常紧张和害怕。
“动作要快！要隐秘！前一段时间安姆六人评议会突然采取的行动，让我们的损失非常惨重。所以这个计划无论如何都不能再继续拖延下去。”
黑暗中的神秘人用不带一丝感情的语气下达了命令。
“如您所愿，至高无上的主人。”
盖里斯匍匐在地上行了个五体投地的大礼，随后迅速像逃命一样离开山洞，打算回去就把自己那些手下全部动员起来。
与曾经效忠的法辛顿·罗诺尔公爵比起来，他显然对这位新主人更加恐惧。
不过盖里斯也的确有恐惧的理由。
等他离开大概两三分钟左右，双淡黄色眼睛的主人便从黑暗中现身。
那标志性的章鱼头和触须，以及淡紫色充满湿润感的皮肤，都无一不证明了他就是一个以智慧生物大脑为食的夺心魔。
很显然，这家伙是安姆“潜藏者”组织中的一员。
自从他们渗透乃至控制整个安姆的计划被曝光，便遭到来自六人评议会毫不留情的打击。
不仅大量夺心魔遭到蒙面法师公会和影贼的联手伏击死伤极为惨重，同时麾下势力也差不多被连根拔起。
几个有影响力的贵族不是遭到清洗，就是趁机脱离了控制。
四家规模不小的商会也基本全部变成了别人的所有物。
除了五支刚好在外面执行任务的冒险小队和佣兵团，用一句全军覆没来形容也不为过。
到现在这群章鱼头都没搞清楚自己究竟是怎么暴露的。
又过了一会儿，另外一名银色瞳孔的夺心魔通过传送法术凭空出现在山洞内，直接通过心灵连接汇报道：“按照您的要求，我们已经把总部从阿斯卡特拉转移到了博德之门。眼下已经跟铁王座首领的养子沙洛佛克取得了联系。”
“他怎么说？”
之前眼睛呈亮黄色的夺心魔直截了当询问道。
“沙洛佛克说，他可以帮我们在博德之门站稳脚跟，但作为交换，我们也必须帮助他夺取博德之门的控制权。”
银色瞳孔的夺心魔迅速说出了第一次见面的谈判结果。
随着在安姆这边的计划遭到曝光，整个组织向附近其他城市转移显然就成了当务之急。
作为北方邻居的博德之门，无疑是一个十分理想的目标。
它是一座商人构成的联合城邦，不仅权力分散、内部矛盾尖锐，而且还没有什么像样的施法者组织，非常适合作为一个下手的目标。
其中缺乏奥术魔法的保护，就意味着在面对夺心魔的心灵控制和入侵时基本没什么反抗能力，甚至连发现都发现不了。
“夺取博德之门的控制权？他想要干什么？”
黄眼的夺心魔挥舞着触手明显产生了好奇的情绪。
银眼夺心魔轻轻摇了摇头：“暂时还不太清楚。
但从沙洛佛克的种种动作来看，他好像并不完全效忠于养父和铁王座，而是有着自己的打算。
我认为这并不是一件坏事。
因为博德之门越是混乱，对于我们的渗透和控制就越有利。
最好是爆发一场战争。
如此一来，我们就能悄无声息获取足够的奴隶跟大脑。”
“既然如此，那就同意他的条件吧。
把我们目前控制的变形怪都调过去，顺便再将塔佐克和他手下的强盗也交给沙洛佛克。
至于安姆这边，我会亲自负责处理善后。”
说罢，黄眼的夺心魔透过洞口撇了一眼远处的德阿尼斯堡，语气中充满了强烈的恨意。
作为潜藏者组织的首领，他可不会在承受了如此巨大的损失后还忍气吞声。
恰恰相反！
这家伙谋划着要对安姆发起一次报复行动，让这群低贱的“食物”明白惹恼高贵的夺心魔将要付出怎样惨重的代价。
引发这一切连锁反应的左思，恐怕根本不会想到自己给六人评议会送上的那份情报，究竟会导致一场多么可怕的灾难。
尤其是夺心魔潜藏者、变形怪、塔佐克及其手下强盗团伙和巴尔之子沙洛佛克的合流，将让博德之门的局势比原本还要更加复杂、混乱，并且有向整个西哈特兰德地区扩散的趋势。
除此之外，在云雾山区已经被夺心魔控制的怪物部落和魔法生物，也将成为一支足以造成毁灭性破坏的力量。
此刻，左思本人正站在阿斯卡特拉刚刚建造好的飞艇平台上，与许多嗅觉敏锐的贵族、富商一起，目送这个庞然大物缓缓升空，然后径直朝安姆内陆的几座大型城镇驶去。
本次航行的路线是金币之都出发，一直向西经过克瑞穆尔、克祖拉、艾斯普塔，然后掉头向北连接那些坐落在西哈特兰德广袤平原上的城镇。
最终横穿大片人迹罕至的原始森林、山脉和沼泽，抵达北方银月联盟的首都——银月城。
从行进路线上就能看出，除了顺便做路上贸易之外，它还肩负着一项重要的使命，那就是测试在遭遇意外攻击时的防御力和安全性。
毕竟在这条路线上，遭遇一两条恶龙的攻击那都是很平常的事情。
至于翼龙、狮鹫之类的飞行生物就更是多不胜数了。
左思就是要用满载货物的飞艇，把那些潜在的威胁都给引出来，然后再一个一个的上门抽筋扒皮。
通过赤裸裸毫不掩饰的杀戮，让所有躲在暗处窥探的家伙明白一个道理，那就是不管谁敢对飞艇动手，必将迎接他本人不死不休的报复。
无论是巴拉迦斯“飞焰”这样公认的龙王，还是那些自认为实力强大的怪物群落，都无法幸免。
而且焰龙骑士戴维安还在飞艇上作为最后的保险，所以基本不用担心会出现什么意外情况。
Compared to Zuo Si's calmness, the people of Ascatla were extremely excited and cheered from time to time because it was the first time they witnessed this kind of super-giant aircraft that could float and fly in the sky and carry thousands or even tens of thousands of tons of cargo like a large ship.
Anyone with a little business acumen and ability can see how this disruptive means of transportation will bring about earth-shaking changes.
A male noble exclaimed with shining eyes.
Another noblewoman next to him, who was either his wife or his lover, rolled her eyes in displeasure and warned him in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense.
Have you forgotten that the ocean is now controlled by our Lord Soth? Since he has already obtained a 100% monopoly in this field, how could he destroy it with his own hands?
If I'm not mistaken, airships will only be used for inland trade and transportation for a long time in the future, and will not touch the huge cake of the ocean.
unless……
One day someone breaks this monopoly, or airships become cheaper to build than boats.”
"Damn it! Why didn't I think of that? Honey, you're so smart."
The noble man quickly took his female companion's right hand, which was wearing a black lace glove, and kissed her passionately on her lips.
moment!
A faint blush appeared on the lady's face, and her eyes were filled with a spring light that was enough to make one's blood boil.
Without any hesitation!
The noble man directly took the former's hand, went straight back to the carriage parked in the distance, closed the curtains and asked the servants to guard the door.
After a while, the whole car began to shake slightly, and strange noises came from inside.
Since everyone's attention was focused on the airship that was gradually moving away overhead, no one noticed the behavior of this couple.
After the airship completely disappeared from sight, they finished their business and walked out of the carriage.
In order to cover up the strong hormonal smell on their bodies, the two of them sprayed a lot of perfume on their bodies.
However, if you look closely, you will find that the stockings on the lady's feet have changed from black to flesh-colored.
A maid got into the carriage, put the black stockings stained with unknown mucus into a bag, and cleaned the floor and seats.
Needless to say, all these products from the industrial age were brought by Zuo Si, the mage, and are deeply affecting the daily lives of the residents of Askatla.
Especially things like stockings and lace sexy costumes, whether it is the upper-class nobles or the special service places in the streets and alleys that are almost as numerous as taverns, all gave unanimous praise without exception.
In this regard, the old perverts on the continent of Faerun reached a consensus with their counterparts on Earth with almost no obstacles.
It even indirectly led to a surge in the birth rate in the Askatla, Luskan and Nelanther Islands.
Although many of them are illegitimate children whose fathers don’t even know who they are…
"What a great invention! Lord Soth, please allow me to express my sincerest gratitude to you on behalf of the Goddess of Fortune and the church.
Because the emergence of airships as a means of transportation means that land trade will become more prosperous than before."
Salanda Olium, the elect of Woking and the supreme leader of the church, bowed solemnly.
Although he had already known about the cooperation between his goddess and the young man in front of him.
But after witnessing the airship's terrifying cargo capacity and the astonishing flying speed it could achieve, he was so shocked that he was speechless for a long time.
Because in terms of efficiency alone, this thing has surpassed existing wooden sailboats.
If it can be mass-produced, it will definitely greatly increase the influence of the Goddess of Wealth.
Zuo Si smiled and waved his hands: "No, no, no, the airship is not my invention, I just simply improved it."
As a person who thinks he has some moral integrity, he will not claim credit for something invented by someone else, even if that person does not exist in the current world.
But Sarangda Oulianm said disapprovingly: "At least you brought it to the continent of Faerun, and countless people will benefit from it. If you don't mind, can you tell me how many large airships like this you have now?"
"I have prepared six large airships like the one you just saw, and ten small airships that are only about one-third of the size.
The former is mainly used to run fixed routes.
The latter are dispatched to specific cities depending on demand and run routes with higher trade demand.
According to my plan, to connect all the inland towns on the entire west coast, about thirty airships should be enough at this stage.
Each fixed route takes no more than ten days for a round trip, which can meet the trading needs of most towns.
If all goes well, I will consider expanding eastwards, signing agreements with Tumis, Cormier, the Valley, and cities along the Sea of Fallen Stars, and opening new routes.
Anyway, this matter cannot be rushed, we must be steady and take our time. "
Zuo Si calmly told his plans and arrangements.
Obviously, he was not in a hurry to completely replace the world's backward means of transportation with airships.
On the one hand, the production cost of this thing is really not low.
Even with convenient tools like sparkling oil, it still consumes a lot of resources, and complex enchantments are required after the main body is built.
Otherwise, if the replication is done solely with the use of spark oil, the airship produced will not be able to achieve the same level as a giant pod of the same size that can be flown with such a small airbag.
In other words, the power of Shuoyou in maintaining high-level magic is far less than its performance in mechanical and organic transformation.
If the target being transformed already possesses magical abilities, then the Shuo Oil can naturally preserve them intact.
But if one does not have magical abilities and wants to rely on the sparkling oil to gain them, the consumption will become very alarming, even exceeding the original manufacturing cost.
Fortunately, Zuo Si has already begun to develop the No. 7 Sparkling Oil, trying to greatly enhance its capabilities in the field of magic.
On the other hand, Zuo Si was not sure whether the appearance of such a subversive thing as an airship on the continent of Faerun would irritate the sensitive nerves of some gods, so he planned to test the waters first.
"Sixteen already? That's really exciting news! If you plan to open a route to that city, please let me know.
I will ask the church to organize local merchants to fill the warehouses as full as possible to avoid waste.
But regarding the price, I hope you can give me some discount.
After all, this can increase the church's appeal and influence among business people, and also help you promote the airship so that more people can quickly accept it."
Sarangda Oulian quickly got into the role she was playing and began to fight for the interests of the goddess and the church.
Zuo Si smiled and nodded: "No problem.
If it is a group order from a church, I can give a 10% discount.
This price is basically only slightly more expensive than sea shipping and should be easily accepted by merchants.
If the church's orders occupy more than 50% of the warehouse, we can give you another 10% discount on this basis.
This way it’s no different from taking a boat.”
Hearing this, Saranda Oulian immediately exclaimed excitedly: "Oh my God! Is this true? It's as cheap as sea transportation!"
“Of course it’s true.
I have also opened many value-added services on the airship.
Rich people pay high prices to live in the upper floors and enjoy the best food, wine, scenery, bathrooms, casinos, and luxurious rooms.
There are even cocktail parties, dances and concerts every night.
Ordinary passengers live on the lower deck.
Although the conditions may not be as comfortable as those on the upper deck, they are not as cold, damp, and smelly as the lower deck.
The most important thing is that traveling by airship is much safer and faster than traveling by carriage on land.
Regarding this aspect, I hope to leave it entirely to the church to be responsible for the operation.
I wonder what you think? "
Zuo Si suggested very straightforwardly.
You should know that all the airships he brought to Faerun have been "perfected" by the No. 5 spark oil without exception, and are authentic living intelligent machines.
Therefore, after confirming the route, there is no need for any human operation and you can complete all the work by yourself.
The energy consumed for flying can be directly drawn from the magic net.
Anyway, with the oil, even if a part is broken, it can be repaired in just a few seconds.
Excluding the construction costs, the operating costs of an airship are close to zero.
Therefore, Zuo Si thought that the service industry on the airship could be directly outsourced to the Church of the Goddess of Wealth.
It can save both labor costs and operating costs, and then you can just sit back and wait to collect the money.
"With great pleasure!"
Sarangda Oulianmu agreed immediately without even thinking about it.
What a joke! Only a fool would not agree to such a good thing.
With his decades of experience in the business world, he could see at a glance how profitable operating a service business on an airship could be.
What's more, the church can take this opportunity to expand its influence and bind more businessmen to form an alliance of interests.
But how to distribute it is a big problem.
Especially when Saranda Oulianm was planning to abdicate and the five ambitious women with the title of "Shangjin" were preparing to compete for the supreme leadership position.
The old man knew very well that the "Five Fierce Women" were all personally recognized by the Goddess, and she intended to train them to become independent talents to cope with the upcoming crazy expansion of the church.
There is no doubt that the first trial voyage of the giant airship caused an unprecedented sensation throughout Athkatla.
Many bold and adventurous merchants chose to take their goods and set off on the journey to Silvermoon City in the north by airship.
You have to know that Silvermoon City is located inland. In the past, traveling by land or river was not only time-consuming and laborious, but also involved many dangers.
Many Amnians may never have the chance to see it in their lifetime.
But now, with the airship, it only takes a few days to get there, and the ticket price is not expensive, much cheaper than taking a horse-drawn carriage all the way.
So in addition to merchants, many adventurers, scholars and wealthy citizens with some wealth also joined this journey.
Wherever the airship passes, people on the ground will look up and stop to watch.
The people on the airship looked down at the scenery on the ground with a sense of superiority, as well as those people as tiny as ants, or the monster tribes in the forests and mountains.
Some guys who were so idle that they even spent money to buy a bag of potatoes from the kitchen, stood on the ventilation deck outside and threw them down to kill the groups of goblins, orcs, half-orcs and jackals on the ground, and then watched these monsters rage helplessly while fleeing in all directions.
Whenever someone successfully hits the target, they immediately win praise and applause from everyone.
This little game, which seems very boring and immoral to modern people, quickly became popular throughout the airship. Even those reserved ladies and noblewomen couldn't help but throw a few to satisfy their own desires.
But soon, as the number of potatoes in the kitchen's reserves dwindled, this practice of wasting food had to be stopped.
Only those wealthy people who had plenty of money bought some arrows, spears and javelins from an arms merchant and still enjoyed the pleasure of soaring in the sky and wantonly ravaging the nasty monsters on the ground.
When night fell and all the lights on the airship were turned on, the passengers were completely excited and fell into a carnival.
Several bards immediately improvised on the spot and played some cheerful music to express their inner excitement.
But all this has nothing to do with Zuo Si spending a penny.
At this moment, he was standing on the top of a mountain near Zhentil Keep, looking at the dense crowds of Cyric followers surrounding the city from all directions in the distance, and asked without turning his head: "How many people do you think are here?"
"Hmm - probably between 8,000 and 8,500 people. Some of them were kidnapped, so I'm not sure if they should be counted."
Nimidona quickly gave an exact number.
As a creature of divine power, even in the pitch-dark night, she could clearly see everyone moving around the city wall.
"Eight thousand people! There are no civilians. Most of them have at least LV1 professional level, and they are all Dark Sun fanatics. Zhentil Castle is in big trouble this time." Zuo Si teased with a slightly gloating tone.
But Nimidona shrugged her shoulders and said, “Father, you think too highly of them.
Although this mob had an almost crazy belief, they had neither unified organization and command, nor did they carry any siege weapons.
On the contrary, the defenders are well organized and in high spirits, and will definitely deal a heavy blow to any enemy who dares to launch an attack.
The real war is never a contest of numbers, but a contest of strategy, tactics and discipline. "
From this speech, we can see that although Nimidona's camp is absolutely neutral, she still retains the Seraph's inclination towards lawfulness in her bones.
Fortunately, this tendency is not obvious and will not cause a large-scale deviation in her camp.
You must know that in this universe, camps are never static, but will change with the transformation of behavior and thoughts.
In other words, it is not the camp that determines a person's behavior and thinking pattern, but the behavior and thinking pattern that determine his camp.
“Haha, maybe ordinary wars are indeed what you said.
But the problem is that once God is involved, this is no longer necessarily the case.
You have to understand that the contest between gods is not only about the divine power itself, but more importantly about the collision of thoughts, wills and philosophical concepts.
If a god is crazy and chaotic enough that other gods cannot predict what he will do next, then there is a high probability that this guy will win.
Dark Sun is such a god.
Just wait and see, his performance is about to begin."
After saying this, Zuo Si's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
As he had expected, Cyric had never expected his followers to be able to breach the sturdy walls and gates of Zhentil Keep head-on.
Accompanied by crazy and evil religious rituals, he finally sent down an incarnation.
moment!
The shrill and sharp laughter could be heard within a radius of ten kilometers.
“Hahahahaha! Cheer! Jump for joy! I am the only true God in this world! Those false gods will be destroyed! Only mortals who believe in me can be saved!”
"Praise you! Great Dark Sun!"
"Kill all the followers of the false gods! Purify the world with blood and death!"
"We will chop off the heads of thousands of hypocrites and build a throne of bones for you!"
"In the name of the great Cyric! I command you to open the city gates immediately, welcome the arrival of the one true God, and bow down at his feet."
…
evil!
confusion!
Bloodthirsty!
Crazy!
There are no words to describe the strange mental state of this new god who came to power during the turbulent years and is also the most powerful god in the entire country.
As the planeswalker who was most sensitive to energy, Zuo Si could even clearly feel that the divine power in Xirik's body had split into several strands, constantly intertwining and entangled with each other, instead of just one like other normal gods.
Among these divine powers, the most restless one undoubtedly represents death.
It is constantly struggling to break free from Xirik's control.
In addition, the divine powers that symbolize strife, tyranny, hatred, and fear seemed to have sensed something and were also being violently stirred.
Wilmes, who has always been arrogant, was completely shocked by what was happening. He kept swallowing his saliva and didn't dare to make a sound.
The succubus loli Atona, because of her divinity, also felt the madness that Xirik unintentionally exuded. Her whole body was shaking slightly uncontrollably, and her eyes were filled with fear.
In her impression, even the demons in the Abyss could not be compared with this powerful and evil god...
(End of this chapter)