How does it feel to steal things under the nose of a white bear that looks extremely ferocious and has obviously killed dozens of robbers? Just look at the nervous expression on Imon's face and his hands that are shaking slightly uncontrollably.
If she had not been penniless and hungry for several days, and had only eaten half-cooked fish without salt once during this period, she swore that she would never do such a dangerous and crazy thing.
Because from the horrific and hideous wounds on the corpse, it can be seen how dangerous the lazily lying polar bear on the stone is.
Whether it was the places bitten by sharp teeth or the head smashed by claws with brains splattered all over, all of them proved its terrifying power.
Imoen didn't think that the small dagger on his waist or the short bow on his back could pose any threat to a beast of this level.
Although she was not quite sure why polar bears, which are only found in the polar regions, appeared in the relatively warm south of Baldur's Gate.
Maybe it came from the misty mountains further south?
From the visitors to Candlekeep, the girl learned that the Misty Mountains in Amn were home to many creatures that could only be seen in cold regions, such as winter wolves, white dragons, centipede demon insects, ice trolls, and so on.
At this moment, she was extremely grateful that she had developed good stealth skills such as stealth, pickpocketing, and breaking into houses, as well as very sharp senses and reflexes in her usual "battle of wits and courage" with Winthrop, the innkeeper who adopted her.
Otherwise, when walking over, you would accidentally step on the dry branches and make noises, eventually exposing yourself to the attack range of a terrible beast.
Of course, even though he had successfully approached the target, Imoen did not dare to relax at all. He would raise his head and glance at each corpse after touching it.
But soon, the large amount of gold coins and gems obtained by the robbers through looting dazzled the eyes of this inexperienced girl, causing her to relax her vigilance unconsciously and her appetite became bigger and bigger.
She completely forgot that she originally just wanted to steal a few or a dozen gold coins so that after arriving at Friendly Arms, she could go to the local inn to have a hot meal, drink a couple of glasses of wine to relax her mind, and then get a room with a soft bed to take a bath and have a good sleep.
After a while, the belt was filled with heavy money bags.
He even stole a piece of good quality +1 enchanted leather armor from an unknown female thief, intending to replace his own leather armor which was sewn together from tattered leather.
After all, Ai Meng is only a young girl of thirteen or fourteen years old. Like most of her peers, she has a serious lack of self-control, and she has some rebellious, greedy and naughty qualities in her character.
Although Winthrop, the innkeeper of Candlekeep, had never treated her badly, he had never given her any pocket money either.
Now that we suddenly see so much wealth, we naturally want to take as much as possible.
As we all know, tragedy often begins when people cannot restrain their greed.
When the pink-haired girl was ready to retreat with money bags hanging all over her body and a piece of leather armor in her hands, she accidentally stepped on a stone hidden in the dense grass, and she lost her balance and fell to the ground.
Bang! Although the thick layer of weeds did not make a loud sound, it was enough to alert animals with keen hearing.
With the power of the Beast King, Artio woke up immediately. He looked at Imoen, who was slumped on the ground and dared not move, with a slightly surprised look, then he stretched leisurely and jumped down from the boulder.
Although it did not show any attacking posture, it was like sounding the alarm for the other two people.
Aberdare, who was hiding in the woods behind, rushed out first and shouted, trying to attract the polar bear's attention so that the girl would have time to escape.
But unfortunately, this trick might work well against ordinary beasts, but it is completely useless against Artio, who has a very high IQ and has been trained by the succubus loli.
The white bear didn't even pay any attention to Aberdare. Instead, it came closer and sniffed her gently with its wet nose, then licked the girl's face with its tongue.
This action instantly frightened Aimon so much that he almost peed his pants. His muscles were tense and stiff. He asked in horror, "Is it... is it tasting the flavor and taste before eating me?"
"Don't move! Don't move! I don't think it's hungry, it's just curious about you. Otherwise it will attack you when it wakes up."
Aberdare approached cautiously with a weapon in hand, and tried to comfort his childhood playmate in the gentlest voice possible.
Perhaps because he had encountered creatures such as ogres, wolves, and wild apes in recent days, his courage and nerves had grown a lot. He did not show any panic, but quickly calmed down and thought about how to escape the current dangerous situation.
"But I'm really scared! If this bear suddenly bites off my neck or crushes my head, could you please go to Askatra and ask Soth to help revive me?
When he left Candlekeep a few years ago, he promised that I could ask him for help no matter what troubles I encountered in the future."
Aimon begged with a sad face, and her voice was obviously trembling.
After all, anyone who is licked on the face and neck by a large, strong polar bear would feel terrified from the bottom of their hearts.
Especially the one in front of him, he had killed more than thirty robbers who were blocking the road and robbing people.
The bloody and slightly smelly corpse on the ground was enough to prove how ferocious and powerful it was when it was angry.
"Don't worry, I will never let you die." Aberdare promised solemnly.
Just as the two men and the bear were in a standoff, a shrill scream suddenly broke the silence.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of ape-like creatures, almost the same size as humans and covered with thick hair, rushed out of the dense forest.
With them was a nimble halfling and a human dressed as a wizard.
There is no doubt that the former is the mad ape that is unique to the forests around Baldur's Gate, a highly aggressive and intelligent social monster.
As for individual strength, it is probably not much different from ordinary goblins, perhaps slightly stronger.
If you encounter one or two or three or five of them, any adventurer with some experience or an adult who has received combat training can easily deal with them.
But once it reaches a certain scale, it can cause unimaginable damage to those villages and towns with small populations.
What's more, the difference between these creatures and goblins is that when they see their companions being killed, they don't run away. Instead, they become more violent, bloodthirsty and cruel because of anger.
Aberdare: “???????”
Imoen: “????”
Atio: “????”
This group of sudden intruders instantly confused the two Sons of Bhaal and a white bear.
But the halfling thief and human wizard who were being chased by the wild ape were instantly relieved. The latter immediately shouted for help: "Hey! Can you give me a hand? We are all adventurers and civilized people!"
"Help me? Do you think I can move now?"
Imoen rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Uh - is that bear not a druid or ranger's animal companion but a wild one? Then why is it wearing a collar around its neck?"
The man dressed as a wizard was slightly stunned, and his expression gradually became ugly.
"You ask me? How could I possibly know! You want to find someone to help you, and I want to find someone to help me."
Imoen swallowed nervously, forcing herself to stay calm and not make any moves that might irritate the giant in front of her.
She didn't know if it was an illusion, but after the initial panic and nervousness, she suddenly felt that the white bear in front of her didn't seem to have any ill will towards her.
"Damn! The situation seems to be a little more complicated than you thought, isn't it?"
The halfling thief dodged the attacks of the two mad apes in a desperate manner and retreated quickly.
The wizard gnashed his teeth and said in defense: "This is not my fault. Who could have expected such an unexpected situation? Look at that white bear, it is definitely capable of killing us all."
"Ha! Why don't you brag about your magical skills at this time? I remember last time when we were drinking, you boasted that you used Grease Magic and Burning Hands to instantly kill a dozen goblins." The halfling thief sneered sarcastically.
Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Aberdare finally couldn't help but roared, "Enough! Please take a look at our current situation! If you don't want to die here, you'd better think of a solution quickly."
"What can we do? What can we do now? The only thing we can do is to pray, pray that the bear will stand on our side to attack the ape. Otherwise, this day next year will be our death day!"
While saying this, the human wizard suddenly shot a magic missile from his fingertips with a simple spell, and with a bang, it knocked the rushing ape to the ground.
The half-human thief quickly rushed forward and stabbed the man to make sure he could never get up again.
As the apes' encirclement became smaller and smaller, and they bared their fangs and kept roaring and screaming, Artio finally figured out the situation with his not-so-bright little head.
Especially after confirming that the pink-haired girl and the big human youth were the targets that the master asked it to wait for, the polar bear cub, whose age could not be determined, immediately turned around, let out a deafening roar at the group of apes, and then rushed out like a heavy tank.
The next second...
Bang! An unlucky guy was knocked out more than ten meters away and hit hard on a tree branch. His abdomen was pierced by the sharp part of the front end. He spurted out a large mouthful of blood with a wow sound, and then he swallowed his last breath while wailing in pain.
Before anyone could react to what was happening, Artio stood up using the strength of his hind legs and waved his bear paws left and right like a god of war.
Basically, one slap is enough to smash the head of a mad ape, or use the front claws to cut horrible and fatal wounds on the chest and abdomen, causing the intestines, internal organs and the like to flow out.
The scene was so bloody that Imoen, who had never seen such a sight before, lay on the ground vomiting, his eyes filled with excitement and relief for surviving the disaster.
She was obviously very clear that if she had been slapped just now, she would have become a lifeless corpse now.
In nature, it is a universally acknowledged truth that the bigger the body, the stronger the power. At the same time, an extra-large body also means more tenacious vitality, which can withstand more attacks from enemies.
At this moment, Artio showed his physical advantages to the fullest.
You should know that although it is still a cub less than one year old, with the dual blessings of the power of the Beast King and the legendary druid's natural power, it is already three orders of magnitude larger than its counterparts in the Far North.
In addition, after being transformed by magic, its essence has long been a monster rather than a beast.
So let alone low-level monsters like the Mad Ape that can only be used as cannon fodder, even if you rush into the dark elves holding adamantium weapons, you can kill them all.
Especially the metallic skin hidden under the white fur, ordinary non-magical weapons would not even leave a mark when cutting it.
In just a few minutes, most of the dozens of apes were killed or injured. The rest finally collapsed and lost their fighting consciousness, and turned around and fled into the depths of the dense forest.
"roar!!!!!!!!"
Artio, whose white hair had been dyed red with blood, let out a threatening roar in the direction of the mad ape's escape, then turned around and jumped into the river nearby to clean the blood.
Although it has not been kept by Zuo Si for a long time, it has developed good habits of cleanliness and hygiene, just like other pets kept in the Mage Tower.
When I washed myself clean and climbed up to shake off the water droplets, I suddenly found that the four people who were there just now had disappeared.
moment!
The polar bear cub was dumbfounded.
What about the trust between humans and bears? I just saved you, and this is how you repay me?
Couldn't the world be more sincere and less scheming? Just when it was beginning to feel overwhelmed, it suddenly heard the master's voice in its mind.
"You stupid bear really opened my eyes!
I can't even do such a small thing!
Forget it. It’s better to expect a sow to climb a tree than to expect you.
Give me full control of your body, and I will teach you how to get along with humans."
After saying that, Zuo Si ignored Artio's defense and took over the white bear's body through the control terminal. He quickly reduced its size to a size that could be considered "cute" and "adorable".
Because only in this way will they not be regarded as a threat when entering villages and towns with relatively dense populations.
Just the opposite!
Countless Furui fans will rush up like wolves and tigers to feed or stroke them crazily.
After completing the miniaturization, he immediately used the bear's sense of smell, which was several times more sensitive than that of canines, to quickly lock onto the scent of Imoen and chased after him on his four short legs.
…
At the same time, the four people who took the opportunity to run more than a kilometer away were now sitting in an open space some distance away from the Friendly Arm, breathing heavily.
"Thank goodness! We finally escaped alive!"
Aberdare lay on the ground in an ungraceful manner, sticking out his tongue like a dog, trying to quickly cool down his lungs which were burning after the intense exercise.
The human wizard nodded in agreement: "Yes! That white bear is so scary!
I suspect it may have been blessed and blessed by the natural spirit of this forest.
Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself.
My name is Thrall, and the halfling rogue over there is my companion, named Montaro."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Aberdare, and the one next to me is Imoen, my childhood friend and playmate."
The Son of Bhaal responded in a very friendly tone.
Maybe it was because they had experienced a thrilling escape together, or maybe it was due to the teaching of his adoptive father Gorion, but in any case, his upbringing was not too bad.
It’s just that many times when we are young and energetic, we can easily be overwhelmed by anger and do impulsive things.
"Hehehe! You don't have to introduce yourself, because we know your name, Son of God."
The short thief Montaro let out a laugh that sounded like a nervous laugh.
"Son of God?"
Aberdare looked puzzled.
But just as he was about to ask more questions, Sal immediately interrupted and said, "Don't worry about it. Montaro is like a lunatic with an abnormal brain. He often makes strange movements and says some incomprehensible words."
"I see. No wonder his laugh is always so creepy."
Aberdare nodded slightly in understanding.
However, he did not notice that Thrall glared at his fellow thief with a very obscure look.
After receiving the warning, Montaro did not say anything else, but spread his hands with an innocent look.
Just as Thrall was about to ask the son of Bhaal to go with him, Imoen, who had been rolling her eyes from exhaustion, finally recovered. She took off the money bags tied to her belt one by one and threw them into the air, cheering excitedly, "We're going to get rich! Dear Aberdare! We're really going to get rich this time! Look at these gold coins, silver coins, and gems. I bet they're worth at least hundreds or even thousands of gold coins in total."
"What? Really?!"
Aberdare's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly got up, picked up the purse and opened it to check. He was soon attracted by the golden and silver light, and couldn't help hugging the girl and kissing her on the head. He praised her generously, "Well done! With this money, we don't have to live in the open anymore. When we get to the Friendly Arm, we will have a big meal, and then see about buying some better weapons and armor, and buy two horses for transportation."
"Yeah! I need a short sword as a weapon, and a more powerful compound bow. It would be best if I could buy some poison that can be applied to arrows and weapons."
Imoen followed suit and expressed his thoughts.
"Potions! Don't forget to buy two bottles of magic potions for healing and other effects as backup." Aberdare added quickly.
The two of them started discussing how to spend the money, not noticing that they were now completely exposed to the sight of many bigwigs behind the scenes.
Among them was Elminster himself, who had already set out from Shadowdale and was on his way, as well as the Harper Alliance, with whom he had a close relationship, and the Zhentarim, who were in direct conflict with the Harper Alliance.
To be precise, Montaro and Sal, who are currently in the team, are spies sent by the Zhentarim.
They report directly to Xi Manmeng, the head of the Dark Intelligence Network.
Zuo Si was controlling the body of his animal companion, standing in the woods in the distance, watching the two Sons of Baal's every move. After a while, he told Artio, "Keep an eye on them. Remember, if you lose them again, I'll cut off your two eggs and force you to be sterilized."
As the last word came out of his mouth, he finally handed control of his body back to the white bear cub.
The latter was obviously frightened by the words "eggs removed". He subconsciously covered his crotch with his two bear paws, not daring to be distracted at all, and stared at the figure in the distance.
After Aberdare, Imon and the others rested for half an hour, they set out again soon, intending to reach Friendly Arms before dark.
But the two Sons of Bhaal did not know that Sharevok had already used the Chamber of Commerce led by his adoptive father to secretly issue a high bounty.
All the towns and villages throughout Baldur's Gate are filled with bounty hunters looking to make a killing.
Among them was a wizard named Tanisin, who had received the news in advance and was lying in ambush in the Friendly Arm waiting for the arrival of his prey.
He believed that with his own strength, he was more than capable of dealing with two rookies, and there was absolutely no chance of failure.
同样在友善之臂焦急等候巴尔之子到来的人还有贾西拉跟卡立德。
这对半精灵夫妇最近几年一直都在北地一带活动，执行竖琴手同盟下达的命令，经常与散塔林会的间谍与密探爆发流血冲突，不管是实力还是经验都得到了长足的进步。
尤其是贾西拉，现在已经是一名LV9的德鲁伊兼LV5的战士，总职业等级高达LV14。
这在费伦大陆上绝对可以算得上是响当当的一号人物了。
如果愿意，她随时都能凭借自己的力量建立起一个中小规模的组织，进而成为一方势力的领袖。
“该死！这已经是第几天了？葛立安的养子为什么还没到？”
贾西拉眼睛里闪烁着愤怒的火光，差点把手里的酒杯硬生生捏碎。
“冷……冷静点，亲爱的。”
有口吃毛病的卡立德赶忙安慰妻子。
“根……根据组织密探前不久传过来的情报，在葛立安遇害现场和周围树林中并未发现有其他尸体。
这……这也就意味着他逃了出来。
只要……要我们在这里耐心等待下去，他……他总会找上门来的。
现在你着急也无济于事，不如喝点什么先好好休息一下养精蓄锐。
毕……毕竟你已经好几天没有好好睡过觉了。”
“葛立安被人杀了！他的养子生死不明！你让我怎么能睡得着？”
贾西拉抬起头露出一双布满血丝的眼睛。
要知道在第一次得知这个消息的时候，她的第一反应是震惊到无以复加，甚至觉得竖琴手同盟的情报出了差错。
葛立安可是一名很强大的法师，同时还是知识之神欧格玛的牧师，年轻的时候经常跟伊尔明斯特和凯尔本这些魔法女神的选民一起执行任务、四处冒险。
当年闯入献祭仪式营救那些即将被杀掉的巴尔之子时，葛立安仅凭一己之力就干掉了二十个邪神的信徒，还跟好几个敌人的高阶牧师打得有来有回，成功为竖琴手的营救行动争取了宝贵时间。
“我……我能理解你的心情。听……听到葛立安死讯我也很难过，但……但我们还肩负着找到并引导那个孩子的职责，不要让悲伤和仇恨蒙蔽了你的双眼。”卡立德苦口婆心的劝解道。
只可惜，贾西拉连半个字都没有听进去，很快便离开嘈杂喧闹的大厅，返回客房想要一个人静一静。
她前脚刚走没多久，后脚一名吟游诗人打扮的男人便凑过来，以十分隐晦的动作把一张字条塞到了卡立德的手中。
后者非常清楚这是竖琴手同盟给自己传递的消息，没有多想直接打开瞅了一眼，脸上瞬间失去血色，慌张到差点把手里的酒杯打翻在地。
“这……这消息是真的？！”
卡立德张大嘴巴用不是很确定的语气质问。
吟游诗人脸色凝重的点了点头：“是真的，我们的人已经确认了。
就在两三天之前，散提尔堡和散塔林会现如今的领袖——傅佐尔·钱伯瑞，率领一支怪物大军从月之海出发，沿着巨龙海湾南下进入龙湖，对巨龙海岸的几座城市发起了进攻。
截止到消息传出的时候，包括西门、泰席尔、普罗斯、伊里普四个沿海的港口城市已经全部沦陷。
他们正在沿着大道向内陆进发，看样子是打算征服整个西哈特兰德地区。
顺便提一句，散提尔堡在日落山脉的据点黑暗堡也出兵了。”
“我的天呐！傅佐尔·钱伯瑞这是疯了吗？散……散提尔堡和散塔林会不是才遭到希瑞克和他麾下那些疯狂的追随者的重创么？他们哪来的兵力和装备补给？”
卡立德显然被这个突如其来的噩耗搞得有些抓狂，摘下头盔用力薅着自己的头发。
毕竟眼下博德之门周边地区的局势就已经够复杂、够紧张的了。
他简直无法想象散提尔堡和散塔林会再来这么一下，这片土地会变得有多么混乱且危险。
“傅佐尔·钱伯瑞疯没疯我不知道，反正博德之门的商人和公爵们是快要疯了，组织的高层也同样快要疯了。
因为一旦散提尔堡和散塔林会控制了西哈特兰德，博德之门就会彻底从陆上和海上被两头堵死。
他们要么倒向耐兰瑟尔群岛成为其下属放弃陆上贸易，要么臣服在暴政之神班恩的脚下保住陆上贸易，根本没可能继续保持独立。”
在说这番话的时候，前来传递情报的吟游诗人语气中透露出一丝无奈。
“那龙湖对岸的科米尔王国，难道就这样眼睁睁看着傅佐尔·钱伯瑞发起大规模的入侵而没有采取任何行动？”卡立德有些不死心的追问道。
在费伦大陆很多善良阵营人士的眼中，最早建立起来的人类王国——科米尔，一直都是秉承着公平、公正和倾向守序善良的行事风格。
在左思刚穿越过来那一年，正是科米尔现任国王——亚桑四世率领军队远征莱瑟曼，击败了从遥远东方无尽荒野中冲出来的游牧民大军，并在战场上击杀了敌人的最高统帅。
所以卡立德才会认为科米尔王国绝对不应该坐视散提尔堡这种大规模的军事入侵和征服才对。
吟游诗人苦笑着摇了摇头：“别提了。
科米尔王国现在自顾不暇，那里还有精力去管国境之外的事情。
由于不知名的原因，从邻国桑比亚大量流出的廉价粮食，正在疯狂冲击着科米尔的谷物市场。
无数农民发现他们种植出来的小麦、大麦、燕麦和其他一些豆子之类的农作物，不仅没办法赚到哪怕一个铜板的利润，而且反而还要往里倒赔钱。
不少通过借贷来播种等秋收之后还债的自耕农，现如今都已经赔的倾家荡产，数量之多已经足以影响到科米尔社会结构的稳定。
除此之外，这种情况还带来了一系列的连锁反应，同样受到巨大损失的贵族们也为了想要弥补损失而争吵不休。
更可怕的是，一些桑比亚商人开始发动对科米尔王国的渗透，拜龙教的疯子们也有了复苏的迹象，在一些城市周围频繁活动。
原本躲进深山和密林深处的地精、盗匪、兽人也出现在主干道附近肆虐。
所以你就不要妄想科米尔王国这一次会站出来主持公道了。”
“这……这还真是个糟糕到极点的坏消息。眼下只能寄希……希望于博德之门的公爵们能暂时放下内部争端，联手出兵对抗散提尔堡的大规模入侵了。”
卡立德端起杯子将里边琥珀色的液体仰起头一饮而尽，颇为英俊的脸上浮现出苦涩的笑容。
不用问也知道，科米尔王国这一次爆发的内乱，实际上就是左思与安姆政府联手在桑比亚发动的经济战，也可以被称之为粮食战争。
只不过与可以完全不管农奴死活，甚至将其直接变成奴隶进行买卖赚取利润的桑比亚寡头垄断统治阶级相比，科米尔王国的王室跟贵族还算比较有良心，并不会让这些破产农民沦落到活活饿死或是卖儿卖女的境地。
但也正因为如此，他们才会背负上沉重的财政负担，而不是像桑比亚政府那样轻装上阵。
没办法！ 不管是在什么样的世界，想要做一个好人往往需要比做一个坏人付出更多、更惨痛的代价。
更何况这个世界大部分统治者严重缺乏经济运行规律的研究跟了解，对于许多阴险招数的防御能力几乎为零。
最离谱和魔幻的是，目前正在承受粮价崩盘带来严重后果的桑比亚，贵族和富商们不仅没有承受任何损失，反而张开血盆大口疯狂吞噬者那些破产平民好不容易积累下来的财富，一个个吃的脑满肠肥。
连带着搞粮食倾销的伯纳德也成为了上流宴会、舞会的座上宾。
甚至还因为给吃不起饭的穷人每天发放用碎玉米、大麦、燕麦、豆子之类牲畜饲料熬成的免费热粥而成为远近闻名的“带善人”。
搞得你倾家荡产，还要你跪在地上痛哭流涕的大声说谢谢。
伯纳德无疑已经从左思那里学到了垄断与资本运作的精髓，并且正在享受着这种通过金钱和贸易的方式将一个国家彻底摧毁，然后将其玩弄于股掌之上的成就感。
在这位年轻商人的眼中，唯利是图的桑比亚统治阶级就如同一头头被养肥的猪，自认为从中赚到了难以想象的丰厚利润。
殊不知，他们已经亲手把绞索套在了自己的脖子上。
现在只要再过个把月停止廉价谷物的流入，转而开始用手头的钱高价收购粮食，那么整个桑比亚就会瞬间陷入史无前例的大饥荒，隔壁科米尔王国也会跟着连带着一起遭殃。
Zuo Si probably never imagined that the agreement he had reached with the six-member council would play an unexpected additional role at this time.
If it were to be discovered by someone in the future, it would probably become irrefutable evidence of his insidiousness, cunningness and shrewdness.
No matter how we explain it, it's just a coincidence, no one will believe it.
Otherwise, with the Kingdom of Cormyr blocking the way, it would not be easy for the monster army recruited by Fuzor Chamberlain to launch such a large-scale invasion.
Even if he could successfully land and occupy the coastal port cities by surprise attack, he would have to leave a considerable number of troops to guard the rear to prevent Yasan IV from leading his troops directly across the strait to stab him in the ass.
But now, the Tyrant of the Moon Sea does not have to worry about attacks in the rear and can send all his troops out to advance quickly.
Because he had learned through the Zhentarim's dark intelligence network that the Kingdom of Cormyr currently did not have enough financial resources to support a war.
Especially the famous War Mage Corps, which is simply a huge money-burning machine.
Every time they go out, everyone from the king to the aristocratic parliament feels the pain.
Often the materials consumed by a large-scale joint spellcasting could consume one-fifth or even more of the country's tax revenue.
Not to mention the staggering cost of maintaining this mage army, and the extra high fees that need to be paid when they are deployed.
At this moment, Fuzor Chamberlain was standing on the city wall of Avonsol, looking down at this mixed army composed of humans, orcs, hobgoblins, ogres, giants and various monsters escorting the defeated prisoners into prison, with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Good! Another clean conquest. The great Bane will be pleased with this."
"Yes! Not only will the God of Tyranny be happy about this, but Soth will also be happy about this.
Because it won't be long before he will become the legitimate ruler of West Heartland and the Dragon Coast with the support of these foolish people who know nothing about the truth.
Compared with simple and crude conquest and enslavement, this is a truly sophisticated method. "
Ximanmeng pursed his lips and said meaningfully.
Since he had a new backer and supporter, he has returned to his previous calm, rational and elegant self.
Moreover, not long ago, he had just gone through an evil magic ritual and upgraded himself to a more advanced vampire form.
Now, even if exposed to sunlight, they will not instantly turn into ashes like ordinary vampires, but will just feel a little uncomfortable.
"It doesn't matter! Anyway, the Dark Lord's Church will take root in this land and gain the faith and respect of countless mortals. That's enough."
Fuzzol Chamberlain pretended to be indifferent.
But deep down, he had already developed a strong jealousy towards Zuo Si.
Especially the [Tyrant's Scepter] in his hand, which can make people obey absolutely, is the artifact he desires most.
Unfortunately, this Bane's chosen one is well aware that in the eyes of the god he serves, his own status and importance are far inferior to that of the other party.
If he were to cause trouble or stir up trouble at this time, he would most likely end up like his good friend Manshoon, being dealt with, or losing control of Zhentil Keep and the church.
As a god of tyranny who emphasizes obedience and order, what Bane hates most is believers and followers going against his will.
"Oh - really? It seems that your mind and tolerance are much broader than I thought."
Ximanmeng bent down and bowed with an almost exaggerated movement.
But to Fuzzol Chamberlain, this sentence sounded quite harsh, more like a mockery.
After all, anyone who has come into contact with this guy knows how arbitrary, domineering, and narrow-minded he is.
But the Tyrant of the Moon Sea did not get angry because of this. Instead, he smiled and asked with interest: "If I remember correctly, you seem to be paying attention to the offspring of Baal, the God of Murder, recently, right?"
Ximanmeng nodded slightly: "That's right. Whether it's Aberdare, whose adoptive father just died, or Sarevok, who has secretly won over a large number of forces and is ambitiously trying to start a war to inherit his father's legacy, they are all within my observation range."
"Sarevok? I think I've heard of this name!"
Fuzzol Chamberlain stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.
“He is the adopted son of Rita, the leader of the Iron Throne Chamber of Commerce. He has activated the divinity in his body through some cruel and bloody killings and sacrificial rituals, and even has his own believers.
Even if you meet Sarevok, it will be difficult to gain any advantage.
In addition, if nothing unexpected happens, he will most likely replace Duke Iltan and lead the Baldur's Gate army to fight against you.
Because killing, especially death related to violence, can best inspire and strengthen the power and divinity of Baal, the god of murder.
If I were Sarevok, I would never miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
After all, for Baldur's Gate, Waterdeep in the north is too powerful, and it is absolutely unwise to wage war against it.
And in the south, Thoth is in charge of Amn. If Sarevok has any sense left, he will never provoke such a powerful enemy.
So we are the most suitable opponents for him.”
Xi Manmeng is worthy of being the head of the Dark Intelligence Network. He easily explained the direction of development of the entire incident, which seemed very complicated but was actually extremely simple.
Fuzor Chamberlain was obviously also a master of conspiracy and intrigue. He immediately noticed something from these words and raised his head and asked in an uncertain tone: "Do you think that Soth, who asked me to launch the invasion at this time, had already discovered this son of Baal named Sarevok, so he planned to kill two birds with one stone?"
Ximamon grinned and replied, "Ah! Have you finally realized it? It seems to me that whether it is you leading the army of Zhentil Keep to launch a full-scale invasion, or using Sarevok to continue to weaken the political and military power of Baldur's Gate, or the Trade Alliance that is in full swing to absorb members.
In essence, they are all part of Lord Soth's huge and meticulous plan.
In addition, he also placed two key chess pieces in some unknown places.
After this war is over, the west coast, which occupies one-fifth or even more of the land in the continent of Faerun, will completely become the property of Lord Soth.
Perhaps he has some other more hidden purposes behind this.
So I sincerely advise you not to do those little tricks, otherwise the consequences may be very serious.
in addition--
My dear mentor Mansong is here.
He must be here to see you..."
After hearing the last two sentences, Fuzor Chamberlain's face suddenly turned a little ugly. He turned his head with a very stiff movement, and sure enough, he saw the last surviving Manson clone running towards him from a distance with a red face. Without saying a word, he gave him a warm hug, and one of its hands grabbed his butt from behind.
Xi Manmeng bowed gracefully with a playful smile on his face, then quickly turned around and left without even stopping for a second.
Because he knew that some rather shocking scenes might happen next.
In order to prevent Fuzzol Chamberlain from getting angry, it is better to avoid him a little.
(End of this chapter)