However, he did not go south with the Sons of Bhaal's team to the small town of Belgoth east of Candlekeep, but continued north across Baldur's Gate and arrived at Dragonspear Castle next to the High Moors.
Unlike the last time I came here when it looked a bit desolate and dilapidated, here both the city walls and arrow towers have obviously been renovated and reinforced.
There were about one or two hundred fully armed mercenaries standing on top, vigilantly watching every move around them. Occasionally, a team on horseback would rush out of the castle and patrol along the large tracts of farmland around it.
Some farmers who have been attracted to settle here are diligently taking care of various crops, while some herdsmen are driving flocks of sheep, cattle and horses with dogs to graze on the lush weeds and bushes.
Located on the east side of the castle, near the small river and stream, a huge artificial lake with an area equivalent to more than 30 football fields was dug. Many ducks, geese and wild water birds can be seen playing in groups on the water.
Needless to say, this was definitely done with the power of the Oranli hydra, plus the tools used by the captured goblins, orcs, and half-orc slaves to dig it out bit by bit.
Judging from the scale, the current Dragonspear Castle already has about several thousand permanent residents.
They even retained a special group of goblin slaves responsible for building houses and city walls, repairing roads, and doing the dirty and tiring work of cleaning up garbage and unclogging sewers.
If things continue to develop as they are now, perhaps a new city will rise up in a few decades and become an important land trade hub connecting Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep.
What's more, the land within hundreds of kilometers around here is unowned and undeveloped.
Anyone who is willing to settle here can immediately obtain a full 100 acres of farmland that had been reclaimed and roughly cultivated by goblin slaves, as well as a fairly nice log cabin.
If you want to be a herdsman, that's fine.
The Castle Ranch area has a large number of small rock horses, long-haired sheep and other domesticated hoofed herbivores. As long as you pay a partial deposit, you can immediately get your own herd and ranch.
The first two types of livestock are specialties of the Supreme Wasteland. A lot of them were captured when clearing monsters around the castle, at least hundreds of thousands of them.
Although some were killed and some were sold to merchants, an astonishing scale is still retained today.
Among them, the rock horse is a very good beast of burden. It not only has excellent endurance, but is also very easy to feed. Dairy products, leather and dried meat made from it are also good commodities.
The wool of long-wool sheep has been the main product of Dragonspear Castle in recent years, and textile merchants from both Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate are scrambling to get it.
Especially after the opening of the airship route directly to here, it can even be sold to Luskan, Neverwinter and Silvermoon Alliance which are farther away.
Because these cities are closer to the polar cold, the demand for woolen fabrics and warm clothing is much greater than that of Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate.
The original entrepreneurial shareholders, led by Marshall, had already made a lot of money.
A small number of ambitious guys even want to completely occupy the High Wasteland in the east as a pasture in order to raise more long-wool sheep to meet the growing trade needs.
They completely forgot that the High Wasteland was not a safe place.
Ever since the Crown War, the ancient elven kingdom, Maielita, was completely destroyed by the dark elves before their fall with a terrible magic, and all the residents were killed together. Since then, it has completely become a paradise for monsters and beasts.
Whether it is trolls, orcs, hobgoblins, snakemen and lizardmen hiding deep in the swamp, or other carnivorous beasts such as wolves, bears, tigers, leopards, etc., they are enough to pose a deadly threat to outsiders who dare to venture into this area.
The reason why the area around Dragonspear Castle is relatively safe nowadays is entirely due to the large-scale cleanup carried out with the help of the Oranli multi-headed dragon.
But the problem is that they no longer have the Oranli Hydra, the super trump card that can deter all potential enemies.
If they continue to rashly push forward with large-scale land enclosure, the consequences will be absolutely disastrous if they anger the powerful dragons and large monster tribes of more than tens of thousands of people in the wilderness.
The farmlands, villages, pastures and livestock herds that were reclaimed with great difficulty outside the city walls would all be wiped out in the war.
Compared with the greed of other shareholders, Marshall, who regards himself as the general manager, always keeps a clear and calm mind.
He knew very well how the current prosperity and stability of Dragonspear Castle came about, which was why he took the trouble to travel across half of the west coast to Luskan to attend the Northern Lords' Conference not long ago, just to meet with the nominal lord Zuo Si, and respectfully report the progress of the work, while asking for instructions on what to do next, and also handing over the profits gained through accumulation and development over the past few years.
Yes!
This wise man did not swallow up all the wealth, including land and taxes, like many short-sighted fools.
He only took out about 30% to 40% and shared it with the shareholders who had started the business with him.
Marshall understood that the reason why he had been able to go smoothly over the years and no other forces had come to cause trouble was because of Zuo Si's notorious reputation and his ruthlessness and brutality in dealing with his enemies at all costs.
If they lost this umbrella of protection, not to mention the Zhentarim, the Cult of the Dragon and some other evil organizations, the monsters in the High Wastes and the Howling Trollwood would be enough to put Dragonspear Castle in great danger.
Not to mention that there is a portal connecting to the first level of Baator Hell in the basement of the castle.
Later, when Zuo Si became the lord of the new ninth level, a powerful and terrifying devil found Marshall almost immediately and signed a contract with him.
From then on, the two sides kept to themselves and no conflict occurred again.
The devils even built a town near the portal, allowing adventurers and merchants to go there to do business, or pay a certain fee to enter the hell plane through the portal.
Some demons came from underground to the surface and became the owners of some taverns, hotels and shops.
Although at the beginning, these evil alien creatures made everyone feel very uncomfortable, and even strongly vigilant and hostile.
But as they spend more and more time together, many people find that the devil is not as scary as the rumors say.
Just the opposite!
In many cases, they strictly abide by local rules and laws, and are even more honest than many unscrupulous businessmen. They also provide many magical services and soul contracts.
In particular, many desperate criminals are very willing to sell their souls in exchange for the protection of the devils in order to avoid being ripped open and torn into pieces by their enemies.
In addition, the presence of the devil means that souls can be traded here, and there are specialties from Baator for sale.
So instead of shrinking, trade became more prosperous than before.
Due to the implementation of limited slavery (only designated races can serve as slaves), many service venues are very fancy and perverted.
You can experience here the scenery that you can't see in other cities, such as lizardmen and snake maids, half-orc girls, drow ladies, orc strong men, etc.
It attracted a large number of guys who wanted to try it out of curiosity, as well as nobles, wealthy businessmen and hungry ladies whose XP was different from ordinary people.
Due to the lack of contraceptive measures, many mixed-race children around one or two years old, two or three years old, can be seen running around on the streets.
In addition, brutal and bloody gladiatorial combat and beast fighting are also the special features of Dragonspear Castle.
Because slavery has been completely abolished in Kalinshan in the south, it has naturally become the only place on the west coast of the entire Faerun continent where one can enjoy and experience similar excitement.
High-level demons and some evil wizards also transformed the trolls to make them smarter and trained many troll slave gladiators with skilled combat skills.
Because of their strong recovery ability, it doesn't matter if they are seriously injured or even disabled.
Anyway, after a period of nursing, they will be able to be active on the field again and satisfy the appetite of those spectators who are eager to see bloody killings.
In fact, the current Dragonspear Castle is far beyond Marshall's control.
Whether it was those powerful demons from hell or the increasing number of evil camp wizards, they all made him feel like he was sitting on the crater of a volcano and might be blown up to the sky at any time.
Not to mention that a large number of organized dark elves have emerged from nowhere recently, and there is also a leader who claims to be the Seven Sisters of the North - Kuilu, who asked Dragonspear Castle to mark out an area underground for her to build an underground city, and claimed that this matter had obtained the permission of Lord Zuo Si.
So far, the number of these dark elves has reached thousands.
Although there has been no aggressive behavior so far, it has made Marshall feel uneasy.
The increasingly complicated situation made this middle-aged man from a business background realize that his abilities were no longer sufficient to cope with the severe challenges.
fortunately!
As a small transport airship loaded with supplies and tools descended from the sky, he finally let out a long sigh, walked up quickly, bowed deeply to the master he swore allegiance to, and exclaimed with relief: "Lord Soth! You are finally here!"
"Why do you look so tired? And why are your eyes so dark? Men over 40 need to be more restrained in some aspects, otherwise they may die suddenly from excessive indulgence."
Zuo Si looked at the gray face in surprise and couldn't help but give some advice.
You know, the last time we met in Luskan, he was still rosy-cheeked and looked in good health, enjoying everything he ate.
But after not seeing him for a while, he felt like he had one foot in the coffin.
Although the wealthy people in Faerun are generally more lustful, in many places where polygamy or monogamy is allowed, it is very common to have ten or eight wives.
Even in areas where monogamy is practiced, it is common for couples to keep lovers outside or visit red-light districts every now and then.
no way.
This physiological need for reproduction comes from instinct and genes, and it cannot be completely prohibited by things like morality and law.
But the problem is that only a very small number of people kill themselves in the process of indulging in their desires.
Most powerful people still pay more attention to their physical health, and will immediately ask a pastor to treat them if they feel unwell.
"Moderation? Excessive indulgence?"
Marshall was stunned for a moment, then he explained with a smile: "Do you think I became like this because I fooled around with women every night? No! I was harmed by those dark elves, demons, and wizards who stayed in their houses all day and didn't know what dangerous magic experiments they were doing.
Especially recently, more and more dark elves have gathered and have occupied a large area under the castle leading to the Underdark.
Some adventurers found themselves building fortifications along a stretch of stalagmites and caves.
My Lord, you should be most aware of how bad the reputation of the Dark Elves is in the surface world.
I was very worried that they would suddenly rush out from underground and start killing people.”
But Zuo Si shrugged his shoulders and comforted him, "Don't worry, these are not the evil drow who believe in the spider goddess Lolth in the traditional sense, but the followers of the dark maiden Eilistraee.
Every one of them is a fugitive driven mad by the extremely oppressive social atmosphere and religious persecution in traditional dark elf cities.
These people simply wanted a home, a place to survive and thrive.
The most important thing is, after they build the city underground, it can not only become an outpost for Dragonspear Castle to defend against threats from the Underdark, but also serve as a forward base to expand trade with the underground world.
Imagine if this place became one of the few markets on the west coast where you could get Underdark specialties, how many merchants, adventurers, and travelers would it attract? "
"That's only possible if no trouble occurs. Their mere presence has made the nearby Moon Elves and Wild Elves very nervous, and they even formally protested to me."
As he said this, a helpless expression appeared on Marshall's face.
He is not a qualified politician, and he does not know how to deal with the hatred, hostility and exclusion that have lasted for tens of thousands of years.
“Don’t worry about this kind of thing, just let Kuilu and the priests of Ilistri solve it.
Besides, Dragonspear Castle now even has demons, so why should we be afraid of a group of fleeing dark elves? If those elven tribes can't stand living with their former enemies, then let them migrate away on their own.
Remember, a qualified ruler must listen to the interests of all parties, but he must not satisfy all demands endlessly.
Occasionally, some coercive measures should be used to force them to give up unrealistic fantasies and obey the overall arrangements.
Don't treat politics as a business where you can bargain, and don't imagine that the policies you implement can satisfy everyone.
Sometimes, as a decision maker, your job is to sacrifice the interests of a few to benefit the majority.”
Zuo Si expressed his attitude very straightforwardly and directly.
There is no doubt that compared with the return of some dark elves to the surface to break the monopoly of the spider goddess Rose on the faith of the entire race, the opposition from a few elven villages is not worth mentioning at all.
What's more, it is very likely that the elven pantheon is behind this incident.
Marshall smiled bitterly and said self-deprecatingly: "Sir, I am just a businessman, not a qualified ruler.
The reason why he chose to stay and rebuild Dragonspear Castle was simply because he didn't want to see his investment go to waste.
But as the business grew bigger, the situation became more complicated, and the challenges I faced increased, I found that I no longer had the ability to continue managing this land.
If possible, I would like to give up my current power and continue to be my own businessman."
"Are you really willing to give up all this?"
Zuo Si stared into the middle-aged man's eyes with interest and asked.
“To be honest, I am a little reluctant.
After all, the current prosperity of Dragonspear Castle is the result of my hard work.
But precisely because of this, I do not want to see it go from prosperity to decline under my rule.
As a businessman, I can tell you are doing something unprecedented and great.
In particular, the trade alliance that spans the entire west coast of the continent is definitely a historic moment that will be remembered by the people living in this land.
So I think handing over power is the best option.
I don’t want to suddenly become your enemy or a stumbling block on your path forward.”
When saying this, Marshall's tone was full of seriousness and sincerity.
He was not a fool. He had learned about the situations in various places through merchants and adventurers traveling back and forth, and understood what the drastic changes taking place on the west coast meant.
"You're smart, much smarter than most people I've ever met.
Okay, I accept your resignation.
But not now, it will take some time.
During this period, you are still the apparent supreme ruler here, but I will send a deputy to assist you in solving problems and troubles you encounter.
In addition, I allow you and the shareholders who started the business here with you to retain your existing land and property, and give you some compensation at an appropriate time."
After a little consideration, Zuo Si quickly made a promise.
After all, the geographical location of Dragonspear Castle is too important. He would never allow it to remain the same after unifying the entire west coast.
Instead, they wanted to use the portal to build a large trading city that would connect both Baator and the Underdark.
Originally, he planned to wait until he had dealt with other things before finding an opportunity to talk to Marshall alone, using wealth and noble titles in exchange for the other party's surrender of power.
But who knew that this businessman was much smarter than expected and actually chose to hand over power in advance.
"I'm far from being smart. At best, I'm just a little more perceptive than others. Oh, by the way, you came here specifically for those drow, right?"
Marshall glanced at the large amounts of food, tools, reinforced concrete and other construction materials that were continuously being moved out of the airship's cargo hold.
Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Yes. I promised the goddess Eilistraee that I would provide these dark elves with some living supplies in the early stage to ensure that they can get through the difficult period at the beginning. If you don't mind, can you tell me where Kui Lu is? I need to talk to her alone about something."
"Ms. Kuilu went to the gathering place of the dark elves a few days ago and bought a large amount of grains, vegetables, dried meat and dried fish. She should be leading them to build a new home." Marshall guessed in an uncertain tone.
"That's perfect. I also want to see what the difference is between these drow who believe in the Dark Maiden and ordinary drow. Do you want to come with us?"
Zuo Si extended an invitation to the steward of Dragonspear Castle beside him with a smile.
Marshall quickly waved his hands and refused, "No, no, no, I'll forget it.
The narrow passages and dark environment under the castle always make it difficult for me to breathe.
To be honest, I have lived here for so many years and have never gone downstairs once.
What's more, I need to organize people to load and unload the goods you brought, and then transport them to the warehouse on the other side."
"You're claustrophobic? That's a shame. You know, the world beneath the surface is much more exciting and interesting than most people imagine."
After saying that, Zuo Si had no intention of forcing them. He took David, who had just returned from Silvermoon City, and walked straight towards the tunnel in the castle that connected to the underground.
Because of the sudden attack by the devil last time, this place has been deepened and reinforced. From a distance, it looks like an independent small fortress. There are a full twenty soldiers deployed around it to guard it day and night.
Once an invasion occurs, the gate will be lowered immediately, completely sealing the entrances to the lower level and the surface, and at the same time, the alarm bell nearby will be sounded.
Most importantly, the original winding staircase has now been replaced by an elevator.
No matter whether it is people going down or people returning from adventure, they must go through the elevator. There is no other way.
Zuo Si and Davian took the elevator into the underground with an adventure team.
Zuo Si chose the opposite path and headed towards the gathering place of the dark elves.
But before they could walk far, a hellish demon came up to them with dozens of his men, knelt on one knee and saluted: "Supreme great master! The lord of the new ninth plane! The crown prince of hell appointed by Asmodeus himself! Your humble servant is here to wait for your orders."
"Are you my subordinate?"
Zuo Si was stunned for a moment, then stared at the other party and asked directly.
Because he didn't remember giving such an order.
"Yes."
My immediate supervisor is Ms. Gramiel, who serves as the Lord's Secretary.
She asked me to seize the portal and ensure that no other lords could use this passage to the continent of Faerun.
Of course, I also conduct some traditional business here.
Although the number of souls obtained is not large, I believe that it will increase rapidly after gaining a firm foothold."
The Pit Devil explained with a flattering smile on his face.
You know, with his level, he originally had little chance to see a big devil with a unique form like the Layer Lord.
Now that I have such an opportunity, I naturally have to do my best to perform (in other words, to flatter the boss), and at least leave a good impression to pave the way for future promotion.
All devils are opportunists through and through.
There are only three most important things in their lives.
One is to obtain more mortal souls through contracts;
One is to kill all the demons within sight;
Another one is to get promoted.
"Glamir? That's what it is!"
The image of the blonde with purple eyes, who always wore a low-cut business suit, black socks and high heels, instantly emerged in Zuo Si's mind.
Obviously, the reason why this Pleasure Demon of a very high status made such an arrangement was probably because Dragonspear Castle was under his name.
You have to know that the first level of hell is not a safe place.
Whether it's the dragon god Tiamat and her army of colorful dragons, the great devils exiled by the Lord of Hell, or the demon army rushing in from the abyss from time to time, once they cross the portal, they are enough to easily raze Dragonspear Castle to the ground.
In addition to the above, there are also high-level angel observers sent by the upper planes, Yug'groth mercenaries from the Scorching Hell, and lunatics who rushed over from other prime material planes to participate in the bloody battle...
Anyway, no matter which force it is, as long as they send a few people, they can destroy Dragon Spear Castle like crushing a bug.
Although Glamir did not know how important this small fortress standing on the continent of Faerun was to the lord he was loyal to.
But the devil's nature of pleasing her superiors determined that she would never make even the slightest mistake in this regard.
So a hell demon and his soldiers were sent over.
If nothing unexpected happens, a super-large fortress comparable to the size of Waterdeep City has probably been built on the other side of the portal, and a considerable number of devil legions are stationed there, ready to deal with any emergencies at any time.
Thinking of this, the corners of Zuo Si's mouth twitched slightly uncontrollably, and he hooked his finger at the Hell Devil kneeling on the ground.
The latter immediately understood what he meant, and hurriedly stood up and came closer, cautiously asking: "Excuse me, is there anything I can do for you?"
"How much do you know about the dark elves who recently migrated here?" Zuo Si asked directly.
“A lot, even more than they know.
In fact, my devil spies noticed them when the first group of drow arrived.
At that time, these dark elves who had escaped from somewhere were tired, hungry, and in a mess, and many of them were injured.
At first, I planned to set a trap to trick them into signing a contract and becoming slaves of the Legion.
But who knew that the leading woman, during a break, accidentally revealed that the reason they came from so far away was that they had obtained your permission to build a city here.
Later, I hired some adventurers to make contact with the drow and discovered that they were all believers of the Dark Maiden Eilistraee. I gave them some much-needed food, potions, and daily necessities for free.
Now I am barely an ally with this group of interesting dark elves, and we occasionally do some business..."
The Hell Demon confessed everything he knew.
In particular, several of the more powerful families at this stage were also introduced in detail.
Just as Zuo Si expected, although these dark elves chose to abandon Lolth and believe in Eilistraee, the bad habits and values formed over tens of thousands of years were difficult to change all at once.
In particular, the family political system with the mistress as the core not only continues, but is also the most important force, without a doubt.
The eldest daughters in some families even actively wooed the devil in private, hoping to use external forces to kill their mothers and replace them.
It can be said that apart from no longer believing in Rose, more than half of these dark elves are no different from their despised compatriots.
The only consolation is that 30% to 40% of the people who escaped alone, without any family support, completely accepted Eilistraee's teachings and began to actively abandon the past and embrace the future.
Just like that, while listening to the report from the Hell Demon, we moved forward along the dark and deep tunnel.
About a few hours later, Zuo Si finally arrived at the area occupied by the dark elves.
As soon as they approached the perimeter, a sentinel quickly shot a poisoned arrow as a warning and shouted in the common language that they were not very proficient in: "Back off! Stranger! This is our territory, do not come near!"
But the next second, he was frightened by the Hell Demon walking out of the darkness, and his whole body was instantly soaked in sweat.
Unlike the mortals on the surface, the drow are quite familiar with the creatures of the lower planes, as the spider goddess Rose is also the lord of the abyss.
Especially the various demons, you can tell them all by heart with your eyes closed.
Even warriors without spellcasting abilities will receive study and training in this area.
Therefore, any dark elf who has received systematic training can recognize the Pit Fiend, the highest-level devil in hell that is equivalent to the Balrog.
The sentry couldn't believe that if his attack just now angered the opponent, he would end up being killed without a burial place.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen.
The Hell Devil simply glared at him with a warning and threatening look, and then a young human male came out with a kind smile on his face and said, "Hello, follower of Eilistraee. My name is Soth, I believe you should know who I am. Now please inform Ms. Kuilu and tell her that I am here to fulfill the promise I made with the goddess."
"Please... please wait a moment!"
The sentry, who had been to the gates of hell, tried to remain calm. He first used sign language to tell his companions to stay where they were and then he rode a large lizard and rushed towards the gathering place.
This lizard is a specialty of the underworld and is also the traditional mount of the dark elves.
Not only is it extremely fast, but it can also run on walls and fly over rooftops as if it were walking on flat ground. It can often jump more than ten or twenty meters away with one leap, which is equivalent to a high-speed all-terrain vehicle in the mount world.
About seven or eight minutes later, he came back with a few other dark elves riding lizards.
The woman in the lead, wearing a long silver dress, was obviously the chosen one of the Magic Goddess and the Dark Girl, and the youngest of the Seven Sisters of the North.
Like her other six sisters, she also possesses beauty that is unattainable for ordinary people.
Apart from the dark skin that is the distinctive color of the drow, his facial features and facial contours vaguely resemble those of Elastro.
Of course, the reason why Zuo Si could recognize her so quickly was mainly because her stature was much taller than the other Zhuoers.
Generally speaking, the height of dark elves is between 1.6 and 1.5 meters (Drizzt's height of 1.6 meters is already quite good among his kind), and the tallest will not exceed 1.7 meters.
But what about Sunflower?
Her height was obviously over two meters, and it was unclear if it was because of Eilistraee.
This can definitely be regarded as a "giant" standing out among the dark elves, so it is very recognizable.
"It's a pleasure to meet you in person, dear Soth. I have heard a lot about you before, as well as praises from Simbu, Alustriel, and Lyra."
Having said that, Kui Lu jumped directly off the saddle of the underground lizard, opened her arms with a smile and gave Zuo Si a warm hug.
Fortunately, after absorbing Ob Nixilis's power, the latter's height suddenly increased to over 1.8 meters, otherwise he would only be able to reach the other's shoulders.
What's worse is that as a chosen one and priestess of Eilistraee, Kuilu has perfectly inherited her god's habit of not liking to wear clothes.
The silver skirt, which was made of some unknown material, was 100% vacuum and completely transparent underneath.
I couldn't see it clearly because I was far away.
But now, after close contact, even the mole underneath can be seen clearly, not to mention other aspects.
Of course, Kuilu wasn't the only one dressed like this. Several other female pastors around her were dressed similarly.
"Uh...nice to meet you too, ma'am."
Zuo Si smiled somewhat awkwardly, and tried his best to keep his eyes, not knowing where to put them, fixed on the other person's face.
Aoi Lu also pursed her lips and snickered in response: "Relax, there's no need to be so reserved, we don't really care at all."
"I don't quite understand. Why would Eilistraee require her priests to wear such revealing clothes on a daily basis? Isn't she worried that something might go wrong?"
There was a strong sense of doubt and confusion in Zuo Si's tone.
"What you worry about is actually what Eilistraee expects to happen.
Desire, mating, and reproduction were not something the goddess tabooed, but something she encouraged.
Because only when there are more dark elves pursuing unfettered and free will Rose's monopoly on the faith of the entire ethnic group become weaker.
And this can also make men less afraid of women to a certain extent, especially clergy who are pastors.
After all, in traditional dark elf society, men are usually lowly and despised.
Many times, when some men have sex with women, they often feel not enjoyment and happiness, but awe, fear and pain. "
Kui Lu gave a very direct answer.
As a voter who grew up in the underground world, she understands the social system of the dark elves and their true thoughts far better than outsiders.
It's different from what many old perverts imagine.
Because it is a matriarchal society, it is usually only women who can truly enjoy pleasure from heterosexual relations.
In particular, the "father-servant" who serves as the spouse of the mistress of the family often needs to satisfy many of the former's twisted and morbid desires.
Compared to them, the rich woman's happy steel wool is nothing.
What's worse is that when the mistress gets tired of her current "father-servant", she will find an appropriate time to kill him in a very cruel way and sacrifice him to the spider goddess Rose.
In this case, do men still want to get pleasure from sexual relations?
Dream on!
It is estimated that after a few times, it will cause strong psychological trauma, and may even cause serious functional disorders.
Unless he is a powerful warrior who is very important to the family like Drizzt's father, Zaknafein, it is rare for an ordinary squire to live more than ten years.
"So that's how it is."
Zuo Si immediately understood Iristrae's intentions and quickly took out a parchment scroll from his pocket and handed it over: "Here, this is the first batch of aid I brought. I believe it should be enough for you to use for a while."
"Food, tools, building materials? Great, this is exactly what we need right now. Thank you!"
Aoi Lu took a quick glance and an expression of undisguised joy suddenly appeared on her face.
After all, most of these Eilistraee believers who came from other places in the Underdark did not bring any supplies, and even filling their stomachs soon became a challenge.
She originally planned to discuss with Dragonspear Castle to allow some people to go to the forest on the surface to fish and hunt after nightfall.
But now, with the arrival of massive supplies, all problems have been solved.
There are enough building materials to build an underground city that can accommodate tens of thousands of people.
“You’re welcome.
All these materials are provided on loan and will have to be repaid bit by bit in the future.
Besides, I want you to be prepared to draw men to join the war.
As dark elves, notorious on the surface world, you must prove that you are different from your evil and cruel compatriots.
This way, I will have reason to persuade other countries and city-states to accept you into the trade alliance.
To achieve this goal, the simplest, fastest and most direct way is to send troops to join the coalition and then defeat the forces they believe to be evil.
This large-scale invasion of Zhentil Keep happens to be a perfect opportunity."
Zuo Si did not hide anything and openly stated the most important purpose of this trip.
You have to know that even a leader like Alustriel, who enjoys high prestige and the trust of the people in Silvermoon City and the Silvermoon Alliance, had to consider the political impact when dealing with Trist, and ultimately reluctantly refused him entry into the city he ruled.
This shows how bad the reputation of the dark elves is among the common people.
Not to mention that Zuo Si will accept thousands or even tens of thousands of dark elves this time, and allow them to settle close to the surface and trade with other cities.
Kui Lu answered without hesitation: "Yes! There are many goddess believers scattered in the dark area gathering here.
In two weeks at most, I will be able to raise an army of thousands of people and prove to the entire surface world that we are different from other dark elves."
Zuo Si nodded with satisfaction: "That's no problem.
Don't worry about weapons and equipment. I can provide a batch of weapons and armor that can be used in the surface world.
I will also make sure that you are not sent into combat during the day, but are instead able to take advantage of stealth at night.
If nothing unexpected happens, the war will break out in two months, and no more than four months at the most.
As for the supplies I brought, they are currently stored in the warehouse of Dragonspear Castle. You can send people to move them.”
And so, after a brief conversation, the two quickly arranged everything.
Especially Kuilu, as a voter, obviously noticed that there was something fishy about the massive invasion of Zhentil Castle, but she didn't say much.
Because she understood that this would be of great help in quickly gaining acceptance for her goddess's followers among the residents of the surface world.
Under what circumstances can two enemies who have been hostile to each other for many years reach a reconciliation? The answer is of course when a common enemy emerges.
It's just like the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale and the barbarian tribes living in that land have always been enemies.
As the evil artifact, the Broken Demon Crystal, recruited an army of monsters through enchantment and control and vowed to conquer this place, the former two put aside their past grudges and stood together to form an alliance.
Later, the barbarian tribe was integrated into Icewind Dale and became one of it.
Therefore, Kuilu believed that as long as the threat posed by the army of Zhentil Keep was great enough, and it would be best if they could defeat the army sent by Baldur's Gate once, then she would be accepted to a certain extent if she led the dark elves to fight and win.
As for why Zuo Si made such an arrangement, it was actually to make the best use of people and things.
After finally finding Fuzzol Chamberlain to take the blame, he would definitely squeeze out the last bit of his usefulness...
(End of this chapter)
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