With the death of Sarevok, a large number of Baldur's Gate troops began to surrender to Zhentil Keep in an organized manner. The war that determined the ownership of a large area of land north of Amn and south of the Winding River finally came to an end.
Fuzol Chamberlain successfully won the final victory at the cost of nearly 7,500 people, most of whom were goblin cannon fodder.
Now, Baldur's Gate, the pearl of the Sword Coast, is like a naked and defenseless girl, waiting for him to conquer and ravage.
But before that, the "Tyrant of the Moon Sea" still has one thing to do, which is to kill all of Sarevok's followers, as well as those forces that have had in-depth cooperation with him, such as the Shadow Druids sect headquarters deep in the Cloak Forest, and those bandits who want to escape into the Sharptooth Forest.
In short, when it comes to rooting out the evil, the Church of Bane, the God of Tyranny, is very familiar with the process and didn't give these guys any chance to breathe.
They immediately divided out one or two teams of a thousand men, and using the intelligence extracted from the prisoners, they quickly carried out ruthless massacres and sweeps in several areas.
Before leaving, they did not forget to set a big fire near the other party's camp, directly igniting the nearby weeds, trees and forests, ensuring that even if a few lucky people occasionally escaped, they would be turned into charred corpses under the fire and thick smoke.
It is obvious that neither Zuo Si nor Fuzzol Chamberlain had any respect for nature, and they did not care about the impact of forest fires in remote areas on the environment and climate.
To be precise, most of the land in Faerun is in its original, undeveloped state. The area occupied by cities, villages and cultivated land is very limited, not enough to cause any damage to the ecological balance.
Just the opposite!
Monsters, animals, and barbarians in the wilderness often pose a huge threat to towns and villages.
So Zuo Si let the fire burn for three full days and three nights, and then he used the power of magic to change the weather and create a heavy rainstorm, which extinguished the two forest fires that had already spread.
By the time the raging flames were completely extinguished, the army of Zhentil Keep had already entered Baldur's Gate and captured the city built by the legendary pirate Baldur's Gate.
After occupying the city, the first thing Fuzzol-Chamberlain did was to carry out a major purge of the upper ruling class.
Including several guild alliances controlled by shapeshifters, forces affiliated with the dukes, and the branch of the Shadow Thieves of Amn in this city, none of them escaped the disaster.
Because of the principle of rather killing a thousand innocent people than letting one go, this purge almost caused the collapse of the original ruling system in the city.
The once powerful wealthy merchant class was uprooted almost overnight.
Under the iron fist of tyranny, any resistance is futile.
Fuzor Chamberlain plundered almost all the wealth accumulated by these merchants and dignitaries for generations, and then reduced the entire family to slaves, packed them up and shipped them to Westgate Port on the easternmost part of the Dragon Coast, and then sent them back to the slave market in Zhentil Castle by water to be sold.
Facts have once again proved that when dealing with capital and vested interest groups, nothing is more effective than naked and undisguised violence and death threats.
In this way, the Tyrant of the Moon Sea not only gained astonishing wealth, enough to repair Zhentil Keep, which was severely damaged in the war, and even launched several more wars of foreign expansion, but also allowed the church of Bane, the god of tyranny, to take root in this land.
Most importantly, through a series of military conquests, he not only made a name for himself, but also trained a group of powerful and highly motivated soldiers.
Later, if they could extract two to three thousand of the most elite troops and send them back to Zhentil Keep as reinforcement, Zhentil Keep would then have a fully armed army of six thousand men, enough to launch a war to conquer the entire Moon Sea.
There is no doubt that this was the real intention that Fu Zuoer Chamberlain wanted to achieve when he agreed to cooperate with Zuo Si.
He wanted to make his title of "Tyrant of the Moon Sea" worthy of its name.
By clearing out the original ruling class and taking away their wealth along the way, Zhentil Castle not only made up for its previous losses, but also had sufficient financial strength and resources.
In particular, the confiscation of ships from several ports such as Simon, Tesir, Pross, and Irip allowed Fuzol Chambery to possess a powerful fleet that could deploy troops to any coastal or even riverside city through the Moon Sea and the Falling Star Sea.
If this terrifying deterrent is used properly, it can even force those cities to sign an agreement with him to build temples and churches of the God of Tyranny in the local area, making the entire city submit to the will of the great God of Tyranny Bane.
So after occupying Baldur's Gate and completing the established goal, he began to shift the focus of his work to how to transport the plundered wealth back faster and faster.
In just a few days, all the river transport ships in Baldur's Gate were requisitioned, loaded with all kinds of food, gold, silver, jewelry, weapons and equipment, and slowly transported along the Chongsa River to Dongxing City, from where they were changed to horse-drawn carriages and transported to the port on the Dragon Coast.
Although local residents were extremely angry about such blatant and undisguised plunder, they dared not speak out.
After all, the army of Zhentil Keep has a size of over ten thousand, and almost every city has hundreds or thousands of troops stationed there, as well as vassal troops recruited from the local area. For ordinary people to start a riot to drive out the invaders is basically no different from suicide.
The Temple of Lathander in Belgost once tried to resist, but was surrounded and suppressed by a dozen dark guards, and even the temple was destroyed.
More than thirty young paladins and priests fell into darkness afterwards and chose to join the church of Bane, the god of tyranny.
Because they felt that since the Lord of Dawn had called on his believers to rise up in resistance, he should also send down his incarnation to help them when they were in despair, just like he did to Sammaster, the founder of the Cult of the Dragon.
But the result was that no matter how heavy the casualties were, until the entire army was finally annihilated, Losander did not send down his incarnation.
So in extreme disappointment, these young people, who were easily affected by emotions and impulses, spurned the gods they believed in in the past and turned to the hostile Bane to vent their inner hatred and anger.
However, what they didn't know was that it wasn't that the Lord of Dawn didn't send down his incarnation, but that he was targeted and intercepted by the God of Tyranny.
When two powerful gods appear to check and balance each other, whoever has stronger influence in the church on earth and more powerful voters will win the battle.
Obviously, Losander did not have any voters who could compete with Zuo Si and Fuzor Chamberlain, so naturally he could not really help the believers in the Temple of Belgost.
They could only watch helplessly as their entire army was annihilated, and countless believers abandoned their faith and joined the enemy camp.
This is undoubtedly the negative side effect of frequently responding to the believers' prayers and sending down incarnations.
As the representative of the gods who "really helps when something happens", the Lord of Dawn can be said to be one of the gods who descends to incarnate most frequently.
Although this earned him enormous prestige and influence among the mostly good-hearted civilians, it also brought him a heavy burden.
Because saving lives and fighting evil are things that you must keep doing once you've done them.
Otherwise, it will involve the issue of "different treatment" which is very likely to cause conflicts and resentment.
After all, as a lawful good god, the most important thing is to treat believers equally and fairly.
If you save this one today, but don't save another one tomorrow.
What would the unsaved people think? Am I not as important as the other person in God's eyes, and am I not as pleasing to God as the other person? People are not worried about the scarcity of people, but the inequality of their wealth.
Under such a huge psychological gap, it is easy to generate emotions such as imbalance, disappointment, and resentment.
Coupled with the drive of the instinct for survival, falling into evil becomes a very normal phenomenon.
Fuzor Chamberlain took advantage of this and continuously recruited lawful good paladins and priests along the way. Now he has expanded the size of the church several times.
Even the ruler of the city of Eltoril, Delt, who is a LV17 paladin, has been transformed into a powerful dark guard. He is now leading his troops to patrol the banks of the Chongsa River to ensure that no bandits or monsters dare to attack the transport ships.
With the precedent of the Church of Lathander, the rest of the people would seriously consider the consequences even if they wanted to resist.
Of course, what is more important is that now all the people and forces in the west of Faerun continent have turned their attention to three places.
They are Waterdeep to the north of Baldur's Gate, the Kingdom of Cormyr across the Dragon Coast, and Amn to the south of Baldur's Gate, and they expect these three political entities with strong military power and influence in the region to take action.
Whether it is King Assan IV, who is ambitious and wants to make great achievements, or the masked lords who have two voters of the magic goddess in charge, or Zuo Si, who has already undermined the Council of Six and become the actual ruler of Amn, they all have enough strength and motivation to send troops to expel the forces of Zhentil Keep.
It is also because of this that most civilians feel that they can still endure it a little longer.
After all, the evil army of Zhentil Castle is currently targeting nobles and wealthy businessmen, which has nothing to do with him.
…
At this moment, in the Lords' Council Hall of Waterdeep City, the only public lord, Piergalen, was sitting in his seat, holding a piece of intelligence just delivered by a spy, and said in a nervous and anxious tone: "I believe you all know how bad the situation in the south is now.
Fuzor Chamberlain, the chosen one of the tyrannical god Bane, has completely occupied Baldur's Gate.
Not only that, he also destroyed the Temple of the Lord of Dawn in the town of Belgost and razed it to the ground.
In addition, it has been confirmed that the Duke Sarevok who just took office in Baldur's Gate is the descendant of Baal, the god of murder.
The bizarre deaths of several other dukes and their families were almost all planned by him.
His purpose is to start a war and killing to strengthen his own power, and then inherit the throne of Baal's blood and become the new god.
Fortunately, another son of Bhaal named Aberdare stopped his ambition.
With the death of Sarevok, the army of Baldur's Gate lost its will to fight and finally chose to surrender to Zhentil Keep."
"Son of Bhaal! Is the prophecy of Alandor the Wise finally beginning to come true?"
A masked lord asked in great surprise.
Kelben, who was sitting opposite, nodded slightly: "Yes, it has already started.
And I know this Aberdare. He is Gorion's adopted son and grew up in Candlekeep.
I never thought that in the blink of an eye, he would have to face his cruel and dark fate."
Hearing this, another masked lord complained disapprovingly: “But the actions of this young son of Baal have disrupted our deployment.
His killing of Sarevok on the battlefield was the direct result of Baldur's Gate's failure to hold off the forces of Zhentil Keep for a period of time as expected.
Now we face an evil that has taken over a vast land from the Dragon Coast to the Sea of Swords.
Especially Fuzor Chamberlain, who unified Zhentil Keep and the internal disputes of the Zhentarim, will definitely not be satisfied with maintaining the status quo. "
"I think it would be better to start a war and drive them out while Zhentil Keep's army is still under control.
At least we must drive them out of Baldur's Gate and ensure that sea transportation routes remain open.
Otherwise, once the other party gains a foothold and begins to rule, it will inevitably threaten the security of our maritime trade routes.
You know, ever since the land-based merchant caravans were constantly squeezed out of their living space by the airships of the Trade Alliance, many merchants have left Waterdeep and gone to other towns that have signed treaties to do business.
If things continue like this, our economy and tax revenue will plummet in less than half a year."
Yet another masked lord stepped forward to voice his opinion.
Piergalen nodded in agreement: "I totally agree. But the problem is that our current finances are not enough to support launching a large-scale war."
"How many people can be mobilized specifically?" The masked lord who spoke earlier frowned and asked.
"No more than 3,000 men can be kept on the expedition for a month and a half."
Pierre Gallen gave an exact number with a wry smile.
There is no way around it. Waterdeep has not yet joined the Trade Alliance and cannot enjoy the low-cost transportation convenience brought by airships.
Several meetings were held to discuss the matter, but in the end, no consensus was reached because of the quarrels and wrangling between the nobles and leaders of different guilds.
The disadvantages of not completing centralization are fully reflected at this time.
The decline in overland trade means less tax revenue and worse fiscal situation.
If it weren't for Waterdeep's strong financial resources, any other town would have exploded long ago.
Of course, things aren't much better now.
After all, the capital will eventually be used up.
Will we have to cut public spending and military expenditures? You know, there is a maze of ventricles owned by the mad wizard Halaster Blackrobe under Waterdeep! God knows if the monsters inside will suddenly rush up from various entrances and kill people.
Therefore, Waterdeep maintains a powerful army and mage corps not for showing off or demonstrating strength, but because it is really a rigid need.
"What? Only 3,000 people! This is simply suicide!
Fuzor Chamberlain has at least 20,000 troops under his command! Damn it!
Is there really nothing we can do?"
A masked lord who looked like a woman suddenly stood up and slammed the table.
"Perhaps we can try diplomatic means. For example, unite Amn in the south, Cormyr in the east, and the Nelanther Islands in the western sea, or call on the lords of the north to form a coalition?"
The masked lord who had been sitting in the corner without saying a word suddenly suggested.
Hearing this, Pirgalen immediately couldn't help laughing out loud: "Hahahaha! My dear friend, are you kidding? Ever since the destruction of the Arcane Brotherhood, the towns and lords in the North have been fighting overtly and covertly for a long time in order to compete for interests.
Especially the establishment of the trade alliance has made everyone devote all their energy to making money and expanding their trade volume like crazy.
Many towns, relying on the military assistance and protection provided by the trade alliance, simply disbanded their militias, preferring to pay less extra money every year.
If we call upon the Northern Lords Alliance now, I'm afraid most of the members won't even be able to gather ten people.
In fact, this organization has long been defunct in name only.
As for diplomacy...
Both the Nelanther Islands and Amn are now in the hands of Soth.
That is to say, if we do not send troops, he will be the one who has the right to decide the ownership of the vast land from Baldur's Gate to the Dragon Coast."
As the last word came out of his mouth, the whole hall fell into a terrible silence.
There is no doubt that Zuo Si's rapid rise and expansion has brought an enormous sense of oppression to Waterdeep that cannot be described in words.
You must know that before this, neither the pirate city of Luskan in the north, nor Baldur's Gate in the south, nor Amn, which has the best commerce in Faerun, could pose a real threat to Waterdeep.
For a long time, Waterdeep was the supreme leader of all the towns in the North.
Both Neverwinter and Silvermoon followed Waterdeep's footsteps, forming a loose but united alliance.
But now, Neverwinter and the Silvermoon Alliance have completely turned to Zuo Si, who can bring them security, prosperity, and greater benefits, so it goes without saying that other towns will also turn to him.
On the contrary, Waterdeep was isolated because it had not yet joined the trade alliance.
Dagger Beach, which has always been a loyal follower of Waterdeep, is now gradually out of control.
Although Zuo Si has not yet wielded the economic stick to impose sanctions on Waterdeep, the latter has obviously begun to feel very uncomfortable.
After about two or three minutes, Khelbourne was the first to break the silence and stood up and said, "Let me go to Askatra to talk to Soth.
But you'd better be mentally prepared, because with his personality he will definitely ask for a lot.
In addition, it would be best to come to a conclusion as soon as possible regarding joining the trade alliance.
Otherwise, the longer it takes, the greater our losses will be.”
"Then I'll trouble you."
Pirgalen cast a grateful look at the archmage who had protected Waterdeep more than once.
Despite their political differences and even more than one argument, he believed that Khell would truly devote everything to Waterdeep.
"Let me take charge of the mission to Cormyr. I happen to have some friendship with King Yasan IV, so I can take this opportunity to test his attitude."
Leila took the initiative to take on another diplomatic mission.
In fact, many of Waterdeep's most important diplomatic tasks have always been handled by Khelben and Lyra.
After all, they are the chosen ones of the Goddess of Magic and are also powerful legendary wizards. Their connections are simply beyond the reach of other masked lords.
Most countries and city-states would not want to offend them, and would even desire to establish good friendships with them so that they could ask for help when they were in crisis.
In addition, because they lived longer, made more friends and helped more people, many rulers owed them favors.
This allows them to be very comfortable in diplomatic work, and they don't have to rack their brains like other masked lords to think about how to win the other party's favor.
…
Just as the Waterdeep Council was making its decision, in the court of the Kingdom of Cormyr, far south of the valley and west of Sembia.
Yasan IV also summoned his confidants and several great nobles to discuss whether to send troops.
As the king, he sat on his own throne, staring at the map hanging in the hall, and asked in a slightly low voice: "If we send troops across the Dragon Lake now to cut off Zhentil Castle's retreat and force Fuzor Chamberlain to fight us, what are the chances of winning?"
And I must remind you that, under the current situation, you simply cannot muster too many vassals.
Especially vassals close to the borders of Sembia.
Because the situation over there has become chaotic to an unimaginable degree.
A large number of refugees were crowded near the pass, and could only barely survive on a small amount of food every day.
Once they flood into the kingdom, they will inevitably cause great turmoil and destruction."
The Royal Grand Wizard, Vangerda Hester, calmly told all the information he had.
Since the royal family of Cormyr has always followed the ancient tradition, a great wizard is there to assist the king in handling state affairs and, when necessary, to prevent him from losing his mind in impulsive rage.
Therefore, he possesses a lot of power and is also the most trusted aide to the current king.
"Those damn profiteers in Sembia! If it weren't for them, how could the price of grain in Cormyr fluctuate so drastically in just one year?"
Yasan IV cursed under his breath while gnashing his teeth.
You should know that the relationship between Sembia and Cormyr was not very good to begin with, and conflicts often broke out due to the uncertainty of the border.
Coupled with the natural contradiction between feudal monarchy and capital oligarchs, the ruling classes of the two countries simply disliked each other.
The reason why there was no fighting was that the Kingdom of Cormyr was strong enough and not warlike.
But even though the war did not break out, it does not mean peace.
Sembia uses its developed commercial and capital power to often secretly stir up trouble in the Kingdom of Cormyr. Selling high and buying low and hoarding goods are normal operations.
Anyway, as long as they don't break the law, the nobles of Cormyr can't do anything to these people.
During his reign, Yasan IV had experienced more than one trouble caused by Sembian merchants, so he had no good feelings towards these guys, only contempt and hatred.
“Your Majesty, please calm down.
In fact, the collapse and chaos of Sambia this time may not be a bad thing for us.
If only those oligarchs were overthrown, we would have the potential to have a less aggressive and annoying neighbor.
In comparison, this current level of turmoil and chaos is nothing.”
Vangoda Hester consoled with a smile.
Arsane IV sighed helplessly, "Ah - I hope so. It seems that the expedition plan will be ruined again. Watching the Zhentarim and Zhentil Keep continue to expand their power is not a good thing for our Kingdom of Cormyr."
Just when the archmage was about to say something, a young girl wearing armor and looking to be in her early twenties suddenly rushed in from outside.
Because she is not wearing a helmet, one can clearly see that she has the same long black hair and similar facial features as Azzanine IV. Her figure under the armor has obviously been rigorously trained. Whether it is her thighs, buttocks, or arms, she has very strong muscles. Although she has enviable beauty, her behavior is quite rude.
A guard standing at the door tried to stop him, but was ruthlessly pushed away. He staggered back several steps and almost fell to the ground.
Another guard nearby didn't even dare to stop them. He just gave the king and the great wizard a helpless smile, then took a deep breath and shouted, "Princess Yalusel Nakachia Obaischiel has arrived!"
Yes!
The girl dressed like a knight was none other than Yalusail, the youngest daughter of Athan IV, who was honored as the "Iron Princess" by the nobles and commoners of Cormyr.
According to the original history of the continent of Faerun, she would become the regent after her father died together with the red dragon, Narafarosatoril, and suppress the rebellion with an iron fist, thus maintaining stability and unity within the country.
Of course, today's "Iron Princess" is just a rebellious and even a little competitive young girl. Many of her peers privately call her a "tomboy".
Because compared to other gentle and virtuous noble women, she spent too much time on practical training, galloping on horseback, and studying strategies and tactics.
Several young men who tried to pursue Her Royal Highness the Princess were all severely beaten by her in one-on-one duels.
The title of "Iron Princess" was also earned because of her heroic performance in the battle against the army of nomads in the Endless Wilderness.
"Father! I heard you are preparing for war again?"
Yalusel simply ignored the archmage beside him and asked Yasan IV in a tone full of excitement and expectation.
For her, there is no more interesting game in this world than fighting and war.
"Yalusel! I've told you many times not to wear your armor in the palace, but to change into a princess's dress. Also, you are not young anymore, it's time to consider the issue of marriage." The king scolded helplessly, holding his forehead.
Although he was very pleased to have such a brave and courageous daughter, he was even very proud of her at one point.
But as the princess grew older and began to behave more and more like a man, ignoring the advances of the young nobles, he finally began to realize that something was wrong and wanted to correct it.
But it's too late.
There was a time when Yasan IV even thought that if his daughter became a son, everything would be perfect.
But a princess is a princess and can never become a prince.
As for things like magical sex change, it is absolutely not allowed in the Kingdom of Cormyr, where the social atmosphere is relatively conservative.
Facing his father’s reprimand, Yalusel shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and responded with a smile, “Sorry, father.
You should know best that I have only worn a skirt three times since I was a child.
Clothes that drag so much that I can't even walk properly are not suitable for me.
As for marriage...
You should at least find someone who can beat me, right? Otherwise, I would rather not get married for the rest of my life than marry a loser.
Well, instead of talking about such boring little things, let's talk about war.
When do you plan to send out your troops? I am willing to lead 300 knights as the vanguard."
Looking at his daughter who gets excited when she hears about war, Yasan IV is speechless to the extreme. He immediately waved his hand and interrupted, "Don't think about war.
According to Vangerda Hester's advice, the kingdom is not suitable for war at this stage.
Even if there is a fight, it is not your turn as a princess.
What's more, the enemy this time is not those barbarians who can't even use magic, but Fuzor Chamberlain, who integrated Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim.
If you continue to be as reckless as before, you may be captured or even killed at any time."
"Fuzol Chamberlain? Tyrant of the Moon Sea!"
Yalusel's eyes sparkled slightly. It was obvious that he was not frightened by the reputation of the Bane's electors. Instead, he had an urge to try.
After all, most people of this age have a desire to achieve success and become famous, and she is no exception.
Just as the Iron Princess opened her mouth to say something, the guard outside the door suddenly opened and walked in to report: "Your Majesty, the envoy from Waterdeep, Lady Leila, is here to visit. She hopes to be received by you immediately."
"Ms. Leila?!"
Yasan IV was startled at first, then quickly stood up from the throne.
The great wizard Vangerda Hester had the same reaction.
After the two exchanged glances, the king sat down again and ordered, "Please ask Lady Leila to come over. Remember to be polite, she is one of the most distinguished guests in the kingdom."
"clear!"
The guard quickly placed one hand on his chest, bowed, and turned to leave.
After a while, he came back with Leila.
"Good day, His Majesty King Yasan IV. It is a great honor to have an audience with you."
Leila bowed gracefully, with her usual reserved and polite smile on her face.
"It is an honor to see you again, ma'am."
Yasan IV did not dare to be arrogant and quickly stood up and returned the greeting.
After all, the Chosen Ones of the Goddess of Magic have always maintained a very good relationship with the Kingdom of Cormyr, and his father and grandfather once asked Elminster for some information about the history of the past.
Leila first looked around to make sure there were no suspicious people, then she asked directly: "I think you should have received the news about the fall of Baldur's Gate, right?"
Yasan IV nodded slightly and said, "Yes. The speed of the Zhentil Keep army's conquest is much faster than I expected.
It wasn't long before they conquered the vast land from the Dragon Coast to the Sword Coast.
This is a huge threat to all of us.
If I'm not mistaken, you are here to form an alliance on behalf of Waterdeep City, and then invite us to join forces to fight against Fuzol Chamberlain?"
"Yes, that's right. But let me correct you. The city that will be marching with you is not Waterdeep, but the commercial empire of Amn."
As she said this, Leila had a meaningful smile on her face.
Obviously, as the chosen one of the Goddess of Magic and Khelbourne's wife, she had already known about Zuo Si's plan to annex the northern region.
So one of the couple set out to Askatra to find Zosi, and the other came to Cormyr.
Their purpose was simple: to let the Kingdom of Cormyr give Fuzol Chamberlain a heavy blow when he retreated.
It would be best to intercept all the supplies and not give Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim any chance to grow stronger.
Just as Zuo Si expected, whether in the good camp or the evil camp, everyone has their own ideas and interests.
Therefore, even allies who cooperate with each other may engage in some small actions in private.
There is no way to avoid this kind of thing.
…
On the other side, far away in the Mage Tower of Askatra, the capital of Amn.
Zuo Si, who had just signed the devil's contract with Erinikas, was meeting Khelbourne who had come from afar in the reception room.
After the two met, they didn't say a word, just looked into each other's eyes and drank cup of tea after cup.
After the pot of tea was finished, Khelben sighed and broke the silence and asked, "Why did you accept Asmodeus' invitation to join the forces of Hell?"
"Because I found that my personality is very compatible with the devil, and I also need to become a quasi-divine power to fight against the gods."
Zuo Si gave the answer very straightforwardly.
"So what is your current identity? Elect? Tyrant? Devil? Planeswalker?" Khelben continued to ask, stroking his beard.
Zuo Si smiled and replied, "Of course it's the Planeswalker. I can give up all my other identities when necessary, but I will never give up the power of a Planeswalker.
So please don't worry about what I will do to the world as a devil, because there is no need.
If I wanted, I could easily acquire billions of evil, corrupt, and depraved souls from other worlds."
“I never doubted that.
Because the super-giant city with almost no borders on the ninth level is enough to explain many problems.
Your evil is not the superficial violence, destruction and killing, but a deep exploration of the dark side and desires of human nature.
The reason why many souls continue to push their limits is not because of you, but because they themselves cannot control their impulses. "
When he said this, Kelben's eyes suddenly became extremely complicated.
Because he was one of the very few people who observed the young planeswalker in front of him changing from mentality to thinking, and eventually becoming what he is today.
"Have you been to the level I rule?"
Zuo Si raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Kelben nodded with emotion: "Yes, I have been there.
I have to say, judging from the comfort, convenience, enjoyment and indulgence of desires alone, it can indeed be called a paradise for the fallen.
I believe that if mortals knew that there was an entire level in Baator that looked like that, they would probably rush to sign a devil's contract.
Because there are things there that they have never enjoyed in their lives, and they can give free rein to their wild hearts that are constrained by laws and morals.
Perhaps the only thing to note is that when a soul has fallen to the extreme, it will be pulled into the torture chamber and squeezed into energy to keep hell running.
But as a place to relax, have fun, unwind and find excitement, your ninth floor is simply perfect.”
"Hahahaha! Thank you for the compliment, this is exactly the result I hoped for.
In my opinion, the process of corruption should not be painful and dangerous, but should make people indulge in it unconsciously.
Otherwise, mortals will become alert and fearful and will not dare to continue sliding into the abyss of depravity.
In a way, this is also a kind of transaction.
I give those souls who enter the ninth plane a city that never sleeps where they can enjoy, vent and indulge themselves.
And after enjoying enough of everything, they will sacrifice their souls and become part of the devil's army.
We both got what we wanted, so it's a win-win."
Zuo Si laughed as he expounded his views on evil and depravity.
In his eyes, the other levels of Baator Hell were too eerie and terrifying, always giving people a feeling that either the natural environment was too harsh or there were deadly traps everywhere.
How could such a state of affairs induce mortals to voluntarily join hell? As the saying goes, if you want to take something, you must first give it.
If you want to lure more mortals into depravity, you have to create a place that makes them feel happy, joyful, and delighted.
Then the fame will spread throughout all levels of the universe.
When more and more people come to the ninth floor and go back to tell others about the splendor and beauty of the huge cyberpunk city, mortals will become eager to try it.
Once the brand effect and scale effect are formed, this place will become the most attractive place for mortals to join in all levels of Baator Hell.
Even when signing a contract, mortals would prefer to sign a contract to go to the ninth floor.
This means that except for Asmodeus, who holds the highest authority in the entire Baator Hell plane, all other lords at all levels will be defeated in the competition for the ownership of souls, and the gap will widen little by little, eventually establishing Zuo Si's unshakable position as the crown prince and prince of Hell.
"Yes! There was no coercion or threat. All choices were made by the mortals themselves.
This is also the most terrifying thing about you.
Okay, enough talk about the devil and hell for now.
I came here this time with a mission given by the Council of Lords of Waterdeep.
Tell me, when are you going to clean up that mess up north?"
Khelbourne decisively ended the previous topic and began to ask Zuo Si about his next plans and arrangements.
Only by clarifying the arrangements here first can he give the Kingdom of Cormyr an accurate time to act, and attack from both sides to make Zhentil Castle vomit up all the benefits it has gained.
(End of this chapter)
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