It has a very short history, having been founded by a group of merchants around DR1312, with a permanent population of only 10,000 to 20,000 people. Like many city-states that started out as commerce, it is mainly ruled by a parliament composed of merchants.
Due to its close proximity to Ximen, its belief composition and population structure are also very similar.
Astorian, a thieves guild infiltrated by Simon's "Mask of the Night" organization, has more than 700 members in the city and controls almost everything in secret.
By the way, the so-called "Mask of the Night" organization was actually founded by a vampire wizard.
This guy calls himself the "Prince of Dark Night". He has established his own power within West Gate by creating descendants and derivatives. Even the merchants and nobles who are the ruling class dare not provoke him easily.
So in the eyes of many people, the city of Tesir is a bit like a vassal of Simon, both politically and economically.
Of course, all this was just the situation before Fuzzol Chamberlain arrived.
Since the landing of the army of Santilburg, all the important cities along the Dragon Coast have been occupied and cleansed.
Because of the strong support of hard power and the bonus of religious belief, whether it was the Thieves Guild, the secret vampire group, or the open rulers such as nobles and wealthy businessmen, they were all uprooted in a very short time.
Especially the "Prince of Darkness" who used to rely on threats and intimidation to achieve his goals. He had nowhere to hide under the lock and key of a large number of priests and mages. In less than a day, all his subordinates and his own coffin were destroyed.
Manshoon's last clone led the team personally and killed all the vampires and undead creatures in the tomb.
With the complete disappearance of the "Mask of the Night" organization, the Thieves Guild - Astorian naturally lost its backing, and soon after, all of its members were killed or wounded in the military's purge.
In particular, the Bane Church's principle of rather killing innocent people than letting them go makes these guys' crazy behaviors of controlling stakeholder groups and coercing the public to violently resist law enforcement, which are originally their best, meaningless.
After a brutal massacre, all 3,000 people who participated in the riot in the city of Tesir were turned into mutilated corpses.
The flowing blood even dyed the entire street and the walls of nearby buildings black and red.
Fuzol Chamberlain proved with practical actions how he got the title of Tyrant of the Moon Sea.
From then on, the city of Tesir was completely reduced to a broken-backed stray dog, kneeling before the invaders without daring to offer even the slightest resistance, and any demands would be met immediately.
Even when the entire upper ruling class was confiscated and their families were exterminated, and all the ships in the harbor were forcibly requisitioned, they did not complain at all.
But now, the army of Zhentil Keep has completely retreated to the west gate, and the coalition led by Vera has become the new master of the city.
Although at the beginning, a few ambitious guys took this opportunity to incite the people under the guise of "fighting for independence" in order to force the coalition forces to recognize their power and status.
But soon, the bodies of these idiots who led the charge were found in the alley outside their home the next morning.
The cause of death was, of course, an attack by Zhentarim assassins and spies.
After all, Fuzzol Chamberlain had just left, so it was reasonable for him to leave some assassins and spies behind to create chaos and disrupt public order. As for what the truth was, no one cared at all.
To be precise, anyone who is not blind can see that Amn is determined to expand northwards this time, swallowing up the entire vast land from Baldur's Gate to the Dragon Coast, and instantly more than doubling its land area and population.
Anyone who tries to hinder this process will be ruthlessly eliminated without exception.
After the discordant voices completely disappeared, the actors who had been arranged long ago immediately incited the civilians to stage a "touching" petition campaign, which was exactly the same as what happened before in Baldur's Gate.
However, the successful annexation of the city of Tesir did not make Vera very happy.
Quite the opposite!
She is currently having a headache over how to deal with Eribes.
Because now the representatives of various towns within the coalition are divided into two completely different camps on this matter.
Some people believed that this holy warrior made a huge mistake by not choosing to stay in Iliaba to complete his mission, but instead taking a huge risk by choosing to pursue with Yalusel.
In addition, he abandoned his allies on the battlefield and failed to rescue them in time, which eventually led to the capture of the Iron Princess, a major diplomatic incident. No matter how you look at it, he must be severely punished.
Some even suggested putting Eribes in jail for at least five to ten years.
Others believe that at most, Eribes made a wrong judgment at the wrong time, which is far from the point of going to jail.
The Iron Princess Yalucel is the culprit in the whole thing.
The reason why she was defeated and captured was mostly because of her own greed and recklessness, and she could not blame anyone else.
Eribes does not need to take any responsibility at all.
In short, due to the amazing influence of the Kingdom of Cormyr on the entire continent of Faerun, some "spiritual Cormyrs" inevitably began to appear among some of the "country bumpkins" in the North.
This is manifested in the hope that by severely punishing Erebus, the responsibility can be shifted to the coalition side, so as to reduce the humiliation suffered by the other side in this matter and thus win the favor of the royal family.
If they can establish friendships through this opportunity, they can use it to brag to others when they return, thereby raising their own and even their family's social status and influence.
After all, compared with the North, which has little cultural heritage, the Kingdom of Cormyr, with more than a thousand years of history and uninterrupted feudal rule, is a prosperous and stable country that is simply a perfect country, a spiritual home and beacon for all mankind.
The Obaiszir family, as a royal family, is the brightest light at the top of the lighthouse.
In terms of cultural influence, even Waterdeep and Silvermoon City cannot compare with it.
Therefore, the entire west coast of the continent of Faerun, except for the southern regions of Amn, Tethyr and Calinshan, which once belonged to the more ancient Shan Empire, the rest of the area has a large number of "spiritual Cormyrs".
Whenever the legendary King Azzan IV of Cormyr, the country's iconic Purple Dragon Knights, War Mages, as well as their clothing, food, living habits, etc. are mentioned, these guys who have never been to Cormyr will get excited and thrilled as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
It seemed that even the sewers in the city of Cormyr, filled with feces and domestic garbage, exuded a fragrance that could not be described in words.
As a member of Amn's ruling class, Vera was extremely contemptuous of these northern bumpkins who licked Cormyr's boots.
Moreover, Neverwinter was the city with the best relationship and closest interests to Zuo Si among all the forces in the North. She would not have punished Eribes unless she had been squeezed by the door.
I just haven’t figured out how to end this farce yet, and teach those “psychotic Cormiers” who are causing trouble a lesson.
In addition, the diplomatic disputes and conflicts between Waterdeep and the Kingdom of Cormyr are also a big problem.
After all, since the signing of the agreement, Waterdeep has become a part of the trade alliance.
This means that when dealing with external forces, the Amn Empire, as the leader of the trade alliance, must give priority to the interests of its allies.
At this moment, Vera Salem finally woke up from the wonderful taste of holding great power, and began to re-examine the complicated relationship between herself and the various forces in the Trade Alliance, which gave her a headache.
Similarly, she also understood how politically savvy Zuo Si was in that he had been able to manipulate the entire alliance at his fingertips through various means, such as suppression or winning over.
But despite the headache, Vera still forced herself to look up and stare at the huge map hanging in the office, and asked without turning her head: "If we attack the west gate now, what is the probability that we can capture the last important port on the Dragon Coast?"
"One hundred percent! With me here, neither Fuzzol Chamberlain nor Manson can get any advantage.
What's more, we have an overwhelming advantage in military terms.
What, are you going to use force?"
Flame Dragon Knight Davian answered without hesitation.
The last time Zuo Si left, he left him with the coalition forces just in case.
只不过除了深水城、银月城和无冬城之外，其他城镇代表都不太清楚这位身披红龙铠甲的壮汉究竟有多么可怕，还以为仅仅只是一名拥有巨龙血统的战士保镖。
薇拉赶忙摇了摇头：“不，我只是在为最糟糕的情况做打算而已。
索斯大人不止一次告诫过我，战争是政治的延续。
如果无法达成既定的政治目标，那么无论赢得多少次战争的胜利都将变得毫无意义。
现阶段我们的政治目标有两个。
一个是维系贸易联盟内部的团结，将散提尔堡的势力驱逐出去； 另外一个就是尽量避免激化矛盾，通过谈判把钢铁公主雅卢赛尔给赎回来，保证与科米尔王国之间的关系不至于变成敌人。
无论是哪一个，都不是能够轻易通过武力手段来实现。”
“好吧，等需要付诸武力的时候再告诉我。毕竟我只是个战士，除了战斗和杀戮并不擅长其他的事情。”
戴维安耸了耸肩膀重新恢复到之前宛如雕塑般一动不动的站立姿态。
与晋升为随从之前一样，他保留了自己还是士兵时那种尽职尽责的性格，警惕注视着每一个从外面走廊经过的人。
薇拉则扫了一眼坐在办公桌前装模作样的拟像，不由得微微叹了口气，无比希望这位自己效忠的主人可以早点赶回来。
就在她拿起厚厚一摞文件，打算处理一下最近才占领几座城镇的官员任命时，几名高挑美丽的身影突然凭空出现在门口。
她们分别是银月城女王——艾拉斯卓，北地七姐妹中年纪最小的葵露，凯尔本的妻子莱拉，以及竖琴手同盟的领导者、伊尔明斯特的好帮手——风暴·银手。
看到这四位魔法女神的选民同时大驾光临，薇拉立刻放下了手头上的工作，站起身用略带惊讶的语气问：“尊贵的女士们，你们突然一起来找我是发生了什么不得了的大事吗？”
“索斯呢？他难道还没有回来？”
莱拉扫了一眼不远处表情淡然的拟像皱起眉头询问道。
她显然早就已经知道，这个样子货并不是真的左思，而是留下来故意糊弄那些对魔法一无所知的外人。
毕竟拟像的本质是一种魔法创造出来的构装体生物，虽然也拥有一定的智力水平，可以进行语言上的沟通和交流，但却并不具有任何创造性的思维。
或许用来模仿普通人绰绰有余，但模仿左思这种拥有鲜明性格特点和独特思维方式的强大旅法师，很容易就会露出破绽。
尤其是那双眼睛，根本不像本体会透露出仿佛能把一个从头到脚看穿的深邃。
再加上拟像体内根本没有银火，所以魔法女神选民稍微感应一下就会发现有问题。
“没有。
主人应该是正在处理一些更重要的事情，可能还要几天才能回来。
如果遇到什么问题或者麻烦，你们先跟我说。
他在临走的时候给了我足够大的权力。”
薇拉不卑不亢摆出一副公事公办的样子。
这也是她最令人欣赏的一个优点。
无论对方是什么身份、来历、个人实力有多么强大，这个女人都能一如既往保持冷静跟淡定。
艾拉斯卓忍不住吐槽道：“更重要的事情？该死！还有什么是比解决眼下危机、建立一个统一大帝国更重要的？这可是属于他的国度！”
薇拉一脸无辜的摊了摊手：“抱歉，女士，我什么都不知道。
也许主人是在忙着拯救某个其他位面或者时空吧。
您应该知道，他是一名旅法师，并不仅仅属于托瑞尔星球的费伦大陆。
而且现如今的局势也远没有糟糕到需要他本人亲自出马的程度。
傅佐尔·钱伯瑞不是想要谈判吗？ 那我们就如他所愿进行一场谈判好了。”
“不！伱不明白，现在不单单是谈判的问题，而是科米尔王国内部的政治局势出现了剧烈动荡。
三百余名贵族骑士的全军覆没，让这个国家很多贵族产生了强烈的不满，甚至不愿意再支持王室家族。
风暴角山脉以北好不容易稳定下来的岩地，现如今也因为失去贵族们的支持变得岌岌可危。
危岩堡此刻正在遭受数以千计地精、豺狼人、兽人和当地人类野蛮人部落的进攻，背后很难说是不是有散塔林会的支持。
最重要的是，被任命为岩地男爵的布兰·咏剑在这个敏感时刻遭到刺杀，陷入身受重伤根本没办法指挥军队进行反击的危险境地。
如果危岩堡失守，那么科米尔王国的腹地将会遭受一场浩劫，最终导致王室彻底失去威望和统治力。
科米尔王国一旦陷入内乱，整个谷地、科曼索也会跟着乱起来。
再加上桑比亚的内战，散提尔堡和散塔林会的势力将会得到空前扩张。
这对于所有渴望和平和安宁的民众来说都是巨大威胁。”
风暴·银手一股脑把整个地区糟糕的局势说了出来。
翻开地图扫一眼就知道，位于埃诺奥克大沙漠以东边靠近坠星海沿岸的一大片土地，基本就是科米尔王国和散提尔堡两股地区强权在进行对抗。
如果科米尔王国衰退或是倒下，那么散提尔堡与散塔林会便会借机扩张。
光靠伊尔明斯特和竖琴手同盟那点人，根本无力阻止这种趋势的漫延。
一旦散提尔堡成功吞并了科米尔王国外围的土地和人口，它就会成长为第二个红袍法师统治的塞尔。
甚至比后者更加强大。
毕竟暴政之神班恩的教会可不会搞什么议会制和投票这种无聊的政治制度。
而是会无所不用其极的完成集权，把所有的财富和资源都调动起来发动对外扩张战争。
但遗憾的是，风暴·银手的说辞并没有打动薇拉。
她非但没有表现出一丝一毫的紧张，反而笑着问道：“那跟我们有什么关系？ 我就不相信在吃了这次大亏之后，傅佐尔·钱伯瑞还敢再踏上这片土地。
如果他这样做的话，那么我保证战争将不再局限于巨龙海岸一带，而是会一直打到月之海将散提尔堡夷为平地为止。
不好意思，我职位是安姆六人评议会的成员，因此只会为了安姆帝国和贸易同盟的成员负责。
至于其他国家，除非他们并入安姆或者加入贸易同盟，否则我没有义务为了别人的利益而损害自身利益。”
瞬间！
风暴·银手的脸色变得异常难看。
她原本以为只要晓以利害，取代了北地领主联盟的贸易同盟肯定会选择站在自己这一边。
毕竟想要做生意，首先就要尽可能的避免战争，让周边地区处在一种和平状态下，如此一来贸易才会变得繁荣。
尤其是以商业立国的安姆，向来都秉承和气生财的传统。
可以遗憾的是，风暴·银手并不知道眼下的安姆，其内部权力结构早就已经被拆分的差不多了，拥有立法权的议会也形同虚设，各大家族都被敲打的不敢吭声。
否则那几个被商业版推恩令肢解的例子，分分钟就会在他们身上又一次上演。
确切地说，现如今的安姆各大家族早已从之前疯狂的垄断、扩张，渐渐转变为如何保住积累下来的财富。
要知道那些没有继承权的子嗣，现如今可都是眼巴巴等着家族被强行拆分，自己好能从中分一杯羹。
在政府许诺不会没收财产这杆大旗的支撑下，一些贵族和富商子弟甚至会偷偷提供家族的犯罪证据。
正所谓“人不患寡而患不均”。
凭什么都流淌着一样的血脉，你能继承偌大的家产而我不行？
以前是没有这方面的法律规定，所以大家也就勉强忍了。
毕竟背靠大家族，多少还是能得到一点好处的。
但是现在，只要家族被拆分我就可以拿到更多，为什么还要让另外一个人全部都拿走呢？
尤其是分到一大笔财产之后，一些原本被放弃、边缘化的人，完全可以搬到乡下去享受富足的美好生活，而不是留在大城市内不断遭到鄙视与嘲讽。
眼见气氛闹得有点僵，葵露立刻站出来转移话题，用略带轻松的语气说道：“眼下战事已经差不多结束了。如果可以的话，我想带着黑暗精灵们返回龙矛城堡，顺便查看地下城的建设进度。不知道你意下如何？”
“可以。感谢您和您麾下黑暗精灵盟友的协助，我想贸易同盟的每一名成员都会为他们在战争中的表现而感到印象深刻。”
薇拉面带微笑的给出肯定答复。
原本让黑暗精灵参战就是为了打破偏见，使得贸易联盟的各大城邦熟悉他们，起码是容忍的他们存在。
Now that this goal has been basically achieved, there is no need to let them continue to suffer casualties.
After all, there are not many dark elves who believe in Eilistraee, so it is better for them to stay and reproduce and have more offspring.
Otherwise, if they were suddenly attacked by the followers of the spider goddess Rose, most of them would be killed or injured in an instant.
"Thank you, it's an honor to serve the Alliance."
Kuilu placed one hand on her chest and bowed slightly.
Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she suddenly saw a familiar figure standing at the door and immediately screamed, "Sos?! You... are back?"
Zuo Si sighed with a helpless look.
moment!
The originally tense atmosphere in the room suddenly became relaxed.
Whether it was the gloomy Leila or the somewhat irritated Elastro, they could not help but let out a faint smile.
Because the two chosen ones of the magic goddess knew that from the moment this young man appeared before them, all the troubles would no longer be a problem.
"Sos, a political crisis has broken out in the Kingdom of Cormyr. I think you should know what it means, right?"
Storm Silverhand hurriedly asked.
Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Yes, I have obtained enough information before coming here, and I am considering what to do to calm the situation.
Now, go and call over representatives from all the towns within the alliance.
Especially the much-blamed Eribes.
I will then make some public announcements.”
"I'll arrange it right away."
Without saying a word, Vera immediately gave orders to several servants at the door, and the simulacrum was also teleported back to the Mage Tower.
After a short while, the originally empty room was packed with hundreds of representatives.
Eribes from Neverwinter has obviously been under a lot of pressure recently. He no longer looks as energetic as before. Not only is his face pale and haggard, but even his long flowing hair has lost its luster and has become dry and split at the ends. Obvious dark circles can be seen around his eyes, which clearly shows that he has very poor sleep quality.
When she saw Zuo Si, tears suddenly appeared in the eyes of the half-elf paladin lady. She quickly stepped forward and said in a tone full of self-blame: "I'm sorry, Lord Soth, I disappoint you."
"No, you did a great job and didn't let me down. Besides, it wasn't your fault that the Iron Princess was defeated and captured."
Zuo Si reached out his hand to wipe away the tears from the other person's eyes and comforted him in a very gentle tone.
His action instantly surprised many people present, and Eribes was even more moved. There was a light in his originally dim pupils. He wanted to open his mouth to say something several times, but he couldn't say it because of sobbing, and finally only said two words.
"Thanks……"
"No need to thank me, because you deserve it. As an ally, I always believe in Neverwinter, and I believe in you as well."
After saying that, Zuo Si gently hugged the holy warrior, then raised his head and scanned the crowd with sharp eyes. The shining blue light in his pupils made those guys with ulterior motives feel their scalps tingling and fear involuntarily.
At this moment, they suddenly recalled the legend about the young man in front of them and the terrible magical power he possessed.
Needless to say, the blue light is a sign that a large amount of mind and thought detection magic has been released.
If you pay attention to the shocked and unbelievable reactions of the several Magic Goddess's elects and high-level wizards present, you will know how amazingly powerful these magics are.
Anyone who did not cast any mental protection spells on themselves or wear the corresponding equipment had all the secrets in their hearts exposed in the previous moment.
Likewise, Zuo Si also knew which ones were simply “psychic Cormiers” and which ones were deliberately causing trouble, so he said bluntly: “Regarding whether Eribes should be held responsible for the whole thing, I just want to say two things.
First, the invitation to the Kingdom of Cormyr to join the war was not an invitation from the Alliance, so we have no obligations to them, let alone an ally.
If anyone must be held responsible, they should look for Waterdeep, the city that issued the invitation.
Second, it was the Iron Princess Alusel herself who strongly requested to go out of the city in pursuit, and Eribes only cooperated after weighing the pros and cons.
Moreover, she was on a boat at the time and had no way of quickly getting to the battlefield to carry out rescue operations.
By the time we entered the combat zone, the battle on the other side had already ended.
In this situation, choosing to retreat actively is undoubtedly a rational choice, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.
So let's end the debate about punishing Erebus here.
From now on, I don't want to hear any more rumors about her, do you understand?"
"Understood!"
"You are right!"
"We have long believed that Ms. Eribes should not be held responsible for this incident."
"It's all the fault of that conceited princess. It was her reckless behavior that put us in this dilemma now."
…
For a moment, whether sincerely or against their will, everyone nodded in agreement, as if the previous quarrels and conflicts no longer existed.
Obviously, this is a comprehensive manifestation of deterrence, leadership and dominance.
The reason for the previous disagreements and confusion was entirely because the representatives of the various towns did not take Vera seriously.
She has neither enough prestige nor any outstanding achievements to convince everyone.
Seeing that Zuo Si had just stepped forward and immediately solved the problem that had not been resolved after days of debate, the expression of Waterdeep's public lord Piergalen immediately became very solemn.
There is no doubt that he is one of the masterminds who secretly colluded with those representatives with ulterior motives.
The purpose is very simple, which is to establish a secret alliance against Zuo Si within the Trade Alliance and prevent him from infiltrating, controlling, assimilating and annexing the towns in the north.
It would be even better if we could usurp the leadership of the Trade Alliance and return Waterdeep to its previous position.
But unfortunately, the disputes and conflicts that had just been provoked were eliminated in the bud before they began to intensify.
Especially those guys who had reached an agreement in private, their attitude changed 180 degrees after Zuo Si showed up. They were obviously a group of people who followed the wind. It would be more realistic to expect a sow to climb a tree than to expect them to contribute.
Realizing that his plan had completely failed, Piergalen immediately retreated slowly and silently, and while no one else around him noticed him, he quietly came to the end of the empty corridor outside the room.
Just as he was about to light his pipe and take a puff to relieve the pressure, Khelbourne suddenly appeared beside him out of nowhere and warned him in an emotionless tone: "You did a stupid thing. You can't be his opponent in such political intrigues with Soth."
"Humph! How do you know if you don't try? He doesn't know who did it anyway."
Pierre Galen rolled his eyes in annoyance.
“Not sure?
idiot!
Did you know that he had just scanned the minds and memories of hundreds of people through some unknown spell? And when you used this incident to make a fuss, did you consider the blow to Waterdeep's reputation? Did you consider the blame that Lyra and I would face from the Cormyr royal family? "
When he said this, Kelben was obviously very angry, and a frightening expression appeared on his already serious face.
Obviously, after this incident, the relationship between the couple and Yasan IV was completely over.
Let alone friendship, it’s good enough that we don’t become enemies.
Just when Pierre Gallen was about to defend himself, he suddenly discovered that a phantom that seemed to be created by magic had appeared next to him.
The appearance of the phantom was exactly Zuo Si himself.
"What are you two talking about? How about adding me if you don't mind?"
Zuo Si greeted with a smile.
Although he had a smile on his face, there was no warmth in his eyes and they were so cold that it was creepy.
"Do you really know everything?"
Pierre Gallen tried to speak calmly.
Zuo Si nodded slightly: "Yes.
Yata, Xikangbu, Xuanshuicheng, Locke Town, Hongsong Town...
I have now made a list of all the representatives who have reached cooperation with you privately, as well as the families and chambers of commerce behind them.
Why, do you want to take a look? To be honest, I don't quite understand why you are so hostile to unification and merger.
After all, I have tried my best to adopt relatively gentle means rather than a war full of destruction, killing and death.
And I have enough ability and means to make this land more prosperous and powerful than ever before."
"Because I want to ensure the independence of Waterdeep and the free will that this city is most proud of. Waterdeep does not need the rule of a dictatorial tyrant. We know how terrible that is."
Piergalen replied through gritted teeth.
There is no doubt that certain characteristics of Waterdeep's upper class can be clearly seen in him, such as the kind of unparalleled pride, even arrogance.
"Free will?
A dictatorial tyrant? It's really ironic to hear you say that.
If I remember correctly, the political system in Waterdeep is actually a secretive elite group that makes policies and laws, which are then enforced by a bureaucratic system, right?
So do you think that the so-called free will can really be reflected in this situation?
Do ordinary people, who make up an overwhelming majority, really have a chance to change the current situation? Don't kid yourself.
Your secret lord system is actually another form of dictatorship and tyranny.
It’s just that the person who holds power is not one person, but a small group formed through mutual referrals.
Maybe it's working fine now.
But as time goes by, the masked lords will sooner or later evolve into a vested interest class.
At that time, that opaque political system without any supervision will inevitably breed the most terrible corruption and the absolute monopoly of power by a few people.
In my opinion, there are two reasons why you want to destroy unity.
One was afraid that the power in his hands would be diluted or even taken away, and the other felt that his self-esteem and pride as the lord of Waterdeep had been hit.
So don't describe your selfish motives as noble, and don't pretend that you represent justice.
Politics is politics.
Anyone who participates in this game has no clean bottom."
As Zuo Si's provocative words came out of his mouth, Pierre Galen's face turned red immediately. He opened his mouth several times to refute, but he didn't know where to start.
After all, the most hurtful and defense-breaking thing is always the naked truth.
Especially in the modern times, Waterdeep's rulers were basically appointed by the previous public lord, and more than half of them were direct bloodlines such as parents and children.
Out of selfish motives, Pierre Gallen himself recommended his daughter to succeed him as public lord in the future.
If things continue to develop in this way, the secret lord system will sooner or later become a situation where inheritance is based on blood relations.
Seeing his old friend being scolded and unable to say a word, Khelbourne couldn't help but sigh slightly.
"Alas - I've already said that you won't be his opponent.
There is a huge gap between your thoughts, realms and levels.
Tell me, Soth, what are you going to do about this?
If possible, I hope that it won’t involve too many people, otherwise it will cause severe unrest.”
"Don't worry, since this matter is within the framework of the political game, I will abide by the rules of the game and end it within the framework.
All individuals and their families who participate will immediately be isolated and excluded by other political forces in the towns they represent.
And I will hint to the merchants in the Trade Alliance to stop doing any business with these individuals and families.
In other words, these people and their families will become poorer and decline little by little, and eventually collapse completely and become ordinary people without any influence.
As for Lord Pirgalen, I hope he steps down from his position as the public lord of Waterdeep.
I don't care who the heir is, that is Waterdeep's internal affairs, but as long as it's not his daughter or relative, it's fine.
How about this, this condition is not too harsh, right? "
Zuo Si calmly put forward his request.
"No! I will never accept it! Why do you want to abolish my lordship?"
Realizing his fate, Pierre Gallen immediately roared like a madman, with fire almost spitting out of his eyes.
But unfortunately, neither Zuo Si nor Khelbourne paid any attention to him.
The two stared at each other for more than ten seconds. Finally, Khelben compromised and nodded slightly while stroking his beard. "Okay, on behalf of the Waterdeep Lords' Council, I agree to your request. From now on, Pirgalen will no longer be a public lord."
"What?!"
Piergalen obviously didn't expect that he would become a discarded pawn. He grabbed the archmage by the collar and shouted, "When? When did you convince the other members of the Lords' Council behind my back?"
“Since you started doing these things secretly.
Waterdeep is not yours alone, and it is even less likely that it will suffer huge losses because of your mischief.
All the masked lords unanimously agreed that you will bear all the consequences yourself.
Whether it's putting Lyra and I in awkward situations, or secretly creating divisions within the Trade Alliance, trying to go against someone you can't afford to mess with.
Sorry, old friend, your political career is over."
Khelben raised his chin slightly and pronounced the death sentence on the public lord in a condescending tone.
It was not difficult to tell from his ruthless attitude that Pierre Gallen had really pissed him off this time.
Indeed, Leila must bear an unshirkable responsibility for the capture of the Iron Princess.
But what do you mean by fanning the flames? Don't you think Waterdeep has enough trouble?
Or did they think the Kelbens hadn't embarrassed themselves enough? Fear and hostility towards Zuo Si's rapid expansion made Pierre Galen lose his calm judgment and was eager to use all means to check and balance him.
He had no idea that his actions were not in the best interests of Waterdeep, and it was only natural that he was eventually abandoned.
What's more, Khelbourne definitely played a role in fueling the situation.
Zuo Si nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, let's end this matter here.
I hope this ending can serve as a good warning.
Unfortunately, dear Mr. Pierre-Germain, you are out of this political game.
In other words, as the public lord of Waterdeep for a long time, you have never understood the basic principle that the essence of politics is compromise and exchange of interests.
When you are unable to provide benefits to your political group and instead undermine their interests, the outcome is already determined.
And you should thank Khelbourne.
If he hadn't accelerated the end of your political career, and you had continued to do things that split the trade alliance, I can't guarantee that I wouldn't have taken more extreme actions.
For example, you have to watch your entire family, young and old, die in front of you in the most painful way.
Don't think this is intimidation or threat.
Because I will actually take action..."
As the last word came out of his mouth, a huge devil suddenly flashed before Pirgalen's eyes. The overwhelming evil and terror made his heart stop on the spot.
But just one second later, the devil's form turned into Zuo Si's appearance, making him unable to tell whether it was an illusion or reality.
(End of this chapter)