Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 138 With words and persuasion, Nancy finally joins the group; each harboring their own thoughts, they plot against Neverwinter.

After a while without hearing a response, I looked at Nancy and saw that she was speechless, staring at me for a long time without saying a word.

"I guessed right?" someone said, quite surprised.

"How...how did you know? You've been to Neverwinter?"

Should I tell you that I knew this from Neverwinter Nights?
“During the time I went to the Mage Tower to study, I also learned about some of the cities in Sword Bay, so I know what’s so special about the Moonstone Mask?” Zhang Yuan said with a nonchalant expression.

Nancy gave her cheap apprentice a deep look, but didn't pursue the matter further. She knew that even most people in Neverwinter thought Moonstone Mask was just a brothel, and few knew its true nature.

Such secrets are usually only known to those in industries in Neverwinter that never come out into the sunlight. When did they become known even to the mage apprentices in Baldur's Gate?
But since this kid doesn't want to talk about it, there's no point in pressing him for details.

"Since you know about the Moonstone Masks, you should also know what kind of organization they are behind. You can rest assured now."

After hearing this, Zhang Yuan didn't rush to express his opinion. Instead, he calmly began to talk about his own affairs:
"Ever since my apprenticeship came to an end, I've had this idea: to gather a few familiar companions, form my own adventure team, and venture out into the Sword Coast and even the wider world."

Nancy remained silent, not understanding what the other person was trying to say, and Zhang Yuan didn't even look at her.
"But the only people I know besides Kegan and a few others are my teammates from Flame Fist. But you know the nature of the Flame Fist Guild. How easy is it for a regular soldier to leave? Even if Flame Fist allows it, they might not be willing to leave Flame Fist and come with me."

"Then you want it?" Nancy vaguely guessed the other party's intention.

"In return for my participation in the investigation, I hope you can help me persuade Grand Duke Iltan to allow me to form an adventurer group affiliated with Flame Fist."

The man finally revealed his true intentions, staring directly at Nancy: "Moreover, the mission our adventurer group accepted was originally commissioned by the Grand Duke, and I don't think there's anything excessive about this request."

Nancy listened and shook her head, finally managing a wry smile: "If this isn't excessive, then I really don't know what could be considered excessive."

After saying that, he tapped Zhang Yuan's forehead repeatedly with his hand: "I know you've always had a lot of tricks up your sleeve, but I didn't expect you to be this bold. Do you even understand what your request means? Do you think Iltan would tolerate you poaching Flame Fist's members like this?"

"Why put it so harshly?" Zhang Yuan slapped away his cheap master's hand and said calmly, "You can't expect a horse to run without feeding it. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even with the help of the so-called Moonstone Mask, this matter won't be so easy to accomplish."

Zhang Yuan snorted twice, determined not to budge: "I only want a title from the Grand Duke and to borrow two people. That's my condition. The rest is up to you."

After saying that, he ignored the other person and lay down on the bed again.

Nancy weighed the pros and cons in her mind. Compared to the mission she was about to undertake, the conditions of her cheap apprentice didn't seem too unreasonable. Besides, she was just a mouthpiece anyway, and in the end, it was Grand Duke Iltan who made the decision.

Having come to terms with it, Nancy stopped agonizing and simply said goodbye, intending to jump out the window and run away.

"Then wait for my news."

Zhang Yuan didn't even bother to get up. With his back turned, he was still scratching his stomach. He waved his other hand as if to say goodbye: "Alright, alright, go ahead."

The female thief, her face darkening, was furious at the sight of the other party's lazy demeanor. And to make matters worse, the other party had his back to her. Hmm?
A wicked idea popped into her head in an instant, and just as Nancy walked to the bedside, she kicked Zhang Yuan in the butt.

"Ouch~" Thump! The person who was still scratching his stomach didn't even have time to react before he was kicked and rolled off the bed. When he got up, covered in dust and ready to settle the score with the female hooligan, she was nowhere to be seen. Only the brisk night wind kept pouring in from the open window, making a whistling sound.

After closing the window, Zhang Yuan, resigned to his bad luck, collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, when the sun was almost high in the sky, someone stretched and walked out of the dormitory building. The others assumed it was due to travel fatigue and the false alarm in the middle of the night, and were not surprised.

With nothing else to do, Zhang Yuan decided to return to his old ways, picking up the wooden sword and resuming his training and practice.

Thanks to continuous review and reinforcement, those movements, moves, and skills have become an instinctive part of my body, as if they were imprinted in my mind, and I can execute them one by one without any hesitation.

After practicing for a while, a voice came from behind me.

"It seems you didn't lose these things when you went to learn magic. I thought you would be focused on becoming a mage."

I didn't even need to turn around; I could tell it was Sori just by the voice.

"I don't think I can forget that easily. Why don't you test my current strength?"

"Tsk, you're pretty confident, aren't you? So, after half a year, you've finally shed the newbie label?"

As he spoke, Sori picked up a wooden longsword and a small wooden round shield.

Although he was big, he wasn't brainless. He had clearly seen the scene of this kid learning dual-weapon combat from Nancy. It was fine to make a joke, but he wasn't so arrogant as to disregard the other party.

A shield-wielding warrior abandons his shield and fights against a dual-wielding opponent with only a single sword.

The big guy didn't think he was that stupid.

The battle was about to begin. Zhang Yuan did not directly attack his opponent's front. Instead, he moved nimbly around his opponent, looking for an opportunity to strike. His two swords were like snakes spitting their tongues. Whenever Suo Rui blocked or his movements revealed an opening, he would launch a tricky thrust, striking and retreating immediately without engaging in a direct confrontation.

Sori, however, remained unfazed, proceeding cautiously and steadily. Although he didn't know why the guy opposite him had become so strong, he relied on the protection of his shield and his steady steps to thwart the guy's attacks.

The big guy didn't just passively defend. Even when under the relentless onslaught of the opponent, the experienced Zhang Yuan would occasionally seize the gaps in Zhang Yuan's strength and breathing to attack instead of defend. He used his shield as a hammer to deflect the opponent's longsword, and the subsequent attacks forced Zhang Yuan to retreat and move around.

After repeated tests and exchanges, both sides had a better understanding of each other's strength and style. They smiled at each other, but their movements became even more fierce. The two fought with no restraint or consideration, and they didn't even care if they were occasionally hit by the wooden sword.

When the two finally shook hands and made peace, both were bruised and battered. Although the wooden sword could not cause any serious injury, being hit squarely and leaving bruises was inevitable.

In the end, Sori had the upper hand in this battle. Although he couldn't defeat Zhang Yuan, who was both physically strong and agile, a shield warrior specializing in defense could still outmaneuver a dual-wielding swordsman skilled in one-on-one combat and hit-and-run tactics. This speaks volumes.

(End of this chapter)