Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 19 The Beginning of the Journey

The next morning, as the first rays of dawn touched the distant land, the entire team had assembled and was ready to depart.

Without even having breakfast, the group silently checked their luggage and equipment, collected their rations, and then set off for the city gate.

The leader was naturally Ska, but Zhang Yuan noticed with his sharp eyes that his cheap captain was not wearing the full suit of armor that he usually cherished and maintained by oiling every three days. Instead, he was wearing a gray chainmail like an ordinary mercenary.

Looking around again, they noticed that almost all the Flame Fist badges had been torn off or covered up, and the flag raised in front of the group was not the fiery red Iron Fist, but the symbol of the Seven Suns Merchant Alliance.

Having roughly understood that the team was hiding their identities and acting discreetly, Zhang Yuan was also secretly wondering who Flame Fist's hidden opponent was.

Since his transmigration, Zhang Yuan has gained some understanding of the political landscape of Baldur's Gate through his in-game observations and information revealed by his teammates during chats.

There are four high-ranking officials in Baldur's Gate:
Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield, representing the traditional nobility and deeply rooted in the city's maritime trade;

Grand Duke Iltan, who commands the Flame Fist, the largest military organization, and is responsible for maintaining the security and protection of Baldur's Gate;

Grand Duchess Lila Jenna is a mage herself, has good relations with other mage organizations, and is responsible for coordinating relationships with them and reaching exchanges of benefits.
Finally, there is Grand Duke Belt, who has close ties with the Merchant Alliance and whose interests are intricately intertwined.

This structure of cooperation and checks and balances among the four members of the high-level council has lasted for quite some time. Even if there are inevitable conflicts of interest among them, they are only internal conflicts. Compromise and exchange of interests are the norm, and it is by no means going so far as to turn against each other and commit murder and robbery.

Moreover, this mission was commissioned by the Council of Four, so what's the point of staging it ourselves?
Having essentially ruled out the possibility of other Grand Dukes taking action, Zhang Yuan almost without hesitation focused his suspicions on the Iron Throne.

Compared to the peak of the Iron Throne, which would sweep across Baldur's Gate and influence many regions of Sword Coast five years later, the Iron Throne at this time was still a mere junior.

Even though he's the younger brother, he's a burly one.

In the shadow of the towering figures of the Grand Dukes, the Iron Throne ceaselessly amassed its power and expanded its network of connections.

Whether it was buying off the mining and iron manufacturing industries, or stockpiling large quantities of ore and weapons; whether it was befriending and winning over minor nobles, or engaging in diplomacy with distant Sambia or Am, all of these actions revealed his restless ambition.

However, no matter how you look at it, the Iron Throne is currently just a commercial organization, and the only difference between it and other merchant alliances is that it is more powerful and wealthy. He really doesn't understand where the Iron Throne gets the courage and confidence to target the interests of the Grand Dukes.

He caught up with Ska in two quick steps and asked the question that had been bothering him.

"You actually guessed it was on the Iron Throne? Should I consider this a mage's intuition?" Skar's surprise made Zhang Yuan both proud and somewhat annoyed.

“However, you’re wrong about one thing. We’re just guarding against the Iron Throne getting involved, not that we’re convinced they’re the culprits.” Ska continued walking, explaining, “Besides, the Iron Throne alone certainly wouldn’t dare to clash with the Dukes, even with the corrupt officials they’ve bribed. But the Iron Throne isn’t as simple as you think; it’s different from other business organizations.”

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, "If ordinary merchant guilds are composed of merchants and commoners, driven by monetary interests, then the Iron Throne is entirely different. Its core leadership is almost entirely composed of nobles, even great nobles, and what they want goes far beyond just money." "Great nobles have joined them too? For what?" Even Zhang Yuan, who knew the Iron Throne's ambitions, was somewhat surprised.

"Why? The influence of the four dukes extends to almost every aspect of Baldur's Gate, but the more they control it, the more unwilling people are to accept it. There will always be people who will do anything to seize any opportunity that may allow them to break through their own limitations."

Ska's tone became serious as he spoke: "Be careful of Gern, Claude Wolf, and Rita's Greensman family."

Having resolved his doubts but gained even more, Zhang Yuan didn't return to the back of the team. Instead, he simply walked next to Shika and chatted idly with his cheap captain.

For the past month, I've basically been staying at the base training. Even when I have free time, I really don't have the energy to wander around. Since I have nothing to do on the road anyway, I might as well ask around and collect some information or rumors about Baldur's Gate.

Flame Fist and his group, who had been traveling all the way, had arrived at the main city gate. After showing the documents of the Seven Suns Merchant Alliance, they passed through smoothly. At this moment, two men walked out from the side and waved to signal them.

The two men, Ska and his companion, seemed to know each other well. Ska gestured for them to join the team, prompting Zhang Yuan to ask curiously, "Are they also members of the Flame Fist?"

“No,” Ska denied, “but they are priests of the Temple of Helheim, invited by the Duke to join this escort mission.”

After thinking about it, it made sense. The team I joined had a balanced composition, with melee, ranged, and rogues all present, and even my own mediocre mage. The only thing missing was a priest.

After observing them discreetly for a moment, Zhang Yuan realized that these two people perfectly matched his understanding of the word "pastor":
With his tall and robust physique, enchanted full-body armor, holy scriptures hanging at his waist, and a shield and mace on his back, he looked like a good priest who could both heal and fight. He could charge into battle and smash the enemy's head, or retreat and cast divine spells to heal his teammates.

Seemingly sensing someone's gaze, one of the bald priests also turned his gaze over.

Zhang Yuan quickly put on a smile, and only breathed a sigh of relief after the other party nodded and looked away. There was nothing he could do; healing classes were the bane of melee classes.

Just a stone's throw from the city gate lies the Winding Dragon Bridge. Beneath the bridge, the rushing Chongza River originates from the Dragon's Well and flows westward into the vast and boundless Sea of ​​Swords, just as it was a thousand years ago, and it remains so a thousand years later. Three towering bridge gates stand atop the bridge like titans from ancient legends. The entire bridge is constructed of massive, dark brown stones, with the bases of the piers cast in the shape of stone boats.

The entire bridge, when viewed from above, resembles a slumbering black dragon, lying quietly on the surface of the Chongsa River, allowing the bustling crowds on both banks to walk across its back.

Crossing the Wanlong Bridge and heading south along the Coastal Boulevard, the Coastal Boulevard, which connects the north and south of the entire Sword Bay, is like the main artery of this business district, through which flows the lifeblood of the Chamber of Commerce and the lifeblood of wealth.

On both sides of the road, as far as the eye could see, there were wide open fields and scattered farms. In November, the continent of Faerûn had already entered the embrace of the winter goddess Oryur. A biting wind, carrying a hint of chill, howled from the northern world's spine towards the distant land, whistling and swirling across the plains of Sword Bay, causing the abandoned thatch in the farmland and pastures to either lie flat on the ground or scatter in all directions.

This was the outskirts of Baldur's Gate, within the reach of the Flame Fist's power. Zhang Yuan, who rarely ventured out, gazed into the distance, appreciating the scenery of this foreign land and savoring this last moment of tranquility.

(End of this chapter)