Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 296 A Decent Person

Having racked his brains but still couldn't come up with a solution, Dom went to Arden, who was riding high on his success, and after pouring out his grievances, asked for his help.

"We fought a bloody battle to hold off the Money Gang that day, buying you precious time. Now these guys are taking their anger out on us. You can't just ignore it."

Perhaps because he had already made a fortune occupying the market area, Arden, contrary to his usual behavior, readily responded to Daum's request for help.

Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch, so it's only natural that the Finger Gang would reluctantly pay a fee as compensation for these foreign players.

Incidentally, Arden learned this trick from some unscrupulous mage.

At the end of this year, known in the annals as the Year of the Wave, a wave stirred up by the emerging gang Shining Gold Coin, commonly known as the "Money Gang," finally came to an end and gradually subsided.

The turmoil began with the Money Gang's operation, codenamed "Market Garden," aimed at taking over the entire market area, and the Maginot Gang's counterattack was even more remarkable.

Despite the crushing defeat of Operation Overlord, and even the subsequent fierce counterattack by the Money Gang that directly eroded their base in the North District, their subsequent actions were astonishing.

Under the cover and restraint of the Finger Gang, the Maginot Line launched a full-scale attack southward with a desperate gamble, aiming directly for the Central Palace and decisively deciding the outcome of the entire war.

The dramatic ups and downs and shifts in the balance of power within just a few days were dazzling.

The three gangs have almost completely rotated their territories. Maginot, which occupies half of the market area, is reaping the sweet fruits of victory. The Finger Gang, which gained territory from an ally, is seeing its influence grow, but the threats and retaliations from the Money Gang are keeping them up at night.

As for the Shining Gold Coins?

They are the apparent losers because they underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, resulting in the destruction of their hometown. However, given the current situation, even with reinforcements, it is still uncertain whether the Finger Gang can withstand the enemy's offensive. And if the Money Gang succeeds in taking over both places, it may not necessarily diminish Maginot's prominence.

People around were discussing and speculating about how long this delicate balance could be maintained and how it would be broken.

The Finger Gang lived in constant fear, while Shining Coin and Maginot were outwardly adversaries but secretly cooperated seamlessly.

Amid this strange stalemate, the group of Shining Gold Coins, seemingly at odds with Arden and his group but actually scouting the area, thoroughly explored the terrain surrounding the northern port.

As the year drew to a close and the port was about to freeze, a merchant ship flying an iris flag slowly entered the North Wharf and berthed.

Zhang Yuan surmised that the main character had probably arrived.

Even during the height of the gang wars, he never stopped monitoring the North District docks. With the ice age approaching, especially in the North Port, ships were becoming increasingly scarce. This ship was the only merchant vessel belonging to the Bloodsail Gang that he had discovered during this period.

The Iris Flower Merchant Guild, to put it bluntly, is the Bloodsail Gang's trading front. Having spent some time in Luskan, he was well aware of this.

The North City Warehouse District was unusually peaceful today, with the three-way conflict between gangs that had lasted for several days quietly coming to an end.

While the Finger Gang was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and Maginot retreated to a conservative defense, the Canaan Squad, while maintaining the operation of the territory on the surface, quietly followed the mage to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the port and storage area.

"Boss, is this the great place you were talking about?"

Amidst the ruins, Kegan kicked at the mottled marks around his feet, revealing a dilapidated corner. "This is indeed a good spot. It's secluded and inconspicuous, yet its elevated position offers a panoramic view. From this vantage point, one can see most of the docks." The mage smiled, carefully examining the place, and then, as if praising it, remarked, "Although it's a bit run-down, there's not much dust or trash. It seems Arden is quite efficient."

"Once things are settled here, we can find an opportunity to bring him out to take charge of these gang and guild affairs. It's a real waste to leave Luskan here."

"No, boss, we'll handle this. We don't need an outsider!"

Kagan was getting anxious. The captain was a hands-off manager; he hadn't even had his fill of his own pleasure yet, so how could he let someone else have it?

The mage turned to look at the dwarf, his eyes filled with smiles and anticipation.
"As I told you before, if this succeeds, being knighted and promoted will not be just empty talk. Don't you want to be a knight?"

“Boss, you mean…” Kagan was both surprised and delighted.

"From now on, you'll be a respectable person with status. You can no longer act like a thug, understand?"

"Hey, boss, no, sir, whatever you say goes!"

"That's going a bit too far. Can't we stop putting on airs among ourselves?"

A little encouragement before a potential battle is not a bad idea, and the Canaan team members, having received a clear promise from their captain, were all in high spirits.

Even Rick and Morty, who weren't very bright, understood how precious the opportunity to be one of the "masters" was, and they had witnessed the swagger and arrogance of these guys in public and in private.

As the Iris Flower merchant ship anchored at the harbor's baseline, several figures emerged from the steadily moored vessel and began to meet with the Blood Sail Gang members who were already waiting at the berth.

The elven agent lurked beside the ship, monitoring the people's every move, but it was difficult to hear their conversations; the natural noise of the rolling waves was almost enough to block out all external sounds.

Zhang Yuan waited patiently, recalling his conversation with Ms. Bella that day.

“Ms. Ophira’s arrangement of two mage apprentices to risk their lives as bait may have its reasons and unavoidable circumstances, but no matter how you look at it, it violates certain principles.” Bella’s face was unusually serious, with a hint of worry.

"You mean I should try to rescue them before the actual operation?" He understood the implied meaning perfectly.

Bella nodded, somewhat apologetically: "As long as the person is alive, there's always room for maneuver. But once someone dies, it's hard to defend yourself no matter what you say."

“I understand, but this wasn’t in our original plan. As you know, changing the plan will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

“They know, so this is a personal request from the lady,” Bella said, her usual cheerful demeanor returning as she saw that the other party did not refuse outright. “The lady’s influence in Neverwinter is greater than you imagine, and her favors are not easy to obtain.”

"How many knights can a newly ennobled baron appoint?" the mage suddenly asked out of the blue.

Thank you to Aibelus, Wuyu Kuangzhan Tianxia, ​​Ziyao Xingyu, Zhang Chaoyang, Book Friend 160723093321195, Di Jun, ok2001, and Hawkhand for your monthly ticket support!

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(End of this chapter)