Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 594 The Trip to Candlecastle
This whole ordeal was a last resort. The political structure of the Baldur's Gate Council of Four has already crumbled. If the Silver Shield Grand Duke also falls into the mess, the White Tower Merchant Guild, without any political barriers, will find it difficult to make any further progress.

Master Zhang's contingency plans in Bod were not limited to this; there were also quite a few in Ska's group who refused to venture far north.

Since they were old acquaintances, it was reasonable to bring them under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. It did not take much effort to recruit these former Flame Fist veterans as guards.

With experienced and capable veterans as the core members, and with clear backgrounds and clean records, it will only take a little time to build a reliable team.

The subsequent operations do not require Mr. Zhang's personal involvement; the already established White Pagoda Chamber of Commerce will handle the matter according to his instructions.

Having finally freed himself, he left Baldur's Gate. Departing from Highhold, he rode the Phantom Steed along the coastal road, reaching Lion's Crossroads and then heading east.

As the sun rose and set, the monk, having traveled all day, arrived at the end of Lion Road at dusk. The once wide road ended there, and a stone-paved path extended eastward, winding all the way to the edge of the coast.

Candlecastle, the largest library in Faerûn, known as the Castle of Books and the place favored by Omar, the guardian of knowledge, stands quietly on a peninsula jutting out from the Sword Coast.

As we rode forward, the horse's hooves clattered on the stone path, and the iconic multi-spired roof of the Candle Castle came into view.

From a high vantage point, the towering and magnificent main building in the center of the peninsula resembles a giant cake stacked on top of each other, adorned with more than ten spires that stand tall, each spire burning with magical flames, like a gorgeous cake decorated with candles at a birthday party. This is where the name Candle Castle comes from.

Entering this heavily guarded, top-tier library is no easy feat. The notoriously expensive entrance fee—a rare book costing at least 500 gold coins—is just one aspect; in reality, money doesn't guarantee access.

Ancient scrolls and rare books are hard to obtain without family connections and influence, especially since Candleburg's entry requirements are based on recommendations. You either need to be a spellcaster/scholar with a certain reputation and expertise, or at least have a sufficiently weighty letter of introduction to back you up.

Even if an ordinary nouveau riche is willing to spend money, they probably won't be able to find a way in.

Is Mr. Zhang considered a nouveau riche?

Having risen to prominence in just a few short years and possessing no significant blood ties, he could certainly be given this title, but…

Even if he was a nouveau riche, he was a nouveau riche who had made contributions, a nouveau riche who had been granted a title, and a nouveau riche who had already entered the high ranks and had a powerful backer.

It was just a rare book; he didn't even have to pay out of his own pocket. He went directly to Candleburg for exchange, discussion, and further study, all expenses reimbursed by the academy.

"Your Excellency Chanem from the Academy of Neverwinter, after our professional assessment, the value of the books you provided is slightly higher than the stipulated amount. We will deduct this amount from the cost of copying, borrowing, etc."

After carefully examining the mage's insignia and the somewhat worn spellbook handed over, the guards at the gates of Candlekeep returned the former and explained the excess value of the latter.

Or rather, to inform.

After all, Candleburg doesn't have a policy of refunding overpayments or compensating underpayments.

The mage nodded in understanding, while the guard cleared his throat and said in a serious yet somewhat formulaic tone:
"Those who destroy knowledge and books with pen, ink, fire, or swords will also face destruction themselves."

"This is the ironclad rule of Candleburg, and no one may disobey it."

"I understand. Burning books and destroying records is out of the question, but assassinations and raising shapeshifters are fine." Zhang Yuan maintained a serious expression, but inwardly he was making some noises.

The outer walls of the Candle Fortress are high and thick, with huge square stones covered in dark gray moss forming a solid wall that is over fifteen meters high and nine feet thick.

The cracks in the stone walls were filled with molten iron, and the entire Candle Castle was protected by a spell similar to a maze. Such protection was undeniably strong, and it would be extremely difficult to breach it from the outside.

The black iron-colored castle gates slowly opened, and visitors who entered could not directly see the interior. Equally sturdy and towering circular walls and a second gate invited visitors into the barbican.

Despite the unfavorable terrain with ambushes on all sides, the monk did not pay much attention to it and strolled leisurely through the second checkpoint.

Only after leaving the barbican can one truly enter the Candle Fortress, which feels like stepping into a royal garden. Before your eyes are lawns as smooth as green velvet carpets, trimmed into sections by cobblestone paths.

Flowers, trees, and shrubs adorn this place, pavilions and fountains are scattered in a well-organized manner, and houses and buildings are distributed around the outer ring. This is the Garden of Qi, a truly wonderful place.

The monk looked around with great interest, strolling through the courtyard, only to find another city wall ahead.

This time, there was no questioning or inquiry. The scenery behind the inner wall was not much different from the outer Qi Courtyard, except that there were more people dressed in long robes, dressed as scholars, some sitting or standing with scrolls in their hands, some hurrying by, and some singing loudly.

The mages who had been informed of the relevant matters knew that these individuals were the great readers and chanters within Candlekeep, while the one in the gray cloak was the scroll guardian, the true force maintaining order in Candlekeep.

Those glamorous-looking but ordinary-skilled patrol guards alone are not enough to keep the Chief Library in check.

"When shadows fall upon the earth, our Holy Lord will walk alongside us, so the great Arando instructed."

"The King of Slaughter will fall, but a mortal will take his place, and chaos and strife will follow. This is the great Arando's instruction."

—Endless Chant

The prophetic hymns of the prophet Arando were recited by the singers and echoed throughout the inner courtyard.

The significance and value of the chapters left by the great prophet are extraordinary. In just two short sentences, he reveals the core elements of the saint's descent into the mortal world and the chaos of the sons of Baal. In fact, the primary reason for the establishment of Candleburg was to preserve the many revelations and prophecies he made.

These prophecies are said to be recorded in a series of magical gems known as the Echoes of Arandor, which are inaccessible to mortals and can only be glimpsed through the chanting of the proclaimers.

The main building's doors were wide open, and the first thing you saw upon entering was a tall statue of Arando. The great prophet held books in his arms, tilted his head slightly, and gazed into the distance, as if he could see through the mists of the next thousand years.

After verifying his identity with the scroll guardian and inquiring about the general information of the Candlecastle collection, the mage nodded slightly in respect to the prophet before heading straight to the area of ​​the collection he had chosen.

The main building, which is nine stories high, has eight floors dedicated to a library filled with books. The interior space has clearly been expanded by spatial magic, making it even more spacious than it appears from the outside.

The bookshelves, filled with books, are arranged in an orderly fashion, layer upon layer, like an endless mirror hall. The collection of books on a single floor would probably be too much for an ordinary person to read in a lifetime.

Thank you to King Solomon's Magic Array and reader 150204210720273 for the monthly ticket support!