From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 534 Ivy's Deceptive Tactics

Gotash's desire to form an alliance did not surprise Ivy.

However, insuring oneself through the Supreme God and binding one's life and death to the hatching of the Mind Flayer tadpole is indeed a novel approach.

An ordinary champion of justice might hesitate to act because of Gortash's words, but Ivy is not a traditional hero.

Gotash's insurance measures posed no threat to him, and Ivy didn't care about the citizens of Baldur's Gate, or the many intelligent beings in Sword Coast who had become breeding grounds for Mind Flayer tadpoles.

Moreover, even if it were true, as Gortash described, that once he died, the Supreme God would go berserk, instantly catalyzing all the Mind Flayer tadpoles and transforming them into true Mind Flayers, Ivy would not be without a way to deal with it.

It can only be said that Gortash still had no concept of the magic that Ivy possessed.

There are so many things a mage can do. Getting the last piece of Netherstone while ensuring Gothash's survival isn't particularly difficult for Ivy.

Cutting off his arm after immobilizing him, or using mind control spells like charm to make Gortash hand over the Netherstone, are both ways to avoid death and achieve your goal.

However, Ivy doesn't intend to reject Gortash outright. Now that Orin is dead and the Supreme God is still severely injured, as long as Gortash doesn't cause trouble, Ivy will only get closer to final victory. Therefore, keeping Gortash in check and taking a gradual approach is the best strategy.

Ivy snapped her fingers, and the throne in the center of the High Hall immediately stretched out its four wooden legs and darted behind Gotash: "Sit down and let's talk, Duke Gotash."

Although the specifics of the alliance have not yet been finalized, and Ivy has not made any explicit commitments, based on the attitude she has shown, Gotash believes that the matter is practically settled.

He smiled with great restraint and sat down gracefully on the cushion of the classical wooden throne: "A fragile alliance can never be repaired, only broken. The covenant of the Three Gods of Death is no exception. Bane, Baal, and Melkor, they all rose from mortals to gods, but their respective followers could not continue the covenant established by the three gods during their mortal days. Betrayal after betrayal turned countless conspiracies into nothingness. I thought that under my leadership, it was only a matter of time before the Supreme God controlled the entire continent of Faerûn, but unexpectedly, the accident still happened."

Gortash sighed with regret, then looked at Evil Thought from head to toe with great admiration: "Orin, Baal's mad assassin. I bet even now, she's thinking of keeping all three Netherstones for herself. She only cares about blood, and our blood, especially Evil Thought's tainted blood, is what interests her most."

“Without gathering all three Netherstones, we cannot control the Supreme God, not to mention that the Mainframe is currently recovering rapidly and continuing to grow.” Gortash withdrew his gaze. “Kill Orin, obtain her Netherstone, and then we will renew our pact. With a sacred oath, sworn by our souls and bodies, I will not harm you, nor will I harm you.”

“Olin’s Nervous Stone,” Ivy repeated, becoming secretly wary.

Gotash's control over Netherstone is terrifyingly low; as the Mind Flayer mastermind of the Supreme God, he is certainly not far from being completely out of control.

He was completely unaware that Olin's Netherstone had already changed hands.

Ivy initially believed that Gortash and Mizora had connected and that the invitation to his coronation ceremony was because Gortash had discovered that Orin was dead and that Netherstone had changed hands.

But now it seems that Ivy needs to be wary not only of Gortash, who controls the Iron Guardians, but also of the Mastermind, who could break free from the control of the Crown of Karthus at any time.

“She’s hiding in the sewers, and even I’m not entirely sure where. So you’ll have to take the lead in this.” Gotash was completely oblivious to Ivy’s distraction. “Once we get the last Netherstone, you can come to the High Hall to find me and combine the three Netherstones to completely control the restless Supreme God.”

“We can become emperors, or even gods, who rule over Faerûn together.”

Gotash didn't lower his voice, so the three adventurers sitting right behind Ivy heard him clearly.

At this moment, the evil thought asked, "Olin betrayed me, not only plunging a dagger into my brain but also slashing my cheek. You didn't help me then, but now you're thinking of forming an alliance with us?"

“I’m glad to see your mind is a little clearer, Assassin. But you still haven’t remembered everything,” Gortash explained. “We agreed beforehand not to get involved! She came to us as a Baal chosen one, and we are merely servants of our respective masters. But now that you’re back, Orin’s smile won’t last long. I wish you success in regaining Baal’s favor, Evil Thought.”

“So, what do you say, Lord Doom?” Gortash looked at Ivy again. “We should rule together, not fight to the death. Let’s not let the mistakes of the past repeat themselves.”

“In principle, I have no reason to object; it is indeed a quick way to reach an agreement,” Ivy said calmly. “However, after the three Nervous Stones are combined, I will be in charge.”

Gotash stared at him for a few seconds before laughing: "That makes sense. You're an archmage, so of course you should control the Supreme God. But how can I guarantee my rights?"

“The specific treaty can be put into writing, and we’ll discuss it when the Netherstone is combined,” Ivy replied ambiguously.

“Very good. I have no further questions.” Gortash nodded readily. “I can also add a piece of information: Orin is hiding in the sewers, but it’s said she’s conducting a murder ritual, which may be nearing its end. If Baal’s murder ritual has indeed strengthened her power, you might need my help to defeat her. However, our alliance agreement will need to be revised in that case.”

“Don’t push your luck, Duke Gotash.” Although Ivy had no intention of forming an alliance with Gotash, she still needed to make the necessary moves and reactions, otherwise how could she deceive him? “No one can rule a wasteland.” “Alright, alright.” Gotash shook his head, “But I just hope you can keep things quiet when you eliminate Orin. The masses are like livestock; they are very obedient before they panic, so maintaining a facade of calm is essential.”

“I await your good news in my office in the High Hall, but don’t come empty-handed.” Gortash rose from his throne, turned, and left with High Duke Ravengard.

“Ivy!” As soon as Gortash left, Will couldn’t wait any longer. He leaned close to Ivy and whispered urgently, “He doesn’t know…”

“Yes, he doesn’t know.” Ivy raised her hand to stop Will from finishing speaking. “This is an opportunity for us, so we need to quickly neutralize all his advantages.”

“The Steel Guardian Foundry…” Will nodded. “I’ll have someone come with me again… but my father…”

“We still have time.” Ivy stood up with the three of them. “Although Zariel has his eye on him, the High Duke is still in the Prime Material Plane, so we still have a chance.”

Although Gotash had left the hall, the social dance for the upper-town nobles was still going on.

As the true protagonist of the coronation ceremony, Gotash's every move was closely watched. Ivy, the only one who could chat with Gotash after the ceremony, naturally became the new focus of the High Hall, not to mention that the group consisted of handsome men and beautiful women.

The round-faced Duke Dillard Porter, holding a wine glass, leaned closer, his smile as warm and inviting as ever: "So, Morningstar City and Baldur's Gate are allies now? I just saw Grand Duke Gotash smiling quite happily."

“That’s right.” Ivy Shiran nodded. “Duke Gotash has verbally agreed to our alliance, but the specific details of the cooperation still need to be discussed by the Council of Four. Generally, this matter is put after the formal alliance is signed, but as the most senior member of the Council of Four, you must have something to say, right?”

The conversation with Gortash made no mention of the alliance between Dawnstar and Baldur's Gate, but that didn't stop Ivy from bringing it up. After all, he didn't need to draft the specifics, and even if Dillard did seek confirmation from Gortash, he would most likely agree. Before Netherstone and the Supreme God, all other issues had to take a backseat. The alliance with Ivy hadn't fallen through yet, and Gortash certainly didn't intend to offend him; therefore, even if he disagreed, he would reluctantly accept it.

Dillard Porter, unsuspecting, nodded with a hint of smugness, no longer making excuses. As a seasoned politician, Dillard's political acumen was undoubtedly sharp; this was precisely what allowed him to protect himself in the turbulent Baldur's Gate political arena.

Initially, when he saw High Duke Ravengard's only son appear at the coronation ceremony, he was very worried that Will was there to cause trouble. Duke Ravengard had been away from Baldur's Gate for so long, and upon his return, he immediately wanted to elevate Gortash to the unprecedented position of Grand Duke; anyone could see something was amiss. However, Dillard never went against the tide of events. Faced with Gortash, who commanded the Iron Guard, he quickly set aside his friendship with Duke Ravengard and began preparing his own escape route.

Therefore, when Will appeared at the coronation ceremony, he immediately approached him, hoping to use their past relationship to persuade Will not to be too excited, as a way of giving Gotash another chance to prove his loyalty. That's why he kept emphasizing his age in the conversation.

But now that Ivy and Gortash were having a smooth conversation and Will showed no signs of acting out, Dillard's already unsettled mind immediately stirred again.

It's inevitable that Gortash will establish a dictatorship in Baldur's Gate. Dillard's plan to retire is not just empty talk. However, if he can make significant contributions to the alliance between Morningstar and Baldur's Gate, it might extend his political career, which is already nearing its end, for a while longer.

After all, who can truly say no to power once they have it?

“Bureaucratic practices are indeed tiresome.” Dillard waved behind him, and a waiter carrying a tray immediately handed glasses of wine to Ivy and his teammates. “To be honest, Lord Doom, after being in the Council of Four for so long, what I hate most is constantly signing my name on parchment. Although my political career is nearing its end, I can still contribute to Baldur’s Gate for a while longer.”

They talk a lot about principles, but their hearts are full of business. These politicians have the same face in any world.

“This is wonderful.” Ivy’s smile widened. “Morningstar City has just escaped the Shadow Curse of Shar and is in dire need of rebuilding. Apart from the stone castle I built with magic, it has almost nothing. The only inhabitants are refugees who fled from El Toril. So we lack everything, but what we lack most is probably transportation and manpower. After all, it is an important port upstream of Baldur’s Gate. If we don’t take advantage of our location and open up trade routes, we probably won’t be prosperous even in a hundred years.”

“Although it doesn’t sound good, I believe you can lead Morningstar out of this predicament. After all, it’s easier to draw on a blank canvas.” Dillard patted his belly contentedly. “I still have some influence in the administrative structure of Baldur’s Gate. Perhaps I can help draft a list first, and then publish a notice of reclamation for Morningstar through the Baldur’s Mouth Gazette. However, Baldur’s Gate is a trading city, and if Morningstar doesn’t have unique trade products, it will be difficult to participate in Baldur’s Gate’s trading system.”

Ivy nodded: "Morningstar City is not without its specialties. We can manufacture adamantite and mine mithril from the ground. As for land reclamation, I have already set a very low tax rate with the existing inhabitants and promised that as long as they maintain production on the reclaimed land for a certain period of time, they will obtain full ownership of that land."

"Adamantite and mithril?" Dillard was taken aback. Throughout the entire continent of Faerûn, there were only a handful of cities capable of mining mithril and processing it into adamantite. If Morningstar City was really as Ivy said, then it was truly a unique case.

“Besides, I am an archmage; magic is my primary focus.” Ivy continued, seemingly oblivious to the surprise on Dillard’s face. “I plan to select suitable apprentices in Morningstar City and provide them with instruction. Those with exceptional talent will have their tuition waived and will receive permission and funding to attend higher-level magic schools. I think these are enough to establish Morningstar City’s reputation and identity, Lord Dillard?”

“Of course! Of course!” Dillard nodded repeatedly. He had already decided to play a greater role in the alliance between Dawnstar and Baldur's Gate. The brighter the prospects of an allied city, the more likely the official in charge of diplomatic affairs would be to gain attention. “I guess I’ll be busy again! I wonder where you are now? If I want to discuss related matters with you, where should I go to find you?”

“It’s in the Upper City, on that mountain, at the Kazador Palace. Kazador and his Zal family are vampires. He himself was secretly plotting to overthrow the entire Baldur’s Gate. My companions and I killed him and took over his property.” Ivy’s tone was as calm as if she were talking about breakfast bread. “And I also discovered that Kazador had secretly collected a lot of dirt on the nobles.”

"Vampire Lord!" Dillard's cheek muscles, which propelled his chubby face, had become somewhat numb from making so many shocked expressions in such a short period of time.

(End of this chapter)