A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

Just when Zuo Si's avatar in Mirrodin got Melilai and began to use its innate ability to attack the essence of Shimmering Oil, Sambia, a commercial powerhouse far away in the "Sea of ​​Fallen Stars" in the center of Faerûn, A smokeless food war has begun quietly.

Sergant is an important trade node and port city that stands in the northwest of the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars and has a permanent population of tens of thousands.

Although it is not the capital of Sambia, it is the richest and most powerful place in the country, and it is also the place where the power struggle among big businessmen is fiercest.

The reason why the Six-member Council of Amn chose this place to dump food was because they recognized the complexity of the commercial and political factions within Sergante.

As long as there are enough benefits, the city's arrogant ruling class does not care about the life and death of other parts of Sambia, especially those "country bumpkins" who make a living from land and planting.

Although they have the most fertile land and the largest irrigated area in the country, sitting on the Aken River, only a small part of it grows food.

Most of the rest are cash crops, such as cotton, flax, rapeseed, sesame, olives and other things used for spinning and oil extraction.

In addition, the convenient transportation network is also one of the reasons for being selected.

After all, to the west of Sergant are the two cities of Darren and Uraspil, which are adjacent to Cormyr, which may be the most powerful feudal country on the continent of Faerûn.

Sambian merchants purchased large tracts of connected land here, owned countless manors, vineyards, orchards and hunting grounds, and even maintained private armies, secretly keeping the notorious and most important slavery One of the grain producing areas.

If grain prices in Sergante are suppressed by dumping, this region will be the first to be affected and respond quickly.

The northeastern direction of Sergante is connected to Odulin, the capital of Sambia, which is located inland.

This is the most densely populated area in the country. It is not self-sufficient in food and has long relied on transportation from the southwest.

As we all know, the cost of long-distance transportation on land will definitely not be low, so the price of food around Odulin has always remained high.

If food prices in Sergante plummet, the first reaction of Sambia's supreme rulers will certainly not be alarm, but uncontrollable ecstasy.

This means that they only need to spend a small amount of money to feed the large population in the core ruling area.

Anyway, after those manor owners realized that growing food was not profitable, they would immediately switch to growing other high value-added crops such as sugar cane and sugar beet.

As for the life and death of ordinary farmers, these guys don't care.

Better to be broke!

You can also take the opportunity to purchase their land at a low price and sell their entire family into slavery to obtain cheaper labor.

If it doesn't work, they can be sold to Ser merchants or red-robed wizards as slaves.

If someone asks what the difference is between the business empires of Amn and Sembia, it is that the former has at least a little bit of shame, and will decorate its appearance through various charitable donations, allowing paladin organizations such as the Knights of the Hot Heart to enforce the law within the territory. The so-called "justice".

But the latter didn't even bother to cover up. The major business tycoons and the families behind them were completely above the law and basically said the same thing in their own territory.

And although slavery was legally prohibited, in practice it was everywhere.

Especially the peasants working in the manor, almost more than 50% are serfs without personal freedom, and even life and death are in the hands of their masters.

Those in power also collude with the dark elves operating in the Cormanthor region in the north, and often make deals with evil forces such as red-robed wizards and Zhentil Castle. The Harper Alliance has long regarded Sembia as the same as Cyre. threats.

However, Bernard didn't care at all how miserable the lives of the people at the bottom of Sambia were.

He came this time with a mission assigned by the six-member council, to destroy Sambia, a powerful competitor, in one fell swoop through legal business activities, and to ensure Amn's undisputed dominance in the trade activities of Faerûn.

And the ambitious businessman also understood that such an important action was also a test in itself.

If he can successfully complete this series of operations, he will be treated like a hero when he returns to Askatra, and he might even be able to enter the candidate list of the six-member council based on this merit.

Many families are eager to be the person in charge of this operation.

The reason why he stood out was not because of his outstanding strength, but because he had an extremely powerful backer behind him, and Zuo Si also provided the most important food for this operation.

Thinking of this, Bernard couldn't help but secretly rejoice that he had made the right choice. Then he raised his head and asked the assistant who was sorting out the information: "How much food have we dumped at low prices? What is the price of food in Sergante today?" How many?"

"170,000 tons, we have dumped 170,000 tons of various grains.

According to the information provided by the Shadow Thieves Guild, all the granaries in the towns around Sergante are full.

As for grain prices, they have dropped to only one-fifth of the original normal price, which is far lower than the cost of planting.

Almost all estates and farmers who grow food are worried about how to quickly sell the food in their hands to recover the cost.

After all, as the granaries in the surrounding areas are full, they have no place to store them, and it will definitely be too late to build the existing barns.

In addition, as the weather begins to turn colder, the Falling Star Sea area will soon experience frequent autumn rains.

If it is not processed before the rainy season, all the food piled outdoors will be wetted by the rain and become moldy and rotten.

Therefore, it is foreseeable that these people will eventually reluctantly sell the grain in their hands at a price far lower than the cost, further triggering panic selling until grain prices completely fall to the bottom.

By this time next year, all landowners will no longer have the option of growing food. "

Another Amn businessman, about forty years old, reported excitedly.

Because through these days of operations and dumping, he was basically certain that Sambia was 100% doomed this time.

After several rounds of large-scale dumping, the confidence of agricultural production groups in the surrounding Sergante area in food prices has been completely destroyed.

And with the subsequent panic selling, it will quickly spread to other places and even the Kingdom of Cormyr and other cities in the Sea of ​​Fallen Stars.

After this heart-wrenching lesson, no manor or farmer in Sambia will take the risk of growing food again.

This means that when there is no way to temporarily switch to growing grain in March or April next year, we can start to close the net and change from dumping at low prices to purchasing at high prices.

At the beginning, raising the purchase price of grain would even make the Sambian merchant class and rulers, whose barns were full, smile. They thought they had taken the opportunity to make a huge profit from the price difference, and sold them unscrupulously.

Since Sambia was originally a country united by businessmen and oligarchs, the major cities basically maintained their autonomy, and it was impossible to have a modern national statistical system. Therefore, they did not know that there was no land to grow food in the country, and they thought they would wait until the autumn harvest. This gap can be filled back in time.

The result is that after the grain in the warehouse is almost sold, it is discovered that there is not even a grain of grain in the country for the autumn harvest.

At that time, there will be no need for Amn to take action. The local selfish businessmen in Sambia will start hoarding on their own and continue to raise the price of food to harvest the wealth of the people at the bottom.

When the people can no longer survive, a terrible riot will break out outright.

At this moment, it has become impossible for the rulers to purchase food from other neighboring countries to quell the civil strife.

After all, other countries are not fools either.

With Sambia as a negative teaching material in front of them, they will naturally be more vigilant and prioritize protecting their own food reserves.

What's more, there are millions of people in Sambia, and food consumption cannot be satisfied by the food surplus of one or two regions or even the country.

Coupled with the negative impact of previous low-price dumping, the grain production around Falling Star Sea will definitely be reduced to varying degrees.

This means that for at least a year, Sambia will not be able to obtain sufficient food supplies, and can only watch the people at the bottom who cannot survive rise up, and the entire country will inevitably fall into division and civil war.

"Only 170,000 tons? Too little! Keep adding more! At least 600,000 tons of grain will be dumped in the next two months."

Bernard narrowed his eyes and gave instructions quickly.

In his opinion, a mere 170,000 tons of grain surplus is not enough to have a devastating impact on Sambia's agriculture.

The assistant nodded vigorously: "Understood! I will arrange for people to disguise themselves as merchants from Serre as soon as possible, and continuously transport more food to major port cities. Anyway, we have that treasure, we just need to leave the port and wander along the coast. In one turn, the empty warehouse can be completely filled.”

"Let our people be careful and remember to change the sails, marks and sailors every time they leave port, so as not to be discovered." Bernard warned with a serious expression.

"Please rest assured about this. The Masked Mage Guild has provided us with enough magic masks. As long as you put them on, you can immediately turn into another face. So far, no one has been suspected." The assistant vowed. Give guarantees.

After all, this is also an important action that has attracted the attention of the six-person council. All forces in Amn have provided assistance within their capabilities, whether in terms of materials or manpower.

After hearing these words, Bernard finally showed a satisfied expression: "Very good. This is a very important opportunity for me, and the same for you. So I don't want anything to go wrong, you know? By the way. , where is the servant Usiah sent by Lord Sos?"

"Him? He seems to have been frequently attending dinner parties held by high society recently, and he has even become a guest of Andas Igamal."

After thinking for a moment, the assistant quickly told what he knew.

"Have you blended into the upper class society? As expected..."

Bernard stopped abruptly mid-sentence.

Because others may not know who Usiah is, but he knows that the other person is not a human at all, but a small devil who has turned into a powerful and frightening hell fiend. He is also Zuo Si's servant and familiar.

On weekdays, communication with the Mage Tower is basically done through Usiah.

Just when the assistant was about to say something, a familiar figure opened the door and walked in from the outside.

"I thought I heard someone mention my name just now?"

Uthia walked elegantly, ignoring the guards guarding the door and the shadow thief hiding in an inconspicuous corner, and walked in slowly from the outside.

Although it was just past noon and there were still at least four hours left until night, he smelled of alcohol all over his body. From his forehead to his cheeks, to his neck and chest, there were at least twenty dense lip prints, which were obvious. I had just attended a rather "wild" private banquet, and my face was filled with an extremely satisfied smile.

Of course, this "satisfaction" does not refer to the desire for beauty, indulgence and alcohol in the hearts of mortals, but to see Sambia's behavior that perfectly conforms to the values ​​​​of the devil in hell.

First of all, the people here abide by the contract and are good at finding loopholes in the contract, which are the devil's specialty.

Secondly, almost all Sambians like to climb up by any means within the limits allowed by the rules, and are keen on playing tricks and betrayals. Moreover, the society is full of various secret societies formed due to interest relationships. It is simply A replica of the politics of hell.

Finally, there is the insatiable thirst for money and wealth of the country's merchant class, which is exactly the same as the thirst of the devils of hell for souls.

There is no doubt that Uzea liked this place and even more so the people.

If he hadn't cut off the connection with Baator Hell, he wouldn't even be able to help but take out a few pieces of parchment, sign a contract with those humans whose souls exude evil light, and then wait for their death to transform their souls into His right-hand man.

The only regret is that Sembia lacks a leader with absolute power, unparalleled vision and wisdom like Asmodeus, the Lord of Hell.

The current commander-in-chief, Odus Yamast, has exhausted all his energy just by being busy fighting with other forces every day. He is simply unable to concentrate the power of the entire country like the six-person Council of Amn.

Bernard winked at his assistant, who immediately understood, quickly turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

When there were only two people left in the room, he couldn't help but ask: "How is it? Are the wealthy merchant families who rule Sergante already wary of the recent plummet in food prices?"

Uthea sat down on the chair and responded in a slightly contemptuous tone: "Be vigilant?

Do not be silly!

Major families and chambers of commerce are busy taking this opportunity to devour the land and property of bankrupt yeoman farmers and small estate owners.

They thanked us before it was too late, so how could we become vigilant?

Everyone is short-sighted, especially profit-seeking businessmen.

At present, almost the entire upper class rulers are happily talking about how many loan sharks their family has granted, how much land they have increased, and what more profitable crops they plan to plant next year.

He even laughed at those stupid country bumpkins who only knew how to grow food, thinking that they deserved to go bankrupt due to the collapse in food prices. "

"So...our backup plan might not be needed?"

There was an undisguised joy in Bernard's eyes.

"Judging from the current situation, it is indeed no longer needed. However, those weapons and equipment can be packed up and prepared to be sold to the rebels in the next stage. Oh, by the way, I also helped you find a few suitable people, You may consider sending someone to contact them.”

As he said this, Usiah took out a list of seven or eight pages from his pocket.

Under each name, there is his life, experience, preferences, good and evil tendencies.

Among these people were the ambitious leaders of the Thieves Guild;

Some are rebels who have seen through the greedy, shameless, and never-satisfied face of Sambia’s ruling class and long from the bottom of their hearts to overthrow it;

Others have their families broken up by businessmen's exploitation, and they watch their lovers, friends, parents, and children leave them one by one. In the end, they become angry and only want to destroy everything and destroy everything.

Although at first glance there seems to be no necessary connection between them.

But they all have one thing in common, that is, they are extremely dissatisfied with the current situation in Sambia, and they also have a certain degree of charisma and leadership skills.

This means that when food begins to be scarce and famine sweeps across the country, as long as they receive appropriate funding, everyone can quickly pull together a team and kick off the drama of burying the entire existing regime in Sambia.

Bernard took the list and checked it over and over, then picked up a pen and circled a few of the names, saying meaningfully: "Now even the last piece of the puzzle has been put together. All that's left to do is to wait patiently. , waiting for the seeds planted to begin to take root and sprout.”

"Yes! There is a full half year between now and March next year. I can have fun with those interesting mortals. Although the master does not allow me to interfere in your affairs, he does not say that I am not allowed to have some fun. Isn’t it?”

When saying these words, Uthia grinned with a devilish smile.

Although he was currently maintaining his human form with the help of magic props, Bernard still couldn't help but feel the hairs all over his body stand up instantly.

For a hell fiend, the so-called "playing" is not as simple as it sounds in the literal sense.

Maybe there will be violent turmoil and civil strife in the entire upper class of Sambia, and it won't be surprising even if some families that seem to be strong now are wiped out.

After all, this country's political structure, social environment, and people's way of thinking allow the devil to blend in perfectly without even arousing anyone's suspicion.

After a full minute, Bernard broke away from the fear and reminded with a wry smile: "You'd better be careful. Mr. Soth doesn't like too many accidents, let alone something that goes wrong with the originally smooth plan. trouble."

But Uthea shrugged his shoulders indifferently: "Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion.

What's more, the master has so many things to do now and has no energy to take care of Sambia.

Not to mention anything else, the Northern Lords Alliance meeting held in Luskan and the internal conflicts of interest that broke out among the towns after the external threat disappeared were enough to give him a headache.

In addition, there is Ms. Alustriel from Silvermoon City..."

It has to be said that as a familiar who has followed Zuo Si for a long time and has a magic connection and emotional connection, Usiah knows his master quite well.

Although his habitual flattery and flattery often slapped the horse on the leg.

At this moment, Luskan, the northernmost city on the west coast of Faerûn, came from Neverwinter City, Waterdeep City, Silvermoon City, Mirabar, Mithril Hall, Longsaddle Town, Red Pine Town, Yatta, and El. Representatives from Ward and other towns were already gathered in the huge conference room.

Even Marshall, the steward of Dragonlance Castle, came all the way to join in the fun.

In addition, many noble lords who control one or two castles and several small village chiefs also arrived at the scene.

After all, the Northland Lords Alliance is a semi-open organization. As long as you can prove your identity and legal possession of the land under your control, you can apply to join and become a member of it.

In fact, barons, viscounts, counts, and dukes who own one or two castles and several villages are the largest number of joining members in the Lords Alliance.

However, unlike the "harmonious and friendly" scene expected by Alustriel and Lord Nasir, not long after the meeting began, Bruno, the king of Mithral Hall, took the lead in attacking and quarreled with the representatives of Mirabar.

Since the main economic structures of both sides relied on mining, metal smelting, and the forging of weapons and armor, Miraba secretly adopted a series of shady and despicable methods in order to defeat its competitors.

Generally speaking, more mature leaders will not bring this kind of fight to the table, in case there is no way to end it after a quarrel.

But who is Bruno Warhammer?

He's one of Drizzt's best friends!

The legendary dwarf blacksmith who forged the powerful magical warhammer - the Fang of Aigis!

When we were in Icewind Dale, we successfully crushed the war started by the evil artifact, the Magic Crystal!

Moreover, he also found his former hometown of Mithril Hall through adventure, and personally killed the evil dragon named Shimmer!

Then he abandoned his position as king and drove the flame carriage gifted by Alustriel across half of Faerûn, just to support his friends!

Later, when faced with the roaring army of dark elves from Menzoberranzan, he fearlessly led his people to resist heroically, and used his sharp ax to split the heavenly cap of the old matron of the Baenre family!

Will such a dwarf leader honestly sit down and follow the unspoken rules to play those dirty political games?

Give me a break!

He didn't just pick up the ax and chop the person down first, so he was quite calm and restrained.

With Bruno taking the lead in overturning the table, the remaining town representatives simply stopped pretending and began to reveal each other's faults.

After all, to be able to establish a foothold in a dangerous place like the Northland, where monsters and bandits are rampant, and to continue to this day, there are a few people who are really clean.

As a result, the quarrel was quickly replaced by rude abuse and personal attacks. The conference room was ten thousand times noisier than the outdoor market.

Seeing that the situation was starting to get out of control, Alustriel immediately exchanged a look with Lord Nasir, and they both stretched out their feet under the table and lightly kicked Eric.

The latter suddenly woke up from his doze, and then showed an innocent expression, as if to say, what's the point of kicking me? I'm just a puppet without any real power. The only thing I want to do is to stay where I am and enjoy it. Just life.

What's more, when these guys fight, they have nothing to do with Luskan and Nelanthel Islands?

In desperation, Alustriel lowered his voice and explained: "Your Majesty Eric, if you don't stop them, the abuse will soon turn into violence and bloody conflicts.

I believe that Soth would not want to see the Northland Lords Alliance meeting held on his own territory end up with casualties, right?

If it really happened, it would be quite embarrassing. "

moment!

Eric finally came to his senses, stood up suddenly, swung his fist and hit the table hard.

boom!

Accompanied by vibrations and sounds, the conference room, which was as noisy as a vegetable market one second, suddenly became quiet the next second.

Everyone turned to stare at the titular king.

Eric, who was a pirate, did not have stage fright, but deliberately put on a serious face and pretended to reprimand: "Look at how you look now! What words!

What would the people of the North think if they knew that the people they had high hopes for were now quarreling, accusing, and abusing each other like street gangsters?

So please be sensible!

At least sit down and have a serious talk about how to solve the problem instead of letting the conflict escalate into hatred. "

"That's right! Don't be so excited, everyone. After all, compared with the harsh living environment before, at least we don't have to worry about the conspiracy and invasion of the Arcane Brotherhood now. Even the orcs, who threatened the most, have disappeared. What's left is Some trivial troubles can be resolved through negotiation."

Lord Nasir of Neverwinter quickly followed suit.

He couldn't understand why the external environment had obviously improved, but the situation within the entire alliance had deteriorated.

Alustriel also suggested: "I think it's better to rest for two days and give everyone some time to calm down and think. Otherwise, everyone will be angry and it will be impossible to calm down and sit down together to resolve the conflict seriously."

"agree!"

"I agree too!"

"Let's rest for two days. Maybe we are all too tired, so our tempers are getting grumpy."

…

Soon, the proposal to adjourn the meeting was unanimously approved.

Representatives of various towns and castle lords also realized the possible consequences of a complete quarrel, and they all stood up and left the table with twinkling eyes.

However, cracks have appeared, and it is basically impossible to return to the previous state.

Just the opposite!

This rift will only grow wider as external threats disappear and conflicts of interest and friction arise.

After everyone was gone, Alustriel sighed slightly and asked Eric directly: "Where is Soth? Why hasn't he shown up yet?"

"Sorry, madam, you really asked the wrong person this question. What makes you think that I am qualified to know the whereabouts of Lord Soth?" Eric asked in a slightly self-deprecating tone.

You must know that so far, he has only met Zuo Si twice.

One was to pay the ransom in Calimport, and the other was at the meeting to decide on the establishment of a political power after the capture of Luskan.

The rest of the time, the lich in the organization is responsible for issuing various notices and orders.

Because of this, Eric knew better than anyone else the huge power hidden in the darkness, and he never had any improper thoughts because of becoming a king.

Because he knows that if he has any thoughts that he shouldn't have, everything he has now will be lost.

"What about this Northland Lords Alliance meeting? Doesn't Soth want to stand up and become the leader of the entire Northland?" Alustriel frowned and continued to ask.

Hearing these words, Eric couldn't help but laugh, and joked while laughing: "I don't think Lord Soth would be interested in such boring things."

"boring?!"

Alustriel showed a surprised expression.

"Yes! Whether it is the Northern Lords Alliance or the Silver Moon Alliance led by you, Lord Soth scorns it. Because both organizations are too loose and do not give leaders enough power. power, let alone be integrated together to form a true rule and country." Eric commented sharply.

Although he was a pirate and had never received a decent education, he had read a lot of books related to politics and power struggles in the past two years.

Coupled with observing how the bureaucracy of Luskan and the Nelanthal Islands works, he has gained a higher and broader perspective than most of the world's rulers.

Alustriel obviously didn't expect that the puppet in front of him could actually say such a thing. He raised his eyebrows in shock. After half a minute, he asked: "Let's not talk about the Northland Lords Alliance for the time being. Why do you think so?" Think the Silver Moon Alliance can’t come together to form a nation?”

"Because of power!"

Eric gave the answer without thinking, and explained to himself: "In Lord Soth's concept, building a country requires many prerequisites.

For example, there are unimpeded legislative and law enforcement powers, a powerful central administrative power that can completely control local areas, a corresponding series of financial powers such as economy, trade, taxation, etc., and absolute control over the military.

Only when all these powers are centralized can a truly unified country be formed.

I would like to ask, in the Silver Moon Alliance, which of the above rights do you have?

The answer is obviously none.

The laws you enact can only cover Silvermoon City and its surroundings. Each town has been politically independent and autonomous for a long time, and its finances are even more independent. You even need to pay several tolls to pass through the territory of the Silvermoon Alliance. Finally, Each town has its own army that only responds to its own orders.

Without violating the existing framework of the Silver Moon Alliance, the best you can do is to glue them together with your strong personal strength and charm.

And this took hundreds of years.

It would be impossible for an ordinary person to live such a long life.

If you unfortunately pass away one day, or step down from your position as Queen of the Silver Moon Alliance, will there be another person who can continue to maintain this situation?

Unless you change your current style and attitude, use various methods to suppress local forces, and forcibly seize judicial, administrative and military power bit by bit.

Otherwise, the Silver Moon Alliance would never have become a nation. "

There is no doubt that Eric's speech made Alustriel, Lord Nasir, and the Golden Dragon Queen Veramalandis and Irebes who followed these two people look upon with admiration.

They originally thought that this guy with a pirate background was just a puppet who was greedy for beauty, pleasure and vanity, but they never expected that he had such profound and unique insights.

At least there aren't any glaring holes in the logic.

Eric noticed the change in the eyes of these people and immediately said in a half-joking tone: "Don't look at me like that.

These principles are not understood by myself, but are derived from some books donated by Mr. Soth.

He also said that even a puppet with no real power like me must have the minimum political understanding and consciousness since he sits in this position.

Otherwise, it can easily be exploited by people with ulterior motives and eventually become a tragic victim. "

"You are too humble, His Majesty Eric. In my opinion, you have far surpassed most of the rulers in this world. Even if you hold real power, you can definitely become a wise monarch." Ailas Zhuo praised without hesitation.

But Eric shook his head indifferently: "No, you are wrong, madam.

It is absolutely impossible for a guy like me who is lustful, lazy, and just wants to enjoy himself without taking responsibility to become a qualified ruler.

I understand the logic, but it is very difficult to stay awake and rational when it comes to actual operations.

Whether it's the flattery from his subordinates or the intoxicating feeling brought by mastering great power and wealth, it will continue to corrode a person's heart.

This is also what I admire most about Mr. Soth.

He will never be confused by these things and always knows what he really wants.

Moreover, he understands people's hearts and human nature very well, knows what each of his subordinates desires, and satisfies it when the other party performs well.

For me, this kind of life where I have status and status without having to shoulder any responsibilities and have a lot of money to spend and enjoy is what I have always longed for.

If I were really allowed to be a king with real power, I would not feel happy, I would only think it was a heavy burden.

So the advice I want to give you is that you must not regard the rulers of the towns in the Northern Lords Alliance and Silver Moon Alliance as being as kind and noble as yourself, with lofty ideals and ambitions.

Most of them are probably like me, they just want to acquire more wealth and make themselves and even their entire family members of the privileged class. "

After saying this, Eric stood up and bowed slightly to the four people present. Then he hugged the hot and scantily clad female secretary waiting outside the door, turned around and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

After a long silence, Lord Nasir took a long breath and said in a rather emotional tone: "It seems that we have all underestimated His Majesty the King. Not only is he not stupid at all, but he is also a rare Really smart guy.”

"You are right. I can't believe that a pirate who has never received systematic education can have such knowledge." Aribes agreed with deep approval.

But Alustriel shook his head disapprovingly: "No, this has nothing to do with Eric himself, but the result of Soth's training. Not only him, but also the entire Luskan is far more clean and efficient than other cities. The bureaucracy is worth learning."

Golden Dragon Queen Veramalandes responded helplessly: "We can't learn.

Because Soth does not rely on the law to maintain this system, but another set of violence and terror methods that are independent of the judicial system.

If it were just a matter of judicial procedure, I think those bureaucrats would not be as awe-inspiring as they are now, but would do their best to exploit loopholes in the law to defend themselves.

It is difficult to curb the growth of corruption and money-power transactions by relying on the law alone. This has been proven countless times. "

Just when Aribes was about to say something, a tall man covered in crimson armor suddenly walked in from the door. It was Davian, the flame dragon knight.

He first looked around, then bowed to the only four people left in the conference room with one hand on his chest.

"Ms. Alustriel, Queen Valamalandis, Lord Nasir, and Ms. Aribes, the master has prepared sumptuous food and wine and is waiting for your arrival outside."

"It's you?!"

Veramalandis's pupils suddenly dilated, contracted, and then dilated again, and the muscles throughout her body tightened rapidly, as if she might transform into an ancient golden dragon at any time.

No need to ask, she knew that through the smell and the amazing fire element energy, she immediately recognized that the strong man in front of her was the flaming red dragon that caused panic not long ago.

"Huh? Have we met?"

Davian blinked in confusion.

He didn't remember having any interactions with this golden dragon who maintained a human appearance.

Villamarandez obviously noticed that there was no trace of hostility in the Flame Dragon Knight's eyes, and immediately relaxed a little, and replied in a dumbfounded voice: "Uh - you really don't know me, but I know that you were there some time ago. Slaying evil chromatic dragons and hordes of monsters across the North.”

moment!

Davian suddenly understood and immediately showed an apologetic expression: "Ah, so that's what happened. I'm very sorry that my hunting has caused you trouble. But please don't worry, it doesn't mean anything else, it's just to clear the wilderness. Possible threats.”

"You don't have to apologize, because after the cleanup, the security situation within the Silver Moon Alliance has obviously improved a lot. By the way, are you a red dragon?" Verama Landas probed cautiously.

"No, I am not a red dragon, but a knight who can transform into a flaming red dragon. At the beginning, I was just a human, and then I gained the power I have now with the generosity of my master."

Davian did not hide anything and showed his identity openly.

Because since the battle with Sharptooth, his identity and abilities are no longer a secret.

"Ah! I remembered! You are Davian! One of the most powerful warriors under Soth!"

Alustriel remembered something and suddenly let out an exclamation.

Davian smiled and nodded: "Yes, I have always been the most reliable servant around my master. Well, let's stop talking about me. Everyone, please follow me."

After that, he turned around and walked towards the outside of the building.

The other four people looked at each other and immediately stood up and followed.

When they arrived at the door, Alustriel, Valamalandis, Lord Nasir and Paladin Aribes were surprised to find that what was parked here was not a carriage, but a ship they had never seen before. "Boat".

The moment everyone boarded it with curiosity and doubt, the "ship" flew up out of thin air and passed directly over the largest market in Luskan, attracting the attention and screams of countless people below.

You don't need to ask to know that this is a small airship built only in the floating city.

And the hydrogen inside has been replaced by safer helium.

Zuo Si himself stood in the middle of the hall filled with sumptuous banquets, opened his arms and said to the four guests with a smile: "Welcome! First of all, please allow me to apologize. Due to some sudden little troubles, I was unable to catch up with the Lord of the North. Alliance meeting. How about it? The dining place I specially arranged is not bad, right?"

"It's more than good! The feeling of dining above the sea and in the sky is exciting just thinking about it."

Lord Nasir stood by the glass window and admired the magnificent scenery thousands of meters above the ground.

After all, he is a warrior. Although he traveled around on adventures when he was young, he has never experienced what it feels like to fly in his life.

Now that I can experience it through the airship under my feet, it’s strange that I’m not excited.

Of course, the reaction of the paladin Aribes on the side was not much better. His eyes kept flashing with a strange look, and his joy was beyond words.

In contrast, Alustriel and the ancient golden dragon Veramalandes, who possess powerful magical power, are much calmer. They are just very interested in this device that can carry people and want to understand its working principle. .

Especially the former, who was chosen by the Goddess of Magic, quickly noticed a ghost ship loaded with glass bottles placed on a table not far away.

Through the transparent bottle wall, you can even see the ghosts and resentful spirits floating inside and making piercing screams...