Faerûn: Lord of the Eternal Sun

Golden Coconut Honey Wine Bar doesn't look like a tavern from the outside; its overall design resembles a noble palace complex.

The building is constructed of sandstone and marble, with a multi-layered elliptical dome structure. The exterior walls are carved with ancient patterns, exhibiting a strong Netherlandish style.

In addition to the pub, the lounge also includes a small garden, fountain, dining hall, hotel, and private conversation areas, making it a multi-functional den of iniquity.

Six tall guards stood at the entrance, all elite veterans retired from the army, clad in studded leather armor. Their standard armament consisted of long spears made of sturdy wood, small scimitars, and round shields.

A carriage stopped at the entrance of the lounge, attracting the attention of the guards.

After all, the guests coming and going in the lounge were all wealthy and noble, and this was the first time they had seen such a simple carriage.

The guards stepped forward, ready to drive them away, and only retreated after Isaac got off the carriage.

The "Son of the Sun" is quite famous, especially after killing Davis of the Lancaras family in the final of the martial arts tournament. Davis was an outstanding officer in the army nicknamed "Black Death".

Therefore, many people are secretly speculating, and even placing bets, on when the Lancaras family will retaliate against the Son of the Sun, and in what way.

Some believe that Davis died a glorious death in a fair fight, and that the Lancaras family, as a long-established family of warriors, would not seek revenge in private.

After dismounting from the carriage, Isaac tossed a silver coin to the coachman and then swaggered into the lounge.

Seeing that he was unarmed, the guards did not stop him.

As soon as Isaac stepped into the lounge, he smelled a scent—the scent of luxury.

The interior is decorated with many gilded ornaments, almost making me mistake it for a noble palace or temple.

A well-dressed barefoot maid stepped forward and respectfully asked if we needed directions.

"Lord Lucius invited me here."

"My lord, please follow me."

Isaac answered truthfully, and then followed the maid through the lounge, turning left and right, passing through the marble-paved garden corridor, and arriving at a side hall.

The sun had just set, and the side hall was lit with silver candles for illumination. Several figures could be seen in the main hall.

The noble steward arrived at the blacksmith's shop in the morning and stood respectfully next to a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.

The middle-aged man, dressed as an aristocrat, wore a white robe embroidered with silver threads. His slightly graying hair was meticulously combed. He sat on a rugged sofa, sipping fine wine, with two beautiful young women sitting on either side of him.

Not human!

Isaac was referring to the two bar hostesses; their slightly pointed ears suggested they were half-elf slaves purchased at a high price from the slave market.

After leading Isaac there, the maid slowly retreated and left the palace.

The group also noticed the tall figure entering and were observing him.

Isaac approached the low table with a calm expression. He vaguely remembered the nobleman's appearance; it seemed he had been present during the final tournament and the temple baptism.

The dedicated noble butler stepped forward to introduce himself.

"Sir, this is Isaac."

"Isaac, this is my master, Lord Lucius."

After the butler finished his introductions, he poured wine for the newly arrived distinguished guest, and the nobleman Lucius politely rose to greet him.

Isaac smiled in response, accepting the gesture since it was a gesture of goodwill.

"Please sit down, the new Son of the Sun."

"I watched your martial arts competition, and your bravery impressed me deeply."

The two exchanged a few polite words and then sat down on the soft carpeted sofa.

Lucius gently nudged the half-elf girl beside him, and she wisely moved closer, snuggling up to Isaac and gently massaging his thighs.

"Press harder, I'm feeling the pressure."

Isaac did not refuse and enjoyed the girl's massage service.

"It's almost time, have the lounge serve the food."

Lucius gave instructions to his butler, then chatted with Isaac about things in the army and some adventure stories, indicating that he had already investigated Isaac.

"For forging, you can try oil quenching, which can enhance the weapon's toughness and make it less prone to rusting."

Isaac was surprised to find that the nobleman in front of him was indeed very knowledgeable. He tested him with simple words and found that he was not just showing off, but really knew the forging technique.

"Lord Lucius knows a lot."

"You flatter me. My ancestor was a blacksmith in the army. He later distinguished himself in battle, which led to the establishment of the Hoffmann family."

Just as the two were chatting, a row of maids carrying wooden trays filled with food in porcelain entered the palace.

Isaac wondered if he was seeing things, because he actually saw seafood.

The food is plentiful, including pan-fried pork chops, lamb ribs, roasted falcon, turnip stewed beef, roasted apples, and two or three kinds of fish.

The table was laden with food that wasn't available in the Lower City. I hadn't eaten such good food since the few days I spent at Tessa's noble mansion a few days ago.

Already hungry, Isaac didn't hold back and grabbed the porcelain plate, sweeping up all the food on the table.

Influenced by him, Lucius also ate a lot of food.

After the meal, the nobleman waved his hand, dismissing the half-elf girl and the maid who was pouring wine, leaving only the butler to guard them.

Isaac realized that they were about to get down to business.

"Isaac, do you think the Lancaras family will retaliate against you?"

"Yes! We've already taken revenge, but it wasn't successful."

"Is it the underground boxing brotherhood?"

As expected, the nobles knew quite a lot, and Isaac was no longer surprised. Investigating these matters was not very difficult for the bigwigs in the city hall.

"Isaac, I think you have a bold and forthright personality, so I'll just say it directly."

"Hoffman and the Lancaras family have an irreconcilable conflict. His ancestor was a high-ranking officer in the army, but they ousted him through dirty tricks, and he later entered the city hall."

"We have the same enemy, and I want you to help me deal with Lancaras."

The nobleman stated his purpose directly.

"Lord Lucius, how do you want me to help you? To the powerful Lancaras family, I am just a small fry."

"And at my age, I'm no longer able to participate in the next Shield Festival tournament and kill all their direct descendants."

Isaac made a joke, while Lucius offered an explanation.

"You are the son of the sun, not an unknown person."

"Every Son of the Sun, if he survives, will become a new generation of powerful and influential people in one or two decades."

Lucius's words sound nice, but in reality, only two "Sons of the Sun" have made it to the top in the last few decades.

"You are currently a commoner, so you can't deal with them. Therefore, you can only squeeze into the elite class first in order to find an opportunity to deal with them and not be manipulated by them."

"I've thought about it. The Lancaras family is deeply entrenched in the military and is a powerful faction."

"What I can do is to arrange for you to join the city guard, under the direct jurisdiction of the city hall. With your abilities and the support of the Hoffman family, I can help you rise to power in three to five years."

The middle-aged nobleman finished speaking and gave the other party time to think.

After a long silence, Isaac finally managed to say, "Let me think about it for a few days."

Isaac's answer came from the bottom of his heart; he understood that to the nobleman before him, he was nothing more than a useful knife to be used to eliminate dissidents.

If there are no other places to go, this is a good option.

It's much better to be the boss than to be wiped out by a powerful rival family one day.

"Don't rush to give me an answer. Whether you agree or not, we're on the same side."

Lucius raised his crystal glass and clinked it against Isaac's, his expression calm and collected; he never put all his eggs in one basket.