Those who live in hardship will not bring any cases to the Supreme Hall. The prerequisites for submitting a motion to the Supreme Hall are property registration and proof of residence.

Either of these would be an insurmountable barrier for the residents of the outer city. In fact, even if you met both of the above, your proposal would likely be buried in the mountain of documents piled up in the Supreme Hall.

Unless this matter is related to the Grand Duke and the four Grand Dukes think it is necessary to discuss it in advance, it will immediately enter the next day's agenda.

Most of the time, meetings here are lethargic—endless bickering, with little concessions.

However, ever since Flame Fist replaced its Marshal, the new acting Marshal has made every meeting full of ups and downs.

The good news is that the conference is getting pretty exciting, the bad news is that if you’re not careful, you might not have to wake up again if you fall asleep here.

And the Grand Ducal Hall is becoming increasingly crowded.

In the past few days, the Grand Dukes were often accompanied only by their heirs and basic guards. But today, the sinister shadows of the Red Robe Mages have merged with the figure of Valakon. Even the Grand Duke of Silver Shield has been accompanied by some holy warriors belonging to the Church of Gond—that is, warriors affiliated with the church and who also believe in Gond.

At this moment, Karkoros, the Marshal's deputy of the Flaming Fist, sat quietly opposite Grand Duke Valakan, keeping them all in his sight.

Naturally, when Karkoros and the Red Mage appeared at the same time, the conference hall became the most unsuitable place for mortals to survive in the entire Baldur's Gate. As a result, the conference hall that could accommodate hundreds of people became empty again.

The Grand Duke of Silver Shield did not immediately announce the start of the parliamentary meeting, but instead glanced behind Karkoros.

Today, Karkoros did not come alone. Behind him was an attendant wearing a thick, plain white robe that obscured his face.

In a place like Faerun, the simpler the disguise, the more effective it might be. For example, the Silver Shield Grand Duke couldn't see through the shadow cast by the hood at this moment.

During this brief moment of calm, no one spoke a word.

The only sound that was whirring was the constantly spinning Ion Runestone above Karkoros's head.

"Grand Duke Silver Shield, it's time for the meeting to begin."

Soon, Grand Duke Valakan broke the silence and spoke in a cold voice.

"it is good."

Grand Duke Silver Shield nodded and said, "First, yesterday, Grand Duke Valakon submitted a new topic. As the Grand Duke, the topic he proposed should be given priority."

"The topic he raised was about yesterday's incident at the Holy Silver Chamber of Commerce."

"This will also be our first topic of the day. The meeting is now open—"

The final word was still on the Grand Duke's tongue when his furious roar echoed through the conference hall: "Is the Flame Fist paralyzed now?! Can anyone do whatever they want under the Flame Fist's nose?!"

"The Holy Silver Chamber of Commerce is only a hundred meters away from the Flame Fist!"

"Elios de Carcorros, if you lack the ability to command the Flaming Fist, then you should hand over the position of Acting Marshal to someone else. If the entire Flaming Fist is paralyzed, then I have a proposal!"

"The Flaming Fist is not the only military force in Baldur's Gate. I demand that the official Baldur's Gate and Flaming Fist be terminated!"

Before the two men from the Flaming Fist could respond, Grand Duke Silver Shield voiced his objection. "Grand Duke Valakon, I implore you to seriously consider the feasibility of this proposal. The Grand Duke election is approaching, one of Baldur's Gate's greatest events. If we terminate our partnership with the Flaming Fist at this time, who will be responsible for the security of Baldur's Gate?"

"Let me make it clear in advance—if you ask the Red Moon Group to take over Baldur's Gate, I disagree."

"Of course not the Crimson Moon Group. They're already stretched thin managing the outer city." Even though his proposal was rejected, Grand Duke Valakan didn't get angry. Instead, he nodded. "Of course there are groups familiar with Baldur's Gate and with some reputation."

"I recommend that the Watchers take over the Flame Fist's job!"

Karkoros didn't answer immediately, but sighed slightly: "...As expected."

The mysterious man behind him chuckled softly during their telepathic connection: "Next, it's up to those little guys."

Grand Duke Silver Shield suddenly tilted his head slightly. "...Is there any sound outside the Supreme Hall? The sound of wheels turning? How much stuff is that carrying?"

********************************

At the same moment, Lady Nasir, the leader of the Watchers, once again put on the gorgeous armor that was more like a ceremonial weapon and stood on the city wall of the Black Dragon Gate.

The Watchers' warehouse is located within the thick city walls.

The northern city wall has the least work to do and has never been attacked in the hundreds of years since its construction, but its specifications are in no way inferior to those of other city walls.

The reason is simple. There is only one force that will attack the northern city wall from this direction, and that is the city within the city, Waterdeep City in the north.

However, at this moment, Madam Nasir did not look in the direction of Waterdeep.

It goes without saying that the freight forwarders sent by Flame Fist naturally came from the city.

The guards around her had been eagerly waiting. One of them even boldly approached her and said, "Captain, the Flame Fist soldiers have always been bullying us. Now it's finally their turn to bow down!"

A brief flicker of joy crossed Mrs. Nasir's face, but she quickly turned serious and rebuked, "Stop your gloating! We're not the Flaming Fist's enemies, we're their allies, lending them a helping hand! If anyone lets down their tongues and messes this up, it won't just be a matter of deducting your bonus!"

"Yes Yes Yes!"

The soldiers of the Watch immediately nodded in agreement, but they couldn't hide the smiles on their faces.

However, Mrs. Nasir said the second half of the sentence with a smile on her face: "—After the Flame Fist is finished, it won't be too late to laugh again!"

Amidst the laughter, the shimmering sound of the wheels slowly drifted up to the city wall, attracting their attention.

Carriages were slowly moving from the south towards the Black Dragon Gate of Baldur's Gate.

A thick velvet cloth covered the carriage, hiding the cargo. It was clearly pulled by the strongest draft horses, several of which could pull a load exceeding a ton.

However, at this moment, their pace was extremely slow, as slow as a human's stroll.

And they clearly weren't being sly. Fine beads of sweat had already soaked the draft horses' manes, evaporating into a thick white mist under the late summer sun. Even the driver couldn't bring himself to whip the horses anymore—they had clearly given it their all.

These carriages moved side by side, unceremoniously occupying the main road between the upper city and the city gate, connected front to back. Looking around, there were at least a dozen of them.

“……?!” This unusual sight made Mrs. Nasir gasp.

Could it be that Flame Fist really stripped the armor off the soldier?

However, she then thought about it and breathed a sigh of relief.

Even if the Flaming Fist were truly so ruthless, it was actually impossible. The vast majority of the Flaming Fist soldiers in Baldur's Gate still wore ordinary chain mail. The contract clearly stated that these relatively old-style armor would not be purchased.

No matter what, it is impossible for Flame Fist to penetrate her treasury with its financial resources.

At that moment, four riders rushed from outside the city gate toward the Black Dragon Gate. The leader, a young man with red hair, raised his head and shouted to the city wall, "Excuse me, is Madam Nasir here? We are the emissaries of the Flame Fist, and we have brought the goods as promised. May I ask if the Watchers have been fully funded? Karkoros Ranyan made it clear that this transaction is cash on delivery!"

Mrs. Nasir turned around in surprise, but then composed herself. She placed her hands solemnly on the city wall and shouted, "Don't worry, we raised another round of funds yesterday. The Watchers and the Flaming Fist have always been good friends. Now that the Flaming Fist is in urgent need of help, we will naturally lend a hand. Don't worry!"

And under the city wall were naturally Emilia and his group.

Emilia looked at the city wall and replied, "Perhaps—if this contract didn't have a ten-day time limit and a penalty of 500,000 gold coins for breach of contract."

Mrs. Nasir smiled. "This is just a standard contract clause. As an apology, the new contract stipulates that our penalty for breach of contract will be the entire Overwatch team. Ultimately, this is a mutually beneficial situation."

Emiya said coldly with a stern face, "You're joking. This is just another rise of the Flaming Fist Marshal."

If the Flame Fist Marshal did something stupid, then the entire Flame Fist must bear the responsibility.

That’s how Mrs. Nasir understood it.

There was no way the Flame Fist could profit from this contract—they didn't have enough armor, and if they wanted to avoid paying the 500,000 gold coins in compensation, they would have to buy armor from everywhere. As a result, their urgent need to cash in on the armor turned into an urgent need to stop losses.

If everything goes according to plan, this treaty that seems to be able to solve the immediate problem will become the last straw that breaks the camel's back for Flame Fist.

However, he did not immediately understand why the Overwatch Team changed the treaty.

No matter what, the result is the same for him.

Emilia waved to the carriages sent by the Gond Church from a distance, and one of the carriages immediately rushed towards the city wall.

Then, he cast a glance at Madam Nasir. "It is said that when you signed the first version of the contract with Flame Fist, you firmly believed that Flame Fist could produce enough armor? Now, Flame Fist also firmly believes that you can consume all the armor that you obtained with so much difficulty?"

Mrs. Nasir was silent for a moment, but then she recalled the mountains of gold and silver that were hidden in the warehouse, which she had never seen before.

She nodded heavily: "Yes!"

"If I can't do this, the Watchers will be Flame Fist's subordinates from now on!"

resume update

Tyrant!!!

Anyway, the days of being too tired to sleep are over! Now I have more time to maneuver, so starting today, I will resume updating this book at 4000 words per day. I will try to speed up the updates to make up for the previous ones. Thank you all for your patience!

This volume is coming to an end, so stay tuned!

┑( ̄Д  ̄)┍Baldur's Gate is going to burn to ashes

Seventy-eight Hole Cards

"...Is there any noise outside the Supreme Hall? The sound of wheels turning? How much stuff is being carried?"

The casual words of Grand Duke Silver Shield were heard extremely clearly by those present.

Karkoros stood up, looked at Grand Duke Silvershield, and answered clearly, "As you know, Grand Duke Silvershield, the Flaming Fist's cash flow has indeed been somewhat sluggish today, but it is ultimately a short-term and reversible incident. The Flaming Fist's efforts have also made some progress. The additional funding requested a few days ago is only a one-time request, and it is by no means a request to put another mountain on the shoulders of the people of Bodu..."

This long string of words, though well-organized, lacked a certain degree of rhythm and emotion. It was obvious that someone had drafted it and then had Karkoros memorize it. However, being able to recite it effortlessly based on intelligence is one thing, but being able to express it in a rhythmic and captivating way is another.

At least, Grand Duke Valakon interrupted Karkoros without hesitation: "—Deputy Marshal, you may speak freely, but Grand Duke Silver Shield, please allow me to lift the fig leaf of Flaming Fist."

He stood up, one hand on his chest, the other open, as if he wasn't facing an empty conference hall, but rather the entire Baldur's Gate, delivering an impassioned speech: "Today's Flaming Fist is no longer the mercenary group that fought far and wide, renowned for its formidable reputation."

"Back then, Grand Duke Iltan chose this place to establish the Flaming Fist's headquarters. Cooperation with Grand Duke Iltan brought an unprecedented sense of security to Baldur's Gate. The only thing that ever posed a rift in the Flaming Fist's protection was the conspiracy and rebellion launched by Sarevok An'kif, Son of Bhaal."

"But a hundred years have passed, and the shadow of Baal has once again loomed over Baldur's Gate. And where is the Flaming Fist now?"

Grand Duke Valakan slammed his fist down on the curtain of the Grand Duke's Hall. "The Flaming Fist is trying to repay the massive debt they've incurred due to their extravagant spending! Grand Duke Silvershield? Aren't you curious about the source of that rustling sound of wheels outside? I have some idea."

"That's the sound of the Flaming Fist's convoy passing through the Supreme Hall. They're selling their weapons and equipment to urgently raise funds!"

Karkoros' lips moved, and he was about to answer when the mysterious man who had been sitting silently beside him reached out and waved his hand, stopping him. The Marshal's deputy was stunned for a moment, then sat back down without hesitation.

The mysterious man stood up and spoke calmly, "Grand Duke Valakan, your residence may be nestled within the high walls of Lesser Calimshan, so thick that even the outer city dwellers can't see through it. But your ears and eyes are incredibly sharp, and you can clearly hear even the slightest movement west of the Upper City."

On the west side of the upper city is the residence of the Silver Shield family.

Grand Duke Valakan paused for a moment, then snorted coldly, "Don't misunderstand me. I'm focused on the Flame Fist. The Flame Fist's Flying Dragon Pass lies right in the middle of the outer city, forcibly dividing the flow of people in and out of the city. They must inspect it—with a blade like this at my throat, I can't be careless."

"You're truly meticulous," the mysterious man chuckled. "Confidence, security... feelings like these are always vague and flexible. For example, to target a mercenary group operating in the Lower City and on Dragon Bridge, you first contacted the Watchers north of Gund's Gate. To protect Baldur's Gate in the future, you'll probably have to first capture Evermeet Island, tens of thousands of kilometers away, right?"

"I'm talking about the Flame Fist!"

"The Flame Fist issue?" the mysterious man suddenly raised his voice, sternly scolding, "When Feilong Rock was built, Feilong Bridge was deserted. Even supplies had to be transported over ten kilometers from Baldur's Gate every day! Now, a hundred years later, Feilong Bridge is bustling with people, yet you're acting as if the Flame Fist deliberately set up a checkpoint on this vital thoroughfare to make things difficult for them!"

"Let's not even mention that the Outer City is definitely not your Outer City. You should go back and learn about the history of Baldur's Gate and understand the long and glorious past of this port city, instead of spouting nonsense here for your own selfish desires!"

"Am I talking nonsense?" After being rebuked by this seemingly polite but actually sharp retort, Grand Duke Valakan's face turned pale. "Then let me tell you, the establishment of the Watchers was recognized by a previous four-member council, and it was unanimously recognized by the four Grand Dukes, including the then-Flaming Fist Marshal!"

"That's true, but unfortunately—" the mysterious man slowly pulled out a piece of paper from his waist. "The previous captain of the Watchers used the team's finances to redeem himself from the organization and has since become an independent security contractor. While the Watchers' qualifications remain unchanged, they are no longer under the direct control of the Council of Four and the Supreme Hall. The two sides have become partners rather than a superior-subordinate relationship."

"...!" Valakan tugged at the ribbon around his neck, revealing his cape, flushed with excitement, beneath it. His solemn attire was slightly disrupted. "So, now the Watchers can serve as the Flaming Fist's replacement—we're both collaborating, both protecting the citizens' safety, so why does it have to be the Flaming Fist? When the Flaming Fist has shown itself to be unreliable in every way?!"

Grand Duke Valakan took a deep breath and pressed his hand against the glass. "Please consider carefully this new guest whom the Flaming Fist found from nowhere: if the Flaming Fist had been faithful to his duties, he would not have fallen into this situation of near exile! If the Flaming Fist had indulged in the arrogance of his past, becoming incapable of fulfilling his duties..."

"The one who shook the Flame Fist's supposedly unbreakable position was the Flame Fist itself!"

"Then I'm curious," the mysterious man asked, "in what way are the Watchers superior to the Flaming Fist?"

"The fact that you ask this question means—"

****************

"The fact that you ask that question shows you don't understand the Watchers."

Mrs. Nasir took Emiya into the warehouse.

There was nothing special about the warehouse: the doors and windows were airtight, and the chain in front of the door looked thicker than the wall.

There is only one thing - this place is completely empty.

Because this was a huge warehouse, the only stored objects were a small pile less than half a meter long and wide covered with cloth in the corner.

Mrs. Nasir seemed to have accidentally stopped in front of the small pile.

"The closer you are to the center of power, the greater your power. This is intangible wealth, and the transformation from intangible to tangible is not as difficult as you think. In short, you can rest assured that we can consume everything you bring."

Emilia hesitated for a moment, then asked, "You should know that it's very difficult to raise a thousand sets of high-quality armor in a short period of time—"

"stop!"

He hadn't even finished his words when Mrs. Nasir extended her hand. "I've heard similar things many times. Flame Fist isn't a child under twelve. People are responsible for their own actions and decisions. There's no turning back time, and there's no medicine for regret."

"Flame Fist signed a contract to provide the Watchers with one thousand sets of high-grade armor. During this process, we, the Watchers, absolutely did not use any means of inducement, deception, or coercion. On the contrary, we are currently offering Flame Fist the possibility of quickly exchanging it for cash. Please do not make it sound like this is a scam."

Mrs. Nasir sighed and glanced outside the warehouse. "—Of course, I didn't expect the Flame Fist to actually bring in so much armor after the contract change."

She patted Emiya's back in a considerate manner and said, "Don't worry, these difficulties are temporary. With your funds flowing, you can even buy a thousand new sets of armor."

Emiya shrugged and pointed to the inconspicuous pile behind Mrs. Nasir. "I guess that's the money the Watchers have prepared for this day."

"Indeed." Mrs. Nasir turned around and lifted the curtain high.

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