Equipment Printing School Mage

This means that half her life's efforts may be wasted.

Then, this scene happened a second time.

As if time had flown backward, the exact same thing happened again. The only difference was that the warehouse was getting fuller and fuller, and half of her nearly two hundred gold bricks were gone.

Then came the third and fourth times.

Finally, the fully armed warrior, holding the gold bricks, said, "Mrs. Nasir, you said you still have some in stock? Could you please take them out quickly?"

Emiya said calmly, "The first two wagons carried fifteen gold bricks. The next four wagons have the same load, fifty suits of full-body plate armor, for a total of two hundred gold bricks. However, this warehouse only has one hundred and seventy gold bricks. With all due respect, for the armor on this wagon alone, you owe a full forty-five gold bricks, 540 kilograms of gold, and fifty-four thousand gold coins."

"According to the agreement, if you are unable to pay the funds, the Watchers will be immediately and completely transferred to the Flame Fist," Mars replied, "—and of course, this also includes these hundreds of sets of armor you just spent a huge amount of money to acquire."

"...!"

This is a winner-takes-all bet.

The Watchers were the fastest source of funding the Flaming Fist could find. If the Flaming Fist couldn't immediately recover its funds from the Watchers, it would be forced to borrow from the Devil—and I'm afraid both paths would lead to the same exact outcome.

If the Flaming Fist's funding chain breaks, they might choose to resort to forceful default—but the problem is that the Flaming Fist itself is a mercenary organization that relies on its reputation. Furthermore, the Flaming Fist's soldiers also need to receive wages, and most of them are locals from Baldur's Gate.

Even if force is used, Flame Fist's end will not be good.

Otherwise, the Flaming Fist would be forced to try to sell the property. And a fortress so far away in Chult, whose existence and condition were unknown, was certainly worthless.

What can be sold are naturally the two most famous landmarks of Flame Fist: Feilong Rock and Wangyang Tower.

If these two strategically located buildings in Baldur's Gate were sold to someone else, it would only be a matter of time before the Flaming Fist's power vanished.

The Watchers had offered a generous price to get Flaming Fist to sign such a risky contract, and to get Karkoros to sign a new contract, they had even put the entire Watchers team on the line.

Emilia's cold words were like a bucket of ice water, awakening Mrs. Nasir from her dreams of a future as hot as hell.

Mrs. Nasir shuddered and immediately replied, "Of course... give me half an hour!"

"Not even half an hour." Mars interrupted her rudely.

Emiya's eyes were devoid of emotion. "The contract clearly states: As long as the Flame Fist brings goods that meet the requirements and specifies the time and place of the transaction in advance, the Watchers must settle the bill on the spot. If the cash is insufficient, the Watchers must raise it and deliver the Flame Fist within half an hour. We've already spent fifteen minutes transporting the goods. We haven't delayed anything during this time."

Emiya pointed outside the city wall: there, more than a dozen trucks were still waiting quietly.

"In twenty minutes, the Watchers will have another boss, Madam Nasir."

"......!" Mrs. Nasir pursed her lips and took a few steps back unconsciously.

She stood in the shadows, hesitated for a moment, and took off an inconspicuous cloth bag from her waist. "The gems in this dimensional bag are worth at least 70,000 gold coins. With this, the goods you have already shipped to the Watchers have been settled—"

Mrs. Nasir took a deep breath and said, "If you want to prove that the Watchers are short of funds, you have to tell me in one breath how much goods you brought!"

She had to know whether these young people were bluffing or not!

"Ah, this request is reasonable." Emilia glanced at Mars and motioned him to lift the tarpaulin, while her hand seemed to be casually placed on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

[Alright everyone, starting now, we have to be prepared for them to turn hostile at any moment. Sig, go to Mars. Yin, please stay closer to me.]

Then he put his hand on his waist.

In the past few days, the Apodales had lent their team several vital treasures.

The Gem of Truesight. Holding the gem and uttering the activation words grants the power to see through illusions and invisibility for a few hours.

For those who have not yet reached the sixth ring and have no way to use true vision, this is a treasure that can save their lives.

- Especially since they knew that the devil had an elite team of assassins.

Emiya noticed from the corner of her eye that Mrs. Nasir's right hand had grasped a stone block on her wristband.

Yin, who had walked quickly into the tower, immediately noticed this and laughed joyfully in the telepathic connection: "Communication Stone! A magical item used to send targeted short messages, but she hasn't used it yet."

She hasn't used it yet, but it doesn't matter. As long as they move around for a while, the devil won't be able to sit still.

"Then, Mrs. Nasir, please follow me." Mars said as he walked out of the warehouse and gestured towards the outside of the city wall.

The holy warriors of the Gond Church understood, and the tarpaulins on half of the carriage were immediately thrown aside.

In an instant, the metal, like a light curtain, ruthlessly poured the scorching summer sun onto the city wall of Black Dragon Gate.

Mrs. Nasir stretched out her hands and covered her eyes tightly.

It’s not so much that I’m afraid of the reflection of my armor, but rather that I’m afraid of reality.

Half of the dozen or so carriages revealed their true appearance, as if they were books produced by the printer of the Gond Church, loaded with identical cargo.

Fifty sets of armor in perfect order.

When this scene unfolded, not to mention Madam Nasir, even the watchmen on the city wall could not help but exclaim in amazement, and the passers-by around them quietly gathered in this direction without knowing when.

This is the Upper Town, and those who can move around here are almost certainly upper-class people in Baldur's Gate. But even so, they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Hundreds of sets of full-body plate armor were a treasure trove that would captivate anyone. And this priceless treasure was now being unsparingly displayed to the public.

Mars slowly but firmly grasped Madam Nasir's wrist and pulled her hand down. "Madam Nasir, this is the situation—the first two carriages contained a hundred sets of scattered armor. And now, we're showing you the cargo on the remaining nine carriages, which is a total of four hundred and fifty sets of brand new full-body plate armor. Where else in Faerun can you get a chance to purchase brand new full-body plate armor at an 80% discount? You've picked up a great bargain."

"Under these circumstances, you're still hesitant about offering us this great deal of 558525 gold coins, which is a bit disheartening. Now, may I ask when you can pay us the 250,000 gold coins we owe you?"

But forcing someone to buy something and then kicking them out if they can't pay...that's another matter entirely.

Mrs. Nasir took a deep breath and replied, "I can afford that figure."

She has 650,000 yuan in liquid funds.

Although she never imagined that such a terrifying amount of money would actually be spent one day.

Mars looked at Mrs. Nasir's expression silently, nodded, and then extended three fingers to the holy warriors.

"Crash-"

Amid the sound of wind blowing the tarpaulin, another 150 sets of full body plate armor were revealed.

Mars looked at Mrs. Nasir, whose body began to sway uncontrollably, and said, "Let me add that it's now 738525 gold coins."

"You can make a bet," he said murderously, "perhaps the remaining carriages we have are made of the most worthless parts."

This is a continuous increase.

It was like a heavy hammer hitting the city gate again and again, until it was on the verge of collapse, and then it collapsed with a loud bang.

"Seven hundred and thirty thousand... seven hundred and thirty thousand..." Mrs. Nasir kept repeating the number, her eyes constantly shifting between the shining armor and the carriage whose tarpaulin had not yet been lifted.

Her only hope was that these young people were not actually so heavily armed, and that this transaction was just a bluff to take advantage of the time difference and seize ownership of the Overwatch team.

But they actually took out goods worth 700,000, or even more?!

Why?! If Flame Fist had the financial resources, how could they possibly have fallen into bankruptcy? And she had to run into the trap?!

"I... I...!" Madam Nasir's body swayed, and she took a few steps back. "...This isn't fair! I clearly didn't do anything excessive to Flame Fist! In fact, I was the only one who offered a helping hand! Why do I have to pay such a heavy price?!"

Emilia walked out slowly from behind her and held her shoulders: "It seems that you can't come up with enough money. According to the contract, you know what will happen."

"......!" Mrs. Nasir took a deep breath, patted her cheeks, and tensed her facial expression.

She wanted to say the next words smoothly, but her lips couldn't help but tremble: "...According to the contract..."

According to the contract, the Overwatch team now completely belongs to Flame Fist.

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

In the conference hall, Grand Duke Valakan's speech had reached its final stage: "So, Grand Duke Silver Shield, please reconsider! At the very least, I believe that the Flaming Fist is no longer able to shoulder the entire defense of Baldur's Gate on its own!"

Apodale glanced at the Grand Duke's Hall of the Silver Shield.

This Grand Duke, who had always been upright and law-abiding, now showed clear hesitation on his face.

However, at this moment, he received a communication from afar in his mind.

He was stunned for a moment and lowered his head to avoid showing the uncontrollable smile on his face.

Then, he winked at Karkoros and stood up. "Grand Duke Valakan, let's end this. The Flaming Fist has no say in Baldur's Gate's decisions. However, according to the treaty between the Flaming Fist and Baldur's Gate, if Baldur's Gate attempts to terminate its partnership with the Flaming Fist, it must provide one year's notice and pay three months' worth of commission to compensate for the Flaming Fist's significant shift in power. The penalty for violating this clause, meaning forced termination without notice, is a payment equivalent to last year's entire commission."

Apodel Adrian spoke faster, his voice trembling slightly. "If Baldur's Gate is heartbroken over such a one-time investment, can it possibly accept this massive penalty?! That's three million gold coins!"

This enormous sum made Grand Duke Silvershield's eye twitch. He stood up and said, "Grand Duke Valakan, spending three million gold coins in one go, and then spending additional money to expand the Watchers, I must be clear—this is an unbearable burden on Baldur's Gate's budget. I will not agree to it."

Grand Duke Valakon did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood there and took a deep breath. "...Then, Grand Duke Silver Shield, what if I pay the compensation out of my own pocket?"

In an instant, the hall fell silent.

This means that Grand Duke Valakn has launched a general offensive against the Flaming Fist, determined to completely overthrow his old rival and drive him out of Baldur's Gate, even if it means losing everything.

Grand Duke Silver Shield looked stunned and repeated, "You mean to terminate the contract with the Flaming Fist and grant the Watchers greater authority to control Baldur's Gate's inner city... and you will personally cover all the expenses of this entire process?"

"Yes!" Grand Duke Valakn's voice was deafening, leaving no room for maneuver.

Grand Duke Silver Shield was silent for a moment, then turned to the two Flaming Fist representatives present. "Although, according to this plan, the Council of Four doesn't need to notify the Flaming Fist, the Flaming Fist has been a member of the Council for many years, so I still want to seek your opinion. The Flaming Fist has worked diligently for many years, but today we are facing many difficulties. This compensation will obviously eliminate all financial pressure on the Flaming Fist. What are your thoughts?"

Karkoros stood up. "...Please allow me to ask again. Is Baldur's Gate's plan to terminate the contract with the Flaming Fist and have the Watchers take over the Flaming Fist's original work?"

Grand Duke Silver Shield replied, "Yes, as long as Grand Duke Valakan pays the compensation in full, then I have no objection in principle. I'm sorry, but Flame Fist's work has been less than satisfactory lately."

Karkoros snorted. "...As long as the compensation is paid? I'm afraid that Grand Duke Valakan has already made all the plans: disable the Flaming Fist first, but delay the compensation for years, even decades. The money hasn't arrived, the treaty hasn't expired, and yet the Flaming Fist has effectively failed to fulfill its duties. I won't agree unless he throws the money into my hands now."

Grand Duke Valaken also stood up at this moment: "What if I can take out this money now?"

Karkoros covered his face and took a deep breath: "Oh?"

Grand Duke Varaken untied a ribbon from his waist. "This dimensional cave is filled with treasures of immeasurable value: land deeds, jewelry, works of art—three million gold coins in total. Now, it belongs to the Flaming Fist."

Apodel stood up and said, "You'd better consider this carefully. If the things inside are not worth three million gold coins, then the Flaming Fist will still be the defense of Baldur's Gate."

Grand Duke Valakon shouted, "It can only be more, not less!"

"Alright!!! ...

Eighty-one Heaven to Hell

"According to the contract...according to the contract..."

No matter who you are, it is an unacceptable pain to give away the hard work accumulated over the years for nothing.

Mrs. Nasir kept repeating this sentence, but she could not bring herself to utter the death sentence that was on the tip of her tongue.

The Flaming Fist is a mercenary organization with a long history. Although the Marshal has the highest decision-making power in the Flaming Fist, the Flaming Fist is not the Marshal's private property.

The Overwatch team was naturally different. Mrs. Nasir was the owner of the Overwatch team, and because of this, she was able to put the Overwatch team on the gambling table.

All the profits of the Watchers must first pass through Mrs. Nasir's hands, and the other members are just her employees.

The price is that when things go wrong for the Watchers, the cost is almost entirely paid by Mrs. Nasir herself.

Mrs. Nasir clearly found it difficult to accept this fact.

Her right hand was flexing and stretching several times, trying to hold the small stone on her wristband.

Emiya pondered for a moment, then took the initiative to shake Madam Nasir's hand, moving the stone that could allow Madam Nasir to communicate aside. "First, it's a pleasure to work with you. Second, there's no need to be so pessimistic. You still have plenty of room to maneuver. The ultimate outcome of the Watchers depends not only on Flame Fist, but also on you."

This sentence finally brought Mrs. Nasir back to her senses.

She glanced at their clasped hands, or more precisely, at the communication stone on her wrist.

Mrs. Nasir sighed resignedly, "What do you mean?"

"It's simple. Even if you can't pay the bill and the ownership of the Watchers is transferred, as long as you're willing to cooperate, you won't lose anything. The Watchers' responsibilities will remain unchanged, their wealth will remain in your hands, and you can continue to be responsible for their command."

Emiya held her hand firmly and said, "Think about it. In Baldur's Gate right now, within this siege against the Flaming Fist, the vast majority of these attacks are practically flawless. On the surface, they're merely accidental, like chance encounters. Even if the Flaming Fist wanted to retaliate, it wouldn't be able to."

"And amidst this chaos, only one faction emerged as a clear-cut entity. Its terms related to the Flame Fist were exceptionally clear, completely unconcealed. Furthermore, this faction was the only one to proactively contact the Flame Fist, and the various terms they signed were closely tied to the Flame Fist's current situation.

"What's even more coincidental is that the Flaming Fist's business is spread across the Sword Coast and even the entire West Faerun, but this force is located in Baldur's Gate, only a few kilometers away from the Flaming Fist's headquarters."

Mrs. Nasir's breathing suddenly quickened. "...Low-level provocation! This was originally a negligible risk!"

As soon as these words came out, Xige on the side could no longer bear it: "How can you say such a thing? The Flame Fist is poor, but until today, they haven't started to delay wages! The Flame Fist is in trouble tomorrow, but now the Flame Fist is still fully armed!

"A man's house has been turned upside down, leaving him worse off than after a fire. But he's just had a good meal and a good drink, and with a knife at his waist and plenty of strength, the next step is to go out and rob! You chose this moment to come and cause trouble. Isn't all that rage in Flame Fist's stomach going to be directed at the Watcher? Do you still think this job is safe? Even if everything goes well and you make a lot of money, it can't outweigh the risk of being wiped out, right? You've been sold out, and you're still counting the money for them!"

At this point, Xige gestured and said, "Look, now that Flame Fist has recovered a little, didn't he immediately go after the Watchers? If you still think you and the people behind you are on the same side, then you'd better go home and farm. The city is very dangerous!

"Tell me, with the Flaming Fist and Grand Duke Valakan at loggerheads, this is your last chance to choose a side. If you hesitate any longer, the Flaming Fist's fate is uncertain, and the Overwatch will surely suffer a disastrous demise. So, what's the point of working so hard for them?"

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

"The treaty is complete."

The High Hall is the administrative center of Baldur's Gate. In fact, in addition to the conference hall, a large number of other departments are also located in the High Hall.

This includes the courts, of course, and there are countless people who are well-versed in legal provisions.