Equipment Printing School Mage

The bureaucrats of Baldur's Gate are not known for their efficiency - but another common sense is that the efficiency of bureaucrats depends on a lot of circumstances.

As long as their immediate superiors give orders, these bureaucrats, with their work experience accumulated over time, will immediately recall their duties, allowing the owners of this experience to burst out with unprecedented efficiency.

Just over ten minutes later, the bureaucrats who usually spoke in a lot of difficult legal terms had brought the complete treaty into the conference hall, eliminating all unnecessary redundancies and taking into account both accuracy and readability.

They even used the Gund Church's printer to make several identical copies.

The Council of Four had already sent someone to notify the Watchers, but the messenger had not yet returned. Meanwhile, the two representatives of the Flaming Fist were carefreely inspecting the dimensional hole they had just acquired in the center of the conference room.

Soon, Apodel poked his head out of the dimensional cave and said loudly, "I can confirm that the wealth within this dimensional cave is definitely greater than three million gold coins, perhaps even five million. Your Excellency Valakan, I must state that the value of such treasure will inevitably fluctuate greatly when converted into cash. Therefore, Flame Fist cannot provide you with change."

"What a joke!" Grand Duke Valakan sneered. "I just want the Flaming Fist to disappear right before my eyes! I can sacrifice a million gold coins for that!"

Before the two sides could continue arguing, Grand Duke Silvershield raised his voice and said, "—Carcorros Flame, I must clarify. Contracts require the presence of both parties, but this termination is the most drastic of the original agreements. Therefore, on behalf of Baldur's Gate, I only need to issue this [Notice] to you and the Flaming Fist. The consent and signatures of the other Flames of the Flaming Fist are not required. Do you understand?"

Karkoros also emerged from the dimensional cave. He lowered his head, wiped his face with his hand, and then looked up. "You are willing to double-check before issuing the notice. You are quite competent."

Grand Duke Silver Shield continued, "This payment took place in the presence of two Grand Dukes, who are the highest authority in Baldur's Gate, second only to the presence of all the Grand Dukes simultaneously. Therefore, if the Flaming Fist were to go back on its word at this point, claiming that the five million gold coins didn't come from Baldur's Gate but from Grand Duke Valakan personally, and therefore that the contract cannot be terminated—this would be unacceptable. Do you understand?"

Karkoros sighed. "Do I look like some petty thief? Baldur's Gate has delivered a full five million dollars worth of property to the Flaming Fist. I confirm this on behalf of the Flaming Fist."

"In that case..." Grand Duke Silver Shield glanced at the complacent Grand Duke Valakon and sighed deeply. "Just a few days ago, I really didn't expect this day to actually happen. I certainly didn't expect it to happen during my tenure."

"From this moment on, Baldur's Gate will no longer contract its security and defense affairs to the Flaming Fist. Baldur's Gate hereby announces the permanent termination of its contract with the Flaming Fist and has already paid the Flaming Fist a penalty of five million gold coins."

"The name of the Flaming Fist is no longer tied to Baldur's Gate. The Flaming Fist is merely an independent mercenary organization with a strong connection to Baldur's Gate. I'm sorry, Acting Marshal of the Flaming Fist."

Karkoros lowered his head and sighed deeply: "Eternity will also end one day. Only the present is truly eternal."

Apodel rolled his eyes at this remark, which only a mage would particularly care about. He shook his head and said, "Excuse me, but should we wait for Madam Nasir of the Watchers to arrive and complete the necessary handovers with her?"

"If the Flaming Fist so desires, Baldur's Gate will be grateful."

Not long after, the door to the conference hall was opened again, and the reflection of Mrs. Nasir's armor shone into the conference room.

Her face still flushed with shock. "My apologies, Grand Dukes, and Karkoros Burning Flame... I never imagined the situation in Baldur's Gate would change so quickly, or that the Watchers would have the honor of shouldering the entire safety of Baldur's Gate, Upper and Lower Districts, all at once."

Grand Duke Silver Shield asked, "It seems the messenger has explained everything to you clearly?"

"Yes." Mrs. Nasir clenched her hands nervously, her eyes darting around the conference room. "I heard that as long as I agree, I just need to come to the four-member council to sign."

"That's right." Grand Duke Silvershield sighed and handed the contract to his attendant. "Grand Duke Valakon and I have already signed this contract. Of course, Grand Duke Violet hasn't arrived yet. But as long as you confirm that everything is correct and sign here, we can contact Grand Duke Violet later. The Witch Grocery Store is right in the center of Baldur's Gate, and she won't go anywhere else."

Grand Duke Valakan said in a deep voice, "Besides, Grand Duke Violet has always been...conservative when it comes to such major matters. She always signs only with the majority, so you don't need to worry about her."

At this moment, the extremely heavy treaty was handed to Mrs. Nasir.

Mrs. Nasir was silent for a moment, then glanced at Grand Duke Valakon with a puzzled look and said simply, "No one would refuse this one-of-a-kind order from Toril. There's no need to even consider it."

Rub rub rub.

In just a few breaths, Mrs. Nasir had signed her name on the contract.

In this way, everything will be settled.

Grand Duke Valakan slumped down in his chair, a heavy thud of relief. "So, Karkoros," he said, "the reason Ocean Tower and Dragon Rock previously belonged to the Flaming Fist was because the Flaming Fist had funded their construction, and therefore naturally held a one-third stake in them. However, the remaining two-thirds belonged to Baldur's Gate and its guards.

"How you decide to dispose of the shares in these two fortresses, whether to transfer them or retain them and share the profits and losses with the new owner, is up to you."

At this point, Grand Duke Valakan sneered.

Naturally, these two fortresses were pure wastelands, generating no income at all. Even the fees for passing through Feilongyan barely covered Feilongyan's own expenses.

Karkoros was silent for a moment, then said, "Just a few days ago, Flame Fist spent a staggering amount of money from his own treasury to purchase a large amount of spellcasting services, significantly strengthening the defenses of Wangyang Tower and Feilong Rock."

Grand Duke Silver Shield could only sigh: "...Both Baldur's Gate and the Watchers will be grateful for your contribution."

Grand Duke Valakon replied, "All compensation due to the Flaming Fist for the termination of the contract is already included in the five million gold coins. The Flaming Fist's loss of reputation, potential future business losses, soldiers unwilling to follow the Flaming Fist out of Baldur's Gate—all these things are also included in the five million gold coins."

Naturally, there will be no further compensation.

"...Hmph." Karkoros snorted coldly and looked at Apodel.

Apodel shrugged. "Then, I'd like to ask, when will Grand Duke Violet arrive? If Grand Duke Violet doesn't arrive, then this treaty will never take effect. Such a serious matter cannot be delayed for too long. It would be a huge loss for both sides."

Grand Duke Silvershield and Grand Duke Valakon exchanged glances, then Grand Duke Silvershield stood up and said, "That makes sense... I'll go and urge them myself. This matter is too serious for her to delay in her own mage tower—"

At this moment, the space twisted slightly.

During the four-person meeting, a howling magical storm suddenly erupted in Grand Duke Violet's office.

At the same time, a slender figure wearing a luxurious purple robe and a crown headdress appeared on the Grand Duke's seat.

The female mage who suddenly appeared in the conference hall was wearing heavy makeup, and her already beautiful and youthful face looked particularly solemn under the makeup...

And charm.

She leaned back slightly on the Grand Duke's large chair, stretched her body, and yawned loudly. "Excuse me... Grand Duke Silver Shield, Grand Duke Valakon, I'm so engrossed in my magic research that I just made some time. And now it's time for another four-person meeting. I guess I won't miss too much, will I?"

Grand Duke Valakan's brow furrowed when he saw her face. Grand Duke Silvershield raised his eyebrows thoughtfully. "Grand Duke Violet, I've always suspected that although you often hide in your mage tower and don't attend meetings, you're actually monitoring every agenda item of the Four-Person Meeting."

Naturally, the person who could appear in the Grand Duke's Hall so unconcerned about others was naturally the Grand Duke himself.

And a wizard can naturally use teleportation to go directly to the place she is most familiar with.

"You're joking."

The one who finally appeared was Grand Duke Violet, who had never appeared from the beginning to the end.

The female mage, who was supposedly quite old but showed absolutely no signs of aging, smiled and looked around. "By the way, where's Grand Duke Rivengard? I thought I was the only lazy one among the four grand masters, but I didn't expect Grand Duke Rivengard to be absent too? Is he sick? Did he take a leave of absence?"

Grand Duke Valakan glanced coldly at Karkoros and suddenly said, "He died because of the Flame Fist's negligence."

Karkoros' eyes narrowed slightly: "——Varaken!"

Grand Duke Valakon sneered unceremoniously, "Now that we are no longer partners, I will no longer cover up for you! I can clearly tell everyone present—the former Grand Duke, the former Flaming Fist Marshal, Slani Rivengard, was assassinated while surrounded by numerous Flaming Fist soldiers!"

"It was precisely because of the Flaming Fist's incompetence that the Flaming Fist lost its Grand Marshal, and Baldur's Gate lost its Grand Duke. And over the past few days, Elios de Karkoros has successfully proven that he is unqualified to be the Flaming Fist's Grand Marshal, unable to lead the Flaming Fist out of its slump, and unable to help Baldur's Gate resolve its current problems!"

Grand Duke Valakan spoke louder and louder, and finally, pointing to the center of the meeting room, he said, "Now, Grand Duke Silver Shield and I have decided to abolish the employment relationship between Baldur's Gate and the Flaming Fist. I have personally paid the termination fee, so you don't need to pay a penny. At the same time, we have both found new partners who will now be in charge of the Upper City Watch. If you have no objection, please sign these two treaties."

Grand Duke Violet was stunned for a moment, then she covered her mouth and exclaimed, "—Terminate the contract with the Flame Fist?! How many things happened while I was in seclusion?!"

Grand Duke Valakon snorted coldly and glared at Karkoros. "Grand Duke Violet, if you want to verify it again, it's up to you. However, Karkoros is also a powerful mage, but there has been no progress in the past few days. If you want to go, it will take more than a day or two to resolve it."

"Forget it then." Grand Duke Violet sighed upon hearing this and turned to the other side of the hall. "Grand Duke Silver Shield? If you think it's okay, I can sign it now."

The Silver Shield Grand Duke finally glanced at Karkoros and waved his hand: "The Flaming Fist needs the termination fee that Baldur's Gate will give them even more now."

"Okay then." Grand Duke Violet moved without hesitation, even teleporting to the center of the venue at a speed that could hardly be described as impatient.

The attendant present subconsciously handed the contract with the Watchers to her, but she casually pushed it away: "The contract must be terminated before it can be signed. The order cannot be changed at will."

After this little episode, she quickly signed her name on the two contracts and then teleported back to her Grand Hall.

From this moment on, the termination of the contract between Baldur's Gate and Flaming Fist, as well as the new contract that expanded the powers of the Overwatch team, came into effect one after another.

Upon seeing this scene, Grand Duke Valakan felt as if a huge stone had fallen from his heart, and he slumped heavily on his chair: "Finally..."

Grand Duke Silver Shield said, "You two representatives of the Flaming Fist remain a legitimate organization within Baldur's Gate, and you may continue to observe. Also, Madam Nasir, although it's somewhat unprofessional to discuss this matter now... could you please quickly draft a plan for the upcoming defense handover? Baldur's Gate will provide you with a one-year budget based on your plan."

Mrs. Nasir did not answer immediately, but sighed deeply: "There is no need for that."

"...?" Grand Duke Valakan, who had just relaxed, suddenly felt an inexplicable chill and shuddered. "This matter is of great importance. How can we not draft a rigorous plan?"

"Because..." Mrs. Nasir replied, as if to resign herself to the fact, "Because the Watchers are a subsidiary of the Flaming Fist. Handing it over to the Watchers is the same as handing it over to the Flaming Fist. So, nothing needs to be changed. Just stick to the old plan! ...

As soon as the words were spoken, the whole place fell silent.

Most people couldn't believe their ears.

Apodel managed to remain serious, pretending he knew nothing, and stared intently at Grand Duke Violet's face. But Karkoros could no longer suppress his smile and had to hide his face with his sleeves.

Grand Duke Valakan, who had just sat down, jumped up like a spring and slammed his fist on the guardrail in front of him. His voice was extremely sharp with fear, like the wailing of a ghost in the night: "What did you say?! The Watchers are subordinates of the Flaming Fist? Are you talking in your sleep?! The Watchers have always been an independent mercenary team!"

"Yes! Yes!" The most crucial sentence had already been spoken. Mrs. Nasir simply spilled everything like spilling the beans. "But, that was all more than ten minutes ago!"

"Just over ten minutes ago, because I was unable to fulfill the bet with Flame Fist, both I and the Watchers became subordinates to Flame Fist! Now Flame Fist has absolute command over the Watchers!"

Grand Duke Silvershield opened his mouth wide, his jaw nearly hitting the ground. Grand Duke Violet blinked, a look of deep thought on her face.

After understanding the truth, Grand Duke Valakan madly smashed the protective glass in front of him with his right hand like a windmill. "You...you...! Do you know what you're saying? You clearly...! You have nearly a million gold coins! A million gold coins! How much equipment does the Flame Fist have now?! Even if all the armor on the Flame Fist was gathered together, it would definitely not exceed the limit!!!"

Grand Duke Valakan's voice grew increasingly terrified, finally fading into a pitiful wail. "How could you possibly fail to fulfill that bet?! You're lying! You traitor! You betrayed us! You—! We've already terminated our contract with the Flaming Fist! And you claim you represent it?! Wouldn't that mean I've just paid them an entire year's budget for nothing? That's five million gold coins!"

“Five million gold coins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

"That's enough money to buy out half of the outer city! Do you know how long I've been preparing for this day? Do you know how much I've paid? Do you know what price I'll have to pay if I fail?!"

"traitor!!!!!!!!!"

While Grand Duke Silvershield was still digesting his thoughts, Grand Duke Violet suddenly reached out and knocked on the table, her purple nails making a few soft noises against the surface. "I can't pretend I didn't hear you. Grand Duke Valakon, you had private contact with the Watchers beforehand? Do you understand what that means? This kind of private collusion seems to have always been an absolute taboo for the Council of Four, right, Grand Duke Silvershield?"

Grand Duke Silver Shield was silent for a long time before finally standing up shakily. He looked at Grand Duke Valakon with a furious look: "You and the Watchers have been colluding for a long time... I see, I see. Grand Duke Valakon, your usual politeness is actually just for this moment of trouble?!"

He roared at Grand Duke Valaken, "Then I can tell you this right now, Yar Valaken! From now on, I will vote firmly against all proposals related to the Valaken family, whether openly or privately, directly or indirectly, even if it's just my personal speculation!"

"Not to mention, you're such a fool you can't even pull off a plot like this!"

The Grand Duke of Silver Shield has always been a gentle yet dignified old man, but at this moment he no longer cared about his manners and became furious like an ordinary old man.

Karkoros thought for a moment, then shook the dimensional hole in his hand, which still contained five million gold coins, towards Grand Duke Valaken, whose hair and beard were now standing on end.

"you you!"

Faced with such provocation, Grand Duke Valaken finally stared at Madam Nasir with his red eyes. He staggered backwards, stretched out his hand and pointed desperately in the direction of Madam Nasir, opened his mouth wide, his nostrils flaring constantly, but could not utter a word.

The next second, a mouthful of bright red blood spurted out of his mouth, staining the transparent fiberglass with the color of anger. Then, Grand Duke Valakan fell backwards limply, hit the ground heavily, and lost consciousness.

"Father!" "Grand Duke Valakon!"

82 New Grand Duke and New Marshal

Grand Duke Valakan's Grand Chamber was thrown into chaos by his fall, and the chaotic noise inside, carried by the still-functioning magical objects, instantly spread throughout the meeting room. The Grand Duke's eldest son reacted quickly, rushing to the communication device and saying, "Grand Duke Silvershield, Grand Duke Violet, as you can see, my father is feeling unwell. Can the four-person meeting be suspended and postponed for another day?"

The two archdukes gave a remarkably consistent answer: "No."

Grand Duke Silvershield had just become furious, his reason for objection obvious. Grand Duke Violet, however, examined her palms and replied slowly, "I haven't asked the Council to wait for me when I've been absent from meetings before. Now that Grand Duke Valakon is absent for some reason, the same treatment should apply."

"I suggest that a priest be called to revive him immediately," she thought for a moment and said, "I remember that the formal nominations for the Grand Duke election also took place at the end of today's meeting."

"...I understand. I'm very sorry. We will not participate." The eldest son of Grand Duke Valaken did not argue any further. He immediately bowed to apologize and turned off the communication device.

At this point, all they could do was to lay low and regroup, forcing them to abandon all their previous plans. This nomination process was crucial, but they couldn't afford to worry about it at the moment.

Although the noise from Grand Duke Valakan and his entourage had gradually faded away, Grand Duke Silver Shield had not yet fully recovered from his shock. He was still sitting quietly at his desk, regulating his breathing quietly.

All the misfortunes that Flame Fist had suffered in the past few days were, after all, just a temporary economic slump.

In just a few hours, millions of cash appeared in the Flame Fist's account, and all the operational problems were naturally solved.

Even if we put aside the fact that the depression in our hearts has disappeared, these millions of gold coins are still a huge sum of money that is enough to make everyone excited.

If Karkoros sold all his life savings, he might be able to come up with this amount. He didn't care much about money - but even so, holding such a huge fortune in his hands was unprecedented. After the dust settled, he couldn't help but take some time to calm down.

As for Apodel, his breathing became unusually disordered at this moment.

He had stood up without knowing when, staring intently in the direction of Grand Duke Violet. In contrast, Grand Duke Violet was smiling and even blew him a kiss from a distance.

And Apodale didn't respond to her at all.

For a moment, the conference hall fell into a brief silence, but the discussions outside the door became louder.

"..."

After a long while, Grand Duke Silvershield finally stood up with an unhappy look on his face and glanced at Karkoros. "Karkoros, burn the flames... perhaps soon, I'll be calling you Marshal. I always thought you were someone obsessed with magic, or at least someone who wasn't well versed in popular opinion. Now it seems I've been a little blinded."

"No, no, no." Karkoros had absolutely no intention of taking credit for anything. His face was wrinkled with a smile as he casually patted the robes of the Kind Archmage on his body. "I have to say, not acting like a superior, not thinking you're superior to others, is a really good habit. People who value kindness tend to have more support."

Moreover, Karkoros' age is almost the same as that of the Grand Duke of Silver Shield.

"……snort!"

Apparently, the Grand Duke of Silver Shield wasn't really that happy about the Flaming Fist.

At least, he was kept in the dark from beginning to end.

"Then let's discuss that gentleman over there. At this point, would it be convenient for you to reveal your identity?"

Grand Duke Silver Shield rapped his knuckles on the table in dissatisfaction. "Although the Flaming Fist already has numerous advisors who are practically guest officials, even so, you've already reached the Council of Four, yet you've remained completely anonymous throughout. That's a bit excessive. Including the group of young men from a few days ago, this is already the second time you've done that! You may be new and unrecognizable, but I suspect you'll be a figure that will shock Faerun."

Apodel once again looked at Grand Duke Violet with dissatisfaction, then calmly took off his hood, revealing his face, which was slightly weathered but still handsome.

But what is even more shocking is the identity this face represents.

Once again, absolute silence fell inside and outside the conference hall.