Equipment Printing School Mage
Page 457
Crash---
The crisp sound of metal colliding became one and the same.
"This is not your dock, don't unload here!" His old friend Horace was startled, and his fat body trembled forward.
However, the grain merchant soon realized the problem and began to tremble in his voice, "Old Bao... do these metal plates... look familiar? There must be... hundreds of these plates?"
"Yes, he looks familiar." Old Bob took a deep drag on his cigarette. "The person who came to my house told me that the Umberley Church is completely finished. Hundreds of priests have died at their hands. I used to be afraid of even the Umberley priests, but now someone can slaughter them like fish! I'm happy and scared at the same time. I won't have to pay sea tax to Umberley anymore. But now someone has done me such a big favor, just asking me to do something that is reasonable. If I don't know what's good for me, then I'm definitely not as strong as the Umberley Church."
The combination of hard and soft tactics is always the most difficult to deal with. Moreover...
However, this phenomenon can still be viewed from multiple directions.
Among this group of powerful individuals, Madeline White, known as "Ms. Silver Bell," was the most vulnerable. Frail and dressed in a simple but neat long dress, she spoke timidly, "...Isn't this some kind of trap? They killed people, but then they handed the spoils to us...?"
"If it were just one or two, it could still be a trap... But there are hundreds of Umberley priests!" Old Bobye buried his head in the smoke. "That person also said that this is only a part. Because the Umberley Church has too many enemies, they can't give them all to me... It's true that there hasn't been any news from the Umberley Church for quite some time!"
At this moment, Lyra Silverhand sighed and stood up. "...Well, I haven't received any news. But my sister Storm Silverhand recently visited me again. She came not as one of the Seven Sisters, but as a senior Harper to warn me: Don't forget your original kindness. Don't let your status constrain you any longer."
At this point, the most powerful archmage in Waterdeep shook his head. "Well, let's not waste time. Old Bob Ye isn't the most likely to be funded by us. You could even say he's quite low-key. Even so, he still received a gift. I wonder if anyone among us can offer advice to our new friend? Who else received a 'gift' from this mysterious man?"
At this moment, a bald middle-aged man who had been reading casually said, "The Waterdeep Library has received a very meaningful donation. I didn't think much of it, and the visitor didn't make any requests, so I didn't think much of it either... So this is what the donation means."
"Donations?" Lyra Silverhand frowned. "For the library?"
"We've received a batch of scriptures." Lucius, the 'Mute' Bishop of Oghma, raised the book before him and shook it. "Of course, different versions of scriptures from different eras, from a number of different churches: the Church of Storms, the Church of Winter, the Church of the Sea, the Church of Pestilence, the Church of Doom, the Church of Pain, the Society of Gods... As for how they obtained them, I have no idea."
Morris, the best shipbuilder in Waterdeep and the Grand Master of the Church of Gond, said calmly, "Besides, Old Bob said those holy emblems are only part of the inventory... He's right. The rest, I'm afraid, is with me."
Leila narrowed her eyes slightly.
In her opinion, Waterdeep's attitude was not that reliable.
Halrua's new Mage King, Emiya of Lunya, is actually something of a peculiar individual.
Because his network of connections was essentially entirely dependent on the various churches, he rarely interacted with secular forces—a fact very similar to Halruaa. Those familiar with this nation of mages tended to be the pantheons of knowledge and magic, not specific nations. These mages from the south looked down upon every nation equally.
Even Waterdeep, even Cyre.
She began to have a premonition.
The originally one-sided court debate among the lords may now tilt in another direction.
After a burst of noise, the most neutral and indifferent of the masked lords appeared, or perhaps it could be said that his greatest significance as a masked lord was to prevent a certain force from getting into trouble.
Palmer, Archdruid, Bishop Silvanus, and representative of the Emerald Court in Waterdeep.
He smiled and said, "Druids don't usually need gifts... but the holy symbol of the Malar Church and the newly grown forests north of Baldur's Gate are simply too precious. Sorry, I've also been tempted by this bait. I'm forced to change my mind."
Seeing this, Leila closed her eyes.
The public lord does have a relatively transcendent position in the lords' court, but he also has only one vote.
Leila sighed. "I still don't know who's behind all this, but for some reason, I already have a vague idea of who this person is... I suspect he's young, a mage who's recently gained fame... though I don't know where he achieved such remarkable success."
At some point, the atmosphere in the lord's court became heated again.
——The people at the meeting began to realize that so many of their colleagues had accepted gifts. Then they felt at ease accepting them.
Only Virginia of the Tyr Church shrugged her shoulders. "I think I can make a second speech now? We didn't receive any gifts..."
Bishop Joseph of Tempus, who was sitting next to him, laughed out loud: "Virginia! Why don't you put down the Holy Avenger behind you and take off that fiberglass plate armor before you say such things!"
Virginia said in an unusually serious and precise tone, "These are two completely different matters. We received the Holy Avenger much earlier. And, to be precise, we received it as a commission, not a gift."
He took out a silk thread from his waist and waved it in front of everyone: "Ms. Maeve, you said before that Fox was absent from the meeting? This is wrong.
“It’s not that he didn’t come, it’s that he couldn’t come.
"Fox's body is in this dimensional cave. We personally examined it yesterday and it's him. However, his death must have been horrific, with stitches all over his body.
"By the way, the messenger was very generous and said that we could resurrect Fox and ask him what happened. But..."
Virginia's voice dropped. "She warned that resurrecting Fox, or even putting him back in office, would be a very clear political signal, tantamount to a declaration of war. She advised us to proceed with caution. I suggested that if we were not going to offend one confederacy, we had better not offend the other.
"I'm done."
A masked lord is dead, along with countless of his evil allies, found dead in an unknown location, stripped bare.
The news of Bishop Talos's death resounded through the venue like thunder, leaving all the participants speechless.
After confirming that no one else wanted to speak, Maeve finally spoke, "So, the first item on the agenda of the 1472 Waterdeep Lords' Court of Coldclaw Moon is whether to declare war on the Gods-Non-Gods Alliance at the Lords' Alliance meeting. The vote will begin now. Those who agree, please raise your hands."
The raised hands were as dense as a druid forest. Without even needing to look, at least 80% of the lords agreed to declare war.
And this thing can be implemented with more than half of the people.
There were 20 people in total, and 16 participants, including Maeve herself, raised their hands.
The only one who abstained was Leila Silverhand, who wished to remain neutral.
The number of opponents dropped sharply from 11 at the last meeting to the final 3.
The grain merchant Horace still expressed his opposition, as did the jeweler Adeline Bright Moon and the orphanage owner Madeline White.
大局已定。从2:8:11到16:1:3的惊天逆转。
"So, Miss Lyra Silverhand?" Maeve turned her gaze to the archmage who had been representing Waterdeep in the Lords' Alliance.
Lyra Silverhand said unhappily, "Alright, I get it. At the Lords' Alliance, I'll have to slap myself in the face and praise that all-powerful Halruaan Mage King... Are you satisfied?"
-----------------
"Ah sneeze——!"
Far away in Cormier, Beyer, who was preparing his next move, sneezed deeply.
He let out a long sigh.
Recently, his relationship with Zariel has surprisingly eased.
There's no other reason. This pair of partners who have always disliked each other have been too tired recently to have the energy to engage in intrigue anymore.
The devil's military command has been completely handed over to Zariel, and Zariel once again took on the job of commander-in-chief of the devil's army.
The power in the hands of these two has never been so great, and the responsibility has never been so heavy.
"...Tomorrow's Lords' Alliance meeting," Bayer muttered. "If we can just crush them one more time, I think we can completely mobilize our forces on the Western Front."
"That's for the best," Zariel said. "Damn it, the Hell Knights in Elturgard are so slippery and sharp-tongued lately. I need backup."
"That's about it," Bayer snorted. "Half of Hell's legions are now under your command. If you keep complaining, even my Lord won't be able to stop you!"
"Yes..." Zariel pressed his brows, "We must organize an attack! These Hell Knights want to be the spearhead... Then we should let them know that arrows can bend!
"To attack the enemy, we must first attack their hearts... We must let the Tripartite Alliance know that being a vanguard comes at the cost of being reduced to ashes!"
The Last Tranquility of Eighty (I)
Chillpaw, 27th day, Year 1472 of the Valley Calendar.
The public lord of Waterdeep, widow of Khelben Blackstaff, Speaker of the Lords' Alliance, and one of the most prestigious members of the Seven Sisters of the North.
Lyra Silverhand arrived in Silvermoon City to preside over this round of Lords' Alliance meetings.
At this moment, she only felt her scalp tingling.
She admitted that her position was actually quite wavering.
Neither she nor her sister, Elaster Silverhand, the leader of Silvermoon City, was willing to go to war.
Because they all felt... pressure.
This war will be no minor skirmish of the past; it will be a war powerful enough to overturn the world. Even the eternal bloody battles between demons and devils will likely be far less intense.
Anyone involved in this war may die, and any force may be shattered.
In a war of this level, who survives to the end may not be determined by good or evil, or even by strength or accumulation.
The only thing that can truly determine life or death is the most ridiculous luck.
Therefore, the two archmages, holding one of Faerun's most dazzling cities, could never make the decision to declare war on the demons directly. Naturally, the demons easily saw through their wavering. Various overt and covert bribes and lobbying had long been unending. Thus, this wavering neutrality trend actually solidified for a time.
Unfortunately, this delicate balance was eventually easily broken by Halrua's new Mage King.
"It looks like the wizard's maze of Silvermoon City needs to be updated as well." Just as Lyra Silverhand sighed, her sister Alaster appeared quietly and said with a hint of teasing, "We have worked so hard all day, but the final result can't even make the public lord of Waterdeep smile."
"Stop joking." Lyra Silverhand didn't relax her brows when she saw her sisters. "Is there any new news from the Silvermoon Alliance and the devils recently?"
"It's still the same." Elastra took Leila's hand, signaled her guards and spell guards to disperse to ensure their safety, and simply strolled in the city.
Of course, the two of them were not brave enough to say what was going to happen next, even though this was in their old nest.
The demons' offensive is quite fierce. They claim it's a peace treaty for the entire Lords' Alliance, but I'm afraid the members of the Silver Moon Alliance have already directly or indirectly accepted numerous gifts. I've done some research. Elaster sighed. "That's a truly shocking figure. It's even more than the total amount officially submitted to the Lords' Alliance. I can't expect the members of the Silver Moon Alliance to resist this level of temptation."
[…Is it really that exaggerated?]
"That's an exaggeration," Elastra replied. "In short, the Silvermoon Alliance is experiencing imported inflation: unimaginable wealth is pouring into the region. But unfortunately, no one is willing to withdraw at this time. Anyone who remains honest will have their wealth wiped out in this catastrophe. No one can afford the risk."
[So the Silver Moon Alliance will strongly advocate for peace talks?]
"Sadly, yes." Elastra sighed. "Very, very determined. I'm very worried about this trend."
The Silvermoon Alliance arguably held half of the Lords' Alliance. Generally speaking, if the Silvermoon Alliance was united, a moderately ambitious proposal would almost certainly be passed. It was conceivable that if the demons followed suit against Waterdeep and the other city-states, their fall would only be a matter of time.
"Well, I have some news that might help you find some relief," Lyra Silverhand said. "All the churches in Waterdeep have been bribed."
[…Church?!] Elastra paused. [Will the kind church of Waterdeep agree to compromise with the devil?]
They disagreed, and even if they had previously agreed, they had simply abstained. Now, their new sponsor has made them choose sides directly. Lyra Silverhand said, "Excuse me, this time when I come to the Lords' Alliance, I will strongly advocate for war against the demons."
[…My dear Lord Public. You should remember that this time, the devil will send a formal delegation of emissaries. These Nine Hells scammers have even announced in advance that they will pay compensation on the spot.]
[I am the representative of Waterdeep.] Before becoming the leader of the Lords' Alliance, Lyra was first the public lord of Waterdeep.
Leila replied firmly: "I will not use my personal opinion to shake the decision that has been made. Not to mention, making peace with the devil itself is a disgusting act."
[…What will be the outcome of today?]
-----------------
Compared to Waterdeep, which is considered the star of human civilization, Silvermoon City has a close relationship with the elves. Therefore, the venue for this lords' meeting was chosen to be a gorgeous garden in the northeast of Silvermoon City.
It must be meticulously designed, beautiful, yet appear to be something that came naturally.
Surrounded by trees and flowers, Silvermoon City's most famous specialty, the white wine called "Silvermoon Blue," slowly flowed from a wine jug. Amidst the sound of the trickling water, the roll callers loudly chanted the names of the delegation members one by one.
And the moment Elastro and Leila came hand in hand, the atmosphere, which was already a little tipsy due to the aroma of mellow wine, became even more lively.
"Everyone, today, our most noble host and guest of Silvermoon City, the Supreme Mage, the Supreme Lady, Lady Elastra Silverhand, has arrived!"
"The representative of Waterdeep, the public lord of Waterdeep, wife of Khelben Blackstaff, daughter of the magic goddess Mystra and the All-Knowing One, Lyra Silverhand has arrived!"
Leila frowned.
In that long string of titles, she did not miss that key sentence.
[Now, the people of Silvermoon City have openly acknowledged that the All-Knowing One and Mystra are the same person?]
There's no official conclusion yet, but the rumors are already spreading. Elastra sighed softly. "This is my mistake. I never imagined that the All-Knowing One would even take advantage of such a small opportunity, so I missed the perfect opportunity to intervene. Now that the Silver Moon Alliance has sided with the Gods and Non-Gods Association, it's no longer appropriate for me to publicly express my position."
"It's only been a few months, and it's already been infiltrated to this extent. It's as if those terrifying legends of the devil never existed." Leila sighed deeply. "This trend is truly too dangerous."
Elastra said: [What’s even more dangerous is that those affected are my friends, students, and colleagues.]
"You are in me, and I am in you." Leila sighed. "This is the battlefield the devil excels at."
At the same time, another important name was called out outside the venue. The two of them could even distinguish it from the noisy voices around them. The voice of the person who called the name was even more excited than when he called out Erastella.
"The representative of the Gods and Godless, the Omniscient One, Miss Gracia, has arrived!"
Leila lowered her head and gritted her teeth.
How ridiculous that the seven sisters of the North became sisters with a devil archduke.
"If Simbu were here," Erastrou said expressionlessly, "she would probably blow this new sister away without hesitation."
And this was probably not Gracia's first visit to Silvermoon City.
The devil princess shrunk her body to the size of an ordinary person. Her already charming figure burst out with amazing charm after shedding the terrifying aura of the devil's grand duke.
Before and after the meeting officially begins, the venue is the most important social place, not to mention such an important visitor?
Leila Silverhand didn't want to say it, but those lords who heard the news stood up, left her side, and pounced on the beautiful devil princess were really like flies.
After exchanging pleasantries, Gracia walked straight towards the two sisters, bowed gracefully and impeccably, and said, "Lord Public Overlord, Lord Supreme Mage, good day. Thinking about how we will soon bring lasting peace and prosperity to Faerun, I can't help but feel a little excited."
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