"Heim! Damn it! Tell me where Ramasis is?!" Grand Duke Anta Silvershield held up William Gaster's collar and roared angrily, then threw him aside. "Send someone to urge me again! I sent Ubineh to the countryside and seconded the guards of the mansion to Yan Fist to patrol the streets. It was not for me to die!"
"Tell me...there's no problem with this..." He suddenly whispered weakly.
"No... no problem." William Gast replied flattered. There were countless big shots standing here, and he never thought that he would be lucky enough to talk to Anta Silver Shield about such an intimate topic.
"Then go urge Ramasis again..." Anta Silver Shield said in a low voice, then turned around and announced loudly, "Let's start the second game! We can't be so passive all the time, let us do something !”
Anta Silver Shield is about sixty years old. He reached the peak of power when he was young, powerful and heroic. During his decades in power, he has always been ambitious and keen to encroach on other people's territory. Even though his family's symbol is a silver shield, it seems like it should tend to be conservative and protective. However, the Grand Duke's character is a typical lion character, greedy and aggressive, with never-satisfied ambition and absolute confidence in himself.
In Baldur's Gate, the official consuls are the four great Dukes - Grand Duke Antar Silvershield, who controls maritime arms and trade, Grand Duke Iltan, who controls the Flame Fist Mercenary Group, and merchants and guilds. The powerful Grand Duke "Bert" and the Grand Duke Lila Jeanas who control the power of the temple.
In fact, the strength among the four Dukes is not equal. As early as decades ago. Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield formed an alliance with Iltan. At that time, he was only a squad leader of Flame Fist, and his status was equivalent to Wei's deputy Mike. But later, with the support of Antar Silver Shield, he rose up the ranks, and eventually the Grand Duke formed an alliance with a mercenary squad leader and controlled more than 80% of Baldur's Gate's military force.
Ten years ago, the second distribution of power took place. Through the death of one of her daughters, Anta Silver Shield usurped the territory of Duchess Lila Janus, completely eliminating this person. Now the responsibility of unifying the temple's armed forces has been handed over to Flame Fist, which is assumed by Anne. position. Duchess Lila Janus now lives in seclusion in the Temple of Dawn. She is more like a mascot that fills in the number of the four rulers.
In addition to the guild power of the mysterious "Bert" Grand Duke. Antar's alliance with Iltan effectively dominates Baldur's Gate.
However, in the past ten years, the newly born Iron Throne Merchant Alliance has suddenly emerged. They have united a large number of businessmen, mages and professionals who were frustrated under the dual duke monopoly system. With the deliberate connivance and support of some people. The Iron Throne quickly occupied a quarter of Baldur's Gate's economic power. Their relationship with the temple has never been better. Their products are sold in various countries. The strength of their escort team has gradually become a threat to Flame Fist, not to mention there are rumors that...the force they show is just the tip of the iceberg.
From now on, this statement is quite correct. They hide much of their strength in the hands of humble mercenaries, bandits, and orcs. These people have been described as being as annoying as locusts, but no one has ever really paid attention to them. And they don't lack the support of the temple's armed forces.
"The hall has been lost!" The deputy guard captain came to the back to inform him of the battle situation.
Anta Yindun's face darkened. He looked at the drawings of the official residence, then at his guard captain, and clicked on one of the positions, "We are slowly retreating this way. Everyone, go and talk to the soldiers in front." Take a rotation! Call in our soldiers hidden nearby for support, I need them now!" The mages and warriors present agreed in unison.
The Iron Throne's attack was unexpectedly violent! He had to invest the ambush weapons in advance.
When the assassin couple, Slice and Christine, failed to infiltrate, they turned to a violent attack. Following the signal, more than twenty people rushed out from the surrounding shadows and houses to join the attack. Although everyone's face was covered with black cloth, their features still clearly told others that they were adventurers stranded in the city, and some of them were quite famous! The most surprising thing is that the assassins actually have a considerable number of priests, which greatly increases the pressure on the defending side.
Seeing Anta Silver Shield's gaze turn around, William Gast nodded helplessly. He just went upstairs again and sent a letter to Ramasis, asking him to come to the Duke's residence immediately to make plans, but... there was still no feedback. In their plan, the mage tower built almost immediately behind the Duke's residence was one of the keys. Based on the conditions offered by the Grand Duke, he did not believe that Ramasis would betray him, so there could only be something wrong.
At this time, a falcon flew in from the transom overhead. At this time, the entire mansion was blocked by special magic, and those who could enter must be people or animals carrying tokens. His staff, Harold, took out a piece of paper from the Falcon's neck pocket, glanced at it quickly and said: "Lila Janus was assassinated, and the Grand Duke 'Bert'... disappeared."
"Okay!" Anta Silver Shield clenched his fist, "The irrelevant people are out! Rita (the leader of the Iron Throne, Savrok's adoptive father, there are only two of us left now!"
William Gast had not had many opportunities to contact the Grand Duke before, and the total time may not have been as long as today. Perhaps the people around him had long been accustomed to the way the Grand Duke spoke and acted, but when William experienced it for the first time, he felt that there was always something uncoordinated. It seemed that his words and actions were always so much slower than what happened. He stepped back slightly.
The Iron Throne needs a status equivalent to its strength, and the Four Consuls need to maintain their rights. The contradiction between the two has long been irreconcilable.
From the Iron Throne's monopoly on iron mines, thieves cutting off the coast road, the crisis of war with Amn, the attack of trolls from the north, the transfer of temple power from the city...to today's attacks on Ska, Archon Lila Janus and Anta ? With the continuous assassinations of Silver Shield, it seems that the Iron Throne has always had the initiative.
The collapse of the iron ore conspiracy, the completion of the coast road and the clearing of thieves, and the war crisis entered negotiations. The temple's armed forces are fighting against the trolls in the north, and a large part of the power of the Flame Fist is still controlled by the seriously ill Grand Duke Iltan... It seems that although Anta Silver Shield is always one step behind, he can only take advantage of the tactics, but he Every step has achieved good results, successfully weakening the Iron Throne.
The winner has not yet been decided, and the focus now becomes the life and death of Anta Silver Shield.
If he could hold out until the Temple Armed Forces returned to support, or Grand Duke Iltan regained control of the Flame Fist, then he had a great chance of winning, but the Iron Throne would not be considered a loser at that time. He doesn't have the strength to eat the Iron Throne in one bite.
If he dies, the Iron Throne will be cleared. All things come to an end.
To swallow the Iron Throne whole. Additional opportunities are needed, and Anta Silver Shield happens to know one! If it weren't for William Gast's cousin Lu Yuan, he might not have been able to obtain such important information, so he wouldn't have chosen such a risk...
"The Grand Duke..." Now that the mask has been torn off. The Iron Throne began to launch attacks across the city unbridled. All kinds of news came together like a stream. It can be said. Baldur's Gate's inherent strength is now losing ground, and there are calls for help everywhere.
But the news now in the hands of staff Harold has nothing to do with that. That's why he felt embarrassed.
"Say!" Anta raised his head angrily and looked at Harold, "Don't waste my time!"
"Well, Miss Shi Ji... ran away with a bard, just in the evening..." Harold said awkwardly, wishing he had never seen this news.
Anta Yindun lowered his gaze with an indifferent expression, stared at the defense map and said, "I don't have a daughter named Shi Ji, next thing."
All awe-inspiring.
****************
…
It's almost early morning.
The impression given by Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield is that he always pays great attention to the solemnity of appearance. His armor is always pure silver, polished as translucent as a mirror, and his ribbons and cloaks have different colors and styles every day, never repeating themselves...
But if anyone sees him now, they must find it unbelievable!
Now Grand Duke Anta is still wearing his silver full-body armor, but his leggings and iron boots have been removed and thrown aside, replaced by leather pants and boots that are easier for walking. Only the upper body was wearing a nondescript silver breastplate, but the leather cord behind the breastplate was also loose and hanging there loosely. He held the defense map with both hands and stared at it closely, as if he wanted to find another viable move from it.
Many people could see that he was sweating profusely, with his white hair and beard sticking unsightly to his face, wet with sweat and tangled together randomly. Anta Yindun looked around at the drawings in a panic, but couldn't focus. It was obvious that he was extremely confused. This image is completely different from that of Grand Duke Anta, who is usually known for his toughness and decisiveness!
"Ah", the screams of the guards came from outside the door, as well as the sounds of weapons clashing and fighting. It was as noisy as if it was happening around you. Obviously, the enemy's sharp edge is already close at hand, pointing directly here! But Ramasis still didn't show up! The plan is about to fall apart!
"Damn! Damn! I knew Ramasis must have been bribed by that old fox Rita! What benefit did Rita give him?! Ah! Is there a better gift than rebuilding the mage tower? But he You betrayed me like that!"
At this time, instead of thinking about the next plan, you are obsessed with something inexplicable? William Gast retreated deeper into the corner, pretending to fight with the people outside the hall. In fact, he has a scroll of "teleportation" in his arms. As long as the protective spell in the hall is destroyed and the effect of the dimensional anchor is lost, he can teleport away at any time. This is his confidence.
At this time, not only him, but also his staff Harold noticed that Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield was inconsistent - his current performance was completely different from the wise and powerful one at midnight! So everyone in the hall was a little silent, as if they were waiting for this place to be breached.
"The plan failed..." Anta Silver Shield looked up from the defense drawings with a pale face and said weakly, "Unblock the hall, let's retreat to the Port Authority?" The Port Authority is where the Grand Duke of Flame Fist is recuperating. The place is still firmly in the hands of Grand Duke Iltan. If Iltan comes forward, they still have a high chance of directly taking back the command of Flame Fist.
The plan prepared in the past was, to put it bluntly, to lure the snake out of its hole.
I sent my most capable men to the countryside, using the excuse that the temple was unarmed. More patrols are needed and the guards are mobilized to weaken the defense of the Duke's mansion to the lowest point - and then wait for your assassin to assassinate. I arranged for the illusion master Ramasis to "professionally produce" his own "death" .
After you think I'm dead and take the initiative to clear all the obstacles for me, I will launch the secret weapon again, come back and kill you completely.
Now that the script is coming to an end, the assassin has already reached the door, and the assassination has turned into a violent attack, but the illusion master Nirmala Mathis is nowhere to be seen. Are you kidding me? ! Ramasis was almost at a loss to rebuild his mage tower. It’s impossible not to come! But he just betrayed him, and Anta Silver Shield's regretful look was clearly visible to everyone.
"Grand Duke, then... let's lift the anchor first..." William Gast lowered his head and suggested.
no way. Although everyone here wants to say this. But who gave him the lowest status! Anta Silver Shield will never kill himself no matter what. If you just want to save your life, there are too many ways.
As if he heard William echoing his suggestion, Anta's eyes instantly focused. He wandered around and looked around, and then looked at his guard leader seemingly unintentionally... The guard leader shook his head firmly, and Anta Silver Shield's face was suddenly filled with regret and pain. At this time, the guard who had been guarding the crystal ball upstairs ran down, "A letter from Master Ramasis has arrived!"
"Letter!" Although it was not Ramasis who arrived, which made everyone very dissatisfied, there was news after all, right? "Bring it here quickly!" Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield added.
"Open the anchor in one minute." There was only one simple sentence in the letter, signed by Lu Yuan.
"Who is Lu Yuan?" Anta Silver Shield raised his head blankly and asked, "Is he the new apprentice of Ramasis? Why do you need to turn on the anchor? His mage tower clearly has a way to enter here directly! This must be It’s a conspiracy!”
Conspiracy with your sister! William Gast cursed in his heart. At this time, the guard captain looked at William thoughtfully and motioned for him to speak - which forced him to stand up and defend Lu Yuan.
"Lu Yuan is my cousin, a...trustworthy mage. As you know, he was responsible for the rescue of the Xikai Mine and the destruction of the bandit camp in the Sharp Tooth Forest. It is impossible for him to betray. Moreover, , he is Master Lu from the Witchcraft Grocery Store! Grand Duke, your sword was forged by Master Lu, you have met him."
"My sword? Ah! My sword! Yes, I have seen him..." Anta Silver Shield seems to have forgotten that he once squatted outside Lu Yuan's studio for two weeks. This anecdote spread throughout Baldur's Gate.
"Then let him in," the guard captain suddenly interrupted, and Grand Duke Anta closed his mouth without any objection.
William looked at the others and chose to shut up and look away. He could only grit his teeth and step forward to operate it himself, opening the space anchor.
Almost as soon as the anchor was opened, a portal appeared in the middle of the house, and then a hooded man walked out of the door. As soon as he came out, he was surrounded by swords pointing at his vital points. The mysterious man stood motionless in the middle of the house, seemingly indifferent to the sword.
"Okay, you are William's cousin? Stop pretending! Lift your damn hood and let me see if you are the blacksmith! Then tell me, what is going on with Ramasis! He Betrayed? What price?! I'll give him double!" Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield urged impatiently, not even caring about the man's purpose. The mage is always so nagging, which is very annoying.
"Are you talking to me?" A voice sounded from behind the people in the circle. Everyone in the room was shocked. They took back their swords and turned around, looking behind them. In the shadow of the corner, a man walked out of the shadow with a smile, holding a small black cat. It was Lu Yuan.
When he passed the man who was also teleported in the middle of the house, the "man" followed behind him. He walked a few steps like a shadow and completely disappeared from his body.
"It's an illusion, so realistic?!" Harold couldn't help but whisper. He was also a mage, but the difference in skills couldn't be measured in miles.
Lu Yuan gently opened his hood, looked around at everyone in the room with William Gast's almost collapsed eyes, and then said to the guard leader with a smile: "Hello, Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield, listen. Say you need the best illusion master? Do you think I am suitable?"
"Who are you talking to? I am..." Anta Silver Shield, who was sitting in the middle, waved his arms and scolded loudly.
"Shut up!" Lu Yuan and the guard leader shouted at the same time, and the "Anta Silver Shield" immediately shut his mouth and sat down uneasily. William Gast pointed at the fake Anta and then looked at the guard leader with a look of collapse and constipation. "How can you tell?" the guard leader said coldly.
"Your ring." Lu Yuan pointed to the ruby seal ring worn on the fake Anta's hand. It was inlaid with the Anta family's emblem. "It was too big for him, and there were traces of the ring on your finger." .”
"My finger?" The real Anta Silver Shield raised his hand that usually wore a ring. He was now wearing full body armor and an iron glove on his hand. Now his fingers were completely wrapped in the iron glove. How could this be seen? come out?
"The middle finger of the glove is specially made. It is specially reinforced into a thorn shape. It is actually to protect the ring. This treatment will only be done when the user must wear the ring frequently." Lu Yuan explained, Anta Silver Dun suddenly realized that all this was handled by others. He didn't know these details at all. Of course, he didn't know the difference between the middle finger of the iron glove with the ring and the iron glove without the ring.
"Mage Ramasis..."
"He's dead, I killed him." Lu Yuan said calmly.
"Then his work will be left to you." Anta Silver Shield decided without hesitation. "As long as you complete the work he is supposed to do, I will give you whatever you want! I remember that you wanted to build a mage tower outside the city? Why choose outside the city? I think the one in Ramasis is good . And I heard that you had a conflict with Habaser Delin and you no longer work at the Witchcraft Grocery Store? If you want to open a new forging shop, the Silver Shield family will be your forever customer!"
Anta Silver Shield stood up and offered heavy reward conditions one after another without hesitation. When he stood up, his voice became almost the same as that of the fake duke. Although his appearance had changed, the aura of someone who had lived for a long time could not be imitated. When Anta Yindun was there before, they just felt a little awkward and felt that the content of his words did not match his expressions and movements.
When he compared it with the real Grand Duke, he was completely different.
Thinking about it, it was the Grand Duke who was secretly controlling the words and deeds of the substitute.
All the staff bowed respectfully, and then retreated behind Grand Duke Anta Silver Shield - such a Grand Duke makes people full of confidence! Even at a critical moment, he still makes people feel that he can turn everything around. This is Anta Silver Shield!
Lu Yuan rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his hands like a wandering magician before a performance, "I am the best illusionist in Baldur's Gate. Believe me, that's right."
ps: Please vote. (To be continued...)
