Spellcasting Gods

"Hang? Are you going to hang more than half the population of this city? It's not us who betrayed this city! It's you! Look at yourself now, where is even a trace of the courage you once had in the face of hardship? From the outbreak of the plague until now, you've been hiding like a coward. Neverwinter doesn't need a lord like this, we need a true leader who can lead us out of pain and despair." The envoy representing Zhang Cheng raised his chin high, his tone full of contempt.

"Lord Nasir has been trying to find a way to cure the plague! He has sent a plea for help to Waterdeep, and the archmages will soon be able to develop an antidote." Standing to the side, Eribes couldn't help but step forward to defend the one she served.

"I'm sorry, madam, we can't wait that long. Also, there's something else I need to formally inform you: this city will no longer worship the god of justice, Tyr, and you and your god have been banished as well." The messenger uttered these words with a cold smile, words that enraged many present.

It is extremely shameful for a deity to be banished from a place, and it could potentially trigger a series of chain reactions.

"Are you serious?" a white-bearded bishop stepped forward and questioned loudly.

The messenger nodded without hesitation: "That's right! This is the will of all the people of Neverwinter! You have failed this city! You have failed the citizens who live here! Now, we no longer need you! Please leave!"

“Very well! I guarantee you will regret your foolish decision today!” The bishop uttered each word clearly, his entire body radiating powerful divine energy.

"Regret? No! Our only regret is not getting rid of you incompetent bunch sooner! I have delivered the notice. Please leave Neverwinter's territory within one month. Farewell."

Having said that, the envoy turned and walked out of the castle gate with his head held high and chest out.

Through the long corridor, one could faintly hear the enthusiastic cheers of the people waiting outside, as if they had won a great victory.

"Damn it! How did things turn out like this?" Lord Nasir kicked over the table, his eyes bloodshot.

He simply couldn't believe that he, who was so beloved by the people, would suddenly be met with hostility and even be driven out.

"Calm down, my friend. There must be some conspiracy behind this. Don't we still have a month? Let's use this month to completely eliminate the plague, and then investigate this boy named Benny, find out who he is, and whether there are demons or devils from lower planes causing trouble behind him."

"Yes! First, we must solve the plague! Prove that we are not incompetent!"

"I'll go to Water Deep myself to see how far the antidote development has progressed."

……

Chapter 0917 The number of chess pieces I have is beyond your imagination

"Congratulations! Your plan has succeeded. How does it feel to be the lord of Neverwinter?" Jesse, dressed in a red tuxedo, held up a wine glass and glanced at the nobles and wealthy merchants celebrating their victory in the hall.

As for those poor commoners, like the lower classes of all societies in the world, they were excluded from this feast of power transitions from the very beginning.

Because no matter which interest group becomes the ruler, the status of ordinary people as the exploited class will never change.

"Success? No! My plan has only just begun! As for the identity of this Lord of Neverwinter, it's just a tool for me to achieve my goal," Zhang Cheng explained with a light laugh.

Without a doubt, for a master of intrigue like him, stirring up a rebellion in the small city of Neverwinter is easier than eating or drinking.

Moreover, Lord Nasir is not Elasdra of Silvermoon City, who not only possesses unparalleled powerful spellcasting abilities and personal charisma, but is also extremely intelligent enough to handle all sorts of despicable tactics.

In fact, Lord Nasir was not a competent ruler. He was merely fortunate to have the support of the Church of Tyre, the God of Justice, and Waterdeep needed a staunch ally to stop Luskan's expansion.

Lacking sufficient political wisdom!

Lack of a strong governing style!

He lacks the personal charisma to convince the public!

Even the robust physique and fighting skills honed during adventures are declining with age!

Everything proved that this elderly man was no match for Zhang Cheng.

The difference between the two is like comparing a small mound of earth by the roadside to Mount Everest—completely incomparable. Failure is simply a normal outcome and nothing to be surprised about.

"What are you planning to do next? According to the intelligence I've received, Luskan in the north seems to have noticed something and is planning an attack on Neverwinter. You'd better be prepared." Jesse couldn't help but reveal the bad news he had just received.

She has now become the undisputed underground queen of the Beggars' Nest and has no desire for any large-scale upheaval that would cause her to lose her current status.

"Oh? So Lu Sikan has finally taken action?" Zhang Cheng's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.

When he last descended upon this world in the form of a dragon, he left Luskan with a considerable amount of wealth.

Whether it's the spellcaster organization renamed "Arcane Light" after being integrated, the large number of mages who have been transformed into dragons, or the berserk army under Garr who have drunk the blood of the Abyss Lords, they are all enough to stir up a terrible storm in the North.

However, Jesse was clearly unaware of this, and solemnly reminded him, "Don't underestimate Luskan! They're not the same as before! Even the Silvermoon Alliance and the Harpists' Alliance dare not easily approach the sphere of influence controlled by Luskan. With Neverwinter's military strength, it's impossible for us to fight Luskan alone. We need allies, very, very powerful allies."

"Hahahaha! No, my dear. Quite the opposite, Luskan is our ally." Zhang Cheng laughed unrestrainedly as he casually pulled a gold coin from his pocket and injected it with a unique mixed energy.

In no time, the coin developed a strange pattern resembling dragon scales.

He handed the coin directly to Jesse and said meaningfully, "Send someone to deliver this to Valindra."

“Valindra? The leader of the Arcane Light!” Jesse’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s right! Did you think that the pieces I control are only these few? No, the pieces I have are far more numerous than you can imagine.” With that, Zhang Cheng picked up his glass and took a small sip of the finest wine, his only intact eye as calm and deep as a lake.

"Who exactly are you?" Jesse finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been hidden in his heart for so long.

Although she had long realized that this strange boy was definitely not the timid pickpocket Benny, she never expected that he would have connections with Luskan's higher-ups.

"Does it matter who I am?" Zhang Cheng put down his cup and shook his head with a smile. "No, not at all. You just need to know that doing your job well will bring unexpected rewards. You don't need to know much else. Also, don't try to presume to understand my behavior from a mortal's perspective. Power, money, honor, and other things that ordinary people dream of are no different from garbage in my eyes."

Upon hearing this, Jesse subconsciously frowned: "So what do you want?"

"I'm sorry, what I want is difficult to express in words. Besides, even if I did say it, you might not understand. Alright, I think we should end our conversation here. Please deliver the coin to Valindra as soon as possible. If I'm not mistaken, Lord Nasir will not accept defeat, and Waterdeep will not want to lose a bridgehead against Luskan. In the end, strength will prevail. I plan to stage a grand show with Luskan to annihilate the reinforcements sent by Waterdeep and teach them a lesson they won't forget."

When he said these words, Zhang Cheng made no attempt to hide his malice towards Deepwater City.

He planned to use a horrific massacre to bleed out the most powerful overlord on the west coast of the Forgotten Realms, so that the other party would stop meddling in other people's business.

"Understood!" Jesse placed one hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

No sooner had she left than a dark figure emerged from the corner, lowering his voice to ask, "Are you sure this Tiftin won't betray us? You actually entrusted such an important matter to her?"

"No, she won't, because she doesn't have the guts. So, did you find any trace of those reptiles?" Zhang Cheng asked without turning his head.

“We already have a clue! But I’m a little curious, their activities are so secretive, how did you find out?” The shadowy figure’s tone revealed strong doubt and confusion.

"If I said I had the ability to predict the future, would you believe me?"

"I don't know! But my intuition tells me you're not lying."

"Then trust your instincts. You'd better be careful. The Creator race is not an easy opponent. Their magical power is ancient and powerful, far beyond what ordinary mages can match."

"I'm not an idiot! I won't easily engage the enemy! I'm the eyes and ears in the dark, only recording what I see and hear."

……

Chapter 0918 The Powerful Luskan

Luskan, the City of a Thousand Sails, is the northernmost city on the western coast of the entire continent of Faerûn. It was once a place controlled by evil mages and is now rife with chaos, crime, and illegal trade.

However, since May of the Valley Calendar 1357, when the Mathematical Brotherhood, which ruled Luscan, fought a great battle against the combined forces of Neverwinter and Waterdeep, a terrible military coup completely changed the city.

The Math Olympiad Brotherhood was forced to disband and reorganize, transforming from a spellcaster organization obsessed with internal strife into the more powerful and tightly organized Arcane Light.

The previously chaotic army was forcibly divided into two parts. One part consisted of the city defense force, mainly composed of humans, responsible for maintaining order and daily patrols within the city, and was under the jurisdiction of the city hall. The other part consisted of orcs, half-orcs, barbarians, and various types of giants who had drunk demon blood, and even a few white dragons, and was mainly responsible for external conquests.

In addition, the navy swept across the entire Sword Bay, and any merchant ship passing through had to pay an exorbitant toll, or it would be subjected to ruthless attacks and plunder.

With the entire fleets of Waterdeep and Neverwinter wiped out, they had no choice but to obediently pay up and dared not make the slightest provocative move.

Similarly, the guild led by Artemis Entreri is also actively eliminating intelligence organizations such as the Harpists and the Zantalin Society that want to extend their reach, while also establishing strongholds in enemy territory to gather useful information.

powerful!

evil!

Aggressive!

This is the brand-new Luskan created by Zhang Cheng back then!

After his disappearance, the few people who held immense power did not fight amongst themselves over the distribution of power. Instead, they took the initiative to form a roundtable council, clearly defining their respective areas of responsibility to ensure that they could continue to suppress the surrounding regions and gradually develop and grow into a true nation.

Coincidentally, today is the day of the monthly roundtable meeting.

As the leader of the Arcane Light and the brain of the city, Valindra is always the first to arrive, sitting alone in a chair waiting for the others to arrive.

Her former apprentice, Xini, stood beside her, gazing at the blue sky, white clouds, and sea outside the window, lost in thought.

The second person to arrive was Artemis Entreri.

As usual, he always prefers to stay quietly in a dark corner of the room, rarely offering his opinions, and never sitting down in a chair.

Soon, the army's supreme commander, the orc Gar, arrived. He sat down casually and began to gulp down the strong liquor he carried with him, his two scarlet eyes occasionally glancing at the two female mages opposite him.

Although he hadn't fought a war for a long time, he was still a powerful warrior, exuding a strong smell of blood.

The fourth person to arrive was Ian, the actual controller of the Navy, who was known as the "Pirate King".

As a half-dragon warrior, he had a long lifespan, so there were no signs of the ravages of time. He smiled and greeted everyone present.

Just as Gar was getting impatient and about to say something, the last person in charge of municipal management, Gildan, finally arrived.

This former sergeant had long lost his former fighting spirit; he had gained two or three sizes, and now sported a handsome goatee, making him look no different from any other shrewd nobleman or politician.

"Ahem! Now that everyone is here, let's begin today's meeting," Valindra announced, clearing his throat.

"Damn it! What are we even discussing? Just give me the authorization, and my army will raze Winterless City to the ground!" Gar shouted, tossing aside his empty wine bottle.

Rather than resorting to intrigue and trickery, he preferred to crush his enemies with unparalleled strength, leaving them to collapse in pain and despair.

"Don't rush! The city hall hasn't completed its war mobilization yet! We need time to gather food and all sorts of supplies! Do you think war is something that can be fought just like that?" Gildan was the first to stand up and retort.

It should be noted that although after several years of stable development, coupled with the large number of people fleeing here during the turbulent years, Luskan has become a large city with a population of over 100,000. The farms built around it using slaves and self-cultivating farmers are also producing food in a steady stream. However, supporting an army of over tens of thousands of people is not an easy task.

"Pirate King" Ian shrugged nonchalantly: "My fleet is ready to attack the ports of Neverwinter and Waterdeep at any time, or even completely blockade their sea lanes."

"What about the Silvermoon City Alliance? Has there been any unusual activity from Elasdra lately?" Valindra turned his gaze directly to the assassin in charge of intelligence.

Entreri ignored the question, stepped out from the shadows in the corner, placed a gold coin on the table, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Before we discuss these things, I think you need to take a look at this."

"A uniquely shaped gold coin?" Gildan frowned subconsciously.

Having absolutely no talent for spellcasting, he couldn't see anything special about this gold coin.

But Valindra's pupils suddenly contracted. He carefully picked up the coin, held it in his palm to feel the energy contained within, and then jumped to his feet, shouting with ecstatic joy, "It's Master! This is Master's power! He's finally back!"

"What?!" Sini rushed forward and snatched the gold coin from Valindra's hand. A few seconds later, she trembled and muttered to herself, "My God! It really is Master! I knew those despicable gods couldn't defeat him! He is the most powerful dragon in this world!"

"Hahahaha! Neverwinter and Waterdeep! Prepare to tremble before our master! We will surely win this war!" Gar laughed wildly with excitement.

Compared to the others' loss of composure, Ian was much calmer and asked directly, "Where did this coin come from? If the master has really returned, why didn't he just appear in front of us?"

“In fact, this coin was sent by a Tieflin named Jesse. She now controls the Beggars' Nest in Neverwinter and works for a thirteen-year-old boy named Benny. As far as I know, this coin was made by that boy.” Entreri stated his source of information expressionlessly.

"A thirteen-year-old boy? You mean... he's the master we've been secretly searching for?" Valindra seemed to sense that something was amiss, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

“I can’t be sure. But according to that Tiflin, her master wants to meet you directly. By the way, this thirteen-year-old boy has been elected as the new lord of Neverwinter and has also issued an expulsion order to Lord Nasir and the Church of the God of Justice.”