A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

"Master, I smell a conspiracy. That moon elf woman must be trying to hide something." The little devil, who remained invisible, lowered his voice and reminded her in his ear.

Zuo Si rolled his eyes angrily: "I know this even if you don't tell me.

In the continent of Faerûn, there are not many people who know the Entanglement Talisman, and even fewer people are willing to take huge risks to go to war with a group of legendary undead spellcasters.

After you go back and collect and sort out the information, you should be able to lock in a rough range.

But considering that it is indeed a good idea to bring down the entire Masked Mage Guild.

So I think the pros of aligning with Xelanora clearly outweigh the cons.

What's more, this "Book of Sandstorm" does record a lot of interesting magic.

For example, let a creature die of dehydration, set off a small sandstorm to obscure the enemy's sight, or let the high-speed flying sand tear a creature into pieces alive. "

"My dear master, you are bribed too easily." The little devil curled his lips and complained.

Through these months of observation, it understood how low Zuo Si's resistance was to spells, knowledge, and various weird magic items.

Many times, as long as the other party pays a few books and notes, he can win the favor of his master to a certain extent.

But Zuo Si shrugged his shoulders indifferently: "The reason why you have such an illusion is because you don't understand the value of knowledge.

Every spell invented, no matter how strong or weak it is, embodies the creator's unique understanding and knowledge of magic.

Through learning, I can draw inspiration from it and broaden my horizons and knowledge.

Those compromises and concessions are nothing compared to what you get.

and……

Who stipulates that you can’t fall out after getting benefits? "

Upon hearing these words, the little devil was instantly shocked by his master's evil, despicable, shameless and greedy nature.

You must know that even the devil in hell will not turn his back immediately after getting the benefits.

Even if you fall out, you will find a more "legitimate" excuse.

But what about Zuo Si?

Not even bothering to find an excuse.

For a moment, the little devil finally realized the gap between himself and his master. An expression of admiration even appeared on his face, and all kinds of praises poured out of his mouth.

Unfortunately, Zuo Si ignored his demon pet and quickly put away the "Book of Sandstorm", put on his hood again, and walked straight out of the sewer entrance.

Now that he has come out, he simply plans to go to the administrative district building first, find the six-member council to get his reward, and take a look at the current situation of Bernard and the chamber of commerce he runs.

According to Wilmes' report, the young businessman who was flexing his muscles recently had a conflict with some guys of unknown origin, so he borrowed the half-orc Rhett and the pyromancer Alena.

Since there was no further movement, Zuo Sisi wanted to inquire in person to see who was getting impatient and dared to make trouble on his head.

After passing through the bustling Woking Mall area and the chaotic Bridge area, Zuo Si soon arrived at the Municipal Building.

After identifying himself to the guard, he was immediately led by the other party to an independent office on the third floor.

As soon as he walked in, he found that sitting inside was his "old acquaintance" Sir Crispian.

Without saying a word, the lawful evil noble stood up and gave Zuo Si a warm hug, then laughed and said: "Sir Soth, you are finally back. You must know that the six-person council has many instructions and instructions. , I must prepare a grand celebration banquet for you."

"banquet?"

Zuo Si blinked his eyes in confusion.

"That's right! The party!"

Sir Crispian touched the two mustaches on his lips and explained: "Although I take all the credit on myself, the six-person council obviously has its own intelligence channels.

They know that you were behind everything from the attack on the envoy to the successful attack on Baldur's Gate trade.

In particular, the method of forcing opponents to make concessions without starting a war has made many nobles and large chambers of commerce see another possibility.

Therefore, there are many powerful family leaders in the government, and they all hope to exchange their thoughts and experiences with you face to face.

Of course, in return, you will gain the friendship of these families and even the Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, everyone attending the banquet must spend 10,000 gold coins to purchase a ticket.

And all of this money will become your personal property after the banquet is over. "

"That's it! No problem, I'm more than happy to share some of my experience in this area."

When he heard that there were a lot of gold coins available, Zuo Si agreed without even thinking about it.

What a joke!

That’s ten thousand gold coins per person!

Even if there were only a few dozen people present, he could still count the money until his hands cramped.

What's more, you can get to know many of Amn's top ruling class and powerful people.

Only a fool would refuse.

"Hahahaha! I knew you wouldn't refuse. The date is set for three days later, and the venue is a manor in my family's territory. It just so happens that the castle that belongs to you is quite close to my manor. It only takes the better part of a day to ride a horse.”

Sir Crispian laughed and gave the exact time and place.

It can be seen that he is very concerned about this matter, and he can't wait to cook the raw rice into cooked rice.

After all, inviting so many of Amn's top dignitaries to your territory is a symbol of identity, status and prestige.

Coupled with the fact that this negotiation resulted in a favorable contract that surprised countless people, it can be said that the political future is already bright.

Zuo Si also responded with a smile: "I'm very happy to be a neighbor with you. Maybe you won't believe it, but I haven't seen my territory yet."

"Oh? That's really inappropriate.

You must know that the castles and manors that Bernard transferred to your name are the most fertile and rich places around, with well-established water resources and irrigation systems.

Even riverside dams have been built to prevent floods.

And as a noble, you have to live in your own territory for at least several months a year, fully enjoying the leisurely pastoral life, hunting and social activities.

In addition, as a lord, you can also exercise many privileges on your own land, and even pronounce the life or death of an erring servant or peasant.

That feeling of having the power of life and death can never be felt in the city of Ascaltra.

A powerful spellcaster like you can even organize the young adults and militia in the manor to hunt the nearby tribes of goblins, orcs, half-orcs and gnolls..."

Speaking of this, Sir Crispian suddenly paused, then lowered his voice and whispered into Zuo Si's ear: "In fact, we can also catch those wild elven tribes hiding in the woods and mountains. As far as I know As you know, the Ronor family has been secretly hunting elves, and then selling them to Calimshan in the south to make money."

The Ronoll family?

Hearing this name, Zuo Si's DNA moved instantly.

Because the other party really didn't leave a good impression in his mind.

Smuggling, drug trafficking, slave trading, colluding with evil forces, and using marriage contracts to embezzle the territory and property of orphans and widows.

It can be said that the Ronoll family basically doesn't do anything that has anything to do with people.

Although in Amn, where money is paramount, there are many nobles and businessmen engaged in illegal business.

Especially smuggling, almost every family is involved to some extent.

But there are probably not many people who can be as pure, thorough, and inhumane as the Ronoll family.

After all, Faerûn is a country with gods.

And Askatra also has a law enforcement agency called the Order of the Fiery Heart, which is composed entirely of paladins.

When most nobles and wealthy businessmen do immoral things, they still pay some attention to the social impact.

This is why they are keen to donate to various charities.

Thinking of this, Zuo Si's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement, and he said with a smile: "Please be sure to invite the Ronoll family to the banquet. I am very, very interested in them."

"No problem! In fact, Duke Farsington Ronoll has wanted to reserve a place with me for a long time. It's just that his family is not qualified to participate in this level of banquet, so I have never agreed. But if you If you nod, you can open a small back door for him."

Sir Crispian obviously didn't realize what Zuo Si wanted to do, so he happily agreed.

Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't care too much.

Even though the Ronoll family has the title of Duke, it is actually just a small family that has just transformed from a traditional aristocracy to a commercial aristocracy.

No matter in terms of wealth or influence, he is not popular at all.

When the country of Amn was first established, there was a large wholesale sale of noble titles in order to win over landowners with large territories and private armies.

Regardless of whether they were nobles before, as long as the family controlled a sufficient area of ​​land and had a certain number of militiamen, they could obtain a document from them proving their "legal" status.

The direct consequence of this behavior is that titles such as duke and earl that should originally belong to high-level nobles are rampant, and they are the least valuable among all the countries in the entire Faerûn continent.

Therefore, the emerging business aristocrats who hold real power prefer to call themselves "jazz" in order to distinguish themselves from the traditional "country bumpkins".

After finalizing the details of the banquet, Sir Crispian quickly paid the bonus promised by the six-member council.

Not only that, he also presented an additional +3 magic protection ring as a personal gift as a thank you to the savior.

Taking the reward he deserved, Zuo Si declined Crispian's invitation to have dinner and left the government office building and walked straight towards the Bernard family residence.

Since both places were in administrative areas with the best security, he didn't encounter any trouble along the way and quickly reached his destination with ease.

The guard obviously knew about Zuo Si's relationship with his employer, so he directly chose to let him go.

Passing through the front garden and entering the hall on the first floor of the house, Zuo Si immediately saw the half-orcs Rhett and Alena sitting on the sofa toasting and drinking.

In addition, there is a dwarf warrior wearing a horn helmet and many golden rings on his ears and beard.

Perhaps because they had just experienced a battle, they were all stained with blood and exuded a pungent smell of blood.

Especially the dwarves, whether their faces, armor, or the two axes hanging on their waists, were covered with a large amount of dark red blood, they looked like they had just walked out of a slaughterhouse.

That ferocious, cruel, and bloodthirsty smile can definitely scare a crying child into silence.

"Cheers! I knew those bastards in the Gift of the Sea Tavern were just bluffing, and they would be completely vulnerable if they really tried to attack them. Hahahaha!" The dwarf warrior laughed wildly and raised his cup and drank it down.

The half-orc Rhett also drank a full glass of wine in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and nodded with a smile: "That's right. The guy who claims to be the leader still wants to bluff and use the pirates of Nelanthel Islands Scare us. But before he could finish his words, he was hit by a fireball. When he flew up, the expressions on the faces of the other pirates next to him were really wonderful."

"You know, I don't like listening to other people's nonsense." A smug expression appeared on Alena's face.

You don't need to ask to know that the fireball is 100% her masterpiece.

Just when the dwarf was about to say something, Zuo Si finally couldn't help coughing hard, then walked out of the shadows at the door and asked proactively: "Can anyone tell me what happened?"

"Cough cough cough...Master? You are back!"

Alena was obviously startled. In her panic, she accidentally choked on the wine she had not had time to swallow and kept coughing.

He even subconsciously wanted to hide the wine glass in his hand.

In contrast, the half-orc Rhett was much calmer, pointing to the dwarf warrior beside him and introducing with a smile: "Master, this is Korgan, a fearless and powerful dwarf berserker.

We met through a chance encounter at the Bronze Crown Inn and later teamed up for adventures in the area around Ascatla.

As for the blood stains on his body, he had just helped Bernard deal with a group of pirates who wanted to extort ransom by kidnapping hostages, and they were accidentally splashed on them. "

Corgan?

Zuo Si subconsciously glanced at the dwarf warrior covered in blood, with a surprised expression on his face.

You must know that when he first went to the Bronze Crown Hotel, he specifically asked people around him about Corgan.

Maybe it was bad luck, or maybe the other party hadn't come to Ascatla yet, but the end result was nothing.

But who would have thought that the orcs and Alena, who often went to the Copper Crown Inn to drink and gamble, would actually abduct this powerful dwarf warrior back.

"Hello! My name is Korgan. I heard from Rhett that you are a very generous master, and you have a lot of magic weapons and equipment. If you are willing to pay a monthly salary of two hundred and fifty gold coins, I will I agree to work for you." The dwarf made the conditions straightforwardly.

When he accepted the orc's invitation to join the team, he actually took a fancy to the red dragon armor worth tens of thousands of gold coins, as well as the extremely sharp two-handed ax and magic ring.

As an experienced adventurer, Korgan knows better than anyone how important magic equipment is to the improvement of a warrior.

If he were to fight naked, he would have the confidence to pin Rhett to the ground with his blaster.

But if he put on the equipment, it would be Rhett who pinned him to the ground with the blaster.

no way!

The two axes in the dwarf's hands were ordinary steel weapons. They couldn't even leave a trace on the scales of the red dragon armor, so this battle was impossible to fight.

"Okay, I agree." Zuo Si took out a small bag of gold coins from his satchel and threw it to the dwarf. "Here, here is five hundred gold coins, your two months' salary."

"Ha! Great! I like generous employers. From now on, you are Old Corgan's master, just make a sound about whoever you need to kill."

The dwarf happily poured a bag of gold coins on the table, and then counted them one by one with his stubby fingers.

You must know that the salary of two hundred and fifty gold coins a month is already quite high.

In Ascaltra, the monthly salary of hiring an ordinary servant only costs twenty to thirty silver coins.

The salaries of housekeepers and guards are relatively high, but they will not exceed ten gold coins per month.

Two hundred and fifty gold coins are already much higher than the monthly income of more than 90% of adventurers.

This is why the ultimate goal of many people's adventures is to gain a reputation, and then strive to be favored by rich and powerful nobles and businessmen, and become retainers or bodyguards.

Because such a job not only pays well and is stable, but also does not require you to risk your life all day long to fight against all kinds of monsters, beasts, and bandits.

Of course, considering that Korgan is a typical chaotic evil camp, when he goes berserk and kills red eyes, he may even kill his teammates around him, so Zuo Si decided to observe for a while before talking.

Anyway, if it doesn't work, just make it into a creature card.

After thinking about this, Zuo Si immediately turned around and continued to ask: "What happened to the pirate remnant mentioned just now?"

Alaina shrugged her shoulders and explained: “The entire Sea Gift Tavern itself is a pirate den.

Some of them were placed here by pirate captains to inquire and collect information on the voyages of various merchant ships, and some were brokers responsible for purchasing supplies or selling stolen goods to shadow thieves.

In short, after the pirates of Nelanthel Islands completely disappeared, these people completely lost their backstage and income.

The little money earned from the tavern alone cannot support so many idle people.

Forced into desperation, they could only start to play with the merchants' ideas, hoping to get a ship to escape to the sea and continue to be pirates.

Since Bernard's chamber of commerce has been expanding rapidly recently, it naturally attracted their attention.

Seizing an opportunity, the pirates kidnapped a captain and dozens of crew members from the Bernard Chamber of Commerce, hoping to use the lives of the hostages to extort a large sum of money and a ship.

At first, Bernard wanted to solve the problem through negotiation.

But these guys were too greedy. Not only did they ask for a very high price, but they also required the size and speed of the ship. As a result, the negotiations broke down and they had to resort to force.

But now, they have all been dealt with.

All the pirates in the entire Sea Gift Tavern were slaughtered by us a few minutes ago, and not even one escaped.

The hostages were also rescued without incident.

Bernard has already gone to negotiate with the guards with his people, and he will probably be back soon. "

"Sea's Gift Tavern? The remnants of pirates? That's it..."

Zuo Si finally figured out what the trouble Bernard was encountering was.

In fact, this matter actually has a very close relationship with him.

Because if the Arcane Order he established had not launched a war to conquer and unify the Nelanthel Islands, these pirates who were arranged in Ascaltra would not have suddenly become "unemployed", let alone had no choice but to do so. Such a desperate thing would happen.

fortunately!

Zuo Si had left enough power in the mage tower.

So although Bernard's Chamber of Commerce encountered a little trouble, it was still easily resolved.

After all, with the professional levels and equipment of the half-orcs Rhett and Alena, it is quite easy to crush a group of pirates.

Especially the latter's large-area fire damage magic is definitely a nightmare for all enemies.

After figuring out the cause and effect, Zuo Si sat down on the sofa and praised with a smile: "You did a good job on this matter.

Remember, never entertain the idea of ​​compromise when it comes to things like blackmail.

Otherwise, as long as the other party succeeds the first time, there will be a second, third, and fourth time.

By the way, how have you been doing while I've been away? "

"It's okay. Rhett, Corgan, and I have been taking some commissions to hunt monsters.

Not only can you make some money drinking and gambling, but you can also burn something for fun.

Also, let me tell you some good news.

My warlock level has just been raised to LV10, and I have mastered a five-ring magic [Fire Mark]. "

Alena showed off proudly.

"Upgraded?!"

Zuo Si raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

You must know that the last time we met, Alena's warlock level was only LV8.

It didn't take long to upgrade it two levels to reach LV10. If it were upgraded two more levels, it would reach the upper limit of LV4 cards.

If you want to break the restriction, you must first cancel the summons and increase the level of this follower card.

"Of course! It's different from when I was with you. This time I personally killed many bandits and monsters that threatened the business trip."

Alena revealed the secret of her rapid upgrade without thinking.

As a follower, she is different from ordinary summoned creatures whose strength is fixed from the moment they are made into cards. She can also draw mana through killing, thereby improving her spellcasting level.

In other words, if there is a planeswalker present and draining magic energy, the minion will receive less magic energy, which will slow down the upgrade speed.

Zuo Si obviously realized this and immediately showed a thoughtful expression.

Just when he was about to ask for some specific details, he suddenly saw Bernard in a formal dress walking in from the outside.

After months of struggling in Ascatra's upper class society, this young businessman not only looks much shrewd and capable, but also exudes an aura unique to those in power.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Zuo Si took the initiative to wave and say hello.

moment!

Bernard became extremely excited and excited. He hurriedly walked closer and said with a smile: "It's been a long time indeed. Welcome back, Mr. Soth."

"How did you handle the matter at the Sea Gift Tavern? Did you encounter any trouble?"

Zuo Si asked casually.

"What trouble can there be? This time everyone gets the loot!

Moreover, those who were killed were a group of pirates who had caused huge losses to countless chambers of commerce in Ascaltra.

The captain of the guard even prepared to hang their bodies on the dock wall for public display.

In addition, after stuffing 300 gold coins to the prosecutor general, he also gave me the Sea Gift Tavern as a reward for eliminating harm to the people. "

As he spoke, Bernard took out a stamped land deed from his pocket.

Just because he can tell the story of bribery openly, it is not difficult to see how many shady behind-the-scenes transactions there are in the judicial system of Amn's business empire.

You must know that the Gift of the Sea Tavern is not the original shabby Crane Inn in the City Gate District.

It has one underground floor and two floors above ground, covers a large area and is located next to the main road.

Almost all sailors, captains, and first mates who have just landed or are about to sail will go in for a drink.

Even selling the land alone would cost at least several thousand gold coins.

But now, the businessman can easily get it with only three hundred gold coins.

Looking at the land deed on the table, Zuo Si asked meaningfully: "How do you plan to use this tavern?"

Bernard gently pushed the land deed forward: "Of course it is given to you as a gift. After all, this hostage kidnapping crisis was solved thanks to your two followers. I have no shame in taking it for myself." have."

"Thank you, you're welcome." Zuo Si directly pocketed the land deed.

Because taverns and hotels are different from other businesses and have a very obvious intelligence-gathering function.

What's more, the building directly opposite the Sea's Gift Tavern is the headquarters of the Harper Alliance in Amn.

No matter what his purpose is, he has sufficient reasons and motivations to turn the Sea Gift Tavern into his own territory.

"Are you planning to open another Karatu-style high-end restaurant in the Eastern Continent?" Bernard asked in an uncertain tone.

Zuo Si immediately smiled and shook his head: "No, of course not.

The main consumer groups of the Sea Gift Tavern are sailors and shadow thieves operating in the dock area.

They don't have that much money for high-end consumption.

Therefore, I think a slight expansion and simple decoration will be enough.

In addition, you can hire a few dancers in slightly revealing clothes to attract energetic customers to spend extra money by performing some seductive dances.

As for the chef...

Let's see if Welby has produced one or two capable apprentices during this time. "

While saying this, Zuo Si subconsciously took out the two Transformer cards, with a playful smile on his face.

Obviously, he planned to put these two guys in, make money for himself, collect intelligence, and monitor the movements of the Harper Alliance.

After all, after solving the problem of loyalty, the shapeshifter is definitely the most perfect spy in the world.

It's a pity that Zuo Si only has two Transformer cards on hand now.

Otherwise, you can completely follow Sarevok's approach and directly use a large number of shapeshifters to infiltrate Askatra.

"Speaking of Chef Welby, you haven't eaten at a restaurant you opened, right?" Bernard asked tentatively.

Zuo Si shook his head gently: "No. I have been so busy recently that I have compressed my sleep time to just eight hours. I don't even sleep for one more minute, so I still have time to take care of other things. Restaurant How is the business situation?"

“It couldn’t be better.

The net profit in the past few months alone has reached 70,000 gold coins, with an average of about 20,000 gold coins per month.

Nowadays, all the nobles and businessmen of Ascaltra take it as a kind of bragging rights to reserve a private room in your restaurant for the same day.

Even for the public dining seats in the lobby on the first floor, some people are willing to pay a high price.

As for the limited daily door-to-door food delivery service, as well as the takeaway snacks and snacks, they are all sold out as soon as they are put out.

Many people will even come to my place through the back door just to get a reserved spot.

To this end, I have met many people who hold important positions in various government departments.

Even my good friend Babette has become a loyal customer of this store.

According to his own words, after eating the oriental delicacies cooked by Chef Welby, the local Amn food was simply inedible. "

Bernard immediately became excited when he talked about how the restaurant was doing.

Because he really got unimaginable huge benefits from it.

This benefit is not money, but that you can make more powerful friends and protect your chamber of commerce and business.

"It sounds very interesting. How about... we go to the restaurant to solve it after dinner?" Zuo Si suggested, touching his chin.

"Okay! I've wanted to go for a long time."

Alena, the "fun person", immediately waved her arms and cheered loudly.

The half-orc Rhett recalled the delicious food he had eaten before, swallowed subconsciously and said: "There should be a lot of customers at this time, right?"

"It doesn't matter. I asked the manager to reserve two or three private rooms for emergencies, so you don't have to worry about not having any vacancies."

After saying that, Bernard stood up and gave his butler a wink.

The latter understood the situation and immediately called the coachman and guards to prepare an oversized four-wheeled carriage.

In this way, a group of people rode in a large carriage and headed towards the city gate area.

After a while, Kung Fu stopped at the door of the restaurant.

Different from the boxy ordinary buildings around it, this restaurant designed by Zuo Si himself looks full of oriental atmosphere.

Whether it is the lanterns hanging at the door for lighting, or the pillars, lofts, screens, windows, sculptures, tables, and chairs, they all present a style that is incompatible with the surrounding environment.

Especially the plates and bowls for serving dishes, as well as the decorative vases, are all made of unique porcelain.

You don't need to ask to know that this was also mass-produced by Zuo Si through his creator ability.

After all, the "kaolin" used in firing porcelain is, to put it bluntly, a mixture of silica and some other trace elements.

With a little experimentation, it's easy to find a recipe that just barely works.

Although he can't make those exquisite patterns and patterns, there is still no problem in fooling the indigenous people of this world.

Anyway, as long as it is labeled as "Specialty of Karatu of the Eastern Continent", no matter what it is, its quality will immediately soar.

In order to create the so-called "immersive experience", the waitresses all wore long silk skirts with oriental characteristics. They even received professional training and even spoke a few simple greetings from the Karatu continent.

"Did you do all this?"

Zuo Si was dumbfounded as he watched these maids deliver trays to the table one by one in a well-trained manner, and skillfully express greetings to the guests in the language of Karatu continent. He felt a strong sense of unreality in his whole body.

You must know that he only provided architectural and decorative designs, as well as a certain number of porcelain tableware, but did not include the clothes, appearance and language of these waitresses.

Bernard responded triumphantly: "That's right! These are clothes that I specially asked a tailor to customize in batches after consulting a scholar from Ogma, the God of Knowledge.

Every waitress who works here must undergo at least five days of training before taking up the job.

It is precisely with this kind of meticulous service that guests who are willing to pay a lot of money can experience the dining experience they want. "

"You are truly a genius in business." Zuo Si couldn't help but sigh slightly.

As the saying goes, details determine success or failure.

If it weren't for the businessman's pursuit of excellence, most of these waitresses would be wearing a low-cut white shirt and an earth-colored linen skirt.

And this kind of dressing up will inevitably cause all the guests who come to dine to have a strong sense of screen tearing.

But now, the last flaw has been perfectly made up for.

"Thanks for the compliment. Come on, this is not the place to talk. Let's go to the private room on the upper floor."

Bernard took the lead and walked in from the main entrance, and soon accompanied by the manager to a reserved private room on the second floor.

Just after crossing the threshold, Zuo Si noticed that a copper stove was emitting white smoke outside, causing the whole room to be filled with a faint aroma.

Out of curiosity, he walked closer and looked inside through the gap in the copper furnace. He saw a small piece of gray and white stone-like material being heated and burned. He immediately asked in an uncertain tone: "Is this Ambergris?”

"Yes. As part of the extra services in the VIP room, it can provide a better dining environment for those nobles and wealthy businessmen. How about it? Does it feel good?"

Bernard picked up the teapot and got himself a cup of hot tea.

"It's really good. The service should be impeccable, and the next thing is the taste of the food."

After that, Zuo Si walked to a chair and sat down.

As soon as he sat down, the door to the back room was pushed open, and a small man ran in from the corridor outside.

"Hey! Look who's here! I thought you forgot about me!"

Following the familiar voice, the halfling Welby jumped up and gave Zuo Si a warm hug.

Yes!

With Zuo Si's current height, the chef already had to jump up to reach his neck.

There is no way, the halfling is only about one meter tall.

"Sorry, I've been too busy recently to take care of this."

Zuo Si patted the other party's back hard and then took it off his neck.

Because even though the halfling in front of him is not tall, his weight is quite astonishing. He is basically just a round meat ball.

"Haha! It doesn't matter! I'm living a good life now, and you have fulfilled your promise."

Welby was as cheerful as ever.

In other words, most halflings have a very good mentality and do not take the setbacks and difficulties encountered in daily life at all.

Zuo Si undoubtedly liked the nature of halflings very much. He poked the chef's belly and chin with his fingers, and joked with a smile: "With all the extra fat on your body, anyone who is not blind can tell that you are doing well." It must be quite moist. But I have to remind you, you'd better control your food intake and lose weight appropriately. Otherwise, you may die from being too fat in a few years."

"Damn it! Don't mention your weight to me. As a halfling, I would rather die of obesity than watch delicious food in front of me and not be able to eat it." Welby argued plausibly.

But soon, he changed the subject and asked in an expectant tone: "What are you going to eat today? If you don't mind, how about leaving the decision to me?"

"Can."

Zuo Si answered in the affirmative simply and neatly.

He believed that after such a long period of edification and training on his recipe, no matter what the halfling chef made, it would definitely not be unpalatable.

"Awesome! Give me some time. In forty minutes at most, I promise to serve a sumptuous and delicious dinner."

After saying this, Welby ran out quickly with his short legs.

Only at such times can one vaguely see the shadow of his youthful days as a thief.

After sending the halfling away, Zuo Si immediately asked without looking back: "As for the restaurant's income in recent months, did you give him Welby's share?"

Bernard hurriedly replied: "As per your request, I will give it to you that month.

Not only him, but also the bonuses promised to the kitchen helpers and waitresses were all paid out in small chunks.

However, Welby entrusted me with most of the money and sent it back to Zazespur, intending to use it to help the refugees displaced by the civil war in the Kingdom of Tethyr.

Although I don't think this is a good idea. "

"It doesn't matter. This is Welby's own money. No matter how he chooses to spend it, it is his personal freedom. Let's not get involved. But when donating, be careful not to give money directly. It is better to distribute food and clothing to avoid being used for ulterior motives. The guy will take advantage of it." Zuo Si warned nonchalantly.

In fact, when the caravan stopped at Zazespo, he noticed that although the hotel in Welby was not in good condition, it still insisted on making some food for the refugees every day.

So I'm not too surprised to hear that halflings give away most of the money they earn.

And it’s easy to see from this move that Welby’s alignment is Chaotic Good.

"Understood, I will arrange everything. In addition, I have something important to inform you, that is, I am getting married soon."

Bernard went around in circles for a long time and finally dropped this bombshell.

"Marry? To whom?"

Zuo Si turned around suddenly, with an expression of surprise and surprise on his face.

Because he originally thought that given the businessman's age of around thirty years old, he should have already been married, and maybe even had one or two children, but he had not moved into this house yet.

"She is Babette's sister. Our two families have always been close and have concluded an alliance more than once. This time, Babette and I have decided to take our relationship one step further and that is to form a marriage."

Bernard did not hide anything and openly stated the purpose of his marriage.

Because there is nothing to hide.

Anyone in Askatra who is not blind knows what this engagement means.

"Congratulations! It seems I have to put some thought into preparing a gift." Zuo Si sent his blessing in a half-joking tone.

"Thank you. I would like to invite you to my wedding. What do you think?" Bernard probed cautiously.

Zuo Si nodded without hesitation: "No problem. Give me a specific time and place then, and I promise to attend on time no matter how busy you are."

Upon hearing this promise, Bernard immediately smiled with joy: "Thank you very much. I feel much more at ease when you are here. As for the wedding date, I will discuss it with Babette later and try to set a date that is closer. "

"Why did you get married so late? As far as I know, the children of Amn nobles and wealthy merchants should all get married very early." Zuo Si asked in confusion.

Bernard smiled bitterly and explained: "It's not because of my father.

He wanted his illegitimate son to inherit the family business, so he deliberately delayed finding a suitable marriage partner for me and other siblings.

In this way, we will not be able to obtain support from external forces through marriage.

Similarly, other families have no excuses or reasons to intervene, and they can also prevent the next generation of heirs with legal inheritance rights from being born.

But it's not too late to get married now.

I am only thirty years old, in the prime of my life.

As long as you work hard, it will not be a problem to give birth to several sons..."