Chapter 414

An official announcement issued by the “Holrewen Federation News Office” quickly went viral on the Spirit Net, its popularity shooting straight to the top of the rankings.

“Baldur’s Gate Joins the Holrewen Federation; Campaign to Retake the City Officially Begins.”

The news swept across Faerûn like a hurricane, spreading at astonishing speed through the Spirit Net.

With the Weave in turmoil and disaster descending upon the world, Baldur’s Gate could be called the greatest victim in all of Faerûn.

Everyone had been paying particularly close attention to its situation, but no matter how hard ordinary people racked their brains, none of them had expected this outcome.

Retaking Baldur’s Gate should have been the Lords’ Alliance’s responsibility, yet that burden had suddenly been transferred to the newly established Holrewen Federation.

Even Waterdeep and Silverymoon wanted nothing to do with it, yet someone had actually volunteered to shoulder the responsibility.

Considering that Anser had only recently helped Cormyr repel the orc coalition, everyone could only privately admire the paladin’s sense of justice and willingness to take responsibility.

Without anyone realizing it, Anser’s reputation soared once again.

Meanwhile, in Paros.

Grand Duke Ravengard was directing people as they packed up their belongings when a sudden “ding” sounded in his mind.

“Congratulations. You have become a member of the Spirit Net. Please choose a designation for yourself first…”

He was startled at first, but quickly realized what had happened, and a trace of curiosity and delight appeared on his face.

‘Martin was right. The Spirit Net really does like joining in whenever something big happens.’

Apparently, after the war between Cormyr and the orcs broke out, the number of members in the Suzail region had shown a noticeable upward trend.

And now it was Paros’s turn.

He returned to his room, closed his eyes, sensed the Spirit Net, and followed the instructions to give himself a designation: Grand Duke Ravengard.

After carefully familiarizing himself with the Spirit Net’s rules, light and shadow flickered before his eyes, and a mental projection several meters wide and tall floated in front of him.

The very first news story concerned him.

‘Anser moves fast.’

He was caught somewhat off guard. His own key subordinates had only just been informed, yet the entire continent of Faerûn already knew.

‘The Spirit Net… really is terrifying.’

He immediately recognized the Spirit Net’s potential power. News was merely a tool. Manipulating the direction of public opinion, interfering with local rule, guiding military operations… all of it would be just as easy.

He composed himself and continued exploring the Spirit Net’s other features, only to grow increasingly astonished the more he saw.

At the same time, he had no choice but to believe the claim that the Spirit Net originated from the Seldarine. Mortals simply did not possess power like this.

He searched for “Lord of Holrewen,” intending to add Anser as a friend, only to discover that no such person could be found.

‘Strange. Did Martin remember it wrong?’

He considered the odds of the Spirit Net making a mistake far lower than the odds of Martin doing so.

Knock, knock, knock…

A burst of urgent knocking came from outside the door.

It took him a moment to pull himself out of the Spirit Net before he stood and opened the door.

Outside stood a tall female moon elf dressed in practical hunting clothes, with long silver hair, smooth pale skin, and a cool expression.

“Ms. Silverleaf, come in.” Grand Duke Ravengard was slightly surprised, though he understood why she had come.

“Good afternoon, Grand Duke.”

Silverleaf’s expression remained unchanged. She closed the door and followed the Grand Duke over to the sofa, sitting with her slender back perfectly straight.

The Grand Duke seemed long accustomed to her cold demeanor and calmly asked, “Something wrong?”

“Baldur’s Gate has joined the Holrewen Federation?” Silverleaf stared directly into the Grand Duke’s eyes.

“Yes. Are you a member of the Spirit Net too? We can add each other as friends.” Rather than getting straight to the point, the Grand Duke started talking about the Spirit Net instead.

“No.” Silverleaf’s expression did not change. “Everyone knows that Paros is a vassal of Baldur’s Gate. Shouldn’t you have informed me before making this decision?”

The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes. Remembering Paros’s infuriating attitude lately—neither refusing nor cooperating—his gaze instantly turned cold.

“How rare of you to remember that.” He leaned back against the sofa.

“I’ve always remembered. The independent council of Paros has also always fulfilled its responsibilities.” Silverleaf’s eyes flickered, her voice rising slightly.

“Indeed.” The Grand Duke sighed softly, then smiled as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He admitted that he had changed somewhat before. He had grown resentful toward the world and the people around him, always hoping others would do more.

Silverleaf had done nothing wrong. Her side had taken in the refugees from Baldur’s Gate, paid its taxes in advance, and provided facilities and supplies. They had already fulfilled their obligations.

He couldn’t resent others simply because they hadn’t given everything they had.

Now it was all over. From now on, he would no longer be alone.

“What are you smiling about?” Silverleaf asked, puzzled.

“From this moment on, Paros is no longer a vassal of Baldur’s Gate. Neither you nor this city are bargaining chips for me.” The Grand Duke explained with a relaxed expression.

“You mean…?”

“Anser said that you and Paros are free. The choice is entirely yours. If you want independence, become independent. If you want to join someone else, join whoever you want.”

Silverleaf’s eyes shifted slightly, her expression freezing as a jumble of emotions rose within her, leaving her unsure whether she felt regret or relief.

“I’ve heard that many nobles from the Claw City-States are scrambling to join the Holrewen Federation. Joining itself is possible, but becoming a councilor or government official requires a strict vetting process, so it’s still quite difficult.” The Grand Duke abruptly changed the subject and brought up another interesting piece of news.

Silverleaf remained silent.

“You’re different.” The Grand Duke stroked his beard as he studied her. “You may only get one chance. You should have heard about what happened with the Rock of Bral. You could easily follow that kind of autonomous model.”

“Paros cannot give up control of its military. We trust no one.” Silverleaf stood up, no longer daring to listen.

“Do you remember the Quesser and the Moonshadow Quelin inn at Silver Scale Bay?” The Grand Duke spoke faster. “Captain Salian and Gwyneth have both joined the Federation. You fought alongside them before. Perhaps you should ask them.”

Silverleaf’s footsteps paused before she strode out of the room.

Many of Anser’s deeds were no secret. Of course she had heard about them.

“I’ve done everything I can.” The Grand Duke sprawled back onto the sofa and reconnected to the Spirit Net.

An energetic song immediately began playing in his mind. The style was unlike anything he had ever heard, but its rhythm was lively and full of passion, making his blood stir despite himself.

He followed the flashing icon into the music section.

“The Most Dazzling Folk Style? Which people? And who’s Phoenix Legend? Sounds impressive.”

He couldn’t make sense of it, but he loved the song. It was incredibly infectious, the kind of music that filled him with energy just by listening to it.

Immersed in the music, the emotions he had kept bottled up seemed to finally find an outlet. They quickly vanished without a trace, leaving him tremendously invigorated.

“I can’t slack off either. Who wasn’t a genius once? I’m only in my fifties—I’m still in my prime. I can’t leave all the pressure on Anser.”

He abruptly sat up and headed outside while listening to the music, preparing to hand over his cash and that Artifact to Anser first.

But the moment he stepped through the door, the music stopped.

He went back in to check and couldn’t help silently cursing them as bloodsuckers. The music actually cost money. Otherwise, he could only listen to half of the song as a preview.

There were two payment options. One was a monthly music membership for 5 Spirit Coins a month, which didn’t sound particularly expensive.

The other was to purchase individual songs for 1 Spirit Coin each, after which they could be listened to permanently without restriction.

“But I… don’t think I have any money.”

The corner of his mouth twitched as he suddenly realized that his fortune was gone too. He was about to become completely penniless.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a little sad.