Chapter 441: Gathering the Friendly Arms (A 10,000-word chapter, please subscribe)
When was the last time you were looked down upon by others?
Elminster obviously doesn’t remember clearly.
Because when he was young, he worked as a shepherd, a robber, and a thief until he witnessed a dragon destroying his hometown, and then he was guided to the path of a mage.
During this time, he developed good swordsmanship, pickpocketing and stealth skills.
And these skills also gave him great help in his future adventure life.
Even in the years when he went to study in Myth Drannor, facing the extremely arrogant and conceited elven high mages, Elminster had never suffered such naked and undisguised contempt as he does today. .
After all, he had been transformed by magic into the image of an elf, and she was a beautiful, elegant, and pretty woman, and she had done some indescribable things with the second-generation magic goddess.
As for after the fall of Myth Drannor, he has mastered enough magical power, and has the blessing of the electorate of the goddess of magic. No matter who sees him, he will show courtesy.
Even the most powerful enemies are more afraid and fearful of them.
During the turbulent year, Elminster even relied on the divine power and divinity sealed in his body by the goddess to personally confront the saint of Bane, the god of tyranny.
With this power, he summoned the fallen second-generation magic goddess with the elemental spirit of the magic network, and successfully defeated the dark monarch's attempt.
It is precisely because of this incident that many people mistakenly believe that he is the closest to a god among all the active legendary mages in Faerûn today.
Although Elminster is very aware that there is a huge insurmountable gap between himself and the real gods.
But this does not prevent him from enjoying the various benefits brought by this huge reputation, especially the awe of enemies like Manson and Sazastan who also possess powerful magical power.
But now, what is most unacceptable to the great sage of Shadow Valley is that he is actually regarded as a stubborn old man who is ignorant, stupid and ignorant by his juniors who may not be a fraction of his age.
Especially the compassion revealed in his eyes was like an extremely sharp needle, deeply piercing his self-esteem and the pride he had always had.
Strong anger burns quickly like hay on fire and cannot be suppressed.
To sum it up simply, it breaks the defense.
Zuo Si undoubtedly noticed this and immediately laughed and joked: "Hahahaha! Are you angry?
It’s okay to be angry!
Do you know what is the most annoying thing about you?
It is this condescending attitude of always lecturing others as a sage, a senior, or someone who has experienced it.
You always stand from an empirical point of view and mistakenly believe that the primitive, barbaric, chaotic and highly decentralized power of Faerûn in the past few hundred years is the norm.
I feel that maintaining the existing city-states and each territory and village not belonging to each other can reflect the so-called free will.
As everyone knows, that is just the most insignificant part of the tens of thousands of years of history on this land, and it does not represent the future development trend.
To be exact, you don’t understand what politics is, what the laws of economic development are, let alone what the majority of the people living at the bottom of society in this world really need.
Of course, I don’t blame you.
Because many times even they themselves don’t know what they are longing for in their hearts.
After all, before this, a huge country with a high degree of political and economic unity had never been born on Faerûn, and there had never been stability that had never experienced turmoil for more than ten or even decades. regime.
And what I want to do is to show this possibility.
Perhaps the country I established will one day collapse and perish like Netheril and Imaskar, hundreds or even thousands of years later.
But this can plant a seed in the hearts of all people living on this land!
This seed will be like a candle in the darkness, illuminating the way forward for the people who were plunged into war, famine and suffering after the collapse of the empire.
All subsequent leaders and rulers will regard the restoration of the empire that I personally founded as the highest goal they pursue throughout their lives.
Do you think what I am doing is to satisfy my desire for power and dominance?
No!
What I really want to do is to raise the expectations of the people at the bottom of the world for a better life!
Let them understand what life is, rather than trying their best to maintain the most basic survival like they are now.
Because of this, I don’t care at all about the hostility between you and the Harper Alliance.
After all, this time, you are playing the role of destroyer of order, standing on the opposite side of the interests of most people.
I am on the side of the majority. "
"Humph! Then let’s wait and see! ”
Elminster extinguished the embers in his pipe, showing the extremely stubborn side of his character.
Perhaps he has seen too many people corrupted by power, so He opposed the establishment of an overly large country from the bottom of his heart, and believed that it would only lead to the concentration of power to a few powerful people, which would lead to terrible corruption, oppression and slavery
Of course, to a large extent, his thinking is not wrong.
The larger the country is with its land area and population, the more it needs to build a complex and rigorous governance system.
Once this system is completed, power and wealth will inevitably begin to flow into the hands of the privileged class.
No matter whether this class is bureaucrats, aristocrats, or businessmen who dominate capital;
No matter what system the country adopts.
Eventually, when vested interest groups form a monopoly, the country will completely become its tool to squeeze and enslave ordinary people.
At this moment, the more powerful the state machine is, the more serious the harm it will cause to the people at the bottom.
As for the corruption caused by the transaction of money and power, it is an almost unsolvable problem.
To date, no political system can eliminate internal corruption problems.
Whether it is the Silver Moon Alliance under the leadership of Alustriel, the City of Neverwinter led by the Church of Tyr, the God of Justice, or the City of Waterdeep where the judicial system is considered relatively clean, the internal bureaucracy of Corruption problems are quite serious.
After all, most people are selfish and greedy by nature.
Especially in the absence of effective regulatory means, many bureaucrats with real power can take advantage of legal loopholes to benefit themselves.
As a person from a modern society, Zuo Si knows very well that corruption can never be eradicated by the judicial system alone.
No matter how independent, honest and fair the judicial system is, it is pretty good if it can effectively curb the spread of corruption.
Looking at the modern countries on earth, none of them rely on legal means to clean up large-scale internal systemic corruption. Political means are usually used.
So he chose to let the undead lichs outside the power system be responsible for supervision and draw an insurmountable red line.
Once a powerful person crosses this red line, what awaits them is no longer a judicial trial, but may affect the disappearance of the entire family.
Although Zuo Si is not sure how long the deterrence-based supervision system he has established can last, at least it is still very useful at this stage.
Maybe in the future, you can consider adding Shuoyou mobile terminal as a monitoring supplement.
As Elminster was angered by the stimulation, a silence that lasted for more than ten minutes quickly fell between the two.
If it had been in the past when there were less people in the hotel, the difference between them might have been quickly noticed by Jasila and Khalid, who were sitting more than ten meters away.
However, due to the recent raging of Sarevok's bandits, the Friendly Arm Hotel was crowded with merchants and convoys who were too scared to go out for the time being.
At a glance, the entire hall is in a mess.
Some of the more unlucky ones have been trapped here for many days, and their mood can be said to be extremely bad. The slightest bump will immediately lead to conflicts and abuse, and in more serious cases, fights will break out.
Thanks to Bantly Mirror Shadow being a very powerful dwarf mage, he can often stop the situation before it becomes irreversible.
Otherwise, an ordinary hotel owner would probably have to watch the guests in the lobby physically mingle.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zuo Si looked at Jasira who had worked with him not far away with great interest, and found that the half-elf druid had become more mature and womanly than a few years ago. taste.
Especially the kind of beauty that has a slightly strong and wild temperament, which can easily make men with strong hormone secretion have the desire to conquer.
Coupled with the fact that "married woman" is a bonus in the eyes of many old pornographic critics...
No wonder Aberdare, the son of Baal, had thoughts about her when they first met him. .
In just a few minutes, Khalid had to step in and send away several guys who came to chat with and harass his wife.
“Aren’t you going to say hello to them?”
Elminster had obviously calmed down and spoke again to break the silence.
Zuo Si chuckled and shook his head: "Let's forget it.
The last time Jasira and Khalid and I separated was not very pleasant.
< br>
I believe they don't want to see me appear at this point in time.
What's more, do you know how many variables it will bring to the already complicated situation once the news of my appearance in Friendly Arms spreads?
At least the Dukes of Baldur's Gate will be nervous to death, and the forces lurking in the dark and waiting for opportunities will also change their original plans.
This is just like you deliberately hiding your identity to pick up Gillian's adopted son two days ago. The truth is actually the same.
In this game, none of us are suitable to end the game personally. ”
"How do you know that I went to contact Gillian's adopted son? Could it be that... you arranged the two Zhentarim spies in the team!" Elminster asked slightly surprised.
“No, no, no, don’t think I’m that boring.
In fact, that’s just the normal operation of the Zhentarim dark intelligence network, and it has nothing to do with me.
Because neither Aberdare nor Imoen have any secrets from the beginning. Knowing the cruel, dark and bloody fate they bear, and knowing what will happen next
Believe me, no matter what influence you try to exert on the Sons of Baal, the final result will be failure.
The divinity and power of the God of Murder determine that they have no second way to go.
All the Sons of Baal must participate in this feast of slaughter and death.
And once they die, their souls will be absorbed into the Throne of Blood, and there is no way to be resurrected by any other method.
It is even more impossible to enter the Hazy Realm and go to the country where one believes in the gods to become a petitioner.
The only way to escape this tragic fate is to kill all the other brothers and sisters and become the final winner. ”
While saying these words, Zuo Si always stared into the other person’s eyes, trying to determine how much the chosen one of the goddess of magic knew about the truth about the Throne of Blood.
Like As he just described, the saddest thing about the Sons of Baal is that they have no choice, and they also have no way to live their lives peacefully like ordinary people.
Just open your mouth in Elminster. When I wanted to say something, there was a sudden noise at the door of the hotel.
Several people ran in from outside and shouted: "No... it's not good!" There's a fight outside! An unknown mage is casting a spell! He's already killed two guards! ”
"What? Who! Who dares to kill people on my territory! And the person they kill is a guard?"
The innkeeper sitting in front of the bar selling low-level magic items made by himself to a tourist - Bantli Mirror Shadow He jumped up suddenly, with a look of shock and anger on his face.
"I know that mage! He calls himself Tanisin! He is a bounty hunter! He seems to be tracking someone with a bounty on his head!"
Another drunken mercenary Suddenly interrupted.
“Damn it! You can’t do that at Friendly Arms! This is my territory! Everyone must abide by the rules I set!”
Bantli knocked on the table angrily, then got under the bar and took out the spell-casting material package and some magic items, intending to arm himself and go out to teach this ignorant mage a lesson.
But while he was tinkering, on the narrow street outside the hotel entrance, Aberdare was experiencing the most critical moment in his life.
Because unlike the last time he was attacked and protected by his adoptive father Gillian, this time he had to face the terrible magical threat on his own.
The enemy just released an unknown magic, and the human mage Thrall who just joined the team instantly fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
The other halfling thief, Montaro, was obviously charmed and was chasing Imoen to attack crazily, leaving him with no time to draw his bow and shoot arrows.
As for Aberdare himself, he was also hit hard in the chest by the magic missile. Not only was a large piece of his armor dented, but two of his ribs seemed to be broken. He was enduring severe pain and wanted to rush forward and hack the opponent to death.
Unfortunately, when he rushed forward, he suddenly felt that his eyes were blurred, and several identical enemies appeared.
【Mirror Shadow Technique】?
Since he was raised by a mage, the son of Baal instantly recognized the illusion magic that arcane casters often use when they suffer melee attacks.
Without any time to think, he picked up the giant sword and slashed at the nearest person.
Unfortunately, it turns out that this is not an entity, but an illusion created by magic.
The sword passed through the illusion without any hindrance, and the illusion also disappeared.
Two more!
Aberdare immediately changed direction and made another powerful slash with his backhand.
Unfortunately, his luck didn't seem to be very good, and the 50% probability failed. The sword passed through the illusion again.
The consequences of two consecutive attack errors are obviously very serious.
Tanisin, a bounty hunter, completed his spell, raised his hand and pointed lightly at the Son of Baal.
In an instant!
An indescribable fear flooded into Aberdare's brain and consciousness.
At this moment, there was only one thought left in his heart.
That's escape!
Tanisin easily used a second-ring magic [Intimidation] to manipulate the Son of God into the palm of his hand.
Now, he can calmly chant a spell to summon a small infernal snake, deliver a kiss of death to each of his prey, and then cut off the target's head to collect the bounty.
But at this critical moment, Aberdare, who was still in panic, suddenly flashed a dark red light that was difficult to detect, followed by an uncontrollable bloodthirsty desire. Overcome the previous fear.
Before Tanisin could react to what was happening, he saw a dazzling cold light flashing in front of him.
Immediately afterwards there was severe pain and blood spurting out, and then he fell uncontrollably on his back to the ground.
At the last moment of losing consciousness, the mage finally understood that his collarbone had been split open along the side of his neck by a giant sword, and half of his body and a large number of internal organs were exposed.
But until his death, he still didn't understand why this young man with a bounty on his head could suddenly get rid of the influence of magic.
Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to regain consciousness in a short time after being attacked.
Unfortunately, Tanisin will never know the answer.
Aberdare, who had successfully killed a powerful enemy, fell into a very strange state as he looked at the internal organs flowing out from the split corpse and the thick plasma that had gathered to form a pool.
He could feel that something was awakening in his body.
And not only did I not feel sick or uncomfortable after killing, but I felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure and enjoyment, as if killing could bring unprecedented pleasure.
Fortunately!
This state did not last long, and Aberdare was awakened by Imoen's cry for help.
Since Montaro is a spy of the Zhentarim, he obviously has much more experience in combat than the girl.
The latter was in danger under his fierce attack, and even the bowstring of the short bow was cut off by the dagger.
“Get away! Stay away from Imoen!”
Seeing that the little sister he grew up with was almost killed, Aberdare immediately became extremely angry and irritable. The advantage of strength and size will knock the opponent away.
But due to the charm of magic, Montaro did not choose to escape or stop attacking just because the situation was not good for him.
Just the opposite!
He instantly took out a bottle of invisibility potion, drank it, and disappeared from the sight of the other two people.
About two or three seconds later, this sinister and cunning little man jumped out of the shadows and stabbed Aberdare hard in the back of the neck with a dagger.
“Be careful!”
Imoen, who is also a thief, discovered this first and suddenly threw the dagger in his hand, interfering with Montaro’s backstab.
Aberdare, whose life was threatened, did not hesitate and decapitated his temporary teammate who had just joined the team with a single stroke of his backhand sword.
Poof! ! !
Dazzling blood arrows spurted out from the aorta in the neck, bathing the two sons of Baal in a rain of blood on the spot.
Especially for the thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl who saw such an impactful scene for the first time, she plopped down on the ground as if she was stupid, and her whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
“Oh my God! What happened here? How did it become like a slaughterhouse?”
Bantli Mirror Shadow, who had just rushed out of the hotel, was stunned and asked loudly. Because both Tanisin and Montaro's death methods were too bloody and brutal.
Not to mention that there were two corpses of guards lying not far away, burned beyond recognition by fire magic.
"I...we are the victims! It was the mage who attacked us first."
Imoen, who had recovered from the intense stimulation, got up first, still in shock. to explain to the innkeeper why the fight took place.
She didn't want her and others to be locked up as murderers, or be forcibly deported.
"Yes! I can testify for this girl! It was the guy whose body was split open. He attacked first and killed two guards who came to stop him."
A businessman The well-dressed fat man carefully got out from under the carriage, his eyes filled with joy of surviving the disaster.
You must know that any battle involving mages is often the most likely to affect innocent people around.
Especially fireball and burning hands, which cause range damage, as well as the evocation spells that can also cause fires. Ordinary people without professional levels will almost certainly die if they take a hit.
"Bah! You stupid bastard! I'm taking advantage of you! How dare you cause trouble in Friendly Arms? If you fall into my hands, I will make you taste life worse than death."
Irritability The dwarf boss spat fiercely at the corpse, and then began to call other guards to help clean up the corpse. At the same time, he said to the two sons of Baal who were covered in blood: "Well done, young man. As compensation for being frightened. , I will provide you with a free room, food, and drinks. Oh, by the way, the things on this damn mage are also your trophies."
"Thank you."
Aberdare was obviously still immersed in that wonderful feeling, and his eyes and reactions seemed a bit dull.
But most people, including Bantly Mirror Shadow, thought that this was the sequelae caused by fighting and killing, and did not pay too much attention to it. They just patted their shoulders and said a few words of comfort.
A man dressed as an adventurer even handed him a half-drunk glass of wine, indicating that he could take a few sips to relax his tense nerves.
Imon took the opportunity to find a spell book, dagger, potion and several scrolls from Tanisin's body, and at the same time stood in silence for a few seconds in front of Montaro's headless body.
She knew very well that Aberdare had no choice but to kill this controlled temporary teammate, but she still felt a little sad mentally.
As for resurrection...
Let’s not talk about whether the priest of the small temple of Friendly Arm has the ability to cast the five-ring resurrection magic.
Just the expensive price that needs to be paid for resurrection is far from enough with the financial resources the team currently has.
So burying him in peace became the only option.
After all, the real world is not a game. You can purchase a series of magical services such as resurrection from any temple.
Except for the main temples in big cities, priests who preside over small temples or shrines like this usually do not exceed LV5, and at most they only use second- to third-level magic.
But fortunately, after learning the specific situation, the innkeeper was very considerate and allowed the poor victim to be buried in the walled cemetery.
At least you don’t have to worry about the corpse being dug up and eaten by wild beasts, or being awakened and turned into a zombie by a passing necromancer.
When everything calmed down, Sal, who had been hit by a sleep spell, was also woken up by two big dicks. Then the three of them walked into the hotel and took a hot shower first.
It won’t work if you don’t wash it.
Because I have been running around in the wild for so many days, my body itself exudes a strong sour smell.
Coupled with the pungent smell of blood, it is estimated that walking into the hall will make half of the guests who are eating vomit.
After taking a shower, they put on clean clothes, sat down on the table near the bar, and stuffed steaming food into their mouths like hungry wolves.
Even little Imoen, who is a beautiful girl, can't care about her image at the moment. Her fingers and mouth are all stained with reflective oil.
Facts have proved that cultivation, grace, beauty, and deportment are all insignificant in the face of real hunger.
After filling her stomach, the girl took a long breath and said in a slightly emotional voice: "I finally feel like I am alive again. This is the food that humans should eat. Instead of fish and barbecue that are tasteless and half-cooked."
"Yeah! I never knew that a pot of chicken could be so delicious."
Aberdare also felt his bulging appetite, staring at the empty pot that had been eaten to the point where there was only a little bit of soup left.
Although he wanted to eat more, his stomach had reached its limit and he couldn't hold it anymore.
"By the way! Didn't you say that before dying, Gillian asked you to come to Friendly Arms to find someone? Where should we start now? There are too many people here."
Imoen glanced at the bustling scene in the hotel lobby, his eyes flashing with excitement, and his ten fingers were twitching uncontrollably.
You know without asking that this is the adventure she has been longing for since she was a child.
Especially the wallets fixed to the belts of the guests made this fledgling thief unable to help but have the evil idea of making a fortune.
"Uh... I'm actually not sure where to start. Maybe if we sit here and wait for a while, the other party will come to the door?"
Aberdare's tone With intense uncertainty.
After all, things like this that require thinking are not what he is good at.
In the past, when Gillian was alive, this dedicated adoptive father would arrange everything properly. The only thing he needed to do was to do as he was told.
"Listen to me, don't go looking for those two people.
Let's take a short rest here, and then go directly north to Baldur's Gate, or south to Belgost.
I heard that the West Heartland region is being invaded by the Zhentil Castle army, and many towns are willing to pay high prices to recruit capable mercenaries
With your skills, you may be able to take advantage of them. Make a fortune."
The mage Thrall, who had always remained silent, suddenly suggested.
"War?"
I don't know why, but when he heard these two words, Aberdare suddenly felt a strong agitation in his heart.
Since he had been walking through the deep mountains and forests before, he had almost no idea of what had happened recently in the outside world.
Thal nodded seriously: "That's right.
I just asked the passing merchants that Zhentil Fort's army is approaching the eastbound market.< br>
If nothing else goes wrong, it will take at most two or three days to capture it, and then continue westward along the road to conquer all the towns along the way.
When they cross the tributary of the Chongsa River, there will definitely be a reaction from Baldur's Gate.
This means that a battle to determine the ownership of this land is about to begin. It is the ideal stage for adventurers like us who want to make a name for ourselves.
Imagine, if we can turn the tide and defeat the army of Zhentil Keep, or help Zhentil Keep capture Baldur's Gate, how much fame and unimaginable rewards can we gain from it? ”
“Sounds good...”
Aberdare was undoubtedly moved. He picked up the cup and took a sip of cheap dark beer. He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.
Just when he wanted to ask for details, he suddenly saw two figures covering their faces with cloaks walking from a distance.
One of the shorter women said bluntly: "Don't go! That's not what you should be involved in, Aberdare Adrian."
"Who are you? Why? Do you know my name? And what’s with the surname Adrian? How come I never knew I had a surname?” Aberdare asked with a frown.
"We are friends of Gillian. My name is Jasira, and this is my husband Khalid. We have been waiting here for you for several days."
With that said, Jasira took off her hood, revealing her long golden hair and that beautiful face unique to half-elves.
In an instant!
Aberdare's eyes began to shine, and he felt that his heartbeat was accelerating uncontrollably, and he subconsciously made a swallowing movement, and some fantasies that men would have appeared in his mind. .
Fortunately, he did not show the dirty thoughts in his heart. Instead, he pretended to be very cautious and questioned: "How can I believe that you are not hunters who come here for the bounty? You know just now We just experienced a fierce battle right in front of the hotel.”
“It’s very simple. I have a letter written by Gillian not long ago. I believe you are most familiar with his notes and tone. .”
Jasira simply presented something that could prove her identity.
Aberdare took it and glanced at it, and immediately confirmed that the letter was written by his adoptive father. He raised his head and asked: "Gillian knew that there would be danger, so he asked you to come here in advance?"< br>
Jasiela nodded slightly: "Yes. He is a very cautious mage. He contacted us as soon as he sensed the danger coming.
Unfortunately, we It was too far away from Candlekeep at that time.
When we arrived here, we learned that you had been ambushed.
Sorry, please forgive me for being late. "
"No, it's not your fault. ”
Aberdare quickly took the right hand handed over by Jasira.
At this moment, this guy’s mind was filled with beauty, and he had already brought Gillian to death. The previous grief, anger and hatred were forgotten.
What he did proved once again that the instinct that governs human behavior is actually no different from that of most animals.
After the appetite is satisfied, the next thing to think about is how to reproduce and mate with beautiful members of the opposite sex so that their genes can continue.
As a childhood sweetheart and playmate who grew up together, Imoen obviously knew very well what Aberdare was thinking right now. He curled his lips secretly to express his contempt, and then turned his attention to the other people in the hotel lobby. place and want to have some fun for myself.
Suddenly!
She saw something familiar near the table in the corner.
To be precise, it is a gemstone ring worn on the finger.
The girl vaguely remembered that Zuo Si was wearing the same one on his hand during the last few days after leaving Candlekeep.
What confuses her is that the person wearing this ring is too tall, and for unknown reasons, she can’t see his face clearly.
However, out of strong curiosity, Imon still chose to sneak away while others were not paying attention to her, and followed her target to a guest room on the second floor.
When she pried open the door carefully and skillfully, she suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.
"Hey! Little thief! Are you trying to steal something from me again?"
"So...Sos!! Why are you here? And you are so tall?"
The girl turned around suddenly, with an expression of excitement and joy on her face, and then jumped up high. Just a warm hug.
But just when she wanted to express her inner excitement with a more intimate kiss on the cheek, a finger poked her forehead and pushed her away gently.
"Don't rub the grease from your lips onto my face. Also, you just ate a lot of garlic and onions, right? The taste is simply indescribable."
Zuo Si wrinkled his nose. He looked disgusted.
"Hahaha! I just ate not only garlic and onions, but also some pickled and smoked fish. How about it, do you want me to give you a warm kiss and share the taste of these things?"
Love Meng laughed and deliberately pursed his lips, showing off his naughty and quirky character.
Zuo Si raised his hand and knocked the girl on the forehead and said with a smile: "Hot kiss? Forget it! With your current withered body that wants butt but not butt, and wants breasts but not breasts, I am not interested. "
"Who do you think has a shriveled figure? I am the most beautiful and young girl in Candleburg!"
Imon tugged on her clothes as hard as possible. Puff up your chest to make yourself look more confident.
But unfortunately, all these efforts were in vain.
I don’t know if it’s because he’s too young, or because he doesn’t eat enough meat, eggs, and milk, or because of the influence of Baal’s divine power and divinity.
Although it cannot be completely called a "steel plate" or an "airport", it is only slightly up and down.
"Yes, yes! Apart from you, is there another woman in Candlekeep who can be called a girl? As far as I know, even the youngest female librarian is of a higher grade. Over forty years old." Zuo Si stared at the girl's chest and joked.
Since the two of them were already very familiar with each other when they stayed at the Candlekeep Inn a few years ago, he didn't have so many scruples when speaking, and his tone was extra casual.
"Hmph! I'm still young, and I will definitely grow older in a few years. If you don't take advantage of it now, it will be too late when I become beautiful and sexy, with a large number of suitors behind me."
Imond raised her chin slightly, assuming the arrogant posture of a noble lady.
But within half a minute, she couldn't hold back and started giggling.
In order not to affect other guests and not to reveal his whereabouts, Zuo Si quickly invited the girl into the room he had chosen.
After closing the door, Aimeng asked again: "Why are you here? Are you waiting for me specially?"
"Although I really want to answer yes, unfortunately I am actually waiting for another person, and I just met him to talk about something." Zuo Si shrugged and replied.
“Another person?”
Imond’s eyes revealed strong curiosity.
"Don't ask, I won't tell you who he is. Also, remember not to tell anyone that you saw me here." Zuo Si warned very seriously.
Because he did not expect that this girl could actually recognize him by one of the magic rings on her finger.
"Hehe! It's fine to keep it secret, but you have to give me some hush money, right?"
Imoen made a gesture of rubbing his hands like a fly, with a malicious and treacherous smile on his face.
Her funny look immediately made Zuo Si dumbfounded. He took off the ram ring that had been with him for many years and handed it over. He said angrily: "Here! I think this should be able to seal you off. "
"Is this... a magic ring?"
The girl held it in her hand and examined it carefully.
"Yeah. It can summon a sheep's head made of a force field to hit the target and cause huge damage. It can also be used to destroy city gates and walls. But be careful when using it. It can cause much more damage than you think. ." Zuo Si explained patiently.
"Ha! That's right! I swear I will never tell anyone that I saw you here."
Imond put the ring on the index finger of her left hand and felt the ring inside. The magical power it contains.
But soon, she remembered the spell book she had found on the enemy's corpse, and quickly took it out and asked in an uncertain tone: "Sos, do you think I have the potential to become a mage? ?"
"Of course!
Most people with no intellectual deficiencies can learn to become mages.
Especially for a beautiful girl as smart as you.
However, I advise you not to just take a spell book and try it on your own.
That would be too dangerous.
If you really want to learn, I recommend that you go to Baldur's Gate or other wizard towers in big cities or places that sell magic items and buy a copy of "Magic Principles and Introduction" and start learning from scratch.
Don't worry, the price of this book is not expensive, only about a few dozen gold coins. ”
After thinking for a while, Zuo Si gave an affirmative answer.
He vaguely remembered that the reason why Imon turned from a thief to a mage was because he got Tanisin’s spell book. , and then she was left alone to figure things out.
I have to say that the fact that this girl did not kill herself and her teammates in the end, or create a terrible magical catastrophe, was simply blessed by the goddess of luck.
""Magic Principles and Introduction"? Okay, I remember the name of this book. ”
Imoen nodded thoughtfully.
In the following time, she asked some questions one after another about the recent situation in Baldur's Gate, as well as the murder of Gillian and the pursuit of Aberdare by bounty hunters.
But Zuo Si did not tell the girl the truth. Instead, he acted as the evil "Riddler" and deliberately revealed a little specious and vague information.
Before leaving, he also left behind a magic prop that could be used to resurrect the dead.
As a result, Imoen didn't even hesitate and resurrected the dead halfling thief Montaro that night, which shocked the rest of the team.
Fortunately, she was smarter and ran away immediately after using the props without being seen by anyone.
Montaro, who had come back from the dead, was even more confused, unable to understand the situation at all.
Jassila firmly believed that there must be some unknown conspiracy behind this, and strongly suggested that Aberdare expel the two suspicious Zhentarim spies from the team.
Anyway, with the help of Zuo Si, this improvised adventure team finally hit the road.
Different from the original plot where they went south to Naxikai to investigate the pollution encountered in the iron mines, this time they will face a more complicated situation, as well as Irenicas hiding in the dark and watching covetously...
(End of this chapter)