Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 57 Xi Ke'er

As she spoke, Nancy pulled out another piece of jewelry: "These are all things you wore back then. Can you remember them?"

Garrick's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom. He roughly believed that the other party really knew him and began to examine the jewelry in front of him one by one.

He shook his head, shook his head, and shook his head again. There was almost nothing he remembered, not even one of them, until he saw a ring.

Garrick picked up the ring. The band was made of angel stone, engraved with the letters GA, and topped with a rose base set with a ruby. He looked somewhat surprised.
“I also have this ring, exactly the same. It was on my finger back then, but unfortunately it was stolen along with other jewelry.”

“This ring was originally a pair, and the GA on it represents your real name, Gavial. You didn’t want to wear two identical rings, so you always kept one in your jewelry box.”

Then Nancy's tone became somewhat urging: "Now, I think you should be able to believe me, right? Why don't we go see Grand Duke Iltan? Perhaps you can recall something."

“I understand, I’ll go with you!” Garrick stood up excitedly, but then suddenly panicked: “I secretly escaped from the Valley Wind Band, they won’t let me go.”

“Don’t worry about that bullshit Valley Wind Band. No one in Baldur’s Gate dares to challenge the power of Flame Fist or the Grand Duke’s authority.” Nancy’s words were resolute and without the slightest hesitation.

“I know Flame Fist, and I also know that the man who might be my father. But right now, Hilke is in Belgost. She found me the day before yesterday, but she has to make a deal and asked me to wait for her here. She will come to find me today.”

"Then why didn't you run?" Zhang Yuan asked.

"I dare not. She left a secret mark on me. Xi Ke'er is a level 6 mage and she has two guards with her."

"A level six mage?" Nancy couldn't help but frown.

A level six mage isn't exactly high-level, but they've reached the threshold of the intermediate level and are capable of casting third-circle spells. In Baldur's Gate, that wouldn't be much of a deal, but right now, with just the two of them, facing a combination of a mage and two guards would be a bit tricky.

But it's too late to call for reinforcements now. It takes at least a week to travel between Baldur's Gate and Belgost, and by then Garrick will have already been taken back to the Valley Wind Orchestra.

While Nancy was still thinking of a solution, someone next to her had already begun casting a spell.

"Target: Quarry." With these words, Little Stone Man reappeared.

"What are you doing? Why are you suddenly summoning elements?" Nancy, who also regarded Xiaoxiao as a stone elemental, was a little confused.

Nancy, of course, had no idea. As a veteran player who had killed Xi Ke'er at least a hundred times in the game, she didn't have much hope for a peaceful resolution to the matter.

Upon hearing that the opponent was actually a level 6 mage, I quickly summoned a chess piece first, thinking it better to be safe than sorry.

“I’ve heard of that Xi Ke’er too. She’s not the easy type to talk to. I think we’d better prepare for the worst,” Zhang Yuan explained.

Upon hearing this, Garrick, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in: "That's right. On the surface, Xi Ke'er looks cute and charming, and she's the most popular female artist in our band. But in reality, she's not only greedy, but she also likes to instigate and hurt others, and she doesn't care about human life at all."

“Your summoned creature seems to have some use. If the negotiations fail, you and it can hold off the two guards, and I'll deal with the mage.”

Nancy, who initially found it troublesome, is now plotting how to take down the other side in a two-against-three situation.

Zhang Yuan, naturally not objecting, nodded and then had Xiao Xiao curl up into a ball in an inconspicuous corner.

Of course, the best outcome would be to return to Baldur's Gate before Xike arrives, leaving her to suffer the consequences. Once inside Baldur's Gate, in Flamefist's territory, what's a level six mage like her? Hmph. A newbie with only a level one mage level thought to himself.

Unfortunately, things in life are not only dramatic, but they also often don't go as planned; sometimes, they can even be described using Murphy's Law.

Just as the three of them got up to leave, a cloyingly sweet voice drifted over.

"Oh, where are you going, my lovely little Garrick? Your departure without saying goodbye has broken my heart."

The speaker was a woman who had just entered the room; she was the person they were talking about, Xi Ke'er.

She wore a rose-colored ball gown, the upper part of which was accentuated by her full, high breasts and slender waist, creating a stunning curve. Her arms were completely exposed, and her alabaster skin radiated a soft, beautiful glow. Only a sheer silk shawl offered any partial cover.

The skirt was very long, only revealing a small portion of her white, lotus-root-like calves. But as she walked, it became apparent that the skirt had slits on both sides, and with each step, her two long, shapely legs were partially visible beneath the skirt. The white light that occasionally shone from under the red skirt was dazzling.

"You must be Xike'er? We are Flamefist soldiers from Baldur's Gate, ordered by Grand Duke Iltan to bring Garrick to Flamefist headquarters for an investigation." Nancy didn't intend to reveal Garrick's true identity; in case the other party didn't cooperate, being the Grand Duke's son would actually be a good excuse for being a hostage.

"Oh? People from Flame Fist? But your reach is probably not long enough to control our Valley Wind, is it?" Xi Ke'er clearly didn't have much respect for the title of Grand Duke Flame Fist.

“Garrick is just an ordinary member of your band. Besides, we’re only borrowing him for a while. After this mission, he will have nothing to do with our Flame Fist.”

"Really? That's not out of the question, but you'll have to pay our band the due fees. And, my little Garrick, remember to come back when you're done, or they'll get angry."

"What kind of compensation do you want?" Nancy held back her anger.

“Little Garrick brings us at least 20 gold coins every time he tours. You Flame Fist bands can’t be so stingy as to make our poor little band lose money, can you?” Xi Ke’er pretended to be pitiful.

"This, twenty gold is too much! Our Flame Fist isn't run by Wojnarowski." Zhang Yuan, who was standing next to him, jumped up when he heard the price. All his possessions combined amounted to just over twenty gold.

"Hehe, if you don't have the capital, don't try to seduce the men in our band. Twenty gold coins is already our biggest concession." Xi Ke'er's expression changed as quickly as flipping a book, and she suddenly became fierce.

Zhang Yuangang, still angry, wanted to argue with her, but Nancy stopped him and then took out a pearl necklace. "This is more than enough as payment, now please leave."

Xi Ke'er's eyes lit up as she took the necklace. After examining it for a while, she stuffed it into the crevice of her bosom, leaving someone staring in disbelief.

"You're really sincere. It seems our little Garrick holds a lot of importance in your heart. I wonder if you can tell Xi Ke'er the truth?" As she spoke, Xi Ke'er took a step back, right behind the two guards.

Zhang Yuan, who had been watching Xi Ke'er closely, knew something was wrong when he saw this scene. This woman was no different from the one in the game who could turn on you in an instant.

"Nancy, kill her!" Zhang Yuan shouted, then immediately began preparing his spell.

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(End of this chapter)