From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 451 The Great Tomb

Barthazar was never a nimble person, a common trait among all immortal beings.

Their long lifespans led to a significant difference in their concept of time compared to the short-lived species. Furthermore, the Eye of Eden sent by the Supreme God had already been destroyed in the Shadow Curse, meaning that the necromancer advisors of Katheric had essentially lost contact with the Tower of the Moon.

Furthermore, the True Souls sent by the orc disciple Zeril were a group of beings outside the control of the Supreme God. This allowed Balthazar to continue wantonly desecrating the family tombs of Katheric Sorm, without even sending a single undead creature to the Tower of the Moon to report the situation.

The Cyclops Type I reconnaissance construct that Evil Thought spent half a day setting up completely failed to demonstrate its value in terms of surveillance, but it wasn't entirely fruitless either. At least it helped Halsin find the Shadow Spirit Oliver under the giant statue in the center of Rasven town.

After being persuaded (physically) by the adventurers, Oliver agreed to get along well with his half and have some fun with children, instead of pitifully staying alone in the shadows and playing hide-and-seek with imaginary friends.

The adventurers, having completed their mission, also reported another matter related to Cambyon Raphael to Ivy.

They encountered the Gisyanki, twice.

“Centurion Voss has found us.” Lyezal hissed, Ivy still remembered the legendary mind warrior and his red dragon mount.

“He said some things about the Astral Prism.” Ever since her confrontation with Vairakis in the Ireko Nursery, her once pure golden eyes had taken on a darker hue of doubt and confusion.

From the increasing scratches on her silver armor, Ivy could tell that she was trying to numb herself through fighting, but the aimless sword would only wear her down and could not give her a satisfactory answer.

Centurion Worth's visit undoubtedly gave her new insights.

“I need your wisdom, Ivy,” Leezel said earnestly. “Vos told me some things about the tyranny of Vyrakis… What you said is true. My queen is nothing but a lich, a bastard and executioner who consumes the lives and souls of her people for her own satisfaction!”

"Even the Purifier in the nursery is a lie—it doesn't provide purification, it only kills infected and extracts their memories, and even that device was built using materials from Mind Flayers!"

“My entire life has been built on lies! I studied every word of Vairakis, charged into battle in her name, but it all meant nothing! Tsk'va! (Gise Yankee: Damn it!) I was deceived! All the sons of Geese were deceived!” Even though it was just a retelling, Lyezal was still very emotional.

Ivy remained silent, confident that with Leezel's warrior's discipline, he would quickly regain his composure.

Just as he had predicted, after taking a deep breath, Leezel regained his composure: "That prism, Voss said, contains a physical entity that is related to the end of the Vairakis tyranny. If I can liberate it, I can liberate all my people trapped in the lies of Vairakis!"

“Sounds good. Freedom is indeed a goal worth fighting for.” Ivy nodded slightly.

“But freedom comes at a price.” Lyezel shook his head. “Vorth told me that breaking the chains requires a key, and he believes that key is in the hands of a devil. ‘Charis’s Caress,’ a bar at Baldur’s Gate, Voss wants me to take the Prism there to decide the fate of all the Sons of Gith.”

“Trading freedom for a devil… I’m not sure of Voss’s true intentions… but I do have teammates who are good at using their brains.” Lyezal pursed his lips, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Tell me, Ivy, is Voss lying to me?”

“Given the current circumstances, we certainly can’t wholeheartedly trust a stranger we’ve only met twice, let alone the fact that we’ve had a conflict.” Ivy nodded and helped analyze the situation. He was pleased that Leezer had begun to use her brain. Although she had assigned the most difficult tasks to Ivy, at least after being toughened up by society, Star Bay Girls’ College was no longer the naively naive girl she once was.

"Of course, it's also possible that what Centurion Voss said is true. He has no desire for you and is only focused on the liberation of the Gisyanki."

"But in either case, the final focus will be on the Astral Prism. As long as we keep this relic in our hands, we can deal with Voss and Vairakis with ease."

“You’re right.” Leizer nodded. “We can’t easily trust either side, but time will tell. I thank you for your help, Ivy.”

The devil who made a deal with Centurion Voss was also Raphael, who placed his stronghold in the outer city of Baldur's Gate in the bar on the Flying Dragon Pass Bridge—Charis's Caress.

But that's what's interesting for Ivy.

Raphael's most pressing trading partner was at the End of Light Inn, preparing to attack the Supreme God Order's largest fortress in the Reisven region. Why then did he release the news, attracting Voss's group?

Ivy believed this was definitely not Raphael's indirect strategy. Influence Leizer's judgment through Voss to get the entire adventurer party to agree to trade with him was far too inefficient.

Leaving aside the question of how likely it is that Lyezel, as a loyal warrior of Vyrakis, could be persuaded by Voss, even if she became a freedom fighter like Voss, seeking to liberate the Githyanki, Lyezel's teammates might not necessarily agree.

Among these people are the chosen ones of the gods, Shar and Serene; exiles from Menzoberranzan; the mentally unstable son of Baal; and Mystra's ex-boyfriend, who harbors a giant arcane bomb within his body. Each one is incredibly difficult to deal with. Even if they manage to subdue Lyezal, these ruthless individuals are highly likely to abandon one of their teammates.

After all, the Gisyanki are not only different from other native races of Faerûn in terms of origin, but they also reproduce by twins, similar to reptiles.

It looks like the alien among aliens.

Furthermore, Ivy had already devoured Raphael's little helper, Corera Heartfire, skin and bones, leaving him with no time to personally monitor the adventurers' progress. He simply didn't have the time to make a deal with a Githyanki traitor centurion.

From this perspective, Voss's source of information appears highly suspicious.

As a Red Dragon Knight, Voss was very efficient on his journey, but apart from seeing Dragonflame at the crossroads of the Ascension Path, he had not heard of any dragons appearing near the crash site of the Shell Ship.

Therefore, Ivy could only guess that Voss, who already knew that the Astral Prism had changed hands, took the opportunity of going on a mission for Vairakis to come to the Prime Material Plane to find a chance to liberate the comet prince Orpheus.

Having the ability to fly, Voss certainly wouldn't wander aimlessly through the forest like a few adventurers who had just disembarked from the snail-shell ship. Instead, he chose to fly to the largest nearby city to gather information.

Leaving aside the old Baldurans like Shadowheart, Evil Thoughts, and Asdalon, even a Waterdeep archmage like Gale believed that everything in the world could be bought at Baldur's Gate.

It's perfectly normal for Voss to choose to try his luck there, especially since Baldur's Gate is the closest major city to him in the Sword Coast region.

If Ivy's guesses are all correct, then Voss must have indeed received information at Baldur's Gate that Raphael the Devil has what he wants.

However, Raphael himself certainly had no intention of making a deal with Voss, because he was already fully engaged in the game with the adventure team, trying to lure them into his trap and become the final winner in this grand drama of the supreme god.

It was under these circumstances that Voss sought out Lyezal, requesting her to take the Astral Prism to Raphael's stronghold at Baldur's Gate—Sharis's Embrace. However, this raises another question: if Voss did indeed obtain information about the Astral Prism key at Baldur's Gate, then who spread this information?

The most suspicious are the other demons in the nine levels of hell, Ivy thought. Betrayal among demons is not uncommon; wasn't one of Raphael's hunting targets imprisoned in the great tomb before them?

Moreover, the true nature of the chips in Raphael's hands could also prevent Raphael from achieving the result he desires.

For a demon, the purpose of making a pact with mortals is to make a fortune with interest. If Raphael's main goal is the crown of Karthus, then obtaining the soul of an adventurer who has entanglements with various powerful figures is a perk that comes with the main goal.

The less adventurers know about their current situation, and the more difficult their circumstances, the easier it is for them to make a deal with Raphael.

As a time traveler, Ivy was well aware of the immense power of information asymmetry. The essence of how various time traveler predecessors used historical inertia to their advantage was precisely the exploitation of information asymmetry.

There is some unknown devil working hard to eliminate Raphael's information gap in Baldur's Gate, which is another conclusion Ivy has drawn.

"Our hero only thought about the treasure ahead, but completely disregarded the peace of the dead..."

With his pretentious, artsy entrance lines and expressions and movements rehearsed countless times, the adventure team that accompanied Ivy to the Somme family's great tomb once again encountered the affected Cambyon Raphael.

"She crawled forward in the darkness, awakening something that was sleeping..."

"The sleeping thing, you mean the Blood Armored Demon inside?" Asdalon couldn't help but ask.

Raphael's recitation did not stop despite the audience's commotion: "They dug a brand new grave and then lay down in it themselves."

"You must have been practicing there for a long time, right?" the evil thought asked with great interest. "I didn't know that devils are all perfectionists."

"You know what? I'm growing to like you guys more and more—in my own way, of course." Raphael still wore that confident, relaxed smile.

However, Ivy sensed something amiss in him, because he was standing right in front of him, yet this self-proclaimed devil, Campion, deliberately ignored him and turned to talk to Evil Thoughts.

“Although you already know what the threat inside is, I still think it’s necessary to give you a warning.” Raphael spoke as if he were giving a speech, often accompanied by nonsensical gestures. “I’ve known that Blood Armor Demon for a long time, and I admit that it is in my best interest to keep it in the dark or to have its head removed.”

"So this is your plan? To trick an important client into going to their death?" Asdallen interjected again. "I knew you were nothing but a coward at heart."

"Listen up, you little vampire!" Raphael's composure and calmness vanished, replaced by rage. "Don't underestimate this opponent. You only have a blink of an eye to launch an attack. Strike first, strike precisely, and overcome all obstacles. Because it already has the upper hand. That bastard is indeed formidable."

“I hope you haven’t forgotten our deal, Asdalon,” Raphael said grimly. “Kill it, and in return, I will provide you with a way to reverse the ascension ritual.”

"No tricks or soul?" Asdell said in surprise. "This is much fairer than I expected."

“Oh, my heart is broken, little vampire.” Raphael clutched his chest dramatically. “I’ve always believed in fair trade. I’m confident that with your strength, you’ll soon be able to end this special deal—defeat that Blood Armor Demon and help your companions uncover the truth.”

A burst of fire, accompanied by sulfur and the stench of hell, exploded, and Raphael's figure vanished.

“He’s gone,” Ivy said definitively, as there was no half-demon in her arcane vision.

“What do you think, Ivy?” Asdalon asked eagerly. “Will he tell me the answer? Or is this another trap?”

"He still hasn't offered a formal contract, which means your deal isn't protected by the Nine Hells Court. It has its pros and cons for you, but you might as well kill that Blood Armor Demon and see what happens; it's just a side job anyway. As for..." Ivy trailed off, because after meeting Raphael, he suddenly noticed another problem.

"What's wrong, Ivy? What's on your mind again?" Gale asked.

"I just noticed a blind spot..." Ivy pondered for a moment, then asked, "What kind of person would possess a key that could unlock a lock that has never been opened before?"

"Is this a riddle?" asked the wicked thought, most adept at retrieving treasures from boxes. "Perhaps a thief? I think?"

“Good answer.” Ivy nodded, a smile appearing on her face. “But I would say he’s a locksmith. Or both, both locksmith and thief.”

If we consider the astral prism that imprisoned the comet prince as a lock, then who would possess the key to that lock?
Velakis certainly wouldn't want it to be opened, so it couldn't be her. Therefore, the creator of the Astral Prism is the most likely person to know how to open it.

Raphael had a way to open the Astral Prism because he knew how the lock was made.

Considering his age, Ivy believes that the one who truly created the Astral Prism is Raphael's devilish father, who is still shrouded in mystery.

It's perfectly normal for a son to inherit his father's business, and it's also perfectly reasonable for Raphael to obtain the method for creating the Astral Prism from his father and then devise a way to destroy it.

Ivy initially thought that his method of blocking the mind-stealing tadpoles in the minds of evil thoughts and others was at the soul level, but now it seems that this is also the ability of the comet prince in the astral prism.

However, Raphael was fully aware of how the Astral Prism worked, which is why he was able to completely block out the Mind Flayer Tadpole's influence with just a snap of his fingers.

This is both Raphael's biggest bargaining chip and his biggest information gap.

Looking at the tomb gate that had been violently opened in front of him, Ivy smiled from the bottom of her heart.

For him, the players involved in the grand scheme of the Supreme God have one less secret, and his actions are now more secure.

"Let's go, let's deal with the immediate issues first. Sever Katheric's immortality, then blow up the Tower of the Moonrise."

(End of this chapter)