From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 497 Xia Ruisi's Caresses
"Have you finished your Guichen Fire Wine?"

"The bottle is buried on the moon."

The code matched.

Ivy relaxed her guard slightly and looked at Will, who was returning alone: ​​"Why didn't Halsin come with you?"

Will looked around. This was the south wing of Flying Dragon Pass, home to the famous bar, Xia Ruisi's Caress.

The interior was decorated in subtly ambiguous colors, and a pleasant, non-pungent fragrance permeated the enclosed space, making one feel relaxed. Although Will was considered an aristocrat and had received years of education in high society social settings, that didn't mean he was adept at navigating such pink-themed venues.

He spent far more time with cockroaches and spiders in the haystacks of the country stables than with these socialites in low-cut, tight-fitting clothes.

In fact, since stepping into this space, Will's nose, which wasn't used to it, had been sneezing several times.

Will couldn't help but think, "I'm starting to miss the smell of sulfur in hell."

Trying to ignore the laughter and panting coming from behind the semi-transparent curtain on the right, Will pulled out a chair.

The wooden building had very few windows, and all the windows facing the sun were tightly closed, so even in broad daylight, braziers were needed for lighting inside. Will suspected that the fragrance in the air was coming from these lighting fixtures.

To avoid attracting attention, the adventurers disguised themselves as pleasure-seeking travelers, staying in various corners of the hall. Will had already spotted three ladies sitting together: Karak, Shadowheart, and Jahira, as well as the archmage Gale sitting at the same table as Ivy.

“He said he needed to become an animal to relax, maybe he’s sleeping in some haystack right now.” Will grabbed his glass and took a big gulp. He needed to blend in as quickly as possible, at least not stand out so much.

Like being punched hard in the face, Will tried to tilt his head back to prevent the liquid in his mouth, which could be called wine, from spitting out.

After finally managing to swallow the liquid that seemed to be on fire, Will felt as if he were in a sea of ​​flames: "...What the hell?"

Even my throat felt smoky and burning.

“Oh.” Ivy nodded, unsurprised. “It was the bartender’s special, recommended by Kara. She said it was pretty good. But after seeing Minsk breathe fire, I decided not to drink it.”

“Nine Hells…” Will grabbed the ordinary wine on the table again, as if rinsing his mouth, “like burning Aphrodite. And the others?”

“Minsara and Leezel are upstairs, doing business with our old friend Raphael. Ah… Voss is downstairs; it seems they won’t be talking for long.” Several Gisyanki men, shrouded in cloaks, sat down on the second-floor platform. A somber and tense atmosphere filled the air around them, and it was clear that their deal with Raphael was not going well.

While everyone was busy preparing for the Tower of the Moon in Resven, the rebel squad led by the legendary mind warrior Voss had arranged a meeting place with Leezel.

The Giese Yankees and Raphael's trade involved a hammer artifact called the Hammer of Orpheus. News of the hammer's possession by Raphael spread through the Baldur's Gate. If even these green-skinned aliens could figure out how to save the Comet Prince, the powerful guilds in the Lower City naturally had the same connections.

In fact, before leaving the city, Ivy had already found the source of the information in Nine Fingers' office. It was a shop in the lower city called Devil's Tip.

It seems Raphael, this Cambyon, is indeed highly regarded in Hell, as someone actually leaked the news, revealing his trump card in advance. By now, there's almost no information gap between Raphael and the adventurers; Ivy knows everything about the Astral Prism, the Githyanki people, and the devil's deal.

However, Ivy is still unsure which powerful figure in Hell is behind the devil's tip. Furthermore, the threat of the Son of Baal is imminent, so the matter of the devil's deal will have to wait.

“Minsk went to the toilet. I think he’ll be able to clear his stomach soon.” A magical spark shot from Ivy’s fingertip, filling an empty glass on the table with pure water and pushing it toward Will, whose face was still flushed. “Besides Halsin, who’s probably sleeping somewhere, all that’s left are Evil Thought and Asdalon.”

Minsara believed that her culture was very similar to that of Leezel, who came from a military society, so she joined forces with her.

As for Evil Thought and Asdalon, both of them are the kind of guys who don't care much about the lives of their enemies, and they have a similar fondness for blood.

After drinking a glass of water, Will's complexion improved.

Ivy asked, "Have you received any news? About the murderer, Dolo?"

“No…” Will shook his head, “but I have something else to report. The Supreme God has begun converting True Souls!”

"Convert True Souls?" Ivy was somewhat confused. "Haven't they been using Mind Flayer Tadpoles to convert True Souls all along?"

“What I mean is, they’ve started turning True Souls into Mind Flayers!” Will pulled out a command letter belonging to Flame Fist and placed it on the table. “I found a newly transformed Mind Flayer in the abandoned mill in Livington. This is what I found on him.”

“It was wise not to let Floric show himself at the Flamefist camp. It’s already full of the Supreme God’s lackeys! So many that we can even abandon some useless people to get more useful Mind Flayers!” Will’s face was grim. The wet, sticky Mind Flayer in the barn reminded him of himself. He was about to regain his freedom from the Demon Lord, but the Mind Flayer tadpoles in his head had become another obstacle threatening his pursuit of self. “If it weren’t for your ring, my brain might have become its food.”

“Like us, the Supreme God is becoming increasingly anxious. Is something threatening him?” Ivy tried to speculate on the Mastermind’s motives, but to no avail.

Rasven's Hypermagic Dawn Cannon reduced the Mind Flayer's main brain by almost half, and the Supreme God, whose power was greatly diminished, might not be able to escape the control of the two Netherstones.

Since the adventurers arrived at Baldur's Gate, Ivy has not sensed any movement from the mainframe attempting to break free of its restraints. At least, the frequent tremors seen in the game are no longer present in reality.

Therefore, inferring the relationship between the Supreme God and the Order of the Death Triads from environmental changes has become extremely difficult. However, the newly born Mind Flayer killed by Will still made Ivy sense an atmosphere of superficial harmony masking underlying discord.

The fact that the enemy has developed its own distrust is actually a good thing for the adventurers who are outnumbered and outmatched, as it makes it easier to defeat them one by one.

However, this also turned the situation into a race where big fish eat little fish. Whoever can defeat the opponent first and consume the enemy's remains as nourishment will gain a greater advantage.

Compared to Ivy, who needed coercion and enticement to force opponents to join their side, the Supreme God, who could directly mind control them, was much more convenient. In terms of efficiency in absorbing nutrients, the Supreme God was undoubtedly superior.

However, Ivy and her companions are not without their advantages. At least the Comet Prince, who is under the strict guard of the monarch and the Shadow Destroyers, is the greatest weapon against the Mind Flayer's mastermind.

If Giss could destroy the Mind Flayer Empire that spanned the entire galaxy, then as her son, Prince Comet should possess at least one-tenth of that power, right? He should be evenly matched with a regional mastermind.

But the Comet Prince was just a precaution; Ivy's real goal was Netheril's artifacts and magic. If, in the process of defeating the Supreme God, she could uncover more truths about the deities, that would be even better.

Before long, Leezel and Minsara, who had been negotiating with the devil, came downstairs.

Centurion Voss, who had been keeping a close eye on the stairs, went to meet him, while Ivy, who had been distracted by Voss, also received the news.

“Vos, friend of the comet, son of the most powerful Gith,” Lyezel greeted politely.

“Leezel of Star Bay, warrior among warriors,” Voss replied with the same compliment.

But immediately, he said impatiently, "Quickly say that you accepted the devil's deal, quickly say that you will save the heir of Gis."

“I can’t fully represent all my teammates, and without their help, I can’t possibly fulfill the devil’s demands.” Leizer shook his head slightly. “This is not the end. We’ll put the devil’s deal on hold for now.”

“I stopped the red dragon knights of Vyrakis in the Star Sea, not so that you would betray the First Mother’s son.” Voss’s usually calm features twitched, and he stared at Lyezel with a questioning look. “You’ve changed, Lyezel. You’re not like a warrior who pursues freedom; you’re more like a weak Faerûn.”

“Because I am learning.” Leizer’s golden eyes did not back down. “Sometimes a straight line is not the shortest distance to the target; it may be the enemy’s deliberate attempt to confuse and cover up their true intentions.”

“But you can rest assured, Voss. I will not let you down,” Leizer added.

“Ah… I hope so.” Voss sighed. “I have no choice but to trust you. There is only one Prism, and the key is in your hands.”

“If we can’t find a way to get the hammer, the Son of Gith will never be free.” Voss’s tone was heavy. “I will gather the remaining Honor Guards and plan our next move.”

“If you want my help dealing with the local Ghaik (Ghisyanki: brain-eating bastards), you’d better bring a hammer.” Seeing that Leezel was unmoved, Voss shook his head and stopped pressing the issue. “For the liberation of the true heir to the Holy Empire of Gith, I will be waiting for you in this mud pit. Don’t disappoint me, and don’t disappoint your compatriots.”

“You are no longer just a warrior, a weapon, Leezel.” After Voss left, Minsara looked at Leezel with considerable admiration. “You are becoming a commander, even a matriarch. I am happy to see this change.”

“Given that you once intended to bring the devil’s target under your control, I will be even more wary of your actions.” Leezel withdrew his gaze from following Voss’s retreating figure, trying to discern whether Minsara’s praise was genuine or if he had ulterior motives. “However, until you take any concrete action, we will always remain allies against the Supreme God.”

“Hmph.” Minsara raised the corners of his mouth and turned to look at the other side. “I did consider taking control of the Supreme God Order’s power after we defeat the Chosen Ones. If the Chosen Ones can do it, then so can we. However, confronting the Mastermind is not an easy task… My pride has already caused me a great humiliation, and I will not act rashly until I see a feasible path.”

“Ivy? Hmm… His goals have always been very clear, although I don’t know exactly what they are, but I can sense it.” Leezer turned his head following Minsara’s gaze and saw Ivy raising his glass in a gesture of farewell. “I don’t think you have much chance of changing his mind, even as a partner.”

“He is like a high mountain, and I am prepared to climb to the top.” Minsara’s gaze then turned to Shadowheart, who was chatting and laughing with Karak. “Those who walk in front may not necessarily reach the end. I have enough time and patience to win the final prize.”

“Perhaps I should wish you good luck now?” Leezel hissed. “As your companion, I must remind you. The people of Faerûn often talk about conquering the mountains, but I haven’t seen many people living on the summit.”

“These days of travel must have felt longer than a lifetime to you, right?” Minsara smiled again. “They’re waiting for you. Let’s go.”

"Was the transaction successful?" Ivy asked after Minsara and Leezer were seated, handing them two glasses of red wine.

“Very smoothly, just as you expected.” Minsara took a sip of wine, her pale purple lips now tinged with a seductive wine red. “Raphael, who calls himself the Great Demon, is nothing but a child who hasn’t grown up yet, yearning for the crown on the head of the mainframe to prove his status and power.”

"Did he tell you the origin of the crown?" Gale was interested in something else. As a mage who had done a lot of research on Netheril, he was curious about where the chosen ones of the Three Death Gods obtained the Crown of Karthus.

Gale had never even heard of the Netheril creation before seeing it with his own eyes.

“In the treasury of the great devil Mephistopheles,” Minsara replied, “Raphael has been watching that place for almost a thousand years.”

“Unbelievable.” Will, sitting at the same table, shook his head. “Three mortals—even if they were the chosen ones of the Three Gods of Death, breaking into the treasury of Grand Duke Mephisto of Kania wouldn’t be an easy thing. Not to mention stealing a collection that even the devil would covet.”

“This is an extraordinary feat,” Minsala nodded solemnly in acknowledgment, “only slightly less significant than what we are about to accomplish.”

Gail shook her head disapprovingly: "Please forgive me for bringing this up again, but we should go to the witchcraft general store as soon as possible. They must have what we want there."

(End of this chapter)