From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 498 Tamora's Smile
“We’re heading back to town soon, so if time allows, we can certainly go take a look.” Ivy nodded in agreement with Gale’s request. “It’s just browsing the shops anyway, it won’t waste much time.”

Gail beamed with delight upon receiving permission: "I guarantee we'll all benefit greatly from this."

As the group was talking around the round table, a squirrel suddenly appeared, its bushy tail standing up high like a flag.

"Halsin? Is that you?" Will asked, his eyes wide. "Perhaps we should make some room for him..."

The adventurers moved their stools around until the gaps were large enough to fit a wall, before they stopped rubbing the stool legs against the floor.

Unlike the gooey transformations of shapeshifters, the druid's wilderness form transformations are quite pleasing to the eye.

A verdant magical wind surrounded the tiny squirrel, but in the blink of an eye, it returned to Halsin's robust physique.

Ivy didn't think about using a code, because shapeshifters could only transform themselves into humanoid creatures. Although they could also change their size, changing species was clearly not within their capabilities.

“Did I miss something?” Halsin asked as soon as he sat down.

“If it’s the kind of event you’re expecting, the answer is of course no.” Gale shrugged. For a Grand Druid, Halsin’s view of the Great Harmony of Life was clearly a bit too wild. “If you’re asking about the purpose of our trip, the answer is also no. So far, we haven’t found any information about Doro.”

“What a pity.” Halsin sat down, and the dim ambient light returned slightly. “I saw two drow behind the curtain. They were a very charming brother and sister. Apart from being very expensive, I couldn’t find anything wrong with them.”

"Oh! Does this remind you of your youth?" Although Will is still a novice when it comes to love, he does show a promising potential, at least verbally, he never wants to be outdone.

“That was a long time ago,” Halsin said with a hint of reminiscence. “Back then, I was just a reckless young druid, eager to witness the beauty of nature’s extraordinary animal kingdoms and the light hidden deep underground…”

“Then… something happened, and I found myself a guest in some Drow noble family…” Halsin hesitated, but the alluring scent emanating from Sharis’s caresses seemed to enhance his desire to share, “Well, perhaps somewhere between guest, prisoner, and spouse.”

“I have a more appropriate word—plaything.” Minsala’s aggressive gaze swept over Halsin’s thick arm, shook it, and then looked away.

“Yes…that is indeed true.” Halsin nodded hesitantly. “The women in that family took an interest in me…perhaps they thought I was something new? So I was locked in their bedroom for three whole years.”

"Three years?" Will's expression had completely collapsed. He had never heard of such a sensational topic before, not even coming from Halsin.

The other teammates' expressions were much more normal, perhaps due to their life experience; after all, Will was the youngest among the group of adventurers.

"Only three years?" That was Minsala's voice. "Is that family too picky, or are they too stingy?"

“Although I’ve lived in the Drow for three years, I have no idea how to tell the extent of a noble family’s wealth.” Halsin shook his head. “It sounds grammatically incorrect to use ‘picky’ and ‘stingy’ in the same sentence.”

“Grammar? You have to understand it in the context of Drow customs.” Minsara poured another glass of red wine into her mouth. “Even in the Banri family of Menzoberranzan, you deserve more favor, Halsin. If my mother had a plaything like you, she probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it for more than three years. As for being poor, a poor Drow noble family will inevitably lose Lolth’s favor, and then they will be seen as nourishment and stepping stones by other families.”

“Such scenes can be seen not only at Baldur’s Gate, but in any drow settlement in the Underdark,” Minsara concluded. “Drizzt Du'erden, whom the surface dwellers admire, comes from a family that once wiped out the Deaver family, which was ranked higher in Menzoberranzan.”

“Alright,” Ivy interrupted her teammates’ idle chatter. “Let’s get back to business, from the stories and romances. Aside from your love affairs in the Underdark, don’t you have anything else to share with us, Halsin?”

“I found a follower of Shar in Livington.” Halsin looked at another table. “He is looking for Shadowheart.”

"Only one person?" Ivy asked.

“A merchant who buys low and sells high, squeezing gold out of refugees,” Halsin described. “I could smell that distinctive odor on him; I’ve been dealing with the Shar followers for far too long. He seemed convinced that Shadowheart would arrive from the south and had been standing at the entrance to Livington village.”

“But he recognized me too,” Halsin’s voice sounded somewhat ashamed. “Perhaps Shar had already informed all his followers at Baldur’s Gate about our squad. Before leaving, he gave me an address: the House of Sorrow in the Lower City.”

“Ms. Shar… has never been particularly generous.” Shadowheart had also heard Halsin’s description. She glanced discreetly at the back of her hand. During her date with Ivy, when she was laughing the most, Shar’s mark had inexplicably started hurting again. “I’m not surprised by that.”

“At least now I know where my parents are.” Shadowheart smiled slightly and thanked Halsin, “Thank you, Archdruid.”

"Family members are always so hard to part with, aren't they?" A flippant voice came from behind. "Unfortunately, my 'family' is coming to find me too."

“Asdallen. There are still evil thoughts.” Ivy used magic to add two more chairs to the lady’s table, while simultaneously expanding the scope of the cognitive barrier spell once again. This spell was derived from the Muggle banishment charm and could effectively reduce one’s presence. “Everyone is finally here. Sit down quickly.”

"Your family... do you mean Kazador's vampire offspring?" Ivy looked at the pale elf.

“That’s right. We call ourselves the Zal family.” Asdalon sniffed the fragrance in the air with a hint of ecstasy, and said rather sarcastically, “A family of heinous vampires.”

“We found the Gur camp in Livington, the same tribe of monster hunters we encountered in the Witch Swamp,” Evil Thought added. “They attacked Kazador’s palace, but gained nothing except a few lives.”

"Attack a vampire's lair? And in a city no less?" Will, also a monster hunter, shook his head in disapproval. "Mobilizing the city's defense forces might be a wiser move. But considering the Flame Fist..."

Will fell silent.

“It’s for their children,” the evil thought explained. “The Ghurs believe their children are still alive… or at least possibly still alive.” “Absolutely impossible,” Asderon said, curling his lip. “I know Qazador better than anyone. He’s a cold-blooded, ruthless demon, without a trace of mercy in his veins—the Ghurs’ children are long dead.”

“This is what you owe them, Asderon,” the evil thought urged. “Even if we can’t find those children, we should at least avenge them.”

“Alright…” Asdallen sighed. “Listen carefully, I’m not against revenge, but definitely not for the sake of those children, but for myself—for my freedom and…”

“Those children didn’t die.” Ivy’s statement silenced the round table.

"What? That's impossible!" Asdallen didn't believe it.

“Have you forgotten the demonic pact behind your back?” Ivy waved her hand in front of her, and a runic pattern made of blood-red aura appeared in the air, exactly the same as the scar on Asdalon’s back. “Mephisto demanded seven thousand living souls from Kazardor, not seven thousand cold corpses. Kazardor has been preparing for the Black Mass for two hundred years. What kind of sacrifice could survive for so long? Especially since most of the population of Baldur’s Gate is short-lived.”

“Derivative bodies… vampire derivative bodies…” Asdalon’s already pale face turned even more bloodless. “Those I lured… those I abducted… have all been turned into derivative bodies by Qazador?”

“That’s right. As long as the Black Mass hasn’t started, these vampire clones will remain alive.” Ivy wiped away the Hell Contract floating in the air again.

“I’m afraid they won’t live much longer,” Asdalon said gravely. “Before I was taken away by the shell ship, Qazador announced that the ceremony was about to begin. It’s been almost two months, and I believe he must have pushed the Black Mass to its final stages.”

“An ascended vampire lord,” Asdalon said, his eyes seeking help from his teammates, “is definitely no easier to deal with than a supreme god. And if I could obtain that power…”

“You’re talking about seven thousand innocent souls, Asdalon!” Jahira said sternly. “I’ve heard that the evil ritual won’t set you free; it will replace your master with Mephistopheles! He won’t be any better than Qazador!”

"They are all vampire clones! Just think about it! Seven thousand clones—the disaster they cause will definitely not be less than that caused by the true soul beings of the Supreme God!"

“Minsk believes in Asderon!” Minsk suddenly interjected, “because he, like Minsk, enjoys walking in the sunshine with his friends!”

Asdell, whose momentum had been interrupted, moved his lips, not entirely agreeing with Minsk's words: "The part about friends may be debatable... but apart from that, I completely agree."

Ivy smiled slightly, recalling Minsara's assessment of Asdalon: he had lost his freedom and the sunshine for so long that he had become addicted to both.

“You might have cloud-like hair to insulate your head from the heat, but don’t forget, Minsk also has Little Bu!” Minsk pointed to the miniature giant space hamster perched on his bald head. “We’re like twins, aren’t we?”

"Really?" Asdallen's voice trembled with terror. He reached up and touched his once-proud features, fearing they might actually resemble Minsk. "My God—two hundred years! I've never missed my reflection in the mirror as much as I do now!"

After laughing, Ivy turned to Evil Thought and said, "The body you found in the temple cellar belongs to Deribos, the clown from the Doomsday Circus. The circus owner has offered a high price to find his clown. Given that she is a mage who travels between the prime planes, I think you would be interested in this job."

“What kind of mage would like a dead clown?” Mingsala frowned disapprovingly. “He should be thrown into a cesspool, and then the person who killed him should be crowned!”

“A necromancer,” Ivy replied simply.

"Thanks, Ivy." Evil gave Ivy a thumbs-up with his prosthetic arm. "I knew you'd always remember me!"

“There’s also a kobold at the Doomsday Circus who sells general merchandise. He has a hand on his stall that probably belongs to the clown,” Ivy glanced at her and continued. “If you can’t find the last arm, don’t forget to check there.”

"I've noted it down too!" Evil Thoughts gave another thumbs up.

“Now that everyone is here and we don’t have any additional clues about Doro, let’s head back to the city.” Ivy looked around and asked her companions for their opinions.

So Ivy put on disguises for everyone again, and they left the notorious erotic bar one by one.

Hey! Stop looking! It's you!

As soon as Ivy stepped out of the door of Charlotte's caress, she heard Kara's loud voice.

“The one in red!” she said, standing under the sign of the inn across the street, to a short man in red pouring water under the bridge. “I’m looking for the murderer—the dwarf in red, who looks exactly like you!”

"How dare you?" Ivy saw the anger on the face of the short, bearded man who was making a mocking joke. "How dare you insult an upright citizen like me!"

"I'm a halfling! You idiot!"

Karak's embarrassment was palpable, but she still forced herself to ask another question: "Sorry—have you seen a dwarf in red? He killed Father Logan of the Temple of Mercy, and Duke Steme of the city. Oh, by the way, his name was Doro."

"Doro? Doro Goldmooth?" Unexpectedly, this halfling dressed in red with a dagger at his waist had actually heard of the name Doro.

“I’m looking for him too! His mother, Fewon Kimmer, owes me ten days’ rent! He does seem to be wearing red leather armor, and he’s a bald dwarf with a scar on his face.” The halfling was the owner of Frego’s Inn, an inn located on the Flying Dragon Rock Bridge that provided cheap lodging for travelers—almost like a dormitory.

"Taimora definitely smiled at me!" Karak quickly turned around and called to her teammates, "I found him! I found Doro!"

(End of this chapter)