From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 531 Shopping
Baldur's Gate can be considered a sub-hell on the material plane of the nine levels of hell.

From Zariel to Tiamat, from Mammon to Mephisto, and including the former treasurer of the Nine Hells in the Hidden Lords' Shield, and Gagas, the Lord of the Ten Hells, half of the demon dukes in Hell have their own minions in this trading city adjacent to the Chunzan River and backed by the Sea of ​​Swords.

Its complexity is no less than that of Aphrodite, a battlefield teeming with demons and devils.

Ivy is now beginning to suspect that the fact that Evil Thought and Gotash were able to enter the treasury of Mephisto, the Demon Lord of Kania, and successfully steal the Crown of Karthus was a conspiracy orchestrated by Mammon and Mephisto.

Hershk, a merchant who provides Hell teleportation services to the mainstay of the Church of the Three Gods of Death and runs a sorcerer's shop, is the sorcerer of Mammon, the Demon Duke of Minauros in the Third Hell.

He was also Gotash's angel investor, not only helping Gotash and Zariel connect when the Order of the Death Trinity was still rising, but even when the Supreme God was about to lose control, Mammon's sorcerer Hershik continued to help Gotash smuggle Soul Coins and Hell Iron Weapons from Hell.

The fact that the Supreme God's plan could be implemented was inextricably linked to this money-grubbing sorcerer.

The evil planner believed that this sorcerer, with his close ties to Hell, could directly teleport the adventurers into Raphael's Mansion of Hope, which floats above the River Styx in Aphrodite. Then, whether they engaged in arson, murder, looting, or simply took what they needed and ran, it would be entirely up to the adventurers.

This suggestion is obviously very feasible. After all, Hershik sent the evil thoughts and Gotash into Raphael's father's treasury. Even his father's defensive magic could be breached. Raphael, the foolish son of the Grand Duke, certainly couldn't have predicted this surprise attack in advance.

Not to mention that Raphael himself was still in Flying Dragon Pass, closely monitoring the city's movements through the Flame Fist soldiers in the lower city.

However, neither the witch Ethel nor the half-demon Raphael can be resolved immediately. With Gotash's coronation ceremony imminent, Ivy must first attend the ceremony, which is filled with guards and nobles, with her three companions before she has time to consider resolving the problem of Flame Fist Commander Liana Porter being mind-controlled.

"Wait!" The evil thought stopped Ivy from getting up. "Have you forgotten that there was also a necromancer who cast control magic on Liana Porter?"

Considering that the first two people who tried to control the Flame Fist Commander were acquaintances of the adventurers, Ivy tentatively asked, "A necromancer? It can't be Balthazar's, can it? Even if he really comes back to life, it doesn't matter, we still have an angel sharpening his sword."

Although Irene, the daughter of Serenne, always suffers setbacks in her battles against evil, her own strength should not be underestimated. She is unlikely to be defeated by the necromancer again.

“No, it’s not the necromancer Balthazar.” Evil thought shook his head. “According to Liana’s description, he was a withered necromancer, almost like an old mummy.”

The "old bones" naturally refers to the gravedigger, also known as the recorder of fate, Ye Ge. As a familiar stranger, Xie Nian often seeks out the gravedigger for a nonsensical, mystical conversation. Although it's not apparent on the surface, the two actually have a pretty good relationship.

"A necromancer resembling a mummy has approached Commander Flamefist?" Ivy was unfazed. In Baldur's Gate, similar news wouldn't even deserve a front-page spread in the Baldur's Mouth newspaper.

“He’s lost a few undead creations.” Evil Thought shrugged, clearly used to this kind of thing. “He wants Liana to help him find those undead creatures while she’s on patrol. Basically, it’s a missing person request, isn’t it?”

"Just searching?" Ivy raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued. "So, he gave me his address, right?"

“That’s right.” Evil Thought nodded. “In a house without a door near Gray Harbor in the East Road District.”

“That’s right.” Ivy stood up from behind her desk. “While we’re attending the Gotash coronation ceremony, these matters can be left to others to investigate. The most important one is Ethel, the witch of the Blushing Mermaid Tavern. It’s said that she has found a new victim. So, counting from when she swallowed the innocent little girl, a week is enough for a new witch to complete her transformation. Before the little girl turns thirteen, she won’t show any outward changes, but when her thirteenth birthday arrives, it will trigger a complete tragedy.”

“But Ethel has two other witch sisters, what should we do with them?” Shadowheart asked.

“As a gathering place for the hags, the Blushing Mermaid is clearly not big enough. Three hags crammed under a tiny tavern are simply not enough to move around freely,” Ivy explained. “Therefore, the most likely candidate is a pregnant hag. We just need to gather enough people for a surprise attack to take it down. The important thing is to rescue the innocent child it swallowed; Ethel's life or death is irrelevant. We should also gather some intelligence on the All-Seeing Pearl Sisterhood. Before dealing with them, we must figure out what these hags are plotting at Baldur's Gate.”

Through letters left by the witch Ethel at her swamp dwelling, Ivy learns that she seems to be conducting some kind of experiment in the Underdark and is eager to share her findings with her sister.

However, because he hadn't actually seen the experimental site, Ivy couldn't figure out what the witches were up to.

“You can leave it to me!” Evil Thought volunteered. “I’m best at fighting and causing destruction. If you assign me two strong men, I can definitely beat the witch so badly she can’t stand up straight.”

“No.” Ivy shook her head. “You, Shadowheart, and Will, the three of you are coming with me to Gotash’s coronation ceremony. Before that, finding a suitable outfit is more important.”

That's right, Ivy's words do indeed mean going shopping.

However, Will declined his offer.

“Actually… vampires do have pretty good taste.” If Will hadn’t deliberately avoided the gazes of Evil Thought and Shadow Heart behind Ivy, he might have seemed more convincing. “Asdallen will help me find a dress in the palace. We all trust his taste in clothes, right?”

The gentle breeze blowing from Sword Bay quickly dispelled the dark clouds above Baldur's Gate, and the city, refreshed by the rain, displayed a rare and radiant cityscape befitting the Pearl of the Sword Bay.

The rainwater that soaked the bricks and tiles was quickly drained away by Baldur's Gate's excellent drainage system, and even the air in the lower city no longer felt dirty and sticky, but rather exuded a fresh feeling after the rain.

The influx of cultists did not deter the citizens from going out. Tomorrow is the coronation ceremony of the new Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate, the first Grand Duke in the city's history. More than half of the citizens believe that Gotash and his Iron Guard army will bring true peace and tranquility to Baldur's Gate. As for the potential threats, they don't care at all.

After all, the primary task of the guards and security forces was not to protect the citizens, but to make them feel protected. The overwhelming posters in Gotash, and the spontaneous propaganda by citizens who had been infected with mind flayers by giving water, led the medieval citizens, who had never been able to discern right from wrong, to be very convinced that the Iron Guardians were protecting them. Only those who had personally experienced the power of the Iron Guardians' fists would question this.

This was much faster than that of Duke Urd Ravengard, who dedicated himself to improving the Flame Fist Mercenary Group's conduct. The former had earned the citizens' approval through more than a decade of diligent work, while Gotash's rise to power was far faster.

Many citizens took to the streets to enjoy the rare fresh city air, and the entrances to Huanyan Boutique Clothing Store and Shanyao Shenghui Jewelry Store were packed with people.

As the two most famous shops closest to the Upper East Side, this area almost represents the most vibrant fashion scene at Baldur's Gate. Unlike Zonggui, who always shuts himself away in salons, fashion shops located in the city center are more likely to generate new trends because this is where customers, models, designers, and celebrities from all walks of life collide. Only frequent exchanges can give rise to more refreshing trends.

“Things here are never cheap.” Shadowheart looked Ivy up and down several times, as if she were getting to know him all over again. “Is this the kind of knowledge one should have when visiting Baldur’s Gate for the first time? Looks like someone did their homework beforehand.”

“Then you should know that money has never been a problem for me.” Ivy stepped forward and gently patted her back, his other hand holding Xie Nian’s forearm. “To be worn by someone like you, I suppose even the most beautiful clothes would be willingly given to me.”

"That's a truly wise saying." Yingxin nodded with a smile. "Aren't you coming in with us?"

"I'd rather save the surprise for a more formal occasion than have a noisy crowd share your beauty with me." Ivy declined Yingxin's invitation with a smile, knowing full well that hell lay ahead. The most agonizing part of accompanying a woman shopping is helping her choose clothes—or more accurately, giving her opinions on her choices. Every question is like a test, and since it's a test, there's a high chance of getting wrong answers. Even if you manage to avoid all the wrong answers, the score will hardly exceed the total score.

Therefore, Ivy's solution is to not take the test in the first place and let the women she dates give themselves a perfect answer.

Of course, Ivy couldn't just stand there waiting during this time; he also needed some affordable gadgets that could quickly increase his female companion's passion.

Looking up at the sign of the Shining Glamour Jewelry store, Ivy decided to get one or two chains and use the gemstones she had prepared as pendants to add even more dazzling radiance to the two ladies.

But before he could take a step, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

With an expectant look on his face, Xie Nian was almost about to ask, "What about me?"

Noticing that Shadowheart had already entered the Huanyan Boutique Clothing Store, Ivy sighed softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of bright red hair behind Evil's ear, revealing the eerily alluring tattoo on her face: "Baal gave you so many brothers and sisters, but you are the most favored. Although he is the god of murder, his taste is impeccable. Go, it's time to show your charm to Baldur's Gate."

Evil thoughts immediately lit up with joy, and he even boldly pressed close to Ivy's chest, whispering, "I just want to show you my charm..."

"What are you doing? Having evil thoughts?" Yingxin, with her arms crossed, looked down at the red-haired girl and used her ancestral death stare.

"It's nothing!" Xie Nian turned around and withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted, nervously twisting it behind his back. "I was just... straightening Ivy's collar... it was a little wrinkled..."

"Ahem." Yingxin coughed loudly twice on purpose. "How should I repay your kindness? For example—break your finger?"

Seeing the surprised expression on Xie Nian's face, Ying Xin smiled brightly: "Just kidding. Come in quickly! I need some advice from you."

After the two beauties disappeared, Ivy didn't linger amidst the astonished gazes around her. She turned and walked into the nearby Shining Glamour Jewelry Store.

The selection of Will, Shadowheart, and Evil as companions for the Gortash coronation ceremony was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by Ivy, but a well-thought-out one.

Will is the only son of High Duke Ravengard. Although he has been wandering outside for many years as a Border Blade, as long as his father High Duke's position remains unshaken, many nobles within Baldur's Gate still remember him as the duke's son who is good at ballroom dancing. Perhaps some families with daughters of marriageable age even want to arrange a marriage alliance with Ravengard.

As for the devilish horns that appeared on Will's head due to his disobeying the magic contract, Ivy could easily remove them with a little disguise magic.

Furthermore, in order to mislead Mizorah and Zariel, who still harbored designs on Will, Will himself did indeed need to be present to witness his father's tragic situation.

Needless to say, evil intentions were also a given. The Astral Prism was still in her hands, and as Gortash's former partner, he certainly had a lot to say. As a dictator who rose from humble beginnings, Ivy believed that Gortash must have plenty to boast about.

The evil thought of falling from a high place into the mud and struggling to survive is a suitable object of boasting. It might even be possible to use the resentment and envy that may arise to reach some kind of alliance agreement.

Therefore, only Yingxin was actually the person Aiwei put on the list in the name of personal desire.

The half-elf maiden was breathtakingly beautiful, and her constant companionship with the goddesses Serene and Shar added to her otherworldly mystique. Having such a companion was a source of pride for Ivy herself.

He attended the coronation ceremony not as some unknown rogue mage or a powerful adventurer who could solve the troubles of important figures, but as Lord of Dawnstar, Ivy Doom.

Morningstar City has only just escaped the Shadow Curse and is in dire need of making a name for itself on the continent. What place could be more eye-catching than the pinnacle of power at Baldur's Gate?

Moreover, Ivy cannot stay in the world of Toril forever, so Dawnstar City needs someone who can exercise power in his place, and Shadowheart, who yearns for a pastoral life and is also resilient because of her past, is a suitable candidate.

(End of this chapter)