From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 581 Farewell
The flames that had been shooting up at Baldur's Gate were beginning to subside, and much of the wooden structure had turned to charcoal. However, the brick and stone structures, which had been fired at high temperatures, were not so easily reduced to piles of construction waste by the heat and fire.

High Duke Ravengard is stationed at the Baldur's Gate, the dividing line between the upper and lower city districts, to appease the residents, gather the Flamefist and Sentinels, and drive away the Mind Flayers that are killing people all over the city.

The Netherbrain, suspended in the sky, was now enveloped in a pure and dazzling blue light, and the shell-like ships and red dragons that had been flying in the air had vanished. If no further complications arise, the chaos that has gripped Baldur's Gate for months will finally come to an end today.

"Will!" Duke Ravengard called out to his son. As the renowned Border Blade, Will was leading a small team to hunt down criminals who were taking advantage of the chaos to plunder and extort money.

Just recently, Ravengard had sentenced the criminals brought by Will to life imprisonment in a temporary court. Baldur's Gate is in a mess, and everyone who is able should contribute to the city's reconstruction, even criminals.

"More news?" Will licked his chapped lips and went to his father's side. "Where should I go? How many enemies are there?"

“No, there’s no new development yet. The advance in the upper city is going smoothly. Gotash really left us a bunch of useful helpers. I mean those Iron Guardians—it would be even better if they could lay down their weapons and move the collapsed buildings to rescue the wounded.” Ravengard pressed Will’s shoulder, making him sit on two small boxes stacked together, and handed him a bottle of wine. “Get some saliva, you look like you could breathe fire.”

Will didn't refuse, tilting his head back to drink the bottle of light beer in one gulp. He paused to catch his breath and wiped the beer stains from his mouth: "If you actually saw how those steel guards were made, you wouldn't have this idea."

"Evil? I'd guess pretty much... Gotash held the relatives of Gond followers hostage underwater, and those forced to work for him must have suffered inhumane treatment. But these machines are certainly very useful..."

“Those Iron Guardians can only move by using souls as fuel… and to make their actions appear indistinguishable from humans, Gortash also placed zombies inside as controllers, with the zombies' brains removed and placed separately, connected to each other via a psionic network between Mind Flayer tadpoles.” Will understood his father’s meaning. Ravengard was a pragmatist, and in his view, if the Iron Guardians, created by Gortash through sinister means, could provide the people of Baldur’s Gate with labor for post-war reconstruction, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“Gotash also shoved that bug into your head, you know what I’m talking about, Father.” Will put down his bottle and stood up. “After the souls inside the Infernal Engine are completely burned out, they will lose all mobility. Although I don’t know exactly how long, I advise you not to bother with them. I’ve rested enough, I’m going to go to the lower city to take a look—maybe Ms. Jashira can assign me some other work.”

As the two were talking, the second sun floating above Baldur's Gate suddenly burst out with an even more intense light, but the intense light did not last long before it went out completely.

"By my utmost respect!"

Will and Ravengard rushed up the city wall, staring in disbelief at the spot between the Netherworld brains, where now only a fading point of light remained; the hideous, sky-obscuring brains had vanished.

"He did it! Master Doom did it!" Ravengard cheered. The Netherworld brain hanging in the air disappeared, the strongest evidence for the refugees hiding throughout Baldur's Gate that the crisis was over. Once they saw this, they would surely come out of their hiding places and contribute to the restoration of this great city.

"I knew it!" Will pumped his fist in satisfaction. "What was that...?"

On the horizon, a black dot gradually magnified in Will's vision, becoming clearer and clearer. Scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, a broad wing membrane…

"Anzu! The guardian dragon of Baldur's Gate!" Ravengard cheered once again like a child. "You know how much blood I've shed for his legend? I never imagined I'd actually see him at Baldur's Gate! Not to mention I witnessed Master Doom resurrect him!"

The sound of iron boots clashing against the stone walls rang out, and a female warrior's shout interrupted the father and son's cheers: "Marshal!"

"Ahem." Ravengard coughed lightly, looking at Liana Porter, who was bowing at a standard posture. "At ease. Do you have anything to report, Flame?"

“Those Mind Flayers! They’ve vanished!” Though somewhat puzzled, Liana’s excitement was palpable. “I led a squad of Flame Fists and cornered several Mind Flayers, but before we could even launch an attack, they suddenly clutched their heads, collapsed to their knees, and disappeared completely, like fireflies in summer! Others have reported the same thing, and I suspect that all the other Mind Flayers still alive in the city have also vanished—once we eliminate the cultists, we can reclaim Baldur’s Gate!”

This news is undoubtedly very encouraging, and the chaos may end much sooner than Duke Ravengard estimated.

"Hey! That's not a place for you! There are places for the elderly and children to rest right below the city walls!"

The sounds of rioting reached the city walls once again.

This is not uncommon. Baldur's Gate, which used to be heavily guarded and check the credentials of travelers, has become a large refugee camp, filled with bedding and wounded people. Harpists move among them, providing bandages and water to the bleeding refugees, while supplies brought by the Flame Fist are also used to comfort the refugees.

Because the refugees were almost completely disorganized, arguments and disturbances occurred almost constantly.

The footsteps grew closer, sounding like two guards chasing a nimble fellow up the city wall. Big Head's footsteps were so light that even Will could barely hear them.

He drew his rapier to guard against any potential assassins, while inwardly criticizing Flame Fist's unreliability—he had only sent two guards to pursue this agile fellow!
coming.

Will held his breath and waited until a figure emerged from the gate of the city. No, it was only half a figure, probably a half-human.
The man was wearing an ill-fitting robe; even when he grabbed the hem with both hands, the hem still dragged on the ground. The soldiers chasing behind him were in a hurry, and the man accidentally stepped on his own robe, falling flat on his face.

Will breathed a sigh of relief; this clumsy fellow was clearly not a cult assassin.

Two Flame Fist soldiers also arrived at the city wall. They each lifted the short man off the ground, and Will realized that he was actually a child. His soft skin and wet, curly hair made him look very endearing. However, his facial features gave Will a sense of familiarity.

"Will!" the child, who was covering his nose, spoke up. His ill-fitting robe was falling down, with most of his shoulder sticking out of the collar. "Make them let me go!"

"You know me?" Will was somewhat taken aback; he couldn't recall ever befriending any of the kids at Baldur's Gate.

"I am Gale! Gale Decarios! The Archmage of Waterdeep!" The little bean, who had been covering his nose, finally said his name. "Didn't you know that the Destruction Orb in my body would explode? So Ivy made this body for me, but it's not ready yet, though it's usable enough to move around... Where is everyone else? Where is Ivy?"

“Oh—” Will nodded in sudden realization. “So that’s what you were whispering about in the Abyss? That’s really… I’m glad to see you’re alright. The others went to deal with the cultists and mind flayers in the city. But it seems Ivy has already taken care of Netherbrain, and the remaining cultists won’t amount to much. They’ll probably be back soon.”

The wind was whipped up by the bronze dragon's wide wings. The guardian dragon of Baldur's Gate noticed the refugees below and did not choose to land directly on the plaza. Instead, it landed on the city wall in a rather difficult manner.

Several adventurers climbed down from the dragon's back, with Shadowheart leading the charge: "Has anyone seen Ivy? Netherbrain has been completely defeated; his mission should be complete by now!"

“He’s a powerful mage, he might appear among us any second.” The high-ranking harpist had just gathered another group of refugees from the ruins and was climbing the city gate when she overheard Shadowheart’s question. “I dare say there will be plenty of things to worry about tomorrow morning—why not relax a little? Like setting up a celebration? When Ivy shows up, we can have a good drink.”

“Magical research is always accompanied by uncertainty, especially the magic that controls Netheril. Perhaps it’s true that Ivy could make herself disappear.” Little Gale finally jumped off Flame Fist’s hand. “But since he can prepare a usable body for me, we don’t need to worry about never seeing him again. So, I agree with Jahira’s suggestion to celebrate today’s victory in a human way—regardless of the consequences, with wine in hand and hearts free.”

“Even in a chaotic quagmire like Baldur’s Gate, children who haven’t even grown all their teeth are not allowed to drink alcohol.” Asdell, who was admiring the sunset from the city wall, turned around and gave Gale a sly smile. “It should be us who are reckless and indulgent, not you, little bean.”

“Come on, Asdalon.” Tiny Gale gripped the battlements tightly, straining to stick her head out. “If you don’t want your goblet spiked by the Mage Hand, you’d better keep quiet. By the way, where’s Lyra? Why haven’t I seen her?” “The Comet Prince has come to us, hoping she can return to the Astral Plane with her people.” Karak picked up a bottle of wine from Duke Ravengard’s table. “It’s unbelievable, Lyra actually became a Red Dragon Knight! And Orpheus gave her his own red dragon!”

"What a pity." Gale stopped trying to appreciate the last rays of sunlight of the day. "I thought our happy little team could last a while longer. I didn't expect it to disband like this."

A portal burst open in the air, suddenly appearing among the adventurers.

"Ivy?" Shadowheart looked into the door with anticipation, but what came out was a Githyanki, the one that all adventurers knew well, Leezel.

"Ivy hasn't returned yet?" Leezel's demeanor had changed drastically. The Keslar Centurion's silver armor fit her perfectly, highlighting her noble air and sharpness.

“We’re talking about him right now.” Evil thought reached out and touched Leezel’s silver armor. The ruby ​​set in the center of the breastplate made her itch a little. “Without him showing up, I feel like none of this is real.”

“Don’t forget he’s still the lord of Dawnstar City. We all agree he won’t abandon his people, right?” Archdruid Halsin also climbed the city wall. He had been providing the refugees with Divine Berry, and now he had used up his last spell slot.

“He better not do that,” Minsara suddenly spoke from the shadows. “If DOOM doesn’t show up for too long, I might just swallow Morningstar City whole.”

“If you really intended to annex Morningstar City, you wouldn’t have said it out loud, Minsara.”

"Ivy? Where are you?"

Everyone recognized the voice and hurriedly searched around.

The orange-red sunset hanging above the Sea of ​​Swords suddenly burst forth with light, and an extremely conspicuous beam of light shone on the top of Baldur's Gate. A figure burning with flames was reflected in the golden sunlight. Who else could it be but Ivy?

"What's wrong with you? You're glowing..." Asdalon, leaning against the battlements, stepped forward first, tentatively reaching his hand into Ivy's phantom. However, scorching flames immediately engulfed him, and pieces of black ash collapsed along with his sudden scream. The pain from the sunlight reminded him of his true identity once again.

"My God! I never thought I would miss those brain-eating worms!" Asdell crouched down, trying to hide in the shadows of the battlements.

But Ivy, amidst the flames, stopped him: "Vampires are harmed by the sun; it's actually a kind of curse. And now I have the power to change all of this."

The translucent hand pressed down on Asdalon's head, and the radiance on the vampire's body immediately disappeared, with new flesh beginning to grow beneath the peeling skin.

"Ivy, I'm so afraid this is all just a dream..." Yingxin wanted to throw herself into his arms, but found herself inexplicably passing through her lover's body. She turned around in disbelief, "Could this really be a dream?"

“Of course not, I just had a little accident.” Ivy hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth. “After destroying the Netherbrain, I encountered Mystra and Losanda in the Astral Plane…”

As Ivy calmly narrated, the adventurers' mouths gaped wider and wider; if the jaw hooks hadn't still been functional, their jaws would have been shattered on the ground by now.

"In short, the solar divinity that Losanda gave me will attract the covetousness of countless people and gods on the continent. You all need to protect yourselves." Ivy clenched his fists, noticing that his figure was fading, as if about to melt into the sunlight. "Duke Ravengard, is the alliance between Morningstar City and Baldur's Gate still legally binding?"

Duke Porter, the last remaining member of the Council of Four, who had somehow appeared beside Ravengard, thoughtfully came to Ravengard's rescue: "Of course! Your Majesty, the Baldur's Gate will recognize all the alliances and agreements you have made with the Council, so you can rest assured."

“Very good.” Ivy nodded, looking at Yingxin, who had a sorrowful expression on her face, which he found quite delicious. “What kind of title do you like? Grand Duchess? Marquis? Or Queen? We’ll be putting it at the top of Dawnstar City’s official documents from now on. Pick one.”

In the previous document signed with Gotash, Ivy's title was "Lord of Morningstar," but since it has been officially recognized, they might as well use a more palatable one.

“No,” Yingxin shook her head, “I’m fine as a lady. I don’t want to be a duke or queen. I just want to be your lady.”

“Then it’s the Duchess.” Ivy made the decision. He wanted to reach out and touch Shadowheart’s cheek, but that part of her body had completely turned into a wisp of ethereal light. “It seems I don’t have much time left. In the time I’m gone, please work together to build our city.”

“Shadowheart, if possible, try to make the religious forces in Morningstar City coexist peacefully as much as possible. As the Sword of Serenne, Irene will help you.”

"Evil thoughts, the things that bound you are no longer there. You are free to pursue the life you want. But if you wish, please consider Morningstar City your home."

"Gail, I'll temporarily entrust my apprentice to you. And of course, there's the Ramages Tower at Baldur's Gate. Use the teleportation array to link it to Starcage."

“Asdallen, it’s time to show everyone your justice. You will be protected by both the sun and the shadows. Until I find a suitable way to feed your brothers and sisters, please try to restrain their desires.”

“Leezel, I believe it’s time to say goodbye. I heard you’ve been promoted to Red Dragon Knight? That’s great, I’ve witnessed another dream come true. If you’re planning to liberate your people from Verakis, I happen to have some other suggestions, but we’ll leave that for another time.”

"Karak..."

“I’m staying in Morningstar!” Karak interrupted before Ivy could speak. “I spent a few years as a guard dog for Zariel in Hell…you know what? I’m starting to wonder if I’m really suited for this job. What do you think of being a watchdog for Morningstar?”

“Oh, Karak, you are my friend. If you wish, you can become the general of Morningstar City. I think there is no war in the world more brutal than bloodshed.”

“Minsara, our ambitions need to support each other. You know what to do, right? The Gond followers and the underground gnomes are both worth courting, and they can live on the surface and underground respectively, engaging in healthy competition. I have already given the Shadowbreaker orders to keep an eye on the Adamantite Forge.”

"Finally, Jahira, Minsk, and Khalsin, I believe you will continue to fight for your duties, and I look forward to the day when fate will bring our paths back into focus."

"Parting is for reunion, and that day is not far off, believe me..."

Ivy's voice grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared into Faerûn along with the sun that sank below the horizon.

(End of this chapter)