Equipment Printing School Mage

The Neutral faction is quite unique because their styles often manifest as two completely opposite extremes.

They are troublemakers who meddle in everything, dare to punch anyone they see, and claim to bring balance to the world, such as the extreme druids.

And hermits who don't want to care about anything and just want to live in their own world, such as the Gund Church.

Now that these troublemakers have run into the Gund Church, they will probably be able to have some peace for a few days.

Apodale didn't believe they could pry open the stone heads of the Gond master craftsmen in a few days. Even if they wanted to do something, the Gond Church probably wouldn't pay any attention to them.

Although the process was messy, judging from the result, it can be said that these little guys were kept away from the battlefield by accident.

After making sure that he could focus fully on the current affairs for the next period of time, Apodel took the lead and continued to follow the two real children.

The distance between them was not far. However, because of this, when Apodale followed the two people, he found that the two children had disappeared without a trace, which made him feel surprised.

Waiting for the two of them at the entrance of the alley was a rather quiet street. Even though it was still daytime, there were very few people passing by.

But even in such a place with a wide view, the two children disappeared.

Apodale immediately looked around.

There is no sewer.

The only ones left are the seemingly dilapidated buildings around here.

But these buildings were all firmly bound with iron chains.

...Moreover, these locks have no rust, which seems to indicate that they are still being used.

This is troublesome - Apodale's brows suddenly frowned.

This was where the paladin's hands were tied; he clearly wasn't supposed to invade an owner's house. His senses weren't sharp enough to track two children in the bustling Baldur's Gate.

Lost the chase?

Just as the paladin was at a loss, Lorian suddenly stretched out her hand, pointing directly at a locked house at the intersection. She said with unwavering confidence, "Those two little guys are in there... No, to be more precise, they entered a secret underground passage and headed northeast. Then, both of them relaxed, no longer as worried as before. It seemed this passage led to their base."

This scene was beyond the Paladin's expectations: "Can you see it?"

Lorien replied, "A wooden board less than a meter thick is as good as nothing to me. Ah, they are out of range."

Of course, even if the shapeshifter can read minds, the distance will not be infinite.

But that's enough.

The most important purpose of this tracking is to try to find clues about the House of Hope.

An ordinary welfare home obviously does not need to prepare a secret passage specifically for the two little members.

Then he came to the right place.

The location of the Residence of Hope was public, just a few dozen meters from the intersection where they were. It didn't matter if they didn't enter the secret passage.

"Thank you very much. If you hadn't been here this time, I'd probably have been left behind by those two kids." Apodale sighed, "Now I kind of understand why you were coerced. Your power is indeed very convenient."

The shapeshifters are a race that is far too powerful and useful when they are on their side rather than on the enemy's side.

Granted, spellcasters can replicate similar powers, but they are far less swift and stealthy than shapeshifters.

The biggest weakness of a spellcaster is that it is impossible to maintain the highest intensity combat readiness state 24 hours a day.

Because of this, being ambushed by a spellcaster is always extremely deadly.

"You're too kind." Lorian's cheeks flushed slightly, but then, as if she had thought of something, she immediately put on a serious expression and added, "I only ask that if there's a fight, you allow me to leave first."

"No problem." Apodel said as he took out a talisman from his dimensional bag. "Based on my experience, you can leave now."

"......?" Lorian's eyes widened in astonishment. "Now? We haven't even reached the target's door yet?"

"It is precisely because we are still quite far from our goal that you were able to escape," Apodel replied.

At this moment, the sound of wheels slowly drifted from far away.

Its destination seemed to be exactly in the direction of the Residence of Hope.

*************************

House of Hope.

This name has gradually become famous in Baldur's Gate.

Originally, this was an orphanage run by the Church of Ilmater, the God of Suffering. But with the advent of the Arcane Calamity, the Church of Ilmater discovered a serious problem: there were too many people in need of help.

Like most welfare homes, the House of Hope was already struggling on the brink of bankruptcy. The Church of the Suffering could not turn a blind eye to the refugees outside the city, so the church moved outside Baldur's Gate amid the refugee crisis.

——Naturally, people can walk, but the land cannot.

Likewise, life in an orphanage might be difficult, but it's probably better than a crowded refugee camp.

In this way, the connection between the House of Hope and the Passionate Church gradually broke off. During the past century, the House of Hope successfully survived with the support of some aid.

"—and I believe we will persevere. So, although I am indeed the protector of Hope House, I do not believe I have the right to transfer this house and the children in it to others."

Aunt Leah, the host of the House of Hope, was dressed in heavy clothing as always. She faced the guests respectfully, but her words were merciless: "So, unfortunately, Mr. Jesus Valakan, we will only accept your sponsorship."

"No, you misunderstood. Land in the Lower City is extremely expensive these days, and 5,000 gold coins certainly won't buy a house." Grand Duke Valaken's second son, currently sitting across from Aunt Leah, replied, "I simply hope to receive gratitude from the Residence of Hope."

Sister Leah was silent for a moment, then asked, "...For example, a vote in the Grand Duke election?"

Jesus smiled and said, "Or maybe, when the people from the Residence of Hope come back here for the annual gathering, I can join them."

"Ah, that's not wrong..."

At this moment, the door of the House of Hope was knocked again.

Mammy stood up in astonishment.

The uninvited guest spoke with a Southern Sword Bay accent: "Excuse me, is this the Residence of Hope? Do you accept sponsorships?"

Jesus frowned suddenly and stood up.

The Grand Duke's son naturally brought the Red Moon Group as guards.

As we all know, guards often have to do more work.

The werewolf guards of the Red Moon Group naturally still maintained their human forms. As soon as they saw their employer stand up, they immediately understood and strode out the door.

"Wait, wait," Aunt Leah shouted in panic, standing up. "What do you want to do in Hope House?"

"I won't do anything, but at least I'll help you filter out some unqualified guests." Jesus stood up, opened the door, and shouted, "Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing here? Do you know that the Residence of Hope is not a place where everyone can come?"

Outside the door stood a tall, pot-bellied noble. He stepped back a few steps, keeping his distance from Jesus, and replied, "I've just arrived at Baldur's Gate, and I don't have any connections here..."

"You have no common sense!" Jesus said coldly. "If you want to do business or expand your network in Baldur's Gate, you should first go to Little Calimshan. If that's not possible, you should also go to the High Hall and the Ocean Tower. Your lies are very clumsy!"

The visitor showed no fear and answered simply, "That's my business. Who are you to the Residence of Hope? If it has nothing to do with the Residence of Hope, please get out of the way."

"Who am I?" Jesus shook his head, stretched out his hand, and placed a bulging bag on the small table at the door. "I'm someone who is willing to donate treasures worth 5,000 gold coins to the Residence of Hope. I don't care what your purpose is, but if you can't come up with 5,000 gold coins, you might as well leave now!"

"Oh, five thousand gold coins, what a terrifying number." The uninvited guest shrugged and took out a ring from his waist seemingly casually.

In an instant, the attention of everyone present was drawn away.

It was a platinum ring, the ring itself already valuable. Even more astonishing, it was inlaid with a star-shaped sapphire the size of a pigeon egg. Delicate carving had carved a hexagram-like pattern into the gem's surface, allowing its radiance to converge beautifully at its center, radiating into the eyes of all who watched.

"This ring is estimated to be worth seven thousand gold coins." The uninvited guest seemed completely unaware of the priceless treasure he had stole. He walked past the stunned Jesus and placed the ring on the same table. "I heard that the Residence of Hope has been doing well. I have never had children. I wanted to come to the Residence of Hope to see the children here."

"I don't want to know who you are, but no matter what, the matter of the House of Hope seems to have nothing to do with you, right?"

Then, the uninvited guest snorted coldly, seemingly unaware that he was surrounded by a group of capable warriors.

He pointed southeast. "Bodu'an's Wangyang Tower is only a hundred meters to the southeast. I imagine the Flaming Fist would be delighted to imprison those who dare to act recklessly within their sphere of influence."

Author's Note: This is frustrating. I can't let the protagonist do everything; this volume has multiple storylines. Occasionally, I have to have a chapter where the protagonist's presence is slightly less noticeable. I'm really sorry.

The Darkness of Baldur's Gate

"...?"

The visitor's attitude, neither humble nor overbearing, and even fearless, was truly unusual, so much so that Grand Duke Valakan's second son became suspicious and uncertain.

What is the identity of this nobleman? On the one hand, he carries a treasure, but on the other hand, he is so arrogant?

Even though Grand Duke Valakan's main sphere of influence is still in the outer city, he is still a Grand Duke after all.

In Baldur's Gate, the spheres of influence of the different Grand Dukes generally do not overlap: the Grand Duke of Silver Shield represents the traditional nobility and the Church of Gond. The former Flaming Fist controls the military, the Lower City, and even the port, and can be said to both cooperate with and compete with the Grand Duke of Silver Shield.

The vast outer city area is almost all covered by Valakan, and Grand Duke Violet is the most mysterious. She seems to be only interested in the trade of magical items. She did not rely on power struggles, but on compromise and wealth to get to the top.

Now that Flame Fist has lost his Grand Duke position, it is very likely that he will not be able to produce a qualified successor in the short term - Karkoros may be a powerful wizard, but he is obviously unable to win the hearts of the people.

In other words, the Lower Town has now become an extremely huge piece of ownerless cake - you know, the port of Baldur's Gate is also located in the Lower Town!

In Baldur's Gate, there are only a few ways to gain support.

Spending money proves that you are willing to share the profits.

Flex your muscles and prove that you can squeeze more out of the trough that is Baldur's Gate.

Jesus Valacken frowned and waved toward the door. "Your kindness has been conveyed. Please leave now. The Valacken family and the nun from the Residence of Hope have some private matters to discuss. It will only take a few minutes."

"...Huh." The visitor shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I've heard most of your opinions from outside. I think the only one who needs time to think is Sister Leah."

Having said this, he paused and replied calmly: "--The one who needs to go out is you."

This blunt answer immediately made Jesus blush: "You're pushing it further!"

Even though it was bait, Jesus Valacken decided to take the bait.

How could there be so many powerful lone wolves in this world? He was more convinced that this was a vanguard sent by some force to provoke trouble.

Well, let’s make a big fuss, the cake in the downtown area has to be grabbed with muscle!

Jesus immediately stepped back and shouted, "Red Moon Group! Throw this rude guy out the door and make him lick the mud and dust outside the Mansion of Hope!"

"Yes!" The members of the Red Moon Group nearby had been eager to try. As soon as they heard the order, they immediately rushed forward impatiently.

The next second, accompanied by a different scream, a figure flew out of the gate of the Residence of Hope like a stone thrown from a sling. And Jesus, who had been so arrogant just a moment ago, disappeared.

The pot-bellied nobleman, however, slowly walked out of the door and, with just one hand, lifted up the man who had been thrown out. "Calm down now, Mr. Jesus?"

Naturally, the unlucky guy who was completely subdued in an instant was the second son of Grand Duke Valaken.

Jesus's face was now covered in mud and dirt from the rain, and his once meticulously groomed appearance had become comparable to the filthiest beggar in Baldur's Gate. He spat out the mud in his mouth with difficulty and said, "...Sir...who are you?"

At this point, even a fool would know that this fat appearance is just a disguise.

The visitor didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lifted him up and turned around. "Okay, you all saw it—if you all return to your base honestly, your master will be safe. Otherwise, something no one wants to see will happen. Do you understand?"

Jesus Vallacan was a tall, well-trained adult male, weighing at least eighty kilograms. Yet this mysterious man lifted him with one hand, as if he were lifting a withered leaf.

The second son of Grand Duke Valakan breathed hard and said, "Do as he says."

The Red Moon guards hesitated for a moment, and though they had already begun to move out, they were still hesitant. It was not until Jesus gave the order a second time that they finally rushed out of the city without looking back.

"Ah, good."

"Facing the strongest paladin of Faerûn, I trust you will keep your promise."

"Is it that obvious?" Apodel, who had disguised himself with magic items, couldn't help but sigh.

If Imoen hadn't suddenly lost her temper, he could have moved more freely. However, a wizard is more suited to hiding in the dark.

It is unheard of that the Emiya team, which is led by a mage, would act like a clergy team of the church and run around recklessly.

"In this bloody and ruthless Baldur's Gate, the words and deeds of a paladin are too brilliant, no matter how hard they try to conceal them. However, we certainly never expected that Baldur's Gate would be so high on your itinerary."

Even though Karkoros of the Flaming Fist had just extended an invitation to Apodel Adrian at today's four-person meeting, it was only a few hours later that this renowned paladin arrived at Baldur's Gate.

This efficiency makes people feel cold.

Apodale shook his head. "You're very clever. Unfortunately, even if you reveal my identity, it won't change the fact that if the Valaken family's money wasn't so clean, I would be paying them a visit soon."

The Holy Knights, like the Church of Justice and Law, have a reputation in the dark corners of the world that is enough to make a child stop crying.

It was only when a sword was put to their necks that many people realized that these two seemingly most old-fashioned factions actually believed in the illegality of evil laws.

They tend to prioritize the law as the sword, but if the law cannot solve the problem, they don't mind using the law of the sword.

This time, Jesus Valacken's body trembled uncontrollably, and he immediately shouted, "If you don't have evidence, please don't smear the reputation of the Valacken family!"

"When life exists in this world, it leaves its mark." Apodel calmly put down the Valakin in his hand. "You know best what has enabled your family to develop so rapidly."

“——!” Upon hearing these words, Jesus Valacken’s teeth couldn’t help but chatter up and down.

But he still forced the corners of his mouth upward, sketching an arc through the muddy face, "...Of course we know it very well."