Equipment Printing School Mage

This time, everyone inside and outside the conference hall shouted in shock: "—Apodel Adrian?!"

The reputation of this paladin has long spread to every corner of Faerun, and in Baldur's Gate, he is almost a household name.

His statue is in the High Hall of Baldur's Gate, opposite the statue of Baldur's Ancestor. Anyone who comes to the High Hall will recognize the identity of this paladin!

Grand Duke Silver Shield couldn't help but gasp: "...Your Excellency Apodel Adrian! Did you think that invitation from a few days ago was so important?!"

Apodel sighed. "Isn't it important? This wanted warrant concerns the life of a young paladin, the reputation of Elturgard, and the relationship between the two realms. No matter how you look at it, it's a matter of utmost urgency. Furthermore, Baal's resurrection is closely tied to my own life. I cannot ignore it."

At this point, Apodale smiled and said, "Besides, it seems that you have invited me to participate in the Silver Shield Family Festival tomorrow."

"...You are right."

Apodel Adrian was not only one of the most renowned paladins in Faerun, but also a man over a hundred and twenty years old, a man who had lived through two eras. Even the Grand Duke of Silver Shield dared not act superior in his presence.

Grand Duke Silver Shield immediately stood up and bowed in apology: "The Silver Shield family is extremely grateful for your hospitality. Tomorrow, you will definitely be the Silver Shield family's most distinguished guest."

"That's not necessary..." Apodel was about to refuse, but Grand Duke Silvershield immediately said, "Excuse me, Your Excellency Apodel, how long do you plan to stay in Baldur's Gate?"

Apodale replied without hesitation: "Unfortunately, I had no plans to stay long..."

Having said that, his eyes tilted slightly in the direction of Grand Duke Violet, and then added: "I would rather leave after resolving the matter here."

The words are not final.

The Silver Shield Duke was silent for a moment, then asked, "The incident you're referring to might include the conflict between Baldur's Gate and Elturgard?"

This sentence made Apodel's face look a little awkward. "...I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with Elturgard. I'm afraid I can't help you."

Grand Duke Silver Shield's eyes dimmed slightly, but suddenly brightened again, and he suddenly changed the subject: "Carcolos Burning Flame, may I ask if the discussion within the Flame Fist regarding the selection of the next Grand Marshal has concluded?"

Karkoros was stunned for a moment before replying, "Of course not. Several of the Burning Flames are still far away in Chult, and in fact, the discussion hasn't even begun. I'll be staying in this position for at least several more months."

Grand Duke Silvershield paced around the Grand Duke's Hall for a few moments before suddenly stopping and speaking with an extremely solemn expression, "... Your Excellency Apodel, if you agree to settle in Baldur's Gate, I am willing to put your name on the list of candidates for the next Grand Duke today! Given your reputation in Baldur's Gate, I'm sure you'll be sitting in that vacant Grand Duke's Hall by the middle of next month!"

He ignored the sudden explosion and continued with his second sentence: "—At the same time, I very much hope to see the new Grand Duke declared the anointed Grand Marshal of the Flaming Fist and put the shaky Baldur's Gate back on track."

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

"Boom!"

While the conference hall was bustling with noise, the members of the Society of Gods and Non-Gods were once again embroiled in conflict.

Raphael, the commander-in-chief of the Gods Not Gods' operations in Baldur's Gate, was staring at the empty chair in front of him with unprecedented rage, as if someone was lying on it.

"—Mr. Viecon, I need an explanation for what happened today." The veins in his face throbbed, threatening to burst. But he forced himself to maintain his composure and asked coldly, "It seems you recently took on one of our least busy jobs at Baldur's Gate: to monitor Madam Nasir, the captain of the Watchers."

"Madam Nasir's mission is the simplest. You only need to ensure that she doesn't suddenly switch sides under temptation. This can be said to be the greatest favor I can give you—but, at this moment, it seems that you should be at the North Gate, not lying in this stronghold so calmly!"

Then, the empty chair swayed slightly, as if someone was lying on it and adjusted their posture slightly because of Raphael's words.

The man named Viekon was clearly a member of the Whisper Behind. They had somehow gained permanent, irreversible invisibility, which gave them immense combat power. However, among this supposedly elite group, there seemed to be a slacker like Viekon.

Viecon seemed completely unaware of Raphael's anger. He burped leisurely and said, "It seems that the plan you thought was foolproof has once again encountered a huge flaw, so much so that you have to seek dignity from the person with the least future in your posthumous words."

"—A flaw?!" Raphael repeated the words, then flew into a rage. "The biggest flaw in this plan is that someone who should have been at Black Dragon Gate showed up in Little Calinshan, feasting with impunity! The Gond Church members delivered a thousand suits of armor in broad daylight! They sent over a million gold coins worth of property to Black Dragon Gate, forcing the Watchers into bankruptcy! And the person who should have stopped this is now living a life of drunkenness right in front of me!"

"Ha." Viecon sneered. "If this link was really that important, you would have sent your most trusted and reliable person to do it. If this matter was so unexpected, it must be due to your poor planning."

After spouting off a long string of twisted logic, Viecon was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Ah, sorry, weren't your three most trusted colleagues killed by some unknown young men in the assassination attempt a few days ago? It seems one of them was a distant relative of mine. Faerun is a place like that. Even an ordinary blacksmith's apprentice a few years ago would transform into a qualified adventurer upon graduation from his mentor, and just happened to give a blow to a conspirator who thought he had it all figured out - I thought you devils were used to this kind of thing. Oh, could it be that this incident was also done by those young men who killed Hou Zhiyu?

"People with such bizarre life experiences and abilities seem to be the so-called 'accusers of the dead', right? And this concept was invented by you all. When do you plan to use it? Or do you intend to swallow your anger and let your efforts become a stepping stone for them?"

Raphael was furious: "You——!"

"Me?" Viecon shrugged. "So, how are you going to punish me for my dereliction of duty?"

This is a very unusual question.

The devil is not a group that will be bound by rules. On the contrary, every soul that falls into Hell will first experience the devil's brutal torture. These evil souls will be subjected to the most cruel methods by their fallen predecessors until the pain and torture of these newly fallen souls are reduced to a blank, and their last emotions and memories are drained away.

It is said that soul currency, a popular medium of exchange in hell, was born in this way.

This is definitely not a pain that can be overcome by strong willpower.

Raphael was silent for a while, and did not continue the topic. Instead, he said: "-Apodel Adrian came to Baldur's Gate."

"Bang!" The sound of glass breaking suddenly rang out.

Flying glass fragments, along with the purple-red wine inside, emerged from the air and fell to the ground with a crackling sound.

Wei Yekang's voice, which had been leisurely at first, turned cold: "Are you sure?"

"This holy warrior appeared in the Supreme Hall in broad daylight. There is no doubt about it." Raphael replied.

"Ha!" Vierkon let out a sigh, one not sure whether it was joy or relief. "It seems the day has finally arrived. So, when exactly is it? The Grand Duke's election day?"

"No." Raphael shook his head. "Tomorrow."

“How greedy.”

Raphael ignored him and simply got up and left.

Viecon was right—but at this moment, he really had no way to deal with Viecon.

There are always some people in the world who are not afraid of the threats of the devil.

For example, those who have been tortured by the devil for nearly a hundred years and whose souls are destined to be devoured by their father God.

Moreover, death is near.

83. The Secret of Grand Duke Violet (I)

In the end, today's ecumenical meeting concluded with an incredibly explosive outcome. All participants and observers rushed to their favorite taverns or their own strongholds with all their might, ready to brag about everything they had witnessed that day.

Lunya's Emia team, who can be said to have created today's prosperity, is now quietly staying in the warehouse of the Black Dragon Gate.

Under the magical effect of teleportation, the group who had just won a great victory in the Supreme Hall came to the Black Dragon Gate and easily saw Emiya sitting quietly at the door of the warehouse.

He was currently sitting with Yin, holding several weapons in his arms, while Sig and Mars remained outside the Black Dragon Gate on sentry duty.

Karkoros's smile remained undimmed. With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the cloaking sphere surrounding them and revealed himself within the gatehouse of Baldur's Gate. "Aha! This young hero, sitting quietly amidst the shadows of swords, speaking without a word, yet nearly bringing Baldur's Gate to its knees, could it be Mr. Emia of Lunya and his close friends?"

Their presence also meant that everything was accomplished. As for the alert? Apodel and Karkoros, working together, could probably blow up the entire Baldur's Gate, eliminating the need for Mars and the others to continue on alert.

Emiya was stunned for a moment, rubbed her slightly bloodshot eyes, put her hands full of swords into the dimensional hole beside her, and stood up. "It seems that today's meeting went smoothly? Madam Nasir, I hope you got what you wanted today."

Lady Nasir followed behind Karkoros and Apodel—no matter her status, strength, or even age, she couldn't accompany them—and upon hearing this, she said somewhat uncomfortably, "Now, I am also the Flame of the Flame Fist."

Emiya was stunned for a moment: "...Oh?"

Although he hoped that the Overwatch team would not be abandoned, this result seemed to be quite lenient.

"I can't say I got what I wanted, but I'm still grateful." Mrs. Nasir looked at Emiya with an extremely complicated expression. "I don't know whether I should bear a grudge against you or be grateful to you."

Apodel also added, "A large mercenary group like the Flame Fist isn't suited to making enemies everywhere. After all, we'll all meet in the same city in the future. I think this outcome is best for everyone."

Karkoros stepped forward and solemnly shook Emiya's hand. "You and your friends saved the Flaming Fist. A few days ago, I would never have imagined you could accomplish such a feat, no, such a feat! I heard that the Overwatch team can't consume all of your equipment now?"

Mrs. Nasir was currently celebrating her survival, and could only reply, "...I don't think there's a military organization in this world that could so quickly cough up over a million gold coins."

"Except for today's Flame Fist!" Karkoros squeezed Emiya's hand vigorously, even though the old wizard's hand strength was just that. "I must take most of the money back to Wangyang Tower and give it to Ola to fill the hole. But before Ola takes it all away, I think I still have the right to control part of it!"

Sig had already sensed the passion in the conversation, and his ears pricked up quietly as he quietly slipped over to Emilia's side.

Karkoros didn't care at all. He waved his hand with an extremely generous attitude and said, "---It's just right. You brought full body plate armor to Black Dragon Gate? That's great. The Flame Fist can also use this equipment! How much is left to sell? I'll buy it all!!!"

Emiya did not answer immediately, but looked at Mrs. Nasir.

The deal between them hasn't actually been officially finalized yet.

"Five hundred thousand. I'll pay for the armor. As for the remaining six hundred thousand," Mrs. Nasir hesitated, then said, "the fifty thousand originally planned...please allow me to use it to strengthen the Watchers' defenses. I'm worried about...retaliation."

"This plan is good and very reasonable." During this time, Karkoros glanced at the carriage still parked near the north gate. "So, Emiya, how much of the goods you brought is left?"

Aimia immediately replied, "According to the price we paid to Madam Nasir, the total value of our goods is one million eight hundred and eighty thousand five hundred and twenty-five gold coins."

Hearing this number, even though Mrs. Nasir had already changed sides, she still lost her balance and almost fell over: "One million and eighty thousand?! Are those carriages really... really all of them...?"

Emiya immediately gave a definite answer: "Yes, all of them are full body plate armor."

"...Ha...ha!" Mrs. Nasir laughed dryly. "...Then I'll go move the belongings. The remaining money is in my own secret room."

Karkoros was also shocked by this number for a while before he recovered. He looked at Emiya meaningfully and said, "...You really did all this?"

Emilia was silent for a moment. "The reasons are very complicated, so I can't go into detail. I can only say that I did play a significant role."

"It doesn't matter. I don't care about that." Karkoros waved his hand. "I don't want to haggle with you over the small change. Besides, according to the Watchers' contract, you should be selling at a discount. I won't take advantage of you. I'll offer 750,000 gold coins for the remaining armor. How about that? Don't worry about whether I'm overpaying. All the gratitude of the Flaming Fist is in it."

Emiya was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh: "...So, we will earn 1.25 million gold coins."

After seeing Lord Karkoros nod with his own eyes, Sig fell back into Yin's arms without a sound, but even so, there was an extremely happy smile on his face.

Although it is understandable - each person in their team will be able to get nearly 300,000 gold coins.

This number is enough for everyone to buy an extremely large piece of land in the wilderness, and then build several giant castles from the flat ground, and even maintain long-term operation without any pressure.

"That's the best," said Apodel, standing nearby. "However, with such a large amount of wealth being able to fit into a single dimensional hole, most of it is probably artworks that are difficult to accurately value and even harder to liquidate... Have you decided what to do with them?"

Obviously, exchanging a masterpiece for a magical item wasn't easy. Selling off a large number of artworks in a short period of time would inevitably lead to a devaluation of the artworks—the gap between artworks and precious metals was still enormous.

Then, Apodel took a deep breath and said, "You may not know yet, but Grand Duke Violet, the last member of the Council of Four, has invited you and me to the Witchcraft Grocery Store. It's quite suitable as a venue for transmogrification."

Emiya nodded, "Hmm... hm?"

Then, for the first time, shock appeared on his calm face: "Where are we going?!"

Apodale's face was icy. "I've completed the first of the three steps in the letter. Now that it's getting late, I plan to go upstairs and do the remaining two."

The Secret of Grand Duke Violet (Part 2)

Interpersonal communication is tiring.

After obtaining an astonishing amount of wealth from the two mercenary leaders, Emilia sighed sincerely.

In Baldur's Gate, they had to juggle multiple identities, maintain varying levels of secrecy when dealing with different people, and constantly guard against letting slip—a process that consumed a great deal of their physical strength and energy. Even worse, he wasn't actually enjoying it.

He could now somewhat understand Yin's feelings.

They and Karkoros were allies with a debt of gratitude, and Apodel Adrian could be considered a close elder.

Therefore, some things can only be said after the two mercenary leaders have left.

Thanks to this great victory, Apodale finally relaxed - the so-called house arrest order was no longer in effect.

"Sir Apodel, I don't think we really need to get involved with Grand Duke Violet." Emilia was still trying to make a final effort. "Even if there are any difficulties, there is no need to go this far. I think we can try to contact her again..."

"So, Emiya, you're a weirdo." Mars sneered. "A powerful woman has offered herself to me. Shouldn't I be happy for my teacher on such an occasion? The only problem is that I really don't know how he plans to avoid breaking his oath. I remember that betrayal of love is also considered a kind of betrayal. Doesn't cheating break the oath?"

"Could you please tone down the gloating in your words, Mr. Mars of Candlekeep?" Apodale snorted coldly, "But I have my own plans."

Mars shrugged. "I think my dear teacher must have come up with a solution, so he dared to go to the Witch Grocery Store in such a threatening manner. I'm just curious about what will happen next."

Apodale rolled his eyes and smiled. "I've been deceived for several days. I can't be the only one who's been kept in the dark."

As he spoke, the Son of Bhaal slipped a note into Emmya's hand and said, "Emmya, you will go to the Witch Grocery Store as written on this note. I will act alone."

"Hmm?" Emilia unfolded the note hesitantly.

The content on the note was very simple and concise: a few lines of text described the direction, distance, and the landing point corresponding to these two numbers.

Specifically, they asked Emiya to use the portal to take them to the Mage Tower.

"...This method of action..." Emilia read the note over and over again, her eyebrows slowly knitting together. "Did Grand Duke Violet give this to us? Why do I feel that this method... is a little familiar?"

It's exactly the same as the handwriting of a certain female mage!

"Ha." Apodale sneered, "That's the problem with this matter! Anyway, let's go our separate ways—we probably won't see each other again tonight."

After saying that, the Holy Knight almost whistled, and the Holy Knight's Pegasus dropped from the sky. Then, the man and the horse actually rushed straight to the top of the wizard tower of the Witch Grocery Store, and then disappeared in mid-air.

This scene was completely unexpected by Sig. Her wide clothes caught the wind so tightly that she was almost blown up into the sky. "What's going on? What's going on? Is the etiquette for visiting a wizard in Feren to ride a Pegasus directly into the tower?"

How is this possible? This is the closest way to death.

Emiya sighed.

Apodale's attitude was clearly angry, but it was definitely not the kind of rage directed at an enemy.

...Like being angry at your own family?

Emiya was stunned for a moment.

He and Mars looked at each other.