Equipment Printing School Mage
Page 138
She held up the note and announced the final result: "The last Knight of Secret Fire of the Magic Church, the hero who saved Baldur's Gate twice, Apodel Adrian—"
"37200 votes!"
In other words, Apodel Adrián successfully crushed all other competitors combined in this election.
"Mr. Apodel, no, Grand Duke Apodel Adrian, please come to the upper city wall!"
********************************
"Right now, the people of Bodu are cheering... but once the novelty wears off, I'm afraid they'll feel bad."
Among Emilia's group, only Sig liked the hustle and bustle, so she forcibly dragged the remaining three people out of the Witch Grocery Store and felt the most lively day in Baldur's Gate in the city.
They had now spent a large sum of money to rent the second floor of an inn, buying a position where they could hear the cheers of the Baldor people and see the gold that Imoen was preaching.
However, Mars was not optimistic about his teacher's appointment. "The two Grand Dukes are inseparable and certainly have absolute authority. But neither of them has sufficient connections with the grassroots. And Baldur's Gate's grassroots are rotten... and the teacher can't turn a blind eye. I think he will spend the rest of his life rectifying the Flaming Fist and Baldur's Gate. And even then, there's no guarantee of success."
Mars took a sip of wine with a vicissitudes of life on his face: "It's scary to think about it... I would rather be a knight-errant for the rest of my life than spend the rest of my life in intrigue with others."
"Oh, can you please not say such a spoiler on a day like this!" Sig was currently stuffing himself with snacks he had scavenged from every corner of Baldur's Gate, his mouth bulging as if it had two crops. "After all, they're both Grand Dukes, and Flaming Fist said that the previous invitation to Apodel to be Marshal still stands."
"From this perspective, the biggest winner of this battle is Mr. Emia of Lunya—" Mars, who had missed the most difficult part of the battle, pointed unhappily at Emia, who was writing furiously in the room. "From now on, the two archdukes are his close friends. I think Sister Imoen considers him half a student. My teacher and I owe Emia our lives. Having the friendship of two archdukes on our side is already excessive. And, just a few days ago, the Gond Church gave up its Supreme Bishop for him. If he is willing to go to the Gond Church now, he might be able to become a master craftsman as a mage."
"—And then there's the even more significant Sharptooth Forest. Do you want me to continue?"
Emiya looked up from the ink and parchment and replied, "I guess not."
At this moment, the raven that Fenwei brought was still perched next to his table, quite familiar.
—By the way, a few days ago, Mr. Emiya of Lunya once again tried to cast Find Familiar on the raven next to him. He thought that this raven, which seemed very friendly, would immediately become his Familiar...
The result was that he caught the raven in the morning, which had simply slept beside his bed at night - and then, the spell to find the familiar failed gloriously again.
It was bizarre. Casting a single spell took almost a whole day. That was enough time for him to copy several spells. Find Familiar was of limited use to him right now, so he had to relegate it to the end of his schedule.
As they chatted among themselves, Apodel had already ascended the city wall and, amid the screams of the people, completed his acceptance speech and promises. Then, amidst a sea of cheers, Apodel and Grand Duke Violet announced side by side that public affairs had been completed and that the people of Baldur could indulge in their revelry.
Almost at the same time, the raven beside Emiya seemed to have heard something, raised its head slightly, spread its wings and flew out of the window.
Emiya was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.
After all, the raven wasn't even his pet, and it was clearly quite intelligent, not something he needed to worry about.
However, this raven had a very clear destination - after leaving Emiya's sight, it flew straight towards the Witch Grocery Store and flew in through the window on the first floor of the store.
There, Imoen's maid Lorien had been waiting for a long time.
She bowed slightly and said to the raven, "Archdruid Fenwë."
Then, the raven returned to its elegant archdruid form. Fenwë straightened his appearance and asked, "I'm not late, am I?"
"Exactly. They are behind this secret door."
Behind Lorien was a solid wall, but on this wall, there was a door that stood out a bit, emitting a faint glow.
A door to a demiplane.
Inside the demiplane is a reception room, decorated like a living room, simple but not shabby. A large round table and chairs surrounding it are the main furniture of the demiplane.
But the most important thing is the participants who have already arrived.
Apodel and Imoen sat side by side on one side, and opposite them was an old wizard with a red robe and red hat, a waist-length beard, and another very strange person.
She was a tall, fair-skinned woman with long, blue hair as deep as the sky and eyes of slightly glowing silver. These unusual personal features made her flawless and perfect face even more eye-catching.
She appeared to be an aasimar, a celestial-influenced human as opposed to a tiefling.
Moreover, Fenwei said that when she saw this Asmo, she felt a sense of déjà vu.
Fenwei looked at this strange woman who was sitting with Elminster with some doubt.
She wore a simple yet comfortable white robe. She carried a wooden sword at her waist and, surprisingly, a bow. Even more surprising, beneath the robe, she could discern the faint outline of her muscles.
At the same time, she had a serious face and her expression barely fluctuated.
This is a ranger's attire no matter how you look at it. However, a true ranger would never wear such a cloth robe - leather armor is the favorite of those rangers.
The reason why Fenwei had a sense of déjà vu was that in her impression, there was a person she was very familiar with who was exactly the same as this woman in many aspects.
Then, in Yu Fenwei's mind, the figure of this woman overlapped with that of a red-haired young man.
"……what?!"
After greeting the others, Fenwei quickly took a few steps and sat down next to the woman. "Hello? What's your name?"
The woman's speech was even more awkward than Emiya's, though her accent was remarkably similar. "A name is a concept used to distinguish. Staying in Faerun for a long time is not part of my plan. This is our first meeting, and it will likely be our last, so you know that names have limited benefits."
"...?" Fenwei was stunned for a moment, but still insisted, "Even if there's no profit, I'm still very interested. Can't you tell me?"
The mysterious woman thought for a moment and said, "I have a student to whom I had not yet told my name until we parted ways. Therefore, it would be unfair to him to reveal my real name here. Moreover, I believe that I am no longer qualified to use either my old or real name. In summary, 'Name Forsaken' is an appropriate title."
"...Uh." The absolutely neutral druid was defeated in a few rounds and looked at the Holy Knight Apodel for help.
This Asmoa was obviously a pure-blooded person of the lawful camp who was hated by both humans and gods - even if she wanted to make friends with him, she just couldn't do it.
"Ahem..." Apodel Adrian had obviously experienced the difficulty of communicating with the Forsaken in the brief time before, so he simply stood up and took over the topic.
"Okay, please allow me to briefly explain the main content of this meeting. Technically, this is a private matter between Imoen and me, but considering the impact, I have also invited Miss Fenwei to attend the meeting."
"In short, it's about the problems that arose during the Late Summer Rebellion some time ago." Apodel took a deep breath and looked at Elminster. "A hundred years ago, during the decisive battle between the Sons of Bhaal, I received a firm promise from the Seraphim of the Supreme God AO."
"She said that since I gave up becoming the God of Murder, the gods could purify Baal's evil spirit, freeing the sons of Baal from the shackles of their father. They would imprison Baal's spirit in Mount Celestial, where it could never be used again... But everyone already knows the final outcome—"
"When the number of Baal's sons was reduced to an extremely dangerous level, the blood of Baal in our bodies still erupted. If I hadn't saved Mars and his mother by chance, Baal would have been resurrected by now!"
"Lord Elminster, I believe you are one of the mortals who understands the gods best. I urgently need your guidance. Do you know what is going on? Why does this contradiction between reality and promises arise?"
"Huh..." This topic was clearly a very heavy one. In fact, Elminster had appeared here specifically to answer this question.
The abandoned person sat upright at first, but there was still a hint of doubt in her brow. But soon, she knew why she was there.
Elminster shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't know the answer. The secrets of the gods are the most profound secrets in the world. And the knowledge that concerns the gods' continued existence is the most important secret in the world. Even more so, I hardly know who might know this secret."
Imoen was slightly taken aback and leaned forward slightly. "You said, 'almost'."
Elminster took a drag from his pipe and turned towards the female Asmo. "...Yes. She is the person in the world who I think is most likely to know the answer to your question right now."
"...?!"
This time, everyone else present was shocked.
Apodel's question was incredibly difficult and thorny. Even someone like Elminster, possessing absolute power, a close connection to the gods, and even having experienced several transitions to godhood, didn't know the answer to Apodel's question.
Who exactly is this Asmo?
Upon hearing this question, the Forsaken frowned. "Mr. Apodel Adrian, are you asking whether the unidentified Seraph is lying, or how to resolve your own existential crisis? If it's the latter, there's no existing answer."
"The standard way to make a god permanently dead, unable to be resurrected, is to first destroy their true form, causing them to be completely forgotten by everyone, severing their last connection with the world. But you are the Son of Baal, and this connection cannot be severed. Therefore, I believe this crisis cannot be resolved."
Apodel had been mentally prepared for this answer. He shook his head and said, "What about the former? Do you know why that Seraphim would deceive me on such a crucial issue?"
"I don't know." Asmo answered without hesitation. "The probability of Ao, the Supreme God, having a Seraphim Attendant is extremely low. Seraphim Attendants are the highest-ranking angels, but ultimately they are servants of the gods. Their functions are similar to those of the gods' incarnations, and they are not essential to the gods' affairs. Over countless years, Ao has only caused a single Year of Turmoil, and beyond that, there has been no trace of any activity. Why would such a being need to create a Seraphim Attendant?"
At this point, the Forsaken's eyes suddenly lit up. "I have a question for you: Why did that unidentified Seraph help you?"
"Hmm..." Apodel recalled, then said, "On the eve of the Battle of the Heirs of Bhaal, she came to me and claimed that I was the heir most likely to win the war. She was the messenger of fate, so she had an obligation to come and point the way for me and lead me to the end - even if she had no power to help me and could only support me."
This time, the Forsaken answered with incredible speed: "That's ridiculous. The AO, the Supreme God, wouldn't bother with such trivial matters. The rise and fall of gods is just a normal part of the world. Not to mention sending a Seraphim servant specifically to support one of them. I'm sure you encountered many powerful competitors in the war. Could it be that each of them has their own Seraphim servant of the AO? That servant must be lying. Her behavior is full of doubts and she is completely unreliable."
At this point, the Forsaken added ruthlessly, "Furthermore, you're from Candlekeep. You should be well aware of Fate's status in Faerûn. Back then, the Goddess of Fate wasn't powerful. She could be contaminated or even killed. The Goddesses of Luck and Misfortune, born from her body, are even more beloved and feared by mortals than their own mother, and therefore more powerful than she is. The Seraphim who guides the fate of those who become gods? She's undoubtedly a fraud."
"Well, if you still don't believe it, then here's a more obvious flaw: she told an extremely clumsy lie to gain your trust." The Forsaken clapped his hands. "[Purify the Divine Soul], hiding in [Celestial Mountain]? Lord Apodel, please answer me—why purify the Divine Soul, and why hide it in Celestial Mountain?"
"Huh?" Apodel was stunned for a moment, then answered reflexively, "The power of an evil god like Baal even harmed his own offspring. He deserves to be purified. Moreover, such a dangerous soul should of course be placed with those who are most hostile to him... Tsk!"
At this point, Apodale had already reacted and slapped himself hard: "Damn it! I actually fell for such a clumsy trick back then!"
"Yes," the Forsaken said coldly, "You're a paladin, so you habitually approach problems with a paladin's mindset. Evil magical items should be purified, and evildoers should be imprisoned in good places. So when she made that statement, you didn't immediately realize the problem. If that Seraphim is truly as high and mighty as she claims, then with all due respect, the distinction between good and evil is unimportant to her, and she has no reason to side with good. This is a lie completely tailored to your habits."
"...No, I don't understand." Apodel's brows knitted together. "Then why did she lie to me?! What could she gain from it? And could a Seraph be so evil?"
"Let's start with the more clear answer—a Seraph can only detect lies; she herself can deceive. Furthermore, most Seraphs are servants of gods, and their actions represent the gods' intentions. Perhaps a god who wants to push the Children of Bhaal to kill sends his Seraphs to achieve his own goals."
"That doesn't seem like a good thing?"
"Ah, you seem to think that Seraphim can only serve good gods. Sorry, that's a complete misunderstanding. Seraphim do tend to serve good gods, but exceptions are not uncommon. In fact, there are many precedents for fallen Seraphim—Markekid, who was seduced and betrayed by the elven goddess, once Arosh and now Lolth, is a typical example. Before he was banished to Hell, he was actually a Seraphim already serving evil."
"To put it another way, creating a Seraphim servant as one's own servant is a testament to one's power. Some powerful evil gods could theoretically create a Seraphim servant who serves them completely, but is actually evil, as a smokescreen. There's a good chance that what you're experiencing is a possible outcome of this."
"As for her purpose, it's naturally that the deity she serves might benefit from it. If you ask me, Jaeger, the God of Death, is the biggest suspect." At the mention of this name, the normally serious and impartial Asmo suddenly showed disgust. "He's powerful enough, and has enough motives to not even bother to conceal his burning ambition."
Baal, one of the three gods of death, had received his power from the oldest god of death, Jaeger. Even though this aasimar clearly had a personal grudge against Jaeger, this answer surprisingly made sense.
"This is a complete scam..." Apodale covered his head in pain. "I actually lived in a false sense of security for so long... This is outrageous!"
"It seems your question has been answered." The Forsaken Aasimar immediately stood up. "I apologize, but I have an extremely difficult and arduous task ahead of me. I only managed to get in touch with you by chance while returning to Faerûn. I can't waste any more time."
Imoen was stunned for a moment. This Asmo obviously had an unusual identity. Even someone like him would describe this mission as extremely difficult and arduous. What kind of mission could it be?
She couldn't help but ask, "Do you need help? We will do our best as long as we can."
"No, to be precise, this task isn't difficult, it's just an incredibly large workload." Asmo sighed. "I need to find a planet among countless universes, and then, within a timeline so vast it stretches into billions, locate a single night in a single mansion on that planet. This journey will probably take an average of over 100,000 years. I can only pray that I'm lucky enough to see that time."
Some tasks, just describing them, were enough to make one's eyes go dark. Imoen immediately gave up on helping.
Only a weirdo would use his limited life to search for an infinite world.
At this moment, Elminster, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Are you planning to leave Faerûn?"
"Even now. The next time I come back should be in a year, and the next time after that will be in ten years."
Elminster tapped his pipe thoughtfully. "I have a question: which is more important, the mission you've accepted or the safety of your client?"
"Of course it's the latter! I'm not stupid! A vanished soul doesn't need to search for its homeland! As for his safety, didn't I entrust it to you?" Asmo said matter-of-factly. "When I first came to visit you, I made it very clear: I hope you can find him a stable, safe job with little to no danger. Ideally, he can find some trustworthy friends to support him, away from all the turmoil of the world. His position can be relatively humble; he's not afraid of hard work. He's a twenty-year-old fourth-ring mage, after all. I don't think it's difficult."
At this moment, Apodale finally realized a serious problem.
He carried a large bow on his back, a long sword at his waist, and wore a white robe.
He had seen a man dressed like this a few days ago when he rode Pegasus to the Sharptooth Forest.
What a coincidence! Before that meeting, this person was already a fourth-ring mage, in his early twenties.
………………
Stable, safe, almost impossible to encounter danger, it doesn't matter if it's a little humble.
...For example, as a waiter in a castle-like hotel in a less popular area?
Apodale took a breath and asked, "What is your relationship with your client?"
"A student of the arcane. But actually I owe him something, and teaching him the arcane is part of the compensation." Asmo said casually without revealing any more information.
Then, Asmo frowned.
She had already realized that the atmosphere was not right: "Why, do you know him?"
"Uh..." At this point, Apodel, Imon and even Fenwe began to sweat.
If the Asmo student in front of them was really the person they thought, then what the young wizard was doing now was not only completely unrelated to the plan of Asmo teacher, but it could also be said that they were running in completely opposite directions.
Imoen forced a steadying breath and replied, "I just... I think it's only natural for elders to be more concerned about the safety of their juniors than their success."
"You're lying!" Asmo immediately revealed Imoen's true thoughts. "What do you know?"
Fenwei, who was standing by, swallowed his saliva, looked around, and finally said, "Your student... wouldn't happen to be called..."
"Emia from Lunya, right?"
One hundred and eight teachers and students
"..."
The Abandoned Name, who had been so polite and reserved, suddenly stood up.
Her eyes narrowed slightly and she turned to Elminster beside her.
While the others were clearly not in good shape, time had given Elminster composure—or perhaps it was also because he was strong enough.
Or maybe he's just thick-skinned enough.
Elminster tapped his pipe like an ordinary old man and poured out the non-existent ash. "First of all, Miss Forsaken, I must make one thing clear - the task you have commissioned is not as simple as you think."
"I'd like to hear more about it. In my commission, safety was listed as the absolute top priority. A fourth-ring mage, willing to give up status and income, can't even find a safe job? Has Faerun become so dangerous now?"
"Unfortunately, that's the case," Elminster answered without hesitation. "Initially, I asked a friend to take him in—of course, having a fourth-ring wizard as a waiter was an insane luxury. But Mr. Emya's lifestyle was ascetic. According to his innkeeper, he only asked for compensation commensurate with his labor, but he wasn't one to spend lavishly. At the same time, he didn't mind helping others with anything he could after completing his main duties. As a result, Emya quickly became very popular in the inn and rose through the ranks very quickly."
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