Equipment Printing School Mage
Page 149
Amid the clatter of footsteps, an Oghma priest outside confirmed that Norwich had gone far away, then lowered his voice and said, "Norwich believes that Candlekeep's strength alone may not be enough. He hopes to contact other churches and form a separate team. In other words, we don't know what to do now. Should we still participate in the competition under the name of Candlekeep?"
"...That guy Norwich." After a long silence, Christine's voice almost burst out from her throat, "With an outsider infiltrating the Candlekeep team, the nature of the Candlekeep team has changed. An outsider can use the knowledge provided by Candlekeep itself to exchange for Candlekeep's secrets! This is simply outrageous!!!"
"Who has he recruited? Wait, the Church of Amaunator has decided to join his team?"
"Yes. We were there, listening in. The Cathedral of Twinsuns wishes to obtain all the information on Amaunator in Candlekeep."
"That's easy to say, it scared me."
After a brief silence, the young priest of Oghma said cautiously, "The specific meaning of all the information here refers to all the information from the time of Amaunator..."
"Although this is a bit excessive, it will only cost a little manpower..."
Finally, the young priests revealed the most crucial part of the deal: "To ensure accuracy, the cathedral wants the originals of the materials..."
Suddenly, everything was silent. The villa was so quiet that one could even hear the faint sound of the wind outside the window.
Finally, the Great Reader flew into a rage for the first time: "--So they want ancient books from the Nether era or even earlier?! Those are fucking treasures with thousands of years of history, which even the Book Keepers of Candlekeep dare not touch! They want to take them directly?! Dream on! Let them exchange them for the blood of Lathander!!!"
However, the Chief Reader is only the host of the ceremony and does not have the final decision-making power.
Christine took a deep breath and let out a sigh, "What are your thoughts now? This Rite of Truth is likely to be a big deal. If you stay with me, you'll probably be exhausted from verifying the information in the next few days. There's nothing wrong with staying and broadening your horizons. I don't think this Rite of Truth will be just a formality."
"...Teacher, will it really be that big of a fuss?"
"Norwich has both self-esteem and low self-esteem, always feeling inferior to Mars. But he's not really stupid! He wouldn't let Candlekeep take such a big risk for no reason."
"Then we must stay!" The priests of Oghma finally revealed their thirst for knowledge. "Buried in ancient books, how can it compare to witnessing something in person? We'll consider running around as the price of admission! We've already been kicked aside by Norwich, so how can we just return to Candlekeep in such disgrace?"
"Very good, then start preparing. Also, don't go out partying in the city these few days because you'll be tired in the next few days."
It was quite some time later when Christine returned to the living room. The team that had listened to the entire process had mixed reactions.
Emilia felt a little sweaty - he certainly didn't want to give in, but seeing that the momentum was growing stronger before the Ceremony of Truth even started, it would probably turn into a big fight. This was far beyond his expectations.
"Then you should quickly find a place to rest. I'm afraid I can't keep anyone here—it's really suspicious for contestants to stay in the host's base."
At this point, there was a question that had to be raised again. Emiya sighed, "Based on your understanding of Candlekeep, will the Ritual of Truth really be held to the highest standards this time?"
How much knowledge their team can come up with depends on how much effort they put into the final decision of this Ceremony of Truth.
They could just report their recent adventures, the Late Summer Rebellion and what happened in the Sharptooth Forest...
You can also submit the large amount of loot obtained during the Late Summer Rebellion, including the Soul Reaper and the Debt Collector.
If pushed to the limit, they could even resort to unconventional tactics: Amaunator wouldn't be the only church interested in Candlekeep's secrets. They could even try to leverage their connections, acting as spokespeople for other churches and helping them gain the knowledge they seek during this Ritual of Truth.
The essence of this behavior can be described as annexation - in the final analysis, it is in this process that they prevent other organizations that have requests to the Church of Oghma from sending their own teams and instead entrust them to Emiya and others.
The final score will therefore be concentrated on the Emiya team, so this behavior is simply a symbol of connections and trust.
In fact, Norwich did something similar, but his approach was more direct - he teamed up with members of multiple organizations.
If Emiya makes up her final decision...then their team will be able to contact a lot of people.
The Church of Oghma is of course the most famous center of knowledge.
But the Harpers, which Emilia had joined at this moment... were truly the most world-famous spy organization in Faerun.
It is spread across every corner of the world, and its members include men and women, young and old, rich and poor.
In terms of reading books, they might not be as knowledgeable as the Church of Oghma, but when it comes to firsthand information, the Harpers are probably as well-equipped as the local Thieves Guild.
There is a chance of winning.
The higher the standard of the Ritual of Truth, the more reinforcements Norwich will receive from Candlekeep...
But unfortunately, this principle also applies to Emiya - the higher the specifications of the Ritual of Truth, the more organizations he can negotiate with.
"Then we'll take our leave." Emilia stood up. "Our next stop is the Selune Church... maybe we'll stay there."
This answer made Christine curious. "The Church of Selune? I heard that the existing Mystrians are either unwilling to accept the help of the Church of Selune or have simply converted. Mars is actually willing to join the Church of Selune now?"
Obviously, people with Mars' personality belong to the former.
Emiya was silent for a moment, then replied, "Well, if you go into detail, I could probably get 30 or even 80 points in the Arithmetic of Truth."
The reader, already curious, choked and covered his face in pain. "...This is another painful aspect of being the host of the Ritual of Truth—I guess Eltoril's tavern will be deserted for the next few days."
Sig smiled and said, "It could be the opposite—everyone starts buying drinks, trying to pry something out of others, and then everyone thinks they are not the worst drinker."
"That's all," the old woman waved her hand. "I hope you can really make the Ritual of Truth more lively... but not too lively. My old bones might not be able to withstand the shock you bring."
This time, Emiya and her group truly left. Watching them disappear into the shadows of the Moonfire Clock Tower, Christine couldn't help but sigh, "If only Mars had stayed at Candlekeep, there wouldn't be all these troubles today."
"They are all outstanding young people. They look like they are going to turn the world upside down."
"I hope we won't be the ones to be disturbed next."
The Passion of the Church in December
Leaving the mansion of the Church of Oghma and climbing up the stairs along the garden area, you will reach the highest point in the entire Eltoril - the Eltoril Administrative District.
In this process, they are getting closer and closer to the brilliant glory of the sun.
The only good news is that although this light is dazzling, it seems to be far less stimulating to the body than real sunlight.
Mars took off his gauntlet, revealing his right hand, and held it in front of his eyes. "This is the light of the Companion Sun. Although dazzling, it does no harm to ordinary people. In contrast, vampires will be reduced to ashes under the brilliance of the Companion Sun, ordinary undead creatures will flee in all directions, and even dark elves will be troubled by it."
Emiya said angrily, "The demons have successfully taken root here. We still don't know how Eltoril discovered the demons' whereabouts and how he eradicated them."
"That can't be helped. After all, it's the Sun, not the Sea." Mars shrugged. "If Eltoril is an underground city submerged in the Holy Water Sea, then this can probably be done."
"...Where on earth is there a sea of holy water?"
The Church of Selune is located on the edge of the administrative district and is surrounded by quite open space. This is why all citizens of Eltoril can see the Moonfire Bell Tower in every corner of the city.
They had just stepped onto the last step of the stairs and officially entered the administrative area. The bell tower of Selune just blocked the light of the accompanying sun, but not so much that the entire building area was completely shrouded in shadow. This soothed Emilia's slightly dry eyes a little.
Almost at the same time, a figure appeared in front of them, occupying their vision at the first moment.
She looked to be in her thirties. Her face was smooth and flawless, showing few signs of aging. She was the age that would elicit whistles in a tavern.
What caught Emiya's attention was her unique attire—a long, fitted, dark blue gown. In Selûne, the gown and accompanying cape were adorned with intricately cut moonstones. These gemstones shone a dreamy blue when illuminated, adding a touch of mystery and nobility.
In the center of the dress was an emblem made of a mass of material that looked like flowing silver: a pair of dark and beautiful human female eyes surrounded by seven silver stars.
Every time she saw this emblem, Emya couldn't help but sigh that the connection between the Church of Selûne and the Church of Magic was so deep that it might be unique in Faerûn.
The seven silver stars are one of the classic symbols of the Church of Mystra.
Upon seeing them, the beautiful woman's eyes met theirs one by one. After confirming their identities matched, she smiled gently, "Mr. Emiya, Miss Yin, Mr. Mars, Miss Sig."
"Miss Elaster said that if I wait at the steps at 5:00 a.m., when dusk and dawn meet, I'll be waiting for the distinguished guest. It seems the Church of Fortune is truly unique in its divination."
She lifted her skirt and bent her knees slightly. "I am Bishenya, the leader of the Church of Eltoril Selune and a high-ranking enlightened priestess. Please follow me."
The Selune Church had known they were coming, and the church's leader came to greet them personally.
This level of courtesy made Emilia somewhat flattered. He returned the greeting and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. How did you know we were interested in visiting?"
"Actually, this isn't complicated." Bixinya turned and led the way, glancing at Yin with a smile as she replied, "Your mentor was also in our church a few days ago, but she left a few days ago to work with the Hell Knights."
"Haaa..." Emiya sighed softly.
His teacher was certainly not someone who would follow Emilia's lead. Having previously promised Emilia to find her hometown was one thing, but now that she was freed from that difficult task, she would naturally begin to act according to her true habits.
Rather, Emia's teacher was the closest person Emia had ever met to the stereotypical paladin. Even Tyr's paladin, Asur, only revealed his most ruthless side when dealing with the Church of Amaunator.
In this case, an organization like the Hell Knights, whose goal is to rush into hell, is obviously very much to Miss Forsaken's liking.
Although the Church of Selûne is widespread in Faerûn and has good connections, the church itself has never been very strong - this is particularly evident in Eltoril.
Beneath the Moonfire Bell Tower lay a large complex of buildings, seemingly housing at least a hundred people. Although the Church of Selune was the core of the area, Emiya spotted numerous emblems of the gods at a glance.
But Yin seemed to sense something and suddenly tugged at Emiya's clothes: "Emiya! Emiya! Look there!"
Emiya followed Silver's finger.
Surrounded by a group of houses, he saw the emblems of Selûne and Lathander appear in front of the door of the same house.
As if sensing something, Bishenya followed Emiya's gaze and suddenly laughed, her body trembling slightly. "Of all the houses, you found that one so easily? Your insight is truly extraordinary. No wonder you were able to accomplish such a great feat in Baldur's Gate."
"Uh..." Sig asked cautiously, "Is this house really?"
"Just as you expected." Bishenya smiled brightly. "The couple living in that house are a priest of Lathander and Selûne, respectively. Unfortunately, the man hasn't been very successful at Twin Suns Cathedral in recent years, so he was forced to move to Moonfire Bell Tower."
When talking about this, Bixinia looked extremely proud, with an expression of uncontrollable joy on her face - I'm afraid she was playing the first-person perspective in that story.
The Moonfire Bell Tower was an unusually tall building, but the ground floor's decor was similar to that of the Selune Church in the Hollow Corner—if one excluded the vastly different cost of the building materials.
At five in the morning, although the lights in the Selune Church were still bright, it was still too early for people to start their activities, so the entire church was deserted.
At this moment, the only person still active in the church was a slim moon elf.
She was currently holding a bouquet of bright red flowers, meticulously placing them into the church's vases, ensuring that they presented their most beautiful side to the church's host.
Even though the moon elf's ears moved slightly and she had already noticed the arrival of the guest, she still insisted on filling the vase in front of her before turning around.
After seeing her face, Emiya narrowed her eyes slightly.
On her chest was the symbol of the Church of Tymora—a silver plate in the shape of a coin.
They had once met this moon elf, who still looked like a young girl, in the meeting hall of Baldur's Gate. However, at that time, the girl looked so ethereal that she probably didn't notice anyone present at all - not to mention that Emiya and her group were still using Transfiguration to disguise themselves.
Emilia still remembered that her name was Elastrei.
Her eyes drifted indifferently over Emilia and her group, and then she bowed her head slightly respectfully, letting a strand of her hair, as shiny as silver, fall down.
She bowed to the host and said, "Miss Virginia, I have replaced the church with the freshest flowers. My mission for today should be complete."
Bixiniya, however, was not so reserved. Instead, she quickly stepped forward and hugged her affectionately. "Miss Xingyong has been here for decades, yet she's still so rigid. It doesn't look like she grew up in the Lucky Church at all."
At this point, Pastor Bishenya carefully examined the vase that Alestria had just set up and sighed with satisfaction. "And you are particularly proficient in this area. Is it because all elves are proficient in this?"
"You're joking. I was raised in the Church of Tymora in Baldur's Gate. I've barely seen half-elves since I was little, let alone my own kind." Alestria said with a hint of sadness. "I even speak Common Tongue better than Elvish."
After the pleasantries, Bishenya enthusiastically pulled Elastrid aside. "Please allow me to introduce you. This is Elastrid Starsong, a moon elf and a priest of the Church of Tymora. She's incredibly young by elven standards; she's not even eighty yet. Honestly, though she's only been in Eltoril for a short time, she's already one of our Moonfire Belltower's most reputable priests. Most importantly, she hasn't yet decided on her future path. If your group needs a priest, now is the time."
A normally grown elf would only reach adulthood at the age of one hundred. However, this refers to spiritual maturity. It's said that elves reach physical adulthood much earlier than this. If she truly grew up in human society, she would likely have reached mental maturity much earlier.
"You're joking. I haven't decided what to do next." Alaster sighed softly. "Unlike my colleagues, who happily went their separate ways after the church was disbanded and embarked on adventures."
Pastors in nearly all churches take pride in promoting their church, hoping to establish their own church and grow it ever stronger. However, Lucky Church is perhaps a rare exception. It's said that its members are all restless and hyperactive, their sole reason for staying is a lack of opportunities for adventure. Lucky Church is perhaps the only church in the world where churches in different locations almost completely lack mutual recognition, with no hierarchical relationship.
However, Emilia couldn't help but look at Elaster again.
She was not wearing formal armor at this time, but only an ordinary long skirt and ceremonial robes. The only thing she still had on her waist was the weapon that made him unforgettable at first sight - a hard-headed hammer, but there was a monkey's paw strangely attached to the hammer head.
Afterward, Bishenia introduced the Emira team, but it was mostly superficial information—name, race, occupation. Only then did Elastri carefully observe the Emira team, but as always, she showed no interest.
Only when she saw Silver did Elaster's eyebrows slightly frown, as if she was thinking: "...I always feel a little vague?"
But in the end, he shook his head and lowered his head with an apologetic look: "Please forgive my rudeness."
Yin tilted his head in confusion, "But I have no recollection of that at all?"
Emya, however, paid no attention to it. While Silver's life story was vague, it clearly couldn't be related to an elf who grew up in Baldur's Gate. Silver's previous active period must have been at least thousands of years ago. That long a period would have allowed a dragon to survive until death.
However, Bishenya's attitude towards Aimia and her group once again exceeded Aimia's expectations. She took the initiative to pull Aimia aside and whispered, "Aimia, are you planning to attend the Ritual of Truth? I don't recommend missing out on Elastrid—you heard she's the only former Baldur's Gate member who hasn't ventured out. In other words, almost all of Baldur's Gate's wealth outside of superficial wealth is with her, which will surely be very helpful to you in the Ritual of Truth."
Emilia did not answer this question, but replied in a low voice: "Ms. Bisinya, do you want something from us? I can't accept your help for no reason."
Although their group did have deep ties with the Church of Mystra, and it would have been easier to establish a relationship with the Church of Selûne, he was somewhat at a loss as to what to do when he saw such unusually high enthusiasm from someone he had never met before.
"You're so vigilant." Bixiniya sighed, "Can't it be that I just like you guys?"
"Then you should talk to Mars." Emilia replied unhappily, "I'm not so arrogant as to think I'm more handsome than a paladin."
"Hmm...the answer isn't that complicated." Bixinya pulled out a simple-looking wooden bottle of wine from the dimensional hole at her waist. "There is some connection between the Church of Selune."
"…mead?"
Bishenya smiled. "Mead from the Church of Selune in the Sharpfang Forest. If you're still unsettled, please embarrass the Twin Suns' Radiance contestants at the Ritual of Truth. My husband has always resented having to reside in another church—even one belonging to his wife."
Emiya sighed and took the mead. "If it's just about defeating the Church of Amaunator, I should still be confident."
"Then it's a deal?"
"It's a word."
The two of them had already walked outside the temple because they were talking in private. It was finally the time when dusk and dawn in Eltoril met.
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