Equipment Printing School Mage

The old dwarf handed the overflowing goblet to the two men. "The gist of this legend is that world peace is maintained by those who have ties and stable lives... and those who tell the dead are the source of all unrest."

"Once they appear, it means that death and disaster are approaching - even if the deceased themselves have no ill intentions."

"Uh..." A sense of foreboding washed over Emiya. "Does this mean that this legend blames adventurers? It says that people shouldn't leave their homes and travel to uninhabited places to explore unknown places and gather wealth?"

"What does that have to do with me? I've been staying in the Friendly Arms ever since I left the Mage Tower." Emiya's tone was slightly unfriendly when she said this. "Also, Boss, when you said you would help me find a job, you didn't mean I'd stay in the Friendly Arms forever, did you?"

“Although I do everything now, it seems like I’m still an intern.”

Hearing this, the paladin said indifferently, "...Asking a fourth-ring mage to be a receptionist. Even in Halrua, the vanished mage kingdom, such a waste of resources would never occur."

The solemn atmosphere was suddenly interrupted and disappeared without a trace.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!" The old dwarf nearly choked and coughed violently a few times. He said awkwardly, "I've been trying to contact them for you! Aren't I waiting for a reply? Maybe it's something that happened in the next few days... No!"

The dwarf, realizing he had strayed terribly from the topic, slammed the table. "You're still my employee! Don't interrupt!"

He then continued, "Your guess is somewhat close, but the definition of suing the deceased is broader."

"They are helpless in the world, often with only a few friends, or even on their own."

"...?"

I don't know why, but that ominous feeling is getting stronger and stronger.

The old dwarf said slowly, "For various reasons, they often don't have a strict organization or affiliation. Even if they have faith, they don't belong to a particular church, but wander around."

"……what?"

Emiya was really getting restless this time: "Is this evaluation standard aimed at mages?"

Mages are generally not devout believers, and mages who belong to a local church are extremely rare.

And Emiya himself...? His teacher only occasionally mentioned the God of Magic to him, and his words weren't particularly reverent. Therefore, Emiya had no real motivation to believe in it.

Not to mention, the God of Magic had been unexpectedly assassinated a hundred years prior, unleashing a devastating disaster. This calamity, known as the Arcane Plague, had nearly shattered the once-thriving Church of Magic.

In this case, Emya can be said to have no faith.

The paladin beside him was even more unhappy. Mars clenched his fist tightly, and the metal of the gauntlet creaked under the heavy pressure.

He said coldly, "Sir Harpist. One hundred years ago, the God of Magic's only order of paladins unfortunately traveled to the capital of Halruaa and disappeared along with the entire city."

"My teacher and I may be the last Mystra paladins... Even though paladins can swallow their pride, attacking someone else's wound like this..."

"No, no, no, the Harpers are one of the Church of Magic's greatest allies! I'm just relaying the truth! Listen to me!" The dwarf couldn't help but sweat, his hands shaking like windmills. "That legend holds that [those with organizations and ties will follow a path and be more cautious in their actions.]"

"[And the dead, alone. Often, in anger, they act impulsively, ultimately becoming the source of unrest in the world.]"

These words can barely be said to make some sense.

But not much.

Emilia replied grumpily, "So, even warriors and barbarians are involved this time. Those sword-wielding guys are inherently militant, and if they're unlucky enough to have a few too many drinks, they're even more likely to cause trouble."

And a Hell Knight named Leon almost had an armed conflict with Emilia - what's even more ridiculous is that, looking back now, that conflict was more due to misunderstanding.

But in the tavern, all kinds of conflicts arise from misunderstandings and loyalty.

Emiya's interest faded as she thought of this. "What about the dead?... It sounds like something some law-abiding faction made up to promote their own beliefs."

"Most of this rumor is true." The old dwarf nodded, then lowered his voice, "But the last part is more like a formal prophecy."

"The dead have had their last ties to the world severed by fate. They lost both their parents at a young age, leaving them helpless and without support. Even their guardians and mentors have long since parted ways with them. Left alone and far from home, they are the most dangerous people in the world."

If the previous part was just rude remarks, then this part is simply a personal attack.

An ordinary person would also be furious if accused in this way.

...And what's even worse is that life is exactly like the rumors.

Emilia's face darkened rarely, and her hand was already on the hilt of the sword beside her.

Even the paladin gritted his teeth and said, "--It sounds like if someone claims I'm the one who sued the dead, I should punch him in the face. From now on, he'll have to eat with only the remaining half of his teeth."

The old dwarf was silent for a moment, then abruptly pointed at the shapeshifter beside him. "Ask her if I'm telling her the truth! The legend of the deceased she knows should be the same!"

The topic of suing the deceased was extremely dangerous, and Lorien clearly didn't want to get involved. However, facing the gazes of several people, she could only swallow hard and nodded, avoiding their gazes: "...Yes. That's what we heard."

Her gaze hesitated on Emilia, then she added, "However, we've also learned that... those who report the dead are generally extremely talented and fearless of life and death, making them the most dangerous variables in the plan. And... and..."

When she talked about the last step, she suddenly slowed down her speech, her eyes moving back and forth between Emilia and Mars, and she didn't say the last sentence for a long time.

The old dwarf successfully diverted the fire and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He picked up his glass again and said, "This last sentence is the key point I really want to make. The specific circumstances of the two of you are actually not important. It's the opinions of others that matter."

"Tell me, what is your attitude towards [Suing the Dead]?"

Luo Liyan hesitated for a moment, then said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "Pass the information to the superiors immediately, and...kill without mercy."

"Even if... it's just a suspicion."

"That's it." The old dwarf stood up with a look of regret on his face.

"A wizard in his early twenties, alone in a dilapidated inn. An extremely rare paladin... You have no one to rely on. And your talent is clearly rare in the world."

"You may not be suing the deceased, but suspicion is enough."

Emilia knew it very well - although this rumor was extremely absurd and he had no idea how it spread - but to him, it was indeed perfect.

He meets every requirement of a so-called accuser of the dead.

My parents died young, as did my adoptive father.

Not long ago, the arcane teacher gave him a sword and kicked him out of the mage tower.

Until now, Emiya didn't even know the name of her teacher - because this arcane teacher claimed that he had seriously neglected his duties and had long since given up his name.

And the organization? He had been away from the Mage Tower for less than two weeks, so how could he have joined any organization?

"Of course, you still have a way out." At this point, a hint of sympathy appeared on the old dwarf's face. "Use all your connections, demonstrate your talents, and join a sufficiently powerful organization. That should ensure your safety."

Emilia said coldly, "Is this the harpist's olive branch?"

The old dwarf actually pondered this seriously for a moment before answering, "Excuse me, but we, the Harpers, are not the right fit. The Harpers are not a tightly knit organization, but rather a union of countless individuals."

The Friendly Arms owner spread his hands. "As you can see, the Friendly Arms' defenses are weak, and they absolutely cannot withstand a concentrated attack from superior forces. This situation is common among the Harpers."

"Furthermore, the possibility of the Harpers' stronghold being attacked is not small: perhaps simply for money, or perhaps a surprise attack by hostile forces - just like today."

"So, the Harpers can provide you with support, but they can't offer stable and reliable protection. We're still investigating the information about the Divine Non-Gods, but we can be sure that they must be extremely powerful."

In other words, Emilia will have to live a precarious life from now on.

However, that didn't matter to Emiya.

Although he was indeed helpless in Faerun, he still had sworn sisters and relatives on Earth.

His personal safety is far less important than returning to Earth.

The key to return to Earth was taken away by the Great Druid at this moment—

Would a non-god want to hunt him down?

"That kind of thing doesn't matter at all." Emilia replied, "If they don't come to me, I will go to them."

He must take back his sword as soon as possible and cannot tolerate the crystal sword being lost - if the Gods Are Not Gods is still involved with the cult, perhaps the sword will be desecrated.

No matter which outcome, it is unacceptable.

Emiya stood up and said without hesitation, "Mr. Mirror Shadow, I'm sorry, but after helping you fend off the last round of attacks, I will immediately leave for the Sharptooth Forest."

"Huh?" Nitkin Mirror Shadow was stunned for a moment, then said at a loss. "Are you really going? I promised to help you find a companion, but I only know that an introducer will be here in the next few days... But the Druid's Forest—it's dangerous and poor! What adventurer would be willing to go there?"

"Then I'll go too. Sorry, that sword is very important to me."

"Then wait a few more days... maybe there will be a turning point!" Nitkin Mirror Shadow was about to continue persuading when a surging torrent of magical power suddenly roared past the window, illuminating the dark sky red.

"...?"

Several people were stunned for a moment, and Mars was the first to stand up and pull the curtains.

In the distant sky, several flames quietly lit up, setting off an earth-shaking magical storm.

Then, those flames instantly pierced through the sky like meteors, leaving only four thin scarlet lines of fire.

After a while, the few flashes of fire turned into devastating explosions, and the crimson light instantly lit up half the world. They seemed to be able to feel the trembling of the earth even though they were more than ten kilometers away - and the deafening roar finally reached the third-floor window of the Friendly Arm half a minute later.

"--boom!"

Emiya felt the room tremble and took a deep breath.

Spellcraft is an extremely difficult task, but the outward characteristics of some spells are so obvious that even low-level mages have heard of them: "...Meteor Burst?!"

Meteor Explosion is the ninth ring arcane magic.

Nitkin Mirror Shadow rubbed his ears in pain, but a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

He coughed lightly and said to Emilia with a smug look on his face, "...It seems that our harpist's introducer was quite quick."

22. The red-robed mage is not a red-robed mage

A huge fireball caused an explosion that spread throughout the sky and earth, and smoke and mist rose into the dark sky.

The rain clouds that had just stopped gathered together again, covering the Friendly Arm under its shadow again.

Just a short while later, the drizzle began to fall slowly from the clouds again.

It was already very late at night, a time when all things should be asleep. But at this moment, a man wearing a loose red robe and a wide-brimmed hat walked slowly to the gate of Friendly Arm.

The red-robed man had a long, curly white beard, indicating he was quite old. Yet, surprisingly, his figure remained as upright as a young man's, as if time had completely forgotten this elusive figure.

Of course, more importantly, this red-robed old man had no tattoos on his body, which meant that although he wore a red robe, he was not one of the most notorious red-robed wizards of Sel*.

The gate of a castle is naturally always guarded by someone.

He seemed completely unaware of the late hour. Instead, leaning on his long staff, he stood before the moat and called out as if he were visiting an ordinary inn, "Is anyone there? Friendly arms wouldn't refuse an elderly and frail man, would they?"

The person guarding the city wall was naturally Emilia herself.

Now, the first thing to confirm is which side the person who arrived belongs to.

The Harpers, or rather the Gods and Non-Gods?

At the same time, what is the visitor's understanding of the status of the Friendly Arm? In his opinion, has the Friendly Arm fallen into the hands of the shapeshifter?

If you make a mistake in judgment, the consequences may be irreversible.

No matter which possibility it is, the other party should not be made wary from the beginning.

Emilia took a deep breath and replied, "—An old man, yet he wants to travel at this time of night?"

Although the old man's face showed signs of age, he was far from being reminiscent of decay. The red-robed old man smiled and replied, "Ah, the fireworks just now were indeed magnificent. Unfortunately, my old bones still need a warm bed to sleep peacefully, so I have to travel all night."

Emiya frowned and asked downwards: "-Where are you from?"

The old man slowly took out a pipe from his waist and replied, "I came from Baldur's Gate. Some of my friends encountered unexpected situations and were unable to keep the appointment on time. So I came in their place."

Emilia clenched her fists and asked, "Didn't they ask you to deliver a message?"

The red-robed old man raised his head and replied, "Ah... let me think... lies and falsehoods are rampant in the world, while the omniscient One exists only in the Supreme Being. I think it's this sentence."

Aimiya was silent for a moment, then said, "Wait a moment. I'll go wake up the person who opened the door."

After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly into the city wall.

Waiting within was a fully armed paladin.

The paladin couldn't see outside from where he was, so Mars could only ask, "What's going on? I only heard the voice of an old man. And it was very vague through the wall."

Emilia replied, "I'm not sure. He was an old man with a red robe and a white beard, who looked a bit like a wizard. And he was undoubtedly an insider—he knew a lot about the gods and non-gods."

"But I'm not sure how he got this information."

If the old man was really the helper the boss said he was, then he might be the biggest reason why the gods were late.

But on the other hand, this could also be another trap.

The paladin hesitated. "...a white-bearded old man in a red robe. There is indeed a legend of such a figure in the Church of Mystra. But he hasn't been publicly active for a long time."

"Many people even suspected that he had died of old age."

He was a wizard who was perhaps the best in the world.

Of course, Emilia also knew that person—but that was the problem.

The great sage's fame was truly legendary, and he was often mentioned in many ballads written by bards.