"I understand!" Scott's head almost nodded.

Elaster nodded, holding the silver plate on her chest with one hand and pointing the other hand at Scott's heart: "—Feat."

The magic surged and then dissipated.

There was no warmth, no rush of comfort flowing through him. Scott just blinked in confusion: he felt nothing.

"—Please begin."

At this moment, Elastri's voice suddenly rang out. Scott lost confidence and simply closed his eyes.

He still couldn't think of anything. After all, to him, it was just an ordinary day a month ago, and no one would remember what happened on such an ordinary day.

But out of nowhere, a tiny detail popped up in his mind, and then all the related fragments came flooding back.

That day, Scott heard a short, vague complaint, but he didn't understand the language, so he could only hear: "XXX Raphael."

"I remember! I remember!!!" Scott suddenly cheered and jumped up, "There was indeed a problem with the seal that time!"

"oh?!"

Although Scott had just personally proven his negligence, he waved his hand. "It's not what you think. It's complicated! Elturgard is actually a union of several cities, or rather, Eltoril annexed other cities. My hometown of Berdusk and Soba joined Elturgard at the same time."

"But when the three families' official seals were being decided, a fool made a mistake and mixed up the seals of the two cities. How could the masters of Eltoril know the landmarks of our towns? It took quite some time for them to discover this mistake. From then on, they kept the mistake. From then on, the official seal of Berdusk had the landmark of Soba, and vice versa. This has always been the story used by the people of Elturgard outside the city to cancel the Eltoril master's name. I never thought it would come true!"

Scott slammed his hands on the table, his excitement evident. "But the letter wasn't wrong! Although it was signed with Berdusk's name, it was actually Soba's seal, the seal that truly belonged to Berdusk! I wasn't paying attention to the contents of the letter at the time and didn't catch the mistake in time. There's nothing wrong with the seal itself, which is why I was so careless!"

After listening to all this quietly, Emiya took a deep breath and told a story in her mind: [A ship was soaked everywhere due to a water leak. The crew tried hard to check the bottom, but they couldn't find any problems. And the water leakage incidents continued - why is this?]

[Huh...?] Sig was stunned and asked, [Is this some kind of trivia question?]

Emiya shook her head: [No, just now, I decided to completely change the purpose of this trip.]

Only the ship of the country is leaking from the top.

He would rather Scott had checked the seal incorrectly. If things were really as Scott said, then the problem would be more serious than the worst case scenario he had previously anticipated.

Author's Note: 4th Level

Feat

(Alteration)

Sphere: Common All

Distance Range: Touch

Components: Speech V, Posture S

Duration: Special

Casting Time: 7

Area of ​​Effect: One touched creature

Saving Throw: None

This spell allows the caster or another touched subject to successfully perform an extremely difficult action or task—in other words, an automatically successful ability check or proficiency check that doesn't involve prolonged work (for example, forging a suit of armor). The magic doesn't perform the action for the creature, nor does it protect it from any risks or harm associated with the task; it simply ensures that the specified action will be accomplished. Even if the subject dies in the attempt, his or her body completes the action. Typical feats include passing through a narrow window or opening, catching a small projectile, falling into a stream, cave, or other specific location, or passing an arrow through a keyhole. The action must be performed after the feat spell has been cast in the round in which it was performed, otherwise the spell is wasted.

Twenty-two Consultant Masters

Emilia's guess was bold.

"—You think Eltoril started at the top?!"

When Mars learned of Emiya's guess, he almost laughed out loud.

It was approaching dusk, and the endless stream of people finally showed signs of breaking up. With Emiya also helping to divert the flow, the last visitor to the Ritual of Truth consultation office also walked out the door.

People like Mars can be regarded as outstanding figures in Candle Castle, which only appear once in many years.

Although Emilia was not from Candlekeep, his only source of information about this world was his teacher.

However, while Miss Abandoned's knowledge was severely outdated, it didn't mean it was wrong. It simply meant that Emiya had many shortcomings in her knowledge. Emiya wasn't so unqualified as to not even be able to help.

Now, they can finally close for a while and discuss the next step.

"Perhaps a lot of the evidence you have come across currently points directly to the Supreme Observer himself. But in my opinion, I don't think there is such deep corruption in Eltoril." Mars unexpectedly stood on Eltoril's side.

His brow furrowed. "I've lived in Eltoril for quite a while, and have had closer ties with the Tyr Church. From what I'm concerned, the development of the Tyr Church in Eltoril has been one of the most successful in the world."

Mars knew all about it: "I made a special investigation during my time in Eltoril: the Church of Tyr has no enemies in Elturgard. And the Church of Ilmater is not regarded as a beggar's den, but is highly respected. The Church of Torm is even the state religion. This situation is very, very rare.

"In a country like this, corruption starts at the top? Emiya, corruption is common because it's human instinct—human interests are always conflicting, and embezzling public funds for personal gain can yield enormous profits as long as it goes undetected. But at the same time, once corruption begins to spread, it will inevitably manifest externally."

"The Church of Tyr is the most resolute in fighting corruption. Establishing a set of stable rules that cannot be abused is the core of their doctrine. The group that Ilmater pays most attention to is the one that is most vulnerable to corruption. If corruption spreads, these two churches should be the first to be alerted - but in comparison, these two churches are developing very well in Eltoril." Mars talked incessantly, completely disagreeing with Emya's guess.

"I also think your guess is unreasonable." Sig sat aside, tuning his instrument and shaking his head. "The atmosphere in Eltoril is very different from that in the outer city. To put it bluntly, atmosphere is about everyone sticking together for warmth. You can't fake it."

"Although I've only been in Eltoril for a month..." Elastrid whispered, "The people of Baldur's Gate are indeed much more mercenary than the people of Eltoril."

"That's right." Eltoril was clearly a place of immense significance to Lulu. Her wings practically fluttered as she spoke. "Your guess is crazy!"

Emiya said suddenly: "--It is such a place, infiltrated by the devil."

"...Tsk!" Mars slammed the table heavily, "Every time you can't find a word, just say this!"

"Because this is what puzzles me the most—" Emilia sighed deeply, "Two pieces of evidence pointing in completely opposite directions, but equally strong, are placed before me. Which one should I believe?

"On the one hand, Eltoril seems to be built like an iron barrel. More than half of the people in Eltoril are believers of the Three Pillars of Justice. The entire city is a holy place that even paladins yearn to visit. On the other hand, Eltoril is also the lair of demons. Countless demons come and go freely here as if it were a second hell. These two things can't happen at the same time, right?"

At this point in the discussion, they had reached a dead end. Or perhaps it was even worse than before—for the first time, there was a serious split within the team.

It probably can't be considered a split. To be precise, Mr. Emia is the only one who opposes the rest.

At that moment, the magic alarm Emiya had set outside the door was triggered. He stood up suddenly: "...We have guests."

Elaster stood up without hesitation and opened a small window on the door. "Sorry, the Church of Selune is short-staffed, so today..."

Before she could finish, the rest of the words got stuck in her throat: "...Ah."

[…This is my first time dealing with this kind of situation…] She immediately switched to telepathy. [The city's supreme ruler came to my door at closing time. Should I welcome him in or send him away?]

Almost at the same time, the sound of armor parts colliding with each other became more and more obvious.

At this moment, Tavis Craig's voice finally rang out from outside the door: "Excuse me, is Mr. Emya of Lunya currently in the Selune Church?"

This scene was completely unexpected for their team - they had no friendship with the Supreme Observer, and a few days ago they had even parted ways on bad terms. Why was he coming to visit now?

But obviously, they couldn't represent the Church of the Moon to shut out the Supreme Observer.

Elastrid unbolted the church's door and bowed. "Your Excellency, Supreme Observer, your presence brings honor to the Church of Selune."

"That's unnecessary. I've hardly visited the Church of Selune in recent years. I'm here too late."

Tavis Craig naturally did not come alone. As always, he was accompanied by guards.

However, there were some changes in the guards around him - this time, it was not the Hell Knights who protected him, but the Knights of the Sun.

Emiya sighed and walked out from behind the door. "Yes, I am here. What can I do for you, Supreme Observer?"

Tavis Craig shook his head. "A big reason is curiosity... The envoy from the neighboring city said he was staying temporarily in the church, but he suddenly became half the owner of the church. I've never heard of such an anecdote."

Emilia bowed slightly and replied, "Thank you, Miss Virginia and my other friends in the Bell Tower District, for your trust. My companions and I can at least say that we have been fortunate enough to fulfill our mission these past few days."

But the Supreme Observer clearly wouldn't make a special trip just for something like this. He simply nodded. "Of course, I need to confirm one thing first—in the past few days, several roads have appeared from the Garden District to the Administrative District for no apparent reason. Each one is incredibly sophisticated, even luxurious, and the thought and care that has gone into them is breathtaking. Even more astonishing is that these roads seem to go in all directions, but without exception, they all pass through the Moonfire Clock Tower..."

"The most bizarre thing is that these roads should have taken at least a month to repair, but they were clearly built overnight."

Emya shrugged. "Eltoril doesn't legislate roads."

Hearing this, Craig glanced at Mars and shook his head: "Indeed not. So you didn't make any mistakes. I'm just here for a commission."

"Commission?" Emiya was stunned for a moment. "What commission?"

When talking about this topic, Tavis Craig's face suddenly darkened.

He spoke slowly, "There's been some unrest in eastern Elturgard lately. The druids in the River Forest seem to be carrying out some sort of activity, and there have also been reports of undead activity."

"However, the Church of Tyr's headquarters is hundreds of kilometers away, making both support and decision-making extremely difficult. Taking this opportunity, they've decided to move from Eltoril to central Elturgard. At the same time, the Hell Knights will also relocate their headquarters—from tomorrow onwards, the Hell Knights branch will remain in Eltoril."

"...Ah?!" Mars was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but shout, "The Hell Knights are one of the most important forces in Eltoril! Why would they leave the capital?"

"In the eyes of the Church of Tyr, all are equal, and no one is more equal than another," Tavis Craig replied. "The Church of Tyr believes that other cities in Elturgard also need help. And the Knights of Hell believe that they protect all the people of Elturgard, not just the citizens of Eltoril.

"So they left."

"And my commission is also very simple." He waved his hand. "I am familiar with the style of the Tyrian Church—they will carry the Tyrian flag, then the entire church will choose a temporary base, and then they will split into countless small teams and disperse into various villages."

The Supreme Observer said, "It would have been fine at another time. But now the devil has just been expelled and may seek revenge at any time. I believe that the Church of Tyr deserves more appropriate assistance."

"At the same time, the Irmat Church also plans to relocate."

"So, Mr. Emia of Lunya, if you are interested, I would like to entrust you to follow the Church of Tyr and the Church of Ilmater and serve as their advisory mage to help them solve their problems - at least to prevent them from having to live in the open again."

Emiya was stunned for a moment.

This was certainly a great opportunity for them to contact the other two churches. Both the Hell Knights and the Church of Tyr clearly had close ties to Eltoril, and if there was any chance of uncovering any clues about the devil, it would lie with the Church of Tyr.

However, this also meant that their team had to split up.

But before answering, Emiya asked another question: "Why did you ask me by name?"

Tavis Craig pursed his lips and replied, "I'm the Supreme Observer, so I'm certainly somewhat certain of Eltoril's situation."

After a pause, he sighed deeply, "Although my confidence in this ability was mercilessly humiliated by the Baatezu."

Twenty-three Devil's Sanctuary (I)

"So, you're leaving now?" Will, who had been eating for free at the Selune Church for a few days, asked in confusion, "Even though you've been watching all day."

"To be precise, we must leave now," Emiya replied, "because the Tyr Church will leave at dawn. We haven't had time to check for any traces of your leader these past few days, so we must resolve this tonight."

"...This is too hasty," Will muttered. "Shouldn't you inform us many days in advance about finding a consultant for a traveler? Telling us right before we set off is totally unheard of."

This was something Emiya didn't understand. It was simply that deepening her connection with the Church of Tyr was a valuable opportunity. Furthermore, the presence of demons was more likely to appear among those facing hardship, and the Churches of Tyr and Ilmater were the easiest places to find them.

Finally, the styles of these two churches are not quite consistent with the Church of Lathander - perhaps Emilia can also gain some knowledge that can be converted into points for the Ritual of Truth during their time together.

"Perhaps the Supreme Observer saw me building the road. He thought that a creator like me only needed to carry my brain." Emiya sighed, "Let's go - where did you live in Eltoril before?"

Will sighed and pointed eastward. "Eltoril is divided into two districts by the inner river. Mizora, my lord, lives near the east side of the Blade of Torm Bridge."

Mars, who had not interrupted at first, couldn't help but widen his eyes: "-To the side of Torm's Blade Bridge?! Isn't that the only way from the port to the administrative district? The devil lives in such a crowded place?!"

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

Leaving the Church of Selune and heading east across the Blade of Torm, what caught Emiya and his party's eyes was a large inn.

This inn faced the Blade of Torm bridgehead, with a wide road leading to a large square. There were still traces of activities on the road. In its heyday, this place must have been bustling with people.

It was just dusk, which was the busiest time for a hotel in other cities. Guests should have gathered on the first floor of the hotel to party.

However, for this inn, all its prosperity had become a bubble. Although the door was wide open, the interior was clearly empty. Even the gleaming sign "Glittering Gold Coins" was beginning to be covered with cobwebs.

Even the mess inside the store had not been completely cleaned up, and there were still traces of the recent battle.

Will glanced over there and whispered, "...At that time, the two sides fought a fierce battle in the store. All the devils refused to be captured and immediately committed suicide when seriously injured. I chose to surrender at the beginning, so I am still alive."

In the shattered hall, a single dwarf with snow-white hair and beard stood in the middle of the inn, spitting and hurling curses at someone, his voice so loud that even those outside the door could hear clearly: "Are you sick? Day after day, why don't you leave?! The devil has taken up residence in my inn, and I'm the victim! The victim!!! It's not enough that you destroyed my shop when you were chasing the devil, but now you're still squatting in my shop, searching and picking things up!"

"It's been so many days and there's still no business in the store. How can I keep this store open in the future?"

At this time, the person opposite the dwarf replied: "The specific time is confidential, and..."

"Secret?!" The old dwarf suddenly jumped up. "You still say this is a secret? Then how long do I have to wait?"

"Eltoril Yilu will compensate you..."

"Gar Glittergold, you dare to talk about compensation! Your compensation is calculated based on half of a normal inn's revenue. Are Glittergold's gold coins the same as a normal inn? We can earn ten times as much as that small inn in a single day, but we spend five times the cost! Money in the future is not as valuable as money in the present. Do you understand this principle?"

The shop owner spitted, "And this is just the basic loss! Because of your efforts, now all of Eltoril knows that this place is a den of demons! Now everyone in Eltoril is afraid of demons like a tiger. How can I continue to do business in the future?"

"You just..."

Emilia hesitated for a moment, but decided to move closer. However, after only a few steps, his actions were discovered by the people inside.

The Hell Knight almost reached the door and was about to speak when his boss's anger was diverted. "Another adventurer looking to investigate? Then hurry up and leave, or you might be mistaken for a suspect and arrested by the noble Hell Knight!"

"No, no, no, the preservation of the scene is over!" The fully armed Hell Knight shook his head hurriedly, ""

"To be precise, they've reached a preliminary conclusion internally... The detailed investigation is definitely not yet complete." Eltoril's Hell Knight added, "Actually, this place can already be reopened, but the owner isn't willing to revamp it..."

"You've ruined my shop like this, why should I fix it?!" the shop owner yelled, turning to Emiya and roaring, "I'm telling you this—now, customers definitely won't be coming, so I'm waiting for Eltoril to compensate me. If I'm not satisfied, I'll occupy the bridgehead of Torm's Blade and make trouble every day!"

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