Equipment Printing School Mage

"And yet our Archduke is trapped in the Material Plane. A smile appeared on Mephistopheles' face." Even if she had never returned to the Elysian realm of Lathander, this would have been considered a kind of literary and life-giving perfection. Defeated and captured alive by mortals from the Material Plane? This was unheard of in the long history of Hell.

Mephisto took a few steps closer. "Don't you think that you, a subordinate of Grand Duke Zariel, should bear considerable responsibility for this earth-shattering outcome?"

Baier was silent for a moment, then immediately said, "Yes. I have a great responsibility."

"Oh?"

"I admit that I was dissatisfied with Zariel for replacing me," Bayer sighed. "I should have been more actively involved in her work. But because of my dissatisfaction, even when her actions seemed inappropriate to me, I did not object. Instead, I carried out every task conscientiously..."

"what!"

He seemed to be admitting his mistake, but he placed all the responsibility for the action squarely on Zariel.

Mephistopheles shook his head. "So, let's get started… What are your thoughts on what happened to Zariel?"

"Opinion? Only shock!" Bayer answered without hesitation. "She was once a Servant of the Seraphim! Hell, when she fought the Demon Lord in Avernus, the intensity and scale of each battle was far greater than this little skirmish! I'm still organizing my troops."

"You don't think you're a coward?"

"Then allow me to ask a question: Did Elturgard suffer heavy losses in this encounter?"

"It seems you enjoy joking too," Mephistopheles replied. "In a virtual theocracy like Elturgard, even if someone dies, as long as the gods approve and the soul is willing to return to the mortal world, hundreds of priests can bring the dead back. How much can they lose?"

"That's obvious," Bayer replied seriously. "If Zariel can be captured alive, then the result of me staying here is nothing more than the two successive Grand Dukes of Avernus being trapped together in Avernus."

Bayer snorted coldly. "Elturgard's former leader once claimed to conquer Avernus. Instead, Avernus put his face right into Elturgard's hand, and was slapped seven or eight times by a mortal, leaving him completely stunned. The last time Avernus was attacked by a Seraph, he didn't look this badly!"

The former Grand Duke of Avernus's words were somewhat sarcastic. "—Even more ridiculous... I mean, bizarrely, the reason she went to Elturgard was to abduct a young mage named Emya. And this mage who ultimately defeated her was only in his early twenties! He's probably spent even less time studying the arcane than our Grand Duke was a captive in Avernus!"

The expedition to Hell led by Zariel ended in a great defeat, and even Zariel himself was persuaded by Asmodeus to join the ranks of the devil.

——But this expedition was the darkest moment in Bayer's life: he led his troops into battle and won a great victory, but then his position was replaced by a defeated general. In the end, he had to serve as a subordinate of this defeated general and had to obey his orders every day.

Bayer's expression grew serious. "With all due respect, from this perspective, I think Miss Zariel was just... unlucky this time. It was simply a rare event. This defeat wasn't her fault. We shouldn't hold her responsible—after all, she was operating normally in what she thought was a completely safe environment, only to be suddenly overthrown by a group of adventurers she'd never heard of, whoever appeared out of nowhere..."

Baier lowered his head and smiled: "It's indeed not the first time."

Mephistopheles chuckled. "Unfortunately, the last person to suffer such an unfortunate fate was also a former Grand Duke of Avernus. Personally, I deeply sympathize with Queen Tiamat's plight."

"Lunya..." Even Mephistopheles' face twisted as he pronounced the place name. "But this is the first time the Grand Duke has been captured alive in the material plane...Emia of Lunya. Now, Bayer, from your perspective, do you think he's from that [Lunya]?"

"I'm not sure," Bayer said after a pause. "But if he really is from there, it means he had an angel teacher... From that perspective, the Grand Duke's defeat actually makes sense."

He thought for a moment and added, "However, his abilities seem to be entirely his own, and have nothing to do with the upper planes."

"Very good," Mephistopheles continued. "Then it seems you have some complaints about your position as Grand Duke of Avernus. Do you still wish to continue working at Avernus?"

"You've been joking around a bit too much today. I didn't mean that at all." Bayer shuddered and immediately replied, "The position of Grand Duke Avernus is indeed extremely risky—countless eyes are eyeing this position in countless dimensions of the Great Wheel World. Some want to replace him, while many more enemies simply want to keep this position vacant forever."

Bayer coughed softly. "From the banks of the Styx, step by step until today, I have diligently completed every task entrusted to me, regardless of whether it was easy or difficult, focusing on short-term gains or long-term cultivation. I have always prioritized the interests of the Baatezu over my own personal achievements. If a task too arduous for others to bear were to be assigned to me, I would willingly put my own personal gains and losses behind me."

"Huh." Mephistopheles shook his head. "Well, before I officially hand over your new position, you must first complete a brief task. I need to confirm your understanding of this work."

"Please ask," Bayer replied confidently, "as long as it has anything to do with my previous position, I have full confidence."

"--Very good." Mephistopheles stretched out his voice. "So, from the perspective of a battle-hardened veteran, what does it mean to invoke a forbidden spell on the material plane?"

This is one of the real problems, and why Byers is imprisoned here.

Bayer blinked. "You mean the spell that takes ten minutes to cast? This spell is obviously used to provide protection, prohibiting the enemy from teleporting—a necessary component of a fortress, so to speak."

"But it can also prevent my own allies..." Mephistopheles leaned forward, "and even my superiors from escaping danger."

Bayer's expression twisted dramatically. "Sir Mephistopheles, magical power is fair. Many powerful spells don't distinguish between friend and foe. Seeking every possible benefit while avoiding every possible risk...that's the nature of magic in this world. Even Mystril, the first goddess of magic born from the Weave, perished at the hands of her own unbridled magic. I'm just an ordinary, diligent devil, not known for my magical prowess. I'm incapable of handling such delicate matters."

“So, where’s the payoff?”

Bile shouted back, "The power of Elturgard at that time was far greater than what Grand Duke Zariel faced! Of the Church of Torm, only Craig had actually joined the Devil—Grand Duke Zariel's work was flawless, and Elturgard was literally filled with Saints seeking the light of the Companion. If I hadn't released the forbidden spell, Grand Duke Zariel would have been overwhelmed by the Elturgard reinforcements—an entire Circle of Druids, the Church of the Three Pillars of Justice, who had just been transferred to Eltoril by the Companion's anomaly, only to witness its disappearance before their own eyes!"

"As soon as they react, a mighty army will surge towards Grand Duke Zariel like a tide. The forbidden spell at least controls the scale of the battle—with Grand Duke Zariel's strength, wouldn't the smaller the battle, the better? You know the Archdruid of the Sharptooth Forest Circle... The corpses beneath her feet when she ascended to power were those of the Shadow Druid K'ha and several followers of the Cult of the Whisper Behind, right?"

"Heh." Mephistopheles smiled. "Indeed, if you despise her fighting ability, you are essentially despising me."

"Furthermore," Bayer leaned forward and spoke seriously, "Grand Duke Zariel was defeated on the material plane. As a subordinate, I may have made some mistakes in decision-making. Looking back, perhaps I could have taken other more effective measures, but I didn't consider them carefully enough."

"But captured alive?" Bile exclaimed. "That was far beyond my expectations! Perhaps Zariel no longer wanted to return to Avernus and simply found an excuse to remain in the material plane! Otherwise, even if someone could defeat her, who could stop her from committing suicide? I believe the one truly irresponsible towards Avernus is the Grand Duke himself."

"Second question," Mephistopheles said, "the bloodthirsty burrowing nymphs you raised didn't seem to play the role they should have in the final battle. Especially in the final stage, when Grand Duke Zariel was ambushed, the burrowing nymphs that were supposed to attack the makeshift camp didn't flood in. Why?"

"Because in the final stage, it wasn't Grand Duke Zariel being ambushed, but rather Grand Duke claiming her spoils!" Bayer cried. "Do I have the right to threaten the Grand Duke? No! The Grand Duke completely and utterly voluntarily came to the material plane to capture Emya!"

"Those bugs obey my commands, but like a group of unintelligent undead creatures, they can't understand complex instructions," Bayer replied. "I can tell them to attack, advance, retreat, whatever. But expecting these carnivores driven mad by bloodthirsty runes to show mercy to a red-haired, white-robed mage? Hell, they might not even have vision in the true sense of the word!"

Bayer leaned back. "With all due respect, if those bugs had truly harmed Mr. Emya, I would likely have been punished for sabotaging the Grand Duke's cause. I had no right choice. So, the moment the Grand Duke arrived, I ordered them to stop. As for the subsequent events, that was also beyond my expectations. I repeat, I believe the Grand Duke's journey alone to the Material Plane, especially to Faerun, was an extremely bold and adventurous act. I would never have acted in this way as Grand Duke myself."

"—I won't be captured alive."

"...Okay." Mephistopheles nodded, took a step forward and patted Bayer's shoulder.

The ice on the former Grand Duke's body melted away instantly. His huge body swayed, and he almost lost his balance and fell in front of Mephistopheles.

The Lord of the Eighth Layer of Hell, the Devil Archduke Mephistopheles, said solemnly, "Well, Mr. Bile, you have passed my test. Now, on behalf of His Excellency Asmodeus, I am handing you a new task. Your next appointment will depend on the completion of this task."

Bayer immediately prostrated himself on the ground: "I am always ready to sacrifice my life for Lord Asmodeus."

"You'd better save this enthusiasm for your mission," Mephistopheles said with a wry smile. "You're about to be responsible for an extremely difficult task."

Mephistopheles leaned forward and said in a tone that was almost gloating: "Go to Elturgard again and admit our failure—"

"Then."

"Grand Duke Zariel..."

"Redeem it."

"!?" Bayer almost couldn't control his expression when he heard the word Grand Duke Zariel.

Although Bayer did put some obstacles in Zariel's way, no matter how you look at it, half of the responsibility for being captured lies with Zariel herself. How could she still be the Grand Duke!?

When he heard the last half of the sentence, he really wanted to curse.

But tens of thousands of years of tolerance kept his face humble. "No trump card could possibly sway Elturgard today—I can't imagine them agreeing to release Zariel. They'd rather have an imprisoned Zariel replace their companion, watched by tens of thousands every day and night, than release Zariel."

"I'll go, but I think there'll probably be another statue of a Pit Fiend next to Grand Duke Zariel."

"Of course, we wouldn't make that mistake. But you're also mistaken... Elturgard wasn't the main force that captured Zariel alive, so their opinion doesn't matter that much."

Bayer was stunned for a moment, then began to shake his head vigorously. "—You mean to convince Emya and his teacher?! Then I'd better go and convince the paladins of Elturgard."

"Yes. But don't worry," Mephisto replied. "We already have an idea. So, we will make them an offer they can't refuse. This is truly just a negotiation, only bargaining chips, no physical surprises involved."

"What chips?" Even Bayer was curious now.

Mephistopheles leaned over and whispered something in Bile's ear.

Bayer only listened to a few words before he gasped. His expression changed several times. "...I now believe that Grand Duke Zariel might return. But after I give this bargaining chip away, I will never go to Faerun again, and I never want to hear the name Emya again."

I will update it today

I feel really bad for being so bored these past few days.

It was mainly due to the three-dimensional world, and I was so overwhelmed by all sorts of trivial matters that I was really not in good shape. I apologize again.

然后，2024/7/12这天肯定会更新八千字的，虽然我两天一更 但是从一天4000变成了两天8000也不能算咕！

Chapter 82: The Most Luxurious Negotiation Table (I)

Elturgard now... perhaps there is no Elturgard anymore.

At least that's the case from a legal perspective.

As the supreme leader of Eltoril, the man who single-handedly promoted the expansion of Eltoril and the founding of Elturgard, announced his intention to disband Elturgard before his death, and then committed suicide in a simple and efficient manner.

And now Elturgard is delicately situated between stability and chaos.

Despite Craig's immense power, he didn't deliberately leave a mark in every corner of the city. Even now, even though he's passed away, the ordinary people of Elturgard, unaware of what happened, continue to live as if nothing had happened. This is what is called stability.

The problem is that all the forces directly related to Craig have now returned to the administrative district of Eltoril and are arguing with each other.

To put it more bluntly, the Church of Amaunator and the Church of the Three Pillars of Justice were arguing fiercely.

The current divisions of power in Eltoril are incredibly complex. The Church of Amaunator has always been entrenched within the city, second only to the Church of Torm in influence. The Church of Tyr, once quite prestigious, recently announced its intention to move out of Eltoril, creating a significant stir and effectively withdrawing from the city.

As a result, less than a month has passed and he is already shamelessly coming back?

Or maybe not come back and leave Azul alone in Eltoril?

The Church of Tyr is upright and not stupid. It is impossible for them to sit idly by and watch the second-in-command of their church unable to even see a fellow member of the church under their rule.

The original state religion, the Church of Torm, was in a state of great embarrassment—overnight, the national leader and supreme bishop of the church vanished, never to return. The rest of the church lacked the prestige to rule the chaotic Eltoril.

More importantly, the Church of Amaunator itself also made considerable contributions in the final battle - the Sun-Raising Magic they called upon did indeed severely damage Zariel.

Emiya looked at the spell book in her hand and just wanted to cover her face and sigh.

Now, they were all listening in on the meeting in the administrative district of Eltoril.

Although they seemed to be no different from ordinary adventurers passing by, the Cult of the Rising Sun and the Knights of Hell unanimously requested that Emiya and his group be present.

"I'm afraid we can't escape." Mars sighed. "On the one hand, we are the main witnesses of the battle between the two sides. On the other hand, Elturgard has not yet paid us-"

In the struggle for the succession, coincidentally, two powerful contenders joined the crusade against Zariel. At this point, they were trying to persuade Emiya and the others to stay, both to show their gratitude and to get Emiya and the others to lend legitimacy to their competition.

As he spoke, the paladin forgot about the other person in the corner.

Great reader Christine also sighed.

For an event of this magnitude, the Ritual of Truth naturally requires contact with the host city's leaders long before it takes place. But now there's a big problem—

Now, who can represent Elturgard and Eltoril and restore order to the city and the realm?

It is impossible for such a huge event as the Rite of Truth to be carried out independently without the organizer.

Ultimately, the Ceremony of Truth itself is a large-scale event that borders on celebration and diplomacy. Such an event can be boring, without any merit or demerit—

However, we must not allow this kind of activity to cause Candlekeep and the Church of Oghma to become enemies with others! This is putting the cart before the horse!

This positioning leads to a direct result. Until the dust settles, the Ritual of Truth can only wait here.

Of course, there is one most important reason why Emiya and his group cannot leave.

The stone statue of Grand Duke Avernus—perhaps now former Grand Duke Zariel—is still in their possession.

More precisely, it was in the demiplane that Metatron had opened up himself. If something of this level were left in the hands of Emiya and the others, they wouldn't survive for more than a month.

Sig sat with them in a corner of the conference hall, popping various nuts and candies into his mouth. "What a mess! The person in charge of the other party died just before we had to pay, and then there was this internal conflict that exploded... This thing won't be resolved for at least a month."

Elastrid folded her hands and sighed softly. "It's good that it's just a quarrel. With this power imbalance, there are basically only two outcomes: civil war..."

"Or split."

The priests who left the Lucky Church in Baldur's Gate obviously have a lot to say - this is also the reason why the Lucky Church in Baldur's Gate fell apart.

A group of free-spirited people who were not willing to obey management had their immediate boss suddenly die, and after a struggle they simply went their separate ways.

"The people from the Church of Amaunator are definitely going to cause trouble." Although Yin wasn't interested in this kind of power struggle, he seemed to understand the Church of Amaunator somewhat. "When they claim to emphasize laws and decrees, they really mean they want the power to issue, amend, and interpret them. So, if they get the chance, they're definitely going to cause trouble."

Just as they were discussing the situation within the team, Yin's prediction came true very accurately.

"To me, this quarrel itself is quite comical." The Church of Amaunator is certainly not some Puritan church devoid of power. Quite the opposite, and therefore unusually aggressive. Young O'Near shouted, "We don't deny the noble character of the Hell Knights themselves, but we're not discussing the priests and paladins on the hills. We're discussing the sailors coming in and out of the harbor, the porters sweating profusely, and the farmers in the fields!"

"Everyone in Eltoril has witnessed the Church of Tyr and the Knights of Hell leave Eltoril. Now you're coming back? What will the Eltoril people think?" The priests of the Church of Amaunator banged their tables and said in strange voices, "Don't you think the rest of Elturgard is equally important? Now that Craig is dead, you realize the importance of Eltoril again?"

"The people of Eltoril will know who has been with them all along!"

Archbishop Bolias of the Church of Tyr snorted coldly: "Indeed, the Cult of the Rising Sun will always be at odds with the people of Eltoril."

"At least I'm still a priest!" Draigos glanced at Asur, intentionally or unintentionally. Whether this paladin had broken his oath still needed to wait for the final judgment of the gods. Perhaps before long, he would no longer be a paladin.

This kind of situation could escalate into a fight in just a few words, but today, it has already happened in front of Emilia at least five times.

If the combined age of the two quarreling parties was not over a hundred years old, and if they were not really holding the same plate, and fighting was bound to be a lose-lose situation, they might have started fighting privately long ago.

Sig muttered softly while eating snacks, "Speaking of which, if the story continues in this situation, wouldn't Emiya become the Supreme Observer?"

"That's just a beautiful vision," Mars said bluntly. "It's actually completely unattainable. That's why stories and poems always stop at the point where the hero becomes king—the story after that isn't a lighthearted one."

"Yes, that's impossible," Alestria said flatly. "Some time ago, Mars and I had the original owner's permission, and both of us had some fame within the Moon Church. Meanwhile, the Moon Church itself wasn't very prosperous, but Li was completely overwhelmed with running the Moon Church in the past few days. Emya has only been in Elturgard for a month, and most Elturgardians don't even know him. Those in Elturgard who trust his abilities happen to have their own forces."

"The result is, even if we work hard and finally succeed, what's the point?" Mars said.

"You can only tell if your subordinates are deceiving you, but you have no way of telling if they're hiding something from you, or even if your orders are being carried out. In this situation, you have to use your own credibility and reputation to endorse the entire political entity," Mars said succinctly. "This position is commonly known as a puppet. Paladins are generally not recommended to take on leadership positions, as their reputation is precious and fragile.

"For example, if Miss Imoen hadn't been the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate for many years, the teacher would never have agreed to her becoming the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate. He would be completely powerless. The same is true for Emya."

"Don't worry." Silver said seriously, "If he wants to give up arcane magic and pursue a political career, I'll knock him out and drag him away in the middle of the night. This is my responsibility as a teammate."