Equipment Printing School Mage

Emilia signaled him to bring the people out first: the area outside the house was relatively spacious, at least there was room to run.

Although the door of this hunter's cabin was not narrow, it was still a space that could be blocked tightly by two or three strong men. If you were trapped inside the cabin in this kind of terrain, it would be quite troublesome.

Almost all of the wizard's more destructive spells carry heat that can melt metal, let alone set a forest on fire - but if he is in a wooden house, he will be the first one to be incinerated by the magic smoke and fire.

Mars understood and gently patted the prisoner's cheek: "Sir? Wake up?"

It's obvious that sleeping is not very deep when you're tied up. So much so that the prisoner's eyes immediately trembled slightly: "...Huh?"

Before the prisoner could recover from his deep sleep, Emilia pondered for a moment and immediately dispelled the Dancing Lights spell.

The rapid changes in light and darkness made the prisoner even more drowsy. After a long pause, he finally asked his first question: "...Who are you?"

Mars shook his head, lifted the prisoner up with one hand, and led him out of the house: "This is exactly the question we wanted to ask you."

The only open space nearby is, of course, the lot used to store logs.

Being held in someone's hand is certainly not a comfortable experience, but the prisoner just screamed and immediately realized his current environment and shut up obediently.

Mars placed the prisoner beside a big tree and then stepped aside, while Emilia walked to the front silently.

During the several hours' journey from Friendly Arms to Sharptooth Forest, the two of them had discussed many topics.

One of the most important things, of course, is the next course of action.

If we were to discuss purely debate ability, paladins and bards would undoubtedly stand out among the other professions. However, paladins were bound by their own oaths and various precepts, and once they did speak, they were inevitably restricted.

At the same time, if the identity of the Holy Knight is exposed, it may become a breakthrough. Therefore, Mars even hid his holy emblem, and in appearance, he looked no different from a strong warrior.

In the end, when the two of them actually negotiated, it was Emilia who took the lead.

Emilia coughed lightly and said, "Hello, sir, what is your name?"

However, you obviously can't expect a person who is tied up to death to be particularly friendly. Although the two of them seemed to have rescued the prisoner, they made no move to untie him.

A hint of vigilance flashed in the prisoner's eyes, and then he pursed his lips. "...My name is Todd, and I'm a traveler who happened to pass through this forest. However, the woodcutters here...are very unfriendly. As soon as they saw me, they knocked me down and tied me up. ...God knows what kind of people these woodcutters are."

Todd struggled a bit. However, although the knots weren't particularly well-made, the knotter's hand strength was clearly quite strong, and the rope had already deeply embedded itself into Todd's body.

Emiya even wondered if Todd would have suffered from insufficient blood supply if he had arrived any later.

In any case, Todd's vigilance was unusual.

Emilia shook her head. "Sir, if you want to be rescued, don't tell such stupid lies."

To the west of the Forest of Teeth lies the trade route from Baldur's Gate to Amn. To the north, across the Chongsa River, lies Eltoril, home to the Hell Knights. To the southeast lies the Ulden Trade Route.

It just happened to be on the north side of the Sharptooth Forest where they were, sandwiched in the middle of a triangle area, a completely uninhabited area - normal travelers, as long as they had a little responsibility for their own lives, would not run to this place.

This guy named Todd's identity is absolutely problematic.

And now, what Emilia has to do is to squeeze out the most important secret from this guy before the prisoner wakes up completely from his slumber.

Todd hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "...Did you see the fireball last night? I was walking on a normal path. But then a mad wizard came out from nowhere and cast his magic everywhere, setting off a sea of ​​fire that shook the earth. My friends and I panicked and had to turn around and run."

"Finally, I accidentally ran into this forest, was knocked to the ground by the woodcutters here, and became their prisoner."

"Those woodcutters seemed to be busy with something. They just dumped me in the house and left in a hurry. Tsk...what time is it now?"

Naturally, Todd has hidden a lot of information, and it is unknown how much of what he says now is true.

It was too late to launch a detection thought now. Todd's appearance was too sudden.

Magic can solve problems, but there are more than just magic that can solve problems.

This is what the archmage Elminster, who had just left the Arms of Friendship, often said, and Emilia agreed with it.

Emilia was silent for a moment, then replied, "As long as you don't go to bed early that day, who can't see it?"

Then he did not continue to respond, but stared at Todd's face intently without saying a word.

Todd felt his whole body crawl under Emiya's stare. He was about to ask back, but then his eyes lit up as if he had thought of something.

Then, with a look of relief on her face, Emilia said, "Falsehoods and deceit are rampant in the world."

Todd also breathed a sigh of relief. The original wariness on his face disappeared instantly after hearing that cut.

"...the omniscience is unique and exists in the Supreme Being. Truly... thank God!"

Emiya twitched the corners of her mouth.

He wanted to say the same thing.

The Village in July (Part 4)

"Praise Tymora! After a series of misfortunes, luck has finally shown me favor!"

The prisoner named Todd watched with almost glee as the ropes around him were untied layer by layer. It was obvious that he had been having a very hard time during this period.

As soon as he was free, he couldn't wait to move his hands and feet. As a result, the blood supply to his limbs had not yet fully recovered, and his numb hands and feet were completely out of control, and he almost fell to the ground.

Emiya sighed and supported his body: "Mr. Todd, there is no need to be so excited."

Todd coughed a few times and straightened his appearance. "Sorry, sorry. I was only a few minutes away from becoming the All-Knowing One. The scene at that time was really too horrifying."

"A fifteen-kilogram axe! It was just a little bit away from my neck!"

The terrifying scene of life and death clearly left a deep impression on Todd. When talking about this topic, he became eloquent: "They said they were out of time, so they let me go at the last minute. Otherwise, I would be dead now!"

Emiya looked at the middle-aged man, who was about forty years old, spitting for a long time, pondered for a moment, and finally interrupted, "Mr. Todd, what are you going to do next?"

"Return to the Arms of Friendship with us? Or..."

Emiya expressionlessly cut her neck with her knife and said, "Let these woodcutters pay first?"

There is a skill to conversation.

Instead of asking him for detailed information about himself, it is better to use a roundabout way and let Todd speak first.

Todd answered without hesitation, "Of course, let these guys—"

Todd was halfway through his words when he immediately became alert and asked, "...Are you willing to help me?"

Even without using her mind-reading ability, Emiya instantly guessed what Todd really wanted to ask.

At this moment, Emiya's identity is that of a shapeshifter.

The shapeshifters may have the passion to seek personal gain, but they definitely don't have the awareness to put themselves in danger.

They would never have the idea of ​​facing a strong enemy head-on. When it does not concern them, it is normal for them to try every possible means to escape from the battlefield.

Emiya is not proficient in verbal confrontation. His conversation style is more about rationally evaluating the words and information flow itself, and then designing them.

This way of speaking may not be gentle enough to make people feel warm and at least it will not leave obvious flaws.

He had already prepared his plan in mind and calmly pointed in the direction of Mars.

"Because I brought a bodyguard—that big guy, he's not one of ours."

Two shapeshifters don't like direct combat, but if one of them is actually a real warrior, then the situation will naturally change.

"what?!"

Before Todd died of fright, Emilia added the second half of the sentence: "He is the bodyguard I hired. We move very quickly."

Todd was stunned for a moment, then he reacted.

The purpose of the shapeshifters going to the Friendly Arm was to take over the position. If the shapeshifters had completed all their work neatly, they would naturally be able to hire others in the name of the Friendly Arm.

And on this continent, there is always a shortage of adventurers looking for job opportunities.

"...Impressive." Todd hesitated for a long time before finally accepting the fact. "So how much does he know?"

"Of course he knows nothing," Emilia said unhappily. "That's why I've been controlling my voice. He won't deliberately inquire about us."

"Now it's my turn to ask." Emiya shook her head. "On our side, the Shadow Druid said you were in trouble."

"...Humph." Todd thought for a moment and sneered, "Are we in trouble? I'm afraid it's more than that. You saved your life by coming out to find me. The shapeshifters who stayed in the Arms of Friendship are probably already prisoners."

I'm afraid it will turn into furu.

Emiya turned her head to the side and checked the distance between Mars and them - of course, the main purpose was to hide his expression.

He is not good at making vivid facial expressions.

He stared in the direction of Mars and asked in a low voice: "...What do you mean?"

"Is that even a question? The mysterious wizard wiped us all out with a single spell, so aren't you next?" Todd said sullenly, "Now we're the only two left."

"...Are you serious?!" Emiya gritted her teeth and paced around a few times. "So what are you going to do next? Are you going to leave the Gods and Non-Gods Society?"

"What a joke! I will never betray the All-Knowing One! You'd better not even have that idea!" Todd's voice rose for the first time, and then he immediately realized that the environment was inappropriate.

He glanced at Mars warily, then whispered, "...Of course, we have to find a way to recover the losses and get back in touch with the higher-ups."

Emiya's eyes couldn't help but flicker.

This organization called the Gods and Gods Society was a bit too strict. So far, I've encountered so many members, but surprisingly, no one knew how to contact their superiors.

According to the previous confessions of the shapeshifters, this team that was supposed to support the Arm of Friendship... or to inspect the results, should be composed entirely of priests.

The term "priest" has undergone many variations across Faerun, but here, it refers to those who perform duties similar to those of a cleric, but who refuse to identify themselves as such.

Is this kind of completely single-line connection necessary?

Emiya frowned. “When we joined the club, we were told that reverse contact is forbidden.”

Todd's lips trembled a few times, but he didn't answer immediately. Emilia immediately raised her eyebrows: "--If you don't trust me, then we'll go our separate ways. I was hiding in the wilderness too. It doesn't matter where I am, or who kills me, isn't it?"

"You are a high priest, and I am a shapeshifter who hasn't even officially joined. I am not qualified to be with you."

After saying that, Emilia turned around and wanted to call Mars, preparing to walk out of the forest.

Naturally, Todd took his hand away halfway through his greeting: "You misunderstood!"

The priest of the Gods and Non-Gods Association said sincerely, "It's just that this topic is a bit taboo. I was just trying to figure out the wording! A clever shapeshifter, this is a partner that so many people admire. How could I possibly dislike it?"

"You haven't officially joined yet, so you might not know... There's an unwritten rule in the Gods and Non-Gods Society."

“You can’t break the rules, so the real talent lies in getting around them.”

Hearing this, a gloom appeared in Emilia's eyes.

Things were getting increasingly bad for this "Gods and Non-Gods Society." From every angle, the danger of this organization was alarming.

"What are you going to do?" Emilia asked.

Todd took a deep breath. "I can't contact my superiors. So I'll just have to operate independently as a member of the Gods of Non-Gods. I need to recover my strength and continue discussing cooperation with the Shadow Druids."

"Do you know how to contact the Shadow Druid?"

"of course."

"...Then how do you recover your strength? Isn't it just a matter of praying?"

"Ah, yes, you don't even know that." Todd smiled sheepishly. "I was arrested because I tried to dig up the graveyard at Hollow Corner."

Digging up the graveyard...naturally, to create undead creatures.

They steal the remains of other people's ancestors and twist them into their own servants. Skeletons, ghouls... these undead creatures are often born in this way.

Emilia clenched her fist without making a sound.

The essence of a god is not a priest of the God Association, but a priest of death.

Specializing in playing with death and negative energy, he is so notorious that he is hardly accepted by any settlement. His reputation is so bad that he is almost on par with the most evil necromancers.

If the woodcutter found out that he and Mars had rescued this guy and accompanied him to the cemetery, there would be no way to defend themselves.

To avoid further complications, Emiya asked, "So, how do we contact the Shadow Druid?"

Todd laughed. "Well, once we get settled..."

Emilia interrupted him bluntly, "You're avoiding the main point—since our superiors have forbidden us from contacting them, if we overdo it, the consequences will be extremely serious."

"You want me to take risks with you, but you want to take the absolute initiative in the cooperation? People who have the power of force should be more generous."

Todd hesitated and sighed.

"Ok."

"The druids of Sharptooth Forest are collecting magical items for some unknown reason."

"And the shadow druids also plan to use this opportunity to rise to power. So, as long as you can find a way to create a magical effect in this forest, you will definitely attract their attention."

Emilia's heart sank.