"Putting aside this exaggerated functionality, it's so common it's not worth mentioning."

The relationship between Elastrid and Xingyun was quite strange. However, Elastrid, who was originally embarrassed... could only shut up embarrassedly.

But then, Elastri jumped up as if she had been electrocuted: "——Miss Xingyong, can you speak now!?"

"Yes. This shadow sand is amazing."

Before everyone's eyes, a blurry figure appeared beside Elastrid. "—I must say, Mr. Emiya, you have surpassed my goals. I am certain that this latest set of armor will not hinder my movements, and I will be able to move with a certain degree of autonomy."

"...Huh!?" Mars was stunned for a moment, and stood up together with the shadow behind him. "Can this shadow have a physical body? How powerful is it?"

Yin was now brimming with pride, his eyebrows curved in a smile. "Although this shadow has materialized into a weakened divine avatar within your body—this result is indeed completely unexpected. But its basic function remains unchanged—this cloak is essentially a more flexible and vital shadow clone. Someone like Elastrid, who already possesses intelligence within her, can simply hand over command to the intelligence if she so desires."

Upon learning that this phantom wasn't just a decoration or a human shield, Mars suddenly became alert: "--How do I control it?"

"Actually, it doesn't require much control. It's tied to you, so you just need to direct it with your heart." At this point, she said arrogantly, "As long as we get more familiar with it, I think everyone in our team can have one! I already have one on hand--"

As she spoke, she hung the cloak around herself.

However, no shadow appeared behind her.

However, the light and shadow in front of everyone's eyes suddenly dimmed, as if an invisible dim light curtain was spread before everyone's eyes.

"......?" Yin shuddered doubtfully, "Why isn't this useless... Sig, why don't you try--"

"No, no, no, no, I won't try it!!!" Hearing his own name, Sig shuddered and almost jumped in fear. "I don't want to wear such an unstable thing! It's supposed to create shadows, and I know now that the four people on the team are different! Who knows what will happen if I put it on! I won't wear it!"

"Although everyone is different, it won't cause any trouble. You wear-"

Before Yin could finish her words, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly interrupted her.

The chief reader, Stutin, knocked on the door and called out, "Emmia of Lunya—"

After announcing the names of the entire team, he said, "There's an urgent, but not particularly dangerous, situation. We need your help."

Emiya was stunned for a moment and asked, "We? Why?"

"To be more precise, we need Mars," Stutin said. "Let me just talk about the destination. The illusionist Haverfont had a crystal ball in his belongings. Does anyone remember it?"

They had carefully checked every item at the time, fearing that some of them might have been trapped by Shar, so they all nodded.

"That crystal ball is a simple receiver, with no additional functions. The problem is this: the crystal ball lit up, and an old man spoke from within. We had a thorough exchange of views. Now, he says he won't communicate with strangers, claiming he only talks to people he knows well."

Emiya frowned. "...So, is there anything we absolutely need to do here?"

"Yes," Stutin said seriously, "that man didn't seem to know anything about Ferren's current situation. The names he mentioned were all people he thought might still be alive - the problem is that each one of them was very famous."

Mars pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head: "I guess that among that group of names is Apodel Adrian."

"Yes," Stutin replied, "The title of Faerûn's First Paladin is resounding enough. However, the names he mentioned were all related to the Mystra pantheon. In fact, he also mentioned the name of Lord Elminster."

Elminster and the Harper are both tied to Waterdeep.

Then, it is possible that Apodale will have to leave the cage temporarily - he will need someone to replace him.

Moreover, the key is not to be strong enough, but to have the power to suppress.

Of course, Midnight herself could be recognized, but it was not appropriate for her to be exposed to an unidentified person.

"So, we're targeting Mars, who also has the Holy Avenger." Emiya frowned slightly. "At the same time, his strength is insufficient, so it's best if we go too."

"Yes." Stutin nodded. "If everything goes well, it will be over soon. Don't worry. This might even be the breakthrough point that makes Haverfont speak."

Fifty-three accompanying shadows (Part 2) Escape

"--Although it's temporary, at least someone has come to relieve the shift."

When the Emia team appeared in front of Apodel, Apodel, who had been waiting outside the Haverfont Prison for several days without sleep, stood up and even joked: "Maybe in a few years, I will have to use a cane. By then, I won't be able to do this kind of hard work."

"Then you may be celebrating a little too early," Mars replied. "Although we haven't met the person in the crystal ball yet, we hear that he's extremely unfriendly. Perhaps it's a trick of the Shar Church—by then, you'll probably have to run back here quickly."

Speaking of this, Emilia lowered her voice and asked, "Sir Apodel, have you asked Haverfont about the crystal ball?"

"I've asked her, but she hasn't mentioned anything related to this since that slip of the tongue. She just rambled on to me, bragging about her hardships in the Shadowfell and her genius," Apodel said. "Anyway, don't be too careless—Baldur's Gate and Beergost are under attack right now, but the pressure isn't that great. This offensive is clearly intended to draw out possible reinforcements, not to truly capture any city."

"Is the pressure in Baldur's Gate really not that great?" asked Emya.

Although Belgost was a small town, it had recently received a large number of Hell Knights, perhaps the most combat-rich town in its history. However, Baldur's Gate had dispatched two archdukes for support, and the largest church had sent away its most skilled fighters—the Hell Knights' supply convoy alone might not have been able to compensate for this loss of combat power.

"Don't worry." Apodel waved his hand, his other hand tightly gripping the Holy Avenger. He stared at Halffont and said casually, "Imoen didn't complain to me. Minsk has revived, and this is more than just good news. Honestly, even now, I can't guarantee that I can defeat Minsk in hand-to-hand combat."

At this point, he couldn't help but laugh and cry. "Speaking of which, Paladins are actually better suited to fighting evil mages and priests... It's simply too much of a luxury for the Holy One to slay those skeletal vampire servants. When it comes to subjugating those mediocre undead creatures, dear Stone Lord, Minsk is the most suitable candidate."

At this point, Apodel unconsciously rubbed his back. "...A hundred years have passed, but the image of Minsk chasing and hacking me with a sword still lingers in my mind...After he got Lilacor, I was chased and hacked while being mocked by Lilacor."

Minsk is a berserker from the witch kingdom of Rashemen in far eastern Faerûn.

He is brave and righteous - but when he is furious, he cannot distinguish between friend and foe.

If his enemies fell before he could vent his fury, his teammates would become targets - and Apodale would naturally always bear the brunt of the attack.

The pleasantries ended there, and Apodel, who finally had time to rest, stood up and left.

Emilia turned around and said to the cell: "...Miss Havenfont, I haven't seen you for a few days. How are you feeling?"

"Feelings?" Haverfont was surprisingly talkative. She nodded seriously. "Is the food better than in Ghost City? It's just that your cooking wasn't very thorough the other day. It reminded me of the swill from the Shadowfall."

There was no situation where Haverfonte was replaced or anything like that; she is still here.

It is enough to know this.

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

Apodale breathed a sigh of relief and knocked lightly on the door. "Bible Keeper, I'm here."

"Great!" Lude opened the door of the conference room.

The place was naturally already crowded. Apparently, the crystal ball was more reliable than Apodel had expected.

"Miss Storm Silverhand," he greeted. "You couldn't get him to speak, either?"

Sitting next to the crystal ball, Storm Silverhand shrugged and pointed at his face. "He acknowledges that I'm the Chosen One of Mystra, but he doesn't think I'm Storm Silverhand. Rejuvenation has its drawbacks, and relying on a youthful and beautiful face won't be enough to sway the person in the crystal ball."

Apodale looked toward the crystal ball and asked, "So, is it confirmed? This is a communication crystal ball?"

At that moment, a slightly odd, shrill, aged voice rang out from the crystal ball. "Yes. What else could this be but a communication crystal ball? A magic soul pot that imprisons the soul? Do you think I'm a pitiful mage trapped in a crystal ball? The only good impression you left on me was that you didn't allow warriors and wanderers to insult my eyes."

How mean and merciless.

Apodel moved closer to the crystal ball and couldn't help but frown.

In the crystal ball, there is an old man with a long white beard, a white turban and a green robe.

"Tell me who you are, or I won't even be able to salute you," Apodel said flatly. "You seem to know me, but I really don't know you—yet your Halruaan accent is very strong. Are you from Halruaan?"

Upon seeing Apodel's face, the chattering old man suddenly fell silent. After a long moment, he slowly said, "... Your Excellency Apodel Adrian, you don't seem to have aged much... As expected, you are the son of Baal, with divine blood in your veins, so slow aging is to be expected."

Apodale was silent for a moment, then said, "If you need further confirmation, I'm sorry I can't provide it: my sword was destroyed in the battle, and none of my teammates are with me at the moment. Let's get to the point—what did you want to talk about?"

"...What were we talking about?" The old man shrank back, huddled down in the luxurious fur and down chair like a shrimp, feeling extremely frustrated. "Excuse me, Mr. Apodel, are you currently on Toril?"

Apodale frowned: "...Yes? Aren't you here?"

But he didn't answer the question.

"Just a month ago, my teacher, the former head of the Halrua Elders Council and the former Halrua Mage King, Zarason, died smiling in his bed at the age of four hundred and twenty-seven years and seventy days." The old man said quietly, "I met you before—when I was a child. Back then, you were the leader of the Secret Fire Knights, riding a Pegasus with a group of paladins to greet and cheer on the streets."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Although Apodel had already sensed something from his attire and accent, he couldn't help but hold his breath when he heard it confirmed in person: "—You are from Halrua! Halrua still exists?"

"...Oh!?" This comment perked the old man up instantly. "Putting everything else aside, answer me a question first—what does the original Halruaa site look like now? Is it a large, neatly cut hole?"

"Huh?" Apodel was stunned for a moment. "Faerûn was in chaos at the time. By the time we had time to check on Halruaa, it had already been several months since the Arcane Calamity. But judging by the traces, it must have happened at that moment. The cut was indeed smooth."

"Excellent! Praise Mystra! I knew our theory of substitution would win!!!"

The old man's previous dejection disappeared, and he jumped up from his seat excitedly and punched hard.

"..." Apodel was actually a traditional paladin, unable to keep up with the thinking of Halrua's magic enthusiasts. He could only ask, "Anyway, Halrua still exists and is still functioning, is that right?"

"... barely, huh?" The old man's eyelids drooped at the topic. "Back then, in order to draw a clear line between ourselves and Netheril, we gave up using the floating city. Thousands of years later, this decision slapped us hard in the face—we were teleported, oh no, transported to mid-air on this planet.

"...It was horrific, horrific. We had actually received the prophecy long before, but it was so absurd that even few in the Council of Elders were willing to believe it. My teacher tried his best to implement protective measures, but it wasn't enough... There's no magic weave on this planet! Without the magic weave! Spellcasting became incredibly difficult and unstable, and the power of magical items was greatly reduced. Our advance preparations had some effect, but Halruaa still lost a quarter of its population in that disaster almost instantly. And all fixed assets were instantly destroyed."

However, just as the old man was about to start this topic, he suddenly slapped his headscarf and said, "No, no, that's not what I'm talking about! I opened this communication crystal ball with the intention of notifying Haffont—but now I have to choose between Haffont and Lord Apodale."

"...What do you mean?" The old man's words were so abrupt that Apodel was a little confused.

However, looking at it this way, it seems that Halffont is actually a student of the Mage King Halrua!?

This background is considered prominent even in Faerun.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Before he died, the teacher made one final prophecy and asked me to convey it through the crystal ball. He said that the earth and the void are the fortress's flaws, and an earthquake will allow the shadow to escape."

"Prophecy." Apodel was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but shout, "Zarason's prophecy!?"

Zarathon was once undoubtedly the most powerful prophet in Faerun, yet he actually asked this old man to convey his prophecy through the crystal ball before his death!?

Although the reference of this prophecy is as vague as ever, it at least allows people to understand the general meaning.

However, before he could think carefully, Lude had already slammed the table: "--Oh no! Lord Apodale! Haverfont!"

Apodel was horrified and no longer cared about anything else. He rushed out of the window and jumped down.

Damn it, the restriction prevented the enemy from entering the inner court, but it also forced them to use only their two legs when they urgently needed to maneuver!

Before Apodale had taken a few steps, the prophecy came true.

The towering inner keep of Candlekeep shook violently with a deafening vibration.

Earthquake magic.

Fifty-four Advent

"...So, that shadow sand fabric was made by you using my clothes?" Sig pulled the old clothes in his hand curiously.

She had no sense of crisis at all, and even in front of Haverfont, she was discussing her dress as if no one else was around.

"Yes." Emilia answered. He was silent for a moment, then cast a mind connection on the entire team before asking, "Where did your clothes come from?"

Xige's clothes have always been the most special in the team - she has a petite figure, but wears clothes that are probably three or four sizes too big. In order to expose her hands, the long sleeves can fall to her lower abdomen, and the hem of her clothes usually drags on the ground.

At first, Emilia thought it was because she couldn't afford clothes that fit her—a fact that seemed entirely consistent with her struggling life in the outer city. However, she soon discovered that Sig wasn't actually poor; Lady Violet, Grand Duchess Imoen, paid him generously. He simply loved saving money.

Moreover, after traveling together for a while, Emiya discovered one thing - although Sig's clothes were always dragging on the ground, they were never stained with dust.

Combined with the research of the past few days, he has confirmed that the clothing she has been wearing is very unusual.

However, when asked, Sig was quite calm: "Sister Imoen gave it to me. You can ask her. I'm just responsible for wearing it."

What time is it now? Imoen is probably busy and exhausted, so it is impossible for Emilia to ask such a thing at this time.

It was the end of dusk.

The light coming through the small window in the cell became less and less, and the cell inside and outside became darker and darker.

"...?" At this moment, Elastri, who had been nervously adjusting her clothes, suddenly paused and abruptly drew the weapon from her waist. "...I feel something is wrong."

Mars, who had been carrying the Holy Avenger on his shoulders, looked around with great vigilance. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I just feel a little…" Her arm rubbed uneasily around her waist, "nervous."

"..." The Lucky Priest's intuition was naturally quite trustworthy. Emilia did not raise any questions, but immediately began to prepare for battle, while closely watching Haverfont's movements.

Haverfont still sat quietly in the cell, the anti-magic field emitted by the handcuffs still binding her tightly.

The next second, Emiya's vision began to shake. The deafening roar of the earth instantly rushed into his ears from all directions, shaking him dizzy.

There was an earthquake? There was an earthquake!?

He had lived in Faerun for too short a time to have any similar experience, so he subconsciously asked, "Mars? Is the Sword Coast actually located in an earthquake zone?"

However, the cause of the earthquake is not the most important thing to pay attention to at the moment.

【Silver, force field wall! 】

But what he has to do now is something else.

He pointed at Haverfont through the cell door. As Haverfont looked surprised, a transparent force field wall immediately hid the bound Shadow Spirit beneath it.

At the same moment the force field wall released, rocks and soil fell headfirst. Gravity, bound by the mortar for millennia, finally broke free and bared its ferocious fangs at the crowd.

This place is collapsing.

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