Equipment Printing School Mage

In fact, the entire holy land seemed a little quiet... probably because all the animals that could still make sounds had been defeated by the roar of metal rubbing against sandstone.

Fenwei sighed and reached out to support Emilia: "Isn't this natural? The sun is setting now."

"The sun...is setting?!"

He started working around morning, and now it's already afternoon!

At least five or six hours had passed.

He had long known that enchantment was an extremely time-consuming and laborious task.

As far as he knew, if the most traditional enchanting process was used, even the simplest enchantment, such as adding light to an item, would inevitably take a day.

He had never properly crafted a magic item before. This was his first attempt.

Emilia raised the broad blade of the Confessor, its special material making it seem incredibly light. If it weren't for the fact that its center of gravity was tilted forward for some reason, it would have been a short sword for self-defense.

At this moment, the giant sword no longer emitted a dazzling glow like a blazing fire as before, but a kind of elegant moon-white light was floating on the surface of the sword.

Apparently, he succeeded.

But the time it took was still far beyond his expectations.

He originally thought that using the magic of the universe could greatly reduce the working time, and the results showed that it was indeed the case - according to the enchantment knowledge bestowed by the Moon Goddess, enchanting with Moonfire should have been a rather formal ceremony.

For a priest like Eswhite who is not particularly good at divine magic, it may take nearly a month of non-stop effort to create a Moonfire item.

Emiya accomplished the same goal in less than a day's work.

But Emilia couldn't help but think a little greedily: It seems that condensing it into one hour is still too difficult.

If it was just fine-tuning on a macro level, it wouldn't take so much time. But once he activated his [structural sense], he couldn't help but strive for perfection, making minute adjustments down to the particle level.

——The result is that the enchantment may be perfect, but it takes much longer than expected.

If he had known the enchantment would take so long, he would have definitely changed to a more comfortable position. But after his attention was completely focused on it, he had long forgotten the passage of time.

Emiya pursed her lips, insisted on changing to a normal sitting position, and then said: "Miss Fenwei, you have been running back and forth, it's hard."

"Stop doing this!"

However, Fenwei didn't seem to appreciate it at all. She pointed outside the tree house in annoyance and said, "What did you two plan while I was gone? I just came back, and all the plants and animals are complaining to me in unison!"

"Oh, about this." Emiya's expression remained unchanged despite being caught with her evil intentions. "We believe that since your competitors have already begun to try indirect harassment, we must not sit idly by and wait for death."

"If you always let your opponent make the first move, you'll always be on the defensive and restless. It's better to proactively force your opponent to the negotiation table."

"Then you can't do such a cruel thing in the Holy Land!" Fenwei shouted, "Do you know how long that guy Mars spent grinding the iron? A full three hours!"

"During these three hours, I thought countless times that after this break, he would give up! But in the end, within a few minutes, he started again!"

"And I don't know what you and he are planning, so I don't dare to stop him! What if the other druids misunderstand this?"

"But my patience is reaching its limit! If he doesn't stop, my Hollyoak will go crazy!"

Just as Fenwei was crying, Emiya suddenly frowned: "So, why did Mars stop?"

At this moment, Mars strode into the tree house with a grinding wheel in hand, saying as he walked, "The first reason is, of course, that my head is buzzing from the shock, and I have to rest for a while..."

"And secondly, he offered me a deal."

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

Inside the tree house, Moonsong was repeating what he had said several times: "In the coming period, both sides must completely cease any direct or indirect, disruptive confrontational activities."

"Our [competition] will now revolve solely around cultivating the sacred tree itself. Any actions that interfere with the druids and their secular allies are forbidden."

"That was indeed my initial suggestion, but to my surprise, the soldier said something completely unexpected at this moment."

"He offered me a deal, and I agreed."

The druid named Nkuba rubbed his bloodshot eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Brother Moonsong, you must have paid a heavy price to get Fenwe's allies to sign an agreement with you. That warrior seems to have a bad temper."

"Hmm?" At this moment, a hint of confusion appeared on Moonsong's face. "Did I not explain clearly? At first, I did want to surrender to him. But to my surprise, it was the warrior named Mars who first proposed the deal."

"I repeat, quite the opposite - it wasn't me who made the agreement with him, it was he who made the agreement with me."

"Besides, to be more precise, I only reached an agreement with Fenwe's allies. But it was not an agreement with Fenwe."

Nkuba's eyes narrowed dangerously. "...Stop being so evasive. What exactly did you discuss? Why would you visit every druid?"

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

Although it was Mars who spoke first, he hesitated when the words came to his lips.

He put the grinding wheel aside, walked a few steps inside the tree house, glanced at Emiya, and finally said to Fenwei, "Miss Druid, is this tree house safe? Can it guarantee privacy?"

Fenwei was a little confused, but nodded immediately. "I can guarantee it. This tree house belongs exclusively to my forest. Even other druids can't eavesdrop on the conversations inside the tree house. And I can also ensure that other animals cannot enter my tree house without permission."

This is the so-called druid's territory.

"Okay then." Mars took a deep breath. "Excuse me, do druids have any very special plants?"

"...Ah?" Fenwei blinked and said unhappily, "That's too broad a question. When the sacred forest matures, every fruit of the sacred tree will have the power of the Godberry: it can heal wounds, and one fruit can fill the stomach of a dragon. Isn't that special enough? When the sacred forest reaches perfection, the fruits of the sacred tree will gain even more power - prolong life, enhance strength, and make people fall in love like a love potion -"

"What we druids usually do is cultivate various plants. What are special plants?"

Emilia raised her head alertly at this moment, but hesitated for a moment and still did not speak.

Mars finally revealed his true intention at this moment: "A black plant that can be used as a weaving material. Theoretically, this fabric will have a protective power comparable to real metal armor."

Fenwei didn't react immediately and said casually, "That's too difficult. Plant fibers are much lighter and tougher than metal, but if you want to be resistant to slashing and puncture, as far as I know, the only way is..."

Halfway through her words, her lips suddenly froze in mid-air.

Fenwei's expression changed completely. "How did you know about the Bloodthirsty Black Vine?! That's a taboo that only Shadow Druids can use!"

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

"What Mr. Mars told me is very simple," Moonson said calmly. "When they were working with Miss Fenwei, they discovered a strange plant. And Fenwei was vague about it."

"They became suspicious, so they took advantage of the commotion to consult me ​​secretly."

"I suspect it's the blood-drinking black vine."

Moonsong had only said half of his words when Nkuba suddenly lifted him into the air.

Nkuba said coldly, "So, you tried to accuse your sisters of the same circle, using hearsay evidence, that Fenwe is a shadow druid—you didn't even dare to say it to their faces, but only dared to communicate in the shadows."

"If you ask me, you look like a shadow druid."

"Ha!" Although Moonsong was lifted into the air, he didn't show any panic. Instead, he laughed out loud, "Then you should be thankful."

"If Fenwë is a shadow druid, then the shadows are merely spreading among the fallen leaves. If I am a shadow druid, then the wave of shadows has already spread across the entire Sharptooth Forest."

It is an open fact that Moonsong is a follower of Khar.

Moonsong slapped Nkuba's hand away, fell back to the ground, and said calmly, "Of course, things haven't come to this. The warrior and the mage are outsiders after all. It's entirely possible that they just made a mistake and it was a false alarm on our part. Then everyone will be happy."

Nkuba snorted coldly: "The seeds have been planted. Well, where is the evidence?"

Moonsong shook his head: "I have set a time with the warrior named Mars."

"Tomorrow night, at the top of the Holy Oak. If they find evidence, they'll wrap it around the top of the tree."

"Of course, if there's nothing there, or if it's not the Blood-Drinking Black Vine, then it's all a complete misunderstanding."

Having said that, Moonsong paused.

The next second, a voice as cold as the north wind rang out: "If evidence emerges, I will call for an immediate meeting, expel Fenwë from the Circle, and hunt him down relentlessly—this is how we've dealt with Shadow Druids for thousands of years, right?"

"Yes," N'kuba replied dryly. "If Finwe is expelled from the Circle and disqualified from the competition, then Master Korhal can simply assume the title of Chief Druid—the rest of us have no chance of winning."

"Ah, this matter." Moonsong smiled, as if he had just thought of this. "That's indeed the case."

"So there really are Shadow Druids... No, I was too naive!"

Fenwei had rarely shown signs of panic since they met, but this time the color had indeed drained from her face.

Her hands were folded awkwardly, rubbing each other constantly. Even the antler crown on her head seemed to wilt. "I thought this was just another case of excessive internal competition... This is not without precedent."

Emiya frowned. "The tree spirits were killed in that way, and this can still be considered an internal competition? I thought you confirmed the existence of Shadow Druids from the beginning."

"Of course, this possibility can't be ruled out, but it's not very likely!" Fenwei's face paled. "I've been thinking, maybe it's just a druid, like Narcissus, who was blinded by greed. He used some method to contact a hidden killer in the outside world..."

At this point, she was still unwilling to accept it and shouted, "Perhaps it's a misunderstanding... Druid breeding is not stagnant. Perhaps Archdruid K'ha left Cloak Forest because he bred a new species and was ostracized..."

Emiya sat on the ground for a while, finally able to stand up. He let out a long sigh, "You seem particularly unwilling to accept this possibility."

"Of course I don't want to accept it!" Fenwei's face flushed slightly. "Do you know what Shadow Druids mean? To outsiders, Shadow Druids are just a threat that exists in legends!"

Fenwë paced back and forth in the treehouse, his voice rising. "But for the druids, there are actually shadow druids in the same woodland! This means that the once safe woodland has become a paradise for assassination. This means that the brothers and sisters who greet you with smiles on their faces on weekdays are hiding scimitars behind their backs, ready to take your head in the night!"

Fenwei said irritably, "Fighting is forbidden within the Holy Land... But if it weren't for cultivating the Holy Tree, we wouldn't stay in the Holy Land most of the time. Even this tree house isn't technically within the Holy Land! Now we're in danger!"

"Ahhh, I slept so soundly during this time!" Fenwei unconsciously rubbed his neck, as if it had been cut by a scimitar and had bloody marks. "If there really is a Shadow Druid, then my previous arrangements will not be enough! In fact, we can no longer live in the forest!"

Seeing Fenwë's visibly agitated mood, Emiya was silent for a moment and said, "I don't know enough about Shadow Druids—you are clearly afraid of them, but you are not fully prepared for them."

"That's because Shadow Druids are just anecdotes to me!" Fenwë shouted. "Do you know when the last Shadow Druid activity was? It was a full hundred years ago! In the year 1371 of the Vale calendar, the most powerful Son of Bhaal annihilated the Shadow Druids in Amn with overwhelming force! This year is already 1471! For a full hundred years, there hasn't been any sign of Shadow Druid activity!"

"Now you tell me they've suddenly resurrected! And they're right here in my circle, ready to devour anyone at any moment! How can I stay calm?"

At this moment, Mars suddenly said, "In fact, the Sons of Bhaal have been enemies with the Shadow Druids twice. During one of these times, the Shadow Druids happened to be born in the Cloak Forest. They are of the same origin as the Archdruid of Korhal."

"Oh, you remember it very clearly. Yes, the Son of Bhaal is also a paladin of Mystra. It is natural that he is the object of your worship." Fenwe breathed a sigh of relief, and then she suddenly shuddered.

"...Wait a minute, why did you say that, Keha?" Her voice trembled slightly. "...Wait, let me think about it."

She sat down facing the wall, her head in her hands, deep in thought. "The Bloodthirsty Black Vine is a secret of the Shadow Druids, and it's impossible to reveal it to outsiders. He told you this... perhaps to frame me. That's not hard to understand."

She murmured softly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's only been a few days since we met. Even if we had an alliance, it wouldn't be solid. It's entirely possible that you didn't tell me about this secret agreement that's almost like betrayal."

"No, even if you trust me, what's the point of telling me this? The Bloodthirsty Black Vine is an open secret among the druids. We all know of its existence. Maybe... maybe this is just another trick to play with people's hearts?"

As if finally finding a reason to convince himself, Fenwei let out a sigh of relief. "In any case, accusing the Shadow Druid and expelling him from the forest are two completely different matters. And using the Bloodthirsty Black Vine to frame me? The risk is too great. If anything unexpected happens, wouldn't he be completely exposed?"

"The only reasonable explanation is that he doesn't have the Black Vine at all. This was just a feint."

While Fenwei was still muttering to himself, trying to convince himself with various reasons, Emiya and Mars' eyes had already intertwined.

Emiya used magic to ask: [Should I tell her?]

Mars replied: [It seems there is no turning back.]

Now is the time—

Finwe had already known that Mars was a paladin. And paladins were absolutely forbidden to lie - although Mars often spoke ambiguously, once he made a conclusion to others, he had to take responsibility for it.

Any subjective lie will make him break his oath directly.

Emiya untied the Dimension Hole from her waist and said, "If you think that Shadow Druids haven't become active yet and really pin your hopes on this, then I'm sorry."

Fenwei's mumbling stopped abruptly.

The wizard methodically unfolded the jet-black silk and spread it on the wall of the tree house, revealing the vast other-dimensional space within.

He walked into the dimensional cave and dug out the crucial loot he had acquired from the Friendly Arms. "Actually, Mars accidentally found some special loot from a scouting team of a hobgoblin tribe a few days ago."

"Its most unique feature is that it's a piece of armor woven from plants. It's just that we're too ignorant to identify the plant itself."

Fenwei stood up slowly, with shock in his eyes: "You don't mean to say-"

Emiya took out the black chain mail with an expressionless face and shook it gently.

The fibrous rings on it collided with each other, but only made a low popping sound, as if it were just the blades rubbing against each other.

"So, Miss Fenwei, I'd like to ask, is this armor made of blood-drinking black vines?"

"—!"

Finwe immediately snatched the armor from Emilia's hands and spread it on the ground.

She unfolded it completely as if denying reality, lighting up the tree house with magic, fearing to miss any detail that could be used to deny it.

She ran her hands over the fibers that made up the armor, feeling its texture, and twitched her nose slightly to confirm the scent it emitted.

"...the smell of blood... one is very light and the other is very strong."

"A very faint smell of blood, from the past few days, probably the arterial blood of the armor's previous owner... There's also a creepy, grassy smell mixed in..."

As she spoke, she fell silent.

She closed her eyes and stood up. When she opened her mouth again, all her hesitation was gone.

"You are right. I can confirm that this is the Black Vine."

This time, it was Emiya who was surprised. "I thought it would take a little longer to confirm. Shouldn't this plant be classified?"