Equipment Printing School Mage
Page 465
"That means it's best to set off today." The captain nodded. "What about the reward? Can we decide it?"
Bruno's eyes widened. "If you're asking for too much, I'll pay you back. All we want is a vague tip, just to confirm whether they're preparing for war. It's not a difficult task."
The captain was speechless and said, "Okay, okay, we heard that the dwarven craftsmen are world-famous..."
Bruenor stroked his beard with satisfaction. "If you want the dwarves to make equipment for you..."
However, the captain hadn't finished yet: "So we don't dare to ask for dwarven equipment."
"...?" Bruno blinked, completely unresponsive. "...What did you say?!"
The captain coughed lightly. "Can we just take the metal ingots? How about a kilogram of mithril?"
"Just Mithril Ingots?!"
Mithril ingots are, of course, cheaper than mithril armor. The problem was, Bruno suddenly had a very ominous suspicion: "...processing mithril ingots requires very advanced skills. Such craftsmen are not easy to find everywhere."
They only want mithril ingots. Could it be that they have found craftsmen in advance and stayed in the Mithril Hall just to find an opportunity to get mithril ingots?
"A kilogram of mithril ingot, if you add the craftsman's fees..." the captain sighed, "isn't that only enough to make two dagger blades? Not to mention that mithril isn't actually suitable for sword blades. We don't need simple crafts."
"Tsk." Bruno sat on the throne and knocked on the armrest in annoyance.
While this mission wasn't particularly difficult, it was extremely urgent. Bruno was willing to pay 1000 gold coins for it, a sum that was certainly a bit high for an adventurer.
"Very well, one kilogram of mithril ingot, then," Bruenor said. "Ranger Drizzt Do'Urden will accompany you."
"no problem."
What surprised Bruenor the most was that the adventurers immediately stood up and said to the most famous ranger in the North, "We can leave now! Mr. Drizzt, how long will it take you to prepare?"
Bruno was silent for a moment, then snorted. "—I'm afraid you're more than just adventurers, right? I'll increase your reward to three kilograms of mithril ingots, as long as you're willing to tell me any other secrets you have. I mean, why would adventurers come to the Spine of the World in winter?"
This place is almost at the Arctic Circle and is definitely not a place suitable for visiting in winter.
The adventurers looked at each other and said awkwardly, "We do have other commissions."
"We were commissioned by the Church of Elturgad Tire. They received word that the remnants of Talos, the Church of the Storm, seemed to have joined forces with the orcs. We were commissioned to confirm this... We believe these two missions do not conflict."
However, the most explosive part of this news is their mission objective itself.
"That's ridiculous!" Not to mention Bruenor, even Drizzt Do'Urden jumped up. "The Church of Taros? Orcs? How did these two groups merge?!"
Although both sides are extremely aggressive groups, it does not mean that they will work together... However, this scene actually happened!
It could be said that the Church of Talos was the most adept at attacking and destroying enemies among the evil churches, while the Orcs were also heavy tanks on the front lines.
Fixed strongholds like Mithril Hall happen to be the favorite targets of these two groups!
"One last question." Bruenor raised a finger. "What do you want the mithril for? Just answer this question: four kilograms of mithril."
"...arrange the craftsmen yourself."
"I'm asking why you're going far away instead of near!"
"...Right now, many wizards in Halruaa are experimenting with making magical items out of metal. Because it's still in the experimental stage, they don't charge any labor fees at all, and they even pay them..."
Bruno was silent.
He took off his helmet and placed it on the throne, then silently walked into the side hall next to the reception room and closed the door heavily.
Then, the dwarf king's furious roar came from behind the gate:
"Fuck! What's wrong with this world? Why are all the mages becoming blacksmiths?"
Ninety-one Storms and Orcs
The adventurer group and Drizzt set off. With the fate of Mithril Hall and even the North at stake, it was truly urgent. They barely delayed.
However, when Drizzt was surprised to find that this group of adventurers had been teleported directly to the Kingdom of Arrows, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "--Ordinary adventurers don't need to wander around the Kingdom of Arrows."
Remote teleportation is a risky spell. The fact that they dare to teleport directly like this means that they have been here before.
Orcs have never been known for their wealth, let alone this country in the far north of Faerun. The main product here is probably cave mushrooms.
Adventurers would be interested in such a place, they must have received a commission from a third party... or perhaps, the Mithril Hall is the third party.
The captain chuckled and said, "The two tasks don't conflict."
"Stop laughing." The team's mage wiped the snow from his face. "I haven't been here for a few days. Why is the weather getting worse?"
Drizzt raised his head.
The sky now looked like the muscular gray back of an orc, with clouds rolling and howling, and a blizzard was obviously coming.
Like a sharp blade, the north wind swept through the area, carrying the snow from the Spine of the World. If their team hadn't brought enough cold-weather gear, they would probably be unable to move by now.
The Phantom Horse had become one of the most reliable mounts at this moment. A magical mount that could traverse the swamps with ease was naturally not afraid of the wind and snow.
"Who could possibly guess the temper of the Winter Maiden?" the captain laughed. "Perhaps she felt the Northern Lights weren't beautiful enough today, so she created a blizzard to prevent them from obstructing her eyes."
"The problem is visibility," the mage muttered. "How are we supposed to scout with this blizzard going on?"
"My opinion is exactly the opposite," Drizzt said. "Unlike other orc tribes, the Many Arrows Nation has already achieved a certain degree of urbanization. As long as we find the location of the capital and confirm that the orcs are still active on a large scale in this harsh winter, that will be enough."
If they want to have a peaceful winter, they should stay in their houses and pray that the winter will pass quickly.
At this moment, the silent wanderer in the team suddenly said, "Do the orcs of the Arrow Country believe in the Winter Maiden?"
The Winter Maiden is one of the titles of Auril, the winter goddess of the Fury Pantheon.
The mage shook his head with unusual decisiveness. "Although strictly speaking, the humans of Faerun don't have their own pantheon, the more common gods are essentially human gods: humans occupy the absolute majority of faith, while other humanoid races have their own pantheons. So, to exaggerate a bit, the pantheon of rage is considered a human pantheon. Orcs naturally don't believe in it."
"So, they don't believe in Tymora either?" asked the Wanderer.
"Alright, stop gossiping." The captain jumped onto his horse and threw on his large black and white cloak. "We're running out of time."
As he spoke, he took off the holy emblem of Tyr from his neck and began to pray aloud.
The captain was actually a senior priest of the Tyr Church. This team's background was even more intriguing.
After a series of prayer bombardments, the captain pointed straight to the northwest: "My Lord has given guidance. The City of Arrows is in that direction. The spell will only last for a few hours. Pray that we can arrive in time."
And this journey was a little more troublesome than they had imagined.
They had indeed been a bit overly worried before—the orc shamans, or priests, were high-ranking officials in the kingdom. With the weather being so unsuitable for outdoor activities, they definitely wouldn't be able to encounter any orc shamans.
As they set off, the captain couldn't help but imagine what would happen next. "It would be great if we could encounter a large patrol... The leader of such a patrol is likely an elite soldier, and would likely know whether the kingdom is preparing for war. Then we could return early."
However, the team soon stopped laughing.
They discovered that this was the first time the shortcut the captain pointed out was so outrageous.
The wizard rolled his eyes, covered his mouth to protect it from the biting wind, and shouted angrily, "How many hills have we climbed? If it weren't for the Phantom Pony, we'd probably be dead from exhaustion by now! Pointing at the top of the mountain and telling us to charge, then immediately descending after reaching it, and then climbing again after descending. Is this what you call a shortcut?!"
Even though the Phantom Pony saved them a lot of energy, the ups and downs along the way made the weakest mage want to vomit.
Two hours had passed since their illegal incursion, and at the Phantom Pony's speed, they should have penetrated over a hundred kilometers into the territory. The blizzard had already begun, but the Phantom Pony was still able to advance at full speed despite the wind and snow—though the riders were already dizzy.
The reason mortals can survive the harsh winter is because they know how to avoid the storm, rather than racing against the blizzard in the winter like this unfortunate team.
The captain's face was humiliated. "...How about we take a break? The search for a shortcut has ended. I think we still have time for a break. After all, judging by our current progress, we can probably turn the Kingdom of Arrows upside down in a few days."
"Stop!" The usually quiet Wanderer said mysteriously at this moment, "Fate is unpredictable, and the Smiling Lady never grants smooth sailing."
"Alright, alright." The captain always showed great respect for other people's beliefs. "Anyway, let's rest for a few hours before continuing. Advancing in a blizzard is indeed exhausting, and we run the risk of being caught in a skirmish at any moment. However, we need to find a safer place to rest."
"We might as well stay here." The team's mage coughed as he struggled to pull out a scroll from his belt. "There's no safe place on the Spine of the World. There might be dozens of orcs living in the caves we use to shelter from the wind and snow. We'd better rest in the wilderness. Can you reimburse me for this scroll for the mage's hut?"
"This thing is worth a thousand gold coins!" The captain's eyes widened. "Do we really have to use it now?!"
"Alright alright."
After a brief pull, the transparent and invisible magic force field outlined a semicircular space of about 30 square meters on the top of the hill.
For this small group, the space wasn't quite enough, but it wasn't cramped either. It was enough for them to sit down and rest for a while. With a foothold, the mage could cast a few more spells, and they could even take a nap in the hut.
The storm was instantly driven out of the cabin, and the temperature rose to over 20 degrees Celsius at a visible speed. From the outside, the force field was just a semicircular block of color.
Such an inconspicuous block of color cannot even be directly broken through by attack.
Leomon's hut and the magic rope spell ensure the safety of long and short rests respectively, and can be said to be essential spells for home and travel.
However, the wizard was still not satisfied: "...I wonder if I can exchange for a new airship in Halrua after completing this mission."
This sentence immediately caught Drizzt's attention: "Those extremely fast flying airships in Halruaa? You actually have a chance to buy them?"
"Probably not." The mage sighed. "I heard that His Majesty Emya intended to open it directly to the public, but the Elders Council unanimously blocked it. Now, if I work hard for Halrua, I might just get a chance to enter the auction house through the lottery."
The captain smiled and said, "When Tethyr joins the Triangle Alliance, perhaps we will have a chance."
The mage said bitterly, "I never imagined that one day Tethyr would discuss joining the Triangle Alliance with Calimshan... The world changes so fast."
Once, Tethyr and Calimshan were sworn enemies. Tethyr's knights and priests fought tirelessly against the slave traders of the south, their rivers and deserts drenched in the blood of both sides.
As a result, during the Arcane Blight, the chaotic Calimshan was unexpectedly seized upon by the Church of Ilmater, the God of Suffering. Overnight, the two once sworn enemies became natural allies—the God of Justice and the God of Suffering were like brothers.
As a result, these two kingdoms had a very good relationship with Elturgard. After a series of relationship changes, Tethyr and Calimshan had unexpectedly left the Triangle Alliance.
Drizzt, on the other hand, listened with rapt interest. His activities had mostly been confined to the North. He didn't have a deep understanding of the southwestern region of Faerûn, let alone its internal political dynamics.
However, the conversation did not last long. The fatigue brought by crossing the storm soon took away everyone's consciousness and made them fall into a light sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, the storm gradually died down. The sound of a heavy object rolling and crashing through the snow grew louder and louder.
The wanderer opened her eyes blearily and was the first to be awakened by the strange noise. Then she saw a huge body tumbling up from the snow slope.
Perhaps it was fate that caused the heavy corpse to crash onto the roof of their hut. The frozen corpse collided with the magical force field, making a dull, tooth-grinding sound.
It was the remains of an orc with its head chopped off and its clothes and armor stripped off.
Because of the impact, the right hand that had been frozen in the cold winter fell off and hit the outer wall of the force field, almost hitting the Wanderer's face.
"What the hell!!!"
Fortunately, the cabin was also soundproofed, and the wanderer's screams only woke up her teammates.
Drizzt, the ranger with the most experience battling orcs in the group, immediately recognized the problem with the corpse: "...Guys, I don't know if this is a good thing...but this orc was beheaded by one of his own. The wound on the neck is extremely irregular, consistent with the orcs' inferior weaponry. As for the time of death, it's difficult to determine accurately in this winter, but it should have happened within the past month or two."
"Besides..." Trist turned the muscular and strong body over, revealing the strange scar on the chest.
It doesn't look like an old wound, but more like a strange relief-like scar.
"This orc is an Eye of Gruumsh. In short, a favored believer who often holds a high position in the army." Drizzt frowned at this. "—This orc was killed and beheaded by his own kind, and his body was left in the wilderness? That's a bit hard to imagine."
Could it be that the orcs are fighting among themselves?
-----------------
"Your Majesty, Emya, the people who are going to investigate the Kingdom of Many Arrows have officially set out." The Keeper of Balance of Tethyr, who holds the same highest rank as Bolias, said in the crystal ball, "Considering the recent rumors of orc attacks, I think if the news from Askatra is true, they should report back soon."
"This news is completely baffling, yet also worrying." Emiya pressed her brow. "I heard that it's the Shadow Druids who like to provide support to these wild races, so why is it connected to the Fury Pantheon?"
"We have no idea," the Keeper of Balance replied. "All we can say is, based on their past efficiency, this isn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather something they've been planning for a long time."
The orcs' combat effectiveness was far superior to that of ordinary goblin tribes. If the goblin tribes were merely bandits, the orc tribes, and even the sole orc kingdom of Many Arrows, were truly viable armies.
Even if there were only orcs, it wouldn't be a problem. The problem was that orcs could obviously fill in the enemy's most lacking low-level combat power.
"The devil has more cards up his sleeve than I expected. All kinds of bad news are growing out of the ground." Emilia said in pain, "So you can't send more reinforcements?"
"We will not recall those who have already left for Elturgard. But for those who have not yet departed... I apologize."
Emiya shook her head. "That's fine. If the orcs join the fight, the battlefield won't just be around Elturgard."
Most of Faerun's orcs lived in caves within the mountains, leaving only to raid or wage war. Right now, the orcs in Faerun were just high-ranking bandits, which shouldn't have been a big problem—but with the world preparing for war and supplies flowing everywhere, it would be truly disgusting if these bandits came out to take advantage.
As soon as this communication ended, new news came in.
Emiya activated a crystal ball again: "This is Emiya from Lunya, what's going on?"
The label in front of the crystal ball reads the name of Baldur's Gate.
"Emmya, there's bad news from Baldur's Gate." Grand Duke Imoen, who emerged from the crystal ball, spoke directly and quickly, clearly very busy. "We've received five reports of shipwrecks in one day. The sea conditions in the Sword Sea have been alarmingly poor lately. How is the recent cooperation agreement between Halrua and the Church of Gond progressing?"
"The public knowledge agreement is nearly complete. However, the new airship technology requires the scarce element amber, and both sides are still wrangling. Due to my special status, I can't directly intervene in the negotiations. However, if sea transportation is a problem, the old airships won't be a problem. If Baldur's Gate is truly short of shipping capacity, Halruaa's obsolete airboards can be loaned to Baldur's Gate. Ordinary sea vessels equipped with airboards will also need to transport some supplies."
"Thank you very much. If we find out more information about the Umberlee Church, we will inform you immediately."
Another communication ended, and Emiya frowned.
After suffering severe damage, the Rage Pantheon, instead of recuperating, intensified its attacks... This was within the realm of possibility. This evil church must maintain its presence, otherwise it risks collapse and disappearing without a trace.
However, he couldn't understand why the Fury Pantheon would be associated with the Orc Pantheon at this time. Orcs were not known for their friendliness.
Hopefully, the investigation in the North will bring back some clues.
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