Equipment Printing School Mage

"...Flipping fire, what is that?"

Sig's words became increasingly mercenary. "It means an accident. Hey, this is Baldur's Gate. If you just pee on the street, you might step on someone who lives by the sea. Talking about capsizing is taboo here."

At this point, Sig's voice became increasingly fierce, but with her face, which looked almost human, the murderous aura was unconvincing. "Why are you talking so much? I'm just helping to lead the way! Sheng Hui, the fare to the old witch's house is two gold coins per person."

The so-called old witch is naturally Mr. Son of Bhaal’s friend in Baldur’s Gate.

The old paladin didn't say much about the person's identity, but he still endorsed her: she is absolutely trustworthy, and unconditionally trustworthy.

However, for most things, he chose to keep his mouth shut with a strange look on his face, claiming that they would find out slowly when they arrived.

As a result, until now, they still don't know who they are going to meet.

However, the title of old witch is extremely disrespectful—but considering that Mr. Apodel Adrian is already 124 years old this year, having lived almost twice the lifespan of a human and yet his hair is only gray...

It was only natural that anyone who could be his equal friend would be closer to a hundred years old. Perhaps the title of "old witch," despite its derogatory connotations, was surprisingly accurate.

Mars raised his eyebrows: "This price is very expensive for a distance of more than ten kilometers."

"Don't try to play that trick on me. Do you know how much risk I take by acting as a guide for the Harpers? The Harpers' enemies are far more dangerous than even the Grand Duke of Valakan! This is all about risking my life for money!"

Emiya was concerned about something else entirely: "Are you going to share this travel expense with your...superior?"

"Shall we share it? How shameless must she be to snatch this little living allowance from me? That old woman isn't very shameless, but she's not completely shameless!" Sig shouted. "The problem is, I don't dare spend the money even if I have it! I'm throwing a lavish party for no reason, turning this place into a palace. Even an idiot would know there's something wrong with me! This is a sacrifice!"

"If you have no place to spend money..." Emilia almost subconsciously scanned the shabby bungalow where there was no place to hide, "Then what do you need money for?"

"That's none of your business—can't I just slowly open it one gold coin at a time?" Sig bluntly stretched out two fingers and rubbed them together: "Anyway—give me the money!"

"Okay, six gold coins."

"Wow, you're actually much more open-minded than I thought." Sig accepted the six gold coins with a look of surprise. Then, he was surprised to see Emilia walking towards the instrument embryo in the corner. "What are you doing?"

Emilia replied, "As I said, I'm interested in the secrets of the performance. The money... I guess I've already paid."

"I take it back. You're really taking advantage of others." Sig's face darkened. "Take one. It's up to you."

Yin had no interest in the instruments at this time. Instead, he hugged Sig's shoulders excitedly, his eyes roaming all over Sig, not missing a single corner.

Yin was not tall, only about 1.5 meters, and Xige was even a head shorter than her. He immediately fell completely into Yin's hands.

This unexpected turn of events was completely unexpected for the musician. For the first time, panic crossed her face. "What the hell?! Molestation?! I'm going to scream! I'm going to scream! The Flame Fist isn't far away. I'm telling you, when I scream, everyone in Upper Town will hear me, not just Feilongyan!"

Mars sighed, stretched out his hand and dragged Yin back to where he was: "-What are you doing!"

Sig's clothes were already ill-fitting and full of wrinkles, and after this incident, they became a complete mess.

In short, if Flame Fist rushed in at this time, the three of them would probably be imprisoned in Feilongyan.

"It's bad luck for me to do business with you three!"

Sig ran away from Yin and quickly picked up a stone from under her own bed. If you didn't look carefully, you couldn't tell that the patterns on it were actually magic runes.

The musician shouted at the stone: "Help! There are perverts among the people who came this time! Take them away quickly!"

After a while, a light suddenly shone from beneath some inconspicuous dirt and rocks in the corner of the room. A magical circle emitting strange colors appeared there.

Sig held the stone and pointed at the magic circle. "The teleportation array is lit! Hurry and get in. I don't want to see you again, and don't come looking for me! And you over there, put down that instrument embryo in your hand. I won't sell it to you!"

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

In short, this meeting was full of unexpected problems.

The Teleportation Array is a spell that allows the user to teleport to the top of a permanent teleportation array. As far as Emiya has learned, this spell should not be able to be activated from a distance, and the teleportation is not bidirectional when activated - but arcane magic is ever-changing.

When the light faded, they seemed to have suddenly arrived from the poorest slums to the richest palace.

They just appeared in a small room, and the touch from their feet told them that they were standing on very luxurious wooden floors.

In this small room, apart from the magic circle on the ground, the only light provided by the eternal torches on the wall was light. However, Emilia had anticipated this.

Mars couldn't help but bend down, gently touched it, and sighed, "...sandalwood. Even the floor is made of this most precious wood. I'm afraid that just one piece of wood is worth more than all of Miss Sigg's belongings."

Harpers will not easily reveal their identities, unless they are truly famous and have done something earth-shattering and well-known as a Harper. Otherwise, in theory, Harpers should act as secretly as possible.

Therefore, the magic circle belonging to the Harpist is also hidden in the secret room.

To leave this room, you just need to say the activation words.

Emiya took a breath and said the secret code in standard Common Language: "Candlekeep."

The secret door suddenly opened.

In front of them was another secret room.

They had seen this room before. In Friendly Arms, the shopkeeper's secret room was exactly the same—except that the financial resources of the two parties were clearly vastly different.

A woman sat elegantly at a small table, her silk-gloved hands placed on either side of the book in front of her. She looked at them with a smile, "For businessmen, making a good first impression is crucial. If you dress like a beggar, you won't even be able to leave the house. A harpist shouldn't advertise their status."

Apparently, she was the high-level harpist they were looking for.

Emiya's pupils shrank slightly.

Sig called her an old witch, but she was clearly beautiful, enough to attract everyone's attention walking on the city streets, only slightly less beautiful than Yin. Her slightly reddish hair was smoothly tied back, and her facial skin was flawless. Even with her well-maintained appearance, she didn't look older than twenty-five.

Their informant was wearing a mage's robe, with purple being the main color of her clothes, and it was obvious that she had a special preference for it.

"Good evening, young men. I thought you'd be kept away by the Flame Fist for a few days. If that were to happen, I wouldn't be able to intervene in such a trivial matter. You were able to handle it yourselves, which is excellent. I can't help but admire you."

She didn't stand up, but raised a hand with a hint of playfulness: "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the only high-ranking harpist in Baldur's Gate. You can call me Lady Adrian."

...?

Madam Adrien...?

This strange name made Emilia stunned for a moment.

Mars raised his head even more; "--Excuse me, may I ask who you and Mr. Apodel Adrian are..."

As soon as he said this, the room suddenly became dark.

The surging magic power surged like the tide at moonrise, roaring back and forth in the room.

Mrs. Adrian, who had been smiling just now, had already stood up, her face full of anger.

The light maintained by magic instantly became cloudy and uncertain in this surging magical storm, making the light and shadow on Mrs. Adrian's face extremely mottled.

The only sound that rang out next was Mrs. Adrian's angry voice: "—Do you know how many times you've asked me this?"

For the first time, regret appeared in Mars' voice: "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to risk..."

Mrs. Adrian immediately interrupted him: "One after another, one after another! There's more than one person named Adrian in Phelan!"

"I swore long ago that if anyone asked me that question again—"

Things had come to this point, and there was really no other way. Although the Paladin had vowed to do so, he couldn't just sit there and wait for death.

Emiya almost immediately reached out and placed her hands on the arms and shoulders of Mars and Yin—preparing to escape. Mars subconsciously reached for his sword. Yin, on the other hand, remained bewildered.

At this moment, the magic storm suddenly stopped.

The sound that had been like a volcano about to erupt suddenly returned to normal—even, to use a less respectful word, weird.

Mrs. Adrian had sat back in her luxurious chair before she knew it, and was obviously quite pleased with her own prank: "I will treat these sweet-mouthed children well."

"Yes, he and I have the kind of relationship you think."

Emilia was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh to the sky.

Can these seniors be more serious?

Five Heroes of Baldur's Gate

"He's married?!"

When these words were spoken, the students of Apodale reacted the most.

Mars exclaimed, "He never told me that!"

Click.

So this time Mrs. Adrian was really angry.

The smile on her face disappeared without a trace, and murderous intent surged from her body: "It doesn't matter if he doesn't mention me. He shouldn't have found another woman, right?"

"He and I haven't seen each other in these ten years!"

Uh...Emiya's head was slightly sweaty.

There was no sign of aging on Mrs. Adrian's body. She couldn't really be only in her twenties or thirties.

However, in theory, Mrs. Adrian and Mars should be closer to mother and son...why are they so tense at this moment?

Mars, always proud and arrogant, never willing to yield, fought back directly as usual: "Of course, the most authoritative answer to this question comes from the teacher himself. He left several days before us, so he should have arrived by now. Where is he, teacher?"

"Ah."

After hearing this, Lady Adrian actually relaxed, smoothed her hair, and replied, "It seems he didn't tell you much more than I thought. You know, Apodel has some status in Baldur's Gate."

Mars replied sullenly, "Of course I know that. The greatest hero besides Balduran."

In fact, considering Bodran's status as the founder, the title of Apodel Adrian is extremely valuable.

"Yes, one of the greatest heroes." Lady Adrian tilted her head, "But that was when he was just starting out, nearly a hundred years ago."

"During this period, over the past hundred years, he traveled all over Faerûn, from Halruaa to Neverwinter, from Waterdeep to Rashemen. But he never returned to Baldur's Gate. The reason is simple."

Lady Adrian didn't engage in any guessing games with them, and simply said, "Because he actually left on his own, he was exiled without guilt—he won't be considered a sinner, but he won't be allowed to return to Baldur's Gate until he completes his goal, or for a hundred years."

Emilia was stunned for a moment: "...What does innocent exile mean?"

Mars snorted coldly. "In short, it's a form of exile. There's no conviction, but the actual result is no different. Then, an unprovable reason is found afterwards. From the current perspective, my teacher has at least retained the reputation of a hero of Baldur's Gate."

"None of the crimes that constitute exile can be forgiven." The young, incumbent paladin immediately issued a verdict. "My teacher is still a paladin, which means this exile was a false accusation from the beginning."

"Yes. Essentially, that's the case," Lady Adrian replied. "Unfortunately, that's not entirely true. He was indeed implicated in a bizarre murder, so he left Baldur's Gate to seek the truth. The Exile's goal at the time was to resurrect the dead, but we soon discovered that the deceased's soul was directly destroyed, making resurrection impossible even for a priest. He didn't want others to take unnecessary risks by using wishes, so even after killing the real murderer, he couldn't return to Baldur's Gate."

Emiya frowned, thinking of the old paladin's current age: "...So, the deadline is almost up?"

Lady Adrian replied, "—for another month. Of course, the one who issued the banishment order died of old age nearly a hundred years ago. However, what's not done is not done. So he still has to wait."

Mars frowned: "...If it were me, I would probably turn around and leave back then, but I wouldn't leave any promises, so that I would have room to maneuver later."

"Are you really a paladin?" Lady Adrian glared at him, then sighed, "Never mind, considering you're in Candlekeep... whatever you say."

This time, Mars's soft spot was really touched. His body shook visibly: "How did you know that?!"

"I told you, I'm Madam Adrian!" She rapped her knuckles on the table. "And our Candlekeep has had priests, mages, and even warriors for nearly two thousand years, but we've only produced two paladins, you and him! A place where nerds gather is no place for paladins! If you really want to keep this a secret, don't reveal your origins again!"

Mars pursed his lips, but still argued: "My teacher said that no matter what he said back then, people would recognize him at a glance!"

"He's a paladin! That precise demeanor, that face that could make an entire city boil, who wouldn't recognize him? The area around Baldur's Gate isn't a normal area for paladins to move around. If we spot a paladin, it's almost certain to be him. Does he even need to say it himself?"

"Then I am also a holy warrior!"

After listening for a while, Emilia said casually, "I don't know if this is a mother-son feud or jealousy..."

"She and I are not mother and son! I have never had a mother since I can remember!" This is what Mars said.

"I'm just jealous of him!" However, it was Lady Adrian who slammed the table and stood up. "Why would he suddenly disappear for almost ten years just for a little kid he'd never met before? He said a kid like that couldn't withstand the aftermath of any battle, and to avoid taking any risks, he wouldn't even see me!"

Emilia couldn't help but say, "I think a Paladin apprentice might really..."

"Because I know he is right, you are still standing here!"

After venting her anger, Lady Adrian let out a sigh and glanced at the three of them. "I'm sorry, you've grown up so quickly. When we were your age, we were still being chased by wolves in the wild. But that's not enough. What do you want from me? Leave Baldur's Gate immediately after you're done. This place could become the center of a vortex at any time, and then you won't be able to leave even if you want to."

Having said that, Mrs. Adrien's eyes swept casually and immediately focused on Yin: "...Is it her?"

Emiya couldn't help but hesitate.

Yin's appearance was so peculiar that if anyone recognized her, they would probably be either her former best friend or her mortal enemy.

But I can only say it.

After hearing about Silver's appearance, Lady Adrian's face showed surprise for the first time: "...Huh? I've only heard of swords with wisdom. I've even seen the Moon Elves' treasure, the Moon Blade, with my own eyes. It's said that the most powerful Moon Blade can summon the phantom of its previous owner, but it's just an illusion."

"But you..." She left her seat for the first time and moved closer to Yin. "Body temperature, heartbeat, magic power... This is completely a living person, and it's not even a Transfiguration! I've never heard of this, it's outrageous."

"As for herself...it's a pity, such a beautiful little girl,"

On the other hand, Yin looked at Madam Adrien for a long time with the same concentration, then shook his head: "I don't know you. I don't have any impression of you at all."

"Neither do I. A little thing as pretty as you, even a water fairy pales in comparison. If I had seen her, I would have remembered her forever." Lady Adrian said unhappily, "She looks... indeed strange. But I can't say much more. If you ask me, you might as well just go straight to that old man in the red robe. If he doesn't recognize her, then you might as well just give up."

That makes sense.