Equipment Printing School Mage

Emiya and his group had already stepped aside and were now holding a secret mental meeting.

Although there was no particularly strong evidence, Emiya still felt that what happened tonight was somewhat... inconsistent.

"It's strange," Mars said simply and bluntly. "In my impression, while the people of Eltoril are indeed impulsive, they're more likely to act rashly against the enemy. They believe sacrificing one's life for justice is an honor, and they don't truly disregard life. Therefore, Eltoril has no record of declaring war. But Rex, as an envoy of Eltoril, speaks so easily of war..."

"Incredible. Perhaps it was just a negotiation tactic, that's why he changed his tune so easily? But Eltoril might indeed be planning a war—I've only been active among the Hell Knights for a short time. This organization, constantly scrambling in every corner of Elturgard, simply doesn't have the energy to get involved in politics. Therefore, I don't particularly understand Eltoril's upper echelons. ... In short, I can't offer a conclusion."

Emiya shook her head. "In that case, we can only pay a little attention and do our own thing—"

Try to find the mastermind behind the murder, try to help Adrian reconcile with the Silver Shield family, try to restore the chaotic Flaming Fist to normal operation.

Then, assuming the Flaming Fist is functioning properly and the Son of Bhaal is freed from his restraints, all conspiracies can be easily shattered.

Regardless, everything worked normally from then on.

Amid the sound of the winch turning, the Flame Fist soldiers on Feilong Rock were lowering the drawbridge - perhaps many people present did not need the drawbridge as a medium to enter Feilong Rock, but lowering the drawbridge itself represented an attitude.

At this moment, Karkoros's reply came slowly from above: "...You should ask the representative of Grand Duke Valakan next to me."

"I see," Rex answered loudly. "Excuse me, what should I address this Excellency? Does Grand Duke Valakan's residence welcome guests from the upper reaches of the Chongsa River?"

Jesus, who had been flustered at first, replied fluently, "House Valakon and the Outer City welcome guests from every corner of Toril, let alone our neighbors on the banks of the Chongsa River. Furthermore, the relationship with Elturgard concerns the entire Outer City. Father will certainly be willing to present the pros and cons to you at the meeting of four. Of course, more specific matters can only be discussed in detail at your house."

"Then I look forward to it."

Rex had just agreed and led the Eltoril people onto the suspension bridge of Feilong Rock, but he suddenly turned his horse around and rushed back to Emiya and his group.

He whispered, "Gentlemen, you've already helped me twice. Allow me to ask you a question: If I wanted to sit in on the four-person meeting, would Grand Duke Valakon be my only choice?"

"...?"

Rex's sudden question was beyond their expectations.

Emiya answered without hesitation, "We have no connection with the Four Dukes. We can only speak of the three current Grand Dukes. The Silver Shield family has been a prominent family in the Upper City for many years. Ms. Violet of the Witchcraft Grocery Store is probably also in the Lower City like her own shop... So, the only one representing the Outer City is Grand Duke Valakon. From a purely geographical point of view, Grand Duke Valakon should be the closest."

"I see. Thank you for your guidance."

It was clearly just a casual remark, mentioning some knowledge that everyone in Baldur's Gate knew, but Rex thanked him solemnly.

Emiya watched Rex's back gradually disappear into the Eltoril cavalry and narrowed her eyes slightly.

[…Want to test him? Should we deliberately reveal a flaw, like telling him where we're staying?]

"I don't think it's going to make any sense," Mars said. "No matter what he does, we won't be able to retaliate... If he really died in Baldur's Gate, or if he was affected in some way, once discovered, it would be a declaration of war against Elturgard."

I don't think he could have done it himself?

"Then, to avoid suspicion, he probably won't take action immediately. We can't just sit in the hotel fully armed all day and not go anywhere."

Now, every second of time was worth more than gold, and they couldn't afford to use it so lavishly to implement such a passive tactic mixed with gambling. So they had no choice but to give up.

While they were thinking, they came to the tunnel in the middle of Feilong Rock that was targeted by countless arrows and javelins. However, the situation was special now. Flame Fist rarely stood on both sides of the tunnel without drawing his weapon - but the gaze hidden in the firelight was still somewhat uncomfortable.

At the exit of the tunnel, the Eltoril people and Grand Duke Valakan's people joined together, and at this moment, the Flame Fist's Flame Agent, Karkoros, was also standing not far outside the tunnel exit, looking down at everyone leaving.

The archmage had no intention of chatting with them - they had not used their current appearance when they met Karkoros.

However, Yin had already warned: "That old man seems to have a permanent True Sight. These crude illusions we have now are completely ineffective against him. If we take a few more steps, he will recognize us."

【That is exactly what I wish for.】

And just as Emiya thought, Karkoros's gaze had just shifted from the departing Eltoril people to them, with an extremely clear look of astonishment on his face.

"Although it wasn't convenient to ask you directly just now, I suspect that the Eltoril people's sudden change of heart is also due to your contribution?"

Emya looked up and answered frankly, "Perhaps. Who knows what goes on in the heads of the Eltoril people?"

Karkoros shook his head, then the acting marshal suppressed his expression and shouted to the Flaming Fist soldiers, "Well, we just successfully avoided a possible war, and now everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. Those who were originally on night shift will continue their duties tonight, and I will grant you an extra day off the day after tomorrow. Also, in three days, you can receive an extra bonus equivalent to half a month's salary as a reward for today. Also, new armor will be distributed soon, so please stay focused and don't slack off!"

"--oh!!!!"

Amid the deafening cheers of the Flame Fist soldiers, Emiya sighed: Sure enough, this simple and crude method is the best way to boost morale.

Amid the rumbling footsteps of the Flaming Fist soldiers who were impatient to get off work, Karkoros quietly gestured to them: Follow me.

Naturally, as the Marshal's deputy, he had offices in both core areas of Flame Fist. He led his group to the fortress section of Feilongyan and then headed straight for his own room.

The furnishings of the room here were identical to those in Wangyang Tower, except that the equipment in every aspect was clearly downgraded. Karkoros waved his staff, closed the door, and then let out a breath, his expression instantly changing.

"—This meeting was indeed quite unexpected. I thought our last farewell had ended on bad terms."

He sighed, "But you did save us. Flame Fist owes you a favor. Only then will I consider kindness a reliable aid."

Emiya glanced outside the door and said, "Speaking of which, isn't the Flame Fist's finances tight? Is it okay to give out bonuses under these circumstances?"

"Ridiculous. Then I might as well declare that the Flame Fist will stop paying salaries immediately, so that the economy won't be so tight." Karkoros sauntered back into his chair. "It's not my money anyway. If I think it's worth it, then I'll approve it. We can discuss other matters with the Council of Four. I'm confident that every payment I approve has a legitimate reason."

He paused, his eyes wandering a little: "At most, the argument was a bit intense."

Emiya was silent for a moment, then asked, "I'm not familiar with the specific procedures of Baldur's Gate, but there are only three left in the Council of Four, and Grand Duke Valakon is clearly your enemy. Can you guarantee the support of the remaining two Grand Dukes?"

"Grand Duke Silver Shield will obviously support the Flaming Fist," Karkoros answered without hesitation. "The Silver Shield family has held the title of Grand Duke longer than the Flaming Fist. There's no reason to harm the Flaming Fist right now; gaining his support is simply a formality. The real challenge lies in gaining the support of Grand Duchess Violet... She's a mage and a businesswoman. If the situation becomes truly dire, she might leave Baldur's Gate. This is the greatest source of instability within the Council of Four right now... Honestly, I'm so worried about this I'm barely able to sleep."

"But..." Karkoros waved his hand at them, "This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to worry about it."

"Okay." Emiya shrugged, deciding to just do their thing first.

He took out Imoen's ring from his arms and showed it to Karkoros. "We just got permission from a senior before coming to Feilongyan..."

When the Marshal's deputy saw the general appearance of the ring, his posture suddenly froze.

He blinked in disbelief, his mouth widening, showing an unprecedented loss of composure.

"Stop!" Karkoros yelled, "What did you just pull out? Am I blinded by my age?!"

Thirty Waterdeep Archmages' Views on Money

...?

Calcorus's reaction was completely unexpected to Emilia.

He thought Karkoros would be more calm: You were indeed sent by her.

However, the old wizard's shoulders collapsed instantly, his slightly furrowed brows relaxed, he let out a long breath, and even slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

The expression on the old wizard's face at this moment was clearly as ecstasy as if he had encountered a caravan from the Church of Justice in the desert.

Lady Imoen's fame must have lingered across Faerûn for a century, a living legend on the Sword Coast today—but Karkoros was no weakling either. A head-on confrontation between the two might still have been uncertain... Even so, Karkoros, in his excitement, began to talk again.

"She actually didn't stand idly by... I should have known she wouldn't stand idly by in the face of a fellow arcane enthusiast! It seems I've been wallowing in the mire of Baldur's Gate for too long, forgetting the fragrance of kindness and mutual assistance, and even harboring suspicions of her in my heart! Even ignoring the information gap caused by time, such behavior is still unforgivable!"

"I should have known earlier that as a businessman, I shouldn't appear too charitable, lest I be seen as weak and vulnerable, which would inevitably hinder me in the business world. But when someone is truly in life-or-death distress, those who claim to be kind and hypocritical will turn a blind eye and even add insult to injury. In such dark moments when all hope is lost, the kindness hidden deep within the human heart will emerge!"

Emilia wanted to open his mouth several times, but there was really no way he could interrupt in this fluent and beautiful speech and praise - Karkoros was older than him and Mars combined, and he really had no right to be rude at this time.

"When this matter is over, I will definitely come to thank you in person!"

Finally, after who knows how long, Mr. Karkoros's speech finally came to an end. At this time, Yin's head had begun to hit Emiya's back little by little.

Emiya sighed and quietly reached out to support the girl who had zero interest in socializing. "What you said... No, I will convey your intention as soon as possible. Can we talk about things now? Even with this ring, these crises will not disappear on their own."

"That's true, that's true." Karkoros breathed a sigh of relief. "I lost my composure. But no matter what, the situation has improved incredibly. I didn't expect today to be such a lucky day!"

Just as Emiya tried to bring the topic back, Karkoros was immersed in his own world again: "With the latest financial support, the previously forced to cut plans can be restarted! Contact the Gond Church again tomorrow. If those breastplates haven't started yet, replace them all with full plate armor!"

“—Wait wait wait wait!”

The first half of the sentence didn't matter, but the second half instantly shocked the three people in the team who had common sense.

Sig yelled, "—Full plate armor?! The kind you want to make to order for 1500 gold coins? What do you mean by full plate armor?"

Karkoros didn't seem to think anything was wrong, but he thought for a moment before answering, leaning forward slightly. "Before I answer, I have to ask you one question - what did the lady say when she gave you the ring?"

Emiya recalled for a moment and replied, "She gave us the ring only to ask us to resolve the crisis at Feilong Rock. She didn't say much else."

"......?" Karkoros muttered in disbelief, "She gave you so much autonomy? This is..."

He tapped the desk thoughtfully, and when he looked up, the look in his eyes when he looked at them had changed.

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I have no intention of speculating on her intentions, but at least part of the Flame Fist's situation no longer needs to be hidden from you... Okay, do you know the current condition of the former leader of the Flame Fist?"

Aimiya was silent for a moment: "Assassinated, or in a coma?"

Karkoros didn't answer immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Unfortunately, Old Slani lacks the strength of the Flaming Fist leader from a century ago. His counterattack against the sudden attack wasn't powerful enough—he died instantly, and his soul seems to have been affected as well... Any resurrection spells are completely ineffective."

"The most ridiculous thing is that we haven't found any clues to the murderer in all this time. To be more precise, any leads I've followed have been cut off before I could reveal anything."

Karkoros waved his knife. "Either attempting to kill them outright or capturing them alive is completely futile. Talking to the dead only yields a bunch of lies, and resurrection is naturally ineffective. We haven't found any clues, and we have no idea who is behind all this. But their tight organization, their individual strength, and their sheer audacity to abandon their pawns without hesitation are truly terrifying."

Perhaps the old wizard had been holding these words in for a long time. He sighed, stood up, and slowly walked to the window of the room. "So, for some time now, Flaming Fist has been claiming that Slani Rivengarde has simply retired—even after I transformed, I announced this to the public in my identity as Old Slani."

Emiya sighed, "Walls have ears."

"Even if this news gets out, it's meaningless. There are many more outrageous stories than this. Some even say Slani eloped with someone." Sig yawned. "The key is whether anyone believes it. The source of the information doesn't matter. Everyone who brags about it swears by it anyway. As long as it's not announced to the Baldur people in person during the Council of Four in the High Hall of Baldur's Gate, it won't spread widely."

Karkoros nodded. "That's right. Let's get back to the previous topic: the Marshal was assassinated. I can suppress the news, but I can't do nothing. Even if the death of Marshal Flame Fist will cause internal unrest, that's all it will end at. It's completely disproportionate to the cost of assassinating the Marshal."

Emiya asked, "So, you think this is just the beginning?"

"Of course," Karkoros snorted coldly. "The simplest point is that the Council of Four cannot remain vacant for long. In fact, the election to fill the next vacancy is imminent. In my opinion, this is the most likely goal of the mastermind behind this: perhaps taking advantage of the immense pressure on Baldur's Gate's management to cause bloodshed in the city, or perhaps using the opportunity to expand their own influence in Baldur's Gate..."

"So, I've already been preparing for full wartime." Karkoros waved his hand. "There might be rivers of blood next—so why should I worry about ordering armor? I know full plate armor is expensive, so I've already thought of the necessary measures."

He seemed incredibly serious about this matter, actually pulling out a notebook from the dimensional pouch at his waist and showing it to Emiya and the others line by line. "First, these full-body plate armors are only given to the soldiers for use; ownership belongs solely to the mercenary group. So, this isn't consumption, but investment. The cost of purchasing and repairing the armor is exchanged for a high survival rate and pensions for the soldiers. I've also contacted other organizations in the city regarding the old armor, and they're also interested in purchasing it. Finally, thanks to large-scale procurement, the price of these armors has been lowered somewhat from the market price, to only 1,200 gold coins each. Ultimately, steel is worthless; what's truly expensive is the process of transforming it into armor."

Emiya opened her mouth and said, "Oh right, armor alone might not be enough. The mercenaries of the Red Moon Group..."

"It's werewolves. I could smell those beastmen even in the Ocean Tower." Karkoros was clearly very proud. "It just so happens that Baldur's Gate now has a dedicated store for magic items, and it's quite large—yes, it's Grand Duke Violet's Witch Grocery Store. Magic items generally come from complex sources, so they can't be customized on a large scale like armor, but that's okay. Anyway, we've got magic swords, magic hammers, magic spears, magic javelins, and magic arrows. Of course, it's still too crazy to let everyone use magic items. In fact, I've also ordered a lot of silver products. If the Red Moon Group dares to mess around, they won't see the next full moon."

Emiya's pupils trembled continuously, and she hesitated for a moment: "...The people from the Gond Church accepted the order for armor?"

"Of course not," Karkoros said seriously. "I've long felt that the Flame Fist Mercenary Group's facilities are outdated, so I've also reserved spellcasting services from various churches. For example, a year-long sanctuary is essential, as outsiders can no longer freely come and go using teleportation spells. I've also reserved medical services in advance. If bloodshed becomes a problem, the church will directly devote all its efforts to treatment, eliminating the need for shirking responsibility and bargaining."

Meanwhile, Sig, who was standing by, was completely stunned. She opened her mouth blankly and kept muttering, "How much is this... How much is this... If I could convert this money into gold coins, I could really sleep on it..."

Emiya, who was always calm, was now dizzy because of the terrifying number.

One set of armor, 1200 gold coins. Even if Flame Fist only ordered a thousand sets and abandoned the plan of giving each person one, that would still be a staggering 1.2 million gold coins.

As for spellcasting services, Sanctuary, a fifth-level spell, typically costs a minimum of 450 gold. In fact, including the cost of materials, a single Sanctuary spell costs nearly the price of a full set of plate armor. Even if Sanctuary was only used to cover key areas of the Ocean Tower and Dragon Rock, it might need to be cast dozens or even hundreds of times. He could only pray that Karkoros wasn't planning to place Sanctuary spells across the entire wall of Baldur's Gate.

Karkoros didn't think there was anything wrong with these actions. Instead, he waved his hand seriously and said, "I know this kind of behavior can easily be interpreted as a means of profiteering, and many people are indeed keen on this, but at least I have no such intentions at all."

He even fumbled in his dimensional bag a few times, only to pull out less than ten gold coins. "—Actually, I eat at the Flame Fist cafeteria myself."

Emiya's eyebrows twitched. "I have no intention of learning the Flame Fist's financial secrets... but how could the Flame Fist have such a huge surplus?"

Karkoros shrugged: "I don't know, anyway, the current financial situation is not yet..."

Before he finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. Then, the footsteps stopped outside Karkoros's door and became slightly quieter.

Finally, with a rapid sprint, Karkoros' office door was kicked open by a well-dressed middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and the innocent door swayed in the air.

Karkoros was stunned for a moment, then immediately yelled at him, "Karl! Are you trying to kill yourself?! If I had cast any spells that could cause direct damage, you would be dead by now!"

"Then you might as well fucking kill me!" The man showed no mercy at all, waving a book-like object in his hand.

He looked elegant on the outside, but his eyes were bloodshot and he was spewing foul language. He completely ignored what Emiya and the others were saying: "You approved another massive bonus?! Do you know how many soldiers showed up at Feilongyan tonight?!"

Karkoros asked blankly, "So?"

The newcomer's eyes darted around the room, quickly finding Karkoros's water cup. He snatched it away without hesitation, slamming it down in front of Karkoros. "You know, begging can be roughly divided into two types. One is to flatter people with nice words and perform in exchange for money. The other is to harass them, making them so annoyed that they pay them off."

"...? So what does this have to do with me? Why are you telling me this?"

"So? We really are going to beg at the Supreme Hall tomorrow! I'm giving you advance training!" The visitor named Carl roared, his voice nearly shattering the glass. "If you spend another fucking penny, we'll have to borrow money from the Thieves Guild at high interest rates, you idiot from Waterdeep!"

"If you don't go, I'll fucking tie you to the Minsk statue in the big open space in Upper Town and make you do a striptease on it!"

Thirty-one Flame Fists are in danger

"—I'll tie you to a statue in the open space and make you do a striptease on it!!!!"

Carl's roar was deafening, and the pile of books on Karkoros's desk seemed to tremble slightly in the sonic boom, almost falling to the ground. Yin, who had almost fallen asleep, was immediately awakened. He looked around in confusion, looking at the office that had hardly changed, and muttered, "What happened? What striptease? What is a striptease?"

Clearly, the visitor had just spoken in anger. Silver's unconscious repetition immediately sobered him up. Carl wiped his face and took a deep breath.

After just a few seconds, the look of impatience disappeared.

He frowned and looked at Karkoros. Seeing that he still had no intention of driving away Emiya and his group, he couldn't help but think about it.

Although Carl was not young, he did not act like an elder. Instead, he asked, "Elios, who are these young people?"

Elios de Karcolos shrugged, briefly introduced Emia and his group, and then leaned over to whisper a few words into the ear of his fellow Flame Fist.