Witch Monastery

"It's blocked by thick rock, lead plates, soil, etc., right?" Hawthorne said slowly, "and it's super thick, such as one to two thousand meters thick rock, right?"

Kasa opened her mouth slightly, then covered it with her hands: "Yes... yes, so we can infer that the contactee of this magic circle is very likely to be in the Underdark!"

This time, she was just like a string of cannonballs, frantically spewing out information. Obviously, the other demons also felt a sense of crisis and began to fight for the dominance of information.

Monport was not to be outdone and continued, "Besides that, there is one more thing. Look at the decorative pattern on it. What does it look like? It looks like a spider web! This is a mark often used by the Spider Queen, so this is probably related to the Dark Elves!"

"If we can find some clues about the dark elves cooperating with them, this matter will most likely go much more smoothly than before!"

Hearing him say this, Hawthorne's expression suddenly looked a little subtle: "Dark Elf..."

Kasha showed a surprised expression: "Mr. Ellanord also said that some of the patterns on this magic circle are very familiar. This matter may be related to the dark elves!"

Hawthorne nodded slightly. Since both of them said so, it meant that it was very likely true that the dark elves were deeply involved in this matter.

Well, in this case, the next step would be to easily find the target...

He recalled this trip, when he squatted in Shapiro's place. The owner of the sea park was ostensibly a wealthy businessman from the Sein Empire, but in fact he was a dark elf who escaped from the Underdark and disguised himself as a human!

His last name is Baenre, and he is a descendant of the Baenre family, the largest family in Menzoberranzan!

Hiss...If you want to control this person, you still need to prepare some things.

There was a gleam in Hawthorne's eyes, and he already had a rough plan in mind.

……

A few days later.

In the captain's room of the Ocean Maid, a parade performance merchant ship, a tall, thin, fair-skinned male with long snow-white hair was looking at the letter in his hand with flickering eyes.

He is Zardoz Zod, a wealthy businessman from the inland of the Sein Empire. He is the owner of this ship and also the owner of the large carnival performance group "Sea Girl Carnival".

However, all of this is just an appearance. His true identity is a dark elf from the Underdark, and he is also a member of the largest ruling family in Menzoberranzan.

His real name is Jarlaxle Baenre.

Although he had escaped from that bloody and cruel place where men were inferior to women, it did not mean that the surface world would welcome him. In order to stay hidden here for a long time, he had to disguise his identity so as to avoid most of the troubles.

Even so, some past troubles still found him.

And now, looking at the letter in his hand, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

That Sir Nigel Hawthorne, who is currently in the limelight, wants to invite me to a banquet?

There is no relationship between us, why is he looking for me?

It was impossible for Jarlaxle Baenre not to know Hawthorne's reputation, but the other party's industries were basically all in the South Port District, not adjacent to his, and there didn't seem to be any opportunities for cooperation, so he didn't take the initiative to pay attention to or contact the other party.

What's more, his identity and face were forged using magic, and the other party was obviously also a powerful magician. If the other party saw any clues, the consequences would be unacceptable.

But he didn't expect that the other party would contact him on his own initiative.

Does he have anything to ask me?

Or is it really a spur of the moment decision, and he wants to reach some kind of cooperation with me?

Jarlaxle didn't know, but the other party was a great hero who was recently in the limelight in Port Liber, and he couldn't seem to find any reason to refuse.

So, going to the banquet?

Taking a deep breath, he understood that this would be an opportunity for him, but also a huge challenge.

Chapter 547: Jarlaxle Baenre

In the central area, in the top private room of the Blue Dragon restaurant.

Under the warm and soft orange light, the huge mahogany round table is filled with all kinds of exquisite and elegant fresh food, including fresh sea urchins, crabs and other seafood products produced locally in Port Liber, as well as all kinds of sweet and delicious tropical fruits shipped from overseas.

The red wine in the middle of the table has been opened. After sufficient time for air fermentation, the tempting aroma of the wine and the aroma of the food mixed together, whetting one's appetite.

Jarlaxle was sitting beside the round table. Even as an elf, he couldn't help but salivate and swallow when he smelled the scent.

It's a pity that he needed to maintain his demeanor and elegance, so he couldn't eat to his heart's content like Kassadin. He could only suppress his appetite and chew slowly.

But unfortunately, his expression still caught Hawthorne's attention, causing the latter to laugh secretly.

He knew the elves, and dark elves were elves after all. Not every elf was as greedy as Kassadin, and not every elf had a wide range of tastes. In fact, most elves had lighter tastes.

Taking this into consideration, he had arranged today's dinner, hoping to impress the other party with the food first.

So far, the effect is good.

He then dealt with the food on his plate.

They ate their food while chatting with each other about the economic situation, media newspapers, the demon crisis, and the differences in habits between various races. They looked like good friends who had known each other for many years, and both the host and the guest were having a great time.

After finishing a bottle of red wine, the atmosphere finally reached its climax. At this time, Hawthorne finally asked the first question of the night: "By the way, Mr. Zod, do you think that projects like Sea Carnival have development prospects in other districts?"

Jarlaxle's expression changed. He had a feeling that tonight they were finally going to get to the point. "Uh... naturally. According to the general rules of the industry, the more prosperous and densely populated a place is, the better the development prospects of the entertainment industry will be."

"According to this rule, Donggang District is close to the central area and should have great development potential. However, Donggang has such a large cargo throughput and is so busy every day... the cost should not be too low."

As he spoke, he also smiled: "Could it be that the Earl is planning to enter this industry?"

Hawthorne nodded. "Yes, but since I don't know much myself, I plan to find someone with experience to work with. In my opinion, you are a good fit."

Zod still couldn't figure out whether the man in front of him really wanted to do business or had something else to ask him, so he asked conservatively: "This is not an easy business to do. After all, you need a big ship first... What is your budget?"

Huo Sang nodded slightly: "The current plan is to invest 100,000 gold coins in the first phase, and then we will see the effect. If the effect is good, I will report to the consortium, and it may be increased to 20, 50 or even 1 million gold coins later, all possible..."

One million gold coins!

Jarlaxle felt his heart tremble. Unlike his fellow tribesmen who made a living by capturing slaves, plundering and exploiting foreign races, he had almost no idea what life on the surface was like.

He came to the surface world with the exiles in his tribe to work hard, and he understood very well how difficult it was to start a business based on one's own ability in this era, how generous these people could be when bragging, and how generous they could be when it came to actually paying.

Therefore, we can understand how wasteful an investor like Hawthorne can actually be, who asks for 100,000 gold coins issued by the Goddess of Fortune, and is promised a maximum of one million gold coins!

He thought so, then picked up the wine glass and chuckled, "With so much money, even if you put it all with me, I have nowhere to spend it."

"Lord Hawthorne, have you thought of any new project?"

He understood that Hawthorne was willing to spend so much money definitely not just for a small project like the Sea Carnival!

Jarlaxle made his own judgment in his mind, and then became extremely alert.

He is not short of money now, nor is he in a hurry to use the money, so the mere financial temptation, although the amount is indeed huge, is not enough to really impress him.

He had to make sure that Hawthorne's true desire would not jeopardize his future plans.

On the opposite side, Hawthorne kept maintaining a gentle smile, looking at the man in front of him who pretended to be honest and loyal, but in fact he had already seen through his true face.

Jarlaxle Baenre is a dark elf who is somewhat eccentric. He can't stand the atmosphere of female dominance and male inferiority in the city of Menzoberranzan, and he has done many things that offend people, and is widely ostracized there.

Finally, he could no longer survive in that city, so he gathered a group of dark elves who had also rebelled against Menzoberranzan and came to the surface, where he formed a mercenary group to make a living by assassinating and fighting for others.

But as time went on, he found that this job was hard, tiring and unprofitable, and that it was something only poor soldiers would do, so he quietly sought transformation and established the current Ocean Girl Carnival. Relying on his artistic attainments and his grasp of people's hearts, he made a fortune through entertainment.

Of course, in secret, he did not give up relying on the violent organization and intelligence system established by the dark elves to maintain his own safety.

Over the years, thanks to the development of Port Liber, his career has been very successful. He is now ambitious and plans to get official recognition from Port Liber and get himself a noble title, so that he can settle down here and completely get rid of the influence of his hometown.

Although, if the players don't intervene forcefully, his final fate will be very tragic...

Hawthorne knew all of this, because the man in front of him was also one of the important chess pieces in the game between the player and the dark elves of Menzoberranzan in the later stages of the game. Whether he helped him defeat those in his family who hated him or sold him out, he could get a considerable profit in the end.

According to Hawthorne's previous optimal solution strategy, it is definitely necessary to avoid contact in the early stage, and sell it when there is an opportunity in the middle stage, in exchange for funds to enable oneself to develop faster.

But unfortunately, fate is unpredictable, and it seems that this plan can no longer be considered.

"Mr. Zod, do you have any knowledge about the dark elves in the Underdark?" Faced with his question, Hawthorne did not answer, but suddenly and out of nowhere started a whole new topic.

Jarlaxle's heart skipped a beat. The result he was most worried about seemed to be gradually becoming a reality. A drop of sweat flowed down his forehead uncontrollably. "Oh, I've heard of some things."

"What does Mr. Zod think?" Hawthorne continued to ask with a smile.

Jarlaxle took a deep breath and said to Hawthorne according to the standard template for human answers to such questions: "Of course I hate it very much. The dark elves are cruel and brutal.

They are extremely licentious and always come to the surface, capturing innocent and kind people and bringing them to their capitals, making them slaves to work and have sex with them. This is absolutely an offense that is hated by both humans and gods."

"Fortunately, these brutal things are only hearsay to me. Thank you, Libel Port, thank you, Lady Black Staff, for protecting our city so well, so that we can all rest assured..."

Hawthorne smiled and said, "Unfortunately, these are all old news. Ever since the burrowing demon bugs drilled out a complex passage underground, the sewers of the Underdark and the city are almost completely connected. These brutal friends will have to deal with each of us sooner or later."

"It's even possible that they are now dealing with certain people in our city."

He hinted at something. Jarlaxle's heart was pounding and his eyes were wandering: "Ah, maybe. There are indeed some people who will take risks for the sake of profit..."

But at this moment, Hawthorne suddenly changed the subject: "But actually, I think that if it is under special and urgent circumstances, it is not a bad idea to cooperate with the dark elves."

Jarlaxle was stunned: "This... Earl Hawthorne is very powerful, naturally he is not comparable to the likes of us."

Hawthorne smiled and said, "It's nothing, but I think that times have changed after all. And as you know, the dark elves are a matriarchal society after all, and men are being strongly oppressed."

He looked at Jarlaxle with a meaningful look: "I am also a man, and I naturally sympathize with those dark elves who are also men. If we can get in touch with them, and they are indeed reliable, to be honest, I don't mind cooperating with them."

"After all, in the future, residents of the Underdark will gradually move into Liber Harbor. This trend is irreversible. If we change our minds sooner, we can seize the opportunity, right?"

He said this, causing Jarlaxle in front of him to be surprised and confused.

Why is he telling me this?

Did he...really know my identity?

No, calm down. If he said that, he must have something to ask of me...

Jarlaxle calmed down quickly. Hawthorne, on the other side, did not delay too much. He stood up and prepared to pay the bill: "It's a pleasure to chat with you, Mr. Zod. Ah, I hope good luck will come to me soon."

In response, Jarlaxle took a deep breath, his bold adventurous spirit revealed, and he prepared to go a step further: "Perhaps, but if it is so easy to encounter, it would not be considered a rare luck."

Chapter 548: Angel's Clue

After saying this, Jarlaxle's heart was in his throat. He was trying to bargain and gain more benefits for himself: he was not short of money, and although 100,000 gold coins were indeed a lot, it was not enough for him to take risks since he was not in a hurry to use the money!

He longed for something more special, something that money couldn't buy!

As expected, it was visible to the naked eye that upon hearing this, Hawthorne's movements froze for a moment, and then his eyes became slightly blank.

Just when Jarlaxle thought he had touched his bottom line and was about to provoke his anger, Hawthorne nodded slightly and said, "Yes, if luck can be bought with money alone, then it is too cheap."

Jarlaxle heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that although it was dangerous, he had made the right bet. He then leaned back in his chair and waited for Hawthorne to propose a new price.

Then, he heard Hawthorne say, "But the supreme honor represented by noble character should bring good luck. Can a knight's medal be exchanged for some good luck?"

Jarlaxle's eyes lit up. This sentence became the last barbell that broke the camel's back, making it completely impossible for him to refuse.

He forced a smile, nodded, and responded sincerely: "I think so too, and good luck will come to you tonight, sir."

Hawthorne let out a long sigh and thought to himself, as expected, the process was very similar to that in the game. There was no way to bribe him unless he helped him get a medal of nobility.

He then nodded and said, "I hope good luck will be with you, sir."

After paying the bill, both parties said goodbye to each other and left. It was already late at night, but Hawthorne did not get on the carriage and rush back to the monastery. Instead, he turned around and walked towards the East Port District.

Jarlaxle Baenre had promised him that luck would come to him tonight, so he decided to walk around and try his luck.

He didn't have to wait too long. When he inadvertently turned into an empty dark alley, a cold dagger was silently pressed against the back of his neck: "Don't move, sir!"

Hawthorne stopped as he was told, then glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw three dark elves with dark skin, white hair and cold red pupils pointing their crossbows at him in the shadows.

Obviously, these were all dark elves who were extremely skilled in lurking and assassination. One could imagine how sharp their crossbow arrows would be, and they must have been coated with deadly poison. If an ordinary person was slightly contaminated by them, they would be killed painfully!

However, these mundane weapons are unlikely to pose any threat to Hawthorne.

He maintained a relaxed smile, raised his hands, and continued: "I surrender, you can do whatever you want, I won't resist."

Behind him, Jarlaxle, who had a dagger against the back of his neck, looked helpless when he heard this.

You know who I am, and I know you know who I am, and you know I know you know who I am...

But we both have to pretend that we don’t know each other, why bother?

Ugh!

"Mr. Hawthorne." Jarlaxle lowered his voice. Even though he complained in his heart, he still followed the rules and said in a deep voice, "I heard that you have encountered some troubles recently. Fortunately, if it is something that is not convenient to go through the cumbersome formal procedures, my friends and I can help."

"As long as you can afford the compensation you deserve."

Hawthorne turned around. Jarlaxle did not control him. He just kept his dagger against his throat, pretending to say, "You can talk now."

Hawthorne nodded: "Come to think of it, this matter does have something to do with you dark elves, sir."

As he spoke, he reached into his dimensional bag, took out a folded canvas, and then slowly opened it: "Do you recognize this magic circle?"

At the same time, he also saw the full appearance of the dark elf in front of him.

White-haired, handsome, thin, and only about 1.6 meters tall. In order to successfully put the dagger against his neck, he even had to stand on tiptoe - if you look closely, it might even make people feel a little funny.