When was the last time someone looked down upon him? Elminster obviously couldn't remember clearly.
Because when he was young, he worked as a shepherd, a robber, and a thief, until he witnessed a dragon destroying his hometown, and then he was guided onto the path of a wizard.
During this time, he developed good swordsmanship, pickpocketing and stealth skills.
These skills also provided him with great help in his future adventures.
Even during the years he went to Myth Drannor to study, facing the extremely arrogant and conceited elven high wizards, Elminster had never suffered such naked and undisguised contempt as he did today.
After all, he had been transformed by magic into the image of an elf, a beautiful, elegant, and pretty woman, and had done some indescribable things at close range with the second-generation magic goddess.
As for the time after the fall of Myth Drannor, he had already mastered enough magical power, and with the blessing of his status as the Chosen One of the Goddess of Magic, everyone would be courteous to him.
Even the most powerful enemies are more wary and terrified of him.
In the turbulent years, Elminster even relied on the power and divinity sealed in his body by the goddess to personally fight against the saint of Bane, the god of tyranny.
With this power, he summoned the fallen second-generation magic goddess as the elemental spirit of the magic network essence, and successfully crushed the dark lord's plan.
It is precisely because of this incident that many people mistakenly believe that he is the one closest to a god among all the active legendary wizards in the continent of Faerun today.
Although Elminster was very clear that there was an insurmountable gap between him and the real gods.
But this did not prevent him from enjoying the various benefits brought by such great fame, especially the awe of enemies like Manshoon and Sazastan who also possessed powerful magical powers.
But now, what the great sage of Shadow Valley could not accept the most was that he was actually regarded as a foolish, stupid and ignorant stubborn old man by his juniors who might not even be a fraction of his age.
Especially the pity revealed in his eyes, like an extremely sharp needle, deeply hurting his self-esteem and his pride and arrogance.
The intense anger burned like burning hay and could not be suppressed.
To sum it up simply, it broke the defense.
Zuo Si undoubtedly noticed this and immediately laughed and teased, "Hahahaha! Are you angry?
It's okay to be angry! Do you know what the most annoying thing about you is?
It is this kind of condescending attitude that always teaches others a lesson as a sage, a senior, or a veteran.
You always stand from an empiricist perspective, mistakenly believing that the primitiveness, barbarism, chaos and highly decentralized power of the continent of Faerun in the past few hundred years were a normal state.
They believe that maintaining the existing city-states and ensuring that each territory and village is independent of each other can reflect the so-called free will.
Little do people know that it is only a tiny and insignificant part of the tens of thousands of years of history of this land, and it does not represent the future development trend.
To be precise, you have no idea what politics is, what the laws of economic development are, and what the majority of people living at the bottom of society in the world really need.
Of course, it's not your fault.
Because many times even they themselves don't know what they desire in their hearts.
After all, before this, there had never been a huge country with a high degree of political and economic unity on the continent of Faerun, nor had there ever been a stable regime that had not experienced turmoil for more than a decade or even decades.
What I want to do is to show this possibility.
Perhaps the kingdom I founded will one day collapse and perish like Netheril and Imaskar after hundreds or even thousands of years.
But this can plant a seed in the hearts of all the people living on this land! This seed will be like a candlelight in the dark, illuminating the way forward for the people who fell into war, famine and suffering after the collapse of the empire.
All future leaders and rulers will regard the restoration of the empire I founded with my own hands as the highest goal of their life.
Do you think what I am doing is to satisfy my desire for power and domination? No! What I really want to do is to raise the expectations of the lowest class of people in this world for a better life! Let them understand what life is, instead of trying their best to just barely maintain the most basic survival like now.
That is why I do not care about your hostility towards the Harpers.
After all, this time, the role you play is that of a destroyer of order, standing against the interests of the majority of people.
I am on the side of the majority.”
"Humph! Then let's wait and see!"
Elminster extinguished the embers in his pipe, showing the extreme stubbornness of his character.
Perhaps because he had seen too many people being corrupted by power, he opposed from the bottom of his heart the establishment of too large a country. He believed that doing so would ultimately only lead to the concentration of power in the hands of a few powerful people, leading to terrible corruption, oppression and slavery.
Of course, to a large extent, his idea is not wrong.
The larger the land area and the more populous a country is, the more it needs to build a complex and rigorous ruling system.
Once this system is completed, power and wealth will inevitably begin to flow into the hands of the privileged class.
No matter whether this class is bureaucrats, aristocrats, or businessmen who dominate capital; no matter what system the country adopts.
Ultimately, when the vested interest groups form a monopoly, the country will completely become a tool for them to exploit and enslave ordinary people.
At this moment, the stronger the power of the state apparatus is, the more serious the harm it causes to the grassroots people.
As for the corruption caused by money-for-power transactions, it is an almost unsolvable problem.
So far, no political system can eliminate internal corruption.
Whether it is the Silvermoon Alliance led by Alustriel, the Neverwinter City dominated by the Church of Tyr, the god of justice, or the Waterdeep City which is considered to have a relatively clean judicial system, the corruption problem among its internal bureaucrats is quite serious.
After all, most people are selfish and greedy by nature.
Especially in the absence of effective regulatory measures, many bureaucrats who hold real power can exploit loopholes in the law to benefit themselves at will.
As a person from modern society, Zuo Si knew very well that it would never be possible to eliminate corruption relying solely on the judicial system.
No matter how independent, clean and fair the judicial system is, it would be quite good if it could effectively curb the spread of corruption.
If we count the modern countries on earth, there is not a single one that relies on legal means to clean up large-scale systemic internal corruption. Usually, political means are used.
So he chose to let the undead liches outside the power system be responsible for supervision and draw a red line that cannot be crossed.
Once the powerful cross this red line, what awaits them is no longer a judicial trial, but the disappearance of their entire family.
Although Zuo Si was not quite sure how long his supervision system based on deterrence could last, it was still very useful at least at this stage.
Perhaps in the future we can consider adding Shuoyou mobile terminals as a supplement to monitoring.
As Elminster became angry, the two of them soon fell into silence that lasted for more than ten minutes.
If it had been in the past when there were fewer guests in the inn, the strangeness between them might have been quickly noticed by Jasira and Khalid who were sitting more than ten meters away.
However, due to the recent rampage of bandits under Sarevok, the Friendly Arm Inn is crowded with merchants and caravans who are too frightened to go out for the time being.
At first glance, the whole hall was in a mess.
Some of the more unlucky ones have been trapped here for many days. Their mood can be said to be extremely bad. The slightest bump will immediately lead to conflicts and verbal abuse, and in serious cases, fights will even break out.
Fortunately, Bantli Mirrorshadow is a powerful dwarf wizard who can often stop the situation before it becomes irreversible.
Otherwise, if it were an ordinary hotel owner, he would probably just have to watch the guests in the lobby physically fighting each other.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zuo Si looked with interest at Jasira, with whom he had once worked together, not far away, and found that this half-elf druid had become more mature and feminine than a few years ago.
Especially that kind of beauty with a slightly strong and wild temperament, which can easily make men with high hormone secretion have a desire to conquer.
Plus, the fact that she is a married woman is a plus point in the eyes of many old perverts...
No wonder Aberdare, son of Baal, had feelings for her when they first met.
In just a few minutes, Khalid had to send away several guys who came to chat up and harass his wife because of her beauty.
"Aren't you going to go say hello to them?"
Elminster had obviously calmed down and broke the silence by speaking again.
Zuo Si chuckled and shook his head: "Forget it.
The last time I parted with Jasira and Khalid, it wasn't a pleasant one.
I believe they would not want to see me at this time.
What's more, do you know how much uncertainty will be brought to the already complicated situation once the news of my appearance in the Friendly Arm gets out?
At the very least, the dukes of Baldur's Gate will be extremely nervous, and those forces lurking in the dark waiting for an opportunity will also change their original plans.
This is just like how you deliberately concealed your identity to pick up Ge Liyan's adopted son two days ago. The principle is actually the same.
We are all not suited to play this game ourselves.”
"How do you know that I went to contact Gorion's adopted son? Could it be that... you arranged the two Zhentarim spies in the team?" Elminster asked with a little surprise.
"No, no, no, don't think I'm that boring.
In fact, that is just the normal way of operation of the Zhentarim's dark intelligence network. It has nothing to do with me, and I do not rely on the intelligence they pass on.
For neither Aberdare nor Imoen holds any secret from me.
I knew from the beginning the cruel, dark and bloody fate that was to befall them, and I knew what was to happen next.
Believe me, no matter what influence you seek to exert on the Son of Bhaal, the end result will inevitably be failure.
The divinity and power of the God of Murder determined that they had no other choice.
All the sons of Bhaal must take part in this feast of slaughter and death.
And once they die, their souls will be absorbed into the Throne of Blood, and there is no way to resurrect them by any other means.
They are even unable to enter the hazy realm and go to the country where their gods live to become petitioners.
The only way to escape this tragic fate is to kill all the other brothers and sisters and become the ultimate winner."
While saying this, Zuo Si kept staring into the other person's eyes, trying to determine how much the chosen one of the Magic Goddess knew about the truth about the Blood Throne.
Just as he just described, the saddest thing about the Sons of Bhaal is that they have no choice, and they can't live a peaceful life like ordinary people.
Just as Elminster opened his mouth to say something, a loud noise suddenly came from the door of the inn.
Soon after, several people ran in from outside and shouted, "No... It's bad! There's a fight outside! An unknown wizard is casting a spell! He has killed two guards!"
"What? Who! Who dares to kill someone on my territory! And the person he killed was a guard?"
The innkeeper, Bantli Mirrorshadow, who was sitting at the bar and selling homemade low-level magic items to a traveler, suddenly jumped up, his face full of shock and anger.
"I know that wizard! He calls himself Tanesin! He's a bounty hunter! He seems to be tracking down someone who has a bounty on his head!"
Another drunken mercenary suddenly interrupted.
"Damn it! You can't do that in Friendly Arms! This is my territory! Everyone must abide by the rules I set!"
Bantli banged the table angrily, then crawled under the bar to take out the spell material bag and some magic items, intending to arm himself and then go out to teach this ignorant wizard a lesson.
But while he was tinkering, on the narrow street outside the inn, Aberdare was experiencing the most critical moment of his life.
Because unlike the last time he was attacked and had his adoptive father Gorion to protect him, this time he had to face the terrible magical threat on his own.
The enemy simply released an unknown magic, and the human mage Thrall, who had just joined the team, instantly fell to the ground and fell into a deep coma and lost consciousness.
Another halfling thief, Montaro, was obviously bewitched and was chasing Imoen and attacking him frantically, leaving him no time to draw his bow and shoot an arrow.
As for Aberdare himself, he was hit hard in the chest by the magic missile. Not only was a large piece of his armor dented, but two of his ribs seemed to be broken. He was enduring the severe pain and wanted to rush up and kill the other party.
Unfortunately, when he got closer, he suddenly felt his eyes blurred and several identical enemies appeared.
【Mirror Image】Having been raised by a mage, the Son of Bhaal instantly recognized this illusion magic that arcane spellcasters often used when they were attacked in melee combat.
He didn't have time to think, he swung the sword and slashed at the nearest person.
Unfortunately, it turned out that this was not a physical entity but an illusion created by magic.
The sharp sword passed through the illusion without any hindrance, and the illusion disappeared at the same time.
There are two more!
Aberdare immediately changed direction and swung back with another powerful blow.
Unfortunately, his luck didn't seem to be very good, and the 50% probability was missed, and the passed sword through the illusion again.
The consequences of two consecutive attack failures were obviously very serious.
Tanisin, the bounty hunter, completed his spell, raised his hand and pointed lightly at the Son of Bhaal.
moment!
An indescribable fear flooded into Aberdare's brain and consciousness.
At this moment, there was only one thought left in his mind.
That is to escape! Tanisin easily used a second-level magic [Intimidation] to play with the Son of God.
Now, he could calmly chant a spell to summon a small infernal snake, give the kiss of death to each of his prey, and then cut off the target's head to collect the bounty.
But at this critical moment, an imperceptible dark red light suddenly flashed on Aberdare's body, who was originally in fear, and then the uncontrollable bloodthirsty desire replaced the previous fear.
Before Tanisin could react to what was happening, he saw a blinding cold light flash before him.
What followed was intense pain and gushing blood, followed by an uncontrollable fall on his back to the ground.
At the last moment before he lost consciousness, the mage finally realized that his collarbone had been split by the giant sword along the side of his neck, exposing half of his body and a large amount of internal organs.
But until his death he never understood why this young man who was wanted for a reward could suddenly get rid of the influence of magic.
Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to regain consciousness in a short period of time after being infected.
Unfortunately, Tanisin will never know the answer.
Aberdare, who successfully killed the powerful enemy, looked at the internal organs flowing out of the split corpse and the sticky blood plasma that gathered together to form a pool. He fell into a very strange state.
He could feel that something seemed to be awakening inside him.
Moreover, after killing someone, instead of feeling nauseous or uncomfortable, one feels an inexplicable sense of pleasure and enjoyment, as if killing can bring unprecedented joy.
fortunately!
This state did not last long, as Aberdare was awakened by Imoen's cry for help.
Since Montaro is a spy of the Zhentarim, his combat experience is obviously much richer than that of the girl.
The latter was in danger under his fierce attack, and even the bowstring of the short bow was cut by the dagger.
"Get away! Stay away from Imoen!"
Seeing that his little sister, who grew up with him, was almost killed, Aberdare immediately became extremely angry and violent. He rushed forward and knocked the other party away using his strength and size advantage.
However, because he was under the spell of magic, Montaro did not choose to escape or stop attacking just because the situation was unfavorable to him.
Just the opposite!
He instantly took out a bottle of invisibility potion and drank it, then disappeared from the sight of the other two.
About two or three seconds later, the sinister little man jumped out of the shadows, brandished a dagger and stabbed Aberdare in the back of the neck.
"careful!"
Imoen, who was also a thief, was the first to notice this and suddenly threw the dagger in his hand, disrupting Montaro's backstab.
Aberdare, whose life was threatened, did not hesitate and beheaded the temporary teammate who had just joined the team with a single blow of his sword.
Puff!!! Dazzling blood gushed out from the carotid artery, bathing the two sons of Baal in a rain of blood.
Especially the thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl who saw such a shocking scene for the first time, she collapsed to the ground like a fool, shaking uncontrollably all over.
"Oh my God! What happened here? Why did it become like a slaughterhouse?"
Bantli Mirror Shadow, who had just rushed out of the inn, was stunned and asked loudly.
What's more, not far away were two guards whose bodies were burned beyond recognition by fire magic.
"I... We are victims! It was that wizard who attacked us first."
Imoen, who had recovered from the intense shock, was the first to get up, and in shock he explained to the innkeeper the cause of the battle.
She didn't want herself and others to be locked up as murderers or forcibly expelled.
"Yes! I can vouch for this girl! He was the guy whose body was split in half. He attacked first and killed two guards who came to stop him."
A fat man dressed as a businessman carefully crawled out from under the carriage, his eyes full of relief for surviving the disaster.
You must know that any battle involving mages is most likely to affect innocent people around them.
Especially for the Shaping spells like Fireball and Burning Hands which can cause area damage and also start fires, ordinary people without professional levels will almost certainly die if hit by them.
"Bah! You damn bastard! You got away with it! How dare you cause trouble in the Friendly Arms? If you fall into my hands, I will make sure you experience what it means to be worse off than dead."
The grumpy dwarf boss spat viciously at the corpse, and then called on other guards to help clean up the corpse. At the same time, he said to the two sons of Bhaal whose bodies were stained with blood: "Well done, young men. As compensation for the shock, I will provide you with a free room, food, and drinks. Oh, by the way, the things on this damn wizard are also your spoils of war."
"Thanks."
Aberdare was clearly still immersed in that wonderful feeling; both his eyes and reactions seemed a little dull.
But most people, including Bantli Mirror Shadow, thought that this was the sequelae of fighting and killing, and did not take it too seriously. They just patted him on the shoulder and said a few words of comfort.
A man dressed as an adventurer even handed him a half-finished glass of wine, motioning him to take a couple of sips to relax his tense nerves.
Imoen took the opportunity to find a spell book, dagger, potions and several scrolls from Tanesin's body, and stood in silence for a few seconds in front of Montaro's headless body.
She knew very well that Aberdare had no choice but to kill this controlled temporary teammate, but she still felt a little sad.
As for the resurrection...
Let’s not talk about whether the priest of the small temple in the Friendly Arm is capable of casting the five-ring resurrection spell.
The high price of resurrection alone is far from enough for the team's current financial resources.
Therefore, burial became the only option.
After all, the real world is not a game. You can go to any temple to buy a series of divine services such as resurrection.
Except for the main temples in big cities, priests who preside over small temples or shrines like this usually do not exceed LV5, and at best they can use second- to third-ring spells.
Fortunately, after learning the details of the situation, the innkeeper was kind enough to allow the poor victim to be buried in the cemetery within the wall.
At least there is no need to worry about the corpse being dug out and eaten by wild beasts, or being awakened by a passing necromancer and turned into a zombie.
When everything calmed down, Thrall, who was under a sleeping spell, was awakened by the two big guys. Then the three of them walked into the inn and took a hot bath first.
You can't not wash it.
Because he had been running around in the wild for so many days, his body was emitting a strong sour smell.
Coupled with the pungent smell of blood, half of the guests who were eating in the hall would probably vomit if they walked into the hall.
After taking a shower, they changed into clean clothes, sat down on the table near the bar, and stuffed their mouths with steaming hot food like hungry wolves.
Even though little Aimon was a beautiful girl, she didn't care about her image at this moment. Her fingers and mouth were all stained with reflective oil stains.
Facts have proved that cultivation, grace, beauty and manners are all worthless in the face of real hunger.
After filling her stomach, the girl let out a long sigh and said with a hint of emotion: "I finally feel like I'm alive again. This is the food that humans should eat, not those tasteless and half-cooked fish and barbecued meats."
"Yeah! I never knew that a pot of chicken stew could be so delicious."
Aberdare was also rubbing his bulging appetite, staring at the empty pot with only a little soup left.
Although he wanted to eat a little more, his stomach had reached its limit and he couldn't eat any more.
"Oh, right! Didn't you say that before Gorion died, he asked you to come to the Friendly Arm to look for someone? Where should we start now? There are too many people here."
Imoen glanced at the bustling scene in the hotel lobby, his eyes gleaming with excitement, his ten fingers twitching uncontrollably.
Without asking, she knew that this was the adventure she had always longed for since she was a child.
Especially the wallets that the guests fastened on their belts, which made the fledgling thief unable to resist the evil idea of making a fortune.
"Uh... Actually, I'm not sure where to start. Maybe if we just sit here and wait for a while, the other party will come to us on their own?"
There was a strong sense of uncertainty in Aberdare's tone.
After all, things like this that require thinking are not what he is good at.
When Grian was alive, this diligent and responsible adoptive father would arrange everything properly, and all he had to do was to follow his instructions.
"Listen to me, don't go looking for those two people.
Let's take a short rest here, and then go directly north to Baldur's Gate, or south to Belgost.
Hearing that the West Heartland region is being invaded by Zhentil Keep's army, many towns are willing to offer high prices to recruit capable mercenaries.
With your skills, you might be able to make a lot of money from this."
The mage Thrall, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke up and made a suggestion.
"war?"
He didn't know why, but when he heard these two words, Aberdare suddenly felt a strong restlessness in his heart.
Since he had been traveling in the deep mountains and forests before, he knew almost nothing about what had happened recently in the outside world.
Sal nodded seriously, “That’s right.
I have just asked the merchants passing by, and the army of Zhentil Keep is approaching Eastbound Market.
If nothing goes wrong, it will take two or three days at most to capture it, and then we will continue westward along the road to conquer all the towns along the way.
Once they crossed the tributary of the Chongsa River, Baldur's Gate would definitely have to respond.
This means that a great war to determine the ownership of this land is about to begin. It is the ideal stage for adventurers like us who want to make a name for ourselves.
Imagine if we could turn the tide and defeat the army of Zhentil Keep, or help Zhentil Keep capture Baldur's Gate, how much fame and unimaginable rewards we could gain from it?"
"That sounds good..."
Aberdare was undoubtedly excited. He picked up the cup and took a big gulp of cheap dark beer, then licked his lips with his tongue.
Just when he was about to ask for more details, he suddenly saw two figures covering their faces with cloaks walking towards him from a distance.
The shorter woman said bluntly, "Don't go! That's not something you should get involved in, Aberdare Adrian."
"Who are you? Why do you know my name? Also, what about the last name Adrian? How come I never knew I had a last name?" Aberdare asked back with a frown.
"We are Gorion's friends. My name is Jasira, and this is my husband Khalid. We have been waiting for you here for several days."
As he spoke, Jasira took off his hood, revealing his long golden hair and the beautiful face that was unique to a half-elf.
moment!
Aberdare's eyes began to shine, and he felt his heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably. He swallowed subconsciously, and some fantasies that all men would have emerged in his mind.
Fortunately, he did not show his dirty thoughts. Instead, he pretended to be very cautious and questioned: "How can I believe that you are not hunters who come for the bounty? You know, we just had a fierce battle at the door of the inn."
"It's simple. I have a letter that Gorion wrote not long ago. I believe you are very familiar with his notes and tone."
Jasira very straightforwardly produced something that could prove his identity.
Aberdare took the letter and glanced at it. He immediately confirmed that the letter was written by his adoptive father. He raised his head and asked, "Gorian knew there would be danger, so he asked you to come here in advance?"
Jasira nodded slightly and said, "Yes. He is a very cautious mage. He contacted us immediately when he sensed the danger.
Unfortunately, we were too far away from Candlekeep at that time.
When we arrived here, we learned that you had been ambushed.
Sorry, please forgive me for being late. "
"No, it's not your fault."
Aberdare hastened to take the right hand that Jasira offered him.
At this moment, this guy's mind was filled with beauty, and he had long forgotten the grief, anger and hatred brought about by Gorion's death.
His actions once again prove that the instincts that govern human behavior are actually no different from those of most animals.
When the appetite is satisfied, the next thing to think about is how to reproduce and mate with beautiful people of the opposite sex so that their genes can be passed on.
As a childhood friend, Imoen obviously knew what Aberdare was thinking at the moment. He curled his lips secretly to express his contempt, and then cast his gaze to other places in the inn lobby, trying to find some fun for himself.
Sudden!
She saw something familiar near the table in the corner.
To be precise, it is a gemstone ring worn on the finger.
The girl vaguely remembered that in the last few days before leaving Candle Castle, Zuo Si was wearing an identical one on his hand.
But what confused her was that the person who was wearing the ring was too tall, and for unknown reasons, she couldn't see the other person's appearance clearly.
However, out of strong curiosity, Imoen chose to sneak away when no one else's attention was on him, and followed the target to a guest room on the second floor.
When she carefully and skillfully pried open the door, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Hey! Little thief! Are you planning to steal something from me again?"
"So...Sos!! Why are you here? And so tall?"
The girl turned around suddenly, her face full of excitement and joy, then jumped high and gave me a warm hug.
But just when she wanted to express her excitement with a more intimate kiss on the cheek, she was gently pushed away by a finger poking her forehead.
"Don't rub the oil from your lips on my face. And you just ate a lot of garlic and onions, didn't you? The taste is indescribable."
Zuo Si wrinkled his nose and looked disgusted.
"Hahahaha! Not only did I eat garlic and onions just now, I also ate some pickled smoked fish. How about I give you a hot kiss and share the taste of these things?"
Imoen laughed and pouted his lips intentionally, showing his naughty and quirky personality.
Zuo Si raised his hand and tapped the girl's forehead, teasing, "Passionate kiss? Forget it! With your current skinny figure with no butt and no breasts, I'm not interested."
"Who are you calling skinny? I am the most beautiful young lady in Candle Castle!"
Imoen tugged at her clothes and at the same time pushed her chest out as much as possible to make herself look more attractive.
But unfortunately, all these efforts were in vain.
I don't know if it's because he's too young, or because he doesn't consume enough meat, eggs and milk, or because of the influence of Baal's power and divinity.
Although she cannot be completely called a "steel plate" or a "flat", she is just slightly up and down.
"Yes, yes, yes! In the entire Candle Castle, besides you, is there another woman who can be called a girl? As far as I know, even the youngest female librarian is over 40 years old." Zuo Si stared at the girl's chest and made a joke.
Since the two of them had already become very familiar with each other when they stayed at the Candlekeep Inn a few years ago, he did not have so many reservations when speaking, and his tone was particularly casual.
"Humph! I'm still young, and I'll definitely grow up in a few years. If you don't act now, it will be too late when I become beautiful and sexy, and have a large number of suitors behind me."
Imoen raised her chin slightly and put on the arrogant attitude of a noble lady.
But within half a minute, she couldn't help giggling.
In order not to affect other guests and also to avoid exposing his whereabouts, Zuo Si quickly invited the girl into the room he had booked.
After closing the door, Ai Meng asked again: "Why are you here? Are you waiting for me?"
"Although I really want to answer yes, unfortunately, I am actually waiting for another person, and I just met with him to discuss some things." Zuo Si shrugged and replied.
"Someone else?"
There was a strong curiosity in Aimon's eyes.
"Don't ask, I won't tell you who he is. Also, remember not to tell anyone that you have seen me here." Zuo Si warned very seriously.
Because he hadn't expected that the girl would be able to recognize him by one of the magic rings on her finger.
"Hey! I can keep it a secret, but you have to give me some hush money, right?"
Imoen rubbed his hands like a fly, and a malicious and cunning smile appeared on his face.
Zuo Si was immediately amused by her funny look. He took off the ram ring that had accompanied him for many years and handed it to her, saying unhappily, "Here! I think this should be able to shut your mouth."
"Is this... a magic ring?"
The girl took it in her hand and examined it carefully with great interest.
"Yes. It can summon a sheep's head made of force field to hit the target and cause huge damage. It can also be used to destroy city gates and walls. But be careful when using it, the damage it can cause is much greater than you think." Zuo Si explained patiently.
"Ha! Good! I swear I will never tell anyone that I have seen you here."
Ai Meng quickly put the ring on the index finger of her left hand, feeling the magical power contained in it.
But soon, she remembered the spell book she had found on the enemy's body before, and quickly took it out and asked in an uncertain tone: "Sos, do you think I have the potential to become a wizard?"
"Of course! Most people with no intellectual disabilities can become mages through learning.
Especially since she's such a smart and beautiful girl like you.
But I advise you not to just pick up a spell book and try it yourself.
That's really too dangerous.
If you really want to learn, I recommend you go to Baldur's Gate or other big cities' wizard towers or places that sell magic items, buy a book called "Principles and Introduction to Magic" and start learning from the beginning.
Don't worry, this book is not expensive, only about a few dozen gold coins."
After a little thought, Zuo Si gave an affirmative answer.
He vaguely remembered that the reason why Imoen changed his profession from a thief to a wizard was because he got Tanisin's spell book and then he was alone and had nothing to do but figure it out.
I have to say, this girl didn't end up blowing herself and her teammates up, or creating a terrible magical catastrophe. She was simply blessed by the goddess of luck.
"'Magic Principles and Introduction'? Okay, I remember the name of this book."
I nodded thoughtfully.
In the following time, she continued to ask some questions about the recent situation in Baldur's Gate, as well as the murder of Gorion and Aberdare being hunted by bounty hunters.
But Zuo Si did not tell the girl the truth. Instead, he acted as an evil "riddler" and deliberately revealed some vague information that seemed to be true.
Before leaving, he left behind a magic item that can be used to resurrect the dead.
As a result, Imoen didn't even hesitate and resurrected the dead halfling thief Montaro that night, which scared the other people in the team.
Fortunately, she was smart and ran away immediately after using the props without being seen by anyone.
Montaro, who had come back from the dead, was even more confused and had no idea what was going on.
Jasira firmly believed that there must be some unknown conspiracy behind this, and strongly suggested that Aberdare expel the two suspicious Zhentarim spies from the team.
Anyway, with the help of Zuo Si, this hastily assembled adventure team finally set out on their journey.
Unlike the original plot where they went south to Nashikai to investigate the iron mine and encountered pollution, this time they will face a more complicated situation, and there is also Erinikas hiding in the dark and watching...
(End of this chapter)
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