A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

When was the last time you were condescendingly looked down upon?

Elminster obviously didn't remember much.

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 to the path of a mage.

During this time, he developed good swordsmanship, pickpocketing and stealth skills.

And these skills also gave him great help in his future adventure life.

Even in the years when he went to study in Myth Drannor, facing the extremely arrogant and conceited elven high mages, 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, and she was a beautiful, elegant, and pretty woman, and she had done some indescribable things with the second-generation magic goddess.

As for after the fall of Mis Drannor, he has mastered enough magical power, and has the blessing of the electorate of the goddess of magic. No matter who sees him, he will be polite.

Even the most powerful enemies are more afraid and fearful of them.

During the turbulent years, Elminster even relied on the divine power and divinity sealed in his body by the goddess to personally confront the saint of Bane, the god of tyranny.

With this power, he summoned the fallen second-generation magic goddess with the elemental spirit of the magic network, and successfully defeated the Dark Lord's attempt.

It is precisely because of this incident that many people mistakenly believe that he is the closest to a god among all the active legendary mages in Faerûn today.

Although Elminster is very clear that there is a huge insurmountable gap between himself and the real gods.

But this does not prevent him from enjoying the various benefits brought by this huge reputation, especially the awe of enemies like Manson and Sazastan who also possess powerful magical power.

But now, what is most unacceptable to the great sage of Shadow Valley is that he is actually regarded as a stubborn old man who is ignorant, stupid and ignorant by his juniors who may not be a fraction of his age.

Especially the pity revealed in his eyes was like an extremely sharp needle, deeply piercing his self-esteem and the pride he had always had.

Intense anger burns like hay on fire and cannot be suppressed.

To sum it up simply, it breaks the defense.

Zuo Si undoubtedly noticed this and immediately laughed and joked: "Hahahaha! Are you angry?

It’s okay to be angry!

Do you know what is the most annoying thing about you?

It is this condescending attitude of always lecturing others in the manner of a sage, a senior, or someone who has experienced it.

You always stand from an empirical point of view and mistakenly believe that the primitive, barbaric, chaotic and highly decentralized state of Faerûn in the past few hundred years was the norm.

I feel that maintaining the existing city-states and each territory and village not belonging to each other can reflect the so-called free will.

As everyone knows, that is just the most insignificant part of the tens of thousands of years of history on 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, let alone what most people in the world living at the bottom of society really need.

Of course, I don't blame you.

Because many times even they themselves don’t know what they are longing for in their hearts.

After all, before this, there had never been a huge country with a high degree of political and economic unity on Faerûn, and there had never been a stable regime that had never experienced turmoil for more than ten years or even decades.

And what I want to do is to show this possibility.

Maybe the country I established will one day collapse and perish like Netheril and Imaskar, hundreds or even thousands of years later.

But it can plant a seed in the hearts of all people living on this land!

This seed will be like a candle in the darkness, illuminating the way forward for the people who were plunged into war, famine and suffering after the collapse of the empire.

All subsequent leaders and rulers will regard the restoration of the empire that I personally founded as the highest goal they pursue throughout their lives.

Do you think what I am doing is to satisfy my desire for power and dominance?

No!

What I really want to do is to raise the expectations of the people at the bottom of this world for a better life!

Let them understand what life is, instead of trying their best to just maintain the most basic survival like now.

Because of this, I don't care at all about the hostility between you and the Harper Alliance.

After all, this time, you are playing the role of destroyer of order, standing on the opposite side of the interests of most people.

I am on the side of the majority. "

"Hmph! Then let's wait and see!"

Elminster extinguished the embers in his pipe, displaying an extremely stubborn side of his character.

Perhaps he had seen too many people corrupted by power, so he opposed the establishment of an overly large country from the bottom of his heart, believing that it would ultimately only lead to the concentration of power to a few powerful people, leading to horrific corruption, oppression, and slavery.

Of course, to a large extent, his idea is not wrong.

The larger the country is with its land area and population, the more it needs to build a complex and rigorous governance system.

Once this system is completed, power and wealth will inevitably begin to flow into the hands of the privileged class.

Whether this class is bureaucrats, aristocrats, or businessmen who dominate capital;

No matter what system this country adopts.

Eventually, when vested interest groups form a monopoly, the country will completely become its tool to squeeze and enslave ordinary people.

At this moment, the more powerful the state machine is, the more serious the harm it will cause to the people at the bottom.

As for the corruption caused by the transaction of money and power, it is an almost unsolvable problem.

To date, no political system can eliminate internal corruption.

Whether it is the Silver Moon Alliance under the leadership of Alustriel, the city of Neverwinter led by the Church of Tyr, the God of Justice, or the City of Waterdeep where the judicial system is considered relatively clean, the corruption problem among its internal bureaucracies is quite serious.

After all, most people are selfish and greedy by nature.

Especially in the absence of effective regulatory means, many bureaucrats with real power can take advantage of legal loopholes to benefit themselves.

As a person from a modern society, Zuo Si knows very well that corruption can never be eradicated by the judicial system alone.

No matter how independent, honest and fair the judicial system is, it is pretty good if it can effectively curb the spread of corruption.

Taking a closer look at the modern countries on earth, none of them rely on legal means to clean up large-scale systemic corruption within them. Political means are usually used.

So he chose to let the undead lichs outside the power system be responsible for supervision and draw an insurmountable red line.

Once a powerful person crosses this red line, what awaits them is no longer a judicial trial, but may affect the disappearance of the entire family.

Although Zuo Si is not sure how long the deterrence-based supervision system he has established can last, at least it is still very useful at this stage.

Perhaps in the future, we can consider adding Shuoyou mobile terminal as a monitoring supplement.

As Elminster was angered by the stimulation, a silence that lasted for more than ten minutes quickly fell between the two.

If it had been in the past when there were less people in the hotel, the difference between them might have been quickly noticed by Jasila and Khalid, who were sitting more than ten meters away.

However, due to the recent raging of Sarevok's bandits, the Friendly Arm Hotel was crowded with merchants and convoys who were too scared to go out for the time being.

At a glance, the entire hall was in a mess.

Some of the more unlucky ones have been trapped here for many days, and their moods can be said to be extremely bad. The slightest bump in the road will immediately lead to conflicts and abuse, and in more serious cases, fights will break out.

Thanks to Bantly Mirror Shadow, who is a powerful dwarf mage, he can often stop the situation before it becomes irreversible.

Otherwise, an ordinary hotel owner would probably have to watch the guests in the lobby physically mingle.

Taking advantage of this moment, Zuo Si looked at Jasira, who he had cooperated with not far away, with great interest, and found that the half-elf druid had become more mature and feminine than a few years ago.

Especially the kind of beauty with a slightly strong and wild temperament can easily make men with strong hormone secretion desire to conquer.

In addition, "married woman" is a bonus in the eyes of many old sex critics...

No wonder Aberdare, the son of Baal, could have thoughts about him in his heart when he first met him.

In just a few minutes, Khalid had to step in and send away several guys who came to chat with and harass his wife.

"Aren't you going to go say hello to them?"

Elminster had obviously calmed down and spoke again to break the silence.

Zuo Si chuckled and shook his head: "Let's forget it.

The last time Jasira and Khalid and I were separated was not a pleasant one.

I believe they don't want to see me appear at this point in time.

What's more, do you know how many variables it will bring to the already complicated situation once the news of my appearance in Friendly Arms spreads?

At least the Dukes of Baldur's Gate will be nervous to death, and the forces lurking in the dark and waiting for opportunities will also change their original plans.

This is just like you deliberately hiding your identity to pick up Gillian's adopted son two days ago. The truth is actually the same.

This is a game where none of us are in a good position to end the game personally. "

"How do you know that I went to contact Gillian's adopted son? Could it be that... you arranged the two Zhentarim spies in the team!" Elminster asked slightly surprised.

"No, no, no, don't think I'm that boring.

In fact, that's just the normal operation of the Zhentarim dark intelligence network. It has nothing to do with me, and I don't rely on the intelligence they pass on.

For neither Aberdare nor Imoen have any secrets from me.

I knew from the beginning the cruel, dark and bloody fate they were carrying, and I also knew what would happen next.

Believe me, no matter what influence you try to exert on the Sons of Baal, the final result will be failure.

The divinity and power of the God of Murder determined that they had no second way to go.

All the sons of Baal must take part in this feast of carnage 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 method.

It is even more impossible to enter the Hazy Realm and go to the country where one believes in the gods to become a petitioner.

The only way to escape this tragic fate is to kill all the other brothers and sisters and become the final winner. "

While saying these words, Zuo Si always stared into the other person's eyes, trying to determine how much the chosen one of the goddess of magic knew about the truth about the Throne of Blood.

Just like what he just described, the saddest thing about the Sons of Baal is that they have no choice, and they also have no way to live their lives peacefully like ordinary people.

Just when Elminster opened his mouth to say something, a loud noise suddenly came from the door of the hotel.

Then several people ran in from outside and shouted: "No... it's not good! Someone is fighting outside! There is an unknown mage who is casting a spell! He has already killed two guards!"

"What? Who! Who dares to kill people on my territory! And the ones they kill are guards?"

The innkeeper, Bentley Mirror Shadow, who was sitting at the bar selling low-level homemade magic items to a tourist, suddenly jumped up, with a look of shock and anger on his face.

"I know that mage! He calls himself Tanisin! He is a bounty hunter! He seems to be tracking someone who has a bounty on his head!"

Another drunken mercenary suddenly interrupted.

"Damn it! You can't do that at Friendly Arms! This is my territory! Everyone must abide by the rules I set!"

Bantli knocked on the table angrily, then got under the bar and took out the spell-casting material package and some magic items, intending to arm himself and go out to teach this ignorant mage a lesson.

But while he was tinkering, on the narrow street outside the hotel entrance, Aberdare was experiencing the most critical moment in his life.

Because unlike the last time he was attacked and protected by his adoptive father Gillian, this time he had to face the terrible magical threat on his own.

The enemy just 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 sleep.

Another halfling thief, Montaro, was obviously charmed and was chasing Imoen to attack madly, leaving him with no time to draw his bow and shoot arrows.

As for Aberdare himself, he was also 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 severe pain and wanted to rush forward and hack the opponent to death.

Unfortunately, when he rushed forward, he suddenly felt that his eyes were blurred, and several identical enemies appeared.

[Mirror Shadow Technique]?

Since he was raised by a mage, the son of Baal instantly recognized the illusion magic that arcane casters often use when they suffer melee attacks.

He didn't have time to think too much, he picked up the giant sword and slashed at the nearest person.

Unfortunately, it turns out that this is not an entity, but an illusion created by magic.

The sharp sword passed through the illusion without any hindrance, and the illusion also disappeared.

There are two more!

Aberdare immediately changed direction and made another powerful slash with his backhand.

It's a pity that his luck didn't seem to be very good, and the 50% probability failed, and the sword passed through the illusion again.

The consequences of two consecutive attack errors are obviously very serious.

As a bounty hunter, Tanizin completed his spell, raised his hand and pointed lightly at the Son of Baal.

moment!

An indescribable fear flooded into Aberdare's brain and consciousness.

At this moment, there was only one thought left in his heart.

That's escape!

Tanisin easily used a second-ring magic [Intimidation] to manipulate the Son of God into the palm of his hand.

Now, he can calmly chant a spell to summon a small infernal snake, give each of these prey a kiss of death, and then cut off the target's head to collect the bounty.

But at this critical moment, Aberdare, who was still in panic, suddenly flashed a dark red light that was difficult to detect, followed by an uncontrollable bloodthirsty desire that replaced the previous fear.

Before Tanisin could react to what was happening, he saw a dazzling cold light flashing in front of him.

Immediately afterwards there was severe pain and blood spurting out, and then he fell uncontrollably on his back to the ground.

At the last moment of losing consciousness, the mage finally realized that his collarbone had been split open along the side of his neck by the giant sword, and half of his body and a large number of internal organs were exposed.

But until his death, he still didn't understand why the young man with a bounty on his head 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, Tanizin will never know the answer.

Aberdare, who had successfully killed a powerful enemy, fell into a very strange state as he looked at the internal organs flowing out from the split corpse and the thick plasma that had gathered to form a pool.

He could feel that something was awakening in his body.

And after killing, not only did I not feel sick or uncomfortable, but I felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure and enjoyment, as if killing could bring unprecedented pleasure.

fortunately!

This state did not last long, and Aberdare was awakened by Imoen's cry for help.

Since Montaro is a spy of the Zhentarim, he obviously has much more experience in combat than the girl.

The latter was in danger under his fierce attack, and even the string of the short bow was cut off by the dagger.

"Get away! Stay away from Imoen!"

Seeing that the little sister he had grown up with was almost killed, Aberdare immediately became extremely angry and violent. He rushed forward and knocked the opponent away with his strength and size advantage.

But due to being charmed by magic, Montaro did not choose to escape or stop attacking just because the situation was not good for him.

Just the opposite!

He instantly took out a bottle of invisibility potion, drank it, and disappeared from the sight of the other two people.

About two or three seconds later, this sinister and cunning little man jumped out of the shadows and stabbed Aberdare hard in the back of the neck with a dagger.

"careful!"

Imoen, who was also a thief, noticed this first and suddenly threw the dagger in his hand, interfering with Montaro's backstab.

Aberdare, whose life was threatened, did not hesitate and decapitated his temporary teammate who had just joined the team with a single stroke of his backhand sword.

puff! ! !

Dazzling blood arrows spurted out from the aorta in the neck, bathing the two sons of Baal in a rain of blood on the spot.

Especially the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl who saw such an impactful scene for the first time. She plopped down on the ground as if she was stupid, and her whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Oh my God! What happened here? How did it become like a slaughterhouse?"

Bantli Mirror Shadow, who had just rushed out of the hotel, was stunned and asked loudly.

Because both Tanisin and Montaro's death methods were too bloody and brutal.

What's more, there were two corpses of guards lying not far away, burned beyond recognition by fire magic.

"I...we are the victims! It was the mage who attacked us first."

Imoen, who recovered from the intense stimulation, got up first and explained to the hotel owner the reason for the fight in shock.

She didn't want her and others to be locked up as murderers, or be forcibly deported.

"That's right! I can testify for this girl! It was the guy whose body was split open. He attacked first and killed two guards who came to stop her."

A fat man dressed as a businessman carefully got out from under the carriage, his eyes filled with joy of surviving the disaster.

You must know that any battle involving a mage is often the most likely to affect the innocent people around.

Especially for fireball and burning hands, which cause range damage and can also cause fires, ordinary people without professional levels will almost certainly die if they take a hit.

"Bah! You stupid bastard! I'm taking advantage of you! You actually dare to cause trouble in Friendly Arms? If you fall into my hands, I will make you taste what it means to live worse than death."

The irritable dwarf boss spat fiercely at the corpse, and then began to call other guards to help clean up the corpse. At the same time, he said to the two sons of Baal who were covered in blood: "Well done, young man. As a response to the frightened people. As compensation, I will provide you with a free guest room, food, and drinks. Oh, by the way, the things on this damn mage are also your trophies."

"Thanks."

Aberdare was obviously still immersed in that wonderful feeling, and both his eyes and reactions seemed a little dull.

But most people, including Bantly Mirror Shadow, thought this was the sequelae caused by fighting and killing, and didn't pay much attention to it. They just patted their shoulders and said a few words of comfort.

A man dressed as an adventurer even handed him a half-drunk glass of wine, indicating that he could take a few sips to relax his tense nerves.

Imoen took the opportunity to find a spell book, dagger, potion and several scrolls from Tanisin's body, while standing 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 mentally.

As for resurrection...

Let’s not talk about whether the priest of the small temple of Friendly Arm has the ability to cast the five-ring resurrection magic.

Just the expensive price that needs to be paid for resurrection is far from enough with the financial resources the team currently has.

Therefore, laying him to rest in peace became the only option.

After all, the real world is not a game. You can buy a series of magical services such as resurrection from any temple.

Except for the main temples in big cities, priests who preside over small temples or shrines usually do not exceed LV5, and at most they can only use second- to third-level magic.

Fortunately, however, the innkeeper, upon learning of the circumstances, graciously allowed the poor victim to be buried in the walled cemetery.

At least you don’t have to worry about the corpse being dug up and eaten by wild beasts, or being awakened and turned into a zombie by a passing necromancer.

After everything calmed down, Sal, who had been hit by a sleep spell, was also woken up by two big men. Then the three of them walked into the hotel and took a hot shower first.

Not even if you don't wash it.

Because he had been running around in the wild for so many days, his body itself exuded a strong sour smell.

Coupled with the pungent smell of blood, it is estimated that walking into the hall will make half of the guests who are eating vomit.

After taking a shower, they put on clean clothes, sat down on the table near the bar, and stuffed steaming food into their mouths like hungry wolves.

Even little Imoen, as a beautiful girl, couldn't care less about her image at the moment, and her fingers and mouth were all stained with reflective oil.

Facts have proved that any accomplishment, grace, beauty, or manners are nothing in the face of real hunger.

After filling her stomach, the girl took a long breath and said in a slightly emotional voice: "I finally feel like I am alive again. This is the food that humans should eat, not the food that has no taste." Undercooked fish and grilled meat.”

"Yes! I never knew that a pot of stewed chicken could be so delicious."

Aberdare also felt his bulging appetite, staring at the empty pot that had been eaten to the point where there was only a little bit of soup left.

Although he wanted to eat more, his stomach had reached its limit and he couldn't hold it anymore.

"By the way! Didn't you say that before dying, Gillian asked you to come to Friendly Arms to find someone? Where should we start now? There are too many people here."

Aimeng glanced at the bustling scene in the hotel lobby, his eyes flashed with excitement, and his ten fingers were twitching uncontrollably.

You don't need to ask to know that this is the adventure she has been longing for since she was a child.

Especially the wallets fixed to the belts of the guests made this fledgling thief unable to help but have the evil idea of ​​making a fortune.

"Uh... I'm actually not sure where to start. Maybe if we sit here and wait for a while, the other party will come to us?"

There was strong uncertainty in Aberdare's voice.

After all, things like this that require brain use are not what he is good at.

In the past, when Gillian was alive, this dedicated adoptive father would arrange everything, and the only thing he needed to do was to do as he was told.

"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.

I heard that the West Heartland region was being invaded by Zhentil Castle's army, and many towns were willing to pay high prices to recruit capable mercenaries.

With your skill, you may be able to make a lot of money from it. "

The mage Thrall, who had always remained silent, suddenly suggested.

"war?"

I don't know why, but after hearing these two words, Aberdare suddenly felt a strong restlessness in his heart.

Since he had been traveling deep in the mountains and forests before, he had almost no idea of ​​what had happened recently in the outside world.

Sal nodded seriously: "That's right.

I have just inquired with the passing merchants, and the army of Zhentil Fort is approaching the eastbound market.

If nothing else goes wrong, it will take at most two or three days to capture it, and then continue westward along the road to conquer all the towns along the way.

Once they cross the tributary of the Chongsa River, Baldur's Gate will surely react.

This also means that a war to determine the ownership of this land is about to begin, which 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 Zhentil Keep's army, or help Zhentil Keep capture Baldur's Gate, how much fame and unimaginable rewards we would gain from it? "

"Sounds good..."

Aberdare was undoubtedly moved. He picked up the cup and took a sip of cheap dark beer. He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

Just when he wanted to ask for details, he suddenly saw two figures covering their faces with cloaks walking from a distance.

One of the shorter women said bluntly: "Don't go! That's not what you should be involved in, Aberdare Adrian."

"Who are you? Why do you know my name? And what's up with the surname Adrian? How come I never knew I had a surname?" Aberdare frowned and asked.

"We are friends of Gillian. My name is Jasira, and this is my husband Khalid. We have been waiting for you here for several days."

With that said, Jasira took off her hood to reveal her long golden hair and that beautiful face unique to half-elves.

moment!

Aberdare's eyes began to shine, and he felt that his heartbeat was accelerating uncontrollably. He subconsciously swallowed, and some fantasies that men would have appeared in his mind.

Fortunately, he did not show the dirty thoughts in his heart. Instead, he pretended to be very cautious and questioned: "How can I believe that you are not hunters here for the bounty? You know that we were just at the door of the hotel. We just experienced a fierce battle.”

"It's very simple. I have a letter that Gillian wrote not long ago. I believe you are most familiar with his notes and tone."

Jasira simply presented something that could prove her identity.

Aberdare took it and glanced at it, and immediately confirmed that the letter was written by his adoptive father. He raised his head and asked, "Gillian knew that there would be danger, so he asked you to come here in advance?"

Jasila nodded slightly: "Yes. He is a very cautious mage, and he contacted us as soon as he sensed the danger coming.

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 quickly took the right hand handed over by Jasila.

At this moment, this guy's mind was filled with beauty, and he had long forgotten the grief, anger and hatred caused by Gillian's death.

What he did proved once again that the instincts that govern human behavior are actually no different from those of most animals.

After the appetite is satisfied, the next thing to think about is how to reproduce and mate with beautiful members of the opposite sex so that their genes can continue.

As a childhood sweetheart and playmate who grew up together, Imoen obviously knew very well what Aberdare was thinking right now. He curled his lips secretly to express his contempt, and then turned his attention to other places in the hotel lobby, wanting to give himself Have some fun.

Sudden!

She saw something familiar near the table in the corner.

To be precise, a gemstone ring worn on the finger.

The girl vaguely remembered that Zuo Si was wearing the same one on his hand during the last few days after leaving Candlekeep.

But what confuses her is that the person wearing the ring is too tall, and for unknown reasons, she can't see his face clearly.

However, out of strong curiosity, Imoen chose to sneak away while others were not paying attention to her, and followed her target to a guest room on the second floor.

When she opened the door carefully and skillfully, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hey! Little thief! Are you trying to steal something from me again?"

"So... Soth!! Why are you here? And you have become so tall?"

The girl turned around suddenly, with an expression of excitement and joy on her face, and then jumped up into a passionate hug.

But just when she wanted to express her inner excitement with a more intimate kiss on the cheek, a finger poked her forehead and pushed her away gently.

"Don't rub the grease from your lips onto my face. Also, you just ate a lot of garlic and onions, right? The taste is simply indescribable."

Zuo Si wrinkled his nose and looked disgusted.

"Hahaha! I just ate not only garlic and onions, but also some pickled and smoked fish. How about it, do you want me to give you a warm kiss and share the taste of these things?"

Imoen laughed and deliberately pursed his lips, showing off his naughty and quirky personality.

Zuo Si raised his hand and tapped the girl's forehead and said teasingly: "Hot kiss? Forget it! With your current skinny body that wants butt but not butt, and wants breasts but not breasts, I'm not interested."

"Who are you talking about with a shriveled figure? I am the number one young and beautiful girl in Candle Keep!"

Aimeng tugged on her clothes and puffed out her chest as much as possible to make herself look more material.

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 eat enough meat, eggs, and milk, or because of the influence of Baal’s divine power and divinity.

Although it cannot be completely called a "steel plate" or an "airport", it is only slightly undulating.

"Yes, yes! Apart from you, is there another woman in Candlekeep who can be called a girl? As far as I know, even the youngest female librarian is over forty years old. ." Zuo Si stared at the girl's breasts and made a joke.

Since the two were already very familiar with each other when they stayed at the Candlekeep Inn a few years ago, he didn't have so many scruples when speaking, and his tone was extra casual.

"Hmph! I'm still young, and I will definitely grow older in a few years. If you don't take advantage of it now, it will be too late when I become beautiful and sexy, with a large number of suitors behind me."

Imoen raised her chin slightly, assuming the arrogant posture of a noble lady.

But within half a minute, she couldn't hold back and started giggling.

In order not to affect other guests and not to reveal his whereabouts, Zuo Si quickly invited the girl into the room he had chosen.

After closing the door, Aimeng asked again: "Why are you here? Are you specially waiting for me?"

"Although I really want to answer yes, unfortunately I am actually waiting for another person, and I just met him to talk about something." Zuo Si shrugged and replied.

"Another person?"

There was strong curiosity in Imoen's eyes.

"Don't ask, I won't tell you who he is. Also, remember not to tell anyone that you saw me here." Zuo Si warned very seriously.

Because he didn't expect that this girl could actually recognize him by one of the magic rings on her finger.

"Hey! It's okay to keep it secret, but you have to give me some hush money, right?"

Imoen made a gesture of rubbing his hands like a fly, and a malicious and treacherous smile appeared on his face.

Her funny look immediately made Zuo Si dumbfounded. He took off the ram ring that had been with him for many years and handed it over. He said angrily: "Here! I think this should be able to seal your mouth."

"Is this... a magic ring?"

The girl held it in her hand and examined it carefully.

"Yeah. It can summon a sheep's head made of a 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. It can cause much more damage than you think. ." Zuo Si explained patiently.

"Ha! That's right! I swear I will never tell anyone that I saw you here."

Aimeng put the ring on his left index finger smoothly, feeling the magical power contained in it.

But soon, she remembered the spell book she had found on the enemy's corpse, and quickly took it out and asked in an uncertain tone: "Sos, do you think I have the potential to become a mage?"

"certainly!

Most people with no intellectual deficiencies can become mages through learning.

Not to mention a beautiful girl as smart as you.

However, I advise you not to just take a spell book and try it on your own.

That's just too dangerous.

If you really want to learn, I recommend you go to Baldur's Gate or a mage tower in other big cities or a place that sells magic items, and buy a copy of "Magic Principles and Introduction" and start learning from scratch.

Don't worry, the price of this book is not expensive, only about a few dozen gold coins. "

Zuo Si thought for a moment and gave an affirmative answer.

He vaguely remembered that the reason why Imoen turned from a thief to a mage was because he got Tanisin's spell book and then was left alone to figure it out.

I have to say that this girl did not blow up herself and her teammates to death in the end, or create a terrible magical catastrophe. It was simply the blessing of the goddess of luck.

""Principles and Introduction to Magic"? Okay, I remember the name of this book."

Imoen nodded thoughtfully.

In the following time, she asked some questions one after another about the recent situation in Baldur's Gate, as well as the murder of Gillian and the pursuit of Aberdare by bounty hunters.

But Zuo Si did not tell the girl the truth. Instead, he acted as the evil "Riddler" and deliberately revealed some vague and specious information.

Before leaving, he also left behind a magic prop that could be used to resurrect the dead.

As a result, Imoen didn't even hesitate and resurrected the dead halfling thief Montaro that night, which shocked the rest of the team.

Fortunately, she was smarter 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 couldn't figure out the situation at all.

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.

In short, with Zuo Si's help, this improvised adventure team finally hit the road.

Different from the original plot where they went south to Naxikai to investigate the pollution in the iron mine, this time they will face a more complicated situation, as well as Irenekas who is hiding in the dark and watching eagerly...