Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 12 Clothes are better new than old, houses are better old than new (lol)
As expected of the Flamefist Mercenary Guild, which is responsible for the security and defense of the entire Baldur's Gate, the Flamefist headquarters completely overturned Zhang Yuan's previous understanding of the word "mercenary" from those fantasy novels.

The towering headquarters building is in no way inferior to the grandeur of the Grand Duke's mansion.

As the headquarters of the union, its architectural style has a very strong military fortress style, with all the buildings surrounded and protected by a thick city wall and several watchtowers.

It was less a union building and more a sturdy fortress.

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to step into the gate, he was stopped by the guard. "Please show your identification documents." A tall, serious-looking, and taciturn Flame Fist soldier gestured for him to stop.

They check temporary residence permits in another world? Do you think you're in Beijing or Shanghai? The country bumpkin was genuinely shocked. He had no connections here and was currently an undocumented immigrant. What kind of identity document could he possibly produce?
"What do you need as proof of identity?" Zhang Yuan asked cautiously, hoping to gather information.

"A guarantee from a Baldur's Gate citizen, a residence certificate issued by the city hall, a professional guild certification, or a mercenary identity certificate are all acceptable." The guard recited the sentence without any intonation as if reciting a memorized text.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to bring it today. Goodbye!" Zhang Yuan, feeling awkward, said this and was about to leave when several young men dressed in mage robes walked by not far away, chatting and laughing as they entered a mansion.

We're both lawyers, but I have nowhere to live while others live in mansions and villas. Zhang Yuan felt bitter; different people have different fates.

Wait, a mage? Why wouldn't I, a dignified mage, use magic to prove myself?
The Memory Mage Armor has already been cast, so only Lalok's Weak Energy Drain remains.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Yuan looked around for small animals that could be released. He couldn't very well release them on people, could he? He was there to seek advice, not to cause trouble.

After searching the area for a while, Zhang Yuan finally found a large rat hiding in a dark corner. He turned around and walked back to the gate guard, pointed at the rat, and shouted, "Look at that rat!"

He then began chanting incantations, his hands outlining spell-casting gestures. Just by looking at the presentation, he could fool ordinary people.

"Vita, Mortis, Careo" As the last note faded, a strange red ball of light shot out from his hand, striking the large rat before it could react.

The innocent rat died on the spot, and a pale white light flew swiftly from the rat's corpse toward the culprit.

As the white light merged into Zhang Yuan's body, he felt as if he had drunk from the little red bottle. His skin, which had been scratched and chafed by the coarse cloth clothes, instantly returned to its previous perfect state.

"This must be the life force absorbed by the spell." As one of the few arcane spells with healing abilities, its effects made Zhang Yuan feel that it was worth the price.

After killing the rat with Laroque's Drain Energy spell in front of the guard, Zhang Yuan looked at him without saying a word and thought to himself, "Now that this guy knows who I am, shouldn't he respectfully welcome me in?"

To his surprise, the guard looked at Zhang Yuan with confusion and said, "Thank you for eliminating a pest for our city, but we can't let you in just because you killed a rat."

Zhang was speechless, his mind racing with a million questions. He never expected to receive such a response.

Fortunately, the only one who was oblivious was the person in front of him. The guard next to him rushed over and apologized on behalf of his companion, then turned around and scolded, "Wasn't that spell cast by the mage in front of you? Is a piece of paper more convincing than a real spell?"

The burly guard who had been reprimanded earlier was stunned. He chuckled sheepishly, bowed, and retreated. The guard who had rushed over explained to Master Zhang Yuan, "Master, my companion didn't mean any harm. He's just a bit slow on the uptake. By the way, my name is Kent. May I ask your name?"

Seeing how polite the other party was, Zhang Yuan understood that this was probably a privilege of mages. As a rare spellcasting profession, they always received preferential treatment, both overt and covert. If it were some lowly warrior who forgot his ID and tried to show off his sword skills at someone's door, would they even let him in?

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment, then suddenly had a little idea: "You're welcome, you can just call me Chanem."

“Lord Chanem, please follow me.” Kent, who found Zhang Yuan’s alias a little strange, didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just a difference in Karatu’s name.

Following Kent through the gate, he headed straight for the Flame Fist Guild's office. During his conversation with Kent, he learned the name of the big guard: Sorey.

After carefully dealing with Kent's conversation, Zhang Yuan finally arrived at the office. He breathed a sigh of relief, no longer having to continue making up stories about the customs and anecdotes of his hometown, "Karatu," to appease the curious person beside him.

After listening to Kent's introduction, the receptionist at the Flame Fist office was quite polite to Zhang Yuan. "Your Excellency, to avoid today's trouble, you can obtain a certificate from Flame Fist or the Mage Tower, but our fees are much cheaper than theirs."

After inquiring about the price, Zhang Yuan reluctantly took out five silver coins to exchange for the document, and then revealed his original purpose for coming here.

The receptionist, who had just made a quick buck from someone, wasn't in a hurry to act as Zhang Yuan's real estate agent. Instead, he suggested, "Since you are a mage, you could join one of the mage towers or spellcasting organizations in Baldur's Gate, or sign a contract with our Flame Fist. That way, you won't have to spend your money on accommodation."

The other party spoke very sincerely, and Zhang Yuan could sense their intention to recruit him, but he could only politely decline their offer: "Thank you for your enthusiasm, but I'm not being modest. How can a novice mage like me be qualified to be the mage of Flame Fist? Please find someone more capable."

Zhang Yuan then added, "I plan to take some time to consider which spellcasting organization to join. In the meantime, I hope to have a place to stay in Baldur's Gate, whether it's renting a house or lodging."

The receptionist, unperturbed by the rejection, simply wasn't as enthusiastic as before. He nodded and said, "Lodging isn't our responsibility, but if you want to rent one of those old houses south of the city gate, you can pay a deposit here first, and we'll send someone to help you choose."

When Zhang Yuan asked about the minimum deposit of 50 gold coins, he gasped and immediately wanted to turn around and leave.

Seeing Zhang Yuan's predicament, the receptionist kindly suggested that he take on the Flame Fist Guild's bounty mission, "After all, we have many great young men here who would be interested in teaming up with a mage, so earning enough bounty is not too difficult."

Even a hero can be brought down by a lack of funds. Since this was currently the only relatively reliable way to make money, Zhang Yuan decided to accept the advice, but at the same time, he was determined to...

Start with the simplest tasks, preferably fighting goblins or futuristic monsters.

Zhang, who practically had the words "follow your heart" written all over his face, naturally prioritized stability. As for why he simply refused to take on any missions...
Since learning that he had come to the perilous world of Faerûn, Zhang Yuan had never dared to hope that he could live a peaceful life. You can't survive a lifetime by just lying low, even if you are a magician.

Whether it's the appearance of the Son of Slaughter or other major events, they are all catastrophes that sweep across entire or even several countries. If one does not have the power to control one's own destiny by then, it means entrusting one's life to the hands of others, which is something he absolutely cannot accept.

As for finding a mage tower to research spells and staying home forever?
However, becoming a monk is not a profession that can be achieved simply by studying in seclusion. Without capital and accumulation, this path will only be more difficult. After all, it is not a joke that poor people cannot become monks, but a stark reality.

(End of this chapter)