Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 257 Ophira

Hmm, the sculpture has smooth and graceful curves; it looks like it was made by the elves of Evergrande Island.

And this oil painting, tsk tsk, how come it looks so much like the work of Charhan III? This thing could be treasured as a family heirloom by those nobles!

This is? !
Staring at the stone sculpture in front of her, Nancy was almost stunned and instinctively wanted to reach out and touch it.

"This is the masterpiece of the master Bryson. When this great artist came to the Northland to gather inspiration, he was invited by Baron Rampotem when he passed through Neverwinter. He could not refuse and thus completed this work for the Baroness at the time."

The familiar female voice that reached her ears made Nancy tremble and freeze on the spot.

"It is an honor to meet you, Ms. Ophira."

"Hehe, no need to be so polite, my little mage." The lady who strolled over was elegant and composed, with a charming appearance that also carried a girlish cunning, and the wonderful charm of a young woman.

Good looks alone aren't all that impressive; after all, this high-ranking official is no longer the naive young man he once was, and has encountered countless beautiful women. However...

That's domineering! Absolutely domineering!
This lady Ophira's figure truly embodies the word "domineering." She doesn't need any shaping garments to force her shape; even the wide robes can't hide her curvaceous figure, stretching the robes into an S-shaped, voluptuous shape.

The siren sister Sil's figure was already quite satisfactory to the master, at least a C+ size, but compared to the one in front of him, she was a little sister!

Not to mention Nancy and Talinda, those two steel-plate knights, they couldn't even lift their heads when they were face to face.

While Zhang Yuan greeted the man in a serious manner, a variety of fancy thoughts raced through his mind, but his expression remained completely unchanged.

With great interest, Ophira narrowed her eyes like a fox spirit and said with a smile, "Oh~ you're the Chanem that the old man was talking about? Is little Nancy with you now?"

“If there is no other mage also named Chanem who happens to be meeting you today,” Zhang Yuan said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “then it is I.”

"Tsk tsk~" Ophira smiled radiantly, her slender fingers pointing and gesturing flirtatiously at the young man's chest: "Quite imposing, no wonder you can handle our little Nancy."

Zhang Yuan now knew who Nancy had learned this trick from.

"Who, who was controlled by him? Madam, don't talk nonsense!" The female thief couldn't catch her breath and her words were a little stuttering.

“No, Ms. Ophira, what are you doing here? This is the Mage Tower, not the Moonstone Mask.”

"Oh, I'm a formal mage member of the Starry Cloak, why can't I be here?" Ophira said with an air of entitlement.

Zhang Yuan knew that this woman was not just a mere formal member; Ophira, who had already entered the ranks of high-level mages, was one of the leaders of the Star Cloak.

It makes sense. Even Nash and the Grey Guards have the shadow of these mages behind them. How could Moonstone Mask, such an underground force and intelligence hub, really let things run wild?

"What?! Madam, why have you been keeping this from me all this time?!" Nancy, who had been involved in the underground organization back in Neverwinter, was naturally familiar with Ophira, but she never imagined that she was the mage in the Star Cloak.

"Hehe~ You didn't even ask." The foxy woman laughed like she'd just stolen a fat hen. Speechless, the female thief turned away irritably to continue admiring the stone sculpture.

"When Master Brison came to Neverwinter, he was invited by more than one noble family. Apart from Nash, whom he didn't care about, almost every other one of them did. But in the end, the master only gave Baron Rambotham the honor."

Ophira recounted this past event, her tone tinged with resentment and smugness:
"With his nouveau riche attitude, how could he possibly have the taste to appreciate true art? If he hadn't been lucky enough to acquire a pair of flawless, identical emeralds to curry favor with Master Bryson, would he even have had a chance?"

That sour smell...

Oh, so if it's not his turn in matters of the heart, it's yours.

Zhang Yuan and Nancy exchanged a glance, both harboring some resentment in their hearts, but neither dared to voice it.

As for how this thing ended up in Ophira's hands?

Haha, well, it's better to see through it than to say it.

Suddenly, Nancy belatedly looked at her captain: "You came here today just to see the lady? When did you contact her? Yesterday at the academy?"

Zhang Yuan nodded, confirming the female thief's idea. Ophira also nodded slightly and said to her:
“Little Nancy, I remember you returned to this place some time ago because of what happened to Lady Elizabeth, which attracted some ill-intentioned attention. Did you gain anything from your return to Neverwinter this time?”

"Hmm." Nancy pursed her lips and hummed.

"That's good." Ophira seemed to groan or sigh, then looked at Zhang Yuan: "The Dean told me some things about you. Although I am not in charge of the Academy's affairs, the Star Cloak and the Academy are fundamentally connected."

She paused for a moment before continuing, her tone devoid of any seductive charm, replaced by a crisp, icy coldness: "Leave those two scoundrels to me; you don't need to worry about them."

“But they’re probably already on alert,” Nancy quickly interjected.

"Tch, none of these scoundrels are clean. They can find a charge against anyone. And don't interrupt me!" With that, Ophira flicked the female thief on the head, making her howl in pain as she clutched her head.

Zhang Yuan remained calm. With the Starry Cloak's abilities, he could find fault even when there was none, but he simply disdained to do so. This woman in front of him definitely had something else to say.

He reached out and pulled Nancy into his arms, then gently patted her forehead, using his inner energy to heal her wounds.

"Tsk tsk, you know how to take care of people. By the way, where were we?" Ophira's face first showed amusement, then turned serious, changing as quickly as turning the pages of a book.

"Having dealt with Luskan for so many years, we haven't just stood by and watched this old rival dabble in his own backyard." Orpheus revealed some information:
"This time when you go to Luskan, don't ride on your cloud. It's too high-profile. Are you afraid you won't stand out enough?"

"Don't look at me like that. Do you think the Dean wouldn't notice you flying all the way to the high cliffs, almost to Neverwinter City?" Ophira waved her hand, offering a brief explanation before getting to the point:
"Go to the dock area the day after tomorrow morning. There is a ship called Moonlight Rose there. Its sails are silver-edged and crescent-white, which are very eye-catching. When you get there, they will be recruiting mercenaries to accompany the ship. You can join as a mercenary."

Thank you to Ye Dabaozi, Book Friend 20180810180437756, and Alukard for your monthly ticket support!

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(End of this chapter)