Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 386 Returning to the Arm of Friendship
At this moment, while Jadi breathed a sigh of relief, a sense of loss and frustration rose in her heart like smoke, lingering there.

"That's normal, after all, you 'violated' their interests."

Zhang Yuan smiled, emphasizing the word "violation" when he said it:

"Besides, you're a good person."

"What does this have to do with good people?" The woman with virtue frowned.

"Good people are easily targeted with knives! Do you think they dare to offend me?" The monk spoke with the air of a gangster.

"So you're saying you're not a good person?" Jady raised an eyebrow, her expression a half-smile.

"Otherwise, there is a difference between kindness and weakness."

When there was no conflict of interest, Mr. Zhang, who still had some sense of shame, decided to properly correct the other party's views:

"It is kindness to sit down and reason with someone who has the power to act unreasonably; but if the other party takes advantage of you or even becomes arrogant and refuses to reason with you, then that is weakness."

Just as Jady lowered her head to figure out the meaning behind those words, she looked up and saw the mage and Syl whispering to each other, their conversation making the siren's pretty face flush with excitement.

After a while, once he had finished his private conversation with his lover, Master Zhang discussed the preparations for the relocation with Jadi before taking his leave.

Incidentally, the petty-minded Mr. Zhang even asked for the names of those troublesome villagers and wrote them down in his little notebook.

These are all talented individuals, truly rare and valuable talents!

We must make good use of them. By the way, the most remote areas in the northwest corner of the territory need some hardworking and capable employees to develop them. These few are quite good.

These heroes, who dare to speak out and defend justice even against mid-level druids, must be full of martial virtue and will surely be able to resist the wild beasts and wandering bandits that may visit from time to time.

Hopefully, the person will be alright by then!

Mr. Zhang clasped his hands together and offered his blessings for the future.

The chaotic scene before my eyes suddenly shattered. After the somewhat familiar teleportation light and shadow dissipated, an even more familiar scene was revealed: an inn surrounded by city walls.

A friendly arm!

Looking up at the square, tall building's top floor, the mage walked forward, showing the Flame Fist emblem to the guards on either side of the gate, and leisurely strode towards the courtyard amidst their surprised gazes.

Zhang Yuan strolled through the courtyard. Before he even stepped onto the stairs in front of the building, he saw a short figure rush out of the door and leap down the steps like a rolling thunderbolt, coming directly in front of him.

"Long time no see, Mr. Bantley."

Zhang Yuan naturally knew who the visitor was, and smiled as he bowed to the long-unseen old dwarf mage.

"My Garrion, when I first sensed the teleportation spell, I thought it was an old friend visiting, but it's you, kid!"

Old Banter had deliberately stood on a few steps, making himself half a head taller than Zhang Yuan. As he spoke, he walked around Zhang Yuan, looked him up and down, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Good heavens, a teleportation spell? You didn't cast it yourself, did you?"

The question was phrased with an air of certainty. Teleportation isn't something you can just pull off by tearing open a scroll. Judging from the accuracy of this kid's teleportation landing and his subsequent composure, he's probably already used to it. "What an enviable talent! In just over a year, you've already reached the mid-level spellcasting stage of the fifth ring."

Old Banter looked up at his new disciple, his eyes filled with surprise, envy, and even more so with satisfaction.

Despite his many regrets about his future in the arcane path, Bantley, who was considered old even by gnome standards, had long been aware of his situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have settled down here to be an innkeeper and spend his later years in peace.

The rough gem I discovered has begun to show its brilliance. In less than two years, it has grown from a complete novice to a fellow traveler who is only one step away from me. I am filled with mixed feelings of emotion and joy.

"Thank you for your insightful judgment that day."

Although he had made some jokes and acted irreverently during his studies, Zhang Yuan felt genuinely grateful to the mentors who guided him on his arcane path.

At that time, he was blocked outside the gate of mystery. Even though he was still confident in his future, he couldn't help but feel helpless. Whether it was investing or mentoring younger people, the other party's kindness and assistance were undeniable facts.

"Don't flatter me. I've helped quite a few younger people, but how many have changed like you?"

Bantley and Zhang Yuan stepped into the Arm of Friendship building. The frost and snow of winter were kept out. They walked through the hall, which was as warm and bright as ever, filled with the laughter of dancers and the noise of travelers. There was no awkwardness between the two of them after being separated for many days. They talked and laughed about the past and reminisced about their reunion.

"When you said you were going to the North, I thought it was just an adventure, a long journey. I never imagined it would take so long."

Old Bentley leisurely filled his beloved pipe with tobacco, lit it with a flicker of his fingertips, took a satisfying puff, then leaned against the bar and exhaled a large smoke ring.

"And from what you're saying, you're going to stay in Neverwinter as your lord from now on? Well, Flame Fist alone isn't enough to satisfy your appetite, but what about Tyranitar?"

"I came back for these reasons, and besides, geographical distance is not a difficult problem for us, it doesn't cause any trouble."

"Whoosh~" Another white circle floated up, and the old mage put down his pipe: "Mage Lord, this path is not so easy, but you have been through so much, you must have your own ideas. I won't try to persuade you. Tell me, is there anything Old Banter can do to help you?"

"What are you saying? Can't I just come to visit you, sir?"

Zhang Yuan shook his head, took out a tightly tied pouch from his storage bag, and handed it over.

"Yes, it's absolutely possible, I just don't believe it."

The old monk took the bag with a look of utter disbelief. He picked it up and found it to be very light. Before he even untied the drawstring, he could smell a faint tobacco scent.

Bantley sniffed the air, quickly untied the thin rope, reached into the bag, and carefully plucked out a few yellowish-brown leaves, as if holding a soft feather.

"Hmm, good stuff, kid, you've got guts."

The old smoker held the leaf under his nose to savor it carefully, and after a while, he looked up, snorted, and said with satisfaction.

"Hehe, this is top-grade tobacco from Neverwinter City. I only managed to get this little bit from an elder with great difficulty."

Zhang Yuan couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of Barras's pained expression at the time:

"I heard that famous old rogue who always has a pipe in his mouth also likes this kind of thing, but I don't know if it's true."

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(End of this chapter)