Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 43 Inside Gaoli Fortress (Bonus Chapter in Thanks to Readers)
The three people following behind the golem didn't dare to look around, but even so, what they saw and heard along the way was enough to dazzle these country bumpkins and broaden their horizons.

For example, in the golem construction room we just passed, at a glance, the two-meter-tall flesh golem was just the most inconspicuous type of construct. Others, such as clay golems, stone golems, and even steel golems, were also on display. Apart from the legendary diamond golems and mithril golems, the mainstream golems of the mage world were basically all there.

The golems in the assembly room are not like the fully assembled, freely moving ones in front of us. Some are still missing one or two parts, quietly waiting to be assembled on the workbench, while others simply exist in the form of parts, without even a human form, and can only be identified by their material.

Beyond the construction room, a cultivation room on the left caused a stir among the group. The ceiling of the cultivation room was higher than that of the other rooms, with a light source hanging from it, emitting a bright but not glaring light that shone on the various square and colorful plants below. This must be the greenhouse and artificial light source characteristic of Ferren.

The plants in the greenhouse were vying for attention, and there were many different kinds of plants. There were tall trees with long, sword-shaped leaves that drooped like willows, and the trunks and branches emitted a pale blue fluorescence.

There are bright and huge flowers, as big as washbasins, with petals that are as red as flames, and the flower center arches inward like a volcano, accommodating golden stamens;

The vines, which meandered like snakes, were almost mistaken for pythons by Zhang Yuan, were it not for the small yellow flowers and branches that bloomed on them.

Having seen all sorts of strange and wonderful things along the way, the three, whose curiosity had been greatly satisfied, couldn't help but feel a sense of fear in the face of the unknown and powerful forces. After all, it was certainly interesting to stand outside and admire, but if they were the ones lying inside, probably no one would find it interesting.

Following the counter-clockwise spiral staircase, the group arrived at the third floor of the tower with the golem. Inside, they found themselves in a grand hall, its spacious and tidy furnishings reminiscent of a temple or the mansion of a nobleman, only less luxurious and more simple.

Archmage Tyrantir stood beside a bench, his gray hair revealing his advanced age, yet his upright back showed no sign of hunching.

He stood there, head slightly lowered, seemingly deep in thought, his right index finger tapping slowly on the back of the bench.

As soon as the three of them arrived, they saw the silent Grand Master. No one dared to disturb the master's contemplation. In the silence, it was as if they dared not even breathe.

Before long, the archmage suddenly raised his head: "A group of curious adventurers? Or greedy mercenaries? Or half-baked mages? It doesn't matter."

“What I need is a reason, a reason enough for a mage whose research has been interrupted to waste his research time to meet a group of adventurers.” Tyrantir’s voice wasn’t loud, but when that deep voice reached the three of them, they all shivered.

Zhang Yuan quickly stepped forward to explain: "Respected Master Tyrantir, we are adventurers from Baldur's Gate. Your name is renowned throughout the entire Sword Coast."

“We apologize for taking up your valuable time, Master, as we are eager to learn from your profound wisdom.”

Tyrantil nodded, seemingly pleased: "Well said."

His expression immediately changed: "But it's all nonsense. You want wisdom? Wisdom is something you acquire yourself, not something given to you by others. If you want to hear it, the first lesson I'll teach you is to speak like a human being!"

"I don't know where you learned this nonsensical, half-baked aristocratic tone. Do you think such foolish and empty flattery can move a mage with any sense? If you were a mage, wouldn't you know that we pursue truth, not worldly adulation?" The archmage showed no mercy, giving the man a lecture that made him blush with shame, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

This is more than just being eccentric; it's downright eccentric!

This served as a wake-up call for Zhang Yuan. When dealing with mages, the adage "more politeness is never wrong" might not be as effective as being frank and direct. They might be cunning and shrewd; there's no point in being overly cautious. Calming himself and refining his words, Zhang Yuan became much more straightforward: "Master Tyrantir, I came here to seek apprenticeship after hearing that the master of Highhold Fortress is a great mage. I am a born awakener, without a mentor, and I came seeking this opportunity thanks to the recommendation of Master Bantli Mirror Shadow."

"A born awakened one? That's quite rare," Tyrantir said, showing interest for the first time. "Indeed, if you weren't born awakened, it would be strange if someone with your intelligence could become a mage."

"You're still cursing?" The person gritted their teeth and held back.

“But what does your talent have to do with me? I’ve never taken on a disciple before, so why should I make an exception for you?” Tyrantir calmed his expression.

Stumped by the question, Zhang Yuan didn't know how to answer for a moment. He thought and thought but couldn't find anything that could move the other party. If someone has made up their mind not to take you as a disciple, no matter how talented you are, it's all in vain.

Gifts? What could a great mage possibly lack? Even if he lacked something, he probably couldn't afford it even if he sold himself.

Cater to his interests? What are his hobbies? Growing flowers and plants? Making Gundams? Wait, Gundams? Golems?

Thinking of the other person's preference for golems, I couldn't help but look over.

Tyrantir's gaze wasn't even on the three of them; instead, he showed a keen interest in Little, the chess piece.

With his guess in mind, Zhang Yuan spoke up: "This is my summoned creature, similar to a stone elemental or a rock golem."

"A summoned creature? You're saying you summoned this with magic?" This was truly unexpected for Tyrantir. She had thought it was a new kind of puppet, or a beggar's version of a stone golem.

From the beginning, Tyrantir never thought it was some kind of earth or stone elemental. Not to mention that as an archmage, how could he not recognize the characteristics of elemental creatures? Moreover, spells like summoning earth or stone golems require at least a sixth-circle cleric in the Conjuration school to perform.

He didn't believe that the little mage in front of him, who exuded an aura of being a complete newbie, could have a spellcasting level of at least 12.

"Otherwise, why do you think I'd let a bunch of brainless adventurers like you in? If every adventurer could enter my mage tower, and if I had to spend time dealing with idiots every day, what would I do with my research, experiments, and magical items? Do you think I'm that general store owner, Harbourshire?"

Although he was scolded by Tyranitar and felt that his IQ had been reduced by a sliver, he still managed to cheer himself up with his thick skin. Since he had something that the other party was interested in, then there was a chance.

“I named this stone man Little. He was indeed summoned by me using the Level 1 Summon Monster Spell,” Zhang Yuan tried to explain Little’s origins without revealing his cheat ability: “When I was learning this spell with the help of Master Bantli, I suddenly connected to a plane with different mechanical puppet creatures. Little was summoned from there.”

Zhang Yuan didn't dare to lie from beginning to end. After all, the spell to detect lies was extremely easy for a great mage. It was even possible that the mage tower had directly stabilized this spell.

"A plane of machines and puppets? Could it be the Clockwork Mechanical Realm of Absolute Order?" Tyrantir began to speculate: "But your spell probes cannot point to another outer plane for no reason, unless someone has tampered with your spell beacon, or some being of the Mechanical Realm has simply placed a spacetime anchor on you, turning your summoning spells into a specific signal."

(End of this chapter)