Super Magician: The Magic Network Collapsed Again at the Start

Chapter 71 Do you want to... pull off a heist?

At dawn, the sound of a loud and melodious horn drifted in from outside the window.

Anser turned over, and the warm sunlight fell directly on his face, feeling cozy and a little itchy.

He sat up, stretched, and his body immediately became active. He felt great, full of energy, and had the illusion that he would never get tired.

"Dong dong dong..."

He got up and opened the door. Blatt stood outside, looking excited: "Come and see! Two warships have arrived at Silverscale Bay!"

"Which warship?"

Anser followed Blatt to his room, and looking out the window, he could indeed see several more sailboats at the Silverscale Bay anchorage.

He took the binoculars, scanned the area, and focused his gaze on two medium-sized sailing ships. Rows of cannons were placed on both sides of the ships, and although they were covered by tarpaulins, their outlines were still clearly visible.

At the top of the stern tower, a huge blue flag with a crescent moon and silver stars fluttered in the wind.

"This is the cruiser fleet of Waterdeep City, a small fleet of two or three ships..." Anser's tone was somewhat excited.

The cruiser fleet primarily patrolled Sword Coast, extending north to Neverwinter and south to Neransir, combating piracy and smuggling, and ensuring the safety of merchant ships.

This small fleet is likely here to support Baldur's Gate. As an important ally of Baldur's Gate, Waterdeep will inevitably take action.

His agitation stemmed from the strained relationship between Deepwater City and Am, stemming not only from business competition but also from historical reasons.

Am had assassinated a nobleman from Waterdeep, and the two sides had a long-standing feud. Moreover, Am was only interested in profit and would do anything to make money, especially the slave trade, which he extended his reach to Skullport in Waterdeep.

The slave trade was classified as a first-degree felony by Waterdeep. A first conviction resulted in the confiscation of all property and life imprisonment in the Troll Wastes. Repeat offenders were executed and their souls were sealed in the magical prison of the Anvil Tomb.

With the warships of Waterdeep City nearby, who would dare to openly engage in the slave trade?

"With their arrival, Silverscale Bay seems to have calmed down a bit," Blatt remarked.

Anser adjusted the telescope's angle, fixing his gaze on the [Sea Shark] on the dock, where people were busily moving cargo or resupplying.

"They're going to run."

"Who?"

"【Sea Shark】, this is probably also a slave ship."

“It’s unlikely that Waterdeep would target them at a time like this, is it?” Blatt asked doubtfully.

“That’s not necessarily true.” Anser smiled faintly. The Deepwater City he knew wasn’t so rigid.

Just then, a series of footsteps sounded, and then Dara appeared at the door. Seeing that the door was not closed, she banged on the door frame twice.

"Have you packed your things? Hurry up and have breakfast. After you finish, come with me."

"All packed up," Blatt quickly replied.

"Hurry up, let's leave together at eight." Dara gave Anser a playful smile, then turned and went downstairs.

"Let's go." Anser waved his hand.

The group didn't have much stuff; each person had a large backpack, and much of what they had bought was just yesterday.

Nornos was responsible for carrying the luggage, while the others only carried weapons and personal belongings.

The restaurant wasn't crowded, so they ate a little something and only realized when they went outside that everyone was at the garden entrance.

There were six or seven elven waiters and two guests, one large and one small, all carrying luggage, though most of the elves only carried a backpack.

Clara stood beside Kafka, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons when she saw Anser. But then her expression turned serious, and she put one hand on her hip and beckoned to Anser with the other: "Come on, come on, we've been waiting for you..."

The crowd burst into laughter, but Dara covered her face with her hands. Anser knew without a doubt who little Clara was imitating.

"Coming, coming." Anser glanced at his watch; it wasn't even eight o'clock yet.

He picked up Clara, put her on the saddle, and walked with the others.

The group chatted and laughed as they made their way to the pier, the atmosphere relaxed.

"Where's your sister...?" Anser looked around but couldn't find Gwyneth.

“She’s always stayed here; this is our home. I was mainly here to deliver Clara…” Careno explained. They were all from Paros, which was why Gwyneth was so interested when the slave traders mentioned the city.

Paros is located more than 100 kilometers north of Baldur's Gate. It is a port city with a diverse population, but humans make up less than 20% of the population.

It is said that this place used to be a small fishing village inhabited by a group of slaves who had survived a shipwreck. Fearing that slave traders would come after them again, they formed an organization called "Paros" to protect themselves.

Then, through continued protection, Paros became a powerful force. After being favored by the Grand Duke of Rivendare, its development was rapid, attracting many surface races to settle there.

However, this place is not a good port, with a population of only 20,000 and trade is not very developed. Its advantage is that it is very safe.

A merchant ship belonging to Paros, the "Quise," makes two trips to Baldur's Gate each month, stopping at Silverscale Bay for a day each time.

The servants of Moon Shadow Kuiling would take this opportunity to go home in turns.

Previously, the ship's schedule was uncertain, so Kaleno couldn't say too much because of the Baldur's Gate incident. It was unclear whether the [Quise] would come or when it would arrive.

"When will we set sail?" Anser asked.

“I don’t know.” Carreno shrugged. “This is the first time the [Quiser] has docked at Silverscale Bay since the disaster, but don’t worry, my sister communicated with them when it docked at dawn, and it’s okay to bring people.”

My sister is one of the investors in the "Quiser," so she has some influence.

“Hmm.” Anser nodded slightly. It seemed that Gwyneth held a high position in Paros; not just anyone could invest in such a directly controlled official ship.

When they arrived at the dock, they saw a uniquely styled sailboat in the distance.

The ship is over forty meters long, with a slender shape and pointed, curved ends, resembling a crescent moon, giving it a sense of lightness.

It did not have a long deck like a galleon, had few cannons on deck, and below deck were cargo holds and crew quarters. It had no forecastle, only three sterncastles.

A large crowd had gathered around the berth of the QUESTER, but the crew prevented anyone from boarding.

When Carreno arrived, the crew quickly lowered the rope ladder and helped him up. There were no questions or checks throughout the process, as they knew each other very well.

"Quisel" comes from Elvish and means "elf," but the crew members are not all elves. There are humans, half-humans, half-elves, dwarves, and dragonborn, making it a unique and diverse mix.

The rooms on the ship were all small, with four people sharing a room, even for Carreno.

According to him, such conditions already surpass those of 90% of merchant ships and warships. Most sailors on warships don't even have fixed beds; they just put up a hammock next to the gun mount or on the lower deck to sleep, and then take it down during the day.

Little Clara wanted to live with Anser, but Dara forcibly took her away, and she cried for a while. It's not convenient for a grown man to take care of a girl, and the two aren't father and daughter.

Nornos was too big to stay on the deck. It floated around and ate and drank with the crew. It wanted to take a bite of anything that looked good, even though it wasn't hungry. It was just curious.

This is where the West Wind Horseshoe comes in; gravity is dispersed by the levitation force field, so even a large and heavy object like Nornos won't damage the deck.

Anser gave it a few instructions, then went to the stern alone and silently observed the Sea Shark hundreds of meters away.

Tap tap tap, unfamiliar yet light footsteps approached and stopped a few meters behind him on the deck.

“That was a slave ship.” The voice was deep and tinged with a sense of vicissitude.

“I know, the Nashval family’s [Sea Shark].” Anser turned to look at the person who had come.

This was a male elf, half a head taller than him, with a strong but not bulky body, brown skin and light brown eyes. His age was hard to guess, but he seemed no longer young.

“My name is Salian, captain of the [Quise]. I’ve heard Gwyneth mention you; you’re even more spirited than I was in my youth.” The male elf’s smile was infectious, making people feel at ease.

“Really? I didn’t cause any trouble.” Anser raised an eyebrow, not entirely agreeing.

The dice spun slightly, revealing Salian's message:
[Sarian, Wood Elf, Level 6 Ranger (Hunter)]

“But there’s fire in your eyes.” Salian walked to the ship’s side, slammed his large hand heavily on the railing, and stared intently at the [Sea Shark] in the distance. “Want to… pull off a heist?”

"Huh?" The sudden use of slang caught Anser off guard.

"Do you know what's most important in naval warfare?" Salian asked, his gaze distant.

"Cannon range?" Anser recalled the awe-inspiring scenes in movies where sailing battleships lined up in a row to bombard each other, a test of courage and decisiveness.

"Artillery isn't as important as you think." Salian extended a finger and shook it slightly. "Naval battles... of course, it's about who can run faster!"

(End of this chapter)