Equipment Printing School Mage

Mars, who was still wearing his helmet, raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "A favor of fifteen copper coins."

If they hadn't intended to conceal their identities, this favor would have been worth a lot more. But if their identities were exposed, they might have been targeted by another Grand Duke from the very beginning - it really wasn't worth it.

Emiya sighed: "Even a mosquito leg is meat. Besides, you can just say this in my ear."

"It's natural."

Feilong Bridge is actually the result of two stone bridges, one in the north and one in the south, merging into an island in the center of the Chongsa River. At the center of the two bridges is Feilongyan Fortress, one of the most important garrisons of the Flame Fist.

The stone walls of this fortress are several dozen centimeters thick, enough to deter a considerable number of enemies. Two drawbridges, which can be raised at any time, are the only access to the outer city beyond the Flying Dragon Bridge, and serve as a testament to the authority of the Flame Fist in this area.

They were forced to walk alongside the Flaming Fist soldiers through the most bustling section of Feilongyan Fortress—a long tunnel in the center of the fortress. All passing merchants had to pass through the fortress under the supervision of the fully armed Flaming Fist soldiers before they could reach the other side of Feilong Bridge.

However, it was quite difficult to pretend to be calm amid the cold light of spears and arrows - at least his body had already tensed up uncontrollably. Mars also unconsciously grasped the sword at his waist.

On the contrary, Yin stared openly at the Flame Fist soldiers hiding behind the bunkers above the tunnel, as if he had no idea what fear was.

...Maybe she really doesn't know what fear is.

By the time they finally left the Dragon Bridge and the noise in the outer city of Baldur's Gate became noisy, it was almost dark.

Mars glanced at the sky and said, "We estimated the speed of our journey correctly. Feilongyan Fortress will be completely closed at night, and no passage will be allowed until the next morning - so the inn on Feilong Bridge is a very profitable location."

Yes. Although it's called a bridge, half of the bridge's area is occupied by various commercial buildings. It's understandable that a place like this, where every inch of land is valuable and full of business opportunities, is bound to be fiercely sought after.

But for them, the most important thing is another one——

The harpists who were supposed to pick them up were operating in the area bordering Feilong Bridge and the outer city, but the deadline for picking them up was also nightfall.

If they couldn't get here before sunset, they would have to wait until the next afternoon.

Emiya looked around and couldn't help but sigh.

Although the location of this part of the outer city was much better than that of Rivington, the buildings were still in the same state of disarray as always—the materials were visibly cramped, and numerous buildings were scattered on both sides of the street without any order or planning.

At the same time, the most glamorous jobs are not going to people from the outer suburbs - which makes the already poor situation in the outer suburbs even worse.

Livestock pens, slaughterhouses, stables—

The feces and body odor brought by the livestock industry had already quietly spread to Feilong Bridge, and now they had officially stepped into the outer city area, and the frowning stench could no longer be stopped from drilling into their noses.

However, even in such an unpleasant place, there are people playing on the streets, attracting a large number of residents around to listen.

But what made Emiya frown the most now was another thing.

It is said that once they arrive here, they just need to act naturally and the harpist will come to them, and then they can just recite the incision.

This ambiguous connection method is really confusing.

Just as Emiya was looking into the distance, completely helpless, Silver was sitting on the Phantom Horse and stretching his neck hard.

When she learned that her next move had been obstructed, her eyes suddenly lit up: "-So, we are actually free time now?"

This way of understanding was really beyond Emilia's expectations, and his body couldn't help but tilt.

What’s even worse is that there seems to be nothing wrong with this understanding.

But judging from Yin's personality, no matter how you look at it, he is the type who will cause trouble if he lets go.

He hesitated for a moment, then made a final effort: "Don't you... feel uncomfortable?"

Yin nodded his chin in confusion: "Uncomfortable...what?"

Apparently, she had no problem with the stench of feces and blood in the air.

"...Then how about this." Emiya hesitated for a moment and sighed, "I don't care where we go. So why don't we act separately? How about you two take turns leading the way?"

The order is determined by rock-paper-scissors.

In the game of rock-paper-scissors, if one player is determined, dynamic vision, body control, research on the game itself, and of course, most importantly, the moral integrity of whether to use these abilities on a little girl - all of the above will seriously affect the outcome of the game.

Unfortunately, Mars is not a particularly gentlemanly guy.

"Snapped."

Mr. Emiya, the referee, made the final decision: "Okay, 4:1. Mars has won another game, so Mars will take the lead next."

Perhaps giving in was the only grace he had.

Yin's face had already puffed up like a balloon after three consecutive defeats, and now he was unwilling to say a word.

The subtle aura in her seemed to have faded once more. She was now becoming more and more like a spoiled little girl—although her abnormalities were still plentiful.

Mars lowered his head and thought for a moment, then pointed in the direction of the music: "—I'm quite interested in that performer. I listened for a while, and although his technique isn't superb, his foundation is very solid. It's always a good idea to go and listen to the performance for a while."

So elegant.

If Emiya were to comment, that's all she could say - after all, Emiya herself really knows nothing about music - no interest, no understanding, no touch.

For him, the most troublesome thing now is how to comfort a silver-haired girl who is obviously drunk.

In contrast, Mars was already immersed in the world of music. He tilted his head slightly to listen to the sound of the instrument coming from the other side: "--Well, although the lute used is obviously rather simple, the pitch is perfect. It's obvious that the maker put a lot of thought and wisdom into it."

Behind him, Emiya had a blank expression on her face.

I don't understand, I have no idea what he is saying.

However, Mars was still immersed in the world of music and continued to comment: "Ah, the performance is quite smooth. So far, there have been no mistakes. Either this piece has been played many times, or the performer's skills are quite proficient."

When they arrived outside the crowd, the music had just stopped.

The performer was a little girl in a white cloth robe.

That said, her attire was a bit too sloppy. In fact, the gown she wore was noticeably several sizes too large, its long sleeves forming countless pleats on her forearms. The long hem dragged on the ground, completely covering her lower body.

Dressed like this, he can still play music?

...Oh, after seeing her pointed ears, Emilia had to correct her - she was a female dwarf. However, this female dwarf's appearance was so subtle that it was more in line with human aesthetics, and he actually misjudged her race at first.

She was standing on a high mound of earth, with a small basin at her feet containing scattered silver and copper coins. It was obvious that she was a wandering bard who made a living by singing.

She was holding a lute and bowing to everyone, while the people around her were cheering loudly: "Higer! One more song! One more song!"

"Of course! Of course!" The musician named Sig smiled brightly as she stepped on the dirt pile. By chance, her eyes met those of Emiya and her group.

Sig suddenly said, "However, today I want to invite a friend to come up with me! I wonder if you are willing?"

Emiya suddenly had a bad feeling.

"willing!"

"Ms. Sig! Please choose me today!"

"Choose me, choose me!"

In the extremely warm atmosphere, the girl pointed her finger across the layers of people and pointed at Emilia's face: "Guests who have come from afar! Would you like to try our entertainment in the outer city? Don't worry, it's really just a song!"

Emilia backed out almost immediately—damn it, he really couldn't sing!

Not to mention, if you seize the opportunity of the locals in this situation, wouldn’t you be in the spotlight for no reason?

Then, in the next second, the bad mood reached its peak.

The people around were not angry, but burst into laughter.

——There is a bit of schadenfreude in it.

Emiya was silent for a moment, then casually pulled off the dimension hole on her waist and stuffed it into Mars' hand: "Please keep it for me."

Mars had completely stopped enjoying the music and asked, "Do you want to leave by force?"

"No, no, no, what's wrong with you two!" Yin shook his hand. "No one here carries weapons! Well, no magic... Oh, that female... well, the female musician actually has some. She's a serious bard."

——The kind that knows arcane magic.

Emiya suddenly realized something.

He took a deep breath, walked up to the platform, and said, "I want to make it clear in advance that I really can't sing."

This answer, as expected, caused laughter from the people around him, but soon, the crowd laughed together and said, "It doesn't matter. Compared to Miss Sig, we can't do it either!"

Sig was no exception to this answer. She waved the lute in her hand with some effort: "It's okay, then we can just sing a cappella song. Sir, you can't sing, so what songs do you like to listen to?"

Emilia couldn't help but sighed, squatted down, and said in a low voice: "Ms. Sig, you really have the wrong person. I really can't sing any songs."

However, he lowered his voice so that no one else could hear him, which seemed to be exactly what the bard wanted.

She immediately raised her hand. "Okay, this gentleman agrees! The new song will begin immediately, and it will be everyone's favorite, 'Heroes of Baldur's Gate,' the story of Gorion's adopted son and his friends. Would you like to listen?"

"miss you!"

Amid the deafening cheers, Emilia knew for the first time what it meant to have sweat on her forehead.

How did things develop to this point?

However, the next second, he realized that he should indeed sweat.

His voice was surprisingly clear, loud, and beautiful, perfectly matching the catchy lyrics, and it almost effortlessly got everyone at Baldur's Gate singing along.

But he didn't even open his mouth! And if he had sung, there would have been no way he could have achieved this effect.

After the song ended, the applause and cheers were thunderous again. Everyone present clapped their hands vigorously - even though Emilia had hardly opened her mouth from beginning to end.

Sig bowed with a smile and thanked her, then coughed lightly towards Emilia. "Sorry, sir, I might have scared you. This is a little trick of mine. Actually, it's this lute in my hand that's singing for you."

When Sig said this, Emiya was finally startled and realized something that he had just discovered.

There are no strings on this guitar at all.

But just now, he definitely heard the sound of the strings. He even heard Sig accompanying himself on the instrument.

Is it a magic item? But such a magic item is sold on the street?

Sig seemed accustomed to such surprises, his smile undiminished. "Sir, would you like to buy a lute? Five silver coins a piece."

Just as his burning curiosity was about to prompt Emilia to agree, a flash of inspiration suddenly flashed through his mind.

He pursed his lips and said, "I want to buy one, but I don't want a lute. Do you have any other instruments?"

Sig's smile widened. "Of course, but other instruments are cheaper. What do you want?"

Emiya took a deep breath and said the final words: "[Harp, if you have a harp, I am willing to pay 2 gold coins.]"

Sig bowed gracefully to him. "Of course, but the harp is not with me right now. Please follow me."

4. Mrs. Adrian

What surprised Emiya was that although he had obviously interrupted everyone's entertainment, the people around him were not angry, but instead burst into laughter.

Could it be that the average moral quality of the people in Baldur's Gate is so high?

However, the musician named Sig was obviously not surprised by this. He took Emilia's hand and was about to leave.

Emiya sighed and could only quickly gesture to Yin and Mars: Follow.

There was nothing special about Sig's residence—it was located in a remote corner of the outer city, away from the road. It was small and as crude as the surrounding buildings.

The good news is that this place can barely be considered a residential area, so it is a little distance away from the livestock area where the smell is the strongest, which saves Emiya a little torture.

Naturally, the lock of this humble house was equally simple. Sig struggled to lift the barred door above her head, and Amya stretched out her right hand over her head to help her take the bar.

"—!"

However, this casual gesture clearly irritated her. The musician, who had been in a good mood all the way, suddenly glared at Emilia and pointed angrily to the right of the door: "—The bolt is there."

Naturally, everything in the room was spartan, so crude it was almost unbearable to look at. If Eswhite's Moon Church could be described as simple, this place could only be described as bleak. Looking around, there were few things that could even be called furniture.

Perhaps the most valuable thing about this building is that it protects her from wind and rain.

The only thing that could even be called a bed sat in the corner of the room. And just beneath it, oddly enough, was there a metal floor. The rest of the furniture simply stood on the dirt and grass.

But in the corners of the room, there were indeed some crude handmade musical instruments - of course, wind instruments like flutes might still be able to make sounds, but string instruments like lutes had no strings at all.

Aimiya hadn't caught up with her at all. After lowering the latch as she was told, she turned back and glanced at Mars: "Are there any stalkers?"

Before Mars could answer, Sig said unhappily, "No. This is basically the Flame Fist's territory. Those guys won't allow anyone to operate near them. This is the only benefit of being watched by those Fire Claws every day."

For the first time, Emiya felt confused.

Kanzi*? What does this mean?

He cast a question at Mars and Yin, and saw the same look in their eyes.

Sig didn't react immediately. After a moment's pause, he replied unhappily, "I get it. You guys are all noble lords from prestigious families. How could you possibly understand our lowly jargon? Anyway, this small area near Feilong Bridge will only be targeted by Flame Fist."

"Of course, that will only happen after the next election, when the Fire Claws are still the green code of Baldur's Gate. But I don't think it can turn the tide."