Equipment Printing School Mage

Fifteen murdered descendants

The two Flame Fists stood at attention and saluted the mage, "Elios de Carcorros, we bear bad news."

Schwartz thought about it and couldn't help but turn a bitter face again: "...and there are two of them."

Karkoros sighed. "Don't make that face. I told you, it's better for you to bring me bad news than false news. Tell me... eh?"

The Archmage's real name was Elios de Karkoros. As he listened to his two subordinates' reports, he habitually glanced at the others present.

Then, his gaze stopped on Yin.

"...It seems my guests are quite important and are very well-prepared."

Emilia raised her eyebrows: "Do you know her?"

"I don't know him," Karkoros answered without hesitation. "But some of his appearances were enough for me to glimpse a corner of this dark curtain, and I have some very ominous suspicions... I regret it. Now I feel that this meeting should never have happened. Forget it, it's too late to say this now."

He stood up, threw a bone stick from the table into the trash can under the table, and then stood up again. "The divination said it would be a good day - I shouldn't have had such sudden impulses and believed in divination. Today is nothing but bad news."

The Archmage returned to his seat, covered his face with his hands, and let out a long sigh, pressing his brow in pain. He slammed the table heavily at them and said, "If you were our descendants, I would definitely close the door and curse you - have you heard of me?"

Yin answered without hesitation, "I haven't heard of it."

"That's perfectly normal. Although I've served as the Burning Flame of the Flaming Fist for many years, I've never been in public. Even in Waterdeep, I don't have any special reputation. So, how could you rashly enter the territory of a strange archmage? Reckless! Stupid! You don't know how to live or die!"

He banged on the table. "In Faerun, at least 20% of the disasters come from the ambitions of gods and priests, and 20% of the hardship comes from outsiders."

"And the remaining 60%!" Karkoros, who used to be considered gentle and refined, "all came from mages! Accidental, curious, indifferent, or even enthusiastic. Mages are the most dangerous people in this world. They don't even need to do anything deliberately to cause trouble. What's even more terrible is that after they poke a hole in the sky, other mages have to repair their mistakes and dissipate the impact - hell, I didn't even know him before that!"

Mr. Emiya, who was trapped in this world and unable to return home due to the accident and incompetence of a certain wizard, nodded repeatedly in approval.

Yin, on the other hand, was completely the opposite. He said with a serious and even slightly proud expression, "There's nothing I can do. Mages are just that strong."

The Waterdeep man, who was originally speaking impassionedly, nearly choked to death: "That's not the point!"

Mars shook his head: "Then it seems that we are lucky - you seem to be quite reliable."

"That's not the point! The point is, if you continue to be so reckless, death will find you sooner or later! Aren't you afraid of death?!"

Now, the three of them shook their heads in unison.

"But I'm afraid of death!" cried Karkoros.

"If you were inexplicably targeted and died in a confused state, your corpses would be transformed into flaming skulls, death knights, or banshees, standing opposite me, and I would be forced to destroy you in order to survive. And your relatives and friends would suddenly kick down my door a few years later, pull an old man with Alzheimer's disease out of bed, and drown him in the toilet!"

Yin said seriously, "Only female elves who died unjustly can become banshees. It's impossible for me to become a banshee."

"Is this the point?!"

Karkoros knocked on the table angrily: "So, are you planning to leave now?"

Emilia shook her head and pointed at his robe, saying, "The color of your robe seems to have a special meaning."

There aren't that many types of wizard robes, but the most powerful one is called the Archmage's Robe.

Its effects are complex, but it has one very interesting feature—each robe is attuned to its alignment. White robes are for good, gray robes are for neutral, and black robes are for evil. A mage who wears a robe that doesn't match their alignment will suffer severe negative effects or even be harmed.

In short, any wizard wearing the white robe of the Archmage must be kind, without exception.

"Ah, the robe of the Good Archmage!" Karkoros said angrily, "Do you think this proves I'm a good person? It's not true. When I accidentally came across this precious robe, I wasn't worthy of wearing it."

"But this robe is so precious, so I hardened my heart and worked for the Church of the Suffering God for a month without pay, and finally earned the right to wear it. So now I am a good wizard. That's all."

If he really had made a big mistake, it would not be offset by a month of free work - if what he said was true, it just showed that he was originally standing on the edge of neutrality and kindness.

"That month was truly torturous... Can't the Church sell some kind of indulgence? A few hundred gold coins could clear a sinner's path, a few thousand could turn him into a famous good person!"

Emiya said calmly, "The Church of the God of Death will probably sell it. As long as you accept their service, good and evil in the material plane will lose their meaning."

Karkoros was stunned for a moment. "The Kelemvor Church has this? I've never heard of it."

"If I understand correctly, it's probably called funeral services," Mars reminded.

**********

"Huh!" After a lot of trouble, Karkoros sat in his chair and let out a long sigh, wiping his face. "Let's start from the beginning."

"Before we talk about anything else, I can tell you one thing - I have some guesses about this homicide. This is not an isolated incident. So, if you continue to stand here and hear us say anything about this matter, it means you are taking sides."

Mars said, "We may be able to choose to help, but we need to know who the enemy of the Flame Fist is."

"The problem is, we still don't know," Karkoros said angrily. "Otherwise, I would have come to their door long ago. I can only confirm that those people are absolutely guilty of heinous crimes."

"Is there any evidence for the second half?"

Karkoros hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Although this is considered a secret... it's not impossible to use it to exchange for reinforcements. Well, now that they've made their move as far as the Gond Temple, I'm afraid we can't keep it a secret for much longer."

He stood up and carefully pulled out a file from the pile on the table. He unstitched it and took out the documents inside. "Although I haven't heard the report yet, I can guess that the deceased's death was extremely strange. The cause of death is completely unpredictable. At the same time, after death, strange blood patterns appeared on his body."

Then, the Archmage pulled out a piece of parchment with a bloody skull drawn on it in ink. "And that pattern is the holy emblem of Baal, the former God of Murder."

At this moment, the two Flame Fist soldiers looked at each other in confusion: "How did you know?"

"Because this has happened three times. Every ten days, a similar murder occurs, and the number decreases by one. It's like a demonstration. The victims come from all over the world, with different identities. The only thing they have in common is that they have nothing in common."

"All resurrections have failed. Even talking to the dead doesn't work, and the prophecy has been disrupted. I've tried everything I know, except for using the wish spell. Now I can only adapt to the changing circumstances and work hard to strengthen the power of the Flame Fist."

Karkoros stood up and pulled out several more files, slapping them in front of them. "Neverwinter, Tethyr, Cormyr—perhaps only Lord Kelemvor knows where the victims this time came from. If I hadn't considered the authority of the Flaming Fist and my own pride, I would have declared this a case of indiscriminate killing. Unfortunately, announcing such a thing would only cause more panic in Baldur's Gate. It would be better to suppress the news."

The biggest clues in this murder case are the strange number and the holy emblem of Baal.

Mars pondered for a moment and said, "During the iron ore crisis a hundred years ago, Sarevok stirred up trouble in Baldur's Gate. He believed that he could accumulate divine power through killing and death and embark on the path to becoming a god—"

"Those are the fantasies of illiterate fools." Karkoros sneered. "Combining the oracles and research, we've already reached a conclusion. The only way for Baal to be resurrected is for the sons of Baal to kill each other, allowing all the divine power in Baal's blood to be concentrated in the last person—"

For a moment, the whole place was silent.

There are numbers left on the bodies of the deceased.

The most terrifying thing about this matter is that in order to accomplish this goal, it is not necessary to kill the strongest of the Sons of Bhaal - it is enough to kill the weaker ones.

Negotiations between Sixteen and Ranyan

"This is a serious problem." Karkoros's composure finally faded. His carefully groomed beard was tangled in annoyance. "Baal's method of resurrection is unprecedented. What will happen at the last moment?"

"Is it Baal's consciousness that has revived in the Son of Baal, or is it that the mortal body has been crushed by divine power, and the young god has been born from the flesh and blood? If Lord Apodel loses control of his body, will he break his oath? What if he doesn't break his oath immediately? What if he becomes stronger as a result?! Or maybe we should just find him and make him break his oath before that moment—"

The great wizard uttered a series of mutterings almost reflexively.

After finishing his last words, Mars took a heavy step forward: "-- Your Excellency Burning Flame, please be careful with your words. If your opponent has an enchantment master, will you commit suicide directly?"

Emiya's expression immediately turned cold, and she turned away, preparing to leave. "He's cowardly before the battle, and even trying to cut off his own arm... We won't stand for such a foolish decision."

"Actually, if you're so afraid of the worst-case scenario, you could just cast Disintegration on yourself." Yin turned around and curled his lips. "If you realize the worst-case scenario first, everything will go well from now on."

"Stop!" Karkoros angrily slammed the documents in his hand on the table. "Haven't you learned the difference between elders and juniors?"

Yin blinked. "Differences between the old and the young? Why should I learn that?"

As soon as she said this, not only Karkoros, but even Emilia who was originally planning to join in was completely spurned.

Even if you don't intend to give in, there's no need to say that!

Emiya hesitated, glanced at the towering paladin on her left, and said nothing. Meanwhile, Silver on her right seemed innocent, but if she said another word, this office would turn into a battlefield.

Although he was not afraid of fighting at all, there was no need to make a big fuss.

This was the first time Karkoros got really angry: "You guys are really outspoken!"

Yin had no intention of giving in: "Really? I think you should contact him before you get angry. Wuwuwuwu——"

Although Yin's speeches were often a bit incoherent during her time with Karkoros, it would be troublesome if she continued to speak.

He sighed and covered Yin's mouth again: "I'm sorry, but we said we can't agree to such an unscrupulous strategy."

However, Karkoros's reaction was a little unusual. He pursed his lips, his eyes flickered, and he didn't speak immediately.

Karkoros was silent for a moment, then took a step back. "I certainly made a slip of the tongue this time. Okay, let me be clear—I was just subconsciously considering the worst-case scenario, not really intending it. But breaking the oath of Faerûn's strongest paladin? Countless people have harbored this idea, but those who dared to act have already gone to see Kelemvor—"

"If I'm better than those evil people, it's because I know myself!"

Mars hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head slightly: "Sorry, I'm rude."

Of course, only Silver was still threatening—Emiya had no intention of loosening her grip.

Emiya couldn't imagine that this guy would ever admit his mistake. If she said a few more words, the situation would immediately deteriorate to an unmanageable level.

Karkoros looked at Mars's attitude and narrowed his eyes slightly: "Well, now I have something to hand over... No, please."

He suddenly softened his tone. "Although the Flame Fist is a mercenary, its connections are severely limited to various secular forces. However, it's too late to contact the Lords' Alliance now, especially since all the threats are still speculation. The Flame Fist's strength alone is no longer enough to prevent the situation from deteriorating, so I have no choice but to seek external support."

"I hope to get help from Apodel Adrian himself, or at least establish a channel of contact. I have absolutely no channels for this matter myself."

Mars was silent and asked, "Why do we have it?"

Karkoros leaned back slightly in his chair, a smile on his face. "No? Really? I think your reaction just now has gone beyond the scope of a simple follower to an admirer."

"Negotiation is all about exchanging information. So even if the other party hits the nail on the head, you can't reveal any flaws. In this regard, I suggest you learn more from your fellow mage—his reactions are more like righteous indignation, even tentative. If he's the only one speaking throughout the process, your group will become even more unpredictable."

Hearing this, Mars did not answer, but after a long silence, he took a few steps back.

Emiya sighed and asked, "Well, we certainly spoke without restraint. But I'd like to ask, besides this, is there anything else we can do to help the Flame Fist?"

"I'm sorry." Karkoros crossed his arms and placed them under his chin. "The Flaming Fist has a mountain of issues to deal with, but unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to help."

"Requesting spellcasting services from the church? This is simply errands. And the messenger must be able to represent the Flame Fist, not outsiders like you."

"You're crying poor to the Council of Four and trying to get the deposit by selling long-term security services to other potential clients? Same thing. You're not even from Baldur's Gate."

"Talk nonsense to the representatives of the Lords' Alliance and ask them for immediate support?"

"Searching for the Harpers, who are hiding somewhere, and requesting intelligence and combat assistance... I truly hope you aren't Harpers. Even if you are, this whole thing is a complete disaster. So, I'll just have to give up."

"Finally, ordering massive amounts of armor and weapons from the blacksmiths and the people of Gond has nothing to do with you. Right now, there's a huge crowd outside the blacksmiths in Baldur's Gate! With the addition of the Outer City, countless people are eagerly awaiting the positions of blacksmith apprentices. You can't even get in. The people of Gond don't need outsiders."

When discussing the last part, Schwartz, who had been listening for a long time, finally couldn't help but speak up, "Sir Ranyan, regarding the armor, I haven't had time to submit their order to the Gunde Church tonight. We can still..."

"Wait, once we've started this, we must see it through to the end," Karkoros replied without hesitation. "A group of Flaming Fist soldiers wearing the most basic chainmail will have to watch helplessly as their peers don brand new full plate armor? The Flaming Fist will be plunged into chaos before the war even begins."

"If we can't pay salaries next month, it will be a mess!"

Seventeen Non-Existent Mountains

Obviously, if it is said that there is a lack of respect for Karkoros himself, then it can be said that there is a lack of respect for the deputy leader of the Flame Fist. Taking a step back, it may just be a lack of respect for him personally.

However, financial issues are the most confidential secrets of every organization. Once leaked, it will inevitably be a earth-shattering event, which can cause the most sluggish, bloated and corrupt organization to burst out with amazing action capabilities.

As soon as Schwartz opened his mouth, his mouth opened wide without his control, and heart-wrenching laughter came out of his mouth without any concealment.

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

His eyes were completely narrowed into slits due to inexplicable ecstasy, and the flesh on his face was completely wrinkled due to uncontrollable ecstasy. He fell prone to the ground with wild laughter, banging his hands and knees on the ground: "Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!"

But the others didn't laugh.

Wagner's head was covered in sweat. He stood there, bowing repeatedly, his armor clanging against each other. "Ranyan, we made a mistake!"

For the first time, Karkoros's face was filled with coldness. "I'm somewhat aware of how unsociable my style is. Many people in the mercenary group don't treat me with respect, and I know this very well. So I don't care that much about your personal offense to me. But the public affairs of the Flaming Fist are completely different."

The murderous intent in Karkoros's words was beyond words.

Wagner pushed harder, almost lowering his head to the same level as his knees: "Yes!"

The wizard slowly stood up and glanced at his subordinate who was laughing wildly.

He wanted to continue speaking, but Schwartz's laughter was so loud that he had to strain his throat to speak.

Schwartz's laughter was so intense and rapid that it was about to turn into painful gasps.

He snorted coldly and snapped his fingers. The smile on Schwartz's face froze, slowly turning into one of terror. He tried to stand, but his hands were as limp as noodles from his laughter. He stumbled a few times, unable to stand up immediately, and fell to the ground with a thud.

The Archmage leaned forward slightly and glanced at Schwartz lying on the ground. "You've already been somewhat negligent today, and with this slip of the tongue, you're now a guard. If you make another serious mistake during this period, you can find another job—is that clear enough?"

Schwartz covered his mouth, afraid of laughing again, and could only lie on the ground and nod repeatedly: "Thank you for your kindness." "Don't say such hypocritical words. But you have to know the difference between public and private."

The internal affairs of the Flame Fist had been dealt with, but unfortunately this punishment came too suddenly, and Emiya and his group did not have time to react - not to mention that they had neither the ability nor the position to do anything.

Karkoros cast his eyes towards them, the warning in his eyes evident.

Emiya was silent for a moment, then sighed. "I can only promise that we won't proactively inform the mastermind behind this conspiracy about the Flaming Fist's financial situation. That's all."

"...There's no point in keeping it secret." Despite saying this, Karkoros still waved his hand. "Please hand over the body to us. If you wish to continue your involvement in this murder case... the day after tomorrow, you can perform another Flame Fist attack and receive a report—but that's all. We'll discuss future cooperation later."

"of course."