Chapter 3 Chapter 1 Searching for the Heart

Wavel Tigovis tiptoed into a small, dimly lit room in the Brass Game.Wawel, the most capable of the female halflings - good at her tricks, good at her daggers, good at her wits - it's not often that she moves so carefully in this house, which is, after all, One of the most secure buildings in all of Calimport.But it was Artemis Entreri she was going to see now, and no place in the world was safe when he was around. He was pacing up and down the room when she entered the room, as if he hadn't noticed her at all.Wawel stared at him curiously.She knew that Entreri had been in a nervous state of mind lately, and she was one of the few people in Calimport who knew, apart from the Basadoni guild.The dark elves had infiltrated the streets of Calimport, and Entreri's role was that of a public figure for the dark elves.Whatever doubts Wawel had previously had about how terrifying the drow were, those doubts would be dispelled if she took a look at Entreri's appearance.He'd never been so nervous—but Wavel wasn't sure he was—and it never occurred to Wawel that he was having an inner struggle.

What made her even more curious was that Entreri had invited her to share his secrets.That's not his style at all.Wawel, however, isn't worried that this will be a trap.She knows that no matter how surprising it may seem, facts are facts.It was not so much that Entreri wanted to talk to her, Wawel, as he wanted to talk to himself, to clarify his thoughts; and for some reason that Wawel didn't yet understand, he wanted her to hear . In her mind, this was the highest compliment he could give her, and she knew just as well that it came with potential dangers.With this uneasy thought in mind, the guild master, the female halfling, sat down quietly, listening carefully, trying to catch all the clues and comprehend what she didn't know before.She was greatly taken aback when she glanced inadvertently at a chair against the wall, on which stood a half-empty bottle of Moonshadow whiskey.

"I see them in every corner of every street and corner of this accursed city," Entreri said. "The air of grandiosity spreads, people regard scars and weapons as badges of honor, and both men and women are so focused on their own fame that they forget what they really want to accomplish. They fight for status and Honor risked his life and fortune without any higher purpose." Although his voice was not very slurred, Wawel could still clearly realize that Entreri had indeed drunk some whiskey. "So, since when did Artemis Entreri bother about the thieves?" Wawel asked.

Entreri stopped in his tracks and glanced at her, a look of acquiescence on his face. "I have to observe them carefully and pay attention to them, because I know that my reputation is higher than my own existence. Because of this reputation, many people on the street will very much want to insert a dagger into my heart." The killer started pacing again. "At that time, that assassin will have a very, very high reputation. They know that I'm starting to age now, and they don't think I'm as quick as I used to be - to be honest, their reasoning is completely tenable. feet. My movements are indeed not as fast as I was ten years ago."

Wawel narrowed his eyes nervously at this surprising confession. "But as the body ages and its movements become sluggish, the mind becomes sharper," Entreri continued. "I also care about reputation, but not in the same way as before. My goal in life is that I must do better than my enemies, whether in combat or thinking, I must defeat them .I once aspired to be the most perfect warrior, but a dark elf whom I despised told me that my methods were wrong. As Jarlaxle's 'eater', I was taken hostage to Menzoberranzan, where , my fanatical dream of becoming the strongest and my efforts to achieve it were reduced to nothing, and I found that my efforts really meant nothing, because the whole world was already filled with people as powerful as the dreamed me. I see images of myself at every turn, those fighters who are so indifferent to everyone around them, who are so devoted to that goal that they don't enjoy the whole process of achieving it."

"They are drow," Wawel said. "We can't understand their real motives." "Their city is beautiful, my little friend," Entreri replied. "Its power is greater than you can imagine. Even so, Menzoberranzan is an empty place, for there is no passion but hatred. When I returned here from that city full of killers, I It really changed, and I doubted the basis of my existence. In the end, my purpose, the meaning of my existence—what is it?” The fingers of Wawel's plump little hands were interlocked, and she studied the man in front of her intently.Could it be that Entreri was planning to wash his hands in the golden basin?Is he refusing to accept the whole life he's lived, the glory he's been given?She sighed silently, shook her head, and said, "We're all thinking the same thing, aren't we? The goal is gold or respect or property or power..."

"Of course." He said coldly. "I'm now able to better understand who I am and which of the challenges I'm going to face are really important. However, I still don't know what I hope to achieve, what challenges I'm going to face. But I do know now, The most important thing is to enjoy the process of reaching your goal. "Do I still care if my reputation is extraordinary?" Entreri asked suddenly, just as Wawel was about to ask him if he had understood his purpose—considering the strength of the Basadoni Guild, this A message is undoubtedly very important. "Do I still want to keep working hard to achieve my goal of becoming Calimport's most successful killer?"

"The answer to both is still yes. But my own reasons are in no way the same as those idiots who brag on street corners and try to attack me. To me they are just corpses lying in the gutter. I pay attention The reason for fame is that whatever I do, it allows me to do it more efficiently. Fame makes my enemies fear me more blindly, and I don't have to bother warning them. Even when they're hunting me Sometimes, they are also afraid of me. That fear is not normal awe, it paralyzes them and makes them involuntarily predict their next second life or death. I can use that fear against them. It only takes some Little bluffs and feints, I can use that fear to put them at a complete disadvantage. Against guys who are less cautious I can feign a few openings so I can gain an advantage and Defeat them, so that when I really show my weakness, those cautious enemies will not dare to attack rashly."

He stopped and nodded.Wawel realized that his thoughts had truly cleared up completely. "An enviable situation," she agreed, without losing time. "Let those idiots hunt me down, hungry killers after me." Entreri nodded again. "Every time I kill someone, I become wiser, and as my wisdom grows, I become stronger." He grabbed the odd black narrow-brimmed hat, which matched his newly-shaved hair, and put it deftly on his head.That's when Wawel noticed that his bushy goatee had also been trimmed, leaving only a mustache and an inverted T-beard on his chin and below his lips.

Entreri looked at the halfling, gave a mischievous wink, and strode out of the room. What does all this mean?Wawel thought.Of course, she was glad to see him finally get his grooming done, because slovenliness was not his style and it only showed that he had lost control of himself and, worse, his heart. She sat there for a long time, thinking about why she had been invited to this event, why Artemis Entreri had opened up to her - and not to anyone else, including himself.She realized that he had an epiphany.And she suddenly found that she also had an epiphany. Artemis Entreri was her friend.