Chapter 7 Chapter 5 Stirring the Streets

It was almost noon, and Ravel returned to his quarters in the guild building after his meeting with Quentin Podew and Charles Anquin.Doug Perry was supposed to be there, too, and it was him who Ravel really wanted to see.But Doug had a message that he was out looking for information about the dangerous Entreri, and he wasn't coming to the meeting. In truth, the meeting was little more than a get-together to help Quentin Bordeaux clear some of his nerves.The guildmaster asked Ravel again to make sure Entreri would not kill him.Chalcy Anquinn, as a cocky young man should, assures Quentin that he will defend him with his life.Ravel knew it was an obvious lie.Ravel himself insisted that Entreri would not have come to kill a guildmaster without knowing what was going on.

"Entreri never acts rashly," Ravel said at the time. "And the scene you were afraid of was the result of an entirely reckless act." Before Ravel left, Bodew was in a much better mood and revealed his thoughts: he would feel more comfortable if someone, like Doug Perry, killed Entreri.It's not as easy as it sounds, Ravel thought.But he didn't say that thought. The wizard walked into the large suite where he lived. This suite includes four rooms, a large living room, the research room is on the right side of the living room, the bedroom is directly behind, and the alchemy laboratory and study room are on the left side.Almost as soon as he entered the door, he felt that something was wrong.He suspected that it might be the fault of Doug Perry, that guy has always mistrusted him, and recently accused him of standing on Entreri's side, although the words were very cryptic, but how could Ravel not understand him? mean!

Did this guy sneak into Ravel's room while he was with Quentin?Was he still lurking in a corner, weapon in hand, ready to deliver the fatal blow to the wizard? Ravel looked back at the door lock, it was not broken, or the trap he had set had been disarmed.In addition to the door, the room can also be entered through a window leading to the outside, but Ravel has already placed a large number of runes and traps around the window, and anyone who tries to enter through the window will be hit by a lightning bolt first Hit, then burned three times, and finally froze on the windowsill.Even if the intruder survived the magic bombardment, the loud noise when the mechanism was touched would startle the people in the entire building and attract a large number of guards.

Taking courage from simple logic and the protective magic he cast on himself, Ravel walked towards the laboratory. Before he could touch the door, it opened by itself.Artemis Entreri stood there silently. Ravel's legs gave way and he almost fell in front of Entreri. "You know I'm back," Entreri said lightly, taking a step forward and leaning against the door. "Don't you want me to visit your old friend?" The wizard tried to hold his ground, shook his head, and looked back at the door again. "Door or window?" he asked. "The door, of course," Entreri replied. "I know how well your windows are kept."

"The same with the door," Ravel said dryly.In fact, the protection of the door is obviously not good enough. Entreri shrugged. "Your combination of lock and trap remains the same," he said, holding up a key. "When the dwarf broke in the door, you thought the things were broken, but then you looked very happy to find them in working order. I had the situation, so I guessed you didn't change the locks. I guessed right .” "How did you get that..." Ravel asked. "I gave you the lock, you forgot?" Entreri replied. "However, the guild is guarded by many secret sentries, you probably don't know about these." The wizard argued.

"The guild has a secret passage." The killer replied calmly. "But my door," continued Ravel, "is not the only... this trap." Entreri had a look of boredom on his face, and Ravel shut up knowingly. "Very well," said the wizard, walking past Entreri into the laboratory, and beckoning the killer to follow him. "I can have someone deliver a meal if you want." Entreri sat down across from Ravel, and shook his head. "I'm not here to eat, but just to get some information," he said. "They know I'm in Calimport." "Many guilds know about it." Ravel nodded and confirmed. "And yes, I knew that too. I saw you in the crystal ball. I'm sure many of the shamans who served other pashas saw you as well. You didn't act completely covertly."

"Should I do that?" Entreri asked. "I have no enemies here, at least as far as I know. And I don't want to make any." Hearing this ludicrous insight, Ravel laughed. "No enemies?" he asked rhetorically. "You've been making enemies all the time. Obviously, as you gain more and more fame among killers, you will inevitably make many, many enemies." But when he looked carefully, he didn't feel anything at all. His laughter stopped abruptly when it was funny killer.Suddenly the wizard realizes that he is mocking a man who may be the most unlovable character in the world.

"Why are you investigating me with your crystal ball?" Entreri asked. Ravel shrugged and spread his hands, as if he didn't understand the point of the question at all. "That's what I do in the guild," he replied. "So you reported my return to the president of this guild?" "Pasha Quentin Podew was with me when you were in my crystal ball," Ravel admitted. Entreri just nodded, and Ravel squirmed uneasily. "Of course, I didn't know it was you at the time," Ravel said. "If I had known, I would have arranged a private meeting with you to find out the purpose of your return before telling Pordieu."

"You are faithful," said Entreri dryly.Ravel sensed the sarcasm in the words. "I don't have any ambitions or goals." The wizard replied. "Anyone who knows me knows that I'm rarely involved in the power struggles around me. I work for the heaviest end of the scale of power." "A man who has survived because of practicality," said Entreri. "But isn't your word the same as saying, tell me everything you know? You made a promise, wizard, to serve me. And if you follow this promise to warn me, you will Breaking the same promise I made earlier to Quentin Podew. Maybe I don't know you as well as I think I do. Maybe your devotion isn't trustworthy."

"Because...for you I am willing to make an exception." Ravel stammered, he had fallen into a logical trap and was trying to get out of it.He knew that if Entreri didn't think he was trustworthy, he would try to kill him. And he knew just as well that if Entreri tried to kill him, he would die. "I think whichever side you serve wins in the balance of power," he said. "Therefore, no matter what, it is impossible for me and you to stand on opposite sides." Entreri just kept staring at the wizard hard and didn't react, which made Ravel squirm even more uncomfortably.Fortunately, Entreri didn't have time for the game, nor did he really want Ravel's life, so he quickly broke the tension. "Tell me about Bodew and his men, and how far the power in the streets has grown."

"Quentin Bordeaux is a nice guy." Ravel immediately followed suit. "He never killed unless necessary; and if he had to steal, he picked those rich enough to afford the loss. But many of his men, and many other guilds, took this pity as weakness symbol of the guild, so the guild has had a hard time under his rule. Our power is much smaller than it was under Puck, and even smaller than halfling Regis before you ousted him." He went on to describe the guild in detail The sphere of influence, the killer was shocked that Puck's guild with a long history had come to the brink of collapse.Areas that had once been within Puke's domain were now far outside the guild's control, and the streets that served as boundaries between the organizations were now very close to the guild building. Entreri didn't care whether the guild prospered or languished under Bodew's control.He just wanted to get some general understanding of the current situation in Calimport, so as to avoid inadvertently causing the wrath of a certain guild. Ravel continued to introduce him to the main members of the guild, praising the potential of young Charles, and at the same time warned Entreri in a very serious tone to pay attention to Doug Perry, while the killer seemed to be just a left ear. out of the right ear. "Pay attention to him." Ravel emphasized again, the killer was getting impatient. "Doug Perry was there when we looked at you from the crystal ball, and he was very upset to see you back in Calimport. Your sudden appearance posed a threat to him because He's a relatively expensive killer, and he doesn't just serve Quentin Podew." It seemed that Entreri still didn't care much, and Ravel intensified his tone. "He wants to be the next Artemis Entreri!" the wizard said bluntly. This made the Killer chuckle, and there was no apprehension in the smile that Doug Perry's abilities might fulfill his dreams, much less a flattery.Entreri was amused by the incident.Doug Perry had no idea of ​​the strength of the man he was looking for, and if he had, he would have resignedly diverted his efforts in other directions. "Your presence may be more than an inconvenience to him," Ravel warned. "Maybe a threat, or worse...an opportunity." "You don't like him," Entreri commented. "He is an unprincipled killer, so it is difficult to judge his mind." The wizard replied. "It's like an arrow shot by a blind man. If I knew he was going to attack me, I wouldn't be so afraid of him. But he often does some unreasonable behaviors, which makes us all a little worried about him." "I'm not interested in Bodew's place," Entreri assured the wizard after a long silence. "But I don't want to die at the hands of Doug Perry either. That way you can't be disloyal to Pordieu if you tell me something, wizard. That's all I can hope for from you." "If Doug Perry wants to do you any harm, you'll know," the wizard promised, and Entreri believed him.Doug Perry is a young upstart desperate to grow his reputation by sticking his dagger in someone's back. But Ravel knew what Entreri was really thinking, and it made him nervous: Entreri wanted to fight Doug Perry, kill him, use him as an example. Entreri sat for a while longer, contemplating the paradoxical situation that fame had created for him.With his reputation for many years, there are many people who want to kill him, but there are also many people who are willing to do things for him. Of course, if Doug Perry did kill him, then Ravel's allegiance would necessarily be taken away from Entreri and instead served by the new King of Killers. This meant nothing to Artemis Entreri. "You don't see the possibilities here," Doug Perry scolded.He tried his best to sound calm, despite the fact that he wanted to strangle the nervous young man to death. "Haven't you heard those stories?" Charles Anquin retorted. "He's killed everyone from guild masters to battle mages. Everyone he's determined to kill is dead." Doug Perry spat in disgust. "He was a young man then," he replied. "A man feared by many guilds, including the Basadoni. A man with many powerful allies who were able to protect him very effectively. Now alone and vulnerable, he no longer has The speed of youth." "We should bide our time, learn more about him and find out why he came back to this port," said Chalcy. "The longer we wait, the more complete Entreri's network will be," replied Doug Perry without hesitation. "The wizard, the guildmaster, and the spies on the street. No, if we wait any longer, we might start a guild war when we go up against him. Of course you should know about Podew My old man, we're all going to die under a man like him." "You're his chief killer!" Charles argued. Doug Perry laughed contemptuously. "I move at random," he corrected. "And this time, the opportunity before me is too great to ignore. If I—we kill Artemis Entreri, we'll be where he was." "Is there no guild you belong to?" "No." Doug Perry replied simply. "Or, to be more precise, associated with many guilds. A noble sword that only works for the highest bidder." "Quentin Bordeaux wouldn't allow that," said Charlesy. "He'd lose two minions, making his guild even weaker." "Quentin Podew will understand, because his former men are now employed by more powerful guilds, which will also keep him in place." Doug Perry replied. Charlie considered the optimistic statement, then shook her head doubtfully. "Pordieu's strength will be even weaker, and we, his old subordinates, may also be hired by others to eliminate him. This will definitely worry him." "That's all right," replied Doug Perry coldly. "You have to be careful, don't connect your wealth and life with people like Bo Diu too closely. The guild is weakening day by day under his leadership, and another guild will soon annex us in the future. Those who Those who are willing to serve the mighty conqueror are better off than they were before. Those who remain loyal to the defeated have their corpses thrown in the gutter and eaten clean by beggars." Charles looked away, he didn't like this conversation at all.Until yesterday, when they knew Artemis Entreri was back, he had thought his life and career were secure.He works in a fairly powerful guild, and his level gradually increases.Now, Doug Perry is focusing on a life-and-death gamble to try to climb higher.Of course Charles felt the temptation too, but he wasn't sure how likely it was.If they succeeded in killing Entreri, he had no doubt that Doug Perry's words would come true, but just the thought of fighting Artemis Entreri... When Entreri left Calimport, Chalsey was just a child, hadn't joined any guilds, and didn't know anyone who Entreri had killed.While Chalcy joined the underworld, others became widely recognized as Calimport's most famous assassins, including Ronning Guild member Marcus "The Knife"; independent Clarissa, and her followers They, who run the region's brothels for the aristocracy--in fact, Clarissa's enemies seem to have simply disappeared without leaving a trace; Well; the last, and possibly most dangerous killer is the battle mage Sree Tagan.But Entreri's reputation could not be overshadowed by any of them, even if his reputation had been greatly diminished by Pashapuk's suspicious death and defeat at the hands of a drow. And now, Doug Perry wanted to jump-start his own status by killing Entreri; to be honest, the plan seemed quite plausible to Chalcy. Except, of course, for the small step of actually killing Entreri. "I've made up my mind," Doug Perry said, as if reading Chalcy's mind. "I'll deal with him...whether you help or not." Chalcy didn't miss the veiled threat in the words.If Doug Perry decided to go up against Entreri, it was impossible for Chalcy to remain neutral.When Doug Perry shared his thoughts with Chalcy, it was strongly implying that Chalcy would have to choose between supporting him or fighting him, that is, choosing to side with him or with Entre standing side.Considering that Chalcy didn't know Entreri and was afraid of him as an enemy, it wasn't a difficult choice. The two immediately began discussing the details of the plan.Doug Perry insisted that Artemis Entreri should be destroyed within two days. "This man is not an enemy." Later that night, when Ravel and Quentin walked in the corridor leading to Quentin's private dining room, Ravel reassured Quentin. "He returned to Calimport not to retake the guild." "How do you know?" asked the obviously nervous leader. "How can you know his mind? He's always so unpredictable!" "You're wrong," Ravel replied. "Entreri is not unpredictable, for he makes no false claims about his wishes. I have spoken to him." Hearing these words, Quentin Podieu suddenly turned around and faced the wizard. "Where is it? You haven't been out today." Ravel smiled and tilted his head, feeling very amused by the other party's stupidity in his heart, which exposed the fact that he was spying on him.Quentin must have been terrified to take such an outrageous action.The wizard knew very well that Quentin had his relationship with Entreri in mind, and knew that if Entreri really wanted to take back the guild, he would definitely contact Ravel. "You have no reason to believe me." Ravel said calmly. "But if Entreri wants to take back the guild, I will face to face with the quagmire. In that case, I will persuade you to surrender to him, so that you can still hold a high position in the guild." Quentin Bordeaux's gray eyes gleamed menacingly. "Surrender?" he repeated. "If I owned a guild and heard that Entreri wanted my place, I'd definitely do it!" Ravel said with a laugh.This eased the tense atmosphere somewhat. "Never mind that, though. Entreri is back in Calimport, it is true, but he is not your enemy." "Who's to say for sure?" replied Bordeaux, continuing to walk down the corridor.Ravel followed in his footsteps. "But remember, you can't have any further contact with him." "That is not very prudent, my lord. Wouldn't it be better for us if we could learn of his actions?" "No more contact with him!" Quentin Podieu said even more emphatically, grabbing Ravel by the shoulders, turning him around, and looking into his eyes. "No, and it's not my decision." "I'm afraid you'll lose this opportunity," Ravel began to argue. "Entreri was a friend, a very valuable..." "No!" Quentin insisted, and there was a long, embarrassing silence.Then he went on, "I'd love to have him hired for some trouble, like those nasty ratmen in the sewers. I've heard Entreri hates ratmen in particular, and they don't like him either." Ravel couldn't help smiling when he remembered the past.Pasha Puk once had a close relationship with a Ratman leader named Reshita.After Puck's death, Recita tried to establish a mutually beneficial offensive and defensive alliance with Entreri, but unfortunately for Recita, Entreri angrily rejected his request on the spot. "But we can't hire him," continued Quentin Podieu. "We, no, you can't contact him anymore. This is an order jointly issued to me by the Basadoni Guild, the Explorers Guild, and Pasha Ronning himself." Ravel was shocked by the news.The three guilds that Podieu just listed are the three most powerful guilds in Calimport. Quentin stopped at the door of the restaurant. There were some waiters in the restaurant, and he didn't want them to hear the conversation. "They declared Entreri an untouchable dangerous man," he continued.That is to say, any guild leader is not allowed to talk to him, otherwise it will cause a war between the guilds, let alone discuss business with him. Ravel nodded, the prospect already crossing his mind, but by no means exciting him.The order jointly issued by the three guilds is of course extremely sensible.They had frozen Entreri out of the system because they feared that the master of a smaller guild would spend all his money on hiring killers to murder one of the more prominent leaders.Those most powerful wanted the status quo to remain the same, and they feared Entreri because of Entreri's ability to change the current balance of power.What a testament to the killer's life!And Ravel knew better than anyone how wise this order was. "I see," he said to Quentin, bowing in deference. "Maybe when the situation becomes clearer, we will have the opportunity to take advantage of my friendship with this very valuable man." Bodieu was quite satisfied with Ravel's seemingly very faithful declaration, and finally a smile appeared on his face for the first time in days.He seemed much more relaxed as they continued into the dining room and had dinner together. But Ravel is not at all easy.He couldn't even believe that the other guilds had united so quickly to isolate Entreri. If that was the case, then Entreri would be watched closely, and any attempt to harm Entreri would be discovered, and the guild who tried to kill the man would face severe reprisals. Ravel ate dinner quickly, and then said goodbye to Quentin on the pretext of going to copy a magic scroll. He immediately went back to his crystal ball, used it to find Doug Perry, and was delighted to find that the grumpy fellow and Chalcy Anquin were still inside the guild building.Ravel saw the two of them staying in the main armory on the first floor.He could easily guess why they were there. "Are you going out tonight?" the wizard asked calmly as he entered the room. "We go out every night," replied Doug Perry. "It's our job, isn't it?" "Need an extra weapon?" Ravel noted that the two had attached daggers wherever possible. "People like us would have died if we weren't careful," Doug Perry said coldly. "Yes." Ravel acknowledged with a bow. "Also, by order of the Basadoni, Ronning, and Explorers Guilds, any guild subordinates who attempt to oppose Entreri will no longer be considered members of the guild." The blunt announcement made both of them pause.Doug Perry hid his shock well and continued his preparations with a deadpan expression, not a trace of guilt on his face.But Charlesy was far less experienced, and he showed some distressed expressions more or less.Ravel knew that his temptation hit the mark.These two men were going to strike at Entreri tonight. "I think you should talk to me first," said the wizard. "Come and find out about him, and perhaps see his current precautions." "Don't bother, wizard," insisted Doug Perry. "I've got a lot of work to do and I don't have time to listen to your gossip." He slammed the door of the weapons cabinet shut and strode past Ravel.Charles Anquin followed him nervously, and kept looking back at Ravel. Ravel considered Doug Perry's indifference to him in his mind.He discovered that Doug Perry had decided to fight Entreri, and that Ravel could not be trusted until the killer was dead.Now, the wizard had considered all the possibilities and found himself in a dilemma.If Doug Perry succeeded in killing Entreri and did not incur retaliation from other guilds for his reckless actions, then the status and power of this young man would be greatly enhanced, and just now, His words were also full of hostility towards Ravel. But if Entreri wins (which seems more likely to Ravel), then Entreri will also be unhappy because Ravel did not give him the agreed advance notice of Doug Perry's attack . To make matters worse, Ravel didn't even dare use magical means to get in touch with Entreri now.If other guilds were watching Entreri, this magical contact was easy to spot and track. Ravel went back to his bedroom in great distress and sat for a long time in the dark.Whether Doug Perry or Entreri won, the guild was bound to be in serious trouble.Should he go to Quentin Podew?Ravel thought about it, but he quickly dismissed the idea because he knew Quentin couldn't do much more than walk around and bite his fingernails.Doug Perry was out, and Quentin Podieu couldn't get him back. Should he use his crystal ball to monitor the progress of the battle?Ravel thought again, this form of magical contact, even silent observation, is not feasible; because it is likely to be discovered by wizards hired by other guilds, and Ravel himself will fall into the center of the vortex. So he sat in the dark, thinking, worrying, while time flew by beside him.