Chapter 17 Chapter Thirteen Secret Weapon

"Have you found the treason?" Jarlaxle asked Lakie Bondarek.Standing beside the mercenary leader was Kim Murray Obroza, a psychic who neither wore armor nor held a weapon. To someone who didn't understand his spiritual power, he was defenseless at all. "He was with a dwarf, a woman, and a halfling," Lykey replied. "Sometimes a big black panther joins them." "That's Guenhwyvar," Jarlaxle said. "It was once the property of Masoj Henett. A very powerful magical item indeed." "But it's not the most powerful magic item on them," Leckie reminded. "There's another one, in the pouch on that rebel's waist, that shows more magic power than all the other things on them combined. It seems to know that I'm detecting it, because it's suggesting to me Something that seems to want me to take it away from its incompetent owner."

"What could that be?" asked the mercenary leader who refused to let go of any chance. Lecky shook his head, his white hair moving with it. "I've never seen anything like it," he admitted. "Isn't that what magic looks like?" Kim Murray Obroza cut in, with obvious disgust in his tone. "Unknown and uncontrollable." Lecky glared at the psychic, and Jarlaxle, preferring to use both magical powers and psychic powers, just smiled. "Study that thing carefully, and a few of them." He instructed the mage and priest. "If it's telling us something, perhaps we should heed its call. How far are they from here? And, how long do we have to wait before we see them?"

"Very far," Lakey replied. "Very long. They are going to cross the whole continent, but they are often harassed by giants and goblins and things like that." "Maybe that magic item isn't too demanding of its new owner," Kim Murray sarcastically said. "Then they boarded the boat and traveled by water." Lecky continued, pretending not to hear the psychic's comment. "I think they were ships in Waterdeep, the northernmost city on the Sword Coast." "They're sailing south?" Jarlaxle asked hopefully. "I think so," Lakey replied. "But it doesn't matter. We have a lot of spells and, of course, psychic powers," he added, nodding humbly to Kim Murray, "that allow us to go to them right away, as easy as going to the next room." .”

"Then you continue to observe," Jarlaxle said. "But aren't you going to visit a guild tonight?" Leckie asked. "No need to work on you," Jarlaxle replied. "It's just the small guild that's going tonight." "But even a small guild would be wise to hire a mage," said the mage-cleric. "The mages of this guild are friends of Entreri," Jarlaxle said, laughing, as if all these things were too easy for him. "And the other guild is full of halflings, and it is impossible to be proficient in magic. Maybe you will be needed tomorrow night. Tonight, you will continue to study Drizzt Do'Urden. In the end, it is likely He is the most important pawn."

"Is it because of the magic item on him?" Kim Murray asked. "Because of Entreri's lack of interest," Jarlaxle replied. The mage-priest shook his head. "We've provided him with more power and wealth than he can comprehend," he said. "And he looked as if he was leading us into a hopeless battle with the Spider Queen." "No amount of power or wealth will move him until he resolves his inner struggle," Jarlaxle said.The most notable gift of the mercenary chief was his ability to read the minds of his enemies, and even his friends, without the use of any other powers, such as those that Kim Murray Obroza might use, but simply Simply rely on empathy and understanding. "However, don't worry about his lack of motivation at all. I know Artemis Entreri, so I know that, whether he cares or not, he will be useful. Of all humans I know, he is The most dangerous and cunning one."

"Unfortunately, his skin is a little too light," said Kim Murray. Jarlaxle just smiled.He knew that if Artemis Entreri had been a drow born in Menzoberranzan, he would be the most famous warrior by now, and perhaps more than that.Perhaps he would become Jarlaxle's rival and challenge him for control of the Dayet's mercenaries. "We'll meet in the cozy darkness of the tunnel when that damned flame rises into the sky," he told Leckie. "At that time, I hope you can provide more answers." "Then, I wish you smooth negotiations with those guilds." Lecky replied.He bowed and turned to leave.

Jarlaxle turned to Kim Murray and nodded.It's time for the hunt. Halflings are considered "big-eyed people" by other races because of their childish and cute faces. However, when a portal appeared in front of Wawel and four other halflings (even though the room had done the necessary blocking magic Intrusion Measures), their eyes widened even further as Artemis Entreri entered the room.The killer was dressed impressively today, wearing a gray cloak and black jacket with darker silk thread trim at the bottom. Entreri put his hands on his hips, adopting a powerful posture that Kim Murray had taught him to better resist the dizziness often associated with such psionic teleportation.

Behind him, on the other side of the door, in a room unlit except for a gleam of light leaking in from Wawel's room, several black figures appeared.A halfling soldier walked over to look for the intruders. At this moment, one of the dark figures moved lightly, and the halfling fell to the ground without a groan. "He was just asleep, no other harm." Entreri noticed that several others were reaching for his weapon, and he didn't want to start a fight. "I didn't come here to fight, I assure you. But if you insist on laying hands on me, I may kill you all." "You could have gone through the main entrance," Wawel said coldly.She was the only halfling who remained calm.

"I don't want others to see me walking into your base camp." The killer's dizziness has completely disappeared. "This is to protect you." "So how did you get in?" Wawel asked. "I didn't invite you to come, and you used this magical means to break in, and my guards - I paid a high price for them, I assure you - did not provide any protection arrive." "There will be no spells against you," Entreri replied. "However, there is no doubt that they will be used against my enemies. You know, I have not returned to Calimport this time to hide in the shadows to obey orders from others. I have traveled all over the country and brought Back here with all the knowledge I've learned."

"So Artemis Entreri appeared as a conqueror," said Wawel.The soldiers around her began to move, but Wawel stopped them just in time.Now they were facing Entreri, a man who would cost her dearly to fight. extremely expensive. "Perhaps," Entreri admitted. "It depends on how things go." "If you want me to bet the entire guild on you, just showing a teleportation spell is not enough." Wavel said calmly. "In this kind of war, choosing the wrong allies means ruin." "I don't want you to have a choice at all," the killer assured her.

Wawel stared at him questioningly, then turned to a few of his confidant guards.They also had puzzled expressions on their faces. "Then what are you doing here with me?" she asked. "To tell you that the war is about to begin," Entreri replied. "At least, I still owe you that much." "And maybe you want me to be your eyes and ears, keeping you informed about the progress of the battle." The cunning halfling reasoned. "As you wish," Entreri replied. "When all this is over and I get power, I will never forget everything you have done for me." "And what if you fail?" Entreri laughed. "Be cautious," he said. "And, for your own safety, Varvel Tigovis, remain neutral. I owe you, and I know that our friendship will be of mutual benefit, but if I find you betraying me— Whether in words or actions—I will uproot your guild." With that, he bowed politely and walked back through the portal. Two dark enchantments appeared in Wawel's room one after another, and the whole room was pitch black, forcing her and three other standing soldiers to lie on the ground until one of them finally found the door of the room and called out to the others move towards him. The darkness finally dissipated, and the halfling ventured into the room again to find the sleeping soldier snoring contentedly; afterward they found a small dart strapped to his shoulder. "Entreri has associates," said one of them. Wawel just nodded, not surprised and pleased that he had chosen to help the ostracized killer earlier.He was someone Wawel Tigovis would never want, would never dare to make an enemy of. "Ah, but you put my life in such danger." Ravel sighed and said, as Entreri came quietly and uninvited, out of the air - or so it seemed. — into the mage's room. "Good job - I mean, you escaped from the clutches of Kaza Jordyn." Entreri didn't answer right away, and Ravel continued to speak to himself.The mage tried to remain calm.Of course, Entreri had entered the heavily guarded room twice before, but this time - the killer could tell from Ravel's face - he had truly surprised the mage.Podew has amazingly fortified the guild garrison against any physical and magical intrusion.Although Ravel was indeed in awe of Entreri, he really didn't expect the killer to enter so easily. "It's not that hard, I assure you," replied the killer.His voice is so firm that his words don't sound like boasting, but simply stating simple facts. "I've traveled all over the world, and the Underworld, and I've seen a lot of other powers than the ones that exist in Calimport. Those powers can get me whatever I want." Ravel sat in an old but comfortable armchair, put one elbow on the armrest, and supported his tilted head with the palm of his hand. What on earth, he wondered, made this man dare to make such a mockery of all the usual, outward signs of strength?He looked around the room, at the multitude of statues, gargoyles, and cameos of exotic birds; There are three skulls that seem to be grinning in the small closet; looking at the crystal ball on a small table on the other side.These were the hallmarks of his power, all the magic items he had painstakingly collected throughout his life.He could use them to destroy, or at least defend against, anyone he'd ever seen. Except for one person.What is so special about this person?His standing posture?The way he moves?Are all these magic items around him really as vulnerable to him as the gray cloak and black jacket he is wearing now? "Go get Quentin Bodew," Entreri ordered. "He wouldn't be happy to get involved." "He has intervened, whether he likes it or not," Entreri assured the mage. "Now he has to choose." "Choose you, or...?" Ravel asked. "Everyone else," Entreri replied calmly. Ravel tilted his head curiously. "So you're going to war with all of Calimport?" he asked suspiciously. "War all who oppose me in Calimport," Entreri said.Still very calm tone. Ravel shook his head, not knowing what to say.He trusted Entreri's judgment—the mage had never met a more cunning and self-controlled man—but the killer was talking stupid, or so the mage thought.It is very unwise to fight alone against such a powerful enemy as the Basadoni Guild, let alone the sum of all the underworld forces in Calimport. But even so... "Should I also call Charles Anquin?" The mage got up and walked towards the door. "Charlesey has discovered the futility of resistance," Entreri replied. Ravel stopped suddenly and turned around with a look on his face that seemed to accuse the killer of betraying him. "I knew you would be on my side," Entreri explained. "Because we have been brothers for so many years. What the adjutant thinks is a mystery. I must persuade him, or get rid of him." Ravel just stared at him, waiting for his conclusion. "He was convinced." Entreri settled comfortably in Ravel's chair. "Basically it's like that." "And you'll find out," Entreri added, as the mage walked toward the door again. "Pourdieu is the same." Ravel turned to the killer again. "He will make the right choice," Entreri assured the mage. "Does he have any other options?" Ravel asked boldly. "of course not." In fact, when Ravel found him in Bodew's private room and told him that Artemis Entreri was visiting again, the guildmaster's face turned pale all of a sudden, and his whole body shook violently. As for Ravel, he was even a little afraid that he would immediately fall to the ground and die. "So you talked to Charles?" Ravel asked. "Unlucky day," Bodew replied.He walked towards the corridor, his movements and manner were extremely painful. "Unlucky day?" Ravel murmured these words silently in disbelief.Is there anything in the world that can make the president of a dangerous guild say such a sentence?Suddenly, Entreri's words weighed heavily on the mage's heart, and he had no choice but to follow Bodyo. He noticed that the guild leader didn't ask the guards to follow him, not even guarding the side, which made his doubts even thicker. Podieu stopped at the door of the mage's room and motioned for Ravel to enter the room first.Entreri was still sitting in the study, exactly as the mage had left him.If Bodhiew decided to attack without meeting the killer, it looked like he would be caught off guard, but he seemed to know that Bodhiew would not dare to confront him. "What do you want me to do?" Ravel was thinking of what to say to clear up the obviously embarrassing atmosphere, but Bourdieu spoke first. "I have decided to go to war with the Basadoni Guild," Entreri replied calmly. "Because they started the battle after all. As for you, you must pay close attention to each of their soldiers and each of their important locations, and provide me with a layout plan of their troops, but the guild's garrison is not included. " "I can only promise not to tell anyone about your visit, nor to send my troops to fight," Podieu countered. "Your troops cannot fight at all." Entreri's black eyes flashed with anger. Ravel continued to watch in amazement as Quentin Podieu struggled to keep his body from shaking. "We won't," said the guildmaster. "I have told you the conditions of your existence," Entreri said.The coldness spreading in the voice made Ravel believe that if Podieu did not agree to the killer's conditions, then the guild leader himself, as well as everyone in the entire guild, would be killed tonight. "What else do you want to say?" "I will consider--" "Now." Bodew gave Ravel a savage glare, as if scolding the mage for bringing this Artemis Entreri into his life.Ravel was equally exhausted physically and mentally as Podieu, and he could fully understand the mood of the guild leader. "You asked me to fight the mightiest Pasha." Podew tried desperately to regain some courage. "Choose," Entreri said. A long, uncomfortable silence slid past them. "I'll tell you what my men found," Bodew promised. "You're wise," Entreri said. "Leave now. I have something to say to Ravel." Purdue was obviously overjoyed to be away from this man, and he turned and gave Ravel one more look of extreme disgust, then walked out of the room quickly. "I never would have guessed that you have so many tricks," Ravel said to Entreri. "I have been to Menzoberranzan," Entreri admitted. "The city of drow." Ravel's eyes widened, his mouth shut in surprise. "My time there was not in vain." "You made an alliance with...them?" "You're the only one who knows about it, and the only one who should know about it," Entreri declared. "You have to understand the responsibility that this brings to you. It's something that even I dare not be careless about." "But what about Charles Anquin?" Ravel asked. "You said he was persuaded." "A friend found his mind and imbued it with visions that were too terrifying for him," Entreri explained. "Charlesy didn't know the truth of the matter, but only knew that if he fought against me, the consequences would be terrible. When he told this to Portiew, he must have been very sincere." "Then where am I in your original plan?" The mage tried not to sound sarcastic. "What would you do to Ravel if Podew lived up to your expectations?" "I'll give you a way out." Entreri walked to the desk. "At least, I owe you so much." He picked up a small knife, which Ravel usually uses to break the seals of parchment scrolls, or to poke at the mouth when a spell requires the caster's blood as an ingredient. broken fingers. Ravel understood that Entreri's promise was not out of pity for him, but out of practicality.If Bodew turned his back on Entreri and the mage survived, it was only because he was of some use to Entreri. "You're a little surprised that the guild master agreed to my request so quickly," Entreri said quietly. "You need to understand his situation: either risk the Basadoni Guild defeating me and taking revenge on my allies...or die now, tonight. And I can assure you he will die Miserable." Ravel barely put on a deadpan look, as if none of this was his business. "You have a lot of work to do. Do it well," Entreri said, sending the dagger flying with a flick of his wrist, flying past the mage and crashing into the wall. "I have to go now." Indeed, at the same time as the signal thud sounded, Kimurley Obroza began to use his psychic powers again, creating another portal to allow the killer to leave. Ravel watched the portal open in front of him.For a moment, his curiosity was so strong that he wanted to jump through the door with Entreri and solve all the mysteries. But reason still controlled curiosity. The mage was then alone again, and was very happy about it. Entreri was back in the tunnels built by the dark elves beneath Calimport, with Lyki, Jarlaxle, and Kim Murray at his side. "I don't understand," said Lakey Bondarek.Then Lykie remembered to speak slowly, because Entreri's drow language was not fluent enough, although he had a certain level, and the mage-cleric didn't want to speak in the stupid human language at all. Willing to learn that language, lazy too A spell has to be cast so that everyone can understand each other no matter what language they speak.In fact, Bondarek tried to force the discussion to continue with drow It's a way of keeping the human killers out of the way to some extent, with no regard for Entreri's presence. "I see Come on, the task you gave Quentin Podew can be done by those halflings, and halflings are obviously more suitable for this job than Podew, and it will be easier to convince them. " "I don't doubt Wawel's loyalty," Entreri replied in Calimport dialect, staring at Leckie with every word he uttered. The mage gave Jarlaxle a curious but helpless look.The mercenary chief smiled at the emotion that had arisen between the two, and he took a sphere from the inner pocket of his cloak, set it aloft, and spoke an order.Now they can all understand each other. "I mean, for her own safety, she will remain faithful." Entreri still spoke the human language, but it sounded to Lyki as the language of the drow. "She's not a threat." "And what of poor Quentin Podew and his lackey mage?" Leckie asked suspiciously.Jarlaxle's treasure transcribed the drow's words into the language Entreri knew best. "Don't underestimate the power of the Bodew Guild," Entreri warned. "Their protection is very tight, and there are eyes and ears monitoring all directions." "So you forced his loyalty to you early on," Jarlaxle agreed. "In this case, no matter what the outcome is, they can't pretend to be ignorant." "So what are we going to do in the future?" Kim Murray asked. "We are in charge of the Basadoni Guild," Entreri explained. "Gradually turn it into our foundation, and in addition, Wawel and Bodi especially inquired about our intelligence to make sure that other guilds will not join forces to deal with us." "And after that?" Kim Murray pressed on. Entreri smiled, and looked at Jarlaxle.The mercenary chief could see that Entreri knew that Kim Murray was asking these questions as Jarlaxle had given him earlier instructions. "After that, we'll have to wait for the opportunity to present itself." Jarlaxle said the answer before Entreri could answer. "Maybe our foundations are strong enough. Maybe not." After a while, Entreri left.Jarlaxle turned to his two assistants with some pride. "Did I pick a good man?" he asked. "He thinks like a drow," Lykey replied.This was the highest opinion Jarlaxle had ever heard of humans, and of all non-drow beings. "But he should study our language and writing more carefully." Satisfied with how things were going, Jarlaxle laughed happily.