From the east and west corners of the tavern, two patrons stood up and walked warily toward Fanxing, glaring at one another like bitter, longstanding foes.
The orc bartender warmly introduced them. "This is Hastings, a veteran rogue who is especially adept at disarming traps. The other is Hares, a ranger whose raven has been specially trained to ferret out secret rooms and hidden passages."
Fanxing began sizing up the two adventurers.
The ranger named Hares looked ordinary enough, though his half-elven heritage drew slight attention.
As for the rogue named Hastings, his frame seemed far too tall and broad—he looked less like a rogue and more like a warrior. Yet he carried an aura that felt intimately familiar to Fanxing: the aura of an ascetic.
It was as if Hastings had seen through the bitter sorrows of mortal life and entered a state of complete detachment from worldly desire. His gaze had grown aloof and profound. One could only wonder what he had endured to attain such a state at his age.
"I need someone to infiltrate a wizard's tower..." Fanxing stated his requirements in brief, without specifying which wizard's tower it was. He then asked several questions to test their professional qualifications.
Both performed admirably. The rogue easily bypassed a magical lock Fanxing produced, while the raven summoned by the ranger effortlessly tracked down a magic ring Fanxing had concealed. Both possessed undeniably refined skill.
However, their asking prices were another matter entirely.
The rogue, Hastings, demanded a flat three thousand gold coins. Furthermore, he would only be responsible for infiltrating and blazing a safe path inside; he flatly refused to explore the interior any further.
"No matter what kind of wizard's tower it is, the danger is far too great. There's no way I can disarm every magical trap alone and make it out in one piece. To be blunt, the moment things turn dangerous, I'm bolting."
It was an utterly irresponsible declaration, and the quote of three thousand gold coins was equally preposterous. It wasn't that Fanxing couldn't afford it; he simply refused to be taken for a fool.
The half-elven ranger, by contrast, seemed much more honorable. Although his quote was even steeper—a staggering five thousand gold coins—he promised to find a safe route in and guaranteed he would scout the tower from top to bottom. Even if he couldn't disarm every magical trap, he pledged to mark every suspicious location and deliver a detailed map to Fanxing.
It was expensive, yes, but the terms were reasonable.
If they could truly map out the layout of that lich's castle, five thousand gold coins would be well worth the price.
Just as Fanxing was debating whether to haggle the price down, Hastings suddenly asked, "Don't you paladins always cast Detect Evil first before agreeing to work with anyone?"
Fanxing shot the rogue an odd look and replied, "Certain paladin oaths are rather strict, so they always use Detect Evil when picking partners. However, my oath isn't quite so rigid."
From an angle out of Fanxing's line of sight, the half-elven ranger Hares wore an expression of disappointment.
He had originally hoped to mimic the lich's trick to fleece some "moral compensation" out of him, but who could have guessed this paladin had such flexible moral standards?
Still, it was no great loss. Neither brother had ever planned on actually venturing into any wizard's tower.
Right now, all they wanted was to scam some coin out of this paladin. Even a ten-percent advance would be more than enough for the two brothers to leave the City of Alchemy behind.
The sole reason they were still stranded in this wretched place was that Anbaixiu had fleeced them clean of every copper when they crossed paths before. They couldn't even afford a horse right now, forced to linger in the City of Alchemy and try their luck.
If Fanxing paid them now, the brothers would slip out of the city tonight and never look back.
After all, the Nine Kingdoms were vast; the Ryan Empire would hardly hunt them to the ends of the earth over a few hundred gold coins.
It was a neat calculation, but they had severely underestimated Fanxing's prudence.
After a lengthy round of bargaining, Fanxing finally hired both of them together for four thousand gold coins to infiltrate Anbaixiu's castle.
The ten-percent deposit was settled in cash on the spot. Right after handing over the coins, however, Fanxing produced two alchemical potions and set them before the brothers.
"These are magical potions I ordered from the Alchemists' Council. Drinking them will bestow several protective spells upon you, ensuring your safety while infiltrating the wizard's tower. The effects will lie dormant in your bodies, activating automatically whenever you encounter danger.
"They will simultaneously grant you Armor of Agathys, Stoneskin, and Shield. That level of protection is enough to withstand a full-power Divine Smite from me—more than sufficient to keep you alive."
The two brothers exchanged glances, astonished by such good fortune. The value of these two potions exceeded their asking price!
Armor of Agathys would temporarily bolster their vitality and coat them in a layer of frost, inflicting cold damage on any enemy that drew near. Stoneskin went without saying: it truly turned one's skin as hard as rock. Shield, meanwhile, granted total immunity to Magic Missile while providing superb defense against other spells.
Stacked together, these three defensive spells made a person practically invulnerable.
The two hastily pocketed the vials, already planning to fetch a handsome sum by selling them later.
To their surprise, Fanxing said, "There's no time to waste. Drink them right now. It takes a little while for the draughts to settle in, so drinking them now is perfect. We're setting off for the wizard's tower immediately."
"We need to prepare! I have to get some biscuits for my pet."
"Right, my lockpicks are a bit dull. I need to whet them..."
Fanxing watched their performance with a faint smile, but his hand had already dropped to the hilt of his sword.
"Whatever you're missing can be settled right here. Make your preparations before my eyes. If you leave my line of sight, I'm afraid I might get a little nervous. And as you know, when people get too nervous, they tend to become irritable."
A faint holy light swirled over Fanxing's palm. A Divine Smite was primed and ready, poised to unleash a thunderous strike at a moment's notice.
The brothers immediately caught on: this paladin hadn't trusted them for a single second. He intended to march them straight to the wizard's tower under armed guard.
Should they resist right here and make a run for it?
There were two of them. Even if they couldn't beat him, slipping away with a few dirty tricks shouldn't be too hard, right? Hastings was already reaching for a smoke bomb, while Hares was prepared to summon his beast companion to cover their retreat.
Just then, the tavern door was pushed open once more, and four more heavily armored paladins of the Ryan Empire strode inside.
Hastings & Hares: "..."
Run? Run where?! The moment they pulled any tricks, these paladins would chop them into mincemeat with their Divine Smites.
The two brothers could only plaster on sycophantic smiles. "You're quite right! Time waits for no man. Let's head out right now!"
Fanxing chuckled. "No need to prepare the biscuits and lockpicks?"
"Pets are most obedient on an empty stomach."
"Indeed! As for lockpicks, I can just grab a spare."
Fanxing was well pleased with their reaction. Turning to his teammates, he said, "Let's go. We're heading to the territory of that lich, Tiga Ultraman."
Hastings & Hares: "???!!!"
Why did that name the paladin just uttered sound so damn familiar?!
Chapter 56