Unfathomable

"Lord Soth, where are you headed?" Bernard stepped forward and asked.

Zuo Si replied directly, "I'm looking for an inn, a grand meal of local delicacies, and a night's rest in the best room. Also, this fellow needs to send a message to his subordinates to raise the ransom."

"If that's all, you could have left it to me. My name is Epke, and I'm the leader of a Thieves' Guild here in Caledon." The bald, stout man quickly introduced himself, seizing the opportunity.

Although Caledon had a considerable number of arcane spellcasters, with nearly half of the Royal Guard being Wizards or Sorcerers, they were all under the control of the officials and the royal family.

For underground organizations with a gang-like nature, such as the Thieves' Guild, it was quite difficult to recruit a powerful spellcaster.

Typically, only those mediocre Wizards would choose to abandon the pursuit of profound magical knowledge and begin serving the leaders of the Thieves' Guild.

Epke had a Wizard under his command who could cast third-circle arcane spells, so he was well aware of the astonishing power high-level spellcasters could unleash at critical moments.

To say nothing else, the method Bernard had just described—resurrecting a hundred undead in one go—was enough to directly alter the outcome of a guild war.

Therefore, he wanted to seize this opportunity to see if he could foster a closer relationship and find himself a new ally.

"Oh? You can? Won't that be troublesome?"

Zuo Si deliberately feigned ignorance, blinking his eyes.

He wasn't a fool; he naturally saw through the intentions of the bald, stout man before him.

But it didn't matter.

Zuo Si had no intention of staying in Caledon for an extended period anyway.

After receiving the ransom, he would head north.

First, he would go to Amn to see if he could help Bernard resolve his guild inheritance issues, and then he would go to Candlekeep or Waterdeep to study magic.

"No! Of course not! It's my honor to have the chance to meet a powerful spellcaster like you. Moreover, Captain Bloodhand and I are old friends."

As he spoke, Epke cast his gaze towards Harlett, who looked dejected and reeked of sourness.

The latter rolled his eyes impatiently, "Don't call us that familiarly. At best, we just use each other; we're not friends at all."

"That hurts my feelings so much."

Epke clutched his chest, putting on a show of utter heartbreak.

But soon, he couldn't help but laugh heartily and tease, "But you look really pathetic right now! Hahahaha!"

Facing the mockery from an old acquaintance, Harlett was furious, his anger reaching its peak as he cursed, "Damn you! You bastard, laugh all you want! There will be a day you cry.

Just you wait, I'll make a comeback soon.

Oh, right, help me send a message.

Tell Eric to bring enough gold, along with all the books and scrolls from my collection, to Caledon to ransom me.

You know how to contact him."

"Don't worry, I'll deliver the message for you, and it'll be free of charge."

Epke agreed without the slightest hesitation.

From this alone, one could tell that their relationship was much better than what was displayed.

At the very least, the Thieves' Guild leader didn't kick him while he was down, nor did he plan to capture him and turn him in for a bounty after the ransom was paid.

After paying the port fees, docking fees, and a small bribe to the dock officials, ensuring they completely ignored the contraband in the cargo, everyone finally left the noisy and foul-smelling docks, handing the ship over to over a dozen Thieves' Guild thugs for safekeeping.

Passing through several bustling main roads with heavy foot traffic, Epke soon stopped in front of an inn named "Happy Hour."

Through the slightly ajar door, music could faintly be heard from inside, along with the excited shouts and cries of the patrons.

When he personally pushed the door open and walked in, the initially lively atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

Zuo Si could even see the woman dancing on the table, draped in sheer fabric, her muscles tensing instantly, freezing in place, afraid to move.

And the guests who were in an excited state just a moment ago all simultaneously closed their mouths and sat down to remain quiet.

This was because everyone knew that the bald, stout man who had just walked in and his Thieves' Guild were the true rulers of this street, holding everyone's life and fate in their hands.

Undoubtedly!

This was the deterrent effect of power.

It was also what the dozen or so Thieves' Guilds in Caledon, constantly scheming and fighting each other, would do anything to obtain.

Epke undoubtedly savored such a scene, deliberately slowing his pace. It took him a full half-minute to reach the bartender and directly ordered, "I need the second floor to entertain some important guests now. Give yourself three minutes to clear the entire second floor, and tell the chef to stop his work and prepare my best dishes."

"Y-yes! Understood! Please rest assured, I'll arrange it immediately."

The boss, who looked to be in his fifties, was clearly terrified. He scurried up to the second floor and unceremoniously kicked out the guests who were dining, not even collecting their meal fees.

At the same time, the male employee responsible for serving dishes slipped into the kitchen, informing the busy chef to prioritize the guild leader's requests.

The entire process was filled with an efficiency that was beyond words.

In just about fifteen minutes, the group was seated around a table by the window on the second floor, savoring the inn's most characteristic dishes while admiring the bustling scene outside on the street.

Epke even called the dancer from downstairs to specially feed Harlett, who couldn't feed himself.

During the meal, whether it was Bernard, Epke, or Harlett, who had now become a captive, they were all secretly observing Zuo Si's eating habits, his movements, and his reactions to various flavors and ingredients.

They wanted to use these details to figure out where this "Necromancer," who always gave off an air of unfathomable depth, came from on the Faerun Continent, whether he had received any formal education, and what preferences or weaknesses could be exploited.

But unfortunately, Zuo Si was almost flawless in his presentation.

Regarding dining etiquette, he had received professional training back on Earth, wielding his knife, fork, and spoon with captivating grace.

Throughout the entire meal, he never touched his food with his fingers, nor did he leave any soup stains around his mouth.

Furthermore, he was meticulous about keeping the shared utensils completely separate from his own, eliminating any possibility of direct contact.

Not only that!

After finishing his meal, he even had the waiter soak and disinfect the used cutlery, bowls, and plates in boiling hot water.

His elegant demeanor, movements, and unnervingly hygienic habits made even Harlett, who was of noble birth, feel a sense of inferiority.

In the eyes of the pirate captain, the etiquette Zuo Si displayed would not be out of place even when dining at a royal court.

Moreover, regardless of the taste or ingredients of the dishes he ate, his expression remained consistently neutral, showing no hint of surprise, joy, or any similar reaction.

Many dishes that others considered delicious, he would only taste once and then not touch again, clearly finding them unpalatable.

This was true even for dishes that had been seasoned with many expensive spices and condiments.

It's important to know that on Faerun, spices were absolute luxury items.

A small bag of more expensive spices could be worth the total earnings of an ordinary person working for about half a month to a full month without eating or drinking.

Those who could frequently eat spiced dishes definitely belonged to the noble or wealthy classes.

Putting all of this together, the three observing in secret could basically conclude that Zuo Si not only had a very privileged background.

But also had extremely high, almost exacting, standards for food quality.

They had no idea that the dishes Zuo Si refused to eat were completely ruined by the haphazard use of spices, making the entire dish taste incredibly strange and utterly unsuited to the palate of modern Earthlings.