"You said two thousand? The currency is gold coins?" Zhang Yuan asked, clinging to a sliver of hope that he had misheard.
The serious-looking bartender mercilessly shattered someone's fantasy. "That's the price. The inner city is patrolled day and night by the reliable Flaming Fist Mercenary Group, and the major temples are all located there as well. Besides that eccentric old Habasser, who prefers to stay in his own general store, all the other mages have built their towers in the inner city too."
"Another name for the inner city is the Noble District. Anyone of any standing in Baldur's Gate will choose to buy property there and live a respectable life. In the entire Sword Coast, aside from the mysterious Candlekeep, there's nowhere safer."
"Can't people settle in the other districts? How could so many residents possibly fit into such a small inner city? The other areas seem fine to me." Having been discouraged by what he heard, Zhang Yuan argued desperately.
"Oh? I thought an honored guest who knew only Elven Song wouldn't settle for anything less than a mansion." The bartender's voice suddenly became much lighter than before.
Damn! Realizing he had been toyed with, Zhang Yuan glared at the bartender and ground out each word through clenched teeth. "Respected Mr. Nan Qu, why don't you take a look and see whether there's a house in the outer city that a pitiful, impoverished outsider with no dignity to speak of can afford?!"
"Ahem!" Realizing he had gone too far, the bartender stopped spinning wild tales and said seriously, "The situation in the outer city is much more complicated. Different districts have different environments and different populations. But, broadly speaking, you get what you pay for. The cheaper the area, the less safe it is."
There were no other customers at the moment, so Nan Qu continued, "Take the commercial district in the southwest. The Flaming Fist's headquarters is there, and its safety and order aren't much worse than in the inner city. That's why a number of mages and merchants have gathered there. The property prices aren't much lower than in the inner city."
"The docks in the south are a little worse. Although the Iron Throne's headquarters and the Harbor Master are there, they're still not as reliable as the Flaming Fist. Besides, there's also the troublesome factor of the temple of the Bitch Queen."
As he spoke, the bartender took a drink to moisten his throat. Seeing that, Zhang Yuan simply started drinking the jade wine he had just bought at the bar. It reminded him of rum. Once the spicy liquor entered his mouth, it left behind a sweet aftertaste laced with the fragrance of cane sugar. It seemed it might also have been brewed from sugarcane or some other sugar-producing plant.
"Are there any other areas? What's the eastern side like?" Zhang Yuan continued asking after swallowing his drink.
"The east is hard to say. The Gate District is a mixed bag, with all sorts of people from every walk of life. I hear members of the thieves' guild often show up there too." By the end, the bartender had lowered his voice. "What's even more frightening is the northeastern corner of the inner city. Although it's part of the inner city, it seems everyone turns a blind eye to that dark corner. No one can say what the situation there is really like. Only some poor people and beggars live there. Perhaps it's because the temple of Ilmater is located there."
Ilmater? Wasn't he the God of Suffering, the protector of beggars and the poor? Thinking about the living conditions near Ilmater's temple, Zhang Yuan couldn't help feeling troubled.
It wasn't that he looked down on the deity or his followers. On the contrary, he deeply respected Ilmater's ideals and admired what he had done even more.
To place one's temple in a slum, even among a nest of beggars, and protect the weak and impoverished year after year without adorning the façade with any luxury or splendor—this was not something that could be brushed aside as merely a lofty doctrine.
Zhang Yuan knew he could never match such conduct and deeds. That was precisely why he could only admire it, not imitate it.
This had nothing to do with discriminating against the poor. Zhang Yuan simply wasn't willing to risk placing himself in a dangerous environment while he was still weak.
He hadn't forgotten that the lairs of criminal organizations and the meeting places of assassins were in that very district. Nearly every mission related to murder passed through that shadow-shrouded place.
As the saying went, a rich man's son did not sit beneath a crumbling wall. Avoiding risks whenever possible was Zhang Yuan's principle.
With that in mind, Zhang Yuan formed a preliminary idea and was about to ask the omniscient man before him, "I think the Gate District would suit me. What do you think?"
"If you want to settle there, my advice is to choose an area as far south as possible. There are relatively few residents in the southern part of the Gate District. Most of it consists of warehouses rented by merchant guilds."
At that moment, Zhang Yuan suddenly remembered the shabby room where he had first awakened. Tracing his route to the tavern backward, it should have been somewhere between the docks and the Gate District.
"The place you mentioned does seem to have fewer people, and there are some abandoned houses." Zhang Yuan suddenly had a great idea. "Those houses are ownerless, right? Why doesn't someone simply move in?"
"You think those vagrants don't want to take advantage of a bargain?" The bartender gave a mocking laugh before explaining, "Although they've been abandoned, all those houses and warehouses are registered with the city hall and managed by the Flaming Fist. If you want to move in, you'll have to pay a fee to the city council, and the subsequent repairs will cost money too."
"How much?" the miser asked reluctantly.
The bartender had already turned to serve other customers and tossed back a single sentence. "I don't know either. Go ask the Flaming Fist."
With the sun already high in the sky and noon approaching, several customers gradually arrived at the previously empty tavern. Zhang Yuan felt he had gathered quite a lot of information. Perhaps it was time to take action.
After changing into the coarse-cloth clothes he had bought at the general store, Zhang Yuan grabbed his bundle and left the tavern. Asking for directions along the way, he headed toward the Flaming Fist's guild in the southwest district.
Zhang Yuan had never worn such cheap clothing, which looked as though it had been taken from a medieval museum. At that moment, he felt he wasn't wearing clothes at all, but torture implements meant for slow dismemberment.
What the hell? Was this clothing invented by Minister Geng? Irritated beyond measure, Zhang Yuan had barely taken a few steps before he felt the urge to tear the rag that rubbed against him like a demon into shreds.
But he was already walking down the street. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't bring himself to strip in public and could only force himself to endure it.
Wait, didn't he have Mage Armor on his body? Why couldn't he adjust the armor so that it existed flush against his skin? Thinking of that, Zhang Yuan praised his own cleverness.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. As someone completely ignorant of magic whose spells had all been directly granted by the system, Zhang Yuan could cast but not control them. As for adjusting the armor's size and coverage, that was like a dog dragging a tortoise—he had no idea where to begin.
Having revoked his praise, Zhang Yuan was now gnashing his teeth. Scratching himself all over like Sun Wukong, he quickened his pace.
As fate would have it, Zhang Yuan could endure no longer when he reached the vicinity of a clothing store and immediately ducked inside.
About fifteen minutes later, Zhang Yuan emerged in a set of cotton clothes and let out a long sigh of relief. The price was the two silver coins that had vanished from his pocket.
Although it hurt terribly, even this miser knew that some money simply couldn't be saved!
With the proprietress sending him off with a radiant smile and directions, Zhang Yuan finally arrived at the Flaming Fist's headquarters.
Before you continue