Treasure Hunt

Zhang Yuan quickly decided on the scrolls he needed. Having already learned seven Level 1 spells, he only had to choose from the few remaining options.

"Shadow Magic Scroll," "Sleep," "Summon Monster I," "Charm." Taking advantage of old Banterley's half-price offer, he picked up four Level 1 scrolls at once. As for why he didn't buy Level 2 or higher spells?

Don't ask. The answer is he couldn't afford them.

Zhang Yuan had his reasons for choosing these particular spells. "Sleep" and "Charm" greatly compensated for his lack of control spells, "Shadow Magic Scroll" could provide a surprising confusion effect, and the summoning spell was for emergencies when he was alone.

Even with the fifty percent discount, thanks to Skar's influence, the full ten gold coins still pained the already tight-fisted young man. Though he now held four light scrolls of sheepskin, they represented two-thirds of his entire fortune.

Knowledge wasn't just power; it was glittering gold coins!

Sighing about the weight of knowledge, Zhang Yuan somehow thought of Candlekeep. A holy land of knowledge like that must contain immeasurable value, explaining why the price of entry was so steep: a valuable book not in Candlekeep's collection, or 500 gold coins.

What did 500 gold coins even mean? A Flaming Fist soldier, after bonuses, only earned about 20 gold coins a month from their salary and allowances. As for a certain rookie without a fixed salary, he only made 11 gold coins a month through quest bonuses and mage stipends.

And this amount, nearly several years' worth of an average income, could only buy a ticket, and one that was only valid for ten days!

Zhang Yuan, marveling at this, felt a surge of envy and jealousy before a bizarre idea slowly emerged. Since Candlekeep required unseen books, perhaps he could be a copycat—no, a knowledge transporter.

A perfect idea! The young man almost wanted to applaud his own brilliance. Even if books with obvious foreign or era-specific traits couldn't be transported, and common novels like "A Mage of Faerûn," which had little value, weren't worth the effort, there were still books on humanity, philosophy, and objective scientific laws…

He could selectively transport those, right?

While happily contemplating these devious ideas, he tripped over a chair leg and was about to fall when a transparent hand, emitting a faint white light, caught him.

Old Banterley, having just used "Mage Hand," winked teasingly. "Gaining new knowledge is a cause for joy for any mage. It signifies that our understanding of the unknown mysteries has deepened."

The old mage then smiled. "However, when you gaze at the stars, don't forget the road beneath your feet."

Feeling quite embarrassed, Zhang Yuan thanked him for the help and followed Skar, preparing to join his teammates for dinner at the inn.

After the dinner, filled with hearty eating, chatting, and dice games, finally concluded, he directly found Skar.

"I don't know how to thank you for this. In short, thank you."

Not being good at expressing emotions didn't mean he wasn't grateful. While he himself had focused on training his melee abilities and selectively ignored his mage profession's progress, Captain Skar remembered and considered this. Putting himself in Skar's shoes, Zhang Yuan knew he couldn't do that, nor could he become the kind of person Skar was. He genuinely admired and recognized Skar as a good captain.

"I just mentioned it in passing. Old Banterley was happy to have a customer, and besides, you're a member of our team. This is good for all of us," Skar said dismissively, downplaying his involvement.

Zhang Yuan nodded without saying more, but his mind turned to the tragic fate that awaited his captain in the future, and a sense of urgency grew heavier in his heart.

After parting ways with his teammates, Zhang Yuan didn't return to his room. Instead, taking advantage of the nobody paying attention, he slipped out of the inn alone.

Walking down the steps outside, he turned right, passed the stable that smelled of horse manure, and showed the Seven Suns Merchant Alliance's emblem to the guard by the gate before exiting the Friendly Arm's perimeter.

This solo outing wasn't without reason. Archmage Zhang had a task today that everyone would find delightful: treasure hunting.

No adventurer was unfamiliar with the word "treasure hunt." Whether it was a secret letter or a treasure map revealing clues to a hoard, the various dangers and obstacles encountered during the search, the greedy hyenas and cunning enemies drawn by rumors, or the immense surprise of discovering the treasure and the subsequent overnight riches—all these became the main material for the colorful stories passed down and loved by bards.

However, the reality of treasure hunting on Faerûn was far less romantic. When a group of rookie adventurers or thrill-seeking noble scions stumbled upon a treasure map, their initial excitement would often be followed by the awkward realization that they couldn't understand it.

Perhaps the handwriting was messy, or it was written in code, or the landmarks on the map were completely unknown, or maybe the map was just plain fake.

Even if the treasure map was deciphered and its destination confirmed to be real, its burial location could be terrifying.

This damned treasure might be in the frigid High Moor, on some remote island, or within the mysterious and treacherous ruins of ancient mages.

If, by some stroke of incredible luck, the adventuring party found a burial site that wasn't completely outlandish and seemed within reach, they would brave the elements, hack through obstacles, and overcome countless difficulties to reach their destination.

At this point, they would often discover with surprise that the place was already occupied. Hospitable monsters, mages, elementals, or even creatures from the lower planes would enthusiastically greet them and use their claws, swords, and spells to ensure their honored guests stayed for a "visit."

No, no, don't be so pessimistic. Perhaps we can make a positive assumption: these seemingly reckless explorers are actually masters of disguise, high-level spellcasters, and favored clerics of the gods.

They'd cut through all the hospitable hosts like butter, seize the place as their own, and turn it upside down.

Then, they'd be shocked to find that the treasure was actually a trap deliberately leading to a monster's lair, or that all the riches had already been plundered, leaving nothing behind, or that although the treasure existed and hadn't been taken, it had been damaged and spoiled by time and human factors.

Out of countless explorers, only a tiny fraction, kissed by Tyche, would successfully unearth the treasure and obtain riches substantial enough to make the endeavor worthwhile.

They were the protagonists sung about by the bards. As for the vast majority of others? Who knew?