Meeting and Squad

Dusk had arrived. The tepid sun slowly sank beneath the edge of the sea, casting its golden rays over this ancient city where glory and sin coexisted. The fiery glow of the sunset painted the city's streets, alleys, and scattered architecture, draping this magnificent city of the Northlands in a gorgeous new garment.

Ryan followed the dim firelight along the uneven road, heading toward his destination. On the spacious thoroughfare, dock laborers who had toiled all day passed him in groups. These men, who lived by the strength of their backs, needed to retreat to the dilapidated taverns by the roadside, numbing their exhausted bodies with cheap ale just to survive another day that seemed to stretch on without end.

Still wrapped in his mage robes, Ryan used the Spell Eye to navigate the city center with practiced ease. After circling a few times to successfully shake off the small tails following him, he finally arrived at his destination: the Hearthfire Tavern.

Thanks to its unique location in the noble district of northern Waterdeep, the Hearthfire Tavern was highly favored by merchants and nobles from all over for its first-class service, clean and tidy beds, and reliable security.

Because it was near noble estates and various temples, patrolling paladins and city guards often stopped by the Hearthfire Tavern to have a few drinks and discuss the city's gossip. This gave the tavern a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere; after all, few denizens of the shadows were willing to loiter in front of single-minded paladins.

Unlike the vulgar taverns in the Dock Ward, which were filled with drunken sailors, crude thugs, and destitute travelers, the Hearthfire Tavern was famous throughout Waterdeep for its guaranteed security and quiet, elegant environment.

Wealthy merchants traveling from afar often met here to discuss business matters, avoiding the gaze of ill-intentioned thieves and scoundrels. On any given day, minor nobles and high-level adventurers could also be found lodging here.

Ryan had chosen the Hearthfire Tavern as their meeting place precisely because he valued its pleasant environment and reliable security.

Pushing open the ajar bronze-colored door, Ryan stepped into the tavern, which was lively yet lacked the usual rowdiness. The well-traveled bartender was accustomed to mysterious figures like Ryan; he glanced up once before lowering his head to carefully polish the glass in his hand.

Ryan bypassed the reveling crowd in the main hall and walked straight to the counter, whispering to the bartender, "Please take me to the room of Roger the herbalist, and bring us some local fruit and the house specialty sea bass."

The bartender, focused on polishing his glass, looked up at the request. His scarred face appeared incredibly ferocious in the dim candlelight; the massive scar running across his cheek not only highlighted the man's complex past but also signaled a fierce, cruel, and heart-pounding battle. He stared at Ryan with murky brown eyes for a moment before speaking slowly: "Is it Roger the herbalist or Roger the spice merchant?"

Ryan hesitated. When he had parted ways with Jelona, they had agreed on a time and a code. Considering the need to avoid delays or arriving too early, Ryan had arrived right on time. He figured Jelona was already waiting in the room, and she likely wouldn't have changed the code without reason.

"Yes, it is Roger the herbalist," Ryan nodded, emphasizing the point to the bartender.

The experienced old bartender merely looked at Ryan once, withdrew his gaze, and said calmly, "Follow me."

Following the old man carrying the lantern, Ryan walked a short distance and arrived at the room of "Roger the herbalist." The room was not large—just the size of a single bedroom—but its location was very secluded, and the excellent soundproofing meant it was completely shielded from the noise of the main hall.

Ryan sighed inwardly, Jelona is truly a reliable partner; the room she chose is exactly to my liking.

Pushing open the ajar door, Ryan stepped inside. The first thing he saw was a beautiful half-elf sitting at the table, lost in thought while holding a glass of wine.

Seeing the door pushed open, Jelona reflexively looked up with vigilance. When she saw the dark mage robes of the familiar young mage, her guarded expression softened. She smiled and said, "You're here? Right on time, as expected."

Looking at the half-elf with her charming smile, the corners of Ryan's mouth curled up slightly. He laughed, "Of course. I am a master of timing; my motto is 'precise and elegant.' But I still can't compare to the punctual Lady Jelona. You look as beautiful as ever today."

Jelona rolled her eyes at the young mage's glib tongue. During their previous adventures, where they had shared both joy and hardship, Jelona had long since learned Ryan's temperament. From the mage's habit of insisting on his meditation schedule no matter how difficult the battle, Jelona could tell he was someone who was incredibly punctual, perhaps even obsessive-compulsive. She naturally hadn't worried about him being late.

"Hey, Ryan, did you go to the Mages Guild? What happened with the Zhentarim?" Jelona went straight to the point, asking about the Zhentarim. After all, no normal person wanted to be on the minds of those stubborn, fanatical madmen from the Zhentarim. Jelona naturally wanted to know what Ryan had gained from his trip.

Ryan's expression stiffened. He recalled being used as a tool by his teacher and the bigwigs of the Mages Guild, reduced from a proper mage to mere bait for fishing. He couldn't help but feel depressed.

Seeing the golden-haired youth's face change and turn grim, Jelona's heart tightened. Fearing she might hear bad news, she asked cautiously, "What is it? Is the situation very dire?"

Ryan pushed aside his internal grumbling about his unreliable teacher, regained his composure, and smiled as he explained to Jelona, "It's nothing. I just remembered some unpleasant things. The Zhentarim matter is of no consequence; the Mages Guild of Waterdeep had already anticipated it, so we don't need to worry."

Hearing this, Jelona finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although she knew the Zhentarim's influence wasn't enough to cover the sky in Waterdeep, those evil and fanatical people were often like cold, hidden poison blades in the dark. During this time, Jelona had still been worried about the safety of Ryan and their team.

As the half-elf relaxed and prepared to wait for Ryan to explain further, Ryan sat before the Huanghua Wood table. He stared at the half-elf ranger, who—after some grooming—revealed a charm far different from her usual dashing demeanor, her bright eyes and white teeth looking particularly moving. He began to ponder.

"Hey, why do you keep staring at me?" Jelona, under Ryan's direct gaze, felt a sense of unease. Her face flushed, a blush creeping up to her ears, and she scolded him with a shy, coquettish anger.

Ryan stroked his smooth, fair chin with his hand, ignoring her shyness, and asked with interest, "There is a mission. Is your team willing to participate?"

During his conversation with Alexander, Ryan had asked if he could bring partners. After all, how could a squishy mage go adventuring without a few "tools" to block arrows? Of course, Ryan wasn't so deranged as to think that way, but he did feel a bit uneasy being completely alone.

Ryan had only mentioned it in passing, not expecting much regarding a secret mission from the Mages Guild. To his surprise, Alexander had simply glanced at him and agreed. Ryan was astonished, thinking that the adventurer team he had met on the road might be a good choice—yes, a good choice for blocking blades.

Hearing there was a mission, Jelona's expression turned serious. She composed herself, sat up straight, and began to discuss the specifics with Ryan: "What mission? Where is it? What do you need us to do?"

Ryan looked at the serious half-elf ranger before him, admiring her even more. Whether as a teammate or a collaborator, someone like her was top-tier and reliable.

"On the night of the next full moon, I need to explore an ancient ruin from the Netherese era. It's a trial-based mission, so the danger isn't high. I can offer you 200 Gold Talons each. Are you willing to come?" Ryan explained to Jelona.

Back when Alexander had introduced the ruin exploration to him, Ryan had asked a series of questions and learned he could find his own team or join the young mages from the Magic Association. However, compared to the latter, Ryan preferred the adventurer trio he knew and had worked with before.

In truth, as far as Jelona was concerned, she would have been willing to accompany Ryan even without payment. After all, she had promised to face the threat of the Zhentarim with him. Now that the Zhentarim issue had been resolved by the Mages Guild, she was overjoyed at the prospect of continuing to spend time with Ryan.

However, as the brains and spokesperson for their adventurer team, Jelona had to worry about her two troublesome teammates. Now that she knew the specifics of Ryan's commission, she naturally made the decision on the spot. After all, a mission paying two hundred Gold Talons could already be considered well-compensated, not to mention that those two guys would certainly be willing to join for the sake of their friendship with Ryan.

On the continent of Faerûn, adventurers were a unique existence. Their figures could be found in every corner of the continent, and their footprints were left in all sorts of major events. Whether it was searching for the Tablets of Fate, which possessed supreme power, rescuing the trapped goddess Waukeen from the Abyss, or eliminating the evil and terrifying god of tyranny, Bane, they could always find various reasons to receive all kinds of help and then perform feats that shook the gods.

This even included slaying gods, becoming gods, and rescuing a deity from the hands of demon lords in the Bottomless Abyss. There was no event in the tides of the era that they couldn't get involved in.

Unfortunately, such powerful and glorious high-level adventurers were, in the end, a minority. Most down-and-out adventurers remained in towns and villages, dealing with trivial matters like finding lost cats and dogs, naively dreaming of slaying dragons and becoming famous.

Jelona and her two companions were naturally not among those poor, destitute adventurers, but they were also not legendary figures like the dual-wielding elf Drizzt. Being neither here nor there, they rarely received big jobs like a two-hundred Gold Talon commission.

"By the way, what have Kasla and Arata been up to lately?" Ryan asked curiously about the status of the two adventurers. He had a deep impression of the reliable dwarven shield-bearer and the brave barbarian. After all, compared to the "pig teammates" who only caused trouble in the novels of his past life, the teammates Ryan had encountered could be considered qualified companions.

Jelona's rosy, lustrous lips curled. She knew the situation of the two blockheads in her team like the back of her hand: "Kasla is still heartbroken over his damaged treasure shield; he's probably still busy at his kinsman's smithy repairing it. As for that blockhead Arata, he's likely in a tavern somewhere drinking with others. I told him to rest and recover, but that guy never listens."

Ryan listened quietly as the beautiful half-elf complained about her teammates. Watching Jelona talk incessantly while a look of unconscious joy and concern appeared on her face, a trace of envy welled up in his heart. Looking at her, they must have experienced life and death together many times. That's really nice.

Realizing she had opened the floodgates, Jelona's pretty face flushed. She paused and forcibly changed the subject: "Alright, it's settled then. We accept your commission. When it's time to depart, let's meet at the Hearthfire Tavern again."

Ryan smiled slightly and nodded in agreement: "Good. Then I'll continue to trouble you all when the time comes."