Under the mage's guidance, the group filed into the abandoned workshop and climbed a dust-covered stone staircase to the second floor.
Unlike the dilapidated first floor, this place had been carefully cleaned. Every trace of dirt had been wiped away, exposing the original black flagstones beneath.
Several chairs and a long table stood neatly arranged in the middle of the room. They were only ordinary stone furniture, but at least they offered somewhere to sit.
A few magic lamps hung on the walls, casting a dim glow.
A fist-sized crystal ball sat on a table in the center of the hall. As the mage chanted to activate it, the ball projected live images of the workshop's first floor and surroundings.
The cluttered space downstairs, the deserted street outside the entrance, even the outline of the distant city wall-all appeared clearly on the screen of light.
The first and second floors looked entirely different. If the second floor could just barely be called tidy, the first was utter chaos.
It was piled with all sorts of junk, broken flagstones, and collapsed funguswood racks...
Of course, the most eye-catching sight was the collection of swollen, pallid half-drow corpses lying in the center of the room.
"My lady, you can inspect the entire workshop through the magic I've set up." The mage rubbed his hands together, his confidence returning as he explained with assurance, "The crystal ball is connected to seven monitoring nodes I've placed inside and outside the workshop. Anyone approaching from any direction will be detected in advance..."
Seeing that Tristana remained expressionless and had instead reached for the Serpent-Head Whip at her waist again, the mage hastily added:
"I've already received word. Once the Time Pillar changes to 'dark time,' they'll come to make contact."
"All you need to do