Mage? Spell Engineer!

Earl Elgin was also an aristocrat of the old Istany on earth. However, one late foggy night, he and the coachman disappeared into an alley near the red light district.

His "leaving without saying goodbye" once caused trouble for young Elgin to inherit the title of earl. It took many years for the family, the knights and Her Majesty the Queen to agree that the elder Elgin was indeed gone.

So there were two Earls with the same title in the land of Stormwind City.

Rorschach and his party were inspected by the Earl's guards. Said to be a guard, he was actually the unlucky coachman who fell into the shadow city with the count. He shivered despite his rheumatism knees and rotten teeth and took on the responsibilities of chef, guard and servant.

He patted Rorschach's body with his jagged hands. The security check level was about the same as a symbolic scan with a metaphysical metal detector. Except for the dwarf's sledgehammer, which was stopped for temporary storage, nothing else was taken away.

"Everyone, please follow me." The old coachman stooped and walked to the next carriage. The entrance was decorated with wooden doors and red velvet cloth.

No more inspections and escorts? Rorschach's experience when he entered the Shadow Land was that this place was by no means a good place. If he were a genuine earl, he shouldn't have such a weak defensive force. He couldn't help but wonder whether the man he was about to meet could help in the search.

"Sir, they are here." The old coachman announced, and there was a lazy voice: "Come in."

As the earl's mobile palace, this carriage is very "luxurious". The front half is like a reception room, with coffee tables, chairs, sofas and a fireplace. There is also a pot of tea boiling on the stove. Looking through the display case, one can see a curtain with a dining table inside, and another curtain inside. Rorschach guessed it was a divided "bedroom".

The above furnishings are all made of fine wood and workmanship, but they are all pieced together and have not received much maintenance. For example, the portraits of unknown people in oil paintings have been stained, and the wooden frames are cracked and have insect holes. The other furniture was similar. Although the Earl had selected it with an aristocratic vision, it was essentially the same as what the Rat Whisperer had dug out of the garbage mountain.

Bang-dang-dang-dang the train started moving.

"My lord, it's great to see you again! Have you missed my performance?" The poet saluted the nobleman, and when he bowed, he looked like a goose.

Earl Elgin also noticed Rorschach. His eyes fell on the young man. The young man nodded and said hello: "Hello."

"You are a mage."

"You are so wise! I have made a mage friend." The troubadour Freddie seemed to have a special liking for playing the role of jester, but he was definitely not trying to win the admiration of adults, it was more like expressing with all his strength. mocking.

Elgin was still half nestled in the recliner, and looked comfortable: "A guy who doesn't know etiquette is either a fool or a mage."

You are very brave to say that. Rorschach stepped forward and said, "Hello, Lord Count, we are here to ask for your help."

"I never help people."

"Of course, we brought gifts! Freddy, the little citizen, presented three pounds of soft white sugar and three bottles of dry red wine, asking the earl to make decisions for the people." Before Rorschach could speak, Freddy took out the dwarf's bag and took it Get out the paper bags and wine bottles.

Rorschach seemed to hear the count whisper, "It turns out there is a dwarf."

If in the past the earl would have pretended to accept Freddy's "offer" and then help, the poet was confident that he had figured out the earl's temper. Three pounds of sugar and three bottles of good wine that were not too bad would be enough.

But this time the poet overturned, and the count just shook his head: "The price has changed, this thing is not enough."

It turns out that a ship carrying sugar, tea and wine fell into the Shadow City before, and happened to land in the Earl's territory-the semi-submersible zone. What was once hard currency is now not enough in the eyes of the earl: "What a pity, it would have been better if you had brought tobacco."

"How about gold coins? Make a price." Rorschach is now focusing on a problem that is not short of money. Any problem that can be solved with money is no problem.

But this is a problem that money cannot solve. The Earl shook his head: "Are you new here? Do you know that the most valuable thing in Shadow City is money?"

There are tombs, treasures, etc. everywhere in the deep diving area and the historical area. You can find everything from gold coins from the old empire to gold pounds from Istani. It can be said to be an adventurer's paradise, but the problems that adventurers fear most also exist. ——It’s impossible to cash out here, most of the time it’s barter.

"The Marquis once organized beggars to exchange gold coins for supplies in the upper realm, but all failed." The count told Rorschach about the situation in Shadow City. The Marquis, the supreme ruler of this place, tried to let the beggars spend the gold coins bit by bit to share the profits with them. Commission, but those who took the money did not come back without exception.

"Beggars who dare to go out on the streets with gold coins will either be robbed or reported and thrown into jail. In short, the gold coins are gone and they are not replaced with supplies."

It turned out that there was also a Marquis. Rorschach remembers the new information he got. So far, he has listened more, asked more, and collected as much information as possible.

He is quite interested in the "Dark and Shallow Area" and the "Historic Area". After all, this space is so weird, and there must be a source of power to maintain it. If he can figure it out, he may be able to gain something.

Since the mainstream here is bartering, Rorschach wondered if he could exchange commissions for commissions.

Click! When they arrived at the station again, the mage and the dwarf almost lost their footing. "Excuse me, feel free to drink tea." After saying this, the earl slipped out of the car, and the coachman also ran to the front of the car.

"Just left like this?" The dwarf was in disbelief. There were only three visitors left in the carriage.

Rorschach expressed his thoughts: "Can we exchange a commission for a commission? Let's ask the earl to find someone and ask the earl if there is anything we need to do."

"Okay." Freddy nodded first and then shook his head: "But this is a very dangerous behavior. Your promise to the earl must not let him take advantage of it, otherwise you may accidentally be judged as his minister in the shadow. .”

The poet pointed to the entire environment of the carriage: "Do you know why the count and his servants dare to leave us here? Why does he have no army in his hands and only a bad old man who is older than him to serve him? Can he occupy a train as a palace? ?”

Rorschach guessed the answer without thinking so: "You said before that there are 'too many rules' here. Are the rules of Shadow City supporting him?"

"Bingo! The caster's brain is very useful." Freddy poured tea for the two of them, as if the earl's palace was his own home: "He was recognized as an earl by the Shadow City, and the marquis accordingly entrusted him with the semi-submersible area. , then in the semi-submerged area, anyone who harms the earl or violates his property or residence will be punished by the shadow land. There are also many benefits that allow him to win over a group of people in the semi-submerged area, but they are all in the sewers stuff."

The last sentence of the poet is: "Elgin is just a bad old man who hides in his territory and never leaves. He can live a long life."

"What's the longevity thing?"

"Long-lived wise man, my lord." The poet concealed his panic with impromptu playing, and welcomed the count back to his throne in the chaise longue.