The two of them drank three glasses in a row before Janis continued: "For half a month, not a single ship came here, everything on the island was emptied, but fortunately there was a sweet well, so I fished and caught shrimp and waited. The few times I saw a burning fire on the horizon in the dark of night, I knew that the orc fleet had not gone far, and that they were still raiding their course. I waited a long time, and finally an elf clipper saved me. However, they were sunk not far from the New World, and I and the two elves floated back to shore with the barrel in our arms. I have no relatives here in Waterdeep, and most of the friends I know have died on the sea, so I have to beg to get by. ”

"Orcs are so rampant!" Siegel gritted his teeth. "This race knows only to plunder for a living, to build a culture of murder and coercion. Why do they exist?"

"Only God can answer your questions. Janis replied.

After this, Bucktooth Genesis stayed with Siegel to help him with some chores. Siegel was very concerned about the impact of the orc fleet on the shipping between the two continents, so he asked Genesy to help him inquire about it. Bucktooth has always been an astonishing drinker and is a good talker, helping Siegel gather a lot of information in this regard. Among them, Siegel is most concerned about the situation of the Lucky Thoth, which has been operating on the southern route and still retains the name of luck, and continues to sail at sea intact.

Other vessels were not so lucky, and the impact of the disruption was growing. It had been a long time since the Old World had received cloth and cotton, and winter was imminent, which made the common people panic. On top of that, the prices of soybeans, olives, pepper and tobacco have skyrocketed, and some businessmen with modest means are starting to find life difficult. They gathered and demanded that the lord must come forward and solve the current problem as soon as possible.

Waterdeep has always been wealthy, but it has a shortcoming - it doesn't have enough ships. After the declaration of self-governing territory, the original warships of the Star Nation were withdrawn, so Waterdeep City could only recruit pirates, or ask the elves to send warships to defend the port at a high price. The lords had nothing to do with the orc ships at sea, so they turned to the Mage Federation.

Siegel had become an apprentice mage, and his rapid growth had also attracted the attention of some mages. They investigated Siegel's background and naturally discovered the title he possessed, as well as his good relationship with the Dwarven Kingdom Gem Family. The Federation is a very rational organization, and they invite Siegel to become a member of the Federation, put on a blue robe, and become a probationary mage. He only needs to provide a simple service to the Mage Federation every day, and he can consult the elementary magic materials in the library. Siegel agreed without hesitation.

On the day the Lord of Waterdeep came to the Mage Federation, Siegel happened to be here. He was summoned to serve the meeting.

There is a room on the west side of the three-peak tower that is a conference room, which is usually empty. The room has a mahogany table, a dozen chairs, and two fireplaces. The room was decorated with few ornaments, except for a water timer on a long table and a heavy woolen curtain hanging from the tall floor-to-ceiling windows.

Although there are windows here, the sun rarely shines due to the influence of the tower, so it looks empty and cold. Usually few people clean it, so there is a musty smell wafting in the air. Siegel didn't like it very much, and it always felt like a dungeon that had been closed for a long time. He frowned as he entered the room, then opened his spellbook to find the record of the spell "Universal Servant", and began to recite the incantation.

The power of magic moves with him, and Siegel's current mind is to clean the room. He concentrated his efforts to output as steady and continuous magical energy as possible to maintain the effect of the spell. As a breeze blows, the musty smell of the room is blown away, the dust on the furniture is wiped off, the tables and chairs are in order, and the water timer is adjusted to the correct time. Then he found firewood and lit the stove, and the meeting room seemed much more comfortable.

Then he stood in the doorway and waited patiently, his mind still reminiscing about how he felt when he had just cast the magic. Different people will have different effects on the same spell, just as the same sword will be very different in the hands of different swordsmen. Everyone needs to develop their own style through constant practice, combining knowledge and strength. This process of learning and practice gave Siegel a great sense of accomplishment, and he only felt that after learning magic, many things became much easier. If you know the universal servant spell when you are a sailor, you don't have to rub any deck at all.

Three hooded men approached, all dressed in the same garments—gold robes and gray robes. These men are the lords of Waterdeep, and they have formed allies to govern the city. For the sake of safety, the lords always wore masks and kept their true identities strictly secret. The masks are also specially made to protect against the prying eyes of normal detection magic.

Siegel opened the door for them, and the three of them sat down in their chairs without saying anything to each other. At this time, the water clock reminded that the time came to three o'clock in the afternoon, which was the time to agree to start the meeting.

There was a flash of light on the chairs opposite the lords, and everyone couldn't help but blink. The three Federation mages teleported directly into the venue and sat firmly in the walnut chairs.

The mage in the middle was middle-aged and not tall, but his long gray hair was always fluttering in the air, which was particularly noticeable. There was never a smile on his serious and resolute face, so it always gave a sense of majesty, and he was always vigorous and tough. All the apprentice mages were afraid of him, and secretly nicknamed the president of the federation, the mage, Alexander "The Lion King" Pilsen.

Siegel looked at his fluttering hair in amazement, as he had never seen the chief mage before, and naturally looked at him curiously. At this time, one of the lords said, "It is an honor to be here in the Mage Federation, and to discuss with you the wise magic. ”

Siegel was startled and hurriedly bowed back, this kind of meeting was not something he could attend. But before he could exit the gate, he was stopped.

"Stay, young man, and sit in and take note of the main points of the meeting. A mage said.

The man who spoke appeared to be in his sixties, with gray hair and beard, and a wrinkled face. Hidden under the thick eyebrows are silver-white eyes, like stars in the sky, which will suddenly shine at the right time. He curled up in his chair like a tired and frail old man, dying. His staff staggered aside, as if it was about to slip off his fingertips and roll to the ground. However, no one dared to underestimate him, because this was the strongest PhD in the Federation, His Excellency Faranis Christo, the Master of Prophecy.

As soon as his words fell, several eyes brushed at Siegel, and everyone speculated about the identity of this blue-robed apprentice mage, and his position in the whole matter. The Master of Prophecy did not open his mouth easily, could it be that he had found any signs in the river of time, and these signs were to be fulfilled in this young mage? The lords thought about it, and decided to investigate this apprentice as soon as they returned, to win him over, and to buy him. After all, the nobles of Waterdeep have enough resources to complete these investments.

"Lion King" Alexander nodded and said, "Since His Excellency Faranise suggested, I will reconsider. ”

"Yes. "The lords have come here with a request, so naturally they will not trouble themselves on this issue.

Siegel hurriedly saluted and pulled a chair and sat in the corner of the conference room to avoid disturbing the atmosphere of the conversation. Instead of using a fountain pen, he silently recited the "transcription" mantra and began to write it on a characteristic parchment.

"Waterdeep is in huge trouble right now and needs the help of the Mage Federation. "The voices coming out of the masks are all identical, and it's impossible to tell which lord is speaking. "Orcs have invaded us by attacking the seaways and already making Waterdeep miserable. We think we're now in a state of war with the orcs. The lords agreed that the approval of the Mage Federation was needed in this matter, and sincerely invited the Federation to become our ally. ”

The "Lion King" first looked at Lanis, and saw that the Master of Prophecy was closing his eyes, as if he was dozing off—not prepared to say anything anyway. He turned his head to look to the other side, the brown-robed traveling mage William "The Collector" Eric. This master of shapeshifting spells loves to travel in the mundane world, and knows things better than the other researchers in the Three-Peak Tower. The "Lion King" respects the words of the Master of Prophecy above all, because time often proves that his advice is the right choice. Secondly, he would listen to Archmage William and gauge the severity of the matter.

Master William's voice was hoarse, but everyone could still hear it clearly. "The orc pirate fleet operates far from the coast, which is not the territory of Waterdeep," he said. The only time they landed on land was at the Circle Island Supply Dock, but it didn't belong there, and it was still not Waterdeep territory. Legally, they didn't invade Waterdeep. Therefore, according to the multi-party agreement after the last Battle of the Great River, the Mage Federation cannot automatically follow you in declaring war on the orcs. ”

"The Battle of the Great River, that was many years ago," Alexander continued, "was an undefeated battle, and future generations should wake up and learn the lesson." I fought with the knights of Waterdeep on the battlefield, and I've never forgotten it. ”

"Orcs are our common enemy, Your Excellency the Archmage. The lord said.

"Orcs are also a race, with a civilization of their own, albeit rife with barbarism and primitive vices. I remember that Archmage William had a very good article, "On the Social Structure and Customs of the Orcs". Lords, you should read it too. There are several passages in it that go like this: Among the orcs, except for infants, all men and women are warriors, and although their martial arts are high and low, they are all brave and tenacious, vile and aggressive. Beyond the northern line of defense was the area controlled by the wildlings and orcs, and there were only 100,000 orcs on the plains, and a large part of them were hidden in the mountains. Declaring war on the orcs will only cost Waterdeep countless lives. During the Battle of Great River, none of the allied forces were able to wipe out the 200,000 invading orcs, so how could it be now?"