Anser's peripheral vision swept over the scene, and his heart tightened at once. His right hand gripped the Rod of Security firmly, seized by the sudden urge to run.
Come to think of it, there were quite a few people on the road. If someone wanted to ask for directions, why single him out?
The flying carpet approached with a fierce fluttering sound, circling from the side to stop in front of him. It hovered at low altitude, slightly higher than a horse's head.
The holy symbol on his chest showed no abnormal reaction. Anser relaxed slightly, lifted his head, and deliberately examined the other party with feigned surprise.
A figure sat upon the flying carpet, completely cloaked in a purple mantle that concealed everything but a smooth chin and full, rosy lips.
A hot wind swept past, pressing the cloak tightly against the woman's body.
Thus, even the wind took on a shape.
Seeing that she did not speak for a long while, Anser said calmly, "Hello. If you're looking for directions, please ask someone else. I'm not a local either."
The woman removed her hood. Long purple hair flowed down like running water, revealing a fair and stunning face. Her violet eyes held the hues of sky and lake, brimming with shimmering allure. The corners of her lips curved slightly, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
Anser's heartbeat quickened. A feeling akin to love at first sight rose within him.
He immediately averted his gaze. His first thought was not how beautiful the woman was, but how high her Charisma score must be.
At that moment, he finally understood how Tina had felt when she first met him.
The woman smiled openly, took out a coin pouch, and tossed it onto the front end of the flying carpet. A glimmer of white-gold light shone from its opening.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Her voice was low and gentle, her violet eyes never leaving Anser.
"A green dragon and a bald man started fighting in Bluewater City. The city fell…" Anser gave a brief account.
He was not speaking for the sake of money. This was something everyone already knew; there was no need to conceal it and risk angering someone for no reason.
"An adult green dragon?" The woman frowned slightly.
"Probably." Anser answered vaguely. Not every adventurer could distinguish the species and age category of dragons.
"Who had the upper hand? Is the man still alive?"
"I'm not sure. I didn't dare get close."
"Oh." The woman extended a slender finger toward the steel curtain to the west, her gaze puzzled. "You came from that direction. Do you know what that is? Isn't that the Sea of Swords?"
Anser understood. This person seemed not to know what had happened. That was normal—many scholars had never even heard the name Abeir.
After thinking for a moment, he did not hide it. With him deliberately spreading the word, many people already knew the news.
"Do you know about the Spellplague?"
"I've heard of it." The woman answered, arching her brows; every little expression was vivid.
Anser averted his gaze to keep his composure. "During the Spellplague, Toril and Abeir experienced planar melding and regional exchanges…"
"You mean the planar melding has reappeared—Abeir's Emerald Plains have connected to Faerûn, and a green dragon invasion…" the woman said in surprise.
"Something like that." Anser nodded slightly.
"You know… quite a lot." The woman folded her arms across her chest. A small wand spun between her fingertips, her gaze flickering.
"I only heard about it," Anser said with a faint smile. "Bluewater City is dangerous. I advise you not to go."
As he spoke, he tapped his heels lightly against the horse's belly, intending to go around the woman and continue on.
"You're going to Beregost?" The woman's eyes shifted, and she did not move aside.
"Mm." Anser did not avoid the question.
"I advise you not to go either. Amn has gathered a large force there, and control is very strict." The woman's lips curled. "With that disguise of yours, you probably won't fool them."
Anser's heart skipped, but his face remained calm. "Then I'll go around."
"My name is Iris. If you're willing to accompany me to Bluewater City, I can take you by flying carpet to Durlag's Tower, and I'll give you ten thousand gold coins as payment." The woman guided the flying carpet to circle around and stop in front of Anser again, staring straight at him.
"Sorry. I'd like to live a few more days." Anser remained unmoved, riding around her.
"What if the green dragon has already withdrawn?" The woman raised her hand and tossed a long, slender object to Anser. "Try this."
Anser did not catch it immediately. Only after he saw what it was did he snatch it up. It was a monocular spyglass—brass, with strange magical patterns etched across its surface.
He raised the spyglass to his eye, and the distant view poured into full clarity—so sharp that even an insect's wings several kilometers away were visible down to the finest detail.
By turning the ring on the brass tube, he could also adjust the magnification and brightness. Even animals hiding in darkness had nowhere to conceal themselves; it seemed this thing could be used at night as well.
"Good stuff," he said in admiration.
"I just checked," the woman said calmly. "Around Claw Bay there are only some kobolds. The green dragon and the wyverns have withdrawn. We'll go and come back quickly—find Stoll, then pull out."
"Stoll? That bald man?" Anser lifted a brow. So this woman had come to rescue someone. "What if he… is dead?"
Iris's expression sank. After taking several deep breaths, she said, "He won't die that easily. If he's dead, bring the body back if you can."
"Actually, even if I go, I won't be able to help much. How about I just tell you the approximate location?" Anser suggested.
"Twenty thousand gold coins!" Iris enunciated each word with emphasis.
Anser focused his mind on Iris. The dice spun rapidly, and with difficulty he detected the target's information:
[Iris, Human, Level 16 Sorcerer (Wild Magic)]
'No wonder.'
A Wild Magic Sorcerer's innate magic originates from the chaos beneath the order of creation. What they wield is raw, primordial magic; it was indeed easier for them to adapt to a disrupted Weave.
Level 16—at the peak of high-tier professionals. But against an adult green dragon, there still wouldn't be much chance. He was not reassured.
Yet if he refused, it was hard to say how this woman would react.
Putting himself in her place—if he were trying to rescue a relative or friend and encountered someone who knew the situation, there was no way he would let them go. Even tying them up and dragging them along would not be out of the question.
Still, he was not afraid. She could not possibly have fully regained her spellcasting ability. He could run, he could fight, and he could retreat into the Black Tower.
After thinking for a moment, he activated the Royal Butterfly Cloak. Beating its wings, he flew high into the air, raised the spyglass, set it to maximum magnification, and surveyed the situation in Bluewater City.
The scene dozens of kilometers away was clearly visible. He slowly adjusted the angle of view. The green dragon had indeed withdrawn. Even in the occupied Dusk City, there were barely any dragonborn or kobolds to be seen.
Many survivors hiding on the peninsula were also taking the opportunity to flee, and there was no large-scale pursuit.
He descended, met Iris's gaze, and shamelessly said, "I don't want the money. Can I have this spyglass instead?"
Iris parted her red lips slightly, her expression inscrutable. "You're quite greedy. And bold."
"Then I'll leave?"
"Don't. It's yours!"
"Actually, I could make up the difference. I just really like it—"
"You can't afford it." Iris cut him off directly and guided the flying carpet to hover beside him. "Get on!"
Anser patted his warhorse regretfully, removed its bridle and saddle, and only then jumped onto the flying carpet, crouching behind Iris.
"Sit tight."
Before Iris had even finished speaking, the flying carpet shot upward without warning, nearly throwing Anser off. He hurriedly grabbed the ring clasp at the front of the carpet, barely managing to steady himself.
The magic flying carpet was not large; seating two people was already a tight fit. Its advantage was speed—carrying two adults, it was still faster than an ordinary Fly spell.
Anser deliberately sat a little farther back—not out of propriety, but because Iris's flying hair was whipping his face painfully.
The two sped along through the air, traveling in a straight line without detours. The speed was faster than expected.
Soon, the outline of Bluewater City appeared in their sight. Outside the city walls, kobold corpses lay everywhere, their dark green skin particularly conspicuous.
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