Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 737: Chapter 536: The Magician Who Advanced Amid Unpredictable Human Hearts

This autumn, a plague emerged from the Northern Continent of Ferun and swept across the entire realm.

Silvermoon City and Baldur’s Gate could not possibly avoid it either.

Although many understood why the contagion spread so quickly, no one told the common folk that perhaps they might be safe if they avoided handling money.

Instead, many nobles began to buy up food supplies at high prices, making the unknowing farmers and fishermen give up their possessions and lives.

Neverwinter, which had traded with Hill, managed to preserve most of its population during this widespread plague in the North due to the war preparations made with Luskan.

The Royal Family of Neverwinter indeed lived up to their reputation for kindness and capability, although some gold and silver jewelry still ended up in the hands of residents, most of the abundant wealth they brought back was stored in sealed warehouses.

The leading princess even entered the Chief Mage’s Magic Tower in Neverwinter with her squad, hoping to find a cure for the people from her and her companions’ conditions.

Professionals strong enough in body were actually not struck down by the plague, but they carried the source of the disease.

Neverwinter was also the only city that disclosed the possibility that Baal’s treasure was the source of this great plague, but Hill learned from the Harpists that other cities not only hid this news but also invented various rumors to suppress the truth spreading from Neverwinter.

Especially unaffected Luskan, which, also belonging to the Three Gods of Death, shared the blame with Baal, turning Santarin into a primary perpetrator of the plague, and naturally, Luskan’s Arcane Brotherhood wouldn’t be left out, as disease was always their forte.

Everyone saw that Luskan’s pirates also took plenty of gold and silver jewelry and even robbed some people on the way.

They didn’t care that they could no longer enter Agleya Town for drinks; as long as they had money, someone would always deliver goods to them.

Many cities accused the major evil forces of Luskan of creating the plague, even using the epidemic in Neverwinter from two years ago as evidence.

Completely ignoring that Luskan is a city where ordinary people cannot survive, even if not reaching the level of Official Professional, the people of Luskan were robust enough.

Whereas in Neverwinter, nobody spoke like this; they felt it was the greatest insult to their valiant resistance against the Luskan invasion.

That’s why Hill had a slightly better attitude towards Neverwinter, at least the unexpected arrival of Prince Ban had given him warning.

From Silver Shield’s behavior, they didn’t think it unusual that Hill had taken precautions.

Some things could not be said, but the results were always visible.

Although Hill also couldn’t be sure if what they did was intentional, he felt that if something were to happen, he might choose to give them a hand, for he still saw a glimmer of human decency.

Otherwise, Hill would really become completely disillusioned with this world.

But now, he no longer thought the deities of Toril were so great, even Teraxil’s God of Nobility was better in some aspects.

Including those silent deities of Kind Alignment.

Some deities were indeed blocked, such as Tyr, although it was unknown who he was facing, he could indeed not use ”Divine Descent.”

However, he still issued orders to confiscate Baal’s treasures; deities like Miliel also issued similar commands.

Lansendel even demanded his followers destroy those things entirely.

This essentially also told ordinary people about the source of the plague.

But even powerful deities couldn’t force everyone to surrender these valuables; there would always be people who thought their life wasn’t as important as money.

Most people harbored a hope of escaping unscathed, not to mention, this kind of plague couldn’t really harm healthy Professionals; at most, it would weaken them for a few days.

And some deities did absolutely nothing, only hoping their followers would not be greedy and then shutting themselves inside their homes.

Although these matters indeed had nothing to do with their Divinity, the fact that thousands of Priests remained inactive still surprised Hill.

It seemed Toril’s kindness was different from what Hill expected.

In a way, the most diligent churches in Toril regarding this issue were surprisingly those of Suren and Lansendel.

Hill really didn’t expect the Tablets of Fate to control these deities so strongly.

Toril was indeed a terrifying world; the more he understood it, the more Hill felt it was only suitable for traveling.

Fortunately, after he arrived here, the first friend he made was an Elf and the second a Giant Dragon; they did not have as many restraints.

This allowed Hill to maintain enough sanity.

Other cities also tried to come to Hill’s place to buy pearls capable of creating Pure Water, but many were prevented from entering the shops due to the dark aura they carried.

The few who could enter had to compete with groups of traders for limited stock.

Hill already refused to meet any outsiders.

Not even the people of Elaströ, as Hill and she did not have that great a rapport.

Sometimes, Elaströ’s benevolence was very fickle, she thought too much, and whenever it came to matters related to the Silvermoon Alliance, she always withdrew her hand that she had already extended.

Thus, for people like Hill, it was difficult to form any kind of relationship with her.

This lady, as long as she handled official business, that was enough.

The Silvermoon Dragon Queen and her husband would only serve Elaströ personally, and would not sacrifice their country’s interests for the sake of Silvermoon City.

The two of them had only purchased enough Purifying Water Pearls for their own country through Terry, and then they went straight back to the Floating Mountain, having never said a good word on behalf of Silvermoon City in front of Hill.

These dragons actually understood very well what could be said and done, and what could not.

Personal relationships and the faction they belong to should not be mixed up.

All that Hill was doing now was simply because he did not want Terry to lose his parents at such a young age, but it did not mean that he cared about the territory and alliances of the Silvermoon Dragon Queen.

However, all of this was like the flow of water under ice that could not be seen by those standing on the bank.

No one was willing to disturb the owner of the Floating Castle for such trivial matters.

After killing Baal outright, Hill had earned the right to refuse all so-called benevolence.

In Toril, Hill had finally learned something: even if he conducted himself with kindness, he would never have the power to daunt people’s hearts.

In Teraxil, he had been too well protected, and around him, there might have been scheming, but definitely no oppression.

Toril was completely different, and in the past two years, he had felt more hostility and killing intent than he had in all the years he had lived before.

Moreover, for the first time, he understood what unexplained hostility meant—people who had nothing to do with him might hate him enough to kill him simply because they glanced at his Floating Castle.

Life in Hill’s town went on as before, with only puppets and Tyr’s Paladins patrolling the streets, but very few daring to raise their voices anymore.

This included the families of the Silver Shield, who finally understood that even though these Paladins acted like the lords of the town, they really were just guardians.

These people not only obediently followed Lynn’s every order but also began to get along well with the large residential area next door.

Previously, although they would not disobey Lynn’s orders, they always murmured behind his back and completely disregarded the newcomers, treating them like air, not even speaking to them.

But after Hill killed Baal, their attitude changed immediately.

Although it was only a few short months, Hill’s study of human nature during this period allowed him to advance steadily once more on the path of a Magician.

Hill had always thought that his profession as a Magician had peaked! Could there still be room for improvement by digging deeper into lineage and spirit?

He sat beside the Holy Relic Painting, silently reflecting on the myriad human natures he had recently observed:

Human nature and animal instincts, longing and fear, hope and despair.

Sometimes they align, sometimes they oppose each other.

Sometimes, those fiercely clashing at one moment could suddenly merge together the next.

The soft moonlight of Midnight bathed Hill, reflecting off the silver light on the painting, casting a thin moonlight over his Mental Sea.

He could feel that the Silvermoon in his Mental Sea had grown much stronger. Illusion techniques, Charm-type magic, Charm Domain spells, and Enchantment/Charm spells, even if used by deities, would hardly affect him anymore.

Hill opened his eyes at dawn and caught the first snowflake that drifted down; winter had arrived.

The weather grew colder, and the North quieted down.

However, the plague had not been resolved, and the Northerners could only hide in their rooms and wait for the outcome.

It was a curse brought by the Divine Power of Death, not an actual disease, and Hill had no way to solve it.

Teraxil was a newly-born world, still lacking a realm of death.

Even after reading many related books, Hill could only helplessly wait with the people of Toril, continuing to blockade his town.

Perhaps only until some or one epic hero emerged.

Until he or they found the hidden Baal, heroically fought to the death, and once again rescued Toril from the crisis of world’s end, returning to their ordinary yet extraordinary days, waiting for the next day of destiny.

Hill just didn’t understand why everyone was dragging their feet?

Whether it was the Kind Alignment that couldn’t find Baal or the Evil Alignment that didn’t make more moves, it seemed they all planned to hibernate in their lairs, with no one taking advantage of victories or bravely resisting.

However, this winter, Agleya Town was a bit livelier, with no threat of an outsider’s plague, the entire town was lively. The Northerners wanted to see the snow scenes of Dead of Winter too, but previously, only the people of Silvermoon City were so fortunate.

Hill silently spent the winter of 1374, accompanied by a belly full of question marks and a heart full of anticipation.