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Elizabeth couldn't help but exclaim, "How impressive! The last time I saw such a performance was in a circus!"
Flint: "There are many kinds of bards, and some are as flexible as Longear." (*)
Gaines, who was concentrating on playing, raised his head at the conversation and smiled: "It's you!"
As he said this, he stopped playing and jumped off the barrel. I don't know what technique he used, but after he jumped, the barrel that was swaying to his rhythm actually folded up automatically and became very stable.
Gaines landed on the ground and was about to reach out to Wang when a kid watching the show nearby shouted, "We haven't seen enough! One more!"
Gaines took out five apples and skillfully tossed them into the air, performing a juggling trick. When all the children clapped and laughed, he threw the apples into the children's hands one by one.
"Go eat your apples. I have something important to discuss."
As soon as Gaines finished speaking, the children dispersed.
Then he looked at the king and said, "I just remembered that I haven't introduced myself yet. It's probably because I was too excited to see the first recorded floating city since the fall of the Cyclops Empire.
"Everyone, I am a first-class explorer of the Explorers Guild, and the 99th chief graduate of the Thorn Islands Bard Academy, Thorp Gaines!"
Wang: "That's it? I thought you were going to recite a poem or something."
Gaines smiled and said, "Poetry is only used in the College Cup."
Elizabeth: "House Cup?"
Wang: "It's a competitive event held by the Bard Academy of the Thorn Islands."
Elizabeth: “Oh.”
Gaines: "Since you all came to me on your own initiative, could it be that..."
Wang: "Do you have a way to recruit dwarf craftsmen? The kind that can build power systems?"
Gaines was stunned. "What? You guys aren't here to see me? I heard that the Saviors have always wanted a bard."
King: "We do want to, but we want to see if you are reliable. And now we need a dwarf craftsman."
Gaines curled his lips and said, "Dwarf craftsmen who can tinker with electricity are generally in high positions. It's not easy to find them."
Wang: "Is that so? Then we can find someone who is not familiar with electricity but is good at making fine metal parts."
Gaines: "This... is a lot. I think every dwarf craftsman is good at this."
(*) Bards were originally proficient in the skill "Tumble", which was translated as "Juggling Maneuvers" in some places, but was removed in the 5e version (the version used in Baldur's Gate 3).
Chapter 258 Minsk's Temporary Exit
King: "Then can you... that is, can you contact some familiar dwarf craftsmen?"
Gaines asked in confusion: "What? As far as I know, there are no dwarf craftsmen who are familiar with the technology of the Cyclops Empire..."
Wang: "I want to build an electricity system on this island."
Gaines frowned slightly: "You may not know that electricity requires a magical device with a constant lightning spell as the core, and then an insulated room as the 'discharge room'."
The dwarf pointed to the airship in the sky and said, "There is one on that airship. Do you have such a device?"
Wang: "I don't. But I have a more convenient way to generate electricity. I'll show you when the craftsmen come to the island."
Gaines nodded. "Wisdom from the planeswalker. All right, I'll go find the Crusaders and ask them to help pass a message to my friend. As long as I say that the planeswalker's disciples want to share new knowledge, I think many people are willing to come.
"But you are really weird."
Wang raised his eyebrows: "What's strange about that?"
Gaines: "You said you wanted to test me as a bard, but now you are willing to trust the craftsmen I found. Isn't this a contradiction?"
Wang: "The problem is that I have no other channels to find dwarf craftsmen, and there are so many more people on the island all of a sudden, and these people have to communicate with the outside world, so the information leak is a foregone conclusion.
"So I'm not afraid that there are spies among the craftsmen you found. But joining the Savior Team is different. You will know our most core secrets, so you have to investigate."
Gaines laughed and said, "You obviously included a guy like Minsk in the rescue team. Let me tell you, that guy is not trustworthy and has a very bad reputation.
"He is an eighth-ring mage, but he has become so unpopular that no one wants to hire him because he betrays his employer all the time."
Wang: “You also know Minsk?”
Gaines: "I don't know what he looks like, but I know there is an eight-ring wizard named Minsk. After being caught, he can go to more than a dozen places to claim the reward. So it's not enough to just catch him. You have to cut him into small pieces and divide them into many portions to claim the reward at different places."
Wang exclaimed: "It's not easy to get to this point. But you are wrong about one thing, he didn't join the Savior Team."
Gaines: Really?
King: "And we will soon hand him over to Lancelot's Order."
Gaines: "I didn't expect that. So he's really not from the Savior Team? As far as I know, the Savior Team lacks spellcasting ability. Is it okay to just let an eighth-ring mage go?"
Wang: "We have partially solved the problem of lack of spellcasting ability. Now we have countermeasures against high-level spellcasters."
"Okay then. Anyway, I'm going to write a letter to my old friends. Bye bye first." Keynes said with a slight bow and walked towards the Crusaders.
Wang clapped his hands: "Done."
At this time, the talking stone in Wang's pocket suddenly rang.
After the call was connected, Marika's voice came from the sound stone: "Minsk ran away! He tore a scroll in front of all of us and disappeared!"
Wang: "You didn't stop him from tearing the scroll?"
"I tried to stop him, but he had a trigger spell on him, so my dagger and the barbarian's axe both missed."
Wang: "Just leave if you want to. He has been ready to escape for a long time. He probably waited until now just because I said I had something important to tell him."
Marika: "How do I explain this to the cult?"
Wang: "I'll go talk to the cult."
**
"Anyway, this is the situation." Wang spread his hands in front of Pietro. "Minsk ran away. You can use any method you want to verify this."
Theresa said angrily, "I don't believe it! It's obvious that you are trying to protect this wanted criminal! Do you know how many forces are looking for him?"
Wang: "I think that the fact that he is still alive and kicking despite so many forces wanting him shows that he has an amazing ability to escape."
Teresa was about to retort when Pietro raised a hand to stop her.
"It doesn't matter. The old liar is just a side job. The real thing is to destroy the lich." Pietro looked into the king's eyes. "But, Lord Mayor, if the salvation team wants to save the world, the help of the Lancelot Cult is indispensable. Please remember this."
Wang: "I remember. We were originally planning to hand him over to your church, but Minsk caught us off guard. By the way, we suspect that Minsk also sold our information to the Austrian Federation, so we were attacked by the Austrian Federation today.
"In this case, what reason do we have to protect him?"
Pietro nodded, but Teresa was obviously not convinced, but she couldn't show it for the sake of the bishop's face.
The cardinal changed the subject: "In the company of Princess Rosalie, I selected the location of the temple, Theresa."
Theresa walked forward reluctantly and handed over a roll of parchment.
The archbishop unfolded the parchment on the table next to him, and Wang realized that it was a map of the floating island's surface, with the locations of all the important buildings drawn on it: Kailin's "temple", the water vapor collection device, the barracks of the vigilante group, the elevator to the central control room and the ordinary entrance to the underground floor, etc.
In addition, the map also marked the patrol routes of the island's civilian systems. It was obvious that the cult regarded the golems as part of the island's defense force.
However, this map does not mark the location of the "heavy defense units", apparently treating them as ordinary ruins.
Pietro: "Originally we were inclined to place the temple in the center of the island, but Lady Rosalie insisted that the center of the island must be the future city lord's palace, so in the end we set the temple in the direction where the sun rises."
As he spoke, his finger fell on the east side of the map.
"Here it is. The first batch of stones has been arranged for expedited delivery."
Wang nodded: "I have no objection."
Pietro: "In addition, we are also speeding up the selection of the parish priest. Considering the preferences of the Lord of the City, the church is preparing to send a nun."
Wang: "I don't know your rules. Can a nun serve as a parish priest?"
Pietro: "Of course, but we don't usually do that. The temple and the monastery each have their own responsibilities. The temple is responsible for spreading the teachings of our Lord, and the monastery is responsible for showing the mercy of our Lord.
"But both are servants of my Lord."
Wang: "Okay, but I want to emphasize one point. You said 'according to my preferences'. This is not correct. I don't have any preferences as rumored."
Pietro nodded. "That was my mistake. I'm very sorry."
Wang: “So it’s okay to switch to a male pastor.”
"But the decision to send a nun was approved by the Pope himself, and it is difficult to change it now. But if you really care so much, we can send an old nun." Pietro said.
The king hesitated for a moment and replied, "That's fine. The old lady must be very good as a pastor."
Pietro: "I will convey your message to the headquarters."
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.
**
Over the next few days, things developed faster than Wang had expected.
First of all, the speed of building the Temple of Lancelot exceeded his expectations.
On the third day after the site was selected, the airship brought in stones and wood, and quickly completed a building with stone walls, wooden beams and tiled roof.
They even gave the building stained glass windows.
However, the church was built, but the promised nun did not show up, so the chaplain of the Crusaders' advance team temporarily served as the priest.
The second ship of Crusaders arrived a week later, bringing not only well-armed paladins and priests, but also the first batch of supplies for the floating city.
Rosalie set up a stall in the center of the floating island and distributed the clothes and daily necessities she had just received to the people.
As a result, the things were snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Rosalie then found Wang and said, "We have to issue currency, otherwise the distribution of supplies on the island will be a problem. When I was distributing things just now, many people took advantage of the chaos and took a few extra copies."
Wang: "Can't we let them buy it with ordinary gold coins?"
Rosalie sighed, "Look at the survivors on the island. Who has money? And in the current situation on the island, no one has a safe place to store gold coins. Gold coins are too big and too heavy. In Monrovia, people don't keep gold coins at home, but in the mint or with goldsmiths.
“And there is no such place on our island.”
Wang: “What’s your suggestion?”
"Issuing bills, some large commercial banks in Monrovia have done this. My father's finance minister once considered using royal authority to endorse and issue national bills - that is, paper money, but was rejected by the great nobles." Rosalie said.
Wang: "Why did the nobles fight back?"