This is an invitation to a gathering of mages.
Benjamin never thought that he would get such a thing inexplicably under such circumstances.
Will this thing work for him? There is no doubt that it is useful. However, the way it came into Benjamin's hands also made Benjamin doubt its authenticity.
It was obviously an invitation sent to a mage, but it fell into the hands of a gang boss. However, the gang boss accidentally let the mercenary Ricky's friend steal the invitation. So in the end, the invitation fell into Benjamin's hands by chance, just meeting his needs.
He also had to wonder, did this gathering of mages really exist
"Is this thing real? It can't be... some kind of trap, right?" He stared at the thief Will and asked slowly.
Will was stunned, and then said: "I don't know this, but the boss of 'Crow' really values this thing. I heard that he spent a lot of money to buy it from another mage. . I put a lot of effort into stealing it, so it shouldn’t be fake.”
Benjamin still found it strange and asked: "Why does he, a gang boss, spend a lot of money to buy an invitation to a gathering of mages? What's the use?"
Hearing this, Will showed a surprised expression.
"Is this an invitation to a gathering of mages? No wonder..." It seemed that he didn't know how to read. Only now did he know what was written on the invitation. Therefore, he looked like he suddenly understood and said, "That guy is famous for his reputation. I want to build a relationship with the mages. But the mages have always been aloof, and even the mercenaries may not look down on them, let alone us rats who hide in dark corners."
... Have a relationship with the mage
Benjamin couldn't help but think of the flattering actions of several big men just now. If that's the case, then the whole thing makes sense.
However, according to Will's words, Freden's mage status seems to be quite different from that of Iker.
interesting…
"Are all the mages here very arrogant?" Thinking of this, he asked.
Will and Ricky looked at each other and nodded blankly.
"Yeah, I thought you knew that." Ricky scratched his head and said, "I was surprised when I first met you in the valley. Mages are very lonely and strange, and generally look down on people like me. Little mercenaries. Even those mage groups registered with the association, unless they have a mission, they don't like to act with others and work alone all day long. It's really rare to see mages like you who stick together in a group. .”
...Are all Freden's mages like this
Suddenly, Benjamin fell into deep thought.
He was a little confused as to how this strange difference came to be. Icol's mage feels very friendly to the people. At least two people are acting together, so ordinary people won't make a fuss if they see it. But as they said, Freden's mages are relatively aloof and have a high status. They often look down on others and don't like to stick together.
In less than ten years since the empire was divided, mages with the same origin have already experienced such differentiation, which is indeed a strange phenomenon.
…Is it because of the Mages Guild
After thinking about it, Benjamin felt that this must be the result of various factors, and it may also be related to some insider information when the empire was divided. It is difficult to delve into it.
So, he picked up the invitation in his hand again.
He didn't know whether this invitation was true or false, but if it was true, given the solitary nature of the mage, such gatherings must be held very rarely, maybe once or twice a year. If they miss it once, it may be difficult for them to make a recognized mage.
The date on the invitation is the evening of a week later.
Um…
There was still plenty of time, enough for him to understand this huge city and then determine whether the invitation was genuine or fake.
"Forget this invitation." So, he raised his head, looked at Will, and returned to his original purpose, "I need to know everything about Riley City, every area, every street... As long as you can Provide me with such a map, and the benefits will definitely come to you."
Suddenly, Will was not surprised, but showed a somewhat excited expression.
"Really?"
"of course it's true."
"Okay, just wait, I'll get it out for you within an hour!"
With an excited look on his face, Will turned around and walked into the room furiously. Then, there was a sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, like a husky being thrown into a warehouse full of things.
Seeing this, Benjamin had no choice but to shake his head helplessly, find a chair in the living room, and sit down.
If it took an hour, he could still afford to wait.
"Mr. Master, please don't be offended." Ricky scratched his head with a somewhat apologetic expression and said, "Although Will's hands are not very clean, he has done a lot of bad things, and he often plays tricks, but... he is actually He's a good person."
… I get tattoos, smoke, drink, talk dirty, but I know I’m a good girl
Benjamin shrugged and said nothing.
It doesn't matter, he doesn't mind whether he is a good person or not. What's more, "good person" itself is a false proposition. Asking himself, he doesn't think he is a good person.
More often than not, it is much easier to judge whether a person is useful than whether he is a good person.
"This friend of yours... he seems to be very good at stealing things?" Thinking of this, Benjamin suddenly asked.
"This... is a bit bad, but this is the only way he can survive." Ricky seemed a little embarrassed, but still replied, "He did steal a lot of things, including gold and silver treasures, etc. Even a mage dared to attack. However, when people came to his door, he had no choice but to move from place to place, otherwise he would be beaten and his things would be returned. The fact that he is still alive today is actually a blessing from God. ”
Hearing this, Benjamin nodded thoughtfully.
It's true that he's not a good person, but... he might be a useful person.
In this way, they waited patiently here for the next time, chatting about the situation in Riley City, waiting for the completion of the detailed map.
Will was quite trustworthy. About half an hour later, he came out with a roll of parchment and handed it to Benjamin with a flattering expression.
"Here, if you can memorize the entire map, you will be no different from a native of Riley City."
Benjamin took the map and glanced at it. After confirming that the system had recorded the above content, he showed a satisfied smile and said: "Don't worry, I will write it down verbatim."
A map marked out within an hour would definitely not be as detailed as an encyclopedia, but... it would be almost enough.
He took out a dozen gold coins and handed them to Will as a reward for drawing the map. Then, after asking a few more questions about the gangster "Crow", he said goodbye to the two of them, turned around, and left the remote house.
Ten minutes later, he returned to the hotel.
He found Wallis, gave him the map, and asked him to circulate the map among the mages to ensure that everyone was familiar with the city.
After that, he had no intention of taking a break even though he was born to work hard. As soon as he handed over the map, he turned around and opened the door, and walked onto the streets of Riley City again.
The system has memorized the map. With its help, Benjamin's series of plans to settle here can finally be officially started.
The first thing to deal with is where they live.
Half an hour later, at the corner of a deserted street in the west of the city, in front of a large two-story house, Benjamin walked up the steps with a smile and gently knocked on the door.