Chapter 1237: Demon-Slaying Arrow, A Desperate Gamble

"Lord Xia Duo, I am truly sorry. I didn't expect several Great Arcanists to appear suddenly. Shall we change locations?"

"Forget it. Since they are already here, it would be inappropriate to leave now."

Xia Duo noticed that, aside from the five Great Arcanists who were eating and conversing quite normally, most of the people in the tavern were currently burying their heads in their food, and not a single one had left early.

Xia Duo could understand this; with high-ranking leaders nearby, one would inevitably feel somewhat uneasy. Leaving early was certainly out of the question. Could it be that the leaders were flood dragons or wild beasts? Were they so unwilling to stay in the same room as the leaders?

Since he couldn't leave early, he could only finish eating quickly and leave normally. Seeing this scene, Xia Duo couldn't help but think of some scenes from eating in the company canteen before he transmigrated. It was truly nostalgic.

……

Using the Magic Mark on the table to convey his dinner order to the kitchen, Xia Duo added another layer of Protective Spell within the Soundproof Barrier provided by Lord Halan.

Doing this was not out of concern that the upcoming conversation would be overheard by the Great Arcanists, but merely a habitual protective measure.

After finishing this, Xia Duo looked at Lord Halan and asked in a flat tone, "I wonder what kind of Magic Item Lord Halan wishes to have customized?"

Perhaps not expecting Xia Duo to bring up the matter of Magic Item customization so directly, Lord Halan was visibly stunned for a moment. Then, his expression turned joyful; he took a stack of paper from his Dimensional Bag, placed it on the table, pushed it toward Xia Duo, and said:

"Lord Xia Duo, please take a look at this information first!"

Xia Duo assumed Lord Halan had prepared the design drawings in advance and didn't pay it much mind. Having design drawings made things simpler for him. But after flipping through a few pages, he stopped, looked at Lord Halan, and said meaningfully:

"It seems Lord Halan has a deep background!"

What Lord Halan gave him was indeed design drawings, but they were not the high-quality Magic Item designs he had imagined; they were designs for a weapon of war, and one that came from the hands of an Elf!

Xia Duo was quite familiar with this weapon called the "Demon-Slaying Arrow." He had one such arrow in his Personal Space, though compared to the one Lord Halan had brought out, the broken arrow in his Personal Space was more Advanced.

These blueprints should be a key technology provided by Cormanthor during the Northland Alliance negotiations. Nominally, it was to support Danzo in resisting the Drow, but in reality, it was opened to the countries of the Northland Alliance, especially Netheril.

Although the Northland Alliance negotiations were nearing their end, they had not yet concluded, and yet such key technical blueprints had suddenly appeared in the hands of an ordinary lord.

This truly made Xia Duo feel somewhat surprised. In the details of the Northland Alliance negotiations he had obtained from Iolum, it was only mentioned that this technology existed, but there were no specific details of these technologies.

Not to mention these blueprints, which appeared to be handwritten by an Elf.

Right now, there were two Great Arcanists from the Seven Towers in this tavern. If these blueprints were discovered by them, who knew what kind of trouble might ensue!

However, seeing how directly Lord Halan had produced blueprints that should not have appeared at this moment, Xia Duo speculated that the source of these blueprints must be "legitimate."

He just didn't know which Great Arcanist was behind Lord Halan.

On the surface, Lord Halan had no particularly close connection to the Seven Towers, but privately, who knew?

Furthermore, although the Northland Alliance negotiations were led by the Seven Towers, other Great Arcanists certainly knew the relevant details, which further widened the scope of suspicion.

Looking at Lord Halan's respectful expression, which also revealed a hint of fawning, Xia Duo suddenly felt that the other party was somewhat unfathomable.

"Is Lord Halan planning for me to craft the 【Demon-Slaying Arrow】 and then resell it to Danzo?"

"No, Magic Items like the Demon-Slaying Arrow are destined to be few in number. I intend to gift them to Danzo. As for why, Lord Xia Duo, please continue reading."

There was more?

Xia Duo continued flipping through. This stack of paper was indeed not just the design blueprints for the Demon-Slaying Arrow; there was also a so-called "Demon-Slaying Amulet," also provided by Cormanthor.

It was just that he had only known the name before and not the specific details. Now that he had seen the design drawings, Xia Duo looked at Lord Halan with renewed respect.

The 【Demon-Slaying Arrow】 was indeed a high-quality Magic Item without a doubt, but the 【Demon-Slaying Amulet】 was not; it only involved the Fifth Layer of the Weave.

Moreover, the name had no real connection to demon-slaying; it merely provided protection against Demon Aura and lacked direct lethality.

But as for the Amulet, like the Demon-Slaying Arrow, they were both one-time-use items. As the front line in the war against the Drow, Danzo needed a large quantity of items like the Demon-Slaying Amulet to protect against Demon Aura.

Compared to high-end products like the Demon-Slaying Arrow, high-volume products with high markups like the Demon-Slaying Amulet were where the real money was.

But since the Northland countries were all supporting Danzo together, the number of Demon-Slaying Amulets produced would certainly not be a small figure. When the time came, there would be much to discuss regarding whose goods to purchase first and whose to purchase later.

Perhaps, to gain priority purchasing rights, one would even need to use the Demon-Slaying Arrow as a stepping stone!

Xia Duo didn't believe the Dwarf would be that shrewd, but with quick-witted humans like Lord Halan around, it would be a miracle if the Dwarf didn't learn!

……

Looking at the design blueprints on the table and then at the expectant Lord Halan, Xia Duo fell into deep thought. Just then, the Magic Mark on the table suddenly flashed.

Xia Duo tapped it casually, then put away the design blueprints and said to Lord Halan, "I have a new idea. Let's eat first, and I will consider it further."

"Very well."

A moment later, dinner was delivered to the table: standard roasted meat and vegetable pies, and of course, the signature sour wine of "Fireside Rest."

Xia Duo ate his dinner in small bites while sipping the wine, and the idea that had been somewhat vague in his mind gradually took shape.

After the meal was finished, Lord Halan paid the bill, and the waiter cleared the table, Xia Duo took out the stack of design blueprints and placed them between the two of them. He did not state his idea directly, but instead asked a question:

"How many Demon-Slaying Amulets does Lord Halan intend to sell to Danzo?"

Hearing this question, Lord Halan couldn't help but frown. Could such a question be asked so directly? But the person asking was Lord Xia Duo; if it had been anyone else, he might have already been angry.

"Lord Xia Duo, regarding this question, it is difficult for me to give an exact number here. I can only say that I have already gathered all the resources I could possibly gather!"

When Lord Halan said this, a resolute light shone in his eyes, as if he truly intended to stake everything on one throw. Seeing this, Xia Duo couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Although he didn't quite understand the reason for Lord Halan doing this, it was clearly too risky.

Betting one's entire fortune was truly not a rational approach.