Faerun: The arcane mage is still too imprisoned.

It was already afternoon when I returned to my room at the Mole Tavern, after having dinner.

Soon, night fell.

The nights in Rield are far from quiet. Pedestrians and carriages still throng the main streets, taverns and brothels are brightly lit, and the noise doesn't gradually subside until late into the night.

in the room.

"Can't you really take me with you?" Cielsa looked at Lance pitifully.

"It's no use taking you there," Lance said matter-of-factly.

"You just think I'm a burden." Cielsa turned her face away, her voice muffled.

"Forehead……"

Lance hesitated for a moment, then chose to speak frankly.

"really."

"You..." Cielsa stammered.

"Why are you angry?" Lance the kitten shrugged.

"I dared to go alone because I was truly confident that I could return unscathed."

Sissa: "Then why...?"

"But adding one of you might change things," Lance interrupted Cielsa.

"If the people I rescued with such difficulty were to die because of an unnecessary risk, wouldn't all my efforts have been in vain?"

"Just be a good follower for now, provide some emotional support, and I won't hesitate to use you if needed."

"Then be careful," Cielsa finally relented, but her tone was still reluctant. "Good luck in battle."

Lance went downstairs.

The tavern hall was even noisier than yesterday, with almost every table occupied. Bards played lutes in the corners, mercenaries boasted loudly about their adventures, and waitresses sipped drinks as they moved through the crowd.

Lance quickly crossed the hall and pushed open the door to disappear into the night.

The streetlights were sparse, casting a dim light. They walked towards the central city, following the direction they had determined during the day.

The further you go in, the cleaner the streets become, and the more guards patrol there are.

The guards were even tighter at night, with squads of city guards in leather armor and carrying halberds appearing every few streets. The two tried to avoid them, choosing to travel through alleyways.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the target area.

Lance walked around to the side of the mansion, where a narrow back alley was piled with junk bins. He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing.

Then he began to cast the spell.

Gestures, spells.

[Mage Armor!]

[Invisibility Technique!]

[Silence the mist!]

A subtle ripple swept through his body. Lance vanished into thin air.

He knew this invisibility wasn't perfect—he still had a physical form, would leave footprints, and could be detected by magic… but dealing with a baron was an underutilization of his talents.

Lance walked to the wall. The stone wall was about three meters high, with broken glass stuck in the top.

He took a few steps back, ran up, pushed off the wall, and grabbed the edge of the wall—his movements were light and agile, and his 14 points of agility meant that he was more than five times more flexible than an average person.

Not to mention walls, you can easily jump onto rooftops.

They climbed over the wall and gently landed inside the mansion.

This is a small garden with neatly trimmed shrubs, stone paths, and a few sculptures. Warm light shines from the windows of the main house in the distance, and the sounds of music and laughter are clearer.

Lance moved along the shadows, avoiding the occasional passing servant. These servants, all dressed in uniform, hurried along carrying trays, clearly serving at the banquet.

He went to the side of the main house and found a half-open window—probably for ventilation. The window was about two meters above the ground. Lance lightly jumped, grabbed the windowsill with both hands, and silently climbed over.

Inside was a storage room, piled with extra tables, chairs, and tableware. Lance pushed open the door; the corridor was empty, the servants were busy in the banquet hall.

He walked along the corridor deeper into the main house.

The banquet hall was located in the center of the main house on the first floor, its massive double doors wide open, revealing a bustling scene inside. Lance didn't go in; instead, he looked for the stairs—he wanted to find the study or bedroom.

The second floor was relatively quiet. The corridor was carpeted thickly, and the walls were adorned with oil paintings and tapestries. Lance quickly inspected several rooms: guest rooms, a small reception room, a collection room…

Finally, at the end of the corridor, he found the study.

The heavy oak door was closed, but the lock was a simple mechanical lock.

In his past life, Lance had learned lock picking for his profession, but now...

[A magical trick!]

With a click, the lock opened.

Why not use something more convenient?

Lance pushed the door open, then closed it behind him.

The study was large, with bookshelves lining three walls to the ceiling, crammed with leather-bound books. In the center stood a huge mahogany desk, upon which rested an inkwell, quill pens, and several documents. The fireplace was dark, and the room was somewhat chilly.

Lance didn't turn on the lights, but began his search by the faint moonlight filtering in from the window.

First, check the desk drawers. The top drawer contains ordinary letters and accounts, the middle drawer contains a few stamps and blank parchment, and the bottom drawer... is empty.

Lance frowned. The lower shelf of a nobleman's desk should not be empty.

He crouched down and carefully tapped the bottom of the drawer. The sound was slightly hollow. He felt around the edge and found a hidden latch. He pressed it, and the bottom of the drawer popped up, revealing a hidden compartment.

The hidden compartment contained several items: a bag of gold coins (about two thousand), and a large quantity of jewelry far exceeding the former.

Lance put the gold coins and jewelry into his [Basic Dimensional Pocket].

Next up is the bookshelf.

Lance walked slowly along the bookshelves, his fingers lightly tracing the spines of the books. Most of them were history, poetry, and law books, which looked more like decorations.

But on the middle shelf of the third bookcase, he found several books that stood out from the rest—older, without titles, and with strange symbols on their spines.

He pulled out a book and opened it. Inside were contents written in cipher, interspersed with some evil runes and illustrations.

Lance's eyes turned cold.

He pulled out several books in succession; the contents were largely the same.

"This is... disgusting!" Lance muttered.

Continue the search. Above the fireplace hangs an oil painting, a portrait of Baron Jodl.

Lance stared at the portrait for a few seconds and quickly noticed a tiny bulge in the lower right corner of the frame.

He reached out and pressed it down.

A slight mechanical sound rang out, and the oil painting slid to one side, revealing a hidden compartment inside the wall.

There was no gold or silver jewelry in the hidden compartment, only a small wooden box. Lance took out the box and opened it; inside was a black ring with a dark red gemstone set in its face.

[Item: Ring of Pain Absorption (Faint Magical Aura)]

[Level: Tier 1]

[Effect: The wearer gains a very slight restoration of life force and stamina from the pain inflicted on the target (effective only on living targets). Contact with the target is required for each activation.]

[Note: Twisted creations are often used to prolong the sadistic process.]

Lance expressionlessly put the ring into his pocket.

The search is complete, and the results are plentiful.

Now, it's time to deal with the real culprit.