Aozaki Aoko Case File [490] (Patreon)

Baldur’s Gate is the largest, busiest, and most dangerous city-state on the Sword Coast of Faerûn’s western shore.

It lies south of Waterdeep and north of Candlekeep, straddling both sides of the Chionthar River, occupying the best natural harbor in the region—even larger than Waterdeep’s port.

The land here is poor and unsuitable for large-scale agriculture, but the unique protected harbor allows residents to avoid the unpredictable tides of the sea, making it a stable trade hub and fueling its prosperity.

However, on the stage of Faerûn, the brighter a place shines, the darker the shadows that linger in its corners.

Baldur’s Gate welcomes all—rich, poor, noble, or lowly—but this openness also attracts all sorts of heroes. Even pirates and smugglers, hunted everywhere else, are just ordinary folk here.

In a sense, it’s the perfect showcase of Faerûn’s diversity. Thanks to the strength of its ruling class, the city manages to maintain overall peace and safety.

For a transmigrator like Aoko, though, the major upheavals in Baldur’s Gate’s history were as familiar to her as the back of her hand.

The city’s fame on Earth came from the three video games named after it.

Baldur’s Gate has always been entangled with the Dead Three, particularly Bhaal, God of Murder. The most famous story is that of Grand Duke Sarevok, a Bhaalspawn who caused massive loss of life before being defeated by adventurers.

Besides him, Enver Gortash, destined to appear in the third game, was also a master schemer—though his combat skills were laughable, his talent lay in intrigue and running organizations.

Aoko figured the current timeline was after Baldur’s Gate II but before the plot of Baldur’s Gate III.

This special timing maximized her chances of achieving her goals, while avoiding the chaos caused by all the legendary figures.

Her cruise ship docked at a port in the Lower City. The area wasn’t filthy, but it wasn’t exactly clean either—medieval cities, even magical ones, only got so clean. So she kept up her Breeze Shield to purify the air she breathed.

With her staff in hand and drawing curious, slightly wary glances from the townsfolk, she ducked into a nearby general store and quietly cast Charm Person on the proprietor, then inquired for information.

Her guess was correct: the current ruler was Grand Duke Ravengard. Gortash and Orin hadn’t yet appeared on the scene.

She remembered that in Baldur’s Gate III, a newspaper dated the year as DR 1492, while the shopkeeper said it was 1482—ten years before BG3.

Realizing her looks and clothing might be too conspicuous, Aoko used illusion and enchantment spells to disguise herself, making her less noticeable.

With the afternoon well underway, she decided to find an inn and rest before heading out to Ramazith’s Tower after dark. She was currently in the southwest docks of Lower City; according to her map, the wizard’s tower-cum-shop was in the southern part of the Lower City.

It took her about an hour to navigate the winding streets and reach the vicinity of Ramazith’s Tower.

Looking up, she saw the lofty tower was several tens of meters tall—no big deal by modern Earth standards, but in Faerûn it was a standout.

For comparison, the Arcane Tower in the Underdark was only five stories, but Ramazith’s Tower was at least twice that, maybe ten stories high.

She couldn’t see inside yet, but the ornate carvings and colorful stained glass windows made it far more luxurious than the industrial-style Arcane towers built by Yrre the Sparkstruck.

Aoko pulled her hood lower and found an inn opposite the tower’s entrance, right next to the Whitebone Cloak and a blacksmith shop.

She rented a room with a window facing the shop’s front door, so she could conveniently watch for any developments.

The dwarven innkeeper, as a big-city proprietor, was rather indifferent, but with enough gold, she provided adequate service, and the room was clean and comfortable.

Of course, Aoko herself wouldn’t actually spend the night there—hot baths were a hassle in this inn—so she promptly cast Mansion once again within her room.

After a rest, with some daylight left, Aoko decided to hit the streets and look for interesting things.

She tipped the innkeeper for some advice. Though the dwarf still wore a sour face, she handed Aoko a magazine titled Baldur’s Gate Bar Recommendations.

After about ten minutes of flipping through, Aoko picked the top three bars.

The first was The Elfsong—as the name suggests, a place famous for beautiful music, occasional impromptu performances, and beloved by the city’s upper class.

The second was Blushing Mermaid, featuring beautiful siren singers. Though similar to Elfsong in some ways, it was also a favorite brawling spot for sailors, with frequent knockouts.

The last was the infamous Sharess’ Caress—for obvious reasons. Aoko was tempted to visit for critique, but as she had business later, she decided to pass and go to the Elfsong instead to enjoy some music and kill time.