Under the guidance of the shipworker, Lynn walked through the winding, cobblestone streets of Haygan town, he took in the sights and sounds of the era he's not familiar with. The streets were alive with activity. He saw tall, narrow houses lined the streets, their stone exteriors weathered and worn with age. Smoke curled from the chimneys, a sign of the fires burning within.
Lynn passed by a bakery, the sweet smell of freshly baked pastries wafting out from the open door, peddlers shouting out to promote their wares and peasants rushing about on errands. He watched as a group of chattering women passed by, their baskets overflowing with fresh produce from the market. The aroma of baking bread and roasting meat drifted from the open doors of the local tavern. A blacksmith pounded away at his forge, the sound of hammer against steel ringing through the air.
Lynn couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and fascination. The cobblestone streets and weathered houses were a stark contrast to the more modern, expansive cityscapes he was used to. The atmosphere, people, and scenery is beautiful and intriguing but also unfamiliar and exotic.
As Lynn mused at such sights, the shipworker glanced at him before halting in front of a dilapidated, long-abandoned house situated in the northern reaches of the town.
"Rabul, go inside. Boss Lard is waiting for you." The shipworker gestured towards the door.
Lynn inclined his head in acknowledgement before making his way inside, only to discover that the shabby exterior was merely a facade. The interior of the room was an opulent paradise.
The walls, constructed of sturdy stone blocks, were adorned with valuable oil paintings and sculptures. Every inch of the room seemed to be filled with luxury, from the thick carpet beneath his feet to the intricate chandelier that hung overhead. The furniture was ornately carved, the cushions and upholstery richly embroidered. The air was perfumed with a delicate, elegant scent, adding to the overall atmosphere of extravagance.
A grand fireplace took up one wall, its marble mantel adorned with gold-gilded ornaments. He saw grand pirate ship figurine, its polished wood gleaming in the soft light. Lynn couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as he took in the opulence of the room
In sharp contrast to this lavish setting, two burly men brandishing large axes stood on the entrance, their predatory gazes fixed upon Lynn as he entered, as if he were a lamb awaiting slaughter.
Old Lard Rod, the lame man, was standing in front of a long table at that moment.
Old Lard Rod stood at the head of the long table, his gaunt and haggard figure belying his fifty years of age. His white hair was thin and wispy, framing a face etched with lines of hardship and experience.
Despite his lame leg, which was replaced with a wooden rod, Old Lard carried himself with the bearing of a man who was used to command. His piercing blue eyes seemed to take in every detail of the room, missing nothing.
Despite his advanced age, there was a hint of the roguish charm that had likely served him well in his days as a pirate captain. The scars on his face and hands spoke of a life full of adventure and danger, and there was an air of mystery and secrets about him.
His most notable feature was, of course, his wooden-rod false leg.
As soon as Lard laid eyes on Lynn, his anger flared and he accused him with vehemence.
"Rabul, ye be deft!? I already told you to steer clear of trouble lately!"
"But ye even fought with Bob over a cargo today at the port, do ye know that the church is likely to pay attention to us now, and the two batches of sea vessels have been seized in the past three days...!"
Lard rued and cursed, but soon noticed that the Rabul standing before him seemed somewhat off. Instead of exhibiting fear or panic under Lard's accusations, he advanced steadily towards him. Lard looked at his subordinate he has known for decades, he noticed the minute detail differences after scrutinizing him more.
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"Hold on a minute... ye ain't Rabul!" Lard's mind raced and he swiftly realized this. In fear, he retreated, casting his gaze upon the guards beside him and bellowing a command.
"Stop 'im for me!"
The men permitted entry into this room were hand-selected by Lard from amongst his thousands of followers. Therefore, upon hearing the command, the burly men behind Lynn did not hesitate, one raised their axe and swinging towards Lynn's head, one reach out their hand to hold him in place.
[Activate Overload mode. three seconds.]
Just before the axe blades were within striking distance of him, Lynn silently recited in his mind.
In an instant, all the positions and actions within the room transformed into data within Lynn's mind.
With a burst of adrenaline, he sidestepped to the left, narrowly avoiding the blade whizzed past his head. He spun around, grabbing the approaching wrist of the second burly man and pulling him off balance before delivering a palm strike to the chin. The other burly man, enraged, swung the axe in diagonal arc followed by horizontal swing. Lynn evaded by tilting his body and then leaning back. He didn't have time to straighten up, but used the momentum of the move to launch a roundhouse kick at the man's chin. Both men went down, unconscious, on the ground.
During this moment, Lard had already flipped over the blocking table. His wooden false leg on the right was even more agile than a real one, making a rushing sound and traversing over ten meters in a few steps.
This lame Lard... ran so fast!
Such an odd sight caused Lynn to pause for a moment, but he quickly reacted, raising his hand and conjuring several crystal ice blades in the air.
At the same time, Lard also sensed the danger from behind, but he ignored it, because the secret passage was within reach.
However, the frost blades were even faster, directly hitting his right false leg and knocking Lard off balance, causing him to fall to the ground. Another [Frost Blade] then flew over and pinned his robe to the floor.
"I dare you to try running again." Lynn approached step by step, coldly saying. In order to track down Lard, he had worked hard for the past few days and naturally could not allow the other party to escape.
However, Lynn soon realized that his words had a villainous quality and turned to explain.
"Actually, I came to save you, old man!"
Lard, feeling chilled to the bone, looked at the 'kindly-faced' Lynn and swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty.
Well, he would believe it for the time being!
.....
After a cordial exchange, the previous misunderstanding was also resolved, and Lard summoned several men to tidy up the cluttered room before inviting Lynn to sit.
"Sir Wizard, did ye come to see me with a special request?" Rolph asked cautiously.
"Of course it's to save you!" Lynn replied without hesitation. "According to my knowledge, the Church has already secretly dispatched three thousand soldiers here, which is likely targeted at the 'Einhorn Ship Guild'.
"That may not be necessary..." Old Lard shook his head. He had also received this news, but did not concur with Lynn's assessment.
"Three days ago, the Archbishop of Nordland led his followers in an attack on the town of Uer, but encountered a powerful wizard. They only able to drive the wizard back after suffering heavy losses. These three thousand soldiers should be used to defend against that wizard."
At this point, Old Lard suddenly looked at Lynn and unconsciously arrived at a conclusion in his mind.
"That's right, the person who previously fought with Archbishop Anthruk was me!" Lynn nodded and had no intention of concealing it.
Upon seeing Lynn's admission, Old Lard couldn't help but mutter to himself. According to the information he had received, although Archbishop Anthruk had successfully driven the wizard away, he had also sustained irreparable, heavy injuries.
'Rumor has it that the site of their confrontation was burned to a crisp, and the terrifying flames have yet to be extinguished. It's clear how powerful and strange this magic is... Could it be that the person sitting in front of me is a Grand wizard? No, that's unlikely.'
Lard quickly dismissed this guess. He had witnessed the power of a Grand wizard before, and with full effort, they could even briefly freeze the so-called natural disaster, the 'Eye of Death.' If Lynn had such power, then the one who fled should have been Archbishop Anthruk. Therefore, Old Lard immediately deduced that the other person must be a powerful three-ringed magician.
Lynn was unaware of Old Lard's thoughts and continued to explain, "If you believe that the Church's grand display is simply to target me, then that's far too naive. Archbishop Anthruk's true objective is to discover the route to the land of wizards. Otherwise, the Archbishop would not have come to the port town."
"Furthermore, I have received news that Archbishop Anthruk captured some wizard apprentice on the way to Haygan Town. They are all Kelu's disciples and are familiar with the route and your Guild. The Church has not yet acted, most likely because they have yet to extract enough information from their mouths."
"You don't have much time left, old man!" Lynn said gravely.