Old Lard, curious, picked up the sheepskin parchment and, after a moment of examination, a look of surprise dawned upon his face.

This was not to say that Lynn desired something particularly rare or precious; on the contrary, the parchment contained a list of easily procured ingredients and even some materials that would fetch no price at all on the market...

"Might ye be able to explain to me the purpose of these here items?" Lard inquired, clearly perplexed.

Instead of answering directly, Lynn suddenly queried, "Have you ever beheld the dazzling display of fireworks, Old Lard?"

"What be that ye speak of?" Old Lard hesitated, shaking his head in confusion.

"It is a substance that can send the entire porter town straight to the heavens," Lynn replied with a smile. "I assure you, it will be the most breathtaking spectacle you have ever laid eyes on."

Old Lard's expression wavered for a moment, his face etched with disbelief.

The Harbor Town was originally guarded by 400-strong force, but Archbishop Anthruk had recently drafted an additional 3,000 elite soldiers from Nordland. It was beyond Old Lard's comprehension how any force could so swiftly and completely decimate such a formidable army.

'Is it not possible that this is the material needed to set up some powerful alchemical array?'

Lard immediately thought of this possibility. He had heard Kelu say that some wizards who were proficient in alchemy could use arrays to amplify the power of certain magic by several times.

If that is the case, they still have a chance.

Contemplating this, Old Lard no longer felt inclined to delve deeper into the subject, as it is common knowledge among wizards that the secrets of magic are rarely shared with outsiders.

"In addition to these raw materials, I also require a map of the port town, the town guard's patrol routes, and most crucially..." Lynn hesitated briefly before gravely stating, "I need to know the appearance, personality, and daily habits of every clergyman in the port town, the more detailed the better!"

Lard, the man with a limp, ruminated for an extended period of time before eventually responding, "Gettin' the map and patrol routes should be a simple task, but discoverin' the inner workings of them priests will be a challenge."

"Sometimes, sacrifices must be made in the pursuit of survival," Linen reminded.

"Aye! I can provide ye with everything ye've asked for, but I need to know how ye plan on rescuing the wizard apprentice?" Old Lard gritted his teeth. Now that the port town was locked down by the Church, causing enough chaos to escape successfully would be necessary, and rescuing the apprentice was just an added bonus.

Lynn, no longer keeping secrets, roughly outlined the entirety of the plan, with the most detailed portion being the part to be undertaken by the Einhorn Ship Guild.

Upon listening to Lynn's explanation, Old Lard found himself breaking out into a cold sweat.

However, what brought him some measure of relief was that the most dangerous aspect of the entire plan, the rescue operation, would be personally handled by Lynn. The Guild would only be responsible for supporting roles and, most importantly, Lard would not have to dirty his own hands at any point from start to finish, meaning he would largely be in a safe area.

"Then, let us work together successfully!"

Lynn confidently extended his hand and Old Lard did the same, the two men's palms soon tightly clasping one another.

A slight prickling sensation suddenly coursed through Lard's mind and he instinctively withdrew his arm, looking down to see that a fiery mark had appeared on the back of his hand.

"What do ye mean by this?!" Laud clutched at the back of his hand, demanding with vehemence.

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Lynn withdrew his hand leisurely, a beaming smile on his face as he spoke.

"I had previously overheard Rabul mention that you never trust anyone around you.....An admirable trait! Coincidentally, I share the same sentiment!" Linen wore an expression as if he had encountered a fellow comrade.

Old Lard's visage darkened and he had already resolved to flay Rabul alive in his mind.

This fiery mark irresistibly reminded him of the tragic circumstances outside of Uer Town. An intelligence gatherer he had sent out had simply gotten too close and accidentally been contaminated by a few sparks, and was subsequently sentenced to death. Even diving into a river couldn't avoid the fate of being consumed by the flames of hell!

"Oh, right. I left Rabul, your subordinate, in a secluded room in the port town. It's your Guild's business, I won't interfere." As he spoke, Lynn gracefully stood up, bidding farewell.

After he left, Lard's suppressed emotions finally erupted, causing him to lash out in anger and sweep the valuable vase and utensils off the table and onto the floor.

Hearing the commotion outside, the guards rushed into the room, but were at a loss upon seeing their leader having a fit.

After venting for several minutes, Lard sat down, panting heavily and looked at the several guards in front of him.

"All of ye, bring the damned bastard, Rabul, back to me straight away!" Lard said through gritted teeth. "I'll personally deal with him!"

...

When Lynn walked out of the dilapidated room, it was already high noon.

Having successfully convinced Lard and obtaining the assistance of the entire ship guild, Lynn secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. At least now he didn't have to fight alone, and his chances of rescuing Aubrey and Dove had increased.

As for the magical mark he had left on Old Lard's hand, it was, in truth, nothing more than a ruse, entirely lacking in efficacy.

However, Lynn knew full well that the recent battle beyond the bounds of Uer Town had revealed a portion of his strength, serving as a clear deterrent.

Men like Lard would never believe him even if he spoke candidly, instead believing that their lives were firmly in their own grasp.

This was precisely what Lynn had hoped to accomplish, for when it came time to take action, he needed to personally attend to the most crucial aspects for the sake of caution. If Lard were to remain in the background while he took all the risk, it would be a grave error in cooperation.

Therefore, it was only natural that he take certain balancing measures.

Over the next two days, news of the Church's plans to publicly execute the Devil worshippers on the following Monday swept through the entire harbor town, with nearly everyone discussing the topic.

Lynn once again affirmed his previous conclusions, spending the rest of his time, handling the raw materials that had been brought in. With the yellow ore, which is sulfur, he can now possibly create gunpowder.

Gunpowder is made from just a few simple ingredients: sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. If a person was able to obtain these ingredients and had knowledge of the proper proportions and methods of mixing them together, they could create gunpowder.

There are several ways for Lynn to obtain the ingredients needed to make gunpowder and with sulfur in hand, he only needed to worry about the other two.

Charcoal can be produced by heating wood in the absence of oxygen. This process, known as pyrolysis, results in the wood being converted into charcoal, which is a more pure form of carbon.

Potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, can be obtained through a variety of methods. One way to obtain it is to collect urine from humans or animals and allow it to evaporate, leaving behind a residue of potassium nitrate. It can also be obtained by leaching the ashes of certain plants, such as nettles or grape vines, or by mining deposits of naturally occurring potassium nitrate.

Within the span of seventy-two hours, he released thousands of [Elementary Matter Deconstruction], one of the compulsory zero-ring magic to learn and the key to most magic materials, nearly depleting himself in the process.

Each time he returned to the manor, the steward of Pedroral's household would cast him a strange gaze. On one occasion, he could no longer contain himself and earnestly implored him not to exhaust his body at such a tender age.

Lynn merely brushed it off, unable to provide a suitable excuse for why he was always out all night.

In any event, Laut would be the one to suffer embarrassment in the end, so what concern was it of his?

It was fortunate that things were proceeding so smoothly, due in no small part to the fact that Lord Pedroral was often absent from the manor, occupied with attending various noble banquets and making an appearance before influential figures.

The air was thick with anticipation as the townspeople bustled about their daily tasks, their thoughts never far from the impending execution. Rumors and speculation swirled through the streets, carried on the salty breeze that blew in off the harbor.

The mood was tense, with many worried about the potential for violence and unrest. The execution was set to take place on the town's central square, a cobblestone expanse bordered by rows of colorful merchants' stalls and lined with tall, narrow houses. As the day of the execution drew near, the square bustled with activity as people gathered to witness the event.

Despite the somber occasion, there was a sense of excitement in the air, as if the town was on the brink of some great, historic moment. The mood was electric, and it seemed as if the entire town was holding its breath in anticipation.

Amidst this orderly bustle, the harbor town welcomed the final night of Monday...