During his stay in the Haygan town, Lynn had devoted himself to studying new magic in addition to gathering information and concocting black powder. The pages of his "Basic Magic for All " tome had long since become frayed from use.
At this moment, Lynn stood atop the roof of a humble dwelling, gazing in the direction of the inferno with piercing, hawk-like eyes.
This was a first-ring spell - [Far Sight] - that granted a wizard the precise, far-reaching vision of a griffon for a fleeting moment.
The normally peaceful inhabitants of the harbor town were roused from their slumber by the fierce glow of flames and the cacophony of cawing and commotion.
"Fire...the fire is spreading!" "Somebody please help me!"
The people of the harbor town, who had enjoyed over a decade of tranquility, were thrown into a state of pandemonium upon being suddenly attacked, as chaos erupted on the streets and screams and shouts echoed through every corner of the town.
The flames seemed to dance and writhe like living things, casting a flickering orange glow over the panicked crowd. Smoke curled into the air, choking and acrid, stinging the eyes and filling the nostrils. The heat was oppressive, making the air thick and heavy as it pressed down on the people below.
Amidst the chaos, people rushed about, their movements frenzied and uncoordinated as they tried to escape the inferno. Doors were thrown open as people stumbled out of their homes, coughing and shielding their faces from the smoke. Some carried buckets of water, trying in vain to extinguish the flames that seemed to be everywhere at once. Others were on their knees, sobbing and screaming for help.
The harbor itself was a scene of destruction, with boats and ships ablaze and the water lit up by the reflection of the flames. The once-calm water was now choppy and turbulent, whipped up by the wind and the frenzied activity of the people. The sound of the fire was deafening, a roar that drowned out all other noise as it consumed everything in its path.
It was a night of terror and destruction, a far cry from the peaceful, sleepy town it had been just hours before. As the flames continued to spread, it seemed that nothing could stop the destruction and despair that had descended upon the harbor town.
"Could those be Aubrey and Dove?" Lynn muttered to himself as he gazed at the distant congregation of crows and the figures that seemed to be dancing in the firelight.
'Could it be that they had escaped first?'
'Hold on a moment...'
As Lynn surveyed the witches, his mind was racing with possibilities. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about their situation. They didn't seem to be tortured, which led Lynn to wonder if they had actually escaped or
'Perhaps...they didn't escape, but were actually intending to enter the prison to rescue someone!'
He had thought through many potential emergencies before the operation, but he had never considered the possibility that the church would go to such lengths to make a public display without actually having any witches imprisoned to show.
This Archbishop was certainly betting on the idea that the scattered wizard apprentices wouldn't be able to come together and realize that neither party was captured, or else the ceremony to be held in public the next day would become a complete farce.
It was a bold move but the Archbishop's gamble had paid off, at least for now. While Lynn had avoided falling into the trap, Aubrey and Dove had stumbled right into it.
One must understand that this world is one in which deities truly exist. For a public execution for witches such as this, if the opposition dared to temporarily procure a few prisoners to impersonate witches, it would be no different from blasphemy! the Archbishop is clearly playing with fire.
However, since both witches had not been apprehended, who was the one to leak information about the Einhorn Ship Guild?
Aanthruk's personal presence in the harbor town, the execution of the blockade and various measures against the guild cannot be falsified. This is also one of the reasons he believed that the two might be arrested.
In contemplation, the cawing of crows in the sky above the harbor town became increasingly faint, which indicated that both witches were on the verge of collapsing.
Lynn did not hasten to act, for there were only a hundred guards encircling the two witches, and neither Archbishop Anthruk nor three thousand elite soldiers had taken the field.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
This is also a bait, and Lynn is the big catch that Anthruk desires to ensnare...
'071, in our present circumstances, what are our odds of victory if we were to confront them directly?' Lynn asked silently to himself.
His ace in the hole was the massive quantity of black powder stockpiled at the dock. As long as he could use the advantage provided by the information gap and magic shaping to attract Anthruk and the others, he could detonate them into the sky. However, it appears that this goal is now unlikely to be achieved.
[The calculated probability of victory is below the safety threshold. According to the agreement, extraterrestrials should not be included in the protective target. In accordance with the "Federal Citizen Life Safety Law", you should prioritize self-protection first! ]
Lynn was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Can you analyze why Aubrey and Dove would risk their lives to enter the harbor town?"
[There is a 97% probability...that they came to save you, sir! ]
'As expected.' Lynn gazed at the distant flames and muttered to himself.
.......
The church of Haygan Town was a dim, quiet place. Its stained glass windows, were a riot of color, depicting scenes from the Bible in bright blues, reds, and greens, casting a muted glow over the rows of wooden pews, each one polished to a glossy finish. The altar was at the front of the church, a grand affair adorned with gold leaf and glittering ornaments. Above it hung a symbol, its arms outstretched in a gesture of love and forgiveness. Archbishop Anthruk sat at the front of the church, his eyes closed in contemplation. The only sounds in the room were the whispers of the priests gathered around him and the occasional creak of wood as someone shifted in their seat.
But outside, the scene was very different. The sound of screams and wails echoed through the streets, a stark contrast to the peaceful atmosphere within the church. The priests present looked pale and uneasy, their expressions troubled as they listened to the chaos that seemed to be closing in on them, but Anthruk seemed oblivious, turning to Adrien and inquiring, "Have we gleaned any useful clues from the interrogations these past few days?"
"Your Eminence," Adrien replied shamefully, "York's mind has been fortified by some formidable mental magic. I have attempted several methods, yet none have been successful in breaking through this impediment."
A few days prior, as Anthruk led the elite guard in pursuit of devil worshippers, he personally led the attack on Uer Town, acting on information previously obtained from Will. He went to the Drunkard Tavern to capture the elusive Old York. However, to Adrien's dismay, the other party's mind was shielded by mental magic. When he attempted to probe for information through divination, he nearly rendered the other party mindless. The only breakthrough was the discovery of information regarding Harbor Town within a secret chamber of the tavern.
"There is no impediment, we shall soon acquire new sources of intelligence," Anthruk spoke with nonchalance, not intending to reprimand Adrien.
"Your Eminence, should we augment our ranks further? If we persist in this manner, those two wizard apprentices might evade our jurisdiction," Adrien gazed at the commotion in the western part of the harbor town and inquired cautiously.
Owing to an individual inciting the granary in the port town to catch fire, the majority of the stationed guards have been summoned to extinguish the flames, leaving only two priests and hundred guards to carry out the pursuit.
If this continues, it could potentially affect more and more civilians...
Adrien silently suppressed the latter half of the sentence. He has always opposed the decision of His Eminence to establish the battleground within the port town, as it only exposes the defenseless townsfolk to danger.
"It is not yet the moment to take action, Adrien!" Anthrukr's withered countenance bore a trace of severity as he fixed his gaze upon the priest before him and spoke again. "Temporary benevolence will only give rise to a more terrifying calamity."
"The infernal flame burning beyond Uer town has not yet been extinguished to this day. If we fail to apprehend the wizard named Karl on this occasion, this alarming scene may be replicated in every nook and cranny of Nordland."
"The merciful Ella will forgive our transgressions..."
Anthruk turned his gaze to the fire burning in the sky above the port town and he took solemn steps while chanting in a extremely hoarse voice.
"Oh divine one, we pray for the souls of the townspeople
May they return to the holy land and find eternal shelter
And may their true spirits not fall into the abyss of the devil~"
The town was ablaze, the flames lighting up the night sky with an orange glow. Archbishop Anthruk stood at the front of the church, his eyes fixed on the fire as he spoke. His words were a prayer for the souls of the townspeople, a plea for them to be taken to the holy land and find eternal shelter.
"We pray for the townspeople who have died in this conflict
Their lives cut short by the trials of this world
We ask that you take them into your loving arms
And grant them rebirth in the holy land~"
The other priests in the church joined in, their voices rising in a harmonious hymn as they prayed for the souls of the dead. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and the sound of their voices filled the church, a soothing balm in the midst of the chaos outside.
"We know that you are merciful and kind
And that your love extends to all your children
We trust in your guidance and your care
As we mourn the loss of our loved ones~"
"We pray for those who have suffered in this tragedy
For the pain and sorrow they have endured
We ask that you ease their burden and bring them comfort
As they navigate the aftermath of this disaster~"
As they sang, the priests wore expressions of pity, their hearts heavy with the weight of the tragedy that had befallen the town. They prayed for the townspeople who had died in the conflict, asking that they be reborn in the holy land and find peace at last.
"We sing this hymn in tribute to the dead
As we ask for your blessings upon their souls
And upon all those who have suffered in this tragedy
May they find peace and rest in the holy land~"
The priests in the church also showed a look of pity and soon sang a melodious hymn together, praying for the townspeople who died in this conflict and suffered endless suffering in their lifetime to be reborn in the holy land...