Where did it go wrong...
Lynn constantly pondered. Using his noble identity as a stepping stone to meet Laud through trade was the fastest and safest plan he could think of, but he didn't expect to hit a wall right from the start.
This made Lynn somewhat perplexed. He even suspected that Laud might have received some bad news and was purposely hiding.
If this was truly the case, it would be troublesome. Finding someone who intended to hide was never an easy task.
While Lynn was contemplating, the dense crowd at the port suddenly became incredibly chaotic. Amidst a series of screams, a beautifully decorated carriage sped down the narrow road, hastily making its way toward him.
Which noble family was so arrogant?
Lynn frowned, intending to step aside, but the carriage stopped right in front of him.
Before long, a well-dressed, tall, and slender middle-aged man got out of the carriage, bowing deeply.
"Finally, I found you, Master Loth. Please come with me quickly. Lord Pedro has something very important to discuss with you!"
Faced with the sudden invitation, Lynn almost didn't react. Fortunately, he recalled Loth's diary and quickly deduced that the man before him was the butler from Pedro's mansion. A bead of cold sweat appeared on Lynn's forehead.
This identity was supposed to be a temporary guise to grant him entry into the harbor town and meet the limping Laud, but he didn't expect the real master to come looking so soon.
And much faster than he had anticipated!
To go or not to go?
Countless possibilities flashed through Lynn's mind. After a second or two of hesitation, under the respectful yet determined gaze of the butler, Lynn nodded, lifted the curtain, and got into the carriage.
Clip-clop, clip-clop...
The halted carriage slowly started moving, traveling on the muddy road of the dock. The constant jolting of the carriage made Lynn feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Before entering the mansion, you'd better tidy yourself up. If Lord Pedro sees you like this, he would definitely be displeased!" The butler lifted the curtain again, glanced at Lynn's hands, and advised.
Lynn looked down to find his hands covered in a yellow and black powder, likely from accidentally getting it while helping the halfling Bill move barrels earlier.
Wait a minute... suddenly Lynn raised his hand, sniffing it.
This scent seemed like...
Sulfur?
...
Pedro's mansion was located on the northwest side of the harbor town, on the most bustling street. The dark iron gates loomed imposingly. As the carriage slowly entered, Lynn quickly noticed something hidden beneath the surface.
Tiny weeds sprouted from the gaps between the cobblestones, and the flower beds on either side of the road were half-wilted due to a lack of care.
But then, it was no surprise. Pedro's mansion hadn't hired a gardener to tend the flower beds for a long time.
After a quick wash, Lynn, led by a servant, went to the mansion's front hall. Baron Pedro was already seated at the table covered with a dark red cloth, waiting.
Also seated at the table was a brown-haired girl about sixteen or seventeen, staring at him with an unreadable expression. She must be Loth's sister, Ivina, mentioned in the diary...
Lynn observed quietly and took a seat in the only empty chair. In front of him was a plate of steaming steak and a few unidentifiable leaves—their dinner for the evening, evidently.
Compared to gnawing on black bread with water, this was indeed a lavish meal!
"Where have you been, my son? I wanted to find you last night, but you weren't in the mansion." Baron Pedro asked disapprovingly as soon as Lynn sat down, his gaze shifting toward the tall, slender butler who had entered with them.
"I found the young master at the dock," the butler responded without batting an eye.
Baron Pedro's face immediately darkened. "I must remind you, Loth, relaxing a bit is fine, but never spend the night in such a place, mingling with filthy prostitutes!"
Lynn was speechless. Did he think I went whoring?
What frustrated him more was that he couldn't refute openly. He couldn't very well say that his son hadn't come home because he had jumped into the sea in an attempt to kill himself, could he?
Lynn tried to imagine Loth's possible reaction, then lowered his head and stayed silent.
"I do not want this to happen again!" Baron Pedro's tone was stern. After a brief pause, he continued.
"Also, in the coming days, all of you need to be vigilant. The harbor town has not been peaceful lately."
"I heard Archbishop Anluoke recently led a large group to Wuer Town to capture those devil worshipers, but they suffered heavy losses. Out of a hundred elite guards, only about a dozen returned. Not only that, but Archbishop Anluoke himself was also gravely injured..."
"Are these Wizards really that powerful?" Ivina turned her gaze away from Lynn, incredulously asking.
Keep in mind that the entire Sekas Empire, although ruled by the King and the lords, was truly controlled by the Church!
Or rather, by the Lord of the Stars, the Creator Goddess's [Ella] emissary in the mortal world.
Someone like Archbishop Anluoke was undoubtedly the God's spokesperson within the Nordland Territory. The idea that such a prominent figure had been defeated while capturing Wizards was a shocking contrast that Ivina found hard to digest.
"These Wizards have been corrupted by demons, wielding unimaginable witchcraft and are not easy to deal with." Baron Pedro shivered as he spoke.
A year ago, he had met Archbishop Anluoke, who looked about his age, if not slightly younger. Yet, tonight when they met again, he saw an old man of eighty or ninety, frail and decrepit. He couldn't fathom what kind of witchcraft could transform the powerful Archbishop into such a state.
Baron Pedro couldn't imagine that another key character of his story was sitting calmly beside him, methodically cutting steak with a knife and fork...
Lynn was also somewhat surprised by the news that Anluoke was still alive. He had assumed that in those circumstances, the Archbishop would meet one of three fates.
Either be poisoned, crushed by falling rocks, or sacrifice himself for the Divine Descent Technique.
Or was it that the so-called [Ella] projection saved him again?
It seemed the saving wasn't complete; otherwise, Pedro wouldn't mention that the Archbishop was severely wounded...
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