Lynn glanced down at Labur, a calculating glint in his eyes, and asked, "In Harbor Town, who do you have the most enmity with?"
"It's Bob the Blackhand…" Labur, still bewildered by the questioning, spilled the details of their conflict without hesitation.
"Perfect. I'll be borrowing your clothes." Without delay, Lynn began to strip Labur of his attire. The burly man instinctively recoiled, pressing himself against the ground, as if anticipating a gruesome fate at the hands of the demon before him. He resembled nothing more than a terrified girl, vulnerable and defenseless.
Exasperated, Lynn knocked him out cold. After changing into Labur's clothes, he scrutinized Labur's unconscious face, then cast a spell of transformation. This was a morphing spell he had learned from the *Universal Basics of Magic*, allowing a wizard to alter their physical appearance.
Buck, who had perished at the hands of Anselm, had once used this spell to transform into a bear, buying himself some time against his foe.
However, such a spell was far from foolproof, requiring not only an intimate knowledge of the intended form but also involving considerable risk.
The *Universal Basics of Magic* documented numerous cases of wizards failing at shapeshifting—some transformed incorrectly, others couldn't revert back, and many suffered fatal magical backlash.
In essence, only the most daring wizards would attempt to learn morphing spells.
Fortunately, Lynn had always excelled in biology, and with 071's data repository containing detailed 3D models of the human body—including skin, muscle, blood, organs, and even cells—he could minimize the chances of unforeseen consequences.
Though his transformation into Labur wasn't flawless, achieving about ninety percent accuracy, it would suffice for dealing with any immediate crises.
Lynn casually smeared some dirt on his face, bound the unconscious Labur, and stuffed him into a storage bag in the basement before heading out.
"Damn that Bob!"
Lynn stormed out the door, cursing under his breath. Several shipmen stationed as guards noticed his furious demeanor and cautiously inquired, "Boss Labur, did the negotiations fall through?"
"A whole shipload of goods, and the other side only offered 60 Sekas coins!" Lynn fumed. "It's all because of that bastard Bob! He's already made contact with the Pedrol family, and to steal our business, Bob's willing to ship their goods at a cut rate."
Hearing this, the gathered shipmen were incensed. They knew that a long voyage would cost at least 50 Sekas coins just in operational expenses, not to mention the crew's upkeep. Such a paltry sum meant they'd be working for nothing.
Bob the Blackhand and his crew had always been at odds with the Ship Gang, but this was a new low—even for him. Undercutting them to the point of taking a loss was pure spite.
"Let's go, bring everyone! We're gonna settle this!" Lynn shouted, rallying dozens of men as they marched boldly toward the docks.
Meanwhile, aboard a massive sailing ship, Bob the Blackhand was whipping a few idle workers into action when he saw Lynn, brimming with fury, storm aboard. He frowned, clearly displeased. "Labur, why are you bringing so many people here?"
Lynn wasted no time with words. He landed a punch squarely on Bob's jaw, sending him sprawling to the deck in utter shock.
The laborers on board were stunned, but Lynn's men quickly followed up with a barrage of blows and clubs.
The once tranquil dock descended into chaos as shouts and the sounds of fighting filled the air. Minutes later, a piercing cry cut through the tumult.
"City Guards! The City Guards are here!!"
Lynn and the dockworkers ceased their brawling in unison. A dozen armored guards wielding sharp blades had surrounded the ship.
Raising his hands, Lynn signaled his men to stop resisting, his expression calm and untroubled.
The captain of the Harbor Town Guard, Tiris, was an old acquaintance of Labur. Last time, when Labur had smuggled goods, Tiris had been well-compensated for turning a blind eye.
"What's going on here?" Tiris demanded as he strode aboard, surveying the scattered cargo and the laborers groaning on the deck. His gaze then fell on Lynn, his tone laced with disapproval.
"Tiris, these men barged in out of nowhere and, without any reason, overturned our cargo and attacked us…" Bob, who had lost a tooth in the scuffle, shouted indignantly, still unsure why he had been assaulted.
"Just a minor dispute, Captain Tiris. Besides, many here can testify that Bob threw the first punch!" Lynn stepped forward with a friendly smile, discreetly slipping a small pouch of coins into Tiris's hand.
The dockworkers, numbering over a hundred, joined in the clamor, drowning out any feeble protests from Bob and his men.
In Harbor Town, the Blackhand's influence paled in comparison to the Ship Gang's. If not for the Imperial Count backing Bob, Lame Laude would have driven him out of town long ago.
"Arrest them all!" Tiris commanded after weighing Lynn's bribe, quickly labeling the incident as a brawl—a mutual scuffle.
According to Sekas Empire law, instigating a public disturbance warranted ten lashes!
…
"Damn, that guy really didn't hold back…"
Half an hour later, Lynn walked out of the docks, wincing from the lashes. He was in a foul mood.
He had overestimated the bond between Labur and Tiris; the latter had shown no mercy when administering the punishment. Those ten lashes had been delivered with full force.
Lynn just hoped that the whipping wasn't in vain, as he had done everything he could.
Given Laude's cautious and cunning nature, Lynn surmised that the man wouldn't be hiding too far from Harbor Town and was likely keeping a close watch on the situation there.
Laude's greatest fear was drawing the attention of the Church.
So Lynn had orchestrated this conflict, attracting the city guard's involvement while keeping the dispute within the bounds of a gang rivalry. If all went according to plan, word of this would soon reach Laude's ears.
As the public face of the Ship Gang, Labur answered to no one but Laude himself. If anyone dared to challenge Labur, only Laude would have the authority to intervene. Thus, Lynn could predict what would happen next.
Perhaps one of Laude's most trusted lieutenants would show up to convey his reprimand, but the most likely outcome was…
"Master Labur, Mr. Laude has urgent business and requests your presence. Please, follow me." About twenty minutes later, an unremarkable shipman approached Lynn, whispering discreetly in his ear.
"Very well, I'll come at once!" Lynn's lips curled into a smile.
It was just as he had expected.