Scientific Wizard

The next day, Lynn, who had spent the night without sleep, woke up early. He casually picked a fancy-looking empty box and tucked it under his arm before leaving his room.

In the spacious training ground outside, the constant sounds of sharp strikes filled the air. Lynn turned his head and saw his "sister," Ivana, who had been here for quite some time.

The young girl wielded a wooden sword, delivering rapid and precise strikes to the vital points of a target. There was no hesitation in her movements, and tiny beads of sweat slid down her forehead and neck.

Lynn couldn't help but admire her diligence. Considering the unpleasant events from the previous night, he didn't bother with a greeting and walked straight over. He didn't notice that Ivana, who had been diligently training behind him, had stopped and was now watching him with a complex expression.

Why...

How could he remain so composed after what had happened last night? Ivana's face displayed a puzzled expression, but when she recalled Pedrol's words, her gaze turned resolute. She gripped her sword tightly and struck horizontally, shattering the sturdy wooden target in front of her.

***

Lynn, who had already left the mansion, was unaware of what had transpired there. After purchasing some necessary supplies in the market, he returned to the harbor shop he had visited the day before.

"Welcome to Bill's... Oh, it's Lord Lotte." The elderly halfling greeted him in the usual manner, but as soon as he recognized Lynn, he immediately became excited and approached him enthusiastically. "About the shipment you mentioned yesterday, we can discuss it again... There's no better partner for cooperation in the whole port town than the Gang of the Ships"

(TL/n - Gang of the Ships = Ship Gang)

Lynn didn't rush to respond. He looked around the shop, feeling somewhat disappointed, and said, "What? Is Mr. Laut still reluctant to meet me?"

Bill hurriedly explained, "No, no, I'm sure Mr. Laut is very eager to meet you. Unfortunately, he's not in the port town right now. Even if we use the fastest messenger raven, it would take several days to relay the message."

"If Lord Lotte is concerned about security issues, the Ship Gang can offer goods of equivalent value as collateral." Bill, the halfling, patted his chest like a drum.

Lynn pretended to hesitate for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Well, if that's the case, I can accept... for now."

"Who's in charge of the Ship Gang now?"

"Of course, it's Rabel. Please wait for a moment. I'll call him..." Bill, the halfling, said as he hurriedly left the shop and called over a dockworker. He whispered a few words and then returned, eagerly standing on a small stool to pour fruit wine for Lynn.

Lynn took the glass but didn't drink. He gestured toward a pile of iron barrels in the corner of the shop and asked, "What are these?"

"They're worthless yellow ore, dug up by a group of prospectors from a barren hill near the port town. They've filled up a whole ship with it." The halfling Bill said with frustration.

These minerals were usually only purchased by herbalists, but this year, the yellow ore market in Viknail had saturated. In other words, they had to stockpile these minerals until next year when they could sell them.

"If Lord Lotte is interested in these yellow ores, I can offer you a cost price. A whole barrel costs only nineteen copper coins, and it's said to be quite effective for worm repellent." The halfling Bill rubbed his hands and enthusiastically promoted.

"No, I've just never seen them before. I'm just curious." Lynn shook his head, replying calmly.

As they chatted, a tall, muscular man with a few gang members entered the shop.

"It's a great honor, Lord Lotte. I heard from Bill that you have some very important matters to discuss with me?" Rabel walked in, a genuine smile appearing on his meaty face.

"Yes, I'm planning to rent a large ship to transport some very important cargo," Lynn said, while taking the matter seriously, he took out an exquisite box from his sleeve and placed it on the table. "This is a sample. I need a private place to talk to you."

All the people in the room unconsciously focused their attention on the palm-sized exquisite box.

Halfling Bill secretly speculated whether there might be some extremely rare gemstone inside the box. However, he quickly dismissed the thought when he considered that Lynn needed a large ship to transport it.

Rabel, who stood nearby, appeared solemn. Unlike Bill, he had been a member of the Ship Gang for over a decade and occasionally assisted noblemen in handling unsavory matters.

For instance, Duke Nordland had been secretly trafficking an addictive soul-shattering herb (weed). If the Church were to catch wind of it, the small-fry like them would likely be held accountable.

Of course, risks and rewards coexisted. If the cargo was delivered successfully, the profits from this single ship would suffice for the Ship Gang for half a year.

"No problem. We can discuss it in a private room." Rabel's mind was racing, but his smile grew even warmer.

Lynn put away the box and followed Rabel out of the shop. They crossed over half the street, finally stopping in a seemingly ordinary house.

Rabel, acutely aware of the importance of secrecy, left a few gang members to guard the entrance and took Lynn alone to a well-hidden underground chamber.

The room was spacious, with only a few rudimentary tables and chairs, but it was impeccably clean.

Observing how Lynn had been scrutinizing his surroundings since they entered, Rabel felt more confident in his assumptions. He smiled reassuringly and said, "Please, have a seat, Mr. Lotte. This place is very safe and quiet, and there won't be any disruptions from outsiders."

"Since that's the case, I can rest easy." Lynn also smiled, pushing the box he held towards Rabel, gesturing for him to examine it. "You can take a look before we discuss further."

Rabel, a mix of nervousness and excitement, placed his hand on the box, wondering what kind of contraband it might contain.

Soul-shattering herb? A Heimstone? Hopefully, it's not some idol of an evil deity. He heard that nobles in the Sekas Empire in the west were quite fond of those strange things.

However, as soon as he opened the box, Rabel's expression froze instantly.

Because the box was completely empty, there was nothing inside.

Was he tricked?

Rabel immediately sensed something was amiss and instinctively reached for the dagger hanging from his belt, but it was already too late.

The moment he opened the box, Lynn had entered a brief overload state. His right hand quickly and accurately grabbed Rabel's elbow, bending the entire arm at the most precise angle.

Accompanied by a dull dislocation sound, excruciating pain overwhelmed Rabel's mind. But before he could cry out, his entire body was slammed to the ground, his neck gripped with force.