Carl, Why Did You Betray Us?

Caw, caw...

Suddenly, a crisp crow's call broke the two men's gaze. Lynn regretfully looked away and turned toward the sound—a palm-sized gray crow stood atop the counter, staring at him without blinking.

The owner of the Drunkard Tavern was a genuine Gweitt merchant, carrying an air of shrewdness and vulgar greed. Hearing the crow's cry, he paused in the middle of wiping a glass, bared a mouthful of yellow teeth, and greeted him warmly.

"A rare new face indeed. Welcome to the Drunkard Tavern... What can I get you, my guest?"

"A cup of Guro Wine, aged four years. If I heard correctly, that should be seventeen Secas Copper Coins." Lynn walked straight to the counter and arranged the coins in his hand on the table in groups of five, five, and seven.

The tavern owner scrutinized Lynn, his gaze lingering briefly on the longsword at his waist. His expression did not change. "That was last year's price. Now... it costs twenty-one copper!"

Lynn froze for a moment before he could answer. A strikingly beautiful female patron beside him pursed her lips and teasingly spoke up. "Old Hawke, surely you aren't swindling a newcomer? Since when did your Guro Wine suddenly become more expensive?"

As she spoke, the woman looked at Lynn with interest. A cup of Guro Wine for seventeen copper was hardly extravagant, but few people in the Drunkard Tavern were so generous.

Especially since he was young and handsome, with a solid build. He did not look like the useless pretty-boy type...

Old Hawke did not mind being exposed by the woman. He grinned. "Two cargo ships sank at the harbor this year. The ingredients for Guro Wine are scarce, so naturally it costs more..."

Lynn frowned and spoke again. "But I only have seventeen Secas Copper Coins!"

Hearing that, the young female patron immediately lost half her interest in Lynn. It seemed he was just another poor fool squandering his savings for a sip of good wine.

"Then I suggest you try another flavor..." Old Hawke shrugged. "Of course, if you're interested in earning some extra coin, I can help you out. Lame Laud happens to need someone to do some private work for him. He's always generous and spends freely!"

Lame Laud? Lynn raised an eyebrow. During the time he had spent in Ur Town gathering information, he had heard that name more than once.

The man's reputation was far from good...

"Fine. I happen to need a suitable job." Thoughts raced through Lynn's mind, but he ultimately nodded in agreement.

Old Hawke swept the coins off the table and into his pocket, called for a tavern attendant to take over his work, then looked at Lynn and spoke again.

"Come with me. The Guro Wine you want is in the cellar. Pick it up first, then I'll take you to meet him..."

Seeing Lynn follow Old Hawke away without any guard up, the onlooking patrons could not help revealing gloating smiles.

Everyone living in Ur Town knew that while Lame Laud paid generously, he was also notoriously black-hearted. Rumor had it that many people who ran ships for him had vanished without a trace. Sometimes, not even a corpse could be found...

You might live long enough to take the money, but not long enough to spend it...

As the patrons gloated, Old Hawke led Lynn through the kitchen and into a storeroom piled with Wheat Flour and wooden barrels. Then he stopped in front of a huge, filthy wine barrel.

Click...

Old Hawke forcefully pressed down on the lid at the side of the barrel. Amid the sound of wine sloshing, the barrel slowly turned halfway around. The floorboards beneath it suddenly sprang open, revealing a hidden passage half the height of a man.

"Follow this passage. The person you want to see is inside!" Old Hawke lowered his voice, shoved a lit candlestick into Lynn's arms, and impatiently warned, "Watch yourself. Don't cause trouble for me!"

Lynn thanked him, took the lamp, and stepped directly into the hidden passage. Behind him, the huge wine-stained barrel rotated back into place, followed by the sound of wine flowing in again.

The faint light from outside vanished with it. The passage was pitch-black and stretched to an unknown destination. Only the dim candlestick in his hand barely illuminated the road ahead, while the air carried the smell of cheap liquor.

Lynn walked through the dark passage, already on alert as he repeatedly recalled the intelligence concerning his fellow apprentices.

Since his mentor, Coru, had spent the past few years constantly traveling, he had no fixed residence and naturally did not keep every apprentice at his side.

After all, too many unfamiliar faces suddenly appearing in one city would be conspicuous and unfavorable for concealing their identities.

Thus, the original Carl knew very little about these people. He had mostly only met them a few times and knew their names and appearances.

The only one he knew relatively well was Joanne, who had sent him a letter before.

Of course, that familiarity was entirely one-sided.

More accurately, the original Carl harbored the subtle feelings typical of a young man toward Joanne.

To put it plainly, it was love at first sight—an unrequited crush born of lust.

As Coru's most valued disciple, Joanne possessed exceptional magical talent. She was only one step away from becoming an Official Wizard and, after Coru's death, was the apparent leader of their group of apprentices.

Unfortunately, such a one-sided and subtle relationship clearly could not offer him any help.

While Lynn was distracted, the narrow passage ahead gradually widened. By the faint candlelight, he suddenly realized that it led to a forest outside Ur Town.

It was already deep into the night, yet the sky was not as dark as he had expected. Silver moonlight spilled through gaps in the forest branches and leaves, and the solid Yellow Earth beneath his feet seemed covered by a transparent veil. Lynn vaguely sensed that the magic power within him was becoming increasingly active.

Was this Moon Day?

Through the dense foliage, Lynn could vaguely see the brilliant stars and the enormous full moon. According to the original Carl's memories, this unusual astronomical phenomenon occurred only once a year and lasted roughly three to five days.

Yet those memories contained no record of moonlight affecting magic power.

That made sense. The original had only been a wizard for half a year...

As Lynn thought, a sharp series of whistling sounds suddenly rang out. More than a dozen fully formed Magic Missiles shot from the dense woods around him, sealing off every possible path of escape.

A trap?

The thought immediately surfaced in Lynn's mind, and he reacted the next instant. He flipped his empty left hand, scattering a handful of gray powder into his palm—the remaining casting material he had little of left, Ember of Crimson Fire!

Lynn hurled it with all his strength. The specks of powder instantly ignited under the influence of magic power, forming a blazing wall of fire before him.

However, the newly learned Lesser Fire Wall, cast in haste, could naturally not withstand the combined attack of several Wizard Apprentices. The Magic Missiles pierced through the sea of flames almost instantly.

Fortunately, Lynn had already achieved his goal. The heatwave and high temperature unleashed by the fire wall threw the magical constructs off course, causing them to strike the tree trunks and Yellow Earth behind him in scattered directions.

As four figures shrouded in black robes closed in on him in a semicircle, Lynn silently drew the longsword at his waist. At the same time, he untied the storage pouch holding the white phosphorus and prepared for battle.

Because time had been short, his supply of white phosphorus was limited. But now was clearly not the time to hold back...

Before Lynn could make a move, however, a cold voice rang out first.

"Carl, why did you betray us?"

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