Have You Ever Seen Fireworks Bloom?

Lau​d curiously took the parchment and glanced over it a few times, surprise appearing on his face.

It was not that the things Lynn wanted were particularly precious. On the contrary, everything written on the parchment was extremely easy to gather—some of it was even worthless junk that could not be sold...

"Can you tell me what these things are for?" Laud asked in confusion.

Rather than answering directly, Lynn suddenly asked, "Have you ever seen fireworks bloom, Mr. Laud?"

"What's that?" Laud froze for a moment and shook his head in confusion.

"Something that can send the entire City Guard flying into the sky. I guarantee it will also be the most dazzling sight you have ever seen!" Lynn said with a smile.

The expression on Laud's face stiffened, disbelief filling his features.

Harbor Town had originally possessed a guard force of eight hundred men, and Bishop Antioch had subsequently transferred three thousand elite soldiers from Nordland Territory. Laud simply could not imagine what sort of power could wipe out such a massive army in such a short time.

Could these be materials needed to set up some powerful alchemical array?

Laud immediately thought of that possibility. He had once heard Coru mention that some wizards proficient in alchemy could use arrays to multiply the power of a certain spell.

If that was the case, then they were not without a chance of victory.

With that thought, Laud lost the urge to keep digging, because wizards usually did not reveal the secrets of their magic to outsiders.

"Besides these materials, I also need a map of Harbor Town, the City Guard's patrol routes, and most importantly..." Lynn paused before saying solemnly, "I need to know the appearance, personality, and daily habits of every member of the clergy in Harbor Town. The more detailed, the better!"

Lame Laud pondered for a while without replying. Maps and the City Guard's patrol routes would be easy enough to obtain, but uncovering the details of those priests would be no simple task.

"Sometimes, if you want to stay alive, you have to pay a price, don't you?" Lynn reminded him.

"Fine! I can give you everything you asked for, but I need to know how you plan to rescue that Wizard Apprentice!" Laud gritted his teeth. The port had now been sealed off by the Church, and if they wanted to escape smoothly, they would have to create enough chaos. The rescue was only incidental.

Lynn stopped keeping him in suspense and roughly explained the entire plan, going into the greatest detail about the part assigned to the [Ship Gang].

After hearing Lynn's explanation, cold sweat broke out across Laud's back.

Still, what reassured him was that the most dangerous part of the entire plan—the rescue operation—would be handled personally by Lynn. The [Ship Gang] was only responsible for receiving them, and more importantly, Laud himself would not need to act at any point. That meant that in most circumstances, he would remain in a safe area.

"Then, here's to a pleasant partnership!"

Lynn casually extended his hand. Laud did the same, and their palms soon clasped tightly together.

A slight stabbing pain suddenly surged through Laud's heart. He instinctively pulled his arm back and looked down, only to find a Flame Mark on the back of his hand.

"What does this mean?" Laud covered the back of his hand and demanded harshly.

Lynn slowly withdrew his hand and replied with a beaming smile.

"I heard Labul mention before that you never trust anyone around you..."

"That's a very good habit!"

"As it happens, neither do I!" Lynn wore the expression of someone who had found a kindred spirit.

Laud's face darkened, and in his heart, he had already skinned and dismembered that bastard Labul.

The Flame Mark reminded him of the horrific scene outside Ur Town. One of the intelligence agents he had sent had merely gotten too close and accidentally caught a few sparks. After that, the man had effectively been sentenced to death. Even jumping into a river could not save him from being completely consumed by Hellfire!

"Oh, right. Your subordinate Labul is in a side room at the port. That's internal business for the [Ship Gang], so I won't interfere." As he spoke, Lynn leisurely rose to his feet and made his farewells.

After Lynn left, the emotions Laud had been suppressing finally erupted. Burning with rage, he swept the valuable vases and utensils from the table onto the floor.

The guards outside immediately rushed in upon hearing the commotion, only to stand there at a loss as they watched their leader go mad inside the room.

After venting for several minutes, Laud sat back down in his seat, panting heavily as he looked at the guards before him.

"You lot, go bring Labul back to me immediately!"

"I'll skin him alive myself!" Lame Laud said through gritted teeth.

By the time Lynn stepped out of the ruined house, the blazing noon sun was already hanging high overhead.

Having successfully persuaded Lame Laud and gained the assistance of the entire [Ship Gang], Lynn secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least now, he did not have to fight alone, and he had a sixty to seventy percent chance of rescuing White Dove and Joanne.

As for the magical mark he had left on Laud's hand, it was merely a bluff. It actually had no effect at all.

But Lynn knew that the battle outside Ur Town had already revealed part of his strength, and that alone was a powerful deterrent.

With someone like Laud, even if Lynn told him the truth, he would never believe it. Instead, he would think his life was in Lynn's hands.

That was precisely the result Lynn wanted. When the real operation began, the most crucial part would need to be handled personally by him for safety's sake, while Laud could remain behind the scenes the entire time. The risks borne by the two sides were unequal, and that was a major taboo in any partnership!

Therefore, certain measures to maintain balance were naturally necessary!

Over the next two days, news that the Tribunal would publicly execute the Demon's Follower after Moon Day spread throughout Harbor Town. Almost everyone was discussing it.

Lynn once again confirmed his earlier judgment. Apart from practicing swordsmanship with Evina each day, he spent all his remaining time processing the materials that had been transported over.

Within seventy-two hours, he cast [Basic Material Deconstruction] several thousand times, leaving him nearly drained.

Whenever he returned to the estate, Baron Pedrol's butler would look at him strangely. Once, unable to hold back any longer, the man earnestly advised him not to ruin his body at such a young age.

Lynn merely brushed it off. He could not find any other suitable explanation for why he was always out all night.

In any case, it was Lott who would suffer the social humiliation in the end. What did that have to do with him?

Things had proceeded so smoothly largely because Baron Pedrol was often away from the estate. He was busy attending various noble banquets, hoping to show his face more often before those important figures.

Amid such orderly busyness, Harbor Town welcomed the final night of Moon Day...

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