As the night fell completely, the bustling port town was bathed in a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
A pristine full moon rose above the sea's horizon, casting a soft, silvery glow that seemed to drape the entire harbor town in a fine, shimmering veil.
At this moment, Lynn stood on the rooftop of the Pedrohl estate, gazing down upon the entire town. It felt unusually peaceful today, as if not a single insect's chirp could be heard. This abnormality made him sense a hint of danger in the air.
"Report energy reserves, 071," Lynn silently inquired in his mind.
(Energy remaining: 40.2 percent...)
"Unfortunately, it's still a bit low..."
Lynn thought to himself. The full moon tonight had increased 071's energy reserves by about thirty percent in four months, which was remarkably fast, but it could only sustain an overload mode for about two hundred seconds.
In this state, he could unleash the full power of white phosphorus flames. Despite his unease, Lynn had no intention of changing the plan. Tonight was their only chance to rescue Dove and Jonny. After all, the passage to the land of the wizards only opened on Mondays, and tomorrow was the scheduled public execution.
Lynn took out the diary belonging to Lotte and placed it on the table. After today, he could no longer stay in the harbor town, and the identity of Lotte would have no relation to him.
This diary would serve as Lotte's final message to Baron Pedrohl and Ivina. Though he didn't expect it to change anything, it was the only thing he could do.
After packing his belongings, Lynn walked out of the room alone, recalling the information gathered by the Guild of Ships.
Yadan, a recently transferred priest in the harbor town, Archbishop Anluke's right-hand man, a noble by birth, and the champion of the previous Nordlan Knight Exam, possessed formidable sword skills.
Most importantly, Yadan had a very predictable routine. He would go out at this exact time every night, his destination unknown, presumably to attend some noble's evening banquet.
As for the rescue plan, Lynn had considered several approaches, and the smoothest one was to directly capture and replace Yadan.
This would not only allow them to extract information about the captured individuals, their location, and other critical details but also make use of Yadan's role as the Archbishop's right hand.
When the full moon hung high in the sky, The Dockside Gang' crew would create chaos at the harbor, driving away all unrelated individuals and igniting white phosphorus powder prepared in advance, causing uncontrollable "Hellfire." Once it spread, even hundreds of garrison troops wouldn't be able to quell it, and it was one of his signature spells.
At that point, Archbishop Anluke would likely intervene personally to extinguish the flames or capture Lynn, possibly mobilizing his elite guards hidden in the shadows.
The cargo piled up on the docks had already been discreetly replaced by The Dockside Gang with specialized black powder. Once ignited, it would send both the warships docked at the harbor and the arriving reinforcements into the sky in an instant.
If they could kill Archbishop Anluke in the explosion, that would be the best outcome. Even if they couldn't, the Archbishop wouldn't return anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Lynn could use Yadan's identity to access the location where Jonny and the others were held. With the harbor town in chaos, he could falsely convey the Archbishop's orders and transfer the prisoners to a safer place.
Once they were out, Lame Loude's trusted subordinates would be there to pick them up.
Of course, this plan relied on everything going smoothly. There might be countless unforeseen circumstances along the way.
Perhaps the worst-case scenario would be Archbishop Anluke choosing not to act and allowing the "Hellfire" on the dock to spread rapidly. In that case, Lynn would have to step in to quell the flames to prevent the involvement of numerous innocent residents.
If left uncontrolled, the entire harbor town would be engulfed in a sea of fire.
Lynn continued to mentally calculate the possible events that might unfold. Suddenly, an unpleasant 'creak' echoed closer and closer, emanating from the corridor ahead.
Alert, Lynn immediately halted his steps and looked up. Soon, he spotted the figure at the end of the corridor.
A brunette girl stood in the shadows, holding a slender blade that trailed on the ground. Her red and black attire appeared eerie under the moonlight's silver glow.
"Ivina, what are you doing here?" Lynn asked in confusion. Her room should be on the second floor.
"Why?" the brunette girl spoke softly. "Why is it that no matter how hard I try, no matter how excellent my performance, Father will never acknowledge me, while you, who couldn't even pass the Knight's Exam, fail repeatedly but always effortlessly obtain everything I desire..."
Ivina lowered her head, her words filled with suppressed anger. She clenched her teeth, seemingly struggling to contain her fury.
However, her expression soon returned to a calm demeanor, and her tone became icy.
"My brother, you're the obstacle to my progress..."
Lynn's pupils contracted. Just as Ivina's words fell, she had already rushed forward with her slender blade.
Clang!
Accompanied by the crisp sound of clashing metal, Lynn drew his steel longsword from his waist to parry the incoming blade. It was clear that the girl possessed greater strength and speed than during their practice sessions, indicating her true strength.
In Ivina's amber eyes, a cold and murderous glint flashed as her slender blade, like a streak of cold light, slashed through the air once more.
"You always have this carefree attitude..."
"Tell me, why haven't you told Father about this?" she continued. "You know very well that I've always wanted to kill you!"
With each sentence, Ivina's blade swung faster, her gaze complex as she stared intently at her brother...
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