Chapter 24: [The Ship Gang] and [Harbor Town]

Harbor Town was situated to the east of the entire Sekas Empire, renowned for its proximity to the vast Mist Sea.

Due to the influence brought by Monday, the vortex known as the Eye of Death temporarily calmed, allowing countless merchant ships loaded with spices and ores to be transported directly to the capital of the Sekas Empire, Vickneil, by sea and land.

This was also the busiest time for the port.

However, this year's situation was somewhat different. In order to capture the devil believers who had infiltrated the Nordland Territory and caused chaos, an additional checkpoint was added at the entrance of Harbor Town. The passing merchant caravans had to line up in a long queue, accepting inspections amid a chorus of complaints.

"There shouldn't be any problems, right?" Disguised, Lynn felt a bit uneasy, constantly adjusting his voice to match the struggling and shouting he had heard during last night's rescue.

This wasn't that difficult to achieve.

The essence of sound was merely vibrations caused by a source traveling through a medium such as air, reaching the eardrums, which 071 had already recorded Loth's voice characteristics. All he needed to do was imitate it.

And next, it was time to test his composure...

With a complex mix of emotions, Lynn crossed the long line of merchant caravans in the most natural posture, passed through the checkpoint without stopping, nodded to the guards, and walked into Harbor Town.

The guards hesitated for a moment but did not dare to stop him.

"Who was that who just passed by?" The Priest Adrian, stationed at the checkpoint, noticed Lynn's departing figure and asked with a frown.

"That was Lord Loth, the son of Baron Pedro," the guard answered truthfully.

Adrian thought for a moment and immediately remembered. In recent years, Baron Pedro had donated quite a bit to the church to ensure Loth could pass the knight's examination successfully. He indeed had some impression.

...

On the other side, having successfully entered Harbor Town, Lynn's back was already drenched in cold sweat. At the moment he passed the checkpoint, he had even been ready to take action. Fortunately, everything went as he had hoped.

His current identity was the legitimate son of a hereditary Baron. It might not mean much in the entire Nordland Territory, but in the small Harbor Town, it could still provide a lot of convenience.

Having passed the most challenging part, Lynn finally felt a bit relieved. But soon, the unfamiliarity of Harbor Town troubled him again, forcing him to spend a lot of time wandering around the port, silently memorizing every location while pretending to be very familiar with the area.

It was not until noon that Lynn cautiously walked into a shop marked with a circular symbol.

If he was not mistaken, this was the emblem of the Ship's Guild, belonging to Lame Laud.

The owner of the harbor shop was an elderly halfling. When Lynn stepped through the door, he was busy moving a heavy barrel of yellow-black ore to the other side of the room.

But due to his short stature, the heavy iron barrel was tightly pressed against the halfling's face, constantly wobbling as he walked, with small fragments of ore quickly shaking loose.

Seeing this scene, Lynn stepped forward to lend a hand, and the two of them together moved the large barrel of ore into the corner.

"Thank you so much... customer!" The elderly halfling, with a thick nasal tone, wiped his dusty hands on his pants and then turned to Lynn, saying.

"Alright, now let's talk business. Welcome to Bill's little shop... no, I mean... what can I do for you, Lord Loth?"

After seeing Lynn's face clearly, the halfling Bill's casual attitude immediately turned obsequious.

He almost lunged toward the counter, taking out several exquisitely decorated boxes from the drawer, which contained red and blue gemstones.

"You can have a look at these; they are the finest this year... and a whole shipload of premium spices, rare treasures you won't find elsewhere..." Bill introduced enthusiastically.

But Lynn, standing aside, waved his hand disinterestedly, interrupting him. "I didn't come here to buy anything. Quite the opposite, I have a batch of precious goods that need to reach Vickneil through the Mist Sea."

"I heard you can arrange a ship for long voyages and ensure the safety of the goods, right?" Lynn asked tentatively.

"Of course, everyone in Harbor Town knows the reputation of the Ship's Guild. Even those foul-smelling pirates wouldn't dare to intercept our ships!" Bill boasted, patting his chest.

"However, renting an entire ship for transporting goods requires a lot of manpower and guards..." Bill carefully observed Lynn's reaction, ready to adjust the price based on his expression. This was a great opportunity for him to make a profit.

"Money is not an issue!" Lynn unhesitatingly offered a substantial deal, then, seeing Bill's ecstatic expression, added, "But this batch of goods is extremely important. I need to meet Laud in person and discuss it face-to-face!"

Bill's expression suddenly became a bit hesitant.

"What's wrong? Do you think I don't have the qualifications to meet Lame Laud?" Lynn frowned, his tone growing heavier.

"No, no, no," Bill shook his head frantically. He didn't dare to say that.

After hesitating for a moment, Bill looked around cautiously and said, "In fact, very few people in the entire Ship's Guild know that Mr. Laud is not in Harbor Town right now."

"What a coincidence?" Lynn paused noticeably, scrutinizing the halfling before him, suspecting he was being deceived. He asked again, "Do you know what he's doing?"

Bill smacked his lips and spoke reluctantly, "That I don't know. Over the years, around Monday, Mr. Laud would always be at the port, but this year is indeed an exception..."

Lynn stared at the halfling for a long time before suddenly saying, "Forget it, since Mr. Laud isn't here, I'll find someone else to help."

The elderly halfling immediately panicked, "Lord Loth, why don't you reconsider? Although Mr. Laud isn't in Harbor Town right now, I can contact Rabour for you. He's Mr. Laud's most capable subordinate and can handle everything for the Ship's Guild..."

"I should have said that this batch of goods is very precious. I need to discuss it with Mr. Laud in person. Inform me when he returns." Lynn ignored Bill's continued shouting behind him and walked out of the shop without looking back.

Outside, dozens of giant sailing ships were docked at the neat pier. Dockworkers in gray clothes were busy moving boxes filled with goods from the decks to the wooden rafts at the edge of the dock. The noise of the crowd and the shouts of the overseers were incessant.

Lynn surveyed the bustling scene of Harbor Town, full of doubts.

In recent days, it was the busiest time for the port. According to Johnny's description, the route to the Wizard Land would also open briefly, providing a once-a-year opportunity to transport goods to the Wizard Land.

If there were any mistakes, decades of accumulation would go up in smoke. At such a critical time, logically speaking, Laud should not have left...

(P.S.: New book, anything is appreciated!)