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

  In the spacious training ground outside, the stant sounds of sharp strikes filled the air. Lynn turned his head and saw his "sister," Jonny, 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 ation in her movements, and tiny beads of sweat slid down her forehead and neck.

  Lynn couldn't help but admire her diligence. sidering the unpleasas from the previous night, he didn't bother with a greeting and walked straight over. He didn't notice that Jonny, who had been diligently training behind him, had stopped and was now watg him with a plex expression.

  Why...

  How could she remain so posed after what had happe night? Jonny's face dispyed a puzzled expression, but when she recalled Pedroel'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 returo the harbor shop he had visited the day before.

  "Wele to Bill's... Oh, it's Lord Lotte!" The elderly halfling greeted him in the usual manner, but as soon as he reized Lynn, he immediately became excited and approached him enthusiastically. "About the shipment you mentioned yesterday, we discuss it again... There's er partner for cooperation in the whole port town than the Ship Gang!"

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

  Bill hurriedly expined, "No, no, I'm sure Mr. Loude is very eager to meet you! Unfortunately, he's not in the port tht now. Even if we use the fastest messenger raven, it would take several days to rey the message!"

  "If Lord Lotte is ed about security issues, the Ship Gang oods of equivalent value as colteral!" Bill, the halfling, patted his chest like a drum.

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

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

  "Of course, it's Labul! 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 theurned, eagerly standing on a small stool to pour fruit wine for Lynn.

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

  "They're worthless yellow ore, dug up by a group of prospectors from a barren hill he 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 Viil had saturated. In other words, they had to stockpile these minerals until year when they could sell them.

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

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

  As they chatted, a tall, muscur man with a few gang members ehe shop.

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

  "Yes, I'm pnning to rent a rge ship to transport some very important cargo." Lynn said, while taking the matter seriously, he took out an exquisite box from his sleeve and pced it oable. "This is a sample. I need a private pce to talk to you."

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

  Halfling Bill secretly specuted whether there might be some extremely rare gemstone ihe box. However, he quickly dismissed the thought when he sidered that Lynn needed a rge ship to transport it.

  Labul, 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 Nodnn had beely traffig an addictive soul-shattering herb. If the Church were to catch wind of it, the small-fry like them would likely be held atable.

  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 discuss it in a private room!" Labul's mind was rag, but his smile grew even warmer.

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

  Labul, acutely aware of the importance of secrecy, left a few gang members to guard the entrand took Lynn aloo a well-hidden underground chamber.

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

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

  "Sihat's the case, I rest easy!" Lynn also smiled, pushing the box he held towards Labul, gesturing for him to exami. "You take a look before we discuss further."

  Labul, a mix of nervousness aement, pced his hand on the box, w what kind of traband it might tain.

  Soul-shattering herb? A Heimstone? Hopefully, it's not some idol of an evil deity. I heard that nobles in the Secas Empire in the west are quite fond of those strahings.

  However, as soon as he opehe box, Labul's expression froze instantly.

  Because the box was pletely empty, there was nothing inside!

  Was he tricked?

  Labul immediately sensed something was amiss and instinctively reached for the dagger hanging from his belt, but it was already too te!

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

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