Chapter 11: The Land of Wizards

Chapter 11: The Land of Wizards

The sudden question left Lynn momentarily puzzled.

As a few figures approached, Lynn immediately recognized the leader, the person he had been searching for – Jonny.

The young woman, cloaked in black robes, appeared to be around twenty years old. She had unique silver-gray hair and bright, gem-blue eyes.

Jonny had grown thinner since their last meeting, a result of constant evading and hiding. A sickly paleness now marred her complexion.

"I don't understand what you mean, Jonny!" Lynn's tone was unwavering, his memories confirming that Karl had not betrayed them in any way.

At most, Karl might have harbored some thoughts, but that shouldn't have necessitated hiding in the slums, fearing for his life.

"Where did you get that sword?" the gray-haired witch continued her questioning, her eyes fixed on the longsword Lynn held.

Lynn then noticed that Jonny had been staring at the hunter's longsword in his hand. He realized where the problem lay.

"This is a weapon commonly used by witch hunters!" a burly wizard apprentice named Buck exclaimed, his emotions running high.

"Of course, it's my trophy. Is there a problem, Buck?" Lynn replied calmly, though he was breaking into a cold sweat.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

He had unwittingly been carrying around what was essentially a ticking time bomb for days. But it was understandable; he had left his personal short sword back at the slum's hideout, and it wasn't wise to just throw away a readily available weapon.

More importantly, Karl's memories contained no information about "witch hunters carrying standard weapons." Considering that Lynn had encountered no trouble in recent days, it seemed that very few people knew about this detail. However, it evidently didn't escape the old Hawk from the "Drunken Ghost" tavern.

No wonder they had hesitated and offered excuses when he tried to buy Galroth wine. The information about him possessing a witch hunter's longsword was probably passed on by old Hawk to Jonny's group.

"Your trophy? Are you saying you killed a witch hunter and took his sword?" Buck sneered. "Karl, if I remember correctly, you couldn't even master the most basic elemental spell, Frostblade. You'd be better off with a more plausible excuse."

As lackeys of the Church, witch hunters were the cream of the crop, highly skilled and usually operating in small teams. Even seasoned wizards found them formidable opponents.

For Lynn and the other apprentices, simply surviving an encounter with a witch hunter was considered a stroke of luck.

"Sometimes strength isn't everything, Buck," Lynn shook his head. "Besides, the last time we met was four months ago, right?"

As he spoke, Lynn extended his hand, manipulating the hydrogen and oxygen in the air to swiftly create a diamond-shaped ice blade, a bizarre yet strangely beautiful form.

The other wizard apprentices present were taken aback, not by the unfamiliar shape of the ice blade, but by the incredible speed at which Lynn had cast the spell. In their world, before becoming full-fledged wizards and gaining access to memory slots, rapidly performing complex spells presented a significant challenge.

"So, what's our plan from here?"

Lynn was starting to regret seeking out these apprentice wizards. He had hoped that, even though they were pursued by the Church, they would have a stable internal organization. He believed that even if he couldn't find another full-fledged wizard to join him, they would still be a valuable asset. However, it didn't seem so now.

If Jonny didn't have a reliable plan to evade the Church's pursuit, he would look for an opportunity to leave the group. Solo action was much safer than sticking with a group of rookies.

Buck and Will also looked at Jonny, and even Dove paused her feeding of the crows in the corner.

During the time they had been pursued by the Church, they had asked the same question multiple times, but Jonny had always evaded giving a clear answer, insisting they wait until everyone was present.

Jonny didn't hide this time and answered promptly, "We will take a boat to cross the Misty Sea and head to the Wizard's Land - Greenrill!"

"Does Wizard's Land actually exist?" Will, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked. "I've heard that beyond the Misty Sea is a dead land, and those who set sail never return."

"Yes, I've been there with my mentor. It's a land exclusively for wizards, with no presence of the Church or witch hunters. Everyone can freely study magic there!" Jonny stated firmly.

"That sounds as wonderful as the Holy Land of Aila," Barton muttered softly. He couldn't imagine a world where wizards weren't hunted and could practice magic freely. It was like a dream.

"Just so you know, Aila doesn't like wizards..." Dove, who had been squatting in the corner, spoke softly, interrupting Barton's fantasies.

"So, how do we get there?" Will asked eagerly.

Jonny hesitated for a moment but then replied honestly, "The town of Uhl is close to the Nordland territory's port. We can take a boat from there. I believe... Lame Loude will help us."

"Loude?"

Lynn was somewhat surprised. The owner of the "Drunken Goblin" tavern, Old Hock, had also mentioned this name. Rumors had it that Loude had been a pirate in his youth, earning quite a reputation, until he lost a leg in an attempt to raid a merchant ship. He had narrowly escaped death by pretending to be dead. However, this event turned his fortunes, and Loude had surprisingly become a legitimate businessman. He now controlled the liquor trade in Uhl and the port, making him the biggest kingpin west of the Nordland territory.

Lynn immediately realized that the so-called liquor trade was just a cover. Loude's true business was likely to maintain contact between the Wizard's Land and the outside world.

"Anyway, we have to act quickly. The road to the Wizard's Land will only be open for five days this year, as indicated by the stars," Jonny said as she outlined the plan. Lynn and the others listened carefully, committed the plan to memory, and, when finished, Jonny created a fireball to destroy the drawing she'd made on the ground.

"Let's end it here for tonight," Jonny said, looking at everyone as the fire flickered. Finally, she added, "Dove, you're in charge of the night watch. Tomorrow, Karl will carry you on our journey."

"Why me?" Lynn couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that he was singled out. Were they targeting the newcomer?

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