Chapter 84: Blood-Red Thorns

Chapter 84: Blood-Red Thorns

"This is it, Lynn!"

Loude led Lynn to a somewhat dilapidated mansion in the southern district.

The house had clearly been abandoned for a long time, with ivy creeping up its outer walls, and the courtyard overrun with weeds. A few dead trees stood alone, rustling in the wind.

Inside, however, it was bustling with activity. About a hundred people crowded into the small front hall. Lynn immediately recognized these individuals as the sailors who had accompanied Loude on their journey across the sea. However, after over two weeks apart, they looked even worse for wear than when they had endured the rough seas.

Many had disheveled clothes, pallid complexions, and visible bandages, and a few severely injured sailors lay unconscious on stretchers.

"It's Lord Lynn!"

As soon as they spotted Lynn, the sailors rushed towards him in excitement, but Loude quickly intervened.

"Calm down, all of you. I have some matters to discuss with Lord Lynn." Loude managed to redirect their enthusiasm, and then turned to Lynn.

"Please follow me."

They entered a reception room. Despite its outward appearance of decay, the interior had been meticulously cleaned. The tables and chairs were spotless.

"Can you now tell me what you've learned?" Lynn asked as he took a seat.

"Earlier today, one of my sailors stumbled upon a peculiar wizard's apprentice near the residence of Doctor Radak," Loude began in detail. "I believe he is the one responsible for attacking the halfling named Ralph."N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.

The apprentice wore a black robe, appeared to be in his mid-thirties, and stood at approximately 1.7 meters tall. His gait was unsteady, suggesting a leg injury, and there were signs of acid corrosion on the hem of his robe.

However, after seeing the so-called "failed products," Lynn didn't naively believe this was a normal method. Otherwise, it would have become mainstream long ago.

The Magic Council had always advocated using the Source of Magic for advancement, at least without any side effects. Many apprentices who had consumed magical elixirs were still healthy and active, proving this point.

"So, do you know why they want my airship?" Lynn tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair.

A contraption as large as his airship couldn't be kept hidden forever. Sooner or later, he would find out about it, and he had already started preparing to apply for a patent from the Alchemical Guild. Even if they managed to obtain the airship blueprint, it would be useless.

Unless they had never intended to use it openly...

Not long after their test flight yesterday afternoon, word had already spread about their desire to examine the blueprint. These people seemed to be in a desperate hurry for an airship for some reason.

"I don't know that either; only someone inside the Blood-Red Thorns might have that information," Loude replied with a helpless shake of his head.

Lynn's last question remained, "So, why did you come here to tell me all this? What do you want in return?"

Loude's face shifted through numerous expressions, countless words almost left his lips, but he eventually sighed and answered with a bitter smile, "In truth, we only want a way to survive."

"I recall you had about three hundred people with you when we crossed the sea," Lynn asked curiously. He remembered that all these sailors were strong young men, but after just half a month, they had turned into what looked like a group of refugees.

It was surprising that they had fallen so far.

"You might not understand, but the land of wizards is different from the outside world," Loude sighed. "What we have in abundance here is people, or I should say, those of us who can't do magic – the impoverished masses..."

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