Lynn quickened his pace and came up beside Carter.
"You're finally back, Lynn…" Carter let out a breath of relief.
"Mrs. Carter, I wasn't out today, and I didn't run into those two thugs. You understand what I'm saying?" Lynn looked her straight in the eye and spoke in a low, steady voice.
Carter was momentarily startled, then gave a firm nod. "This old woman knows nothing."
Lynn gave a faint nod in return, then looked toward the boys not far away.
The three youths were talking about something, with Leona still seeming to argue with Ant.
Lynn was just about to walk over and ask where they'd been these past few days.
When Giggs spotted him, he quickly strode forward.
"Looks like you're fine, Lynn." Giggs gave him a close once-over, clearly relieved.
"What's going on, Giggs?" Lynn asked, a little puzzled.
"Something happened, something serious."
Giggs met his eyes and said slowly, "Someone in Emeraldwood City is targeting us, those of us who were eliminated as apprentice candidates."
"That's right, Lynn. Lucky for you, you haven't run into them yet," Leona chimed in, his tone tinged with sympathy. "Peterson, Mark, Angel, and Rosa had a large sum of money stolen by two ruthless men.
"We only heard about it this afternoon.
"At first, we planned to come back tomorrow morning, but Giggs said we had to return right away to tell you. I agreed, so we rushed back."
The concern in their eyes didn't seem faked, and a faint warmth rose in Lynn's chest.
"Good thing you're all right…"
Leona patted Lynn's shoulder, then suddenly froze when he noticed the longsword at Lynn's waist.
"Where did you get that sword?"
"…Bought it at the market," Lynn replied. Kiddie's longsword had an ordinary design, nothing that would raise suspicion.
After a pause, Lynn added, "Actually, I think I've already run into those two thugs you're talking about."
The sudden statement left the three youths momentarily stunned.
Lynn then gave them a brief account of his encounter with Bartoli and Kiddie a few days earlier.
Plenty of people already knew about it; keeping it secret would only seem suspicious. There was no reason to hide it.
"You stabbed that guy?" Leona asked in shock after hearing the story.
"Yeah, but that's not the point. What I want to say is, they're not as strong as you think." Lynn nodded, then suddenly asked,
"Have you had any contact with Dor lately?"
"Dor? You mean that senior who tricked us?
"I haven't seen him since that day, and neither has Leona, I'm sure." Giggs shook his head, eyeing Lynn with a curious expression, unsure what to say.
From the rumors they'd heard, those two men were supposed to be ruthless, blood-soaked, and terrifyingly strong.
Yet… Lynn had driven them off all by himself?
"I see…" Lynn nodded slowly.
When interrogating Bartoli and Kiddie, he'd noticed that Ellison kept pressing them on how they'd found out about the apprentice candidates in the first place.
It was obvious Ellison suspected the two thugs had been sent, or more precisely, used by someone.
And when Lynn realized that, the first person to come to mind was that mild-looking young man, Dor.
He had no proof, but the young man's intentions toward the eliminated apprentice candidates were hostile.
That alone was reason enough for Lynn to stay on guard.
"Aren't you afraid they'll kill you? I mean… that's way too dangerous," Leona asked, still reeling from what Lynn had said earlier.
"Don't be stupid, Leona! What, you want to beg them for mercy and let them walk off with everything you own?" Giggs scolded with a laugh.
At that moment, Lynn suddenly thought of something and began to speak
"By the way, have you"
"Lynn's right," Giggs cut him off, giving him a glance tinged with admiration before turning to the two boys beside him.
"Ant, Leona, we need to be like Lynn and dare to fight back. Don't be as cowardly as Peterson and the others."
"After all," Giggs' lips curled into a grin, drawing out the last words, "before long, those two thugs will have to cross the street to avoid us!"
Lynn raised an eyebrow, sensing something in his tone, and looked at the boy in front of him.
"That's right, Lynn," Giggs grinned widely. "We've gathered enough magic stones for an extraordinary transformation!
"Now we just have to wait until that gentleman has time, and we can begin the modification!"
"Is that so…" With his suspicions confirmed, Lynn smiled along with Giggs and offered a genuine congratulations. "Then, congratulations to you all."
"When the time comes… cough… cough, cough…"
Giggs had been about to say more, but was suddenly wracked with a violent coughing fit, doubling over and making harsh, painful wheezing sounds.
"What's wrong, Giggs?!"
Lynn quickly reached out to steady him, only to notice that Giggs' lips had taken on an odd bluish-black tint, and his face was as pale as snow.
It was already evening, the dim light making it hard to see, so Lynn hadn't noticed until he got closer.
A sudden thought struck him, and he turned his gaze toward Leona and Ant beside them.
Sure enough, the other two boys were showing the same signs.
Just like Giggs, though they were in the prime of youth, they looked frail, like thin sheets of paper ready to be blown away by the wind.
"It's nothing… just some side effects from a trial potion.
"Might cause a bit of coughing, a poor appetite, but at least we've earned enough magic stones."
Giggs straightened up with some effort, wiping the saliva from the corner of his mouth, his tone dismissive.
"These past few days… you've all been testing potions?" Lynn asked, still supporting Giggs, shock flickering in his eyes.
"Yeah. We took on a commission to test a prototype magic potion. That gentleman needed people with knowledge of the body and alchemy to give feedback.
"These days we've been living in a little house near the Black Ring Assembly," Giggs replied.
Lynn let go, falling silent. Though Giggs spoke as if it were nothing, from their current state, it was clear the potion trials had taken a heavy toll on their bodies.
Certainly not as harmless as Giggs made it sound.
Looking at the three boys before him, Lynn sighed inwardly and said softly,
"If there's ever anything I can help with, just tell me."
Kindred pity… these three boys were all unfortunate souls.
He might not have known them for nine years, like the body's original owner might not have grown up with them as childhood friends.
But in this lonely, foreign world, they were among the few familiar faces he had.
"No need, Lynn. We don't have anything we need your help with for now." Giggs's mood was good, and he teased with a smile,
"But if you ever find yourself in trouble, you'd better come to us.
"When that happens, never mind anything else, just on the strength of our nine years of friendship, lending you a few magic stones would be no problem!"
Just then, Ant, who had been silent until now, asked with a hint of curiosity,
"Lynn, aren't you worried about the debt you owe the academy?
"We've never seen you at the Black Ring Assembly.
"And you haven't joined in on the extraordinary transformation with us…"
As his words trailed off, Giggs and Leona both froze, turning to look at Lynn.