At the crack of dawn, a group of people appeared in front of Carl's shop at the Herb Market, shouting loudly.
Among them, women and children knelt on the ground, wailing and crying, while the others had faces full of rage.
"You murderer! Demon!"
"Deceitful and despicable Pharmacist, working for you not only yields no pay, but it also costs lives!"
The crowd, eager for a spectacle, quickly gathered.
Before long, the shop was surrounded by onlookers whispering amongst themselves.
News of Carl killing people and withholding payment spread quickly.
"To work for Carl, our Captain Gray died at sea! When his brother went to claim the remaining pay, he was beaten to death!"
Charles, his arm wrapped in white cloth, shouted loudly, "In Freedom Port, everyone knows what it means for a family to lose two men."
"How are the women and children supposed to survive?"
"We are also members of the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce! Should we just let others bully us ?"
His neck veins bulged as he roared toward the shop, "Come out!"
"What's this whole crowd here for?" Just then, a slightly hoarse voice asked, "You're..."
Charles turned, his expression instantly changing. He hastily bowed his head. "Miss Lula!"
"Hmm." Lula, hands clasped behind her back, arrived at the shop entrance, accompanied by Susan, Carl, and others.
"We're all members of the same Chamber of Commerce. Any issues should be resolved privately; there's no need to create such a scene."
She waved her hand. "Have everyone disperse!"
"This..." Charles looked hesitant.
He wanted to refuse, but the person before him was the chairman's daughter, a key figure in the Chamber's operations.
The crowd parted, and a richly dressed middle-aged man stepped out, announcing, "Since you know he's one of our own, you shouldn't have been so harsh from the start."
"If you're this harsh with your own people, never mind others, but it seems Pharmacist Carl's character might be questionable."
"Jasper!" Lula looked at the newcomer, her expression hardening slightly. "I didn't expect you to be here."
Jasper was one of the vice-chairmen of the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce, primarily responsible for all maritime affairs. He was also a Great Knight.
"I was bored and out for a stroll. Seeing the crowd, I came over to see what the commotion was about," Jasper smiled faintly. "Lula, what brings you here?"
"The Chamber urgently needs a batch of Potions; I've come to collect them," Lula explained, then added, "I've also heard about Gray. The mission he undertook was inherently dangerous; his death is no one else's fault."
"Heading out to sea..."
"You should know well that death is all too common."
If you accept a dangerous mission, you must be prepared for disaster. Otherwise, why offer such high compensation?
High risk, high reward. That's the nature of it, and no one else is to blame.
"Indeed," Jasper nodded. "But killing Gal, Gray's younger brother, was going too far. Surely, you can't ignore the Chamber's rules just because Carl is a Pharmacist we value?"
Lula said, "Gal was too greedy."
Jasper retorted, "But not so greedy he deserved to die!"
"There's no need for you two to argue," Carl stepped forward, attempting to mediate. "I admit I was impulsive regarding Gal. How about this..."
"I'll offer two thousand Divine Grace Coins. This will cover Gal's funeral expenses, and the remainder will go to support his family. How does that sound?"
"Good!" Lula clapped lightly. "Then it's settled!"
She then looked at Jasper. "You have no objections, do you?"
Jasper's gaze flickered, lingering on Carl and Lula for a moment before he nodded. "Fine."
As for Charles, who had instigated the disturbance, his opinion was neither sought nor considered; Lula and Jasper simply ignored him.
The group of protestors had arrived quickly and left just as swiftly.
Watching Jasper and his entourage depart, Carl spoke, "Thank you for intervening today, Miss Lula. Otherwise, I fear there would have been significant trouble."
"It was nothing," Lula smiled faintly. "You did the right thing by notifying me in advance. How could I allow others to bully one of my people? As for Gal..."
"Killing him was the right move!"
The previous day, Carl had informed her of the incident, and Lula had agreed to intervene.
Now, with the Chamber in urgent need of Potions, it was only logical to curry favor with Freedom Port's top Pharmacist.
"However, this matter won't be resolved so easily," Lula narrowed her eyes. "Jasper, known as the Crafty Fox, is petty and vindictive. He won't back down this easily."
"His attack on you was intended to undermine me. Since things didn't go his way today, he'll undoubtedly try other schemes."
Two shadowy figures appeared near the small courtyard where Carl resided.
Dressed in dark attire and masking their presence, they moved silently toward the courtyard, heading straight for the only room still illuminated.
As the two drew their Longswords, poised to strike, one suddenly froze, uttering a muffled cry, "Wrong!"
"It's a trap! Retreat!"
"Leave?" A cold laugh echoed from nearby. Susan, clad in practical attire and wielding a scimitar, emerged. "Too late!"
As her voice fell, torches flared to life around them, one after another.
Over a dozen stalwart Protectors from the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce rushed out, completely surrounding the two intruders.
"Just as Miss Lula predicted," Carl said, clapping his hands as he emerged from the doorway. "To think someone would actually come to cause trouble for me tonight! Were you sent by Jasper or Charles?"
"Jasper? Charles?" one of the black-clad men snorted. "Never heard of them!"
With a low command, the two spun around and dashed back the way they had come, their movements swift as lightning, their Longswords flashing, leaving trails of cold light.