Lucas and Karihe Secret Intelligence Bureau through the back door and hired a carriage on the road.

  Due to the high cost of steam-powered vehicles and the need for specialized maintenance, animal power remaihe primary means of transportation.

  Many nobles, officials, and merts preferred luxurious carriages over the pu smell of engine oil to showcase their prestigious status.

  The poor dition of the roads made the ride quite bumpy.

  Karina, on her first field mission, appeared very nervous. She sat with her hands on her p, ready to draw her magid at any moment.

  Sitting across from her, Lucas smiled and said, "Rex, I'm really afraid you'll blow up this carriage with yic."

  Karina smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Ior. Every time Captain Bck Mamba goes on a mission, I have to write reports for her. They always seem to enter some viurderers.

  Although some people are i, I know the Seawall District is truly dangerous. I o ensure your safety."

  Lucas didn't expect Karina to be so nervous because she was thinking about proteg him.

  "Oh? You're proteg me… is it because you want to protect me? Or is it because your 'loyalty' pels you to protect me?"

  Karina thought for a moment. "I, I don't know. The device's stimution of my brain makes it hard to tell if it's my own iion or a and from 'loyalty'."

  "No, it be distinguished, as long as you know how. The brain, as the most plex an in the human body, 't be pletely trolled by a single device. I'll teach you a method that bines breathing aation. Onaster it, you'll be able to tell which thoughts are truly yours and which are imposed on you.

  Although this won't free you from the device's trol, it will help you uand your true self."

  "Really?" Karina was excited but then worriedly asked, "Will this cause trouble for you?"

  "If you don't tell, who will know?"

  "Thank you, Ior, I promise I won't say a word."

  Lucas taught Karina the breathing aation teique, and fog on it helped her rex quickly.

  The carriage arrived at their destination and stopped.

  It was a very narrow alley, without an official name, known irade as Illegal Potion Alley.

  In the Golden Shield Empire, potions were state-trolled, and only those approved by the Imperial Alchemist Association could produd sell them.

  But the high prices of official potions had given rise to an illegal potion industry.

  Privately produced potions were not only unreliable in quality but could also have side effects. However, their lower prices gave them a petitive edge.

  Moreover, some illegal potions had effects that official potions didn't.

  The unique enviro of the Seawall District had fostered a rge-scale illegal potion industry.

  Illegal Potion Alley existed in a semi-publiner.

  Lucas and Karina's arrival immediately attracted the attention of those in the alley.

  Seeing their attire, it was clear they were people of status. Especially Karina, whose former noblewoman's demeanor was hard to mimid ceal.

  Some people approached, intending to stop them from entering Illegal Potion Alley.

  Lucas handed a 100-mark imperial o the leader.

  "I'm a potion buyer, here to see Ralph."

  The man took the money, looked at Lucas and Karina, then waved for the others to disperse.

  "Ralph? His family's stimunts killed a nobleman st week. Many merts are afraid to sell their potions now.

  Sir… if you're looking for stimunts, I reend a pce. The Imperial Alchemist Association's formu, guaranteed safe and effective, to satisfy your dy friend.

  Ralph's family, they like adding all sorts of weird things to their potions."

  Karina uood what the stimunt was and blushed, l her head.

  Lucas pulled out another 100-mark imperial note.

  "Ralph is a friend of mine. Please take me to him."

  The man quickly took the money.

  "No problem! Actually, that old man who died was already eighty years old. Ralph's potions are a bit strong, but you'll definitely be as vigorous as a horse. Follow me."

  Lucas and Karina followed the man further into the alley.

  The entire alley was filled with the smell of potions. Some potion ingredients and vessels were carelessly thrown on the muddy ground, with some reag and bubbling with colorful fumes.

  The ck ution and poor sanitation ditions were quite ing!

  The man led Lucas to a workshop's door.

  "This is Ralph's potion workshop. You go in. Just a friendly reminder: with Ralph's potions... it's best to drink only half a bottle."

  "Thank you."

  Lucas and Kariered the workshop, where the pu smell of potions was even stronger.

  The entrance led to a small courtyard.

  A well was ected to a trough, with several female workers scrubbing potion bottles oher side of the trough.

  At the other end of the courtyard was a small door leading underground, guarded by a burly man.

  Lucas didn't stop and tinued walking inside.

  The man blocked the entrao the underground. "Who are you? If you want to do business, wait here."

  Lucas grabbed the man's arm, twisted him to the ground, and stepped over him to go down to the basement.

  Karina carefully jumped over the man and didn't fet to say, "Sorry!"

  The man's scream alerted the people in the underground workshop.

  Seeing Lucas ing down, they grabbed whatever ons they could find and charged at him.

  Lucas kept walking forward.

  "Karina!"

  "Yes, Ior…"

  Karina pulled out the magid hidden in her sleeve. The wand's tip emitted a bright light, and a man approag Lucas was bsted away by the magic beam.

  Then, a series of magic beams shot out, sending everyone charging at them flying.

  Karina quickly caught up with Lucas, lifting her skirt as she moved and using magiove a blog crate to the side of the wall.

  She tinuously apologized to the stunned people, "Sorry... sorry... Ior, wait for me…"

  Lucas kept moving forward, notig that those hit by Karina's magic could still get up.

  If Shelley had been brought along, it would have been a different se entirely.

  They passed through the s room, the milling room, and the dissolving room...

  Karina stayed close to Lucas, holding her magid forward. The light from the wand's tip intimidated most people into staying put.

  Those brave enough to attack were swiftly sent flying by magic.

  Lucas walked almost unimpeded through room after room until four people blocked his way.

  Their appearances differed from the ordinary people they had entered earlier.

  Leading them was a short old man with white hair and beard and a forehead bulging like an old star god.

  The old man angrily demanded, "Who are you?"

  Lucas slowly pulled out his ior badge and pi to his chest. "The new Ior Meteor of the Seawall District Secret Intelligence Bureau."

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