Chapter 51

“Young Master Lynn, the princess wants to see you.”

It was a typical midday the next day when Lynn’s door was knocked on.

With dark circles under his eyes, he opened the door impatiently to find the elderly housekeeper, Kesha, standing there, looking as expressionless as ever, almost like a robot performing its duties.

“Got it.”

Yawning, Lynn followed her out.

After returning from the Temple of the Gods the night before, he hadn’t slept a wink, endlessly pondering how to resolve the situation he encountered yesterday.

The crux of the problem was that the witch didn’t seem keen on making him a follower of the End.

But if that were the case, why go through the trouble of dragging his consciousness across a hundred thousand years?

Bored? Or was it just a case of a woman saying no meaning yes?

Maybe he should’ve been a bit firmer last time? Lynn’s mood darkened with the chaotic thoughts swirling in his head.

He was feeling quite irritable.

And it wasn’t just because he hadn’t successfully ignited the divine factor; it was mostly due to that woman’s infuriating tone.

The most pressing issue right now was that he needed to become a Transcendent as soon as possible.

And to become a Transcendent, he needed the witch’s recognition—essentially, he had to make a lasting impression on her regarding “Lynn Bartleon.”

There was only one way to achieve this.

Start from the current moment.

According to Lynn’s previous thoughts, he could only create a deviation in the plot now and hope that the ripple effects would be felt a hundred thousand years later.

Of course, he couldn’t just change it by a measly 0.01% like the last time he removed Ivyst’s mask.

No, he had to significantly up the plot deviation in one go.

Only in this way could the ripples of fate reach a hundred thousand years ahead and truly alter that witch of the End.

But what exactly should he do to substantially increase that deviation and leave a deep impression on “Lynn Bartleon”?

Should he just take her out right there, becoming the first and last man in her life? Nah, better not.

The reason he sought help from the witch of the End was to escape Ivyst’s clutches.

If he did that, it would be putting the cart before the horse.

And the key point.

He couldn’t beat her.

Lynn thought darkly.

At that moment, Kesha stopped and led him to the princess’s study door.

After knocking and receiving permission, Lynn stepped inside slowly.

“Your Highness.”

He executed the bow obediently, his face betraying no emotion.

Upon hearing this, Ivyst, who was busy reviewing documents, looked up.

What was supposed to be just a casual glance turned into her realizing he was sporting two thick black circles under his eyes, making her a little curious.

There hadn’t been much for him to do around the estate, so why did he look so worn out? But recalling the scene from the night before, a sense of realization washed over Ivyst.

Then, an odd expression appeared in her eyes.

Even though Ivyst didn’t bother regulating her subordinates’ personal lives, it seemed this situation stemmed from her actions.

She had given him the so-called “relic,” and now here he was, acting all reckless.

At least, that’s how Ivyst saw it.

But was that thing really that attractive to men? It was just a piece of fabric! It only had a hint of her aura; what was the big deal?

Ivyst was thoroughly confused.

So, she cleared her throat, her expression icy as she indicated, “You’re still young; take care of your health.”

Hearing this, Lynn stumbled slightly as he was about to casually close the door.

Damn it.

Why did it always feel like she was using that tone a mother uses when discovering her son’s discarded tissues by the bed? One day, she would shove those tissues right into his mouth! Lynn swore.

“Did Your Highness summon me for something?”

“I sensed you were doing some kind of ritual in your room yesterday?” Ivyst shifted back to the main topic, raising an eyebrow. “I felt a strange spatial fluctuation.”

In response, Lynn, who had already prepared his lines, said, “I was trying out various methods to communicate with the gods to see if there was a chance to become a Transcendent again.”

This excuse was solid. After all, that truly was his motive, not technically a lie.

So Ivyst bought it and casually added, “Don’t engage in such dangerous activities again; be careful not to communicate with something unspeakable.”

Are you unspeakable? Lynn internally scoffed.

“As for becoming a Transcendent again, you should visit Milani later. I’ve asked her to prepare something for you and check you out.”

Ivyst swiftly made her decision on the matter.

Lynn had no opportunity to decline and could only fall silent.

This topic was quickly sidestepped.

“There’s one more thing,” Ivyst spoke decisively. “It seems Duke Tilius has some free time and sent two invitations to the estate. A charity gala will be held tomorrow night, and I want you to come with me.”

“Me?”

Lynn looked a bit surprised.

“Also, the Mosgra Family seems to be sending someone from the Imperial Capital to Orlen City,” Ivyst continued, ignoring his expression. “Clearly, they’re here to help support the Second Prince, whom Tilius backs.”

At the mention of that family name, Lynn’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Mosgra.

That name was etched into his memory.

The woman who had framed him as the ‘shame of the nobility,’ Irina, was the eldest daughter of the Mosgra Family.

After not seeing them for over a year, this family seemed to be growing wild in the Saint Roland Empire, climbing up by devouring the remnants left after the Bartleon family crumbled.

Of course, that didn’t happen without the shadow of that prince lurking behind them.

It was time to meet.

Lynn silently thought to himself.

Noticing he was quiet, Ivyst knew he was processing the information, so she opened up about another matter: “I came to Orlen City mainly for two purposes.”

“First, to deal with the matters related to the Creation School—this has basically been settled, except for one ancient curse object they left behind that hasn’t been found.”

“As for the second purpose, it’s to establish good relations with the Tilius family.”

“You should understand this part.”

“The Royal Selection Ceremony and the Elector,” Lynn responded.

Ivyst nodded slightly, watching his expression intently. “What do you have in mind regarding the second matter?”

“Uh, nothing.” Lynn tried to look pensive but soon answered, slightly dejected.

Hehe.

Ivyst couldn’t help but chuckle inside.

This guy’s acting was blatantly bad.

With that thought, she decided to use hypnosis to see what he really had up his sleeve.

Only under hypnosis would he be more obedient and spill his true thoughts.

But then Ivyst reconsidered; it was still daytime, and if discovered, it wouldn’t bode well, so she refrained from acting on the impulse.

Feigning indifference, she nodded. “Then you should go.”

“But remember to come to my bedroom later tonight if you have time.”

“Understood.”

After Lynn left, Ivyst’s expression returned to its usual icy demeanor.

She stood up, narrowing her eyes while looking out the window.

She hadn’t lied just now.

Although the situation arose from her clash with Princess Shirina, which angered Sixth Saint Roland, she was actually on a mission in Orlen City.

According to intelligence, it seemed the Creation School possessed an ancient curse object of considerable rank and intended to commit heinous acts with it.

Her mission was to retrieve that ancient curse object.

But until now, Ivyst had realized that even if she wiped them out completely, she still hadn’t found any trace of that object.

To be honest, Ivyst had been feeling quite restless these past few days.

The biggest issue wasn’t the Tilius family but that missing ancient curse object.

She had a nagging feeling that things wouldn’t just end this simply.

Ivyst gazed at the bright sunlight outside, silently contemplating.