Chapter 68

“Chapter 68: Third Hypnosis (4k Long Chapter)”

After leaving Duke Tilius’s mansion, Mozell wiped the cold sweat off his forehead while hurriedly making his way to the carriage with the help of his subordinates.

What a bunch of lunatics!

Even now, he was still immersed in the atmosphere from earlier, struggling to break free from it.

First, he barely escaped with his life from that crazy woman, and then witnessed a member of the Mosgra Family, who had relations with the Church of Heavenly Justice, get threatened with death, only to be taken out on the spot by that lunatic.

Ultimately, it escalated to Duke Tilius personally stepping in, yet he couldn’t do a thing!

The rumored Third Princess was so powerful?!

Could it be…

For a moment, Mozell’s expression kept shifting between dark and light.

Once back in the carriage, he finally felt a bit of relief.

As the wheels began to turn slowly, Mozell’s heart swirled with mixed emotions.

“Bishop, does Duke Tilius need…”

“He has already rejected our goodwill and wants to take all the cake for himself. That’s impossible.” Mozell clenched his teeth, “From now on, we can only fight it out; it’ll be a to-the-death situation.”

“Damn Duke Tilius!!!”

Mozell slammed his fist on the carriage wall.

Upon seeing this, his subordinates went silent, not daring to say a word.

After a long time, Mozell’s mood stabilized slightly.

“Let the Church’s people stay vigilant.” His gaze fixed outside at the illuminated streets, “They’ll likely watch us closely and seize any chance to take a piece out of us.”

“Do not let them find any opportunity.”

“Yes!”

Led by a maid, Lynn walked in the direction Duke Tilius had left.

Moments later, accompanied by the familiar scent of roses, he noticed a figure had appeared beside him.

“Why were you so rash just now?” She didn’t look at Lynn, calmly staring ahead, “I told you long ago, I’ll take revenge for your grievances.”

Lynn shook his head: “It wasn’t recklessness; on the contrary, I was completely rational at that moment.”

With that kind of utterly foolish provocation, trying to get him fired up?

Not a chance.

Upon hearing this, Ivyst slightly frowned: “What’s your reason?”

“Of course, it’s for you.” Lynn glanced at her, only to find that in her high heels, she was actually a bit taller than him, which immediately made him feel a little defeated. “The fact that the Mosgra Family sent someone over has a clear meaning, Your Highness should be well aware.”

“If they get to Duke Tilius first, you’ll have no chance at all.”

“After all, you should be able to guess how generous they’d be to win him over.”

“So the only way out earlier was to kill Dalian on the spot and win the friendship and respect of Duke Tilius before the Second Prince sends someone again.”

“At that point, with the duke and Your Highness joining forces, even the Mosgra Family wouldn’t bother entangling themselves too much for just an heir.

As for the killer Lynn, he believed Ivyst wouldn’t give up on him.

But under pressure, he could easily stage a feigned death scenario for the world.

After that, Lynn could retreat behind the scenes entirely.

This offered more convenience for his escape plan, killing two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, Ivyst didn’t know his current thoughts.

Seeing her like this, Lynn thought she still had concerns, so he comforted her: “Your Highness, there’s no need to worry. I considered all the consequences before doing this.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Ivyst seemed to want to say more, but her profile was obscured by the mask, making her emotions hard to read, “… Forget it, we’ll talk later.”

Strange woman.

Although Lynn was puzzled, he didn’t press anymore.

“You two have arrived.”

After bringing the two to the door of Duke Tilius’s study, the servant left.

Ivyst pushed the door open and entered.

At that moment, the well-dressed duke had somehow taken off his military uniform jacket and was puffing on a pipe, clouds of smoke swirling around him.

Upon seeing the two enter, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

However, he remained calm on the surface.

The atmosphere fell into silence.

After a while, he finally spoke up lightly: “Did you think you could pull me onto your pirate ship with this kind of tactic?”

“Of course not.” Lynn shook his head, “In fact, if Duke wanted to completely disassociate himself from us, it would be quite simple considering so many eyes witnessed everything that happened tonight.”

Duke Tilius looked puzzled: “Then why did you take such a risk?”

“I wanted to get an opportunity for Your Highness.”

“An opportunity?” Duke Tilius chewed on the phrase, then laughed, “But I feel like Your Highness doesn’t seem to want this opportunity?”

Looking at Ivyst’s cold glare, Duke Tilius shook his head.

“If what happened tonight were an evaluation, do you think Your Highness knows what score you’d receive?”

“Full marks.”

Ivyst answered without hesitation.

“Zero points!” Duke Tilius suddenly slammed the table, “I have never seen anyone campaigning for the throne act so absurdly like you!”

“To me, you don’t even want to become emperor, nor do you have that capability!”

“Did you want to kill everyone here who looked down on you? Huh?”

“Let me tell you, if you dare to kill someone at the dinner party tonight, tomorrow you will push the empire’s citizens into an abyss of doom!”

“Such foolish acts, not just me, I doubt anyone clever in this world would choose to support or assist you!”

Duke Tilius rambled on as if angry over her incompetence.

Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he glanced at Lynn, who was acting like a quail at the side, and smirked: “Of course, except for you.”

“Uh, thanks for the compliment?”

Lynn didn’t know how to respond, so he could only answer awkwardly.

In his view, the fact that Duke Tilius was blowing off steam was actually a good thing.

If he were truly all business-like, it would be harder to deal with.

But it seemed his relationship with Ivyst wasn’t as unfamiliar as he had imagined?

Noticing his confused gaze, Duke Tilius took a puff of his smoke: “I grew up with Your Highness’s mother.”

Oh crap.

This revelation was crisp, sweet, and juicy.

Lynn’s face struggled to maintain composure as he shifted the topic awkwardly: “By the way, Duke, I noticed you seemed to use the Church of Heavenly Justice’s Gravity Manipulation Ability earlier?”

“Yes.” Duke Tilius didn’t hide it, “I’m a non-believer, but over a decade ago, I was among the first to undergo the divine factor transplant surgery and didn’t show severe rejection symptoms.”

As he spoke, he clenched his fist.

A non-believer?

Lynn couldn’t help but recall this setting from the original work and suddenly realized something.

Speaking of which, the princess, strictly speaking, was also a non-believer, not worshipping any deity.

But her source of power was different from others, far more bizarre and secret.

Even the original work didn’t elaborate much, only that it was related to some ancient and terrifying existence from the chaotic era.

After all, she wasn’t the main character; the description was minimal.

It seemed the secrets had to be uncovered by him personally, Lynn thought silently.

Looking at the silent pair, Duke Tilius suddenly spoke: “Alright, let’s get back on track.”

“I know why you both caused such a commotion tonight.”

“But let’s make it clear, my relationship with your mother is irrelevant.” He said coolly, “To be honest, I don’t see you as viable candidates. For the sake of the Tilius family, I won’t board a sinking ship.”

“Compared to you, the Second Prince is the most likely to ascend the throne.”

At this, Ivyst’s facial expression, which had just eased a little, turned icy again.

But due to the other’s status, she kept her temper in check.

“Unless… you can offer something that can move me.” Duke Tilius switched his tone, “We’re both adults; we should understand that only benefits matter.”

“So, tell me, what can you offer me compared to the Mosgra Family and the Second Prince?”

His gaze rested on Lynn.

!

Even Ivyst lifted her gaze, looking at him with a strange expression.

Why is everyone looking at me, what the hell? Lynn thought but answered honestly, “We can help you make money while standing.”

This statement left Duke Tilius in silence.

“Make money while standing?”

He repeated the phrase.

“You mean to say, I’m now begging on my knees?” Duke Tilius found it somewhat absurd. “Kid, explain clearly; otherwise, I’ll make you regret it.”

Hearing this, Lynn chuckled: “Whether you’re begging or not, you should know in your heart.”

“Taxes are the foundation of a nation’s operation and the primary source of finances, while the local parasites in Orlen City are effectively severing the empire’s economic lifeblood… perhaps that’s a bit exaggerated, but it’s essentially true.”

Duke Tilius instinctively took up his pipe and continued to puff away.

Lynn continued, “You came for tax collection, which should be smooth sailing, but what’s the reality? You’re obstructed at every turn by the local nobles and the Church.”

“What should be a given is now you facing them as if you’re the one creating trouble while having to host a charity event to test the waters.”

“If the major nobles and some high-ranking church officials weren’t behind this, they couldn’t pull this off.”

“Yet you have no leverage over them, and they only want to share the cake with you when it’s convenient.”

“So, isn’t that begging on your knees?”

Duke Tilius’s expression turned serious, instinctively ready to retort: “How could I not…”

“If you could do it, you would have already wiped them out with your army.” Lynn interrupted, “It’s not that you’re weak; it’s that the united strength of the forces behind them is too powerful.”

This made Duke Tilius fall into complete silence.

Even he had to admit that this kid did have some points.

Since coming to Orlen City, he had been experiencing constant pressures.

Moreover, in nearby bordering cities, his people were similarly facing extreme obstacles.

Could it be he really had to kneel and beg?

No, that was impossible.

Duke Tilius instinctively rejected that thought.

In the matter of tax collection, he represented Sixth Saint Roland.

If he chose to back down, it would signify that imperial power was weaker than the nobility.

This is why, even after these events tonight, Duke Tilius didn’t get furious to the point of losing his cool; instead, he brought Lynn and Ivyst to his study to continue talking.

If he really accepted the Mosgra Family’s terms and colluded with the Church, that pent-up anger in his heart wouldn’t settle, and he couldn’t explain it to His Majesty.

All of a sudden, Duke Tilius’s expression fluctuated between light and dark.

“I can set up a military order.” Seeing the atmosphere was ripe, Lynn seized the moment and dropped the next bombshell, “Ten days, within ten days, I’ll ensure you can both stand and earn a fortune.”

“If I can’t do it, military law will deal with me!”

Looking at him being so attentive, a flicker of doubt crossed Ivyst’s eyes.

She didn’t know that this was actually a command given to Lynn by the future Sorceress of the End to weaken the faith of the Church of Heavenly Justice.

However, seeing him busy with matters concerning her, it was hard not to feel a little fondness.

Ivyst thought silently.

“You said it yourself.”

After a long silence, Duke Tilius suddenly snorted coldly.

“Of course, I’ve always kept my word.”

Seeing that expression, Lynn’s racing heart finally calmed.

The first step had been achieved.

Next was the second step.

While contemplating the plan that had already taken shape in his mind, Lynn fell into deep thought.

“Alright, since we’ve reached an initial agreement, you can leave now.” Duke Tilius suddenly waved his hand, sounding somewhat impatient, “I have more to discuss with Your Highness.”

Wait, dude, are you offloading me now?!

Snapping back to reality, Lynn was taken aback.

But noticing Ivyst’s eyes signaling him, he didn’t say more, just shot Duke Tilius a dissatisfied look before leaving the study.

The room fell silent again.

Once Lynn was gone, the duke’s expression vanished completely, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.

With the personal matters done, it was now time for business.

“Regarding the sealed item His Majesty mentioned earlier, my men seem to have found the location where the Creation School has hidden it.”

“However, the current state of that item is a bit strange.”

Upon hearing this, Ivyst’s pupils shrank.

After several days, she heard about that sealed item again.

And this was the real reason she had come to Orlen City.

Back in the carriage, Lynn stared blankly out the window.

Though a bit curious about what Duke Tilius wanted to say to the princess, they clearly didn’t want him to know.

Minutes later, as the carriage door swung open, the familiar scent of roses immediately wafted into his nose.

After a brief exchange, Ivyst returned to the compartment with a heavy expression.

Seeing that her mood seemed a bit down, Lynn didn’t want to touch a sore spot and sat quietly beside her.

But sometimes, the more you try to avoid something, the more it comes to you.

“Look up.”

Suddenly, Ivyst’s cold, pleasant voice rang in Lynn’s ears.

He instinctively complied.

Then, he saw her palm glowing with green light, aiming the Eye of the Mind’s mark at him.

Oh no.

This had already added up to seven thousand characters, and there’s still a concluding remark coming later. I hope everyone takes a look at it; it’s a good opportunity to share my thoughts with you all.