80 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!
Chapter 80: Your Highness, I Have Exceeded the Mission Expectations! (4k) In the moment Moze saw the scene outside the window clearly, it felt like his soul was abruptly drained, leaving him completely devoid of spirit and vitality. Simultaneously, as he heard the second sentence from Lynn, his previously foggy mind suddenly achieved a brief moment of clarity. Yes, the Samuel ritual isn't supposed to be seven days later, so why was I so convinced...? Realizing this, he glanced at the mastermind behind it all in despair. Sensing his gaze, Lynn chuckled, "You're a pig." "Yes, I'm a... no, no I’m not!" Moze once again detected that peculiar sensation and shook his head forcefully. Mind control? Hypnotic suggestion? No, if it were such methods, the seals on me designed to prevent soul attacks would certainly have reacted. This must be some more mysterious and powerful ability! Meanwhile, the believers and citizens below finally seemed to recover from the earlier shock, their angry eyes fixated on Moze, shaking their fists and shouting curses. Strangely, even though they were separated only by a few floors, Moze couldn't hear any of the outside noise. It was as if... everything around him was muted. "What have you done?" He dumbfoundedly asked. In response, Lynn took out a palm-sized magic stone from his pocket, engraved with a glowing arcane matrix. "Sound isolation magic." As he spoke, Lynn tapped a specific node on the magic stone. The next second, as the invisible barrier within the room gradually dissipated, waves of enraged shouts and curses surged in through the window like a tidal wave. Moze's face turned a shade whiter. "And... amplification magic." Lynn tapped another node on the matrix. In the following moment, his voice was suddenly amplified several times over, echoing from the top of the clock tower outward. This little contraption was something he had asked Lady Myrlane to create. Its principle was quite simple, and it included a cloaking mechanism. Without the aid of search-type sealing items, it was virtually undetectable to the naked eye. Seeing Moze's face filled with a sense of absurdity, Lynn sighed, "You’re quite naive. Of course, it wasn't yesterday; it was at the very beginning of it all." "The very beginning?" Moze instinctively clenched his fists. "Yes, from the very start of everything." Lynn walked up and patted him on the shoulder. “Earlier than you think.” "Ever since the night I decided to ally with Duke Til Uss, I began setting things up." "Impossible?" Moze gritted his teeth, refusing to believe a word he was hearing. "Do you think you possess the ability to foresee the future?" In a way, given that I've read the original novel, I kind of do. Lynn mused internally, yet remained outwardly calm. "Let me teach you." "The process of formulating a perfect plan begins with clearly defining your objective." He disabled the amplification magic before placing the matrix back in his pocket. "Do you think that, in order to win the Duke’s friendship, my goal was simply to rob you?” “Isn’t it?” Moze gave a bleak smile. “Completely wrong!” Lynn drawled lazily. “Moze, you misunderstood me. From start to finish, I’ve never cared for those few measly coins in your hands. Making money is really quite simple for me.” "My goal has always been singular." "To thoroughly destroy you and the Heavenly Principles Church you represent." Indeed. He wasn't here for money. Or rather, making money was just a side effect. The primary goal was always to complete the trial set by the End Witch. Upon hearing this, Moze seemed to sink into unprecedented confusion. He couldn't fathom what kind of deep grudge he had with this man to warrant such absolute annihilation. Not even the deepest vendetta would go this far, would it? Was it because of that small offense at the banquet that day to the Third Imperial Princess? A sudden realization struck Moze. Over such a trivial matter?! Moze felt a ridiculous urge to laugh yet couldn’t find it within himself to do so. Feeling like a fool, Moze’s thoughts were thrown into chaos, while Lynn continued, unperturbed, “Once the objective is aligned with that intention, everything becomes clearer.” “To demolish the blind faith citizens hold towards your church, breaking that illusion, they must be incited to feel betrayed, utterly deceived.” “To achieve this, your hidden vile intentions needed exposure, undeniably and publicly.” “Since the banquet ended, every step, including forcing you into negotiation with me, leading to this moment, was already part of the plan.” Lynn’s voice remained calm. To Moze, all this seemed overwhelmingly farcical. The whole idea of the negotiation had been proposed by his side, he even personally selected the location. Was this kid seriously trying to say he anticipated the Samuel Clock Tower as the venue for the negotiation?! That would imply he considers me a fool! Detecting Moze’s glare, laced with both fury and incomprehension, Lynn shook his head. “Honestly, the location of negotiation didn’t matter.” “You’re a cautious person and came here with the intent to kill me. Naturally, you’d choose a location within your domain of control.” “Under these conditions, with the intelligence network provided by the Duke, I’d already identified all your secret properties in Auran City and pre-emptively had people infiltrate and set up the two arcane matrices.” “No matter your chosen site, the result would remain unchanged.” “Perhaps it’s fate's doing, to have this place, where the first head bishop was laid to rest, become your final resting place as the last head bishop. It brings a sort of full circle.” In Lynn’s view, this incident would drastically diminish the Church of Heavenly Principles’ influence over Auran City like never before. They might even choose to entirely abandon this no longer sacred source of faith. “...” Moze was finally at a loss for words, utterly despairing. No, there seemed one last possible path! In his desperate straits, a thought dawned upon him. Moze, on the brink of losing all reason, looked up with bloodshot eyes at the orchestrator. If he could kill the mastermind right here and slaughter all these lowly citizens outside, then surely no one would know what had transpired today! He was a fourth-tier transcendent, boosted by sealing items, fully capable of such a feat with ease! With this in mind, the faint purple glow of God’s Given Factor emanated from within him. A powerful force of gravity subtly distorted the space around, causing the floor to sink and the glass by the window to shatter under the peculiar energy! In a backwater like Auran City, with his fourth-tier power, he could act without opposition. That demon-like woman seemed to be out on a task, yet to return, hence now was undoubtedly when Lynn had the weakest defenses. As long as no fifth-tier legend appeared, he... “I bet you’re thinking that without a fifth-tier protector, you might have a chance, right?” Lynn remarked with a snap of his fingers. “Good news, I actually do.” In the next instant, the person behind him, who was previously restrained and on one knee, suddenly rose and removed the hat from their head. Gazing at this totally unknown face, Moze couldn’t detect any threat from the individual. But then the man spoke, “Why did you snap your fingers, kid? Think I’m your summoned beast or something?” The voice was undeniably familiar to Moze. In a flash, he realized, the man before him was actually someone in disguise. Duke Til Uss himself?! Cold sweat instantly drenched Moze’s back. “I apologize, Duke. But I must trouble you with what follows.” Lynn smiled and took a half step back, positioning the Duke in front of him. Although the old Duke had been overwhelmingly suppressed by that woman, Ivy, at the banquet, it didn’t mean he was weak. On the contrary, the fact that he could withstand a moment's clash with her was already a testament to his formidable strength. Seeing Moze standing there, utterly defeated, Duke Til Uss shook his head, "The outcome is clear. It's best you surrender quietly." "Moze Brandt, due to your desecration of the Church of Heavenly Principles’ faith, as the governor of the Southern Province, I hereby arrest you on charges of heresy. You may–" “Why waste words with this scum, Duke? Besides, we now have every reason to raid his holdings, better get started.” Lynn interjected suddenly. “And as for this guy, just hang him from a lamppost or something." Consider it a welcoming gift for the Second Prince, who has yet to arrive in Auren City. That evening, the explosive news of the downfall of Moze, the current bishop of the Church of Heavenly Principles in Auren City, swept across the town. Simultaneously, an insider message rapidly spread among other churches. Do not cross paths with the rumored Third Imperial Princess, for there’s a mad dog by her side that bites indiscriminately! If you don't believe it, just look at Moze Brandt, who only verbally slighted her and see what became of him! The following midday. Augusta Family, in the heart of the lush green field. "Are you sure Her Highness will return today?" Gazing at the cloudless sky, Lynn asked Duke Til Uss beside him. "Should be. By the way, haven’t you been getting a bit cocky lately? Talking to me without a shred of respect, not even a 'sir'?” Duke Til Uss seemed slightly displeased. However, upon noting Lynn’s current status, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes once more. Lynn was seated atop a gigantic wooden crate filled with gold coins collected from various churches and directly from Moze. The combined wealth from all the churches amounted to around 900,000, with the remaining 1,100,000 contributed by the Church of Heavenly Principles. Before, when all the churches in the city were united, he couldn’t find an angle to make a move and could only sigh at the untouched fortune. But now, Lynn had impeccably provided him the reason and excuse to strike at the Church of Heavenly Principles. After such a scandal, not only would public faith in the church collapse but it would also significantly undermine the empire’s credibility. After all, the officials and nobles weren’t exactly lenient towards the populace in terms of exploitation and oppression. So, last night, after dealing with Moze, he eagerly led a raid on the Church of Heavenly Principles. Of course, he didn’t touch the sealed and sacred relics, only confiscating all the liquid funds and money. Adding up to two million coins, it was an astronomical figure. It was far beyond their initial agreement of 500,000 coins for Duke Til Uss’s military expenses. However, at Lynn’s request, Duke Til Uss didn’t immediately take the money but cooperated with Lynn to set the scene here, waiting for the Imperial Princess's return. "You love having people look at you with shock and admiration?" Duke Til Uss asked, half bemused. Though saying this, even he couldn't help but wake up from his sleep with a smile these past two days. Realizing this wasn’t just a dream brought even greater joy. Upon hearing this, Lynn shrugged, "Well, if a person doesn't show off once in a while, what's the difference between that and being dead?" "By the way, Duke, what exactly did you discuss with Her Highness after that banquet? And where has she been these past two days?" Because the original novel briefly touched upon Auren City’s plot, Lynn was uncertain about its development. At these questions, a moment of seriousness flashed in Duke Til Uss’s eyes, "That's a secret." "Fine, if you don't want to say, don't say… oh? Seems like they're back?" Suddenly, Lynn's attention was captured by a shadow spiraling high in the sky. As the shadow descended, a colossal black dragon with a wingspan exceeding several dozen meters swept in with roaring winds and air currents, plummeting from the sky like a meteor. Lynn looked up. Atop the black dragon stood a regal woman in a red dress. On the dragon’s back behind her were several familiar faces, including Moris, Affia, and Rhine, all appearing rather travel-worn, totaling about a dozen or so individuals. However, Lynn's gaze skimmed over the irrelevant individuals, locking eyes with Ivy’s in midair. Gazing into those cold, red eyes, Lynn didn’t hesitate to leap off the crate. Then, under the watchful eyes of many, he flung the lid open! “Your Highness, I have exceeded the mission’s expectations!”