Chapter 178 The Scapegoat Xia - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Trouble from the Imperial Council? After Tia left, Lynn pondered the information she had given him, tapping the table gently with his index finger. It seemed that by tomorrow morning, a certain noble council member would personally come to question him. By then, representatives from the three major churches, the military, and several interested imperial princes and princesses would probably be present to witness. Perhaps out of genuine fear of Evester's growing power, the Imperial Council had decided to gradually weaken her position through a slow, incremental approach. In other words, they were pressing her to make decisions. Yet, every path laid out for her seemed destined to fail. At this moment, with Lynn trapped, Princess Evester must be feeling somewhat out of her depth. He just hoped she wouldn't take any drastic actions. Because, up until now, everything was still within Lynn's control. As for the little incident earlier, it was merely a spur-of-the-moment amusement for him. Cracked the case in three days? Leaning back in his chair, Lynn contemplated the notion. Ordinarily, even a simple case would take weeks from receiving it to solving it. Let alone the case of the "Graft-Taker." Following standard procedure with only a three-day deadline, even Lynn would find it difficult. After all, this was an open-ended serial murder case that had dragged on for a year and a half. Aside from the incompetence of the secret organizations in the capital, there might be other possibilities. With the state machinery's efficiency and execution, if it genuinely wanted to accomplish something, seldom would there be hindrances. Unless some parts of the machine were damaged. Lynn suspected that certain council member families within the Imperial Council were already aware of the insider details regarding the Graft-Taker, Burshuman, and perhaps even colluding with the demonic race, actively concealing his tracks. This wasn't unusual. Thus, hoping to catch the Graft-Taker within three days was nothing short of a fantasy. Everyone thought so. Those fools merely cloaked their actions in a facade of righteousness to give Evester seemingly reasonable trouble. The princess had never had an easy time in the capital. Even after he demonstrated his authority in the deliberation hall that day, the situation hadn't improved. So, Lynn sat alone in the interrogation room for several hours, lost in thought. Unexpectedly, no interrogation personnel from the Church of Divine Law came over during this period. It seemed Conner, the old fox, was shrewder than he thought. After what felt like a very long time, based on Lynn's estimation, it was nearing evening when finally someone broke the silence of the interrogation room. The door opened, revealing the aged enforcer responsible for leading him, staring at him with a sharp gaze. "Time to return to the cell," he said in a hoarse voice. Though appearing frail, Lynn was certain the old man possessed strength rivaling a fourth-tier transcendent, if not greater. After all, there were hardly any guards in this entire prison. Aside from the overwhelming strength of this old man, Lynn couldn't imagine any other reason. And as he couldn't use his transcendent abilities at the moment, even if he could, his second-tier self was no match for a fourth-tier, especially not this unpredictable old man. So, without resistance, he stood up obediently, following behind him. The enforcer's prison was like a sprawling underground labyrinth, far larger than the Augusta Manor's one. It was hard to imagine how it was constructed. "Which council member is coming tomorrow?" Lynn asked casually, shackled and following the aged enforcer out of sheer boredom. The Imperial Council comprised twelve seats, not through elections but occupied by twelve ancient and powerful families. Even the Mosgra family wasn't qualified to be among them, for they lacked heritage, being viewed as nouveau riche with unstable foundations by these families. Only by knowing which family they came from could he glimpse the opposing force behind the scenes. Seeing his nonchalance, the old man chuckled darkly, "Aren't you confident? Thinking you have the third princess as your backing?" The old man's sinister laughter was discomforting. Lynn shrugged. "Just making conversation." Hearing this, the old man laughed even more joyously, "Black Cortes." An unfamiliar name. "This person..." Lynn was about to ask more when the old man suddenly stopped. Under his watchful gaze, the old man slowly opened the cell door. "We're here. In you go." Gazing at the scene inside the cell, Lynn frowned. "A public cell? Isn't this for regular offenders? Why aren't special, undisputed ones like me in a single cell?" "Get in." The aged enforcer maintained a smile that was almost physiologically unsettling but didn't answer Lynn's question. Seeing this, Lynn's face turned impassive, "I want to see the princess." "I said, get in." The aged enforcer's sinister smile remained, but a hint of killing intent surfaced on his figure, as if compelling him. Seeing this, Lynn's expression turned frosty, "Who instructed you?" "In. You. Go." The aged enforcer's smile finally vanished, replaced by a cold, terrifying demeanor. Simultaneously, a sensation resembling a knife at his throat overwhelmed Lynn, causing his body to tremble slightly, his face turning pale as anger flashed in his eyes. "I'll remember you," he muttered before turning and stepping toward the public cell. As his silhouette melded with the darkness of the cell, a sinister voice from behind whispered, "Welcome to... Glostein." "Bang!" With a heavy thud, the door shut tightly. "…" In the next second, the anger and helplessness that lingered on Lynn's face evaporated, replaced by a calm demeanor. As if all his reactions before the aged enforcer had been an act. Ridiculous. Someone who could remain composed before demons, how could he be scared by such a pretender? He only feared that being too calm might arouse suspicion, preventing them from placing him in this public cell. At the moment, a spacious and filthy cell held over thirty ragged prisoners whose eyes were fixed on him with interest. "A newbie?" One burly man slowly stood up, a dangerous glint in his eyes. But upon seeing that the newcomer appeared to be a frail youth with no will to resist, he couldn't help but laugh. The surrounding thirty-odd fierce prisoners all burst into laughter. They had anticipated confronting an extremely dangerous individual due to the commotion and promise of reduced sentences. Who would have thought it was a mere boy who seemingly couldn't even harm a chicken? Typically, such individuals were merely toys for their idle pleasures. For a moment, the atmosphere relaxed. Not only them, but Lynn also laughed. Talk about having someone deliver a pillow when you're sleepy. After having just splattered dirty water on Xiya, someone was already rushing to provide evidence. He absolutely adored those fools hidden behind the scenes. However, for Tia to find no flaws and to maximize the storyline deviation, these men must be silenced permanently. With this thought, Lynn clenched his fists.