Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Just as Lynn was standing by the roadside lost in thought, a sudden sound of violent braking came to his ears!

He instinctively turned his head to look and saw a luxurious four-wheeled carriage stop at the roadside.

Hanging on the carriage was a flag embroidered with a noble and majestic griffin pattern in gold thread.

That was the family crest of the Tyrus Family.

Lynn slowly widened his eyes.

As the carriage door was opened by a servant, a burly middle-aged man slowly stepped down from the carriage.

He placed his hands behind his back, his graying hair meticulously combed back, exuding the aura of someone in a high position.

At this moment, the middle-aged man’s expression was somewhat heavy, as if he was pondering some troublesome matters, so he wanted to take a walk nearby to relax.

Because Lynn’s current appearance looked a bit down-and-out, like a roadside beggar, the middle-aged man didn’t notice his presence at first.

Until he came back to his senses, the middle-aged man vaguely felt someone was observing him.

He instinctively turned his head to look.

The two people’s gazes met.

Their eyes met, and upon seeing each other’s appearance, both the middle-aged man and the little beggar froze in place simultaneously.

Then, as if they had seen a ghost, they exclaimed in unison.

「Wh-What the…?!」

Wait, why am I exclaiming?

Lynn subconsciously complained in his heart.

In the next second, he suddenly felt a blur before his eyes, and then saw Duke Tyrus, who possessed Fifth Rank Legend strength, appear before him as if he had teleported.

Those sturdy arms were like iron pincers, tightly grabbing his shoulders, making him feel like his body was about to come apart.

「Y-You’re Lynn?!」

Obviously, Duke Tyrus didn’t expect that things would unfold so dramatically in front of him.

Looking at the dusty Lynn, even wearing ill-fitting clothes, he began touching him up and down like a pervert, as if checking whether this kid had lost an arm or a leg.

At the same time, in those tiger-like eyes, there was a hint of excitement.

He really didn’t expect that.

Originally, he just came here on a whim, wanting to take a walk in the place where this kid used to live to relax.

As a result, he coincidentally saw his figure by the roadside!

Was this… was this a divine manifestation?!

If he wasn’t particularly familiar with Lynn’s appearance and temperament, Duke Tyrus would have suspected if this was someone impersonating him.

「Of course I’m Lynn.」

Feeling his touch that was akin to that of a homosexual, Lynn got goosebumps all over and pushed him away.

「You’re not dead?!」

Duke Tyrus obviously hadn’t recovered from the joy of regaining what was lost, standing there dumbfounded, muttering incessantly.

「That’s right, I’m not dead.」Lynn looked at him vigilantly.「By the way, Mr. Duke, you aren’t planning on a scene where two grown men hug and cry next, are you? That would be really disgusting.」

Hearing these words, Duke Tyrus, whose eyes were just a little moist, instantly had a darkened face.

Alright.

Now it’s confirmed, it’s that kid himself.

Although he was choked a bit, he still looked at Lynn with an expression as if observing a rare animal.

「Something’s not right, why aren’t you dead?」

He muttered to himself while pacing back and forth, his gaze never leaving Lynn.

Although he didn’t wish for Lynn to die, many people, including himself, had already accepted reality.

That was the simultaneous parasitism of two great demons; even as a Fifth Rank Legend, he didn’t think he could survive.

How did this kid manage it?

After the excitement, countless doubts surfaced in Duke Tyrus’s mind.

At this moment, due to the commotion they caused, people around were starting to cast curious glances.

Seeing this, Duke Tyrus grabbed Lynn’s wrist and quickly headed towards the carriage.

「Let’s get in the carriage first; we’ll have a good chat, just the two of us!」

「By the way, if Her Highness knows you’re still alive, she’ll be overjoyed!」

Inside the carriage, wearing a clean military uniform, Lynn leaned against the wall, his gaze drifting out the window.

At this moment, the carriage was speeding along the street, heading swiftly towards Tyrus Manor.

At a glance, after having suffered a disaster that swept through the entire city, various streets in Oren City showed signs of decay, with broken buildings and burn marks everywhere.

Many homeless vagrants lay listlessly on both sides of the street, their eyes blankly staring at the carriage speeding away.

As their eyes met, Lynn sensed an undisguisable despair in their eyes.

The city they relied on for survival, a place where even their ancestors had taken root, had become ruins due to a baffling disaster.

Not only that, even their decades of savings and houses had gone up in flames. Their family members might have all died in this disaster.

The future was bleak, seemingly without any reason to live on.

They could only wander numbly on the streets, waiting for the day they starved to death.

Perhaps because those terrifying black mud had once ravaged here, the entire city’s vitality seemed to have been sucked dry by the Creation Demon, appearing gray and desolate.

Even the sky was covered with thick leaden clouds, as if sunlight could no longer shine on this filthy city.

Perhaps after this, Oren City would follow the old path of those lawless regions.

It wasn’t unprecedented before.

Many cities, after being invaded by the Demon Race, even if successfully reclaimed, the light of order could no longer cover them.

Chaos and evil became the main theme of those cities, gradually evolving into the gray areas of the Empire.

Looking at the scene before him, Lynn fell into contemplation.

However, at present, for both him and Duke Tyrus, the most important thing was not these matters.

「You mean, after teleporting us away from the Soren Mountain Range, a deity saved you?」

「That’s right.」Lynn’s expression suddenly became solemn and serious.「In a trance, I seemed to have arrived in an endless void filled with cosmic stars. There, I met the great and supreme… Lord of Billions of Stars.」

「It was He who cleansed the pollution from me, and it was He who saved my dying life.」

「Praise be to my Lord.」

Seeing Lynn’s solemn expression at this moment, Duke Tyrus opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Goddamn ‘Praise be to my Lord’.

Weren’t you already expelled from the church?

Even if you made up something like the Goddess of the Moon or the Fertility Mother Goddess, it would be somewhat believable.

What’s more, you just recently burned down the entire Church of Providence, overthrew a bishop, and conveniently crushed over a hundred Extraordinary Beings, almost scattering their ashes.

The Lord of Billions of Stars saved you?

Who would believe that if word got out!

In Duke Tyrus’s eyes, a hint of speechlessness flashed.

It seems this guy doesn’t want to tell the truth.

But that’s normal.

After all, during the process of handling the Level 0 Sealed Artifact riot incident that day, Lynn revealed too many trump cards that defied common sense. Obviously, he had secrets he didn’t want to expose.

Since he didn’t want to say, Duke Tyrus couldn’t be bothered to get to the bottom of it.

At this moment, after some reminiscing, the excitement and shock in his heart gradually calmed down, resuming his usual composure.

At the same time, his mind finally had leisure to start thinking about other things. Lynn wasn’t dead.

This news would not only make him, but perhaps many people, excited when they found out.

And the one who most wanted to know this news was probably everyone at Augusta Manor.

Especially, Her Highness the Princess who sat in the wheelchair.

「Fortunately, you’re alive; otherwise, who knows what Her Highness would have become.」

Thinking of Yveste sitting in the wheelchair, and the suppressed madness in her eyes, Duke Tyrus couldn’t help but shudder.

This time, Saint Roland VI went too far.

Throughout the entire incident, Yveste played the role of a pawn, and almost no one cared about her feelings.

The only one who cared, Lynn, was also killed.

Although now it seemed to be a misunderstanding, Yveste didn’t know that.

Hearing Duke Tyrus’s words, a hint of strange emotion flashed in Lynn’s eyes.

「Why aren’t you speaking?」Seeing him lowering his head in silence, Duke Tyrus smiled.「You brat, are you waiting to show off in front of Her Highness when you get back?」

「I’m telling you, this time you probably…」

「Mr. Duke.」Lynn suddenly interrupted him, and at the same time, a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.「Actually, I’ve wanted to ask since just now.」

「From your words, it seems I should have had some interactions with that Third Princess?」

Duke Tyrus smiled and shook his head.「You brat, are you joking with me? If you two haven’t had interactions, then everyone in the world can only be considered strangers.」

Thinking of the despair and lifelessness that Yveste showed after this incident because of Lynn’s death, he felt a bit sad.

It was the first time he had sensed such emotions on that arrogant and cruel little girl.

All because of a man.

If someone were to say there was nothing between them, he wouldn’t believe it even if beaten to death!

However, facing Duke Tyrus’s suggestive gaze, Lynn just frowned.

「I don’t remember that at all.」

Seeing his perplexed look which didn’t seem feigned, Duke Tyrus seemed to realize the seriousness of the problem.

He slowly sat upright.「Yveste Roland Alexini, haven’t you heard this name?」

「I’ve heard of it.」

Lynn didn’t hesitate.

Having read the original work, he had a very deep impression of this villainous princess.

After all, the End Witch he believed in was future Yveste ten thousand years later.

And this return to Oren City was precisely due to the Witch’s order, to stop her from developing the crazy idea of destroying the Empire, changing the tragic future.

Upon hearing this, Duke Tyrus was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

But the next second, he heard Lynn ask, in a hesitant tone,「But… what kind of person is she?」

Although he had read the original work, he only had a general impression.

He only knew that she was very ugly and scary, and her personality was extremely cruel—a proper vicious female supporting role in the early stages.

It wasn’t until the middle and later stages that she began to become oppressive, growing into a qualified villain.

However, Duke Tyrus didn’t know his inner thoughts at the moment.

Looking at Lynn’s frank gaze, and recalling the lifeless eyes of the white-haired woman, he only felt his brain buzz and explode.

Oh no!

Inside Tyrus Manor.

Mr. Duke was smoking a pipe, pacing back and forth in the study while puffing clouds of smoke, his face full of worry.

「You mean, after that battle, the commotion caused by the two great demons in your spiritual world was too big, so your consciousness suffered some impact, leading to the loss of some memories?」

「That’s right.」

Sitting on the sofa, Lynn nodded.

「You remember me, remember Greya and Rhine, and even remember Afia and Milani, but you only forgot about Her Highness?」

「As I just said, I really don’t remember anything like that.」

Sensing Duke Tyrus’s serious gaze, Lynn scratched his head.

「This is bad.」

He muttered gravely to himself.

Seeing Duke Tyrus’s secretive attitude towards that woman, Lynn couldn’t help but frown.

「To be honest, Mr. Duke.」Lynn spread his hands.「Right now I feel completely confused about these things, so could you please stop being cryptic?」

Duke Tyrus sighed.「Right now, you remember everyone, but only forgot everything related to Her Highness.」

「Given her personality, even if she knows you’re alive and back, I’m afraid… she would go crazy.」

「In this situation, she probably has no heart to continue the Candidacy for the Throne; after all, she was already planning to withdraw.」

「But time is running out.」Duke Tyrus took a puff of his pipe, letting the smoke linger before his eyes.「There are less than two weeks left; strictly speaking, about ten days.」

「If Her Highness cannot cheer up within these ten days, and obtain at least 576 points in the Candidacy Assessment from the Holy Oak Institute, everything will be too late, and there will be no chance for regret.」

Although these words were a bit confusing, relying on his knowledge of the original work, Lynn instantly understood.

「You mean, if we can’t get Her Highness out of her emotional slump, and survive the elimination round, she will completely lose any chance at the throne?」

「That’s right.」

Duke Tyrus nodded.

Hearing this, Lynn’s expression instantly became serious.

Wasn’t the task given to him by the Witch precisely to make Her Highness the Princess dispel the extreme idea of destroying the Empire, continue to participate in the candidacy, and thus avoid the tragic ending of the future?

He couldn’t help but fall into contemplation.

This is really an arduous task.

Sensing that Lynn’s mood was a bit low, Duke Tyrus didn’t want to give him too much pressure.

「It’s okay, you just got back, so you should rest well for a while, and think about how to face Her Highness.」He patted Lynn’s shoulder, comforting him.「As for the 576 points in the Candidacy Assessment… I’ll think of a way.」

Hearing this, Lynn shook his head.

「Oh, you misunderstood, I was actually just now pondering how to get Her Highness to cheer up.」

After all, this was the trial given to him by the Witch.

As her believer, he must always keep it in mind.

「As for the 576 points in the Candidacy Assessment…」Saying this, Lynn suddenly gave Duke Tyrus a surprised look.「Isn’t that a trivial matter that’s easily done?」

「?」

Duke Tyrus froze.

However, Lynn didn’t realize how much of a strong impact his words had on the old Duke’s heart.

In an instant, as if he thought of something, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

Got it!