Chapter 207: Chapter 207

As the knock on the inn room’s door slowly sounded, Lynn roused from his long contemplation.

Outside the window, the setting sun cast the room’s furnishings in a faint orange hue, giving an air of tranquility and solemnity.

By now, almost six or seven hours had passed since he used Swallower of Lies to give that female attendant a mental suggestion.
That should have been enough time for her to carry out his first command.
Hence, there was only one possibility for whoever was knocking now.

「Come in.」

From the bed where he lay, Lynn slightly raised his voice.

Accompanied by the door creaking open a sliver, a blond youth stuck his head in, looking around furtively as though up to no good.
Seeing Lynn on the bed—weak and wounded—he paused, then shut the door behind him and strode in with bold steps.
All at once, he pulled off his belt with a flourish:
「Finally found you! Cut the nonsense and come back with me right now to see Her Highness.」

While speaking, he marched straight to Lynn’s bedside, grabbed his wrist, and started trying to tie him up with the belt.
Yet, to his surprise, Lynn did not resist in the slightest throughout the whole process.

「Huh? Not even gonna fight back? That’s not like you.」
The blond youth frowned, feeling baffled.

Lynn merely smiled slightly. 「Long time no see, Greya.」

Hearing his own name, Greya (葛雷亞) paused. He stared silently at Lynn for a moment, then frowned and said,
「I have no idea why you refuse to go back to the manor, nor what you’re planning to do next…but from what I know of you, it’s probably something dangerous again.
Don’t you have any sense of the people you’re dragging into worry? Why do you always have to risk your life? Couldn’t you just…not do it? Or go back, apologize to Her Highness, and figure something out together?」

He rattled on, plainly holding in a lot of pent-up complaints about Lynn’s disappearing act. Seeing he wasn’t struggling at all only made Greya feel more exasperated:

「Seriously, it’s like you’re giving me no sense of accomplishment. At least fight back a bit. Then I can say you put up some effort, you know?」

Lynn chuckled. 「Cough… I figured the mood was too tense, so I thought I’d lighten it. But in all seriousness—thank you.」

Those words caused Greya’s face to darken somewhat. He sniffed and unfastened the belt.

「That said, I can’t just stand aside while you put your life on the line again and again, ignoring the people who care about you.」

Yet from the start, Lynn seemed completely unruffled by all the scolding. He merely offered a wry grin, then shifted the topic abruptly:

「So… How has Her Highness been? She’s doing fine, I hope?」

Greya rolled his eyes. 「Huh, you’re concerned now? Even though you vanished without a word…
As far as I know, she’s been beyond upset. Almost no one’s slept well for days. She also punished a few unlucky fellows who, by chance, got in her way… They nearly lost their lives.
If I had to guess, she’s probably turned Bartleon Manor upside down looking for you. In fact, rumor has it she’s started some sort of big project at your house—Afia and Milani mentioned that it might be a massive renovation of the cellar into a pitch-dark solitary cell or something.」

Lynn forced a laugh. 「I see. Well… She is gentle and kind, so if it’s just a few days, I’m sure she’ll understand.」

Greya gave him a deadpan look. 「You call that gentle and kind? You better pray you can sweet-talk your way out of it when the time comes. And what if I go tell her you’re here right now? Aren’t you worried?」

「Not really.」 Lynn shrugged.
「Because I know you won’t, or rather… I’m betting on it. It’s the only reason I asked you to come.」

Greya stared at him, speechless, then sighed and let go of Lynn’s wrist. 「I give up. You’re the only person that can talk to me like this and still drive me insane.
So let’s hear it. Why’d you call me here? Don’t tell me it’s just for old times’ sake.」

Lynn took a deep breath, then said calmly,
「I need the item I mentioned in my letter. Did you bring it?」

「That…thing? Yeah, I’ve got it, but why do you need it so badly? If it’s healing you’re after, wouldn’t something like Moonlight Essence do the trick?」 asked Greya, perplexed.

Lynn shook his head. 「My injuries aren’t something Moonlight Essence or any normal potion can heal. I need a…different approach.」

「Your injuries…not just physical wounds?」 Greya squinted at Lynn’s pale face, a trace of worry in his eyes. After a while, he reached into his coat, pulled out a small wooden box, and tossed it to Lynn.

「Here—you wanted this, right? I don’t know what you plan to do with it, but—take it.
Anyway, hurry up and come back alive. Otherwise I’ll be the one dealing with her wrath… And that’s not how I want to die.」

He finished speaking and slumped cross-legged on the floor beside Lynn’s bed, carefully observing his friend.

Lynn caught the wooden box with careful hands. It was heavier than he expected. He nodded. 「Thanks, brother. The door’s over there—feel free to see yourself out any time.」

Greya furrowed his brow harder. 「Stop being so petty. Are you really telling me to buzz off after I came all the way here? …Though I won’t pry if you don’t want me to. Just be aware that any scheme you’re cooking up, it sure as hell better not get you killed.」

Lynn let out a faint chuckle without replying. In truth, he felt both disappointed and relieved that Greya hadn’t pried further. Because no matter what, even if he asked for help, it was not something that would ever gain Her Highness’s approval.

Thinking of Tiya’s predicament—thinking of the vow he had made to help her—Lynn knew that once he set foot on this path, there was no turning back.
He also knew that if Afia or Milani got wind of it, they would likely drag him and Tiya back to Yveste. In which case, any hope of saving Tiya would vanish.
So involving them was out of the question.

Greya eyed Lynn for a moment, opened his mouth as if wanting to speak, then closed it again. Finally, he sighed, rose to his feet, and dusted off his pants.
「I won’t ask. You probably won’t tell me anyway. Either way, you better come back alive.」

「Of course. You think I’m someone who seeks death?」 Lynn wore a vague smile.

「Who knows? You’ve always been crazy enough, messing around with your life as if it’s a bargaining chip. That’s the kind of arrogance I can’t stand. But so be it. I won’t lecture you anymore.」

Greya shot him a half-amused, half-exasperated look before striding to the door. 「And for what it’s worth, I won’t tell Her Highness you’re here. Don’t worry about that.
If you really must do this—don’t die. That’s all.」

「I appreciate it,」 Lynn replied softly.

After watching Greya leave, Lynn slowly let his smile fade. The room fell quiet once more.

He lowered his gaze to the wooden box in his hands. Opening it, he found a glob of translucent, mud-like gel writhing within—like a tiny swamp creature. It squirmed in a random, erratic manner reminiscent of a slime, seemingly possessing a rudimentary intelligence.

「So this is the so-called Swamp Muckspawn,」 Lynn murmured.

Greya’s words from earlier rang in his mind:
「It’s basically a piece cut from a Swamp Muckspawn larva. Though it can be classified as an extraordinary life-form, in the grand hierarchy of the mysticism world, it’s right at the bottom. Even a slightly aggressive beast won’t fear it. That’s why it’s sometimes called ‘the Shame of the Extraordinary’ or ‘the Weakest Creature.’」

Yet Lynn just gave a knowing smile.
「‘Shame of the Extraordinary,’ huh? That’s perfect.」

Yes—perfect. For there was nothing more fitting than the “weakest creature” to share in the “lowest destiny.”

Ever since Lynn had used Pineas’s Card, he gained the ability to perceive the Fate Threads of all living things. And from that vantage, he realized that in the entire world, his own “Fate Weight” was…odd.

Strictly speaking, he was like an “Impurity” that did not exist in the past or future—only in the present.
For the Great River of Time, or even the Will of the World, Lynn was an anomaly. Thus, from the day he awakened his powers, the numerous tribulations and “causality punishment” had been pressing in on him, day after day.

Every inch of his body—flesh, bones, even his heart—was perpetually tormented by a knife-like pain. The blood streaming from his wounds would, after a moment, strangely flow back in, as if time were rewinding.
An endless cycle of laceration and healing, leaving him in constant agony.

This, he believed, was the price of Fate Puppeteer Mode.
Whenever he forcibly swapped or grafted Fate Threads from people to manipulate outcomes, he was tempting the unwritten laws of the world.
His illusions of “winning from weakness” over high-level opponents were all built on a precarious balancing act. If not for Miss Witch’s earlier interference that weakened him somewhat, he might already have been obliterated by the overflow of Fate’s Power.

But even though he knew this…he was not despairing.
Far from it. Because he had discovered a path—even if it was a gambler’s final bet.

That path required a creature akin to him in “Fate Weight,” or at least close enough for a graft.
Yes…someone or something that didn’t matter in the grand scheme, a worthless “Impurity.”
And the “Shame of the Extraordinary,” the “Weakest Creature,” just might fulfill that role.

「So that’s why you’re here,」 Lynn said under his breath, gently closing the box. He reached into his pocket, pulling out Pineas’s Card.

A dazzlingly colored glow shimmered on his fingertips.
The next moment, countless threads of fate appeared from the void, layering over him in infinite strands.

「If I succeed, I can suppress this pain. If I fail… I might be swallowed by the very same fate.」

He had no illusions. In choosing to help Tiya, he’d already waded into more trouble than he could count. Summoning Yveste’s assistance would be out of the question, and if he told her, the cost would be dire.
Not to mention, Tiya had chosen a path where she refused to be a puppet. If Lynn forced her to become one—using Moment of Corruption—he would trample on her final bit of pride. That would hardly save her.

Thus, with no other means at hand…
Lynn had chosen to gamble.
Close to one who was “the weakest,” to share “the lowest destiny.”
Who was to say an impurity like him could never change anything?

「Hum—!」

A reverberation echoed through the air. Fate Threads sparkled like a galaxy, intertwining the boy and the strange, slime-like creature in the wooden box.
That swirling pain in his limbs intensified for a moment, as though resentful at his continued defiance. Lynn clenched his teeth, persevering silently.

He had already made up his mind. Once set on this course, there was no return.
Even if he were just a “lowly impurity” in the eyes of the Will of the World—he would do everything in his power.

「Here we go,」 he whispered, pressing his hand upon the squirming Muckspawn.
With the Fate Threads shimmering, an eerie, dreamlike light enveloped them both…