NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 171
“You just have to trust me!”
Did the plot deviation just drop?
When Lynn heard the system prompt ring in his ear, he stood there, dumbfounded.
This was unlike anything he had encountered since traveling to this world.
In other words, the strings of fate that had diverted were being pulled back on track by the world’s will or some other invisible force.
Lynn suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
If the plot deviation was dropping, did that mean everything he was doing right now was meaningless?
The world didn’t punish him for altering Ivyst’s fate or increasing Tia’s plot deviation, was it simply mocking him, this “impurity”?
No, the world’s will should be like a program, devoid of human emotions.
Calm down, calm down.
I’m being too impatient.
Lynn took a deep breath, then reached out to grasp Ivyst’s delicate, icy-cold hand.
It seemed the plot deviation changed when Ivyst was about to strike the Punisher Squad.
Though he didn’t know the reason, he first had to calm her down.
As he held her hand tightly, like lovers, the imposing presence of a Sixth Stage Half-Divine felt like a precarious high-rise about to collapse, with the raging scarlet Transcendent Power vanishing into thin air. The terrifying aura that had everyone shivering evaporated like smoke.
Ivyst’s profile flushed with a hint of color, and though she didn’t speak, she gently squeezed his hand in response.
It was as if she were saying, don’t be afraid, master is right here.
Seeing Ivyst regain her composure, the surrounding Punisher Squad stood solemnly, too wary to advance, and Lynn let out a slight sigh of relief.
At the same time, his mind began to race.
A drop in plot deviation must be the result of the world’s will correcting itself.
Was it triggered by him acting against the original female lead?
Or perhaps, Ivyst’s already high 12.07% plot deviation was enough to impact the main storyline, potentially leading to a total collapse of the Imperial Capital arc?
Upon reflection, the latter seemed more plausible.
After all, the Imperial Capital arc was merely the midsection of the entire novel, where power largely centered around below Fifth Stage.
Aside from the ancient Half-Divines at the major churches and a few unseen Seventh Stage Saints lurking beneath the icy depths, Fifth Stage Legends constituted the peak combat power.
In the original story, Ivyst was even forced offline due to a version anomaly.
Ultimately, the world’s will reduced the plot deviation to fix this loophole before she fell asleep.
A Sixth Stage Half-Divine was just too bugged—how could she be played down?
So, based on the change in plot deviation, if Ivyst were to eliminate all the Punishers here, it would surely trigger some chain reactions.
And the outcome of those reactions would be exactly what the world’s will hoped to see.
Like forcing her offline again, giving the original male and female leads time to grow.
Or perhaps, by some means, weakening her powers so she wouldn’t pose her original threat.
Regardless of the result, it was something Lynn didn’t want to see.
He had to stop her from acting impulsively.
With that thought, Lynn took a deep breath.
Just the second day back in the Imperial Capital from Orlen City, he felt pure malice from Gloasting.
But so what?
He had never given these fools a second thought.
Never did, never will.
“It’s okay, I’ll just go with you guys,”
Lynn gently squeezed Ivyst’s delicate hand, then stepped forward, extending his wrist towards the Punisher member with the shackles.
“Absolutely not!”
Ivyst hurriedly approached in her high heels, grabbing Lynn’s wrist in an attempt to stop him.
If the Punisher caught him, he’d be sent to that dark, lightless prison, and everything would spiral out of control. Who knows how long it would take to get back out.
Besides, Lynn could never be a “Bershiman”; that was something anyone could figure out with a simple investigation.
Even from a timeline perspective, being newly returned to the Imperial Capital, he didn’t match many of the murder cases.
Thus, Ivyst believed he had no need to take such a risk.
She feared they’d pin some baseless charges on him, trapping him forever.
But Lynn had already made up his mind.
To prevent Ivyst from getting into danger, and to maintain the plot deviation to avoid affecting the Witch Miss ten thousand years later, he had to do this.
Noticing Ivyst’s extreme anxiety, seeming desperately in need of security, Lynn smiled slightly and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness, I never do anything without confidence.”
“You just need to trust me like before, support me, and look forward to what I can do.”
“But there’s one thing you need to remember: once I’m inside, if anyone asks you for something, trying to exchange my freedom for anything—whatever it is—you mustn’t agree.”
“Remember, remember.”
“Who is it?!”
The next morning, the Mosgra Manor echoed with the furious roar of Marquis Mosgra. At this moment, all family members gathered solemnly in the Council Hall.
The ground was already littered with various antique shards, enough to prove just how furious the head of the household was.
Clearly, after brewing overnight, the serial murder incident that occurred last night at the Grand Princess’s mansion had swept through Gloasting with unstoppable momentum.
The Mosgra Family was even one of the last to learn about it.
If it weren’t for someone jokingly telling him, “Marquis, aren’t you a little too anxious?” while he was on his way to transfer military affairs in the Council Hall, he would still be left in the dark.
After receiving Irina’s letter, he had suppressed his family’s usual pride in the Imperial Capital, as if submerged in the grief of the heir’s death.
But now, upon learning the whole story, he felt utterly unwell.
Assassinating Lynn?
What kind of idiot would dare pull such a stunt?!
It was only the day before that he had tied himself into a knot of resentment in the Council Hall, especially in front of so many witnesses.
And in a blink, they turned around and struck back.
Did they disregard His Majesty’s pardon? Did they have no respect for Imperial law?
Understand, noble affairs always involve consideration and compromise.
People like Lynn, who were too ostentatious and reckless, were the rarest of cases.
What awaited them was undoubtedly a madman’s end.
Marquis Mosgra had long understood this, so though he was infuriated, he couldn’t think of immediate revenge.
On the surface, it wasn’t at the point of mutual destruction, and with the Emperor mediating, they needed to remain rational and restrained.
But everything happening now completely disrupted his original plans.
Marquis Mosgra could guarantee a hundred percent that this clearly stupid assassination plot left a mark that pointed directly at the bungling fools in his family.
What nearly made him explode with anger was—if they had to kill, couldn’t they hire a more reliable assassin? Why drag the demon race into this?!
One year ago, before Lynn Bartleon’s exile, he had accused Irina of colluding with the demons, leading to the destruction of his entire squad.
That matter stirred quite a commotion in the Imperial Capital.
It was Judge Niddro who ultimately declared Irina innocent.
However, such traces were still stamped on the Mosgra Family.
This was the mark that Marquis Mosgra had always wanted to wipe out.
He thought it had faded from memory, yet it was pinned back on him because of some fools’ antics.
How could he not be enraged?
Among the family members, Eunice’s mother lowered her head, a flicker of guilt in her eyes.
At the same time, her eyes brimmed with indescribable sorrow.
Why, why is that little brat so hard to kill?
When can I avenge my daughter?!
The Black Veil Noblewoman’s features twisted, fists clenched tight, silently bowing her head.
Just when she thought revenge was hopeless, a sudden voice reached her ears, causing her to instinctively lift her head.
“Father, what are we going to do next? Should we clarify that this matter has nothing to do with the family?”
From the crowd, a middle-aged man hesitated for a long time before breaking the silence.
“Fool!” Marquis Mosgra slammed the table, “When did nobles and commoners become so stupid as to believe such words?”
Sometimes, their so-called debunking actually solidified the narrative.
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man looked embarrassed and swallowed his words.
And as Marquis Mosgra paced back and forth in the Council Hall, the atmosphere gradually turned silent.
After an unknown period, he suddenly lifted his head, his gaze fierce, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.
“Right now, this black pot is firmly tied to our Mosgra Family’s head.”
“Since that’s the case, let us resolve this matter thoroughly.”
“I want that little brat to die in prison for real.”
“Tia, do you know? The murder maniac ‘Bershiman’ who killed Sister Trina has finally been captured!”
“The suspect is a young lad who was found standing at the crime scene with blood all over his chest and a wound that looks like it was inflicted by the victim trying to fight back.”
“They say his name is Lynn Bartleon or something?”
Slap!
“Oh dear, what’s wrong with our saintess today? Seems so absent-minded all the time, can’t even hold her book properly, haha, could it be she’s thinking of a man?”
“Y-You just said, what was that person’s name?”
“Lynn Bartleon, the guy who got dumped with the title ‘Noble’s Shame’ and exiled to the border over a year ago.”
“Tia, why does your face look so pale? You seem kinda strange?”
(ps: Overslept again, hehe.)