Stop Hypnotizing Me, Antagonist Princess!

Another ability of the Lie Swallowing was that he could discern the lies of others.

With the help of this effect, Lynn easily picked out the most devout believers and conducted the first wave of talk therapy.

The main reason these three hundred and twelve people had gathered here was largely to do with those devout believers causing trouble.

As the saying goes, strike the snake at its seven inches.

It was simply a matter of dissolving this rebellious force one by one, after which those with impure faith or ulterior motives would be much easier to deal with.

They were but a rabble of shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

Lynn thought to himself.

Time flew by swiftly.

Before long, the evening sun draped over the land, casting everything in a magnificent red hue.

Unwittingly, Lynn had already spent an afternoon outside the city walls.

Several hours had been spent interacting with the believers.

Finally, accompanied by the system's two hundred and thirty-second notification sound, Lynn had bamboozled most of the devout believers present into signing an Extraordinary Contract.

Meanwhile, he pocketed 23 system points.

An afternoon's bustling had left Lynn feeling somewhat tired.

Unfortunately, there were neither afternoon tea nor sweets to replenish his sugar levels.

He was about to lift his sleeve to wipe off his sweat when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

Glancing over, it turned out Aphia had hopped onto his shoulder.

"Here you go."

In her mouth was a handkerchief, faintly exuding a young girl's distinct sweet fragrance.

"Oh, thank you."

Lynn took the handkerchief and after wiping twice, he realized something was amiss.

Wasn't she huffy just a while ago? How had she become so docile after not seeing her for just a few hours?

Noticing Lynn's gaze, Aphia seemed somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.

She turned her head away and said huffily, "It was the Imperial Princess who asked me to keep an eye on you, and you were doing this for her, after all. I couldn't just watch you exhaust yourself to death here."

"Oh... where did you get this handkerchief?"

"A girl's secret!"

After playing around with Aphia for a while, she leaped off Lynn's shoulder in her cat form and scampered back to the carriage.

Watching her diminutive figure, Lynn couldn't help but show a hint of a smile.

After that, he turned his gaze back to the last group of people in the distance.

The remaining eighty or so were mostly there to fish in troubled waters.

They neither believed in the Creation Goddess nor did they wish to simply enter the city.

Their speech implied only one thing.

Settlement fee.

To keep them from making trouble, they had to be given a sum of money satisfying enough for them; otherwise, they were resolved not to leave.

Of course, this excluded a certain bald man hidden among the crowd.

He appeared very ordinary, so much so that one might barely notice his presence.

However, in the system interface, he stood out starkly from the rest.

Because among all the believers present, he was the only one with a plot level of C.

[Character Name: Mark Blanchard]

[Plot Level: C]

[Plot Deviation: 0.00%]

If Lynn could maximize his plot deviation, that would be a whopping 10 system points as a reward.

How could he let such a plump and juicy lamb escape?

Concerning this fellow's identity, Lynn had some speculations.

Clearly, amongst this group of chaotic Creation Goddess believers, there had to be an organizer.

Perhaps other people were innocent, but the one who had orchestrated this chaos certainly deserved punishment.

It might even be possible that he had acted on someone else's orders.

With these thoughts, Lynn hesitated no more.

"You, come here."

He addressed the bald man.

Mark was clearly stunned for a few seconds, seemingly unaware of why this young man was calling him.

Had his identity been exposed?

A trace of unease crossed his mind.

"Sir, is there something you need from me?"

He spoke in a humble tone.

Lynn observed him for a while and suddenly asked, "Are you an ordinary believer of the Creationist School?"

"Of course, I can recite every doctrine from the holy texts by heart."

Mark claimed confidently.

This was a lie.

Lynn immediately discerned his lie.

Exactly where was he lying?

In fact, he couldn't recite every doctrine from the scriptures by heart?

There was no need to lie about that, as it would be too easily exposed.

So, the lies must be earlier.

In fact, Mark was not just a common believer of the Creationist School; he also held another identity.

Combining his ability to recite each doctrine and his plot level, which was as high as C-grade, Lynn was certain that he was the organizer behind this chaos.

He was also a remnant member of the Creationist School, far from a mere believer.

So, he suddenly leaned close to Mark and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Mark, it must have been tough to reach this stage, but rest assured, the School will remember your contribution."

Seeing him casually reveal his real name, a flicker of panic and suspicion flashed through Mark's eyes.

How did this guy know his real name?

He had always used a pseudonym when being introduced.

Could it be...

He began to suspect something, his emotions stirring with excitement.

At this moment, he wholeheartedly believed that Lynn was a devout follower of the Creation Goddess.

With this belief, there was really only one possibility for Lynn to say such things to him.

The School hadn't been annihilated completely!

There were still remnants, ready to rise from the ashes at any moment!

With this thought, Mark was as excited as if he had found his organization.

But a lingering doubt prompted him to play it safe, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Seeing his reaction, Lynn patted his shoulder in a friendly manner, "You're very cautious, and that's good. But it seems that the order you and I received from that 'Higher-Up' differs somewhat?"

"My task is to minimize the impact of this incident; it seems to conflict somewhat with your mission. What's the situation?"

Lynn looked at him inquiringly.

Hearing this, Mark finally let down his guard.

He sighed in relief, glanced around warily, and then lowered his voice, "The 'Higher-Up' you mentioned, is that the one from the Imperial Capital?"

Imperial Capital?

Just as I thought.

Lynn speculated within his heart, but outwardly he nodded in agreement, "That's right."

Recognizing his reaction, a hint of surprise crossed Mark's eyes, "But the order I received from that 'Higher-Up' was to find an opportunity to poison the food and drink of these people, killing them all and framing it on that Demon who destroyed the School, namely, the Third Imperial Princess."

He's targeting Ivyst?

Lynn couldn't help but inhale sharply.

Such a plan was extremely malicious; once implemented, even if Ivyst had evidence to prove her innocence, no one would believe her.

By then, she would have no chance at the King's election.

She might even be disowned in the public eye, under the wrath of Saint Laurent VI.

Perhaps in the original story, this was how she gradually got pushed onto the path of becoming a villain.

And was my intervention indirectly changing her destiny?

After this event, Ivyst's deviation from the plot would likely increase once more.

With this thought, Lynn no longer hesitated and flashed Mark a small smile, "By the way, about that 'Higher-Up', it seems he had another order for me. Would you like to hear it?"

"What order?" Mark was curious.

"He told me to send you on your way."

As he spoke, Lynn smoothly drew out a gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Bang——!!!"

With a muffled sound, Mark fell backward, his eyes wide with uncomprehending surprise.

[C-grade plot character "Mark Blanchard's" plot deviation has increased to 100.00%.]

10 system points have been credited.

Indeed, this is the most effortless way.

Lynn thought to himself.

Watching him murder Mark, the people gathered in the distance panicked.

Lynn raised his sleeve to wipe the fresh blood from his face, revealing a kindly smile as he tried not to appear too cold and ruthless.

"A hundred copper coins each, take the money and sign the contract immediately, then get lost."

"A hundred... That's too little..."

"Bang——!!!"

Lynn fired another shot into the sky and then said with a smile, "Now it's fifty."

With that, the remaining seventy-nine opportunists could no longer sit still and rushed towards Glaya's location.

Even a mosquito's worth of blood is still flesh, right?

If they continued to be stubborn, they might miss out even on those fifty copper coins.

Besides, this guy was truly willing to commit murder!

There was a palpable fear among the people.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Watching the obedient queue forming in the distance, Lynn whistled to himself.

It was just that simple.

43 system points were in the bank at the end of the afternoon, adding to the previous 2 points—the total was now 43 points.

Time to report back to that woman.