There had been precedents before.
Many cities, after being invaded by the Demon Clan, even if successfully reclaimed, could never again be enveloped by the glow of order.
Chaos and evil became the main themes of those cities, gradually evolving into the gray zones of the Empire.
Gazing at the scene before him, Lynn fell into deep thought.
However, the most pressing matters for him and Duke Tierus at this moment were not these.
"You're saying... after we were teleported away from the Soron Mountain Range, a deity came to your rescue?"
"Yes," Lynn's expression suddenly turned grave and serious, "In a daze, it was as if I arrived at an endless void filled with the cosmos and stars; there, I encountered the grand and supreme... Lord of Billion Stars."
"It was He who cleansed the corruption from my body, and He who saved my life from imminent peril."
As Duke Tierus looked at Lynn's solemn demeanor, he opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
Praise the Lord my ass.
Weren't you already excommunicated from the church?
Even making up something about the Bright Moon Goddess or the Fertility Mother Goddess would be somewhat believable.
Moreover, you just recently set the Heavenly Principle Church ablaze, toppled a bishop, and casually crushed over a hundred Transcendents to death, nearly scattering their ashes to the wind.
The Lord of Billion Stars saved you?
Who would believe such a tale if you told it!
A trace of annoyance flickered in Duke Tierus's eyes.
It seems this guy doesn't want to tell the truth.
After all, in the incident with the Class 0 Sealed Object going berserk, Lynn had revealed far too many extraordinary cards, obviously holding secrets he didn't want disclosed.
And since he didn't want to talk, Duke Tierus couldn't be bothered to dig deeper.
At this moment, after catching up with old times, the excitement and shock in his heart had gradually subsided, and he regained his usual composure.
At the same time, his mind had finally the leisure to ponder other matters.
This news would not only cause him to stir, but probably many others upon learning of it.
And those at Augusta Manor, especially the Princess in the wheelchair, would likely be the most eager to hear this news.
"Good thing you're not dead, otherwise who knows what state the Princess might have ended up in."
The thought of Ivyst sitting in her wheelchair, with those eyes suppressing some sort of frantic emotion, sent a shiver down Duke Tierus's spine.
This time, Saint Laurent VI really crossed the line.
In the whole affair, Ivyst had been treated like a disposable piece, with hardly anyone caring for her feelings.
The only one who did, Lynn, was thought to be dead.
Although it now appeared to be a misunderstanding, Ivyst was unaware.
Hearing Duke Tierus's words, a strange look flashed in Lynn's eyes.
"Why the silence?" Seeing him bow his head in silent contemplation, Duke Tierus chuckled, "You, my boy, are you just waiting to return and show off in front of Her Highness?"
"I'll tell you, this time you might..."
"Duke Tierus," Lynn suddenly interrupted him, his eyes revealing a hint of confusion, "Actually, I've been wanting to ask since a moment ago."
"From the way you speak, it seems I should have had some interactions with the Third Imperial Princess?"
Duke Tierus laughed and shook his head, "You're joking with me, aren't you? If you haven't had interactions with her, then everyone else in the world can only be considered strangers."
Thinking about Ivyst's despair and heartbreak after the incident due to Lynn's death, he felt somewhat disturbed.
For the first time, he had seen such emotions on the face of that proud and cruel young lady.
All because of one man.
To say there was nothing special between them, he wouldn't believe it even if you killed him!
Yet, facing Duke Tierus's suggestive gaze, Lynn merely furrowed his brows.
"I don't remember any of this."
Seeing his genuinely astonished look, Duke Tierus realized the seriousness of the issue.
He slowly sat upright, "Ivyst Laurent Alexini, haven't you heard this name?"
Lynn replied without hesitation.
He, who had read the original work, had a very deep impression of the villainous Imperial Princess.
After all, the Doomsday Witch he worshipped was indeed Ivyst from a hundred thousand years in the future.
And his return to Orn City was precisely due to Miss Witch's orders to prevent her from developing the crazed idea to destroy the Empire and to change the tragedy of the future.
Hearing this, Duke Tierus was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.
But the next second, he heard Lynn speak in a hesitant tone, slowly asking, "But... what kind of person is she really?"
Although he had read the original work, he only had a vague impression.
He only knew that she was very ugly and frightening, and her personality was equally brutal, the spitting image of a malicious female supporting character in the beginning.
It was only in the middle and later stages that she began to exude an oppressive presence, growing into a qualified villain.
However, Duke Tierus was unaware of his current inner thoughts.
Looking at Lynn's candid gaze and recalling the ashen look in the white-haired woman's eyes, he only felt his brain buzzing as if it were about to explode.
The Duke paced back and forth in his study with a pipe in his mouth, puffing out smoke, his face full of worries.
"Are you saying that after that battle, the commotion caused by the two Great Demons inside your mind was too great, so your consciousness was impacted, leading to the loss of some memories?"
Lynn, sitting on the sofa, nodded.
"You remember me, Glaya, and Rhein, even Aphia and Milani, but you've forgotten everything about the Princess?"
"Although you say I've forgotten... I really don't remember that at all."
Feeling the seriousness of Duke Tierus's gaze, Lynn scratched his head.
He murmured solemnly to himself.
Seeing Duke Tierus's reticent attitude towards that woman, Lynn couldn't help but frown.
"To be honest, sir," Lynn spread his hands, "I'm completely clueless about all this, so could you please stop speaking in riddles for now?"
Duke Tierus sighed, "Right now, you remember everyone but have forgotten everything related to the Princess."
"With her temperament, even knowing that you've survived and returned, she'd probably... go mad."
"In this situation, she'd probably have no heart to continue the King's election, having already prepared to drop out."
"But... time is running short," Duke Tierus took a puff of his pipe, letting the smoke fill the air before him, "there are less than two weeks left, strictly speaking, about ten days."
"If the Princess can't pull herself together within these ten days and gain at least 576 points from the Holy Oak Organization in the King's election rating, everything will be too late, without any chance for regrets."
Although these words were somewhat cryptic, Lynn instantly understood, relying on his knowledge of the original work.
"Are you saying that if the Princess can't emerge from her emotional slump and survive the elimination rounds, she will be completely out of the race for the throne?"
Hearing this, Lynn's expression immediately became grave.
Wasn't Miss Witch's mission for him exactly to persuade the Imperial Princess to abandon her extreme idea of destroying the Empire and to continue participating in the King's election to avoid a tragic future?
He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
This truly was a daunting task.
Noticing Lynn's despondent mood, Duke Tierus didn't want to overburden him.
"It's okay, you've just come back, you should rest well for a while, then think about how to face the Princess." He patted Lynn's shoulder, reassuring him, "As for the King's election rating points, let me figure that out."
Hearing this, Lynn shook his head.
"Oh, you misunderstand, what I was actually pondering over was how to get the Princess back to her spirits."
After all, this was the trial given to him by Miss Witch.
As her... follower, he had to always keep it in mind.
"As for the 576 election rating points..." Lynn looked at Duke Tierus somewhat surprisedly, "Isn't that a trivial matter that's easily resolved?"
Duke Tierus stood there, dumbfounded.
However, Lynn didn't realize the strong impact his words had on the Duke's old heart.
In an instant, something seemed to click in his mind, and a spark of an idea flashed through.