Capítulo 20: Chapter 20 The First Hypnosis
"Very well," said Ivyst, nodding after hearing Lynn's response. "Let's begin straightaway."
The aged female housekeeper quickly stepped forward and handed the antique coin to her.
Weighing the coin in her hand, a flicker of anticipation crossed Ivyst's eyes.
She was eager to see if, after observing the death pattern of the prisoners, this guy could bring her some more surprises.
Indeed.
This coin was not an ordinary coin, but an artifact imbued with extraordinary power.
[Item Name: Deceit Messenger's Personal Coin]
[Item Number: 0719]
[Sequence Rank: 6]
[Specific Origin: Once just a commonplace copper coin, after prolonged contact with a High Rank Transcendent adherent of "Deceit," it gradually acquired some traits in line with that belief system, but it does not possess self-awareness.]
[Effect Introduction: Makes guessing outcomes impossible.]
[Containment Recommendation: Just keep it as a common coin in a wallet.]
Clearly, this was the reason why all those cult members had failed.
The coin would change its outcome based on people's guesses.
Although it didn't have self-awareness, and its sequence rank was only level 6, classified as harmless, it could still, to a certain extent, understand and read human thoughts.
For example, those cult members.
When they chose "heads," the coin would automatically switch to the opposite side.
And vice versa.
This was somewhat akin to the Transcendents of the "Deceit" belief, revealing a hint of mockery towards the fates of others through its unpredictability.
So no matter what, the person guessing the coin was bound to lose the game.
Unfortunately, Lynn was unaware of this since this thing did not appear in the original story.
However, after observing for a while from the side, he did have some gains.
"Actually, most of those prisoners played the game from a gambler's perspective," Lynn suddenly spoke. "But if you look at it differently, you will realize that things are not as they thought."
"According to a gambler's mindset, after two consecutive wrong guesses on heads, the third person will surely still bet on heads."
"'It's been tails twice already; it must turn up heads this time,' right? That's what they think."
Seeing this, Ivyst pursed her lips slightly. "So, as the ninth guesser, with their precedents in mind, would you choose tails?"
Lynn shook his head. "No, I would think there's something wrong with the coin."
"Just from the perspective of probability, the chance of getting eight consecutive wrong guesses is one in two hundred and fifty-six."
"On a macro level, this is an extremely low-probability event, almost impossible to happen."
Ivyst narrowed her slender eyes. "Are you suggesting I'm cheating?"
"Not at all," Lynn sighed. "As the host, this is a right that you inherently possess."
"Then stop talking and just guess," she said.
Ivyst fiddled with the exquisitely crafted collar, seemingly imagining how the piece would look around Lynn's neck.
However, Lynn ignored the psychological pressure she was deliberately trying to create.
At the same time, his brain was working at high speed.
Despite Ivyst's somewhat psychopathic tendencies, she wouldn't have let him play a game he was doomed to lose.
Carefully reconsidering, all of those deceased prisoners, whether they chose heads or tails, ended up with the same result.
So, what commonality did these failing individuals possess?
A flash of insight suddenly struck Lynn.
Could it be...
"Alright, no more stalling," said Ivyst, frowning slightly at his silence. "You have three chances."
Lynn immediately came back to his senses.
Seeing Ivyst urging him on, he nodded. "I understand... However, since it's a game with stakes of winning and losing, I believe Your Highness should also participate."
Upon hearing this, the aged female housekeeper suddenly opened her eyes wide.
And Ivyst too, revealed a trace of surprise in her eyes.
Indeed, he had discovered some patterns.
But what of it?
As the Third Imperial Princess of the Saint Laurent Empire, personally invited by a subordinate, she had no reason to refuse.
"Agreed."
Hearing this, Lynn completely relaxed.
Seeing his relief, a mocking smile appeared on Ivyst's face.
Lynn slowly raised his head.
To win this game, he must not repeat the cult members' mistake.
What was their reason for failure?
They took the initiative and "stated" their guesses.
Lynn had once heard a saying in his previous life: After eliminating all possibilities, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Therefore, Lynn just needed to avoid these two errors.
The task was simple.
"Which side do you choose?"
Ivyst urged again.
Feeling the gazes from her and the housekeeper, Lynn cleared his mind, trying his best not to think about either "heads" or "tails."
"I choose... the opposite side of whatever Your Highness chooses."
...
Did I really succeed?
Standing outside Augusta Manor, looking at the bustling streets, Lynn suddenly felt a sensation of surreal disbelief.
To this moment, he still couldn't fully believe that after winning the gamble, Ivyst really did let him go.
Not only that, she had also given him a bag of Gold Coins, as capital for his journey to the Imperial Capital.
This was really...
Lynn cautiously looked around, ensuring no one was following him from the shadows, and finally let his guard down with relief.
He then hailed a carriage and immediately set off for the train station.
As for whether he would return to the Imperial Capital or venture to another country, none of that mattered.
After all, he had no desire to stay in this border city any longer.
Recalling Ivyst's nonchalant demeanor when she let him leave, Lynn's mind was still a jumble.
But since the opportunity had been given, he should seize it even more.
Last time, in the heavily guarded Underground Prison, I found an opportunity to escape, so the possibilities now were even greater.
"Your Highness, do you really intend to let him leave?"
Under the parasol, the aging housekeeper poured Ivyst hot tea as she spoke softly.
As a maid who had accompanied her since childhood, their relationship was extraordinary, their mutual trust beyond normal comprehension.
"Aunt Kasha, what do you think of him?"
Instead of answering her question, Ivyst narrowed her eyes comfortably and asked.
"Very smart."
The housekeeper, named Kasha, said calmly.
After all, realizing the effect of the Deceit Coin in such a short time and finding a way to counter it was not something ordinary people could do.
Obviously, by observing those prisoners, Lynn had detected the common point in their failures.
First, they moved first.
Second, they all "voiced" their guesses.
And his solution was also very clever.
"I choose the side opposite of Your Highness."
This answer did not voice his own guess, but also cleverly handed the real choice over to Ivyst, ingeniously making her the one who moved first.
After all, the Deceit Coin was of low level and had no living consciousness.
It couldn't understand Lynn's response, nor could it detect from his empty mind which side he truly wanted to choose.
So in the end, Ivyst became the one who moved first.
And once she voiced her choice, the Deceit Coin would flip to the other side under the work of its trait.
Lynn won.
It seemed simple, but it was actually extremely difficult.
At least Kasha herself claimed that she couldn't do what he did.
"I think, Your Highness should rely on hypnosis to keep him firmly under your control," Kasha, usually reticent, unusually spoke up at this moment. "If he really returns to the Imperial Capital and falls into the hands of the other Princes, it would be very troublesome for Your Highness."
"No need to hurry, even a pet dog will bark if you tie it too tightly, let alone a person."
Ivyst spoke calmly.
Just then, a melodious bell rang from far away.
Seeing this, Ivyst put down her teacup, stood up like a lady, lifting her skirt elegantly, and placed the black mask back on her face.
"It's about time."
"I'll be out for a bit; I may return very late, be sure to prepare a double portion of dessert."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Deep into the night, with the carriage coming to a slow stop, Lynn, wrapped in a thick scarf, stepped out of the carriage.
Looking at the unfamiliar town in front of him, the anxiety he had held previously loosened slightly.
It seemed that Ivyst's people had kept their promise after all.
Or perhaps his own misdirection had worked.
Not long before, Lynn had pretended to go to the train station, bought a ticket in the presence of many witnesses, and deliberately caused a ruckus, arguing with someone to leave a lasting impression and mislead anyone who might come to investigate later.
In reality, he wasn't headed for the Imperial Capital.
After all, traveling by train would take about six or seven days—a journey too long and too prone to unexpected changes.
So afterward, he found a passerby, paid some money for his clothes, and swapped outfits with him in a back alley, transforming himself from head to toe into another person.
After all this, Lynn hailed a carriage and rushed towards Remy Town, the closest to Orn City, as the sun set.
This place was famous for its apples and various fruit wines.
Of course, beyond that, it was also the nearest checkpoint to leave the Saint Laurent Empire.
If you're going to run, do it thoroughly!
As long as he remained within the territory of the Saint Laurent Empire, who knew when Ivyst's claws would reach out for him.
Thinking of that beautiful yet terrifying woman, Lynn couldn't help but shake his head.
He arrived at the brightly lit Adventurer's Tavern by the roadside, booked a room at the front desk, and then headed straight upstairs.
During this process, he was still contemplating the matter with Ivyst.
On reflection, she hadn't inflicted any real harm on him.
She even tacitly allowed him his act of retribution after knowing that Rhein had used extrajudicial punishment on him.
Honestly, if Ivyst wasn't the antagonist Imperial Princess from the original story, Lynn might have chosen to stay and try to assist her.
Despite her intimidating presence, she seemed to treat her subordinates quite well.
Moreover, back in the underground laboratory, Ivyst had kept her promise to save him.
So, at the end of the day, Lynn's impression of her wasn't bad.
In his past life, when he read the novel, he was very impressed by this character.
"What a woman, both lovable and detestable."
Lynn opened the door to his room and sighed.
"Then, do you love her or hate her?"
The sudden familiar voice petrified Lynn as he stood still on the spot.
In the room, a woman in a black fringed long dress wearing a mask sat on the edge of the bed, watching him with narrowed eyes, gently spinning a delicate necklace on the tip of her finger.
Damn it... I knew it... Lynn turned and ran.
While running, he shouted, "Help! A woman is being assaulted!!!"
Lynn tried to draw the attention of everyone in the tavern.
But as soon as the words escaped his mouth, he felt a tremendous pull from behind.
As if gripped by an invisible hand, his body involuntarily flew backwards.
"Bang!"
The instant he flew into the room, the door slammed shut.
Lynn looked up, grimacing, and turned his gaze towards the nonchalant Ivyst.
"You're not keeping your word."
Hearing this, Ivyst spoke indifferently, "I only agreed to let you leave Augusta Manor, I never agreed to let you leave the Saint Laurent Empire."
Word games, huh?
Lynn sighed.
He wanted to say more, but suddenly saw the stunning woman in front raise her hand, pointing her palm towards his forehead.
A green Eye of the Soul mark slowly appeared on her white, delicate palm.
She was invoking the effect of hypnosis on Lynn.
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