บท 6: Chapter 6: Lynn's Past
Lynn's body curled up like a shrimp, lying on the cold ground.
Just now, those two guards seemed to have received Rhein's orders, one holding his body while the other continuously punched him in the abdomen.
After ten heavy punches, he no longer had the strength to stand, his stomach churning violently.
Yet a cold smile emerged at the corner of his mouth.
Actually, that posture of his was nothing more than a performance for the other side.
Lynn had no intention of leaving his fate in someone else's hands.
And just as Lynn had thought a few minutes earlier, dealing with someone like Rhein was actually quite simple.
All one needed to do was make him feel he had control over everything.
After that, one's own arrogance would gradually devour them until flaws were exposed.
What Lynn needed to do was seize that flaw and deliver a fatal strike.
So far, everything was proceeding according to his plan.
But... it really did hurt.
Lynn thought silently.
After the punishment, the two guards helped him back into his seat and left without looking back.
It wasn't long before Rhein returned to the prison.
Looking at Lynn, who sat motionless in the chair, he looked down from on high and said, "To tell you the truth, I'm in a very bad mood right now."
"Morris and the others failed their mission today, and perhaps even I will be punished because of it."
"You must understand that, in the end, it's all because of you," his eyes filled with scorn, "If it weren't for your foolish resistance, none of this would've happened."
This point of view was quite novel, as if the victim was to be blamed.
But Lynn didn't argue, and although appearing weak, he nodded in agreement, "If it weren't for that night with your mother, you wouldn't be sitting here so pretentiously."
He was trying to provoke the other side, to make him lose his calm judgment.
Hearing this, Rhein indeed took a deep breath, "It seems, then, the lesson just now was not profound enough."
He turned and left again.
Moments later, Lynn was greeted with another beating.
...
Why can't people ever learn their lesson?
Outside the prison, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, Rhein rested, listening to the sounds of punches and muffled groans coming from the cell.
Just then, he suddenly heard the sound of noisy footsteps from afar.
Rhein immediately opened his eyes and looked toward the distant staircase.
A group of people had come to the Underground Prison of Augusta Manor.
Leading them was a long-haired woman dressed in a military uniform, draped in an army coat, exuding an atmosphere of iron-blooded solemnity.
She was tall and stately, with a commanding presence, her long, slender legs encased in knee-high boots.
She was like an Empress who commanded the heavens, making everyone else dare not look directly at her.
It was just a pity that her face was covered with a black patterned mask, obscuring her features.
"Your Highness..."
Even Rhein, as proud as he was, couldn't help but kneel on one knee and pay his respects when he saw her.
"Rise," she said.
The woman known as "Your Highness" stepped over Rhein in her long boots and came to the prison entrance.
Upon hearing the noise coming from inside, she couldn't help but frown deeply.
"I remember having said that before I meet with him, he is not to be harmed in the slightest."
Her voice involuntarily took on an icy tone.
"My apologies, Your Esteemed Highness," Rhein bowed deeply. "But you have also granted me the authority to make decisions on my own under certain circumstances."
"According to my judgment, if he were to meet with you directly, unpleasant incidents are likely to ensue; thus, I took the liberty of disciplining this somewhat clever individual."
In Rhein's view, violence and fear were best for teaching submission.
Lynn was no exception.
"Somewhat clever? Is that your assessment of him?"
Upon hearing her subordinate's explanation, her icy voice softened slightly.
"Yes, his abilities are quite decent compared to ordinary people and should be able to provide some assistance for Your Highness's cause," Rhein nodded. "However, that's all they are—decent."
Upon hearing this, she fell silent for a moment, then spoke, "Open the door. I wish to meet him in person."
...
After the second beating, Lynn no longer had the strength even to sit up in the chair.
At this moment, his hands remained cuffed under the table, his head resting weakly on the edge of the table, he was utterly drained.
It wasn't long before the door was pushed open again.
He thought he would hear Ryan's disdain-filled words again.
Unexpectedly, what he first discerned was the scent of roses and the crisp sound of a woman's boots touching the ground.
It was just a pity he lacked the strength to lift his head.
Shortly after, an icy yet pleasant voice suddenly rang out.
"Lynn Bartleion, 17 years old, formerly a student at Saint Laurent Royal Transcendent Academy."
"During your time at the academy, you excelled academically, boasted a remarkable talent, and were promoted to a Fourth Rank Transcendent after merely two years of enrollment."
"Not only that, but you also requested real combat experience multiple times. After passing the assessments, you were granted permission to lead a group of fourth-period students to the frontlines of the Demon Clan's battlefield, where you repeatedly earned distinctions and were awarded the Captain Rank at a young age."
"You were supposed to become the youngest staff officer in the history of the Empire and, with the backing of Marquis Bartleion, ascend even further."
"You had a beautiful fiancée, a teacher who cared for you, and classmates who respected you. Your future was supposed to be bright."
"But ever since that incident, everything came crashing down."
"..."
Lynn remained silent.
Seeing this, the woman with the lovely voice didn't seem angry. "Since you're not talking, I will continue."
"One and a half years ago, during the Holy Sword Army's thirteenth annihilation campaign against the Demon Clan, you received orders to collaborate with the Commander and your elite squad on an extremely dangerous decapitation mission."
"After the mission ended, believing you had spotted an opportunity, you failed to comply with military orders to return to camp and instead rashly ventured deeper into the battlefield, seeking glory."
"During that time, your squad members repeatedly urged you to turn back, but you turned a deaf ear, risking the lives of the entire squad for your own military honors."
"According to reports, you were later ambushed by the Demon Clan, suffered heavy casualties, and ultimately managed to escape back to camp alone, paying the price with the lives of all your squad members."
"Afterward, you were brought before a military tribunal and, through your father's intervention, you managed to survive, but in doing so, you incited the wrath of the entire Imperial Capital."
"Even your faith abandoned you: the Archbishop of the Heavenly Principle Church personally stripped you of the Divine-given factor within you, rendering you an ordinary person who could never again pursue the path of the Transcendent."
"Your family also condemned you as a criminal, exiling you from the Imperial Capital to this distant frontier."
"Am I not correct... Mr. 'Disgrace of Nobility'?"
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