Stop Hypnotizing Me, Antagonist Princess!

Looking at Duke Tierus, who was extremely angry at the moment, Lynn felt very calm inside.

It was obvious that the events at City Square had already spread throughout the city.

And he himself could not possibly be unaware.

Not only that, but Lynn had specifically noted on the banner at that time that this move was an initiative of Duke Tierus.

This was tantamount to pushing him into a pit of fire and making him a target of public criticism.

Even the reputation of the Tierus family abroad would be affected.

Outsiders would only think that the seemingly powerful Duke family was actually just a commander without any followers.

This was undoubtedly a significant blow to Duke Tierus's prestige.

So upon learning about Lynn's actions, Duke Tierus couldn't sit still any longer and rushed to Augusta Manor.

He was very angry now and wanted to have a good questioning with Lynn.

"Take it easy, Your Grace," Lynn sighed, "I know you're in a hurry, but hold off for now."

"In my view, the more urgent party right now should actually be the Church."

Upon hearing this, Duke Tierus was stunned for a moment and then scoffed, "Those guys are busy banding together to confront us; what do they have to be anxious about?"

Lynn shook his head. "If you look at the matter from the perspective of the public and the believers, you will find that the situation is completely different."

"What do you mean?"

Although he had come with anger at first, at this very moment, under Lynn's persuasive words, Duke Tierus gradually calmed down.

He conveniently sat in a vacant seat nearby, supporting his knees with both hands, sitting upright.

Seeing this, Lynn continued, "Let me give you an example."

"If Your Grace were a devout believer in the Fertility Church and one day you passed by the City Square and saw those donation boxes and the banners above them, wouldn't you want to contribute to your faith?"

"I... of course."

Duke Tierus wanted to retort.

But after actually putting himself in their shoes, he realized that it was indeed the case.

Those glass donation boxes were transparent precisely so the passing pedestrians and the surrounding crowd could clearly see the amounts inside them as well as the corresponding churches and faiths.

This led to a problem.

The poorer, or rather, those who are more disillusioned with life, are more likely to cling to the elusive religious faith like a drowning person grasping at straws, believing that God will save them.

And once they have developed a devout faith, these people will display a maniacal side.

For example, a common trait among most humans—vanity.

Not just the wealthy engage in comparison.

To safeguard their faith, sometimes, the poor and ordinary people also become quite frenzied.

Because... they truly believe that the deity is watching over humanity.

So after these glass donation boxes were set up in City Square, in order not to lose face for their church, they would vigorously support the fundraising.

Believers would eagerly compare, seeing which church donated more money.

After all, this was a blatant display opportunity under everyone's eyes.

And between churches and believers that normally have friction and conflict, the atmosphere would become extraordinarily tense.

No believer would want their church to contribute less money than the others.

In the end, it would definitely turn into a city-wide pathological frenzy.

Unfortunately, Lynn had anticipated such a situation.

Therefore, from the beginning, he had ordered the guards to prevent ordinary believers and people from coming to donate.

Thus, those donation boxes that should have been filled long ago were still completely empty.

"Just think about it, the banner above the donation boxes and the empty situation inside, it's nothing short of a perfect irony for those believers."

"Although it's not fatal, it's enough to make them have some doubts about their faith during their spare moments amid their busy lives."

"For instance, why have I donated so much to the church, yet in the end, they are still not contributing anything?"

Lynn said indifferently.

"..."

At that moment, Duke Tierus was deeply engrossed in thought.

In fact, as soon as Lynn began to speak, he had vaguely guessed the other's intentions.

This is really... quite an ingenious approach.

The last trace of dissatisfaction in his heart dissolved as well.

After a moment of silence, Duke Tierus once again voiced his doubts, "But if they choose to start afresh, what will you do?"

Currently, those people led by the Heavenly Principle Church were banding together in rebellion.

To resist Duke Tierus and to keep their followers heartened, they might very well hold another donation ceremony.

In essence, it was merely a case of moving money from one hand to another.

In the end, it was simply another round of blood-sucking from the populace while the money returned to their own pockets.

"It's too late," Lynn said with a smile, "My lord, it's already the fourth day."

"If I'm not mistaken, starting tomorrow, this contest between royal power, the church, and the nobility will see a shift in roles."

For some reason, the young man before him gave off the illusion that he could turn defeat into victory at any moment.

"So, what are you waiting for now?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Duke Tierus looked at Lynn and asked.

Lynn raised his index finger, "I am waiting for the opportunity to break the deadlock, a... 'scapegoat.'"

As soon as he finished speaking, the butler Kasha returned and whispered to Lynn, "Young master, the bishop of the Slan Sect wants to meet with you."

"Look, here he comes."

...

Led by a maid, Bishop Yivo Traore arrived at a garden with a nervous demeanor.

At this moment, his heart was filled with tension and fear.

As the bishop of the Slan Sect in Orn City, he was taking the risk of being antagonized by the Heavenly Principle Church to meet with the mastermind behind the scenes.

Such was the plight of a small church.

Speaking of the Slan Sect, there wasn't much remarkable about it.

Bishop Yivo wasn't a native of Orn City.

He came from a small country nestled between the Saint Laurent Empire and the Tutenkhamun Empire, where the populace predominantly worshiped the Earth God and were mostly followers of the Slan Sect.

This country was rich in Magic Stone mines and could prosper merely from export trade.

Yet, a man is not guilty of the crime of carrying jade; he is guilty of the crime of wearing it.

After rapidly amassing wealth, they caught the attention of the Tutenkhamun Empire.

Since this empire worshiped the War God and glorified strife and violence,

What followed was a typical war of aggression.

Yivo fled his country amidst that war and decided to travel far and wide to preach his faith to ensure the survival of the Slan Sect, eventually arriving in Orn City.

Fortunately, this place advocated for religious freedom providing fertile ground for nurturing sects.

In the years that followed, the sect gradually grew and expanded.

Although nowhere near the scale of the Heavenly Principle Church, they had gathered nearly ten thousand devout followers within Orn City.

However, many problems ensued.

Firstly, the teachings of the Earth God conflicted with those of the native Fertility Church, repeatedly drawing warnings from the City Council and the Security Bureau demanding changes to their doctrines.

This was absurd.

He was merely a bishop; what authority did he have to alter the scriptures on behalf of a god?

Second, a few years ago, the War God Cathedral moved into Orn City and began aggressively acquiring followers.

This church belonged to the Tutenkhamun Empire, a sworn enemy of Yivo's native country, so peaceful coexistence was not an option.

Under the duress of these two powers, the living space of the Slan Sect was gradually encroached upon.

By now, it had virtually become the weakest church in the locale, even showing signs of near extinction.

Thus, to survive, he eventually sought out Augusta Manor.

Looking at the markedly younger than anticipated youth and the taciturn Duke Tierus beside him, Bishop Yivo felt a vague sense that he had come to the right place.