I love time travel the most!

Upon hearing this, Lin narrowed his eyes, his expression mirroring that of the Marquis just now.

"Go back and talk."

"Yes."

The two left one after the other.

Chapter 445 Flowers, Birds, Wind, and Moon

The Marquis's mansion was very large, so there were many empty rooms. On the third floor, where miscellaneous items were stored, in a secluded corner room was Kobayashi's living quarters.

Originally, without a family name, he couldn't live here, but at the request of Marquis Reibourn, he had no choice but to stay here. However, over time, for some unknown reason, rumors began to circulate that Marquis Reibourn did this on purpose to humiliate the second young master.

Although both were requests from the Marquis, their meanings were completely different. In order to protect his family, his brother silently accepted the scandal.

Go into the room.

"Master Lin."

"and many more."

Stopping the maid from speaking, Lin went to the bookshelf and pulled out a book. The book's cover was light blue, and the surface was slightly dusty, suggesting that the room hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

He didn't care, but instead turned to a specific page in the book, on which a mysterious magic circle was depicted.

Three seconds later, the light blue light shield slowly spread outward from the book, rippled as it reached the top of the room, and stopped only after it enveloped the entire room.

This is a third-tier spell that effectively prevents eavesdropping; even if someone is being eavesdropped on, it will serve as a warning. To exaggerate a bit, no one in the entire capital can eavesdrop silently.

Although it might seem like making a mountain out of a molehill, the Marquis's mansion, which is constantly under the watchful eyes of various forces, is better off being cautious, since what he is hiding must not be exposed.

He casually sat down at the desk and chair, and a maid quickly came up behind him, massaging his shoulders to ease the fatigue from the long carriage ride. Lin then asked:

"Tell me, what's the matter?"

"Yes. First of all, Lord Gerdev Storonov, the Kingdom's Warrior Captain, was ambushed by the elite force of the Sunlight Scripture of the Slan Theocracy while leading his squad to the village of Karn."

"……What did you say?!"

Upon hearing this news, Lin's limp body immediately sat up straight, and his shoulders and body tensed up.

Gödel Stroronov was both his mentor and friend, someone who, even though his own brother was ostensibly a representative of the aristocracy, was willing to exchange ideas with him without prejudice. Not to mention that he was of commoner origin and was naturally at odds with the aristocracy.

Such magnanimity is truly admirable.

Noticing her master's nervousness, the maid continued, "Please rest assured, Master. Lord Gazef Stroronov did not die. He was saved by a magic chanter named Ainz Ooal Gown, and only a few soldiers were lost."

"Ainz Ooal Gown... Hiss—!"

The moment Lin uttered the name, his head throbbed as if pricked by needles. He gasped, his face contorted, and he covered his forehead.

The maid quickly massaged her master.

The incredibly skillful technique indicated that this method of pain relief had been used many times before. However, this time the pain was much more intense than usual, and it took a long time to subside.

This phenomenon is caused by innate superpowers.

As the name suggests, it refers to a special ability that one is born with.

In this world, about one in every two hundred people possesses innate superpowers, but most of them are simple and convenient abilities like weather forecasting, while a small number possess rare abilities such as adjusting potions or using various magical tools.

Lin's innate ability is

—The wisdom of a goddess.

This ability was fully revealed when Lin was six years old. At the moment of its manifestation, her originally bright blonde hair was instantly dyed light blue, and she also gained the ability to hear the goddess's divine pronouncements and receive certain warnings.

The warning is just like what happened: when I hear someone's name, my head feels like it's being pricked with needles, and the more it hurts, the more important that person is.

This time, the pain was the most intense I've experienced in eighteen years!

"Ainz Ooal Gown...?"

Although we don't know who he is, since the goddess's wisdom has given us a warning, we have no choice but to investigate him thoroughly.

Let me also mention the less important oracle of the goddess.

Aside from the goddess's name, Aqua, and the unmistakably clear doctrine of giving up, this ability leaves other ambiguous things like yo-yos, bubble tea, and video game consoles completely unclear.

However, it was thanks to this doctrine of abandoning oneself that those who believed in the six major gods mistakenly thought it was just children's fun and used it as an object of ridicule. This prevented them from being attacked and ostracized, allowing them to develop secretly. For a moment, they didn't know whether to be grateful or helpless.

Moreover, the goddess's wisdom is not limited to this; she also possesses even more powerful abilities.

"Master Lin?"

"It's nothing, I was just spacing out."

Close your eyes and enjoy the maid's massage to relieve the discomfort that felt like being pricked with needles.

Once the pain subsides and thoughts are no longer affected, intelligence regains its dominance.

The maid continued her report: "The 'Bird' has sent word that many nobles are involved in this incident, including but not limited to the other five great noble families and numerous smaller noble families working together. Evidence hasn't been found yet, but the 'Bird' has discovered a lead. Should we continue investigating?"

"...Forget it, let them come back. Continuing is just a waste of energy," Lin said, waving his hand.

Given the kingdom's current control over the nobles, even if evidence is found, it will be futile. They can simply deny it or send out insignificant pawns as scapegoats.

Moreover, it is completely ineffective in punishing the aristocratic faction, and going too far will only provoke a greater backlash.

Instead of wasting energy on things you can't have, focus your energy elsewhere.

"Phew—, the kingdom is on the verge of collapse, yet those nobles are only thinking about their own interests. It's unbearable. Without a country, where is the home? When will those fools ever understand this?"

The maid did not respond to Lin's sigh.

She is a member of the "Flower" and an insignificant member of the Axis Cult. Lacking intelligence, she is unable to share her master's troubles.

But unlike in this respect, if she is required to make a sacrifice for her master right now, she will not hesitate to commit suicide on the spot; that is her resolve.

"Anything else?"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing her master's question, the maid immediately snapped out of her daze.

She composed herself and said, "The former ninth seat of the [Dark Codex], [Swift Wind Breaker] Clementine, has betrayed us."

"Oh? That love-starved girl defected? Did she have a falling out with her fifth-seat brother? Hahaha, it seems my stirring up trouble did have some effect."

Lin raised an eyebrow, a smug grin on his face.

The maid bowed her head slightly.

The only one who could be called a girl lacking love is her master, after all, Clementine is a strong person who has stepped into the realm of heroes, and there are only a handful of warriors stronger than her.

The two's ill-fated relationship dates back to when Lin went to the Slane Theocracy to explore the true meaning of faith-based magic.

Back then, Clementine, relying on his position as the ninth seat of the Dark Codex, often made things difficult for him, and it was common for him to be beaten up and covered in bruises.

If it weren't for the fact that it was the other party's territory and they had to hide their strength, I would definitely have taught her a lesson.

"According to the message from the 'Bird,' Clementine, the 'Swift Wind,' seized the 'Crown of the Sage,' a treasure of the Wind and Flower Scripture, during her escape. However, due to the rapid information blockade, the veracity of this information cannot be confirmed. Should we continue the investigation?"

"No need. The Holy Kingdom is definitely on edge right now, and any misstep could easily be seen as an enemy. ... Go ask [Astrological Thousand Miles]. That girl has received so many benefits; it's time for her to put her to good use."

"Yes, I understand."

The maid nodded in response.

Among the twelve seats of the [Dark Codex], the seventh seat, [Astrologist], is in charge of the knowledge aspect. Therefore, in order to explore the true meaning of faith-based magic, he has been spending a long time with him. In addition, the other party also has the ability to monitor everything, making it incredibly easy to obtain information. As a result, the two have established a clear relationship of mutual benefit.

"By the way, where did that love-starved girl go?"

"According to 'Moon's' report, she should be in the fortress city now."

"I think so too."

【Ye Lantier】is an important border city located between the neighboring 【Bahars Empire】 and 【Slane Theocracy】. It is heavily protected by triple walls, hence its name as a fortress city, just like its appearance suggests.

Having escaped that place, she could either turn and run away or infiltrate the Holy Kingdom at any time; it's easy to imagine what she wanted to do.

"A fortress city..."

"Lord Lin, are you planning to go to the fortress city?"

"Of course. I suffered a lot because of that guy's harassment back then, and now that she has voluntarily left the Holy Kingdom, how can I not return the favor properly?"

He was also very interested in the [Wise Man's Crown].

I've heard that it's an artifact capable of unleashing a seventh-tier spell—the [Undead Legion]—that is absolutely beyond the reach of humans.

Even if it's not the "Wise Man's Crown," anything that can be called a national treasure must at least be a divine artifact of the same level.

I was so nervous before just wanting to see those treasures, and now I actually have the chance to seize them. If I can steal or destroy them, I'm sure the expressions on the faces of those self-proclaimed last and strongest guardians of humanity will be quite a sight.

But why did she steal that treasure?

Although Lin outwardly scoffed at those who claimed to be humanity's last and strongest guardians, the guys in the Dark Scripture were indeed very strong, especially the Extra Member, who was stronger than a human.

The dangers and difficulties Clementine faced in stealing the treasure from among the many monsters and escaping were considerable.

A light tap of the finger on the table produced a crisp, soft sound.

He muttered to himself, "Could it be... that someone is behind this?"

"Lord Lin, you mean..."

"After all, you can't just steal the theocratic treasure like a rebellious girl to prove that you're better than your brother, can you?"

No, it's not impossible.

That girl is a mentally unstable, love-starved girl; it's not impossible that she would do something like that.

After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Have 'Moon' monitor her and see who she's been in contact with. Once you find them, have 'Wind' move in, but don't ambush her; just trap her. She's at least someone who's entered the Heroic realm; second and third-tier heroes are just easy prey."

"Yes, I understand."

The maid bowed her head in response.

As a maid who often spent time with her master, she naturally knew about her master's attention to [Swift Wind Breaker], but it was definitely not feelings of love or affection, but rather hatred that wished the other person dead.

You want to ask why?

It wasn't the superficial reason of being constantly tormented to the point of near death, but rather her brutal personality that didn't match her cute appearance. She was a capricious and murderous maniac who took lives, which is why Lin loathed her so much.