Lynn shuddered.
He didn’t dare imagine what terrifying things Alicia or Vivian would say under the influence of Absolute Sincerity.
‘Break my legs and lock me up?’ ‘Kill everyone who gets close to you?’
However, thirty seconds, even if diluted… perhaps it could be used at a critical moment to fish for information or force them into a contradiction, creating an opportunity for him to escape?
With 100 points, he could just barely afford the ninety-nine point item, leaving one point behind.
“Which one should he buy?”
The pounding on the door grew heavier.
“Lynn! I’m counting to three!”
Vivian’s voice had already turned cold.
“One!”
There was no time to hesitate!
Lynn grit his teeth and chose the Presence Erase Spray.
“He needed to get out of here first!”
[Purchase of “Presence Erase Spray” successful. 99 Points consumed, 1 Point remaining. Item has been issued to the Virtual Backpack; use your mind to retrieve it.]
A small object that looked like a nasal spray appeared in Lynn’s consciousness.
“Two!”
Vivian’s voice sounded like a death knell.
Lynn took a deep breath, and with a thought, the spray appeared in his hand.
He vigorously sprayed it all over his body.
A faint, almost imperceptible scent of mint drifted through the air.
“Three!”
“Boom!”
The dormitory door was kicked open by Vivian.
Amidst flying wood splinters, Vivian stood at the doorway with a murderous expression, carrying her massive greatsword.
Alicia stood behind her, and although a smile still lingered on her face, her eyes were frighteningly cold.
“Lynn, you…”
Vivian began, her gaze sweeping across the room.
Lynn stood not far behind the door, his heart racing wildly.
Vivian’s gaze passed right over him, lingering for a brief second as if she felt something was slightly off, but she found nothing.
Finally, her eyes landed on the torn stationery on the desk.
“What were you looking at?”
She frowned and walked toward the table.
Alicia entered as well.
Her gaze also swept near the spot where Lynn was standing, carrying a hint of suspicion, but she did not stop.
“It worked!”
Lynn held his breath.
Taking advantage of the moment their attention was focused on the letter, he crouched low and hugged the wall, slipping out through the gap in the door one inch at a time.
His movements were very light and very slow.
Vivian picked up the letter and looked at the scribbles, looking utterly baffled.
“What on earth are these charms?”
Alicia leaned in to look as well.
She seemed to recognize the wax seal, and her expression changed slightly.
“This is… the Witch’s…”
Lynn had already reached the doorway.
He didn’t dare run; he could only move toward the other end of the hallway as fast as possible without making a sound.
“Five minutes.”
He had to leave this place within five minutes!
He felt as if he were dancing on the edge of a blade, every step making his heart thud with terror.
Vivian and Alicia were still studying the letter, seemingly captivated by its contents.
“This looks like a code,” Alicia said in a low voice.
“A code?”
Vivian grew interested.
“Written to Lynn? By whom?”
Lynn had already reached the corner of the hallway.
He glanced back and saw the two of them still had their backs turned to him.
“Great opportunity!”
He no longer hesitated and took off, sprinting toward the stairwell at the speed of a 100-meter dash.
He had to leave this building, go somewhere crowded, go to his Mentor’s office—anywhere was fine as long as he could temporarily escape these two crazy women!
—
The bell signaling the end of physical education class sounded like a charge for battle to Lynn.
During that damned swordplay class, Vivian and Alicia had sandwiched him the entire time—one acting as a “teaching assistant” and the other as a “class priestess.”
One corrected his grip while the other wiped his sweat and offered prayers, giving him a full experience of what a public execution felt like.
He now only wanted to rush back to the dormitory at top speed, use the last bit of the Presence Erase Spray, and find a hole to crawl into until dark.
Inside the public locker room, steam rose, mixing with the scent of teenage sweat.
Lynn stripped off his soaked training uniform in three or four motions and wiped his body haphazardly with a towel, wanting only to leave this place of trouble before anyone else.
Just as he had pulled on his pants and was about to put on his shirt—
“Clang—!”
A loud bang echoed.
The heavy iron door of the locker room was slammed shut from the inside.
Following that was a “click”—the sound of the bolt sliding home.
The entire locker room went silent instantly; everyone froze in their tracks.
Lynn’s heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding crawled up his spine.
He stiffly turned his head.
Vivian Croft, the Imperial Princess, was leaning against the iron door with her arms crossed over her chest.
She had just finished her training, and a thin layer of sweat still coated her face.
Her long blonde hair was tied in a sharp high ponytail, and the tight-fitting knight’s attire she wore outlined her striking figure.
She hadn’t brought that exaggerated greatsword, but she herself was more oppressive than any weapon.
[Vivian’s Blackening Value: 88%]
The value wasn’t the highest it had been, but it was terrifyingly stable.
The few other students in the locker room who hadn’t managed to leave yet didn’t even dare to breathe at the sight of this.
They huddled in the corners like frightened quails, not knowing where to put their hands or feet.
“You lot,” Vivian’s gaze swept over the background characters.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
“Turn around and close your eyes.”
The group felt as if they had been granted a divine amnesty and immediately turned around in unison to face the wall.
Vivian’s gaze finally settled on the shirtless Lynn.
Her eyes seemed to carry heat, scanning up and down his body without the slightest hint of shyness.
Lynn reflexively grabbed the shirt beside him to cover his chest.
“Your… Your Highness, what are you doing?”
He forced himself to remain calm.
“What am I doing?”
Vivian raised an eyebrow and took long strides, walking toward him step by step.
“Coming to pick you up after class, of course.”
The sound of her footsteps echoed in the empty locker room, each one feeling like it was stomping directly on Lynn’s heart.
“I… I can leave on my own,” Lynn said while backing away.
“No, you won’t.”
Vivian walked up to him and looked down at him.
“You’ll only run around everywhere, attracting unclean things.”
It went without saying who she meant by “unclean things.”
Lynn had nowhere left to retreat. His back hit the cold lockers with a loud “thud”.
“This is the men’s locker room!” he tried to make a final stand.
“I know,” Vivian replied matter-of-factly.
“That’s why I locked the door. Very considerate, right?”
“Considerate, my foot!”
Lynn looked at her face, which was now inches away, and could even smell the faint scent of sweat and leather on her.
His mind raced.
“Should he call for help?”
People outside wouldn’t hear, and even if they did, who would dare meddle in the Imperial Princess’s business?
Fight?
He was currently unarmed, and his opponent was a monster who could swing a greatsword like a toy.
“What exactly do you want?”
Lynn gave up his resistance.
He knew that in the face of absolute martial power, any petty tricks were useless.
“To take you away,” Vivian said simply and directly.
“To leave this hellhole and go back to the Royal Palace. It’s safe there, and no one will be able to disturb us.”