I Pioneered Scientific Magic

Chapter 281: Lies Are Truth, Truth Is Lies!

In what circumstance is a lie most easily believed?

Certainly when the liar himself firmly believes it's the truth! This was the core performance that Lynn meticulously set up for Archbishop Anluke, and the central performer naturally was Cody!

Over two months ago, when dealing with the real William, clearing his forces, Lynn faced a choice—whether to eliminate Cody, who was William's right-hand man and knew some information about the wizard's territory.

Neither Darak, Murt, nor Loude dared to decide on their own. After all, Cody had been to Iyeta Harbor and had prolonged contact with that person of high rank, so this matter was pushed back to Lynn's hands.

After brief consideration, Lynn ultimately chose to spare Cody's life. Not out of consideration for any sentiment but because Cody was unaware of William's body double, Loude.

Learning this surprised Lynn too, as Cody, being William's right-hand man responsible for maritime transportation between two locations, was evidently highly trusted.

But Lynn quickly speculated that William had the body double not only as a precaution against the Church but likely against Herlram's thoughts of betrayal.

To prevent this great wizard from ever contemplating replacing himself, Cody, who had direct contact with the wizards, turned out to be the one least likely to know of the double's existence.

Given this, Lynn kept Cody around, and now was the perfect time to use him.

As William's confidant, going to the Church to meet Anluke seemed reasonable and consistent in Cody's mind. He also had the reasons for William's rebellion in his thoughts; it all fit seamlessly.

Thus, the more Anluke probed Cody's memories, the more he'd trust Cody's words. After all, intelligent people often prefer to believe their own investigations.

With Lynn's explanation, Loude finally realized he had become the character in the play. His prior orders were simply to dispatch Cody to negotiate with Anluke on behalf of the Church.

Little did he expect that Cody's memories were the true bait...

"I don't mean to distrust you, Loude, it's just sometimes acting lacks the genuine reactions," Lynn said with a smile.

"But, Lord Lynn, isn't this a bit too risky? Cody's memories contain a lot of information about the wizard's territory. Even details about the airship have been exposed," Murt questioned, a hint of hesitation in his words.

Since becoming a wizard, Murt understood he had no way back and naturally stood completely on the 'brethren's' side. To him, Cody was too unstable a person with too much information. They could easily find someone who knew less and intentionally convey only the false information they wanted.

"No, that would be too contrived. There's no one more suitable than him..." Lynn shook his head, dismissing Murt's words.

Cody knew a lot, some information was crucial, but the majority was intelligence the Church had long been aware of—like the changes in the Sea of Mist or the turmoil in the wizard's territory...

Details such as the wizards preparing for war, transporting ore via airship, these were the bits the Church didn't know, and these would enhance the credibility of Cody's words.

After all, if 'William' held information already known to the Church, he would hold no value! The second factor was that they had no more time to wait; they had to take some risks!

It had been several days since Duke Rickman's disastrous defeat. Lynn had been anticipating the Kingdom and the Church to organize another large-scale attack on the Count's domain, precisely when the Archbishop led his people out of the Church!

Back when Redell attacked the church within the Count's domain, Lynn realized that those clergy became even more formidable inside the church than outside. Moreover, this cathedral within the capital was the epicenter of the entire kingdom's faith. Who knew what oddities lay inside?

Even if the idols themselves suddenly revived and took action, he wouldn't be surprised.

However, things didn't go as expected. Neither King Bazeel nor the Church made any moves. This made Lynn somewhat uneasy; these people might be waiting for the Empire's reinforcements, meaning they had to act swiftly!

If he could choose the battlefield himself, that would be perfect.

"Lord Lynn, how should we handle Cody now? Should we kill him?" Loude furrowed his brow, in William's temperament, someone who leaked such critical information would likely be dealt with directly.

"No, first, a severe punishment. Then let him make amends and continue to be responsible for Church affairs," Lynn pondered for a while before speaking.

This was also a move William might make. It shouldn't raise suspicions. The information in Cody's mind had leaked; dispatching other confidants would only divulge more information. It was better to put the waste to use and extract some value.

...

On the second day of Cody's journey to the Church, there was a 180-degree shift in the winds within the capital.

First, King Bazeel severely reprimanded Crown Prince Harold during a routine meeting, placing him under house arrest. The blame for the war's failure was entirely placed on Grand Duke Rickman, attributing the severe errors to his command that led to such a painful outcome.

Following that, word spread within the palace that King Bazeel intended to pass the throne to his second son, Hatar, and would announce the heir's selection on a chosen day.

Naturally, Hatar was ecstatic. He felt the warmth of fatherly love once more and believed that the King's prior coldness was to deceive Harold and others, intending to crush their influence at one go!

With an unrealistic hope, Hatar, upon receiving reports that his father was hosting a banquet in the capital and inviting him, began to hesitate on the necessity of continuing his scheme for the throne.

Seizing power by force was no small stain; it was a last resort.

"I think this only proves that your good father is about to turn against you!" Anthony sneered, reminding him. "If you go to the palace, you won't be coming back!"

The Bazellian Kingdom wasn't even pretending anymore. Such a sudden change indicated urgency—they were likely to strike, maybe even tonight!

Persuaded by Anthony, Hatar had to ruthlessly decline the attendant's invitation, excusing himself under the pretense of falling severely ill, making it impossible to meet the King in the capital...

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