Miss Witch’s Devotion Has Gone… Twisted

Chapter 400: Memory Restoration Technique

"Theodore!"

Seeing his son suddenly struck, Lynus wanted to rush forward to stop Loren, but the Pope stood in front of him.

"Master Mentor is conducting an investigation, please do not interfere."

"I..."

Lynus really wanted to get physical with the Pope and Loren, but he knew very well that right now he could only hold back. If he actually made a move, Loren would not need to search for evidence; he could convict them on the spot.

So for the greater good, he had to endure it and watch Loren keep beating his son.

"Tell me your plan in detail. Who was involved? Why did you do it?"

Loren grabbed Theodore by the hair and threw him out, smashing a nearby bookshelf.

By now Theodore had a bald patch where hair had been ripped away, and the face that had once been somewhat handsome was now completely mangled, covered in blood and bruises.

"I... I really don't know anything..."Theodore still tried to put on an innocent look. To be cautious to this degree meant he wasn't stupid; he understood that if he confessed it would be over for him.

Although he didn't understand how Loren had found him, he quickly accepted reality and looked for the optimal response.

"If you confess, only you die. If you don't, your whole family dies."

Loren grabbed Theodore's hair again and lifted him up. By Lynus's account, Theodore's strength was actually not weak, but right now he dared not fight back, sharing Lynus's fear.

"You... this is a coerced confession..."

Lynus clenched his fists. He was angry, but there was nothing he could do, so he condemned Loren on moral grounds.

"You misunderstand. I already have the evidence. My prophecy is ironclad. I just want to know the specifics of his plan."

Loren held Theodore up and said to Lynus.

Afterwards, he turned back to Theodore:

"I can convict you already. Whether you speak or not won't change your guilt. If you speak sooner, it might even lighten the sentence a bit."

"......"

Theodore fell silent, clearly not believing Loren.

One had to admit, this kid was really stubborn and, surprisingly, lacked noble arrogance. He had self-awareness.

He didn't think Loren attacking him was an affront to his noble status; he knew perfectly well his rank meant nothing before Loren.

"Speak or don't, speak or don't, speak or don't..."

With each taunt, Loren delivered a slap to Theodore's face. Theodore gritted his teeth and remained mute, which began to bore Loren.

So Loren let go and Theodore fell to the ground, then Loren stomped on his leg.

"......"

Loren's strength alone wasn't enough to break Theodore's leg outright, but that didn't matter. Loren drew Requiem and sliced off his knee.

"Secure him. Put him in the dungeon later."

"Yes, Master Mentor..."

The Pope dutifully assisted Loren, using Abundant Magic to bind Theodore.

"You intended to cover up your son's crime, which is also a crime. If you confess now it could reduce your charges a little. Otherwise your whole family will be executed. Choose."

After dealing with Theodore, Loren turned his attention to Lynus.

Loren actually didn't know whether Lynus was aware of the affair, but whether he knew or not didn't affect Loren's decision to act.

"I..."

Lynus instantly grew timid. He was a middle-aged man with high standing in his family; he couldn't imagine being beaten by Loren here. The image of Loren beating Theodore was still vivid in his mind; if he were the one beaten, he felt there would be no reason to continue living in this world.

As a classic noble, he cared deeply about face.

Watching Loren approach, Lynus panicked, sweat streaming uncontrollably.

"Wait, Master Mentor, I really don't know anything..."

He stepped back instinctively, looking utterly disheveled.

Seeing his father's state, Theodore finally couldn't hold back:

"This was all my own doing. My father has nothing to do with it!"

Now Loren roughly guessed the situation. It was very likely Lynus was innocent; Theodore didn't want to drag his father down with him.

"Theodore, you brat, you actually chose to shoulder all the guilt alone to protect your father?"

Seeing Theodore finally break down, Loren smiled. The more Theodore acted like this, the more Loren wanted to have his whole family executed.

"You!"

Having restrained himself for so long, Theodore now completely lost control of his anger, but he had already lost his ability to resist: his knee was gone and his body was bound by the Pope.

"Enough. Now tell me your plan, or your father is finished."

Loren did not move closer to Lynus. He sat down and wanted to hear Theodore describe his plan.

Lynus stared at Loren angrily, then sighed and resigned himself, telling the plan as if surrendering to fate.

From hiring Evan and supplying equipment to how information was passed layer by layer, Theodore confessed every detail of his plan.

Lynus said nothing, moving from unwillingness to anger, and finally to calm acceptance.

He was unwilling to let himself and his family be persecuted by Loren on a flimsy pretext. As Theodore spoke, Lynus realized these things were truly Theodore's doing. He was angry at his son's rashness, and at last accepted his fate.

Theodore had been his best child. He had already begun preparing to cultivate another heir.

"I learned that the head of the Chailros Family was at death's door. Whoever can present Ember Radiance to him will win the Chailros Family's wholehearted support.

"They are the most powerful family in the Nofica Theocracy. With their help, the Langton family would be transformed beyond recognition.

"Forgive me, Father. It was my own initiative that ruined me."

Theodore had accepted death and only hoped not to implicate his family.

"You deliberately hid the part that links to your father? Theodore, you're quite the good son."

"You!"

"What am I saying? I only said that if you don't confess your father will be finished. I didn't say that if you confess your father will be spared.

"To pull off something this big, you must have had the whole family's assistance..."

After saying this, Loren looked back at Lynus:

"Now it's your turn to confess. Make it detailed and plausible."

Lynus understood Loren's meaning: Loren wanted him to invent a crime so there would be a plausible reason for Loren to act against him.

If he refused, Theodore would become a bloody example and Loren would beat him until his memory returned.

Lynus forced a bitter smile and opted for a more dignified approach.