Hearing the woman's account, Lynn bowed his head deeply, a cold sneer spreading across his face.
*The former self truly was nothing but a wretched soul through and through.*
According to his memories, the events that transpired during that war were worlds apart from what was described in the official reports.
A man who should have been honored as a war hero ended up being slandered as a coward who abandoned his comrades and fled. Even the credit for his contributions was utterly erased.
Lynn straightened his body with effort, positioning himself in a posture that was slightly less agonizing as he leaned back against the chair.
The theory of Theseus' Ship was something he understood well.
The human body's cells are entirely replaced and renewed countless times over the course of a lifetime.
Strictly speaking, the person you are when you're born and the person you are when you die are two completely different individuals.
So what defines the essence of a person?
In Lynn's view, it was memory.
Memory determines a person's character and qualities; it dictates the choices they make as they stand at countless crossroads in life.
If that was the case, then what sense was there in drawing such a clear line between the former self and this Lynn, who hailed from Blue Star?
In this moment, inheriting the former self's memories, he was undeniably still the youngest son of the Bartleion family.
As such, he refused to accept the validity of the report in her hands.
With that thought in mind, Lynn lifted his gaze.
Under the lamplight, he caught sight of Rhein, standing to the side with downcast eyes, and the woman seated on the chair.
Judging by her figure and bearing, the woman before him must have possessed a beauty defying all conventions—yet also a terror defying all convention.
She was like a rose, adorned with thorns.
Oddly enough, she seemed reluctant to reveal her visage, instead wearing a pitch-black mask engraved with strange patterns, its eerie design concealing her fair and delicate face.
Aside from a pair of cold yet stunningly beautiful eyes, nothing else could be seen.
A dangerous figure.
At first glance, he silently reached this conclusion in his heart.
Judging by appearances, she must be the "Lady" that Morris had mentioned.
Lynn reached a judgment in his heart, then smiled wryly as he raised his wrists, bound tightly in handcuffs. "Speaking of these handcuffs—they're on so tight. Any chance I could get them off?"
He directed his complaint to Rhein.
"Save your joking for after you're dead."
Rhein spoke impassively.
Hearing this, Lynn sighed. "Looks like we really don't get along… In that case, I have one more request."
The masked woman lifted her hand, halting Rhein's brewing temper. "Go on."
"Make him leave," Lynn said, tilting his head toward Rhein. "You want to ask me some questions, don't you? With him here, I'm too afraid—so afraid I can't think of anything."
"Fine."
The masked woman gave a slight nod and agreed to Lynn's suggestion.
"But…"
Rhein still showed hesitation.
At that moment, Lynn suddenly erupted into a fit of violent coughing, bowing his head deeply.
Under the lamplight, Rhein caught sight of blood spilling from his mouth.
It seemed the internal injuries inflicted by the guards' earlier tortures were severe.
If that were the case, this wretch had lost whatever threat he might pose.
After all, without the Divine-given factor, Lynn Bartleion was nothing more than an ordinary man. Even with a bit of cunning, there was no way he could challenge the heavily guarded "Dungeon."
Rhein's last trace of suspicion faded from his mind.
Even so, before leaving, he figured a warning was in order.
After nodding slightly toward Her Highness the Princess, he circled around the table to Lynn's side, grabbing a handful of his hair and leaning down to whisper in his ear, "Behave yourself."
"..."
Lynn beamed at him, baring a radiant smile.
"Hmph."
At the sight, Rhein released his grip on Lynn's hair, turned on his heel, and walked away.
In moments, the cramped cell held only Lynn and the masked woman.
"I've granted your request. Now it's time for you to answer my questions."
"What do you have to say about the contents of this report?"
The woman's voice was icy, yet ethereal and arresting.
"What do I have to say…" Lynn murmured, as though he were speaking to her—or perhaps musing aloud. "Madam, if you managed to obtain this dossier, that must mean you hold a high position in the Empire's administrative ranks."
"If that's the case, you must also know just to what extent those useless bureaucrats will go to bury the truth in their petty schemes."
"What happened back then… was all that woman's doing. A complete and utter setup."
"So, I don't acknowledge a single word."
The air grew thick with tension.
From behind her mask, the woman's gaze fixed on Lynn, as though attempting to pierce through him entirely.
After a brief pause, she turned to the next page of the dossier. "The 'woman' you're referring to must be your former fiancée, Miss Irina Mosgla of the Snow Eagle family?"
Lynn glanced at her.
"In your testimony back then, you claimed it was she who issued false military orders and intelligence, using you and your squad as bait. That led to all 132 members of your team being trapped and ultimately annihilated."
"Meanwhile, she stepped over your comrades' corpses to achieve glory, wiping out tens of thousands of demons in the Battle of the Soron Mountain Range and becoming the youngest Valkyrie in the Empire's history."
"You even accused her of colluding with the Demon Clan and committing treason."
"But unfortunately, the Empire ultimately dismissed those baseless accusations."
Hearing those words, Lynn took a deep breath. "You didn't bring me to a place like this just to reopen old wounds, did you?"
The masked woman nodded slightly. "Well then, let's discuss information you aren't aware of."
She pulled another stack of papers from the dossier.
As Lynn watched, her cold and clear voice sounded once more.
"In the year and a half since you were exiled to Orn City, significant events have unfolded in the Imperial Capital."
"First of all, after leaving the battlefield, your fiancée, Irina, participated in an experiment at the Saint Laurent Research Institute."
"With the assistance of researchers, she successfully transplanted the Divine-given factor extracted from you, ascending to the Fifth Rank and becoming the only 'Legendary' Transcendent of her age group."
"This made her title as the 'Empire's Valkyrie' all the more fitting."
"Following that, Irina, along with the Snow Eagle family, spearheaded efforts to suppress the Bartleion family."
"At the forefront of this assault was your father, Marquis Bartleion."
"Due to your past transgressions, he was forced to resign from his position as Military Affairs Minister. After returning home, he fell gravely ill and has remained in a coma ever since."
"Your brother also lost his life in a military operation, which the Military Department ruled an accident after an investigation."
"As for you, exiled to Orn City, you must have sensed it by now, haven't you?" At this point, the masked woman suddenly raised her head to look at Lynn. "The servants who lorded over you like masters, as well as… those forces secretly hunting you."
Lynn stayed silent.
*To think that after leaving the Imperial Capital, such earth-shattering events had transpired.*
*The Bartleion family could now be considered completely ruined.*
Yet as these thoughts unfolded, a spark of curiosity toward the masked woman ignited within Lynn.
"Madam, what exactly is your purpose for seeking me out?"
Hearing this, the masked woman nodded slightly. "Let me be frank, then."
"Having endured such injustice, I believe you must be seething with anger by now." The masked woman leaned forward, intertwining her fingers as she spoke. "If that's the case, I want you to channel that anger into strength."
"Lynn Bartleion, I want you to work for me."
"In return, those who slandered you—I'll silence them; those who sit on their high thrones—I'll drag them into the abyss; those who humiliated you... I'll make them suffer eternal torment."