Book 20, The Crown’s Riddle – Chapter 16, A Tribulation

Linley secretly celebrated.

Fortunately, he had suspected Molde of plotting against him, and that this scheme shouldn’t be a simple one. Thus, from the very beginning, he had staunchly insisted on swearing an ‘Overgod oath’. And indeed, there were no problems with Linley’s oath to the Overgods; although he had the nine soul pearls, prior to this, he truly knew nothing whatsoever about the Overgod talismans.

But the Sovereign of Wind didn’t realize this.

This was because, according to that sheet of paper, Linley had acquired both the nine soul pearls as well as the Overgod decree. As Teresia, Sovereign of Wind, viewed it, if the information was true, then Linley should know what Overgod talismans are. But if the news was false, then Linley wouldn’t know.

By the looks of it, Linley truly didn’t know. That meant the news should be false!

This logic seemed flawless!

Actually, what the Sovereign of Wind didn’t realize was that Molde was a victim of his own cleverness. The news on that sheet of paper contained both truths and falsehoods! Molde’s actions were intended to make it so that even if Linley handed over the soul pearls, he would still be pursued by the Sovereigns. Since Linley wouldn’t be able to hand over the Overgod decree, then the Sovereign would probably kill Linley to ‘seize it’.

The information was partly true and partly false, so as to cause Linley’s death.

What he didn’t realize...