Chapter 1517

What's going on? Why hasn't the Thrush Crow returned yet?

Waiting from early morning until high noon, until the prayer monks had finished seven full rounds of prayer rituals with their chests bare, the Thrush Crow was still nowhere to be seen. The Narrative of Nothingness in the crowd couldn't help but furrow her brows tighter and tighter.

According to the story "node" she had set, it should be the moment for the white cat—the avatar of the Thrush Crow—to take the stage. When the Great Witch King prepared to hand the crown to the "fake princess," it should pounce up, snatch the crown to stop the ritual, and stall until the White Snake sent the gloves.

But now the Great Witch King had already risen from the soft couch and finished the incantations for the Witch King ritual. Next was the handover of the crown containing the Heart of the Great Court. If the Thrush Crow didn't hurry back, this story node would be missed.

What's more troublesome is that the Thrush Crow himself is not a "locked" target, but "fodder" who voluntarily entered the story by wearing a nightcap. Aside from being able to sense that he was still alive and still providing "fuel" for 【Bedtime Stories】, her control over him was not strong.

Unless she was willing to give up the power provided by the Thrush Crow and convert him from "fodder" to a "target" like the Food God, she couldn't force him to "follow the plot" and could only wait for him to arrive slowly... Speaking of which, he didn't desert the battle again, did he?

"Residents of Arcane City, members of the major societies, citizens of the Kingdom of Mifala!"

Just as the Narrative of Nothingness—the avatar of the MLM witch—was hesitating whether to slightly change the story to skip the crown-snatching plot node at the cost of lowering the binding strength, a loud voice from the main celebrant of the ritual came from the temporary high platform in the center of the square.

"Please remain quiet, everyone."

The celebrant, whose face was painted with brown oil paint, looked around solemnly and then announced with dignity:

"Next, Her Highness Caitelin will, under the witness of the guests, receive the crown from the hands of Her Majesty Binkersail to complete the most important part of the ritual..."

Is it already starting?

The Narrative of Nothingness looked toward the sound and discovered that the Great Witch King on the platform had already finished the process, smiling as she took the crown from her head and placed it on a silver tray lined with gorgeous silk, and was personally applying red and white face patterns for Princess Caitelin.

Having witnessed the Witch King ritual many times, the Narrative of Nothingness knew that this was the final step before inheriting the position of Great Witch King and inheriting the Heart of the Great Court. As long as the face patterns exclusive to the 【Witch】 were finished, the Witch King ritual would be considered completely finished.

If the Thrush Crow hadn't managed to rush back before then, not only would this story node be skipped, but even the 【Bedtime Stories】 she had set would be on the verge of collapse due to the lack of necessary conditions!

Damn Thrush Crow! I have to stall for time first!

After closing her eyes slightly, the MLM witch looked at the situation around her, leaned her body against the outer wall of an inn, took out the storybook representing the 【Narrative of Nothingness】, and slowly closed her eyes.

Immediately after, a smoke as black as ink flowed quietly from between the open pages of the storybook. While everyone was focused on the ritual, it drifted all the way toward the main platform along the dark corners and shadows of the streets and alleys.

Success! As long as I get the crown, I can still drag this out! Drag it out until the Thrush Crow returns!

After condensing her body below the main platform, the pitch-black crow flapped its wings and streaked toward the tray containing the crown like an arrow released from a bow, and amidst the exclamations of the crowd, it snatched the wooden crown painted with gold lacquer and soared straight into the clouds!

Hmm? It's wooden?

"Bang!"

Taking a sniper rifle from the Mirror World and blowing up both the crow above and the fake crown, the Lionheart Duke picked up a handkerchief to wipe his beloved gun while explaining to the bewildered celebrant:

"Just a side show, don't mind it."

"But... the... the crown..."

"Here, take it."

After pulling out the real crown with a backhand and handing it to the stunned celebrant, Hearing Li Ang laughed and spouted nonsense:

"Her Majesty the Great Witch King is getting on in years and her cervical spine isn't very good. The pure gold crown weighs over ten pounds, and I was afraid her neck would hurt, so I made a fake one just to go through the motions. You just keep doing your job... Oh, right."

After looking up at the crow that was reforming in the air, Hearing Li Ang gently pushed the celebrant away from the center of the main platform and then beckoned to the guards waiting on both sides of the platform.

"Pause the ritual... bring everyone up!"

"???"

Under the dazed gaze of tens of thousands of people in the square, dozens of people with their hands tied by ropes and black cloth bags over their heads were escorted onto the main platform by the guards. "Excuse me."

After taking the badge that could amplify sound from the celebrant's chest and clipping it to his own collar, the Evil Prince stood in front of the platform in his place. Facing tens of thousands of puzzled gazes, he announced with an evil face, following the persona assigned to him by 【Bedtime Stories】:

"While Her Majesty the Great Witch King is painting the face patterns for Her Highness Caitelin, I would like to take this opportunity to announce a verdict and deal with some despicable criminals who tried to resist me!"

Verdict? Criminals?

Facing this sudden sentencing, the residents of Arcane City looked at each other in dismay, completely unaware of what was going on. But the crow that had reformed its body above the main platform was suddenly startled, and then looked at the "criminals" who were struggling incessantly with horror in its eyes.

One, two, three... thirty-nine!

The criminals who were tied to wooden stakes by the guards with their heads covered in black bags, from which whimpering sounds kept coming, were exactly thirty-nine in total, and this number... was exactly the same as the number of True Gods he had called down!

C-could it be?!

"Come, take off their hoods!"

After looking up at the crow circling above, Hearing Li Ang ordered the guards to take off the "criminals'" hoods while secretly gesturing to the attendant beside him, signaling him to take people to blockade the square and not allow anyone in or out before dark.

After the guards took off all the "criminals'" hoods and the attendant who received the order also mingled among them and left the main platform, the Evil Prince walked unhurriedly to the first "criminal," reached out, and pulled out the rag stuffing his mouth.

"You damn lunatic!"

The first "criminal" seemed to have a lot of backbone; the first sentence after regaining the ability to speak was a frantic clamor.

"You think you've won? True Gods are immortal! Even if you've caught me, you've only just..."

"Bang!"

After shoving the barrel of the sniper rifle into its mouth and blowing off half of criminal number one's skull with a single shot, Hearing Li Ang announced without changing his expression amidst the screams:

"I won't read his original charges. The current charge is roaring in the execution ground and openly obstructing judicial justice... Next is number two."

"Bastard! How dare you?!"

After the rag in his mouth was pulled out, looking at the wooden stake where "criminal number one" had a big hole in the back of his head, criminal number two scolded with anger in his eyes:

"You lowly human! A short-lived species like an ant! You base..."

"Bang!"

"The charge is insulting the executioner, hmm... and using an outdated translation accent."

After rubbing the gun barrel on criminal number two's clothes, amidst the terrified gaze of criminal number three—or rather, True God number three—Hearing Li Ang reached out and pulled out the rag stuffing his mouth, frowning and questioning with some dissatisfaction:

"Why aren't you talking? If you don't talk, how am I supposed to sentence you?"

(End of chapter)