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However, given the shopkeeper\'s low status, they hadn\'t placed complete trust in him. Now, with Miranda Joy\'s accusations, suspicion naturally began to creep into their minds.

Rulda Chel glanced at Linda Quirell\'s body and said softly, "Miss Linda, could you say something, please?"

Dean Bruce sighed. "Your plan is indeed well-crafted. Originally, I intended to rescue Linda, keep her body functioning, and throw off the mastermind behind all of this. I never expected you to turn this against me."

"But unfortunately for you… the real Linda was never captured by you."

Before Dean Bruce could say more, the shopkeeper suddenly stepped forward and said quietly, "Miranda, I know where you\'ve imprisoned the souls of those you\'ve captured."

The shopkeeper looked at Linda Quirell\'s body and added, "I ask you, senior, to leave this body so that I may reunite with my own spirit."

Without hesitation, Shelly William\'s soul immediately left Linda\'s body.

As soon as the words were spoken, the shopkeeper\'s body collapsed, and a spirit identical in appearance to Linda Quirell floated into the air. Rather than entering the body immediately, the spirit turned slowly, ensuring that everyone in the room could see clearly.

Miranda Joy\'s face finally showed a flicker of displeasure, but she restrained herself from attacking.

If she launched an attack now, it would prove that everything she had said earlier was a lie.

Realizing this, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

He had been hoping to resolve this matter through combat, but it was clear Miranda Joy was determined to drag this out instead.

Buzz—

Once Linda Quirell\'s soul had fully merged with her body, Rulda Chel carefully examined the connection and said in a solemn tone, "The body and soul have perfectly fused. There\'s no mistaking it—the soul matches Linda\'s appearance. She is indeed Linda!"

"Linda, what exactly happened?"

Rulda Chel\'s voice grew urgent.

Although they weren\'t particularly familiar with Linda, her status was enough for them to trust her.

Linda Quirell adjusted to her body, then looked toward Miranda Joy, speaking softly, "I don\'t know what kind of magic it was. I only remember that Princess Miranda invited our family to a banquet and even sent drinks as a reward."

"My father was fiercely loyal to the royal family, so how could he refuse? But the nightmare began that very night. After drinking the wine, I felt my soul separating from my body."

"Luckily, my soul was keenly aware and woke up, but I was powerless. I could only watch as my body was taken away. Soon after, Princess Miranda arrived with some people, using a special method to transfer souls into the bodies of animals."

"I managed to remain conscious and avoided that fate, but without a body, I wandered through the city, eventually inhabiting the body of someone who had just died."

As she finished, Linda Quirell gave a small bow toward Dean Bruce and said sincerely, "Thank you for rescuing my body."

Then she glanced over at Nicholas William, her expression somewhat peculiar.

During the past few days, she had learned that Nicholas William was her fiancé.

If it weren\'t for Dean Bruce, and if Dean Bruce wasn\'t so young, she would have been quite satisfied with Nicholas.

After all, a man who hadn\'t even reached Magus rank was willing to travel great distances to save her—how could she not be moved? And despite not being on par with the elites, Nicholas had shown considerable talent for someone his age.

He was weaker than her by a good margin, but since she was a bit older, their difference in talent wasn\'t insurmountable.

Still, the comparison between Nicholas and Dean Bruce stung.

Nicholas, with his pure heart, felt extremely self-conscious as Linda stared at him. Reflecting on his actions over the past few days, he couldn\'t help but feel embarrassed and shy.

Clap, clap, clap!

A crisp clapping sound echoed through the room. Miranda Joy, with a look of mock admiration, remarked, "What a marvelous story! Linda, you missed your calling. You should have been a bard!"

"Still won\'t admit the truth?" Linda, a warrior\'s daughter, raised an eyebrow and said sharply, "Grandmaster Rulda, why don\'t we head to the place where she\'s been keeping the animals storing the souls? The truth will reveal itself!"

Upon hearing Linda\'s words, Rulda Chel nodded slightly and turned to Miranda Joy. "Your Highness, it would be best if you could take us there."

"No need. I know the place," Linda Quirell said coldly, her gaze fixed on Miranda Joy. "Since my family was captured, I\'ve been secretly investigating. Today, I\'ll not only rescue them but also make you pay for your crimes!"

Miranda Joy remained unfazed, and the group followed Linda toward the location where the livestock were being held.

Dean Bruce frowned as they walked. He had initially suspected something strange about the place where the animals were kept and had even mentioned it during the banquet, personally inspecting the area. However, aside from faint magical energy, he hadn\'t found anything unusual.

Soon enough, the group arrived at the palace where the animals were confined. Even before entering, a foul stench wafted out, causing Rulda Chel and the others to grimace in disgust.

They were all of high status, unaccustomed to being near such filth.

If it weren\'t for the gravity of the situation, they would have never set foot inside this courtyard.

As they entered the hall, the animals seemed to sense something terrifying, scattering in every direction. Some of them became extremely agitated upon seeing Linda Quirell, but there were so many that they couldn\'t get close enough to attract attention.

Dean Bruce\'s magical compass at his waist trembled violently, but no matter how carefully he examined the area, he couldn\'t detect anything out of the ordinary.

Even Rulda Chel, a mage of grand archmage rank, frowned in frustration.

After a long pause, Rulda Chel shook his head. "I can feel magical energy around here, but these animals don\'t seem to be under any kind of spell."

Miranda Joy sneered at Linda Quirell, "Quite the elaborate tale you\'ve spun, but a lie is still a lie!"

"Indeed, a lie is still a lie," Dean Bruce said with a smile, pulling out the Book of Dispel Magic he had recently acquired. He couldn\'t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Luck had truly been on his side.

Previously, all the tools, treasures, and spells at his disposal could only detect magical fluctuations in the area, but they couldn\'t pierce through the magic.

However, the Book of Dispel Magic was different.

The book\'s description didn\'t mention any limitations, which meant that even if the magic cast here were of Ultra-High-Level or even forbidden spell grade, it would still be undone by the book.

And why wasn\'t Dean Bruce afraid?

Because the power of a spell didn\'t always reflect the caster\'s strength. It was entirely possible that the magic had been cast through special means rather than by someone with overwhelming power.

If the mastermind behind all of this truly had that kind of overwhelming power, would they really need to resort to such convoluted schemes?

They could easily crush the entire Empire of Lane Cloud with brute force.

As Dean Bruce pulled out the Book of Dispel Magic, Miranda Joy, realizing that all her careful planning was about to be undone, finally showed a hint of panic. She hurriedly shouted, "He\'s most likely the mastermind! Don\'t let him use that!"

Hearing this, Rulda Chel hesitated for a moment. Dean Bruce glanced at him and spoke calmly, "The truth hasn\'t been revealed yet, and you want to stop it? Don\'t forget everything she\'s done up until now."

"..."

Rulda Chel, being the Grandmaster of the empire, wasn\'t part of the royal family, but his ties to them ran deep. As long as Miranda and Apollon Joy were not killed, he didn\'t mind how things turned out. After a moment\'s thought, he nodded, "Go ahead. I want to know the truth as well."

Without further delay, Dean Bruce activated the Book of Dispel Magic.

Buzz—

In an instant, lights of various colors flickered like a rainbow, coalescing into a sword of pure energy. The sword spun swiftly, slashing through the air.

Crash!

Rustle...

The once empty sky suddenly cracked, the fissure widening like shattered glass, and then, it all burst apart.

Roar!

Howl!

"..."

In that very moment, the animals that had been frantically running and pressing together began to wail in anguish. One after another, spectral figures—their souls—rose from their heads, hovering in the air.

Seeing this, Miranda Joy\'s face paled, and she instinctively stumbled backward several steps, her fists clenched tightly as she glared furiously at Dean Bruce.

The others were just as stunned. Linda Quirell, in a flurry of emotions, quickly scanned the scene before her eyes lit up with joy. She rushed toward several of the souls, recognizing them instantly.

However, many of the spirits appeared faint, and some began to drift upwards, fading away into the sky.

"This is bad!"

"The souls of ordinary people are too fragile. They won\'t survive long! We need to reunite them with their bodies immediately!"

Rulda Chel, with his experience and sharp intuition, quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. He turned to Miranda Joy, his face dark with anger, and barked, "Miranda, tell us where their bodies are now! These people are the families of the empire\'s noble class. If they die, the entire Empire of Lane Cloud will be thrown into chaos!"