**Chapter 107**
**York Hermes of the Lloyd Society**
Although Sherlock’s deduction was complete and logical, only Eivass knew that Sherlock’s answer was bound to be wrong. This was because he was missing a crucial piece of information, something Eivass couldn’t reveal to Sherlock.
Following the clue from Eivass’s grandfather, Sherlock had tracked down the Noble Red Society. Coupled with the Pelican Bar, the giant remnants, and smuggling cases, he logically concluded that Eivass’s parents were both murdered by the Noble Red Society. This inference was perfectly sound.
However, during a ritual in the Dream Realm, Eivass, in his deformed demon form, had interrogated the curse master Aziz bin Abdul. From him, Eivass learned that Aziz served Professor Moriarty and was the true master of the Hooked Demon Jack, responsible for the massacre of the entire Alexander family. Yet, Aziz was not a demon sorcerer of the Noble Red Society. He wasn’t even from Avalon, nor was he related to the giants or the Star Antimony people… he was an Anxi person.
This very information had been revealed by Sherlock himself to the “Fox” during the Dream Realm ritual. At that time, Sherlock only knew that “the mastermind had fled abroad, heading to the Horus Empire or the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi.” But Eivass had personally seen the man’s face and knew his name, which bore an Anxi style.
In other words, the Alexander family, founders of the Serpent Hand, were connected to the Noble Red Society, and the Noble Red Society had both the motive and the capability to kill them. However, the actual execution of the plan was carried out by a foreign curse master hired by Professor Moriarty. The party with the motive didn’t act, and the party that acted had no motive.
Crucially, Eivass had never heard of any connection between Professor Moriarty and the Star Antimony people or the giants. If there were, Eivass wouldn’t have been attacked by the Noble Red Society and chosen as a sacrifice in the first place—he had actually been sacrificed and nearly silenced. At that time, Eivass had been corresponding with those two demon scholar and his disciple for a long time. If they had any understanding of the professor, it would have been illogical for them to risk angering him by sacrificing Eivass.
—This whole affair felt unnaturally convoluted and far-reaching, giving Eivass a headache. He felt he was missing a very important clue, but without personally investigating his hometown in Haina, he couldn’t confirm it. Eivass could only set this aside for the time being.
The only lead he could currently grasp was that the person who attacked Sherlock was definitely suspicious. The fact that Sherlock needed to fake his death and have his family play along suggested that the attacker likely knew Sherlock and had some connection to the Hermes Family. Most importantly, Sherlock had almost immediately narrowed down the suspect.
When Sherlock returned after washing his face and sobering up, his cold demeanor was restored, as if nothing had happened. He calmly answered Eivass’s doubts.
“Speaking of which, this matter also has something to do with you… Mr. Fox.”
“Me?” Eivass was puzzled. “What does this have to do with me?”
Sherlock calmly drank his honey black tea, his voice steady without a trace of tremor, as if Eivass’s previous observation had been a hallucination. “You told me the secret of the Lloyd Society and the Strangler Gang in your dream that day. I was very surprised. I already knew of the Lloyd Society’s existence, their history, and that they were essentially a gray lending institution. I also knew they used the ‘Lloyd Weekly’ as a form of credit to collect profits and transfer taxes to Avalon. But despite knowing all this, I had no idea they actually employed the Strangler Gang. Furthermore, in all my previous investigations, I never found any trace of this. This was highly illogical. So, I immediately realized that someone was preventing me from accessing the Lloyd Society’s deeper secrets.”
“—And the fact that ‘he’ could do this so easily indicates that ‘he’ is your source of information.” Eivass continued smoothly, “And you believe this source to be very reliable—at least concerning the Lloyd Society and even the Lloyd District, you consider him the most trustworthy expert.”
There was only one possibility. Eivass now fully understood Sherlock’s incredibly powerful investigative abilities. In less than a week, without even leaving Glass Island, he had traced Jacob and the Serpent Hand based on Eivass’s lead. This was not something that could be achieved by simply “looking up information.” This meant Sherlock must have utilized his connections. His primary investigative method was consulting others through his vast network and their networks. Therefore, to “poison the information” for Sherlock, one had to become an expert in that direction.
“As long as he can gain your complete trust, then whenever you want to ask about such matters, you will prioritize approaching him, because you will consider him the most reliable.”
“Not bad.” Sherlock nodded.
—As expected of “Fox.” Sherlock greatly admired Eivass for always being able to keep up with his train of thought. He nodded appreciatively and added in his calm, indifferent voice, “Moreover, this person should also be closely related to the Lloyd Society’s interests.”
“Coincidentally, I do know such a person. He is my uncle, the half-brother of my father, Arthur Hermes—York Hermes.” Sherlock put down his teacup, interlaced his fingers in front of his abdomen. “He is the Vice President of the Avalon Lawyers Association and the editor-in-chief of the ‘Lloyd Weekly.’ A high-ranking official of the Lloyd Society… the legal consultant they hired. I mentioned to you before in my dream that the Lloyd Society had invited me… it was he who invited me.”
“—In fact, you’ve met him before.”
“I’ve met him?” Eivass was somewhat confused.
Sherlock nodded. “At your investiture ceremony. He was sitting right next to Inspector Gordon.”
“…That middle-aged lawyer with short golden hair?” Hearing Sherlock say this, Eivass recalled the lawyer in the white suit. He was a little surprised. “But he has golden hair…”
“What my father and I have, black hair, is inherited from my grandmother,” Sherlock said calmly. “My Uncle York inherited my grandfather’s golden hair. As the eldest son, the Hermes Family’s heirloom armor was originally supposed to be passed down to him. However, at that time, it was the ‘Ten Days’ War.’ My uncle did not want to go to the battlefield, so he passed the heirloom armor to my father. My father was leading the vanguard at the time. Thanks to Lord Grand Arbitrator, this originally predicted brutal war lasted only ten days. After their triumphant return, my father was promoted to Minister of Palace Affairs.”
“…So your father was the Minister of Palace Affairs,” Eivass exclaimed in surprise. “You never mentioned it before.”
The duties of the Minister of Palace Affairs primarily included planning various ceremonies and events involving the Royal Family, presiding over royal weddings and funerals, and appointing and dismissing servants and maids within the Silver and Tin Hall. He was essentially equivalent to a butler in an ordinary knightly family, perhaps even higher—he had the authority to supervise the education and conduct of royal family members and the right to discipline princes and princesses with improper conduct.
Sherlock sighed. “Because my father and Her Majesty the Queen were fellow enthusiasts who enjoyed watching plays together. Unlike me, he was a fervent literature lover. Therefore, I believe this appointment was influenced by Her Majesty’s personal favor and was not worth boasting about.”
“Also, due to this experience, Her Majesty the Queen specially signed an order. She granted my father an additional power: he could veto the performance of any new play, forcibly revise the plot of any existing play, or revoke the performance qualifications of new theaters. However, my father had not yet used this power when he unexpectedly met with misfortune.”
“Misfortune?” Eivass pressed.
“It was a curse,” Sherlock replied. “But at that time, we hadn’t discovered any traces of a curse yet, and we all believed it was poisoning—because Prince Canter’s symptoms at the time looked exactly like someone was poisoned to death. His liver, lungs, and brain were almost dissolved, and blood was flowing from his mouth and nose. The priests who came to examine him confirmed it was poisoning. Since a member of the Royal Family had died from poisoning, the first suspects were the servants responsible for the prince’s daily life. They were interrogated, their memories extracted—of course, no information was obtained. At this point, an anonymous letter accused my father of being the poisoner. Later, the Inspection Bureau found the same type of poison in my home. Under these circumstances, no matter what, his skull had to be searched for memories to prove his innocence, and the Law Spell used for memory search would burn the brain… meaning my father was going to die no matter what, the only difference being his innocence or guilt.”
“—Obviously, things took a turn for the better later,” Eivass picked up, nodding. After all, Lord Arthur was still alive now, even though he had already resigned as minister.
“Yes, at that time, Her Majesty the Queen issued an urgent order, releasing my father. She directly stated, ‘I do not believe Arthur would do such a thing.’ Disregarding the ‘evidence’ submitted by the Inspection Bureau, she immediately pardoned him and reinstated him to his position. My father was deeply grateful, but he still resolutely submitted his resignation.”
Sherlock sighed. “He was right. Because we later discovered that it was only the beginning. Each subsequent royal family member died in a different way, which confirmed it must be some kind of curse. Logically, a country with such powerful curse abilities could only be Star Antimony… but this statement is not absolute, nor scientific.”
“The Path of Love also possesses cursing abilities,” Eivass replied. “So the Iris people are also a possibility.”
“Precisely,” Sherlock nodded. “The Iris Kingdom is being heavily pressured by the Star Antimony people. They desperately hope Avalon can share some of the burden. The curser could also be from the giant remnants. After all, one of the paths practiced by giants is the Transcendent Path, and they also possess cursing abilities. It could even be the Serpent Hand or the Noble Red, as they also have a heritage of curse studies.”
“Could it be,” Eivass vaguely realized something, “that Avalon doesn’t actually know the origin of the curser?”
“Yes. Such a curse, difficult to detect, and with such a low frequency of execution. In terms of propaganda, it’s attributed to the Star Antimony people, simply because we already have a deep-seated animosity with them, making it easier for the public to understand and creating a sense of urgency—after all, quite a few people know we are not stronger than Star Antimony. Setting up a target that cannot be defeated can effectively prevent public opinion from being manipulated.”
If the enemy’s specific identity were unknown, the moment Avalon chose the wrong target for war would mean certain defeat. The party that was originally cursing the royal family would not join the war immediately, but would instead add insult to injury—or even wait for both sides to be exhausted to reap the benefits.
“Fortunately, my father was quick to react. Otherwise, he would also be held responsible.” Sherlock narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze becoming sharp. “And my uncle, who always claimed to enjoy his work as a lawyer. Thinking back now, he also had the motive and the possibility to frame my father. My relationship with my uncle was quite good before… when I was young, he would take me hunting, while my father only liked watching plays. During the half month my father was at war, he came home to take care of me. The primary reason I suspect him is that he was the last person to visit me before I was attacked by the bomb. He inquired about the ‘Sweater Brotherhood,’ repeatedly confirming who my source of information was and why I would ‘risk investigating’ without confirming with him first—because regarding the Lloyd District and the Lloyd Society, I had always consulted him. I explained to him that this was information from a dream, from another possibility in history. But it clearly didn’t convince him. He then invited me again to join the Lloyd Society… knowing what I knew about the Lloyd Society, how could I possibly agree? So I refused without hesitation.”
“You should have agreed first,” Eivass couldn’t help but say.
“How could I have known he was capable of such a thing back then? York was very angry, but quickly calmed down. He told me he would come again in the afternoon, bringing my father—meaning I shouldn’t go far. After he left, I suddenly felt sleepy and decided to take a bath and have a nap. But as I was about to finish my bath, there was a sudden loud noise outside, and the house collapsed. The water from the showerhead exploded, smoke billowed inward, and the walls cracked and caved in. Fortunately, I reacted quickly enough, sampling the water from the burst pipe on the spot to form an ice shield and encase myself, defending against the first wave of impact, thus avoiding immediate death. But at least twelve of my bones were broken, my internal organs were bleeding profusely, and I had lost my eyesight and hearing. I lay on the ground, unable to even crawl.”
“—Based on the time and the scale of the explosion, he definitely hadn’t left far. He could have easily returned upon hearing the explosion… but he didn’t.” He never did, Sherlock said softly, looking somewhat sad.
“I felt someone shaking my body—my remaining rationality told me it was the landlady. I told her not to shake me, gave her Bishop Mr. Mathis’s contact information, and the alchemical potion in my storage box that could temporarily sustain my life. Ultimately, thanks to the emergency aid from Bishop Mathis, who lived nearby, I narrowly survived. After being revived, I immediately contacted my brother, Mycroft Hermes, and told him everything. Then I told him to spread the word that I had already died to see how Uncle York would react.”
He looked earnestly at Eivass and said seriously, “Thinking back, the person who framed my father back then might have been him—approaching it from this angle, he might be connected to the curser, which is how he obtained that poison. This matter not only involves my personal grievances and family feuds, but also concerns the future of Avalon… and even the safety of Princess Isabel. If things go smoothly, we might even be able to unravel the mystery of the curse—Edward has the ability to search memories, but he can only use it at the most critical moments. I cannot be sure how deeply Uncle York is connected to this matter, and there is only one chance. If they discover that I am actually alive, they will likely become vigilant immediately, and this lead will be cut off. The landlady has been protected, and currently, the only people outside who know I am alive are my brother Mycroft, you few, and Edward. —My faked death probably won’t be a secret for long, and this matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Everything is entrusted to you, my friend. If you need my help with analysis, feel free to come to me anytime.”
Sherlock solemnly assigned his mission to Eivass.
