Chapter 246
Grimoire of the Morning Crow
After Eivass’s ascension, he hadn’t had a chance to inquire about Sherlock’s successful ascension… but Sherlock was already at his door, preemptively confirming Eivass and Isabel’s successful promotions. The only issue was that he hadn’t gone to the Silver and Tin Hall, but rather to the Royal Law University. He stood boldly at the school’s gates to intercept Eivass, and coincidentally, accepted interviews from four newspapers that had rushed over upon hearing the news. The famous detective Mr. Sherlock, who had been publicly mourned at a funeral, was alive–it was a no-brainer that this would be the front-page headline, overshadowing whatever was originally planned.
Great Detective Sherlock, resurrected!
Sherlock’s reputation in Avalon was incredibly high. Unlike Eivass, who was known as a hero for repeatedly eliminating evil, purifying demons, protecting civilians, and healing the injured, Sherlock was revered as a symbol. “Sherlock” represented a possibility: even without joining the Inspection Bureau, Inspection Department, or Court of Justice, and even if he held no power or wealth as a civilian–as long as his personal talent was outstanding, even the head of the Inspection Bureau had to show him respect, and he could even be received by the Queen. This was because Avalon needed Sherlock.
Although everyone knew Sherlock was from the House of Hermes, his brother had always been low-key. In fact, not everyone in the Round Table Hall even knew his name. He was practically invisible, absent from any political struggles, gossip tabloids, or public speeches. While he attended the necessary banquets, he had no presence there either. Consequently, the impression of the House of Hermes remained at the level of Sherlock’s father causing a major incident and resigning in disgrace. “Behold, a retired official whose work error led to the assassination of a royal family member, yet his descendant can still be received and respected by the Queen due to his outstanding personal abilities!”
As a result, Sherlock, a member of the House of Hermes, became a civilian idol for all of Avalon. During his interview, Sherlock meticulously recounted to the reporters who had attempted to assassinate him, why he concealed his identity and faked his death, and how he then, with his close friend Eivass Moriarty, devised a plan that ultimately led to the successful discovery of Trade Minister Dross’s spy evidence.
Indeed, many people were aware that the Trade Minister was being investigated and imprisoned for espionage. However, most were unaware of the specific crime. Many even believed it was merely a political struggle among Avalon’s upper echelons, as Minister Dross enjoyed considerable popularity among the public. He was a kindly and highly capable elderly man. As the Trade Minister, he frequently appeared in interviews, thoroughly explaining the benefits of various economic policies to the public. It was only because the Queen’s reputation was even higher that she could manage the situation.
Now, Sherlock had unhesitatingly exposed this matter. His perspective was simple: “The person who tried to assassinate me is closely connected to Dross.” Sherlock stated with great solemnity, “He has close ties to the Noble Red Society and has repeatedly hired assassins. I have already found multiple pieces of concrete evidence, which will be submitted to the Glass Steps Herald for public disclosure soon.”
Dross was on good terms with Vice President Boka, and Vice President Boka’s subordinate was Lawyer York, who was the one who assassinated Sherlock. The explosives he used were even smuggled through channels provided by Dross; Sherlock was targeted by Lawyer York precisely because he was investigating a smuggling case. From this angle, Sherlock’s claim that the person who ordered his assassination was Minister Dross was absolutely without issue.
“Concurrently, under the guise of protecting Avalon’s industries, he raised tariffs on Alchemical Products three times within a year. However, he himself took the opportunity to smuggle these alchemical products. According to the evidence I have already confirmed, he controls at least fourteen trading companies and over sixty warehouses in the Lloyd District. Last year alone, his personal trade volume reached 170% of Avalon’s imports of Alchemical Products from Star Antinomy and the Church. It can be said that there are practically no alchemical shops in Avalon that do not sell smuggled goods, as he has seized absolute control of the supply. Just today, a cargo ship from Star Antinomy will arrive at the port, fully loaded with alchemical raw materials. The owner’s name on the manifest is also—Charles Dross. Please stay tuned.”
This information came from Eivass. Before Minister Dross was arrested, he had already sent the deposit to “the King.” Based on the return time of the cargo ship, today was approximately the day that shipment would arrive. Because Minister Dross had absolute control over the port, his smuggling method was extremely simple, even crude. He would send a large number of merchant ships from the Lloyd Society, loaded with seafood or cheap wine, to their destination. Upon arrival, the suppliers at the other end would remove the contents of these barrels, load the goods to be transported, and then return them under the guise of a misdelivery, stopping directly in the port’s shipping area. Dross would then send people to swap the real goods, and the second delivery would be to the actual buyer. For anyone else, this would surely fail, but no one would investigate Dross’s cargo.
At this time, Eivass had arrived and had been listening for a while. Although Lily could now fully contain the Shadow Demon without leakage, Eivass couldn’t suddenly stand up from his wheelchair. Even though many people were aware of Eivass’s secret, it was still important to be polite and not too direct… This holiday served as a perfect excuse.
At this moment, Eivass directed Lily to push his wheelchair into the crowd. “Furthermore, Minister Dross has repeatedly hired assassins, some of whom were merchants who didn’t show him respect, and others were his political rivals. There were also cases with no apparent reason, including the mother of one of his children. Merely because she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter for him, he intended to assassinate both mother and child.”
“Do you have proof?” someone in the crowd, presumably an informant, suddenly asked. Eivass affirmed, “Of course, because I am a witness to this matter—” As he spoke, Eivass reached behind him and pulled Lily forward. “My friend, my personal maid, the sister who cared for me since I was a child… Lily Drost. She was a victim of his assassination attempt. It was precisely because of this incident that Sherlock and I caught his trail. —And before that, her mother was also a victim!”
Eivass had no intention of explaining overly complex political and economic issues to the reporters. The numerous bills Minister Dross had signed were too difficult to explain. These reporters weren’t professionals themselves, and if they had to translate it twice, the final content reaching the readers would inevitably be inaccurate. Therefore, Eivass and Sherlock’s approach differed—he chose to directly attack Dross himself.
“We still don’t know how much information this former Trade Minister sold, or how deeply he betrayed us. However, according to my investigation, the former minister now owns four manors and a viscount’s territory in Star Antinomy. He has become a genuine Star Antinomy noble and established the ‘Dross Manor’…” This was indeed what they had discovered; Eivass wasn’t making it up. Although Minister Dross was dead, his children were currently under investigation by the Inspection Department. Eivass’s intelligence was fresh, having arrived at the Silver and Tin Hall just this morning. Even the Round Table Hall was unaware of it.
“Alright, alright!” At this moment, a young woman in a red Bishop’s robe, with a ponytail and curly hair, walked over smiling and clapping her hands. “Today is the final exam. If the interviews are finished, let’s conclude here for now! Let the children go in for their exam first—” Madam Maya dispersed the crowd and approached Eivass with a composed smile. Once everyone else had left, her expression slightly changed, and she lowered her head nervously. “How did you ascend again, so quickly?”
“Isn’t it good to be fast?” Eivass retorted. Maya frowned, looking somewhat pained. “I was just procrastinating a bit… But I can’t delay any longer this time; your ascension is simply too fast. this Grimoire must be mastered before the Third Tier; once you exceed this level too much, it becomes incomprehensible. After my class exam today, you’ll come back home with me. I’ll lend you the Grimoire of the Morning Crow—this was the agreed-upon reward; I haven’t forgotten.”
Eivass tilted his head slightly, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes. …You haven’t forgotten, but I have. When was this arranged?
On the other side, a middle-aged man with somewhat disheveled hair stood on a ship, looking expectantly at the increasingly close horizon. This single transaction was so enormous that he was somewhat uneasy about handing over the goods directly to them. For this large business deal, this major client… “the King” decided to personally accompany the delivery.
Update complete!
Oh my god, while I was typing just now, the great “Warm Sun” sent me an iPhone 15! Wuwuwu, I only didn’t miss it thanks to the notification from “Golden Jasmine,” thank you Jasmine Lily!
