The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 471

Chapter 470
Minister Dross felt a great sense of relief.

Even though Minister Dross had known beforehand that “Alistair Crowley” was a young lady from a Count’s family… or perhaps even an old grandmother from a Count’s family.
Yet, upon her return, he was still struck by the noble beauty of “Miss Crowley.”

Her skin was fair, she was even slightly taller than Minister Dross, and her long, straight hair, possessing a damp quality, was as black as night and as smooth as a waterfall.
She was sitting with her legs together in the very spot Eivass Moriarty had occupied moments before, her hand supporting her chin as she closed her eyes to rest.

Miss Crowley was now wearing the low-cut black and red dress that Star Antimony nobles would only don when attending banquets. A black crystal cross adorned with silver plating hung from her chest. Her legs, encased in black stockings, appeared slender and powerful even through the thick material and black boots.

Minister Dross could faintly see two lines of text written vertically in silver alchemical script on the front of her stockings… but he couldn’t comprehend their specific meaning, so he merely regarded them as some form of decoration.

The commanding nobility she exuded was enough to startle.
It was as if she were the Queen of Avalon, and he, a subject paying respects to his sovereign.

“…Miss Crowley.”
Minister Dross knelt respectfully on one knee and performed a knight’s salute. However, due to his corpulent physique, it came across as somewhat amusing.
—In fact, in recent years, he had never been so respectful to Queen Sophia.

“Oh, you’re back?”
Miss Crowley opened her eyes slightly. A pleased and playful smile played on her lips.
Her pupils were an unsettling scarlet, shimmering with a dangerous red light.

In that instant, Minister Dross understood… why she appeared so young, yet possessed such an experienced and dangerous aura.
—She was not only an Amber Artisan but also a noble Child of the Moon! And as a “Crowley,” she was simultaneously one of the successors of a demon family.
The Black Phase, the Red Phase, and the demon family. All three converged into one.
It was practically a condensed embodiment of Star Antimony’s power!

Minister Dross was secretly astonished and a thought became clear: this was absolutely not Eivass Moriarty in disguise.
Thus, he suppressed the thought that had just surfaced in his mind.
—Earlier, when he went to find something, he felt something was off… but couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
It was as if he had overlooked a crucial detail. Yet, Minister Dross couldn’t recall what he had forgotten, no matter how hard he tried. A faint, almost imperceptible doubt arose in his heart: could he be Eivass, merely bluffing?
After all, Eivass hadn’t displayed any tangible Extraordinary Power, only a wealth of information far exceeding his own. And information could be passed on to others.
Thus, a thought, which he shouldn’t have entertained, surfaced: could all this information actually have been gathered by Sherlock, and Eivass was merely using it to play a role? And had he found some way to bypass the True Fire’s detection?

Minister Dross’s conjecture lacked any evidence.
Or rather, he simply couldn’t accept it… and was desperately searching for a reason not to hand Diomedes over to “Eivass.”
But upon his return, when he truly met “Eivass,” who had transformed into Miss Crowley, Minister Dross found his previous assumptions hollow, void, and laughable.
—The person had so brazenly reverted to her true form, what more was there to say?
To be able to replace another’s identity so silently without fear of exposure, it was likely that the real Eivass Moriarty was already dead. In other words, the current “Bishop Moriarty” had been Miss Crowley from the start, for reasons unknown.
Since she could replace Eivass, she could replace him too.
Considering this, how many people in Avalon had they already replaced?
Minister Dross shivered uncontrollably just thinking about it.
It was the fear that his own existence and his entire life up to that point could be so easily stolen without anyone noticing.

Minister Dross was quite familiar with Professor Moriarty. He was a very intelligent and somewhat dangerous fellow.
He was often elusive and associated with strange individuals. Moreover, in addition to his roles as a university professor, renowned scholar, wealthy merchant, and great philanthropist, he simultaneously served as the “criminal consultant” for the Lloyd Society.
The Lloyd Society, existing between the merchant guilds and underground gangs, had, under Professor Moriarty’s guidance, managed to avoid completely provoking the Silver and Tin Hall.
This wasn’t merely sponsorship of the Knights—if they were simply wealthy, they would be endlessly extorted by the Knights.
It was precisely because they always operated within the boundaries of the law, remaining guiltless in the eyes of the public, while simultaneously bringing a new order to the Lloyd District, that the Inspection Bureau found it difficult to intervene in the Lloyd Society’s sphere of influence. They couldn’t afford the ensuing chaos in the Lloyd District that would result from losing the Lloyd Society.
As the capital’s slum district and a major labor area, along with the port district, the Lloyd District was a complex web of connections, where any issue could have far-reaching consequences. The Inspection Bureau operated under a system of accountability, where those in charge were responsible for their decisions, so no one dared to tackle the problems of the Lloyd District.
Coupled with the deterrent effect of the Lloyd Society’s command over major gangs and organizations, brought about by their ruthless and covert methods… and their pervasive and ubiquitous infiltration, the Lloyd Society had become a well-known gray power in recent decades.
All of this stemmed from Moriarty’s personal guidance.
Although the Lloyd Society had existed for two hundred years, it had begun to spiral out of control after the death of Prince Lloyd. It wasn’t until Moriarty, in his youth, came into contact with the Lloyd Society that he re-integrated it as his own resource.

Furthermore, on Glass Island, and indeed throughout Avalon… if someone accidentally made a grave mistake, or was at their wit’s end, they might also be guided to Professor Moriarty.
And the Professor would always meticulously guide them, patiently and generously providing resources and strategies to perfectly resolve their problems.
He himself would take no action, merely offering advice, or giving them money, or writing a letter of introduction. But he could always help them solve their problems perfectly.
In a sense, Professor Moriarty’s esteemed reputation on Glass Island originated from this. Those he had helped were spread throughout Glass Island… the vast majority of them being insignificant individuals, not great figures.
The Professor never demanded loyalty, never asked for compensation, and did not even require a promise of future repayment… He only asked for a vague “friendship,” as if the act of helping them solve their problems was what the Professor truly desired.
—What was the point of that? Especially for thoroughly wicked criminals, it was incredibly illusory.
Minister Dross always scoffed at it.
In his opinion, “friendship” that couldn’t guarantee an unbreakable bond was as fragile as a chain woven from grass ropes.
Even so, he felt genuine admiration for Professor Moriarty’s keen observation skills, intelligent mind, and composed demeanor. If that person were to become a detective, he would far surpass the young man from House Hermes.
Precisely because of this, when Minister Dross unexpectedly discovered that his illegitimate daughter was working as a maid at Moriarty Manor… he found it extremely troublesome.
If she had been elsewhere, Minister Dross could have easily hired an assassin to kill her and be done with it. But it was the deterrence of Professor Moriarty that made Minister Dross hesitate to act.
He had to devise a trap to make her leave Moriarty Manor voluntarily, so that she could “disappear.”
Minister Dross also hired someone to impersonate his illegitimate daughter, whose name he had forgotten, to flee and leave traces and evidence. This would lead to “her” eventually being killed by another wanted criminal to silence her, and then that wanted criminal would be killed as well.
To kill that person, he had to kill two more.
This was merely to kill one maid at Moriarty Manor. This was Minister Dross’s apprehension towards Professor Moriarty.
If only Professor Moriarty would also disappear.
Sometimes, Minister Dross would think this.
If Professor Moriarty wasn’t on Glass Island… he would be free to act as he pleased in many matters. He wouldn’t even have to be so cautious when contacting the Star Antimony people.
Because he had no idea how many people Professor Moriarty had planted around him. Sometimes he even suspected that “Diomedes” had also accepted Professor Moriarty’s friendship.

This was now a good opportunity.
Minister Dross thought darkly.
Even such a Professor Moriarty had completely failed to notice that his son had been silently replaced by this woman…
—Why not use Diomedes as bait, and make this fake Eivass and Professor Moriarty fight each other?

Minister Dross, who was as round as a ball, fawned and said, “Miss Crowley, let’s sign the contract now.”
“You are quite impatient, aren’t you?”
Alistair smiled at him.
…For some reason, in that woman’s smile, Minister Dross saw a sense of déjà vu, similar to Professor Moriarty.
It must be an illusion, he thought.

“This contract, under the witness of the Nine Pillar Gods, shall be signed with the seal of the covenanting deity, the Silver Crown Dragon. It shall take effect immediately upon its establishment.
“Party A is Charles Dross. Namely, the current successor of the Dross Family, the founding family of the Avalon Kingdom, the Trade Minister recognized by Queen Sophia, and the master of the guardian spirit Diomedes.
“Party B is Alistair Crowley, named by Valentine VII, the third daughter recognized by Count Crowley of the Star Antimony Kingdom. Her identity and appearance are also known as Eivass Moriarty, or Baroness Viness Emil Zola Beyad…”

As Miss Alistair’s voice rose and fell, Minister Dross scribbled diligently on the table.
—This was a contract for the Silver Crown Dragon.
She couldn’t possibly lie on this, could she!?
Minister Dross felt extremely reassured.