The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 677

Chapter 676
Naughty Eivass
Hearing the Master Assassin’s words, Alice found it somewhat unbelievable:
“But, that Eivass… if I remember correctly, he’s not even twenty yet! How could he…”
“But he has become a Cardinal now, and that’s a fact. Becoming a Cardinal is much more difficult than defeating a Succubus.”
“But, Cardinals are supposed to be good people… the Church wouldn’t accept someone who abuses charm, would they…” Alice murmured.
She suddenly thought of something: “Oh, right! Queen Isabel – if he’s a ‘Succubus’, has Queen Isabel also been controlled by him?”
“Why not?”
The Master Assassin retorted, “You need to use your brain more, Alice. Have imagination, and don’t be confused by the illusion of common sense… Queen Isabel doesn’t have the willpower that the Path of Authority grants. She has no resistance to charm. The fact that she could be charmed by Emma is proof.
“Since she can be charmed by Emma, why can’t she be charmed for a long time by Eivass, who surpasses Emma?”
“…You’re saying that Eivass, who is not yet twenty, has mastered High-Tier Divine Art, charmed the Queen of Avalon, counter-charmed and defeated Emma of Star Antimony, and then became a Cardinal of the Church? That’s too unbelievable, Mrs. Honey Badger.” Alice shook her head repeatedly.
But the woman called Honey Badger suddenly stopped walking. The silent man holding the camera also stopped.
She calmly turned her head, looking at Alice along with the cameraman.
“—You’re covering for him, why?”
“…What?” Alice was stunned for a moment.
Honey Badger said expressionlessly, reaching for Alice’s slender neck, “You’ve been speaking well of him. Do you have feelings for him?”
“I…” Alice’s pupils trembled. She looked at Honey Badger in fear, her legs weakening uncontrollably, “No, I don’t…”
“You are very likely already under his control.” Mrs. Honey Badger said sternly, “Do you feel it? Swear.”
“…No, I don’t. Really, I don’t. I swear I haven’t been charmed by him…”
“Tell me a lie I know.”
” I’ve never smoked before, I swear.”
“Tell me a truth I know.”
“I want to f*ck that b*tch Inna for reporting me.”
“Curse Eivass.”
“He… he’s really not a good person, manipulating the Queen of Avalon…” After Alice finished speaking, Honey Badger released her slender, ice-cold fingers. Alice clutched her neck, her already pale face now almost ashen. She gasped for air, feeling an lingering chill on her neck. It was as if a dagger blade had just been pressed against it.
“You’re fine for now,” Honey Badger said coldly. “If you notice any fluctuations in your thoughts later, come find me immediately. Otherwise, you know the consequences.”
“I… I will…” Alice’s voice trembled slightly.
“Stand up straight, Alice. Don’t speak in that tone outside. Don’t have such big emotional and physical fluctuations when you speak—if you continue like this, I’ll have to return you to your mentor. This kind of mission shouldn’t be given to a rookie like you. Without me, you wouldn’t even know you were being charmed by Eivass.” Mrs. Honey Badger looked at Alice and sighed. She casually adjusted Alice’s collar as a not-so-effective form of comfort.
“But…” Alice subconsciously wanted to defend Eivass again. Glared at by Honey Badger, she helplessly shut her mouth.
—From common sense and reason, it’s impossible! To have planned such a conspiracy at eighteen, it’s too exaggerated!
Seeing Alice still looking unconvinced, Honey Badger sighed and rubbed her head with some doting affection.
“You still don’t quite understand,” Honey Badger said softly. “In fact, we believe… Eivass is very likely not human.”
“Not… human?” Alice immediately understood what Honey Badger meant. “He was… replaced by a Child of the Moon?”
“When he was in Avalon before, our spies caught his scent, a very faint scent of a Child of the Moon.” Honey Badger’s ice-cold, silvery-white pupils gazed at Alice. “And I… also clearly smelled that scent just now.
“And it’s not faint either.” As a Master Assassin and a Vampire Hunter, Honey Badger was extremely sensitive to the scent of a Child of the Moon.
“If he’s a Child of the Moon, then everything makes sense—” Honey Badger stated with certainty.
It is precisely because he is a Child of the Moon that he can learn the High-Tier Divine Art, which is impossible for short-lived races to learn.
It is also precisely because he is a Child of the Moon that he could perceive Chloe’s Shadow Stealth—Chloe hiding in the shadows is almost impossible for anyone to detect, even if they are of a higher Energy Level than her.
Those who don’t know about Shadow Stealth wouldn’t even think in that direction.
It’s like an untrained Ordinary Person, who wouldn’t immediately look up at the ceiling after entering a room, nor would they immediately turn back to check blind spots after turning a corner.
It’s not just about invisibility; it’s “psychological blind spots.”
By achieving miracles that are absolutely impossible for ordinary people, he hides in the blind spots of common sense, confused by the illusions of common sense. Only the Child of the Moon—their old nemesis—would have such extensive knowledge and be able to know this secret technique. And the Child of the Moon also happens to be related to Hengwo.
Although the Child of the Moon is the descendant of the Banquet Master and Sister Sasha, there is a theory that the Blood Heavenly Envoy is actually a descendant of the Banquet Master and Hengwo. They simply used Sasha’s human womb to give birth, thus avoiding the Great Sin.
Then it would be normal for the Child of the Moon, with their affinity for the Path of Devotion, to sign a contract with Hengwo.
Similarly.
Since Eivass is a Child of the Moon, it’s reasonable that he could quickly rectify the political situation in Avalon, manipulate those rigid knights and greedy merchants, and even foil Lars Graham’s assassination…
The true identity of the “Miss Alistair” with whom he had an ambiguous relationship was something even the Eagle Eye organization had heard of. The legendary Countess Viness Emil Zola Beyad. The last owner of the major conglomerate “Beyad Group”—one of the three major conglomerates of the Hrasal Empire and the largest investor in Crescent Moon Manor. According to the records of the Eagle Eye organization, she was very likely already transformed into a Child of the Moon before she disappeared. Because she also participated in the last revelry at Crescent Moon Manor.
—As fellow long-lived Children of the Moon, it’s only natural for them to have an ambiguous relationship, isn’t it?
“I’m afraid the real Eivass already died in that Demon Scholar’s sacrificial ritual,” Honey Badger analyzed coldly. “That’s why his personality changed drastically and he grew so rapidly afterward. His foster father, James Moriarty, who was familiar with the old Eivass, was also killed by him afterward. Butler Oswald was also driven away—before, he couldn’t bear to let his sister Yulia leave home, but afterward, he sent her to the Silver and Tin Hall. What does the Silver and Tin Hall signify? It is the residence of Queen Isabel, his charmed pawn. Because of this, it is actually a cage—it’s even possible that Yulia has already been charmed by him.”
“But…” Alice still didn’t quite understand. “Even if the people of Avalon didn’t discover Eivass’s conspiracy, did the Church not…?” He was a Cardinal, after all! The Star Antimony people, just to assassinate the Queen… so many Queen’s Guards were dispatched…
“Yes, yes! And the Queen’s Guards—”
“Even if they arrive in Avalon, they won’t be able to find traces of the Queen having been charmed before. At most, they can only prevent Eivass from exerting new control over the Queen. Perhaps because of this, Eivass left Avalon and went to the Church. There’s also a possibility that the Queen is gradually breaking free from his control, so she sent that fake Eivass here.”
The Master Assassin codenamed Honey Badger sneered, “As for the Church being full of good people… don’t forget that we were commissioned by a Cardinal to assassinate the Saintess here. You don’t have to participate in the mission, but my mission must continue. If they were truly good people, we wouldn’t be here. The Church is also a country, and as long as it’s a country, it must be dirty. That’s why our Eagle Eye exists. I know you have a high opinion of him… He is indeed very handsome and polite. But that’s just a disguise. Since he is a Child of the Moon, we must kill him—this is the destiny of Eagle Eye.”
“But… are we going to kill Eivass in front of Queen Isabel?”
“Don’t be foolish,” Honey Badger scoffed. “That’s a fake. Her weight is different from Queen Isabel’s. It must be an illusion disguised by some Vampire trickery of the Path of Love. According to our spies’ reports, the real Isabel was still in the Silver and Tin Hall last night.”
“Meaning… my photo is meaningless?” Alice was suddenly extremely disappointed.
“Yes,” Honey Badger commented sharply. “I suggest you destroy them to prevent future trouble.”
“…No, I’ll keep it.” After a long hesitation, Alice still shook her head. She refused the senior’s suggestion. It would be a memento. It was impossible to publish it in the newspaper. But perhaps in the future, it would have some value…
(End of Chapter)