The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 202

Chapter 203
Did my incident occur?
At the same time, Eivass finished telling Sherlock, who was staying at the Bishop’s house, about the events of the past few days.
Learning from Eivass that Minister Dross was dead, Sherlock felt a sense of loss.
“What? Tired of resting and don’t want to go back?”
Seeing Sherlock’s seemingly depressed expression, Eivass raised an eyebrow and teased, “Why don’t you just rest in peace then? It seems fine, anyway; the funeral has already been held.”
“I won’t die even if you die,”
Sherlock replied coldly, lowering his head to continue writing. “I never argue with patients. You go to sleep first. If you want to argue, I’ll wait until you wake up.”
Not necessarily. I think you’re more likely to kick the bucket than I am.
Eivass thought to himself but didn’t say it aloud.
He stood up from his wheelchair and leaned closer to see what Sherlock was writing.
Sherlock tilted his head slightly, glancing at Eivass. He didn’t ask about his legs or cover the documents in front of him.
He simply explained casually, “It’s the same one as before.”
“You haven’t finished it yet? The one about the 140 types of ashes?”
“I’ve already finished it. I just want to verify and confirm it again. This kind of thing cannot have mistakes, or it will be a huge trouble.”
Sherlock explained, “It was originally intended as a reference book to help the Inspection Bureau and Inspection Department in remote areas solve difficult cases… If the content in it has problems, it might become an obstacle to solving cases instead.”
“So when do you plan to ‘resurrect’?”
Eivass said, “Your parents are very worried about you.”
“No rush,” Sherlock said while flipping through the book. “Mycroft can help resolve it.”
His words revealed a faint admiration and trust for his elder brother.
“And you? You’re just going to hide here?”
“A few more days. After your final exams are over, I’ll go home and inform Mycroft, mention what needs attention on Glass Island, and then leave with you all.”
Sherlock said in a deep voice, “I’ve been investigating Eagle Cape Village during this time. That place is quite unusual…”
He turned back. His eyes, which always carried a hint of sleepiness, were now clear. His previously sunken, sharp-cheekboned thin face had visibly filled out, with no signs of hollowness anymore. His spirit, complexion, and even his skin had clearly improved significantly.
It’s unclear if Mrs. Mina took good care of him, or if Sherlock’s spirit improved after he stopped working.
Perhaps it was both.
—Because not working is indeed great, and very good for health.
The next day, after waking up, Eivass first used Fire Worship Magic to restore his physical condition before heading to school.
In the morning, Eivass covered a class, and during lunch, he heard from Princess Isabel… that Master Janis might be coming over tonight.
“What does Master want with me?”
Eivass was somewhat surprised.
“It seems to be something related to me?”
Princess Isabel whispered, “But I didn’t have the nerve to ask.”
Related to Princess Isabel?
That truly confused Eivass.
But Princess Isabel seemed to have recovered from yesterday’s fear, looking even better than when Eivass had left yesterday. It was likely that Master Janis had spoken with her again after Eivass’s departure.
“By the way.”
Princess Isabel hesitated for a long time before suddenly asking, “Can you play a musical instrument? Or rather… are you interested in learning one? It shouldn’t be difficult…”
“Ah, I can,”
Unexpectedly, Eivass replied directly, “I know a little guitar… but I’ve mostly forgotten.”
This was a modest statement.
It was something he learned in his previous life. His brain knew it, but his current hands might not—he actually knew bass too, but there was no need to mention that.
However, the guitar of this era was somewhat different from the version Eivass learned. The version improved by Princess Isabel’s father was closer to a modern guitar. But Eivass didn’t know if by this time he had invented the “Albert-style guitar,” so he didn’t mention it.
“I see…”
Princess Isabel nodded thoughtfully, making a mental note. She didn’t say anything further.
Afterward, Eivass did not return to his dormitory to rest. Instead, he found a quiet place and, under the guise of “rehabilitation exercises,” got out of his wheelchair and took a walk in the garden.
Lily pushed the wheelchair, with the Shadow Demon following behind them.
—For some reason, after killing Dross, the Shadow Demon and Lily had grown much closer.
And Lily had also become a little closer to Eivass… unlike before, when she always maintained a cautious distance between master and servant.
If before, the Shadow Demon grudgingly lent some of its power to Lily out of respect for Eivass…
Since Lily completed the filial piety ritual with her father, the Shadow Demon’s power within her had become more settled. It was as if she had gained its approval.
But this was good. Lily already had a low presence, and after mastering the Spider Silk Grimoire and gaining the Shadow Demon, her presence became even lower. If the Shadow Demon were hidden in her shadow, most people wouldn’t notice.
Moreover, Lily wore a dress, and it was normal for the skirt to flutter in the wind and for the shadow to move slightly—besides, the Shadow Demon could directly hide in her hem.
“I heard you were a hero yesterday?” Princess Isabel asked with a smile.
“Just a small thing.”
Eivass brushed it off, not continuing the topic.
Perhaps because of his eccentric personality, Eivass always felt a bit awkward when talking to girls about the good deeds he had done.
He didn’t like using such things as conversation topics. On one hand, he didn’t know how to brag about himself; on the other hand, he felt it would make his motives questionable.
This made him a little embarrassed, like exposing his true heart for others to see. It felt like a thrilling sense of exposure.
It would be easier to casually tell a few lies and say something nice to make the young lady happy. Eivass was much more natural at lying; he could tell pleasantries all afternoon without repeating himself.
Although he was somewhat worried about how the news about him would spread yesterday and if it would be awkward… but if he didn’t hear about it, it was as if it didn’t exist.
They soon arrived at a lake.
The lake was surrounded by a meticulously maintained garden, but in winter, only thorny bushes remained.
There were many such scenic places at the Royal Law University, but it had been getting colder recently, and most students were reluctant to go out. This was precisely why Princess Isabel had come out for a stroll—she specifically chose to go out when no one else was around.
“The lake there is very beautiful in summer. There are fish in it. My sister, who was a student at the Royal Law University when I was little, said you could fish here… I used to pester her to bring me.”
Princess Isabel whispered, “But it’s frozen now… I haven’t tried it since enrolling, though.”
At that time, she was still very introverted and couldn’t even think of finding places to have fun.
Every day after class, she would rush home and continue with her second round of classes, day after day, with no entertainment. She lived like a student preparing for college entrance exams.
“But the lake outside the Silver and Tin Hall doesn’t seem to be frozen in winter.”
Eivass casually said, “Haven’t you been fishing there?”
“…There are many people coming and going there every day, right?”
Princess Isabel became nervous, her back instinctively straightening. “How can I fish in front of people? That’s too rude, I’ll be scolded…”
No, not necessarily. Not at all.
Eivass thought, your grandmother was much more adventurous than you… she must have tried it.
After all, in this era, watching plays, fishing, playing cards, and playing chess were among the few forms of entertainment. The rest were somewhat harmful or illegal.
However, from this perspective…
“Are you still afraid of people, Princess Isabel?”
Eivass asked the girl beside him.
Princess Isabel shook her head. “It’s impossible to say I’m not afraid at all… But I’m trying very hard to change.”
“You don’t really need to ‘change’,”
Eivass said softly, his voice gentle. “Because there’s nothing wrong with it. Being afraid or not afraid is just your own choice.”
“What about you, Eivass?”
Princess Isabel clasped her hands behind her back, turned slightly, and looked directly at Eivass. “Do you want me to be afraid?”
“Of course, I want you to become strong,”
Eivass said seriously and honestly. “Just for yourself… and for Avalon.”
He said the first part, then thought it might be too intimate and not good. It might scare Princess Isabel, causing her to instinctively flee. So Eivass paused before adding the second part.
Princess Isabel just smiled shyly and didn’t answer.
They chatted aimlessly like this. It was less of a walk or sight-seeing, and more of a leisurely stroll—with no particular destination, just walking and talking.
They parted ways just before class started.
“Haa… I’m exhausted. I feel like my physical strength has really degenerated… Lily, please take me back to the classroom.”
After Princess Isabel left, Eivass immediately slumped back into his wheelchair, closed his eyes, and intended to take a nap.
“Young Master,” Lily’s voice, with a faint smile, sounded behind him. “Why didn’t you stay in the wheelchair just now?”
“Politeness. After all, I’m not really sick… It would be too presumptuous for the future Queen to walk beside me and chat.”
Eivass casually made up an excuse.
This was, of course, a lie.
The real reason was… when Princess Isabel looked down at him, he always felt a maternal aura from her. This made him feel a bit awkward.
—It must be the impact of her previous advancement, Eivass thought.
It would be better after the next advancement diluted the impression… It was coming soon anyway; this weekend was the time for advancement.
After Eivass and Lily finished class, Eivass saw an unexpected person at the classroom entrance.
“…Head部长 Meg?”
Eivass blurted out, “Who are you looking for?”
Seeing the short, stern old woman looking at him, he instantly felt guilty.
“Of course, I’m looking for you, kid!”
Meg said impolitely. “Come with me?”
As she spoke, she sized Eivass up.
—What are you looking for me for? Did I do something wrong?
Ah, no…
Eivass realized he had deceived himself.
Because he had committed quite a few wrongdoings.
…So, which bad deed was discovered? Meg seemed to be smiling, so it probably wasn’t a major one…
Could it be that I was caught flirting with Princess Isabel…?
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