Chapter 219: Court Ritualist Ibn
Now, Mycroft had resolved any potential trouble he might encounter, Lily had obtained inheritance of equipment and a new profession, and Eivass had acquired leads for further investigation and stronger allies…
With this letter, he could be convicted in diplomatic settings, securing more benefits for Avalon.
It could be called a happy ending for everyone.
The only pity was that Old Mr. Bone Sculpture had not left behind a single copper coin of stolen money. Eivass had told Mycroft on the way that if there were gold coins, jewelry, or artworks here, they would split them equally – a share for each witness.
This was also Eivass’s way of trying to build a closer relationship with Mycroft.
But in the end, Mycroft had just smiled and waved his hand, stating with absolute certainty, “There will be no such things.”
As expected. Not to mention stolen money, not even a dirty diaper was left behind.
This was probably the noble integrity and stubbornness of an artist…
Eivass actually suspected that Mycroft had already guessed what was inside the safe before it was opened.
He definitely didn’t know the specifics, because like Sherlock, he lacked too much information. But even so, he still guessed… that it must be something very troublesome.
—As long as he touched that thing, whether he chose to keep it private, destroy it, or hand it over, if discovered, it could make him appear less than clean.
Although the Path of Authority could detect lies, if lie detection were so effective, Minister Dross could never have betrayed Avalon.
That was why he specifically came to find Eivass to help deal with this troublesome matter.
Mycroft, as an Extraordinary of the Twilight Path, extremely favored tranquility, even bordering on stillness. He was very afraid of trouble.
To avoid causing himself trouble, he would utilize his wisdom to directly resolve matters before they happened.
Because of this, although Sherlock firmly believed that Mycroft was much smarter than him… Mycroft was not as famous as his brother Sherlock. This was because he seemed to handle only trivial matters and never had experience or achievements in dealing with major crises.
Sherlock had been helping the Inspection Bureau solve complex cases since he was very young, and even had close ties with the Inspection Department. He became famous early on and was a renowned Famous Detective of Avalon. He even had admirers among the Star Antinomy and Iris Flower, who occasionally wrote to him, detailing complex cases and requesting Sherlock’s help in deduction and resolution.
But before Sherlock mentioned Mycroft to Eivass, even Eivass, who “generally knew the future,” did not recognize him. His only advantage was that his work was always flawless, but there was nothing particularly outstanding. No one hated him, and no one liked him particularly much. He had no enemies, nor friends.
Even Isabel and Meg, among others, did not think Mycroft was very smart and still sought Sherlock’s help for matters…
Perhaps only Her Majesty the Queen, with her discerning eye, could grudgingly judge this man of low presence as a rare talent.
Now, as Eivass, the Minister of Affairs, he began to think for Avalon—thinking of Isabel, who would eventually succeed to the throne. Since he knew Mycroft was an extremely rare intelligent person, he should also be heavily relied upon.
—The position of Minister of Palace Affairs was indeed important, but it was a bit of a waste for Mycroft.
The position of Trade Minister, which Dross had just vacated, might be more suitable for him.
Eivass temporarily made a note of his name and then returned to the Silver and Tin Hall with Lily.
There was no choice.
Since Sherlock’s “guardian” had personally come to pay Sherlock’s rent, it wouldn’t be good for Eivass to make Sherlock go back home to live. After all, Sherlock never liked living at home, and Madam Mina did take good care of him.
Originally, Eivass could have returned to the Moriarty residence—the assassins of the Iris Flower had been stripped clean, and Minister Dross, the traitor, had also been dealt with by Eivass.
Currently, Eivass’s only remaining enemies were the giants in the upper echelons of Noble Red. And the entire Noble Red was being chased by the air cavalry. Eivass could finally have some peace in Avalon for a while.
However, Yulia seemed to be living happily in the Silver and Tin Hall.
On one hand, she was learning alchemy from Master Nobel at a rapid pace—she could already synthesize various bombs without even completing her first Advancement Ritual; on the other hand, her relationship with Isabel was also gradually becoming closer.
Eivass didn’t even need to ask to know that they most likely used him to get closer… As everyone knew, among good friends, whoever is absent becomes the topic.
Of course, it wasn’t Isabel asking Yulia about Eivass. It was likely the other way around.
Because Yulia had been in a sickly state before, her understanding of Eivass might truly not be as good as the well-informed Isabel’s—Janis liked to chat with her about gossip when she had nothing else to do, and that camera enthusiast was remarkably efficient in this regard.
At Yulia’s invitation, Eivass decided to stay in the Silver and Tin Hall as well. The exam was definitely not an issue, and there was nothing to do at home… Moreover, by staying in the Silver and Tin Hall, Eivass could also learn some experience regarding rituals from the court ritualist.
That old ritualist’s name was “Ibn,” a Curse Ritual Mage from the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi.
His Energy Level was not high, only Third Tier, yet he had mastered many rare Mystical Arts. And although he was a Transcendent of the Transcendent Path, he was a remarkably gentle old man.
He embarked on the Path of Transcendence to help the impoverished people of his homeland. He was expelled because he offended a great wealthy man in the local area—or, in the words of the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi, he should be called a “Lord.”
Almost no one knew the face of the true Monarch of the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi, and he rarely appeared.
In the unnatural desert that lay in the center of the continent, which should have been fertile plains, the cities were far apart. The manager of each city was called a “Lord.” Some cities had only one, while others had multiple. These Lords were the actual rulers of the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi.
Lords could raise and sell slaves. Only slaves sold by Lords were legal slaves; all other slaves were illegal.
The reason they were called “Lords” was because only they controlled the rights to water usage. They could conjure abundant water sources out of thin air in the desert, and their cities were built around these water sources.
If a Lord died, the water source would dry up.
The Anxi people believed that the reason they could survive was because the Lords gave them their water. Therefore, the rule of the Lords was very firm—to dare to resist a Lord was equivalent to eliminating everyone’s right to survive.
Once a city was destroyed, those who became refugees in other cities would become “outcasts.” If one did not pay to redeem their freedom, the original Free People would be branded as slaves.
These Lords, who monopolized the slave resources, not only had their own armies but also immeasurable wealth. The cities fought against each other, essentially forming a state of secession.
This Ibn embarked on the Path of Transcendence to help people resist the Lords and save those slaves.
But they were too naive. They were betrayed by the very people they saved and were almost all imprisoned. Ibn was one of the few who escaped.
He fled to the Black Hawk Duchy, which had not yet perished at the time, but he felt it was not enough. So Ibn continued westward, intending to cross Avalon and head to the Church. As long as he reached the eternally neutral Eternal Holy Kingdom, he would be able to survive.
Unexpectedly, while traveling through Avalon’s territory, he met a group of local Curse Ritual Mages.
“They called themselves the ‘Serpent Hand,’ meaning ‘those who do not wear armor.’ They were a civilian Transcendent organization formed to resist King Tudor III, the Gallows King… When I saw them, I felt like I saw myself in the past. I couldn’t bear it, so I decided to stay and help them.”
Ibn sighed and said softly, “And their end was indeed similar to mine.
“Ultimately, I was betrayed by a traitor and sent to prison. But the young Queen, who had just succeeded the throne, heard that I was from the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi and personally came to the prison to see me. After talking with me for a night, she decided to pardon me… That young Her Majesty the Queen decided to open the Paths of Avalon for the first time. But because there was no law to follow, she could only help me apply for a position as a court ritualist.
“She said I could also leave secretly and go to the Church. She would not pursue me, she just didn’t want me to die in prison. But if possible, she still hoped I would stay.
“I realized that I, who was incompetent and powerless, could actually change the fate of a country… I was greatly honored, so I accepted Her Majesty the Queen’s invitation and stayed.”
Hearing Ibn’s words, Eivass was astonished.
…Serpent Hand?
He couldn’t help but ask, “Then do you know someone… he was also part of the Serpent Hand, named Jacob Alexander.”
“He was one of the founders of the Serpent Hand, and my friend.”
Ibn replied nostalgically, “I don’t know where he ended up…”
As he said this, he suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise and looked up earnestly at Eivass.
“…You look a lot like him.”
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