Chapter 261
The Beast Path (Third Update)
“…Actually, my only concern is…”
After hearing Eivass’s story, Sherlock’s first reaction was to frown. “How could you give such unverified ritual to Madam Mina? If something happened to her…”
“If she couldn’t successfully transition paths, it’s not much different from something happening to her,” Eivass interrupted. “Her remaining lifespan was at most three months. What else could you do? You can only try what little you can.”
Sherlock fell silent. He knew Eivass was right. With just a little deduction, he could understand the price of Mina failing to change paths. If she couldn’t extend her life, it would merely be a few months sooner. It wouldn’t change anything. Rather, it was precisely because he couldn’t bear the price of Mina’s death, yet could think of no solution… he felt pain for his own powerlessness.
“…But you could have experimented on me first,” Sherlock replied softly. “My life is cheaper than Madam Mina’s.” He knew his words were pale and even unreasonable, which was why he couldn’t speak them loudly. The lack of logic in his words made him feel almost allergic to himself when he said them. But he couldn’t help it. If he said nothing, he would feel even more pain.
Sherlock detested this feeling of powerlessness. It reminded him of his childhood, when his father was wrongly accused of assassinating the royal family and imprisoned, with “irrefutable evidence.” Sherlock had easily thought of countless ways to refute the evidence back then—each piece of evidence seemed plausible, but upon closer examination, it was all nonsense. The far-fetched motives were laughable.
But the problem was, he never had a chance to speak. No one cared about his words. They didn’t even care about the truth. The child looked up, desperately trying to pull at the sleeves of every passerby, constantly explaining what seemed so obvious to him, but no one was willing to stop for him. They didn’t even look down at him, as if he were mere air, a ghost.
At that moment, Sherlock’s ears rang with anxiety. The sudden tinnitus made his entire world seem to fall silent. In that instant, he couldn’t hear anyone around him, couldn’t hear the din of chatter at the banquet. It was as if a child stood on the shore, shouting at an incoming tsunami, trying to stop it with his voice. The feeling of powerlessness made him physically nauseous… Even recalling it now brought a faint urge to vomit, and that tinnitus returned.
But Eivass’s words suddenly pierced through his gray memories—
“…Didn’t I call you here this time?” Eivass looked at him in surprise, a cheeky smile on his face. “Why don’t you try it yourself first? If it works, I’ll promote it to the young people of Avalon. If it succeeds, our Avalon will have its own Path of Wisdom inheritance. Then, intelligent people like you won’t be stuck at the Third Tier, will they? You know, Isabel will definitely continue Queen Sophia’s policies. If not, I’ll help you keep an eye on it. In the future, the Path of Wisdom will be a legitimate path, and mages will be a legitimate profession. We need to enrich our talent reserves to catch up with Star Antinomy…”
Sherlock stared blankly at Eivass, who was rambling on. He noticed Eivass’s hair had grown a bit longer, and saw a spark in his eyes. Even though he was just a mere advisor for the Inspection Bureau, Eivass was still telling him such important things.
If someone had been willing to stop and listen to the anxious child back then, perhaps he wouldn’t be so cold and isolated now.
At that moment, Sherlock felt the persistent buzzing in his ears, like a tsunami that anxious him, had been dispersed by Eivass’s voice.
…So noisy.
Sherlock’s lips curled up subconsciously for a moment, but he quickly realized and pressed his lips flat.
Can’t act too happy, otherwise this fox will get too proud. That’s his personality. The calm and magnanimous demeanor he displays outside is just a disguise. Inside, he’s still a child who hasn’t grown up.
Sherlock frowned seriously, listening to Eivass’s earnest explanation. He had originally planned to try any ritual, no matter how absurd… but the more he listened, the more surprised he became. Because it felt like the ritual Eivass had brought out… had some substance?
“…[Mitra Worshipper] is a profession inherited from the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi. There is a special religious organization called Mithraism. Only wise young men without disabilities and who are unmarried can join the church and transfer professions—I think you count as young, so no big problem. Some kings of the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi were named ‘Mithridates,’ meaning ‘Son of Mithras.’ The name Mithras carries the meaning of contract, as well as friendship, alliance, and loyalty. This is its most original divinity, the God of Contracts. Some people believe he is the Sun God, the God of Light, and in some places, stories are sung about him traveling the earth as a god who punishes good and evil. He is also the God of War. But essentially, his divinity is tolerant—according to the principles of Mithraism, almost any god can be accommodated within it…”
“Who is Mithras?” Sherlock couldn’t help but ask. “Is he a Heavenly Envoy of the Path of Wisdom?”
Hearing this, Eivass’s lips curled up slightly.
“That’s the problem, Sherlock,” Eivass replied calmly. “There is no Mithras.”
“…What?”
“There is no such existence as Mithras. No such god… no Heavenly Envoy or Disc named Mithras with such deeds and power. It makes sense, his path spans five paths in legend: Balance, Wisdom, Authority, Devotion, and Adaptation. How could he be a real ‘one god’?” Eivass’s lips curled up slightly. “But, there are ‘multiple gods.’ The essence of Mithraism is a product of blending the stories of several fallen Heavenly Envoys. His story itself mixes five paths. The act of creating a fictional god fits the Path of Beauty, its purpose fits the Transcendent Path, and preserving the deeds of fallen Heavenly Envoys comes from the power of the Twilight Path…”
At this point, Eivass paused slightly.
“…What about the Path of Love?” Sherlock couldn’t help but press. He knew Eivass was deliberately whetting his appetite, but he was genuinely curious.
“This story told by Mithraism also hides another story: the Birth of the Path of Love. Before the Birth of the Path of Love, this path was called the Beast Path. At that time, the Pillar God of the Beast Path was the Beast Lord, and Hengwo was still the Moon Angel. She wasn’t even a Heavenly Envoy, but an Apostle of the Beast Lord. The Beast Lord was not killed by Hengwo, but fell in love with Hengwo and was tamed by her love, eventually abdicating peacefully. This was the second of the three Pillar God succession events, the [Forbidden Fruit] incident witnessed by the Elves. The essence of Mithraism is the fabrication of a male solar god… an act similar to what Hengwo once did. From this perspective, Mithraism is ‘the memory of one, the grace of three, the words of five,’ a secret cult born from the power of mixing the Nine Great Paths. Its power comes from those dead gods and does not belong to any current Pillar God.”
Eivass spoke secrets that made Sherlock’s blood run cold without reservation. He couldn’t help but glance outside the door, relieved to see Madam Mina hadn’t heard. Sherlock glanced at Lily, wondering—how could she be so calm and composed?
“Every follower is a Mitra Worshipper, but at the same time, they are the original form of Mithras itself. To advance to Mitra Worshipper, one needs the qualities of Wisdom, Loyalty, and Order. Simultaneously, one must diligently study astronomy, master at least introductory astrology, and complete the initiation ritual. If you can successfully transition to ‘Mitra Worshipper,’ you will be able to use the powers of Authority paths like Contract and Punishment, and the abilities of Devotion paths like Sun and Light, with your magic, while your body will also be strengthened. This will stop your headaches.”
Eivass patted Lily on the shoulder. “You go back to sleep, Lily. Sherlock, you are responsible for the astronomy and astrology issues yourself. Introductory level is enough; you don’t need to deeply adapt to the path. As long as you can understand what it means. Don’t sleep tonight, prepare yourself. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, I will help you complete the initiation ritual.”
Chapter Three, updated!
