Chapter 405
Evolution of the Shadow Demon
“Another meeting in the Round Table Hall? That’s the third time,” Eivass murmured, unable to help but chuckle. “It seems they’re really feeling the pressure.”
Lixia also felt helpless. “You’ve put too much pressure on them. The atmosphere in the Round Table Hall now is more solemn than when the Iris people attacked back then.”
It was already December 30th, five days after Queen Isabel’s ascension.
Queen Isabel’s tour of several major cities was nearing its end, with today being the last day. She would be able to return to Glass Island tomorrow morning, just in time for the New Year.
Sherlock had already written to Eivass and his brother, stating that they wouldn’t be returning for the New Year this year.
January 1st in this World was Avalon’s New Year, and there would be a Candle-holding Ceremony. The host of the ceremony would be the highest-ranking bishop of the Church in Avalon, Bishop Samuel Mathers.
After the Candle-holding Ceremony, the very next day would be Queen Sophia’s funeral.
And after the funeral, Isabel would be able to rearrange her Privy Council and ministers.
Precisely because of this, the pressure within the Round Table Hall was mounting.
With Eivass deliberately leaking word through the Camelot ministers that “half of the ministers would be replaced,” those ministers were extremely nervous. They desperately wanted to get ahead of Eivass and voice their concerns.
—The knights could easily figure this out.
Since Isabel was not at the Silver and Tin Hall, how did this news get out?
It could only have been leaked by Eivass.
In other words, Eivass could at least influence the selection of ministers decided by Queen Isabel.
Since he had the confidence to say such a thing, the knights had no choice but to raise their assessment of Eivass again.
From “a mere youngster” to “a vixen who charmed the queen,” then to “a formidable figure not to be trifled with,” they now recognized him as “a meticulous Great Duke.”
And Eivass actively releasing such rumors… in the knights’ eyes, it meant he must have some agenda.
It was likely just a matter of demanding benefits—the Moriarty Family was not short of money, so perhaps they wanted Grimoires, Sacred Relics, or Holy Swords.
But the problem now was that Eivass refused to see anyone and wouldn’t accept any gifts directed at him.
All the gifts meant for Isabel were left untouched, waiting for her return to be opened. Under these circumstances, they couldn’t even bribe Eivass.
When Isabel returned, Eivass would meet with her, and perhaps his decision to “dismiss nearly half the ministers” would become irreversible. And given Isabel’s trust in Eivass, this matter would very likely be forcibly implemented.
Therefore, the ministers were very anxious, wanting to contact Eivass and explain the dire consequences to persuade him to withdraw this decision; the knights on the other side were also very anxious—because they hoped Eivass would *not* withdraw this decision.
Most of these knights had no faction, or at most, they could be considered part of the High Tower faction, having taken some money from the Lloyd Society and cast a yes vote to pass some pro-merchant proposals. But they had one thing in common: they lacked real power.
These young knights were mostly under fifty, with some just in their early thirties. As “members of parliament,” they were exceptionally young. The vast majority of them came from the Arbitration Hall controlled by Lixia; a smaller portion were judges from the Judiciary, which could be considered semi-allies.
The Arbitration Hall required at least Fourth Tier to enter, primarily serving as a talent pool for Fifth Tier ‘Great’ generation powerhouses.
If a minister or two occasionally resigned, perhaps a civil official could be promoted from within their subordinate confidantes of the symmetrical faction to maintain balance; but if there was a large-scale dismissal of ministers, then to prevent imbalance, people would inevitably be transferred from the Arbitration Hall or the Judiciary.
Avalon had a total of twenty-one ministers. Although the Chocolate faction had only a dozen or so members, most of them were ministers; the High Tower faction absorbed the majority of the remaining ministers.
The only one without any faction was the inconspicuous Minister of Palace Affairs, Mycroft—this was also normal, as everyone knew the House Hermes was a pure Queensguard faction, and no one dared to pull him into their small groups. Bringing him in would be akin to inviting a queen’s spy into a dorm chat group, practically like adding the resident advisor.
And if Eivass’s implemented policy took hold, then undoubtedly… even if this “nearly half” quota was just a 50/50 split, the High Tower faction would suffer a severe blow. And with this tempting prospect, the powerless knights of the High Tower faction began to get restless. They became less respectful of their faction leaders.
—In a few more days, you might not even be ministers anymore.
Maybe we’ll become ministers!
Undoubtedly, the decision to dismiss half the ministers was genuine. Although they now seemed to have submitted to Eivass, they might not maintain the same respect for Isabel.
Eivass didn’t need them to offer him anything, nor did he desire what they possessed.
He had no lack of money; he disdained their equipment; he already had sufficient knowledge of occult matters.
He doubted anyone would dare offer him women.
From this perspective, Eivass could be considered the most difficult Great Duke to appease. He disdained this and had no use for that, being as picky as a client demanding the impossible.
But in reality, what Eivass wanted was very simple.
—It was their loyalty to Isabel.
When school started again, Eivass would go to the Church, roughly a month from now.
He would probably have to go to Star Antinomy again to accompany his mentor on an archaeological dig. He wouldn’t be able to return to Avalon for at least half a year.
During this time, Star Antinomy could detonate at any moment due to the Ouroboros Ring ritual, or even trigger a war.
He didn’t want to be developing his power peacefully out in the wild, only to return and find his home gone and Isabel dead.
Only with a stable rear could he leave Avalon with peace of mind. And even with Mycroft and Camelot’s restrictions, coupled with Lixia and the Grand Guardian watching, Eivass couldn’t leave too many disloyal ministers behind.
A complete overhaul of Avalon’s leadership was an inevitable move.
If Isabel was willing, Eivass hoped to take the lead in this matter.
—In a sense, this was also an HR manager’s job.
Although there probably wouldn’t be such a high-profile HR manager whose single interview could decide the highest level of national leadership.
Until this matter was settled, Eivass would not meet with anyone. Any such meeting could cause controversy, compromise his position, and provide opportunities for others to frame him.
In other words, Eivass had a few rare days of rest.
After all, one had to rest during the New Year!
Eivass’s daily life was now very regular—
Every morning, he would wake up, feed the Shadow Demon a bite, then pray for mana for the Candlemaster, and then review some documents for Isabel. Although there wasn’t much, it could be used to trigger the “Offering the Wings of Freedom” skill for HP recovery. In between, he would accompany Yulia with math problems, which made Eivass’s head hurt…
Once his HP was full, he would feed the Shadow Demon again and then have lunch. He’d nap at noon, and when he woke up, his HP would likely be full, so he’d feed it again. In the afternoon, he’d read and study, which also restored HP. In the evening, after praying for mana, he’d feed it again, then help Yulia with her day’s homework. Sometimes, if he felt energetic, he’d call the Shadow Demon over for another feeding.
The Shadow Demon was now eating at least four times a day, more than Eivass himself.
It was as if feeding the Shadow Demon had canceled its skill casting delay.
Under this intensive “cramming” method, the Shadow Demon’s form had clearly changed.
It wasn’t that it had gotten fat… but that it had “evolved.”
The Shadow Demon now resembled a puddle of mud, completely silent. Eivass could control its body at will, and it remained utterly unresponsive, like a drunkard lying in the mud.
If Eivass couldn’t sense its existence, he would have thought the Shadow Demon had brain death—if demons had brains.
“Would you like to witness it?”
Eivass invited Lixia. “The evolution of a demon—something you’ve definitely never seen before.”
Just as he had revealed Alistair’s identity to Isabel and Lixia, he hadn’t kept the secret of the Shepherd’s Method from Lixia and Janis. This was because if they lived in the Silver and Tin Hall for a long time, it would inevitably be discovered.
“Is it tonight then?”
Lixia was clearly eager. “Should I go get Janis?”
“Yes, come together. And bring Yulia too,” Eivass replied readily, with some regret. “It’s a shame Isabel and Sherlock aren’t here…”
“What kind of demon will the Shadow Demon evolve into?” Lixia asked curiously. “Is it something you control?”
“It is mine, but I don’t really need to control it,” Eivass replied confidently. “The Shadow Demon’s current Mark of Sin is the Mark of Envy. And on this evolutionary tree, there is only one demon that is superior to the Shadow Demon and also wields the power of shadow.
“—That would be the Night Demon.”
Six thousand words, update complete!
Wuwuwu, a little late, I’m bowing repeatedly…
Cat is going to have lunch—
