Chapter 431
A Family Reunion
Upon returning to the Silver and Tin Hall, Ai Huasi immediately had Lily call Hermes Manor to summon the Minister of Palace Affairs, Mycroft Hermes.
After Ai Huasi and Isabel, who had returned to her original form, finished framing the painting, the Minister of Palace Affairs, who was as happy as a plump seal, hurried over, swaying his body.
Although it was emergency overtime work before the New Year, Mycroft showed no signs of displeasure and seemed to be in a good mood.
After he used the Preservation Technique to preserve the painting, Ai Huasi curiously asked him what good thing had happened to make him so happy.
After hearing the explanation, Ai Huasi was greatly surprised. “What? Sherlock is home?”
He was currently still in the form of a small child… and he had actually gone home?
Ai Huasi had always known that Sherlock had a bad relationship with his family.
He had lived alone for a long time and was often malnourished due to irregular sleep and eating habits before moving into Bishop Mathers’s home. If Edward hadn’t kept a close eye on him, often visiting him in the morning with breakfast, Sherlock might have starved to death one day.
It wasn’t due to a lack of money, but rather a laziness to eat when he was busy. However, he would eat well when he had free time, but this erratic eating pattern was worse for his health.
In general, he lacked someone to take care of him. According to Avalon’s customs regarding authority, ordinary people couldn’t hire servants. Only those with a certain income and status, and who were married, could hire a very limited number of butlers and maids.
The Hermes Family had the quota, and Sherlock had a personal maid who had grown up with him. However, when he left home, he not only didn’t bring his maid but didn’t take a single cent from home.
All his income came from consulting fees for solving cases for the Inspection Bureau or small fees for resolving private cases for others. Sherlock also had no habit of saving money, spending whatever he had. He lived a comfortable and free life.
When Sherlock faked his death before, he didn’t even choose to go home but stayed at Bishop Mathers’s place. Only his brother, Mycroft, knew that Sherlock was not dead. When Sherlock later “resurrected,” he only sent a letter home stating that he was still alive.
It was Bishop Mathers who urged him to return home for a visit. Sherlock went back and spent a short time there. After proving he was indeed alive, he left immediately—he didn’t even stay overnight or have a banquet dinner.
But did Sherlock have any grudges against his family?
… It didn’t seem so.
At Sherlock’s “funeral,” his mother was extremely haggard because of his misfortune. She wept bitterly, her grief clearly genuine. Sherlock’s father, Arthur, was also very dejected and obviously cared deeply for his child.
In fact, Ai Huasi had always been curious about how Sherlock had fallen out with his family. But whenever he asked, Sherlock would either refuse to speak or change the subject. Ai Huasi didn’t want to pry too deeply, as it could damage their relationship.
Hearing Ai Huasi’s question, Mycroft could only awkwardly chuckle.
It wasn’t until Isabel and Lixia, also curious, leaned in and asked personally that things began to unfold.
Mycroft had already guessed that Lixia was Meg. Therefore, the loyal Minister of Palace Affairs gave Lixia a meaningful glance before finally explaining the situation honestly.
As the story progressed, Ai Huasi found himself unable to hold back his laughter.
Lixia, standing nearby, was also struggling to contain herself.
—Because Meg was responsible for one-third of the reason why Sherlock had fallen out with his family back then.
This happened just before Sherlock graduated… which was only a few years ago.
At that time, Meg had taken a liking to Sherlock and wanted to take him as her disciple.
Sherlock had excellent talent in the Path of Authority. He was very young and loyal to the Queen. He was intelligent, possessed leadership qualities, and was calm and collected. He had no obsession or preference for the opposite sex, was upright, and had no desire for power.
He was a perfect template for the Path of Authority.
Being young, he wouldn’t chase after the twilight and become lazy and conservative. Lacking an obsession with power, he wouldn’t seek to transcend and attempt rebellion. He had no obsession with beautiful women, so he was less likely to fall into the Path of Love and be tempted by foreign spies.
This effectively sealed the three most common pitfalls of the Path of Authority.
At the same time, his intelligent mind would allow him to become a qualified superior; his loyalty to the Queen would enable him to assist the future monarch.
It could be said that Meg’s judgment was impeccable.
Moreover, Meg’s lifespan was nearing its end. She had to find a successor.
She intended to cultivate Sherlock with all her might, have him enter the Inspection Department, then rise to the Arbitration Hall, and finally succeed her as the next Grand Arbitrator.
But at that very moment, Sherlock felt an urge towards the Path of Wisdom.
During his school years, he had experienced unprecedented fulfillment, excitement, and satisfaction from deduction and puzzle-solving, finally realizing what he truly wanted to do.
Meg’s impending death was a top-secret matter known only to high-ranking officials loyal to the Queen, and it was strictly confidential. Sherlock’s father, Arthur, knew about this and felt extremely honored that Sherlock was recognized and would become the next Grand Arbitrator.
Furthermore, Meg held a high position in Avalon, yet she rarely made a request in over a decade. Naturally, Arthur took it very seriously and urged Sherlock to accept Meg’s offer.
Sherlock was also somewhat rebellious at the time—he had no interest in power and only wanted to pursue the truth. Just as Ai Huasi was once drawn into the Path of Transcendence, Sherlock’s strong talent in the Path of Wisdom made him stubborn.
“Sherlock was quite mischievous as a child, but his family was quite open-minded. Both his mother and father were on the gentler side,” Mycroft said helplessly. “As a result, the family always indulged his various interests… but, this was a significant matter, and his father became very firm. And because the matter was confidential, he couldn’t properly explain its significance to Sherlock.
“Sherlock was in his prime at the time. He madly studied the knowledge of the Path of Wisdom in the school library and excitedly discussed it with me.”
“Back then, his eyes held a light,” Mycroft said softly, with a hint of nostalgia.
“Sherlock felt extremely angry and even incredulous at his father’s interference—as if betrayed by his family… But I knew that, in essence, it was a misunderstanding caused by confidential matters that couldn’t be revealed to family… After all, if Sherlock truly disagreed, his father couldn’t force him.”
Mycroft sighed helplessly. “But after that, Madam Meg never took on any more disciples. No matter what prodigy emerged from the school, she remained unimpressed—you know the rest.”
“…The ‘Supreme Glory’ plan?” Lixia murmured, somewhat wistfully. “So that’s how it was…”
She glanced at Ai Huasi and Isabel, who seemed confused, and then explained it to them in detail.
This plan actually referred to Meg’s early Ascension to the Sixth Tier.
Meg could actually live for quite some time.
If all sorts of life-prolonging rituals and artifacts were used, she could have lived for at least another twenty years, albeit with a significantly diminished combat power in her later years. However, she could have served as a visible symbol, providing a deterrent.
Even though she would grow weaker due to continuous aging, as long as a suitable successor was found, she wouldn’t have to worry too much about Avalon’s future. But if a suitable successor couldn’t be found, she would have to prepare for Ascension while her body was still healthy and her mind was still sharp. The longer she waited, the lower the probability of successful Ascension would be.
“And honestly… no one really felt the ‘Supreme Glory’ plan was very feasible. And Father, not knowing about the existence of the ‘Shadow of Avalon’ plan at the time, mistakenly believed that Sherlock’s capriciousness had caused a major mistake—infuriating Madam Meg and disappointing her. So, he flew into a rage, vehemently criticized Sherlock, and issued a death order for him to apologize to Madam Meg and change his mind…”
“Wait, wait a minute,” Lixia couldn’t hold back and revealed her identity directly. “You know I used to be Meg, right, little fatty? And let me preface this by saying… I emphasize, I wasn’t angry at all at the time. I had been searching for a successor for many years and finally found Sherlock. If he wasn’t willing, I felt it would be difficult to find another successor of the same caliber if I delayed further, so I directly focused on maintaining my mental and physical health and preparing to execute another plan.”
“Yes,” Mycroft said with a helpless smile. “I also felt that you were likely not angry. But regardless… this was because Sherlock did not accept your invitation. Sherlock felt his father was unreasonable and had a furious argument with him, then moved out, ready to pursue his ideals. I never told him the truth about this matter either. It wasn’t until you… ‘appeared’ that I explained the truth of those years to him.”
It was evident that this exceptionally intelligent person in Avalon realized immediately upon Lixia’s appearance that she was indeed Meg.
Mycroft realized that Sherlock’s mistake from that year had passed. He finally breathed a sigh of relief and told him the truth. By then, the fundamental conflict between Sherlock and his father, Arthur, had disappeared. Mycroft truly loved Sherlock, which was why he cared so much about protecting him, not just his safety but also his spirit and mind.
…So it turns out that the disintegration of Avalon was partly due to Sherlock. Ai Huasi couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. History was truly a complex, intertwined system, seemingly connected to everyone.
Ai Huasi finally understood why, during that dream-like Ascension Ritual, Sherlock’s emotions were so low, making him seem so lost, like a rain-soaked cat or a homeless stray dog.
He had even wanted to sacrifice himself to help Ai Huasi and Isabel ascend. He had repeatedly wanted to give up his own Ascension on the Path of Wisdom and switch back to being a Law Master on the Path of Authority during his next Ascension.
At the time, Ai Huasi had a feeling—it was like arguing with a girlfriend; even though you knew you were wrong, you stubbornly insisted you weren’t. But while being stubborn, you regretted it, wanting to make significant sacrifices and changes as if nothing had happened to show you had admitted your mistake.
It was only after Ai Huasi cajoled him for a long time and gave him a new profession that Sherlock’s spirits lifted. At that time, Ai Huasi vaguely sensed that Sherlock was craving failure, but he didn’t understand the reason behind it.
Now, Ai Huasi finally understood—looking back now, Sherlock finally understood the mistake he had made in his youth. He didn’t know how to atone for it, and Sherlock’s pride prevented him from backing down. He only wanted to find another way to compensate, unwilling… and afraid to apologize.
At this point, Sherlock already knew he was wrong, but he just needed a way out. If he could make a sacrifice for Ai Huasi and Isabel during the Ascension Ritual, it could serve as a stepping stone—implying that his detective career was merely a personal hobby, and he was now returning to the Path of Law Master. But Sherlock wasn’t truly giving up on being a detective. He was merely using it as a sacrifice to fill the guilt of his youthful naivety that had nearly caused a disaster.
It was like pinching his hand when he had a headache, or listening to sad songs when heartbroken. Using pain to alleviate pain. Using hurt to numb hurt.
“I wonder who managed to convince him,” Ai Huasi couldn’t help but say. “But I really need to thank him.”
“Indeed,” Mycroft said smilingly. “And Sherlock still looks like a child now… so cute. Both his father and mother look over ten years younger. I haven’t seen such a warm and harmonious family scene in a very long time, and we haven’t had a reunion like this for New Year’s in many, many years. If Her Majesty has no other matters, I will be returning home for the New Year.” He said this with almost boastful ease, happy for Sherlock’s change and his family’s happiness.
Even Ai Huasi and Isabel couldn’t help but break into happy smiles.
“Alright, go back,” Isabel said with a smile. “Take my blessings with you—say hello to Sherlock and Arthur for me.”
Watching the young Queen’s bright and generous smile, Mycroft cast a thoughtful glance at Ai Huasi, then nodded cheerfully.
“Yes, yes.”
Seven thousand five hundred words updated! Voting requested at the end of the month and beginning of the month~ Tomorrow will be January 1st in both the book and reality! Cat is a genius! Such a precise alignment! Cheer for me, and, and applaud me!
