There was no longer time. Since he had been woken up by the nightmare of the Bear Heavenly Envoy, seeing that the sky outside was already slightly bright, Eivass simply decided not to sleep anymore.
He changed out of his nightgown and put on a shirt, then a sleeveless wool sweater, before leaving the bedroom and wandering aimlessly through the Silver and Tin Hall. The Flame Butterfly was perched steadily on Eivass’s shoulder, looking like a candle flame in the still dim corridor.
As Eivass walked, he faintly heard piano music flowing like a spring.
He followed the sound and found that it was Isabel’s bedroom.
He smiled and nodded at the two Queen’s Guards standing at the door, then gently knocked.
Though the two elves were Pope’s Guards, they looked like beautiful young women in their early twenties. They seemed much livelier than the elf butlers from Oswald’s batch.
Even though they had appeared solemn, almost divine, while guarding Isabel’s door, their stern and heavy atmosphere was instantly broken when they couldn’t help but smile upon seeing Eivass approach and knock. Their stance also relaxed, and compared to the rigid and steady elf butlers, they looked more like fresh university graduates.
Although they were likely around the same age as Lixia, they possessed a purity and innocence of someone who had not yet encountered the world. As the piano music inside stopped, Isabel’s confused voice came through, “Eivass?”
“Oh my…”
“Your Majesty guessed it.”
They lowered their voices, playfully urging him on in hushed tones.
Eivass ignored them, instead smiling and putting a finger to his lips before clearing his throat. “It’s me.”
Without waiting for Isabel’s response, Eivass pushed the door open.
Inside Isabel’s room, two other Pope’s Guards were quietly standing in the corner. They looked slightly older than the two at the door, likely in their thirties, like younger female teachers. Their demeanor was noticeably calmer. Upon seeing Eivass enter, they merely nodded slightly in greeting, without any expression or words.
Isabel, wearing a simple goose-yellow nightgown, sat upright at the piano. Seeing Eivass enter, the corners of her mouth curved upwards involuntarily, “Aren’t you curious how I knew it was you?”
“One can afford to be a little curious.” Eivass said with a smile, lounging on the sofa directly opposite Isabel’s piano and stretching lazily.
Isabel gently played a chord with one hand, producing a melodious and peaceful sound—one that conjured images of summer waves.
“It’s because of your knocking rhythm, actually,” Isabel said with a smile, lightly, “Knocking is a form of music. I can hear your mood from it and sense who is at the door.”
Eivass tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes. He propped his chin on his hand, resting his arm on the sofa’s armrest, and looked at Isabel. Sunlight was rising outside the floor-to-ceiling window, casting golden rays on Isabel’s profile, making her look as beautiful as a mirage.
However, what Eivass focused on most was Isabel’s bright eyes. There was light in her eyes and a light, confident smile on her face. This was an expression and gaze that the Isabel of six months ago could never have shown.
Eivass could not see the distant Star Antimony, nor did he know the current state of the war at the border of Narcissus and Black Hawk. But Isabel’s transformation and rebirth were right before his eyes.
“Then what do you think I’m thinking right now?” Eivass asked Isabel curiously. He himself wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking, as Eivass felt like he wasn’t thinking anything at all. It was like a sound too subtle to be heard, fading into transparency. Yet, Isabel was always sensitive enough to hear others’ inner thoughts from these faint fluctuations.
She smiled, “Eivass, your question is like that of a child seeking divination… I don’t mean the real divination done by diviners and prophets, but the Tarot card games played by students who lack adaptability outside of class. That kind of self-amusement. You’re seeking understanding and comfort, aren’t you!”
“Then what’s the divination result, my great diviner?” Eivass asked with a smile. Seeing Isabel’s relaxed reaction, he knew the outcome would be good. However, Isabel’s answer still surprised him, “You are eagerly seeking reassurance. It’s like waiting for your exam results after taking your final exams, feeling like you did well but still a little uneasy.”
“That is indeed the case.” Eivass nodded, acknowledging Isabel’s “divination.” Isabel, of course, did not understand divination. But she understood human hearts. As she gradually understood and assimilated the abilities of the Third Tier Path of Beauty, she finally began to master the Extraordinary Power of the “Talent.” Isabel had advanced too quickly before, so her application of it couldn’t keep up with her level increase.
Eivass was quite familiar with this feeling. It was like a new player choosing to level boost, instantly jumping to a Path’s professional level within ten levels of max… then feeling bewildered by the sudden acquisition of a large number of skills and unlocked features, not knowing where to start. Even though she had become a Third Tier Extraordinary, her mindset, experience, and application were not much different from an Ordinary Person. The Director of the Inspection Bureau, elite Supervisors, and bishops in smaller regions were also only Third Tier. Even Sherlock, before becoming a Mage, was merely a Third Tier Law Master. However, their application of Extraordinary Abilities was clearly much stronger than Isabel’s. The same energy level, the same Extraordinary Power, and even the same Extraordinary Skills, yet the effect produced by different people was different.
…However, Mycroft’s contribution to Isabel’s progress was undeniable. For the past month, Eivass hadn’t even been dealing with much state affairs. Mr. Mycroft Hermes, Sherlock’s brother, was appointed the Minister of Affairs at the first Round Table Conference after the State Funeral. He was now specially permitted to be stationed in the Silver and Tin Hall—this “Seal Minister’s” bedroom was even next door to Eivass’s room.
Just as Eivass had said at the time: Isabel basically placed that thick stack of documents directly into the box marked “Please submit to the Minister of Affairs” every day. When there were truly important documents, Mycroft would definitely show them to Isabel for review—and Eivass was usually by her side during these times, so they would review them together and offer their opinions. However, with the goal of nurturing Isabel, Eivass no longer provided direct answers. Instead, he would pose questions in an inspiring manner to elicit Isabel’s proposed solutions, and then she would handle them herself under Mycroft’s guidance.
Although some decisions were difficult, they were not painful. It was like being coached one-on-one by a mentor to solve problems, even feeling challenging and sparking her inner pride. —This was completely different from the resolute feeling of “dedicating oneself until death” that she had envisioned when she first ascended the throne. As Queen, the pressure was actually less than when she was a Princess! It even felt a bit relaxed!
This was all thanks to Eivass teaching Isabel a crucial point—back when Isabel had just ascended the throne, Eivass had told her that being a Queen was like being an Actor on a stage. Maintaining clarity, a smile, and proper distance, speaking logically and being likable, and accurately portraying the required attitude and delivering suitable lines was already the mark of an excellent Monarch. To go further, one only needed to identify and trust worthy ministers… the rest would be handled by the “worthy ministers.” Eivass was such a “worthy minister,” and Minister Hermes was a truly worthy minister. Although Mycroft complained about the trouble every day and always talked about wanting a vacation, he never slacked off nor harbored any selfish desires when it came to actual work. There was no one more trustworthy than a Twilight Path Extraordinary who was strict with himself and sufficiently loyal.
With relaxation, Isabel could then focus on improving her Path abilities with peace of mind. If breaking through from the First Tier to the Second Tier tested whether one had a compatibility with the Path, and breaking through from the Second Tier to the Third Tier tested the learning ability of the corresponding Path’s Extraordinary Skills… then from the Third Tier onwards, it required Path congruence.
During this process, there was a possibility of losing control due to Path deviation, or being unable to progress due to a mismatch in mindset or failing to find one’s original intention. One could also be brainwashed by the Path Power and become a fanatic. Sherlock had already reached the Third Tier of the Path of Authority before he even graduated. The reason he had been stuck for so long and his Law Master profession had never peaked, nor had he triggered the Path Impulse at the level cap of his Path, was because he had once lost his heart of authority and doubted his own path.
Over the past month, Eivass, Sherlock, and Isabel had fully assimilated their abilities—Eivass was doing well; his Adaptability for the Transcendent Path was already maxed out. During this period, he had primarily cultivated the compatibility of his Path of Devotion, quietly studied various knowledge from the school library, and practiced his least adept Blessing Spell. But Sherlock and Isabel were different. Sherlock needed to focus on research and solving major cases to receive feedback from the Path of Wisdom. However, before that, the level lock on his Path of Authority had spontaneously loosened… he had reached his limit without any deliberate cultivation. It was likely because he had truly reconciled with his past self and his parents, which had removed the restrictions he had imposed on himself. Isabel, on the other hand, had gradually developed confidence through Eivass. The “Talent” was a profession that could flexibly use various abilities of the Path of Beauty—as a jack-of-all-trades profession, it excelled at being good at nothing in particular. In such a situation, if one could not use different abilities in a targeted manner, they would naturally be much weaker than a specialized profession.
Thus, Eivass used himself as a target, a “practice dummy” for Isabel to practice various abilities. Buffs, debuffs, control, spell damage, healing, illusions, protection, mind reading, suggestion, detection… And Eivass was always able to provide precise “modification suggestions.” After all, Eivass was not entirely unfamiliar with the “Talent” profession. He knew to what extent Isabel’s abilities were considered qualified, so even after Janis left, Eivass could still guide Isabel as usual. —It could even be said that after Master Janis left, Isabel’s progress actually accelerated. This was not because Janis taught badly. Rather, Janis was the type of “mentor” who only laid the foundation for students, cultivated study habits, and taught learning methods and general principles—the “teach a man to fish” type. She indeed taught true “inner techniques,” but the results were not immediately apparent. This was also a common flaw among long-lived races. She always assumed that her student Isabel could endure loneliness and calm her mind, so she made every decision from an infinitely far-sighted perspective—and it was fortunate that Isabel truly was that way. Eivass was the opposite. He was the kind of “consultant” who provided different solutions for different problems. If Isabel did not proactively ask questions or make requests, he would not disturb her self-study rhythm; but if Isabel had questions, he would meticulously instruct and repeatedly train her until the problem was completely resolved. Isabel also enjoyed the one-on-one tutoring process with Eivass. For her, learning was not a form of pressure or torment, but rather a relaxation. When Eivass focused all his attention and energy on her, carefully calculating, thinking, and offering advice, Isabel felt an unprecedented sense of peace. It was like walking through a forest on a clear morning after a heavy rain… enjoying the comfort of the world seeming to slow down and the sky becoming clear. And Isabel was not the type of girl who would pretend not to know something she already did; nor was she a student who would drift off and not pay attention just because Eivass was looking at her. In this state of focused and relaxed learning… Eivass had spent a month, and forcefully cultivated a top-tier support for himself!
It was now February 12th, and the Full Moon Ritual was only a few days away. After they parted ways, they might not be able to team up again—even if Sherlock could accompany Eivass to the Church as Eivass’s subordinate in the Ministry of Affairs, Isabel would certainly not be able to advance with them. As the Minister of the Ministry of Affairs of Avalon, Eivass naturally could not go to the Church as a university student. His status in Avalon was too high. This time, he would have to enter as Minister of the Ministry of Affairs of Avalon visiting, exchanging, and studying in the Church, through formal diplomatic channels. This was also a response to the Church’s friendly attitude towards Avalon. It could be said that Eivass was visiting the Eternal Pope on behalf of the Queen this time… In a sense, he was Avalon’s ambassador to the Church. He could also serve as a guarantee of peace, a proof of friendship, a sufficiently weighty hostage, and a deterrent to the Star Antimony people—if the Star Antimony truly became desperate and decided to make a move against Avalon, then Eivass in the Church could play the role of instantly summoning reinforcements.
In that case, he couldn’t just come and go as he pleased. At least, he couldn’t return openly. Therefore, Eivass planned to advance to the Fourth Tier together with Isabel before leaving Avalon. … He couldn’t possibly let the top-tier support he personally trained go solo without even one duo match, could he! After this Ascension Ritual, they would probably all need some time to consolidate at the Fourth Tier. Once both parties had assimilated enough, perhaps Eivass would return… At that time, they could advance to the Fifth Tier together. Although having too many people in a team might lead to punishment and disqualification from the Absent Seat Ritual, it was still best to go for a three-person team if possible. If everyone else was teaming up and you weren’t, wouldn’t that be a pure loss? Perhaps Meg in the original timeline died this way—other countries could field a few Extraordinary individuals advancing from Six to Seven in different Paths, but Avalon only had the Path of Authority, so Meg couldn’t even find a reliable teammate. Not to mention… the difficulty of the Ascension Ritual from Three to Four was starting to increase. Even during the Full Moon Ritual, failure could lead to a death penalty.
Actually, by all rights, Eivass should have gone to the Church long ago. At least last month. According to normal diplomatic etiquette, Avalon should have sent a trusted confidant of the Queen immediately after the war began. However, Eivass was worried about Avalon and also about Isabel, so he kept delaying his departure. … Fortunately, the Eternal Pope fell asleep again a couple of days after his initial rage. Since he hadn’t arrived immediately, it was already considered impolite… When the Eternal Pope woke up next time, he would have to apologize anyway. Eivass, therefore, was not in a hurry.
Why not team up with Sherlock and Isabel to advance before leaving! Eivass exclaimed, “Since I’m already late, I might as well just skip class!”
