Chapter 458
Sequential Traps
As Eivass was immersed in sorrow and anger, he suddenly heard a knock on his study door.
An aged voice with an Elven Tone, leisurely and clear, came from the doorway: “Young Master Eivass, you have a guest.”
The voice was so familiar to Eivass… yet now, after not hearing it for so long, it sounded somewhat strange.
It was Oswald, the elven butler who had watched Eivass grow up.
Ever since he left to pursue old James’s whereabouts in the Church, he had never returned to Avalon.
When Oswald left, Eivass was still a weak youth who could be threatened by a Level 2 Demon Scholar and had to use a wheelchair to travel. He was also very worried that Eivass would be ambushed by people from the Noble Red.
And now, Eivass was the second most powerful official in Avalon… he had even dismantled the entire Noble Red clean, and its leader was personally assassinated and destroyed beyond recognition by Eivass.
In this moment, Eivass felt a pang of nostalgia for Oswald.
He picked up a towel, wiped his face, sniffled, and cleared his throat. His eyes were still a little red, but his spirit had stabilized again.
Eivass opened the study door and nodded politely, “Mr. Oswald.”
Before him stood the gaunt, wolf-like old butler.
A height close to two meters, by pure-blooded elf standards, was actually considered on the shorter side. But for humans, he was as oppressive as a lanky, spectral figure.
Oswald stood with his hands behind his back, deep wrinkles like tree bark etched on his face. Even in his old age, his back bore no signs of stooping. His back was as straight and unyielding as his pride.
His keen, wolf-like gaze immediately met Eivass’s eyes.
The old butler easily sensed that Eivass had been crying.
But he didn’t question it, instead calmly shifting his gaze away as if he had seen nothing.
He gave Eivass a slight bow, then slowly walked towards the doorway with his hands behind his back.
Eivass, clad in red episcopal robes, kept his hands clasped and followed behind the old elf. His gaze swept subconsciously around the house… naturally, the gentle and silent figure was missing.
— Lily was no longer here.
The moment he realized this, Eivass bit the air lightly. His jaw muscles bulged and smoothed out as if he were slowly chewing something.
When he reached the living room, Eivass saw another familiar figure.
Gray irises, deep-set eyes, a gaunt face, and high cheekbones. Coupled with his neatly combed-back, but already half-bald, graying hair…
It was his foster father, James, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.
For some reason, he hadn’t attended the Silver and Tin Hall’s luncheon… nor had he eaten lunch at home. Instead, he wore his glasses with two silver chains, sat leisurely in the living room, and drank tea while reading the newspaper.
“You wait here first, I’ll bring the guest.”
Oswald turned and signaled.
Eivass nodded politely, “Okay, Mr. Oswald.”
Seeing Eivass come out and sit opposite him, James looked up and teased gently, “What, did you find the book you wanted? Can Dad go back to the study now?”
This polite old gentleman was not wearing formal attire at the moment, but simply a brown and yellow knitted vest with a white shirt underneath.
Although old James gave the impression of a gentle, refined, and frail scholar, one could now see clear muscle definition on him—at least his shoulders could fill out his shirt snugly. He sat steadily on the sofa, giving a sense of unshakable stability.
Looking at his foster father, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, Eivass was subconsciously stunned.
His eyes flowed with complex emotions and nostalgia, which he then dispelled, revealing a composed smile, “I’ve found it, Father.”
This was the way Eivass and old James interacted.
Old James referred to himself as “Dad” in front of the children, but in reality, only Yulia called him Dad. Eivass and Edward would use more formal language to address him as “Father.”
This did not mean their father-son relationship was too distant, but rather a mutual accommodation and double-sided effort—Old James hoped his children would be closer to him, while Eivass and Edward both hoped to become independent and reliable adults as soon as possible.
If someone else were playing “me,” they wouldn’t even get past Oswald and his father.
Eivass had such a thought suddenly cross his mind.
Because Eivass and Yulia were both sensible. Although Oswald was just their butler, they would respectfully call him “Mr. Oswald” and, in most cases, address him with the honorific “you.”
If they had mistakenly called either Oswald or old James by the wrong name, they would likely be suspected of impersonation instantly. Once they realized that “this Eivass is an Ascender, and they are in a dream,” Eivass would be immediately eliminated and die. After elimination, mocking laughter would even echo in others’ ears.
Eivass couldn’t help but feel a shiver of fear.
At this moment, Oswald brought the guest from the reception room.
Eivass noticed this detail.
According to Oswald’s habit, Eivass should have been led to the reception room where the guest was settled… just like when Haina arrived too early the next morning.
But he specifically had Eivass sit opposite old James…
This was obvious.
Oswald did not want Eivass to meet the guest alone, so he wanted old James to be present during their conversation. He had two possible motives: loyalty to old James, and concern for Eivass.
When the guest appeared before Eivass, Eivass immediately became certain—it was definitely the latter possibility.
Because Eivass also knew the visitor.
He was an elven butler who looked about twenty years younger than Oswald, with a square face, a stern expression, and much denser hair. If Oswald was an old man in his seventies or eighties, this person was more like a leader who had not yet retired.
— He was the guardian elf of the Dross Family.
“…Mr. Diomedes.”
Eivass stood up and gave a slight nod.
Diomedes, the elf who was addressed, also bowed slightly and drew a triangle on his chest with his right hand: “May the Candlemaster bless you, Bishop Moriarty.”
“Why have you come to see me so suddenly?”
Eivass asked politely.
Diomedes simply smiled and replied fluently, “The head of the family wishes to invite you to the Silver and Tin Hall… your mentor, Bishop Mathers, could not attend due to other matters, but such a grand occasion still requires the witness of a high-ranking Bishop.
“I believe that in all of Avalon, other than Bishop Mathers, there is no Bishop more devout and sacred than you. I implore you to grace us with your presence and accompany me.”
Hearing Diomedes’s words, Eivass’s eyebrows slightly raised.
He understood now.
— Either Sherlock, who was captured alive, revealed him by consuming the Word Spirit, or the letter he sent to Isabel was intercepted. Or perhaps both.
The Hermes Family was not a founding family, and the Sherlock of this worldline had definitely not reconciled with his family. Therefore, his disappearance would not alarm anyone.
However, leaving Eivass, who knew the truth, out in the open could potentially introduce unnecessary variables to Minister Dross’s conspiracy. Thus, Minister Dross had dispatched Diomedes to “invite” Eivass.
If Eivass absolutely refused to leave and did nothing, with Oswald’s protection, he would certainly be safe—at least he could survive safely until the ritual ended.
Those Level 5 extraordinarily powerful individuals from Star Antinomy clearly did not want to directly attack a founding family for Dross’s benefit… after all, whether Dross’s conspiracy was exposed or not was irrelevant to Star Antinomy’s plan. It was merely a matter of whether Dross would face misfortune.
Therefore, Dross could only resolve the matter with his own power. He might not dare to kill Eivass, or he might dare to… but in any case, he would at least need to control Eivass first, to prevent him from calling for backup.
If Eivass had not analyzed this layer and naively thought, “If I go with Diomedes, the plot will be triggered”… then he would be locked up from the start, or even killed amidst the chaos.
This was undoubtedly another deadly trap.
These two consecutive displays of power immediately made Eivass’s heart clench, and he became extremely vigilant.
So Eivass directly declined with a smile, “I won’t go. After all, I am just a young man. There are many more qualified people than me. If I go, people will say I am not serious.”
But Diomedes shook his head and said firmly, “Only you can go. Sir specifically instructed that if you are absent from this banquet, it would be a great pity…”
“— If he doesn’t want to go, then he won’t go.”
Just then, James, who was reading the newspaper, calmly said, “If he wanted to go, I couldn’t stop him. But if he doesn’t want to go, you can’t drag him away.”
He put down the newspaper, his gray eyes fixed on Diomedes, “Do you understand what I mean, Diomedes?”
“As you wish, Professor Moriarty.”
Diomedes did not persist in trying to take Eivass away. Instead, he immediately abandoned his plan without hesitation and bowed politely to James.
He showed no sign of regret; in fact, he seemed relieved.
That relief Eivass found incredibly familiar.
— Lily had once told him that when Diomedes was forced to abandon his assassination attempt on Lily, he had also “sighed with relief” in the same way.
