Chapter 513
Anna Kingsford
February 17th, early morning.
After bidding farewell to Queen Isabel and Eivass at the Silver and Tin Hall, Edward headed to the Lloyd District. He planned to take a ship from Lloyd Port to the Iris Flower.
Eivass, Lily, and Sherlock, with their luggage, mounted their Gryphons and prepared to fly to Summer County, the westernmost part of Avalon. From there, they would take a ferry regularly bound for the Church.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible for the Gryphons to fly them directly to their destination. However, that would be rather impolite—Gryphons were considered top-tier military units in Avalon, akin to taking an armed helicopter directly to one’s destination.
Edward was on an diplomatic mission to the Iris Flower, while Eivass was going to study at the Church and express his gratitude. Considering Avalon was still in a state of war, it was better for them to keep a low profile when interacting with friendly nations.
Besides, traveling by Gryphon was definitely not as comfortable as taking a ferry.
Even so, the news that Minister Moriarty was about to head to the Church spread quickly.
It wasn’t because Avalon’s reporters had some unique news channels. Eivass had intentionally leaked the information himself… through Dimit, the editor-in-chief he had supported. With Eivass gone, this news could lure out any ill-intentioned individuals still lurking in Avalon.
They had no idea how long Eivass would stay in the Church—this was what was meant by “time waits for no one.”
Although Eivass had used this tactic once before, a good strategy never gets old. As long as it’s used well, humans have no memory.
On the ferry, Eivass, clad in priestly robes, gazed at the shimmering water in the distance, lost in thought.
During their casual chat last night, Isabel had shared the secrets she gained from the Ascension Ritual with Eivass.
Professor Moriarty would surely not be able to obtain information directly from the Ascension Ritual… but Eivass felt that the mysterious knowledge he had imparted to Isabel wasn’t entirely out of good intentions. Perhaps after Eivass learned certain things, his actions would lean towards the direction Professor Moriarty desired… that was not impossible.
…But from another perspective, this was indeed invaluable information.
“Cicada Molting,” “Endless Knot,” “Samsara Heavenly Envoy”… These were all things Eivass didn’t know. Yet, they surprisingly corroborated with his own faint, lingering impressions.
The matter of [Cicada Molting] was the first recorded instance of a Pillar God changing hands in history. Only the earliest intelligent races witnessed this event. This could be considered the world’s greatest secret.
Compared to [Forbidden Fruit] and [Royal Power], the greatest peculiarity of the [Cicada Molting] event was that it simultaneously replaced multiple Pillar Gods.
Based on the currently known information, the Lord of Scales and Feathers, Amber, Great Philosopher, Beast Lord, and Supreme Heaven all ascended to the position of Pillar God during that event. And from the secrets Eivass vaguely knew, Father Snake and Hourglass were also deeply and mysteriously connected to this matter…
Only Candlemaster and Twin, who had existed since the most ancient past, could be definitively confirmed as unrelated to [Cicada Molting].
Nowadays, only a very few long-lived beings like the Dragon remember the secret of [Cicada Molting]. Even the Grand Library of the Church is vague about this matter.
Some say it was a war for convergence, while others say it was a sacrifice for division. But perhaps the original war was indeed for sacrifice, and the cup was filled with the blood of enemies.
—Professor Moriarty is actually trying to contact [Cicada Molting], and has already learned knowledge such as “Endless Knot.” Could it be that what he seeks are secret treasures like “Endless Knot”?
“What are you thinking about?”
Just then, Sherlock, with a scowl, walked up to Eivass.
He extended his hand and rested his elbow on Eivass’s shoulder. Eivass irritably pushed his elbow away, and Sherlock, with great pettiness, rested his elbow on the other shoulder.
“I’m thinking, you’re really petty,” Eivass quipped.
“I bet you’re not thinking about Her Majesty the Queen,” Sherlock raised an eyebrow. “Right, Auspicious Omen?”
“…You’re not calling me Vixen sed this time?”
“You said it yourself. A fox is an auspicious omen—Didn’t you get upset when I called you that?”
Eivass clicked his tongue and grabbed Sherlock’s neck in response. With a fake smile, he lifted Sherlock by his collar. “Your shoulders must be quite tired, let me help you with that.”
Although the first blow was exceptionally heavy, causing him to yelp in pain, Eivass proceeded to genuinely massage Sherlock. Sherlock then squatted down, resting his hands on the railing of the deck.
“I’m guessing,” Sherlock suddenly said, “that you’re worrying about the future.”
“Partially,” Eivass smiled.
There was also a part about the past—the past before humanity was born.
Sherlock suddenly asked, “Thinking about Professor?”
Eivass looked at Sherlock with some surprise. “How did you guess?”
He quickly realized, “Isabel asked you, didn’t she?”
Given Isabel’s meticulous nature, she would certainly notice his wariness towards the Professor. She wouldn’t tell him everything Professor Moriarty told her verbatim; she would have surely consulted a mutual, trustworthy friend who could absolutely keep a secret.
That could only be Sherlock.
“I told Her Majesty to speak directly. For intelligent people, difficulties are easier to resolve than misunderstandings,” Sherlock said without looking up at Eivass. He was still squatting, holding the railing with both hands, staring at the distant sea like a scene from “Les Misérables,” and said lazily, “Rather than you guessing what she’s hiding, it’s better to reveal everything and then research and analyze it.”
“Then did you analyze anything?”
“Partially.”
Sherlock gave a reserved smile, offering an answer that surprised Eivass. This time, Eivass was truly astonished. Given Sherlock’s personality, he wouldn’t mention something if he had only researched a little. When he said “a little,” it meant he had already discovered a lot.
And all this in just one day!
Or perhaps…
“—You suspected my father before?”
“A long time ago, I told Edward. He almost killed me,” Sherlock said faintly. “Of course, all of that has been destroyed by Edward. I would never deceive him by deliberately keeping a backup that could be used to attack him if found.”
He then turned his head to the side with self-satisfaction and tapped his head. “But do I need those things? No, not at all. Once I’ve seen a document, it’s etched into my brain. Those pieces of evidence and documents were indeed destroyed, but I remember every word, every punctuation mark. After getting the information from Her Majesty, I went back to organize it… and sure enough, I found something.”
Looking at the smug Sherlock, Eivass suddenly understood why he had disappeared from the “empty house.”
He had become interested, and truly dared to investigate anything!
Although he wanted to criticize his risky behavior, the intelligent Eivass remained silent—it would be bad if Sherlock got angry and didn’t share his findings. For now, it was better to coax the information out of him first, and then criticize.
“So,” Eivass asked with great interest, “what did you find?”
“A crucial point,” Sherlock replied quickly without stalling. “Your sister, Freya Molu Moriarty—she is actually Professor Moriarty’s biological daughter… Hmm, judging by your reaction, you already knew?”
“Indeed. And then?”
“Aren’t you curious about who her mother is?” Sherlock countered.
“…To be honest, I am a little curious,” Eivass nodded, speaking from the heart.
For such a man of deep thought and detached emotions, what kind of person could capture his heart? At least, from Eivass’s understanding of Professor Moriarty, that man seemed to have no personal desires.
“She was a Witch of the Domain of Love. Her name is Anna Kingsford, and she is a Star Antimony person. According to unconfirmed information, I believe she is a member of the Rose Cross.” Sherlock replied fluently. “And she has another identity… that is, the original founder of Avalon’s civilian supernatural organization, the [Golden Dawn].”
“—Yes, the Golden Dawn where Jacob, Mathers, and Yeats are located.”
(End of chapter)
