Chapter 57
Princess Maker
Isabel’s talent was not weak.
November was now past its halfway point, and the fall of Avalon was scheduled for the following year. As members of the same protagonist party, their levels were roughly similar.
This meant that Eivass and Princess Isabel had spent about ten months to reach around level thirty, easily and without much pressure. Level thirty was already considered Fourth Tier, making them exceptional even within the entire Avalon Kingdom.
This world had no player characters, nor did it have “adventurer parties” that players somehow acquired and that could defeat any god or demon – that is, other players formed into teams through matchmaking. Eivass needed to build his own crew.
Relying on the settings his friend often rambled about, Eivass was able to learn about the personalities, lives, and potential talents of these important characters, as well as their theoretical growth paths.
He knew many secrets, and the secret of this world was power.
However, he couldn’t possibly use it all for himself.
When one could fully utilize resources, being a lone hero was the most foolish choice. After all, there were always limits to what one person could achieve. But choosing the right people was even more important – freeloaders, traitors, and ungrateful individuals would only have a negative effect.
Only those who were reliable and trustworthy enough deserved for Eivass to share his valuable experience with.
Princess Isabel was one of them.
This future “Queen of Flowers” was a teammate he had already earmarked.
Therefore, even without Janis’s request, he would have proactively intervened in Princess Isabel’s growth path to seek better development for her.
After all, Eivass lacked companions; helping her was helping himself.
Although, according to Janis’s request, Eivass could have waited until the third Advancement Ritual – that is, the promotion from level 29 to 30 – to form a fixed party with Princess Isabel.
—But Eivass felt there was no need to do so.
His initial creation of the “Fox” identity was precisely to be in the open. Waiting too long would render it meaningless.
Eivass deliberately chose not to immediately reveal his “I am the Fox” information during this meeting with Isabel because her current personality had not yet been tempered and she lacked sufficient confidence.
Because Master Janis’s own growth trajectory showed her to be someone who believed that “as long as a person has true talent and continuously overcomes difficulties, they can grow rapidly through hardship.” She didn’t need excessive interference from others, nor did she need to alter others’ destinies – every life would find its own path.
Therefore, Master Janis tended to continuously build Isabel’s “foundation.” She laid an incomparably solid groundwork for her, allowing her to learn how to handle various situations. But she wouldn’t teach Isabel life lessons or guide her through her minor emotional troubles.
Janis hoped that Isabel’s own life journey would be guided by principles she discovered herself.
This was not wrong; it could even be considered foresight. Because according to the original historical trajectory, Isabel did indeed stand up bravely after experiencing a sudden life change, relying on her accumulated foundation, growing rapidly amidst thorns.
From the soft and adorable little girl she was now, to the reliable and mature queen she would become in the future, Isabel took less than five years.
And currently, she was still accustomed to subconsciously choosing to escape when she felt lost and confused.
She was like a shy and reclusive girl. Although she had a slight affection for him, if he confessed too early or too suddenly, before she was mentally prepared or could react, she might, under the influence of her confused emotions, subconsciously choose to escape this feeling because she didn’t know how to handle it.
—She seemed to have already built up enough affection, but if he suddenly made a move, she might run away. Isabel was precisely this troublesome type.
Eivass knew how to handle this situation.
Essentially, it was because she was not ready. The girl would run because she subconsciously wished for “the current comfort to last forever” and did not want to take a further step into the unknown.
In other words, fundamentally, she feared the unknown.
This fear had been cultivated by her constant worry about when the “royal curse” would take effect.
Every day she feared whether her father, brother, or younger brothers would die of illness; every time she fell ill, she wondered if it was the curse and if she was going to die. Because her grandmother was advanced in years, she also feared the chaos and war that might result from the Queen’s death.
After Avalon’s demise, she finally calmed down—because all the worst outcomes she worried about had come to pass.
Then there was nothing left to fear.
Thus, the calm Isabel, “with no way back,” did not choose to escape but marched forward bravely—
…However, this solution was not feasible in this timeline.
Eivass could not possibly harm her deliberately for her growth.
Before history changed, Isabel’s family was destroyed; if her family was still destroyed after history changed, then what was the point of him coming here?
—It was like a fanfiction protagonist time-traveling before the start of an anime or game’s plot. Despite having changed many things, at a crucial juncture, they allowed the familiar “original plot” to unfold, thereby guiding the altered plot back to its original course.
So Eivass had specifically prepared another plan.
As early as her first Advancement Ritual, Eivass had laid the groundwork. He had originally planned to reveal it later, but now the timing was perfect… Master Janis had proactively requested that Eivass form a party with the princess.
So, now was the time to activate it.
At the banquet, Eivass ate with pleasure while chatting with Isabel.
Perhaps because her teacher was present, Isabel was initially a little reserved and silent, tending more to listen.
But after they both drank a few glasses of white wine, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.
Music, poetry, philosophy, secrets… it was much like the topics Eivass discussed with Isabel when they met in his dreams, in that abandoned Chemical Plant. And this time, with the more experienced Master Janis present, he could truly converse with Eivass, unlike in his dreams where his dream-self foolishly kept asking questions.
This elevated the fun and substance of their conversation.
Although Eivass deliberately avoided repeating content, his viewpoints, tone, and extensive knowledge were very similar to “Fox.”
—These were some flaws that Eivass deliberately exposed.
He wanted Princess Isabel to vaguely guess or realize that “Eivass might be Mr. Fox,” but not dare to say it due to insufficient evidence.
And the fact that “the acquaintance Eivass” and “the secret friend Fox met in dreams” were the same person was not a bad thing for Isabel… rather, it was a “good thing” she would rather believe as true.
Because the identity of “Fox” was too mysterious.
While mystery could arouse curiosity and a desire to explore, the lingering mystery after establishing a connection could also create a sense of unease. Isabel happened to be particularly afraid of this unease.
If “Fox” maintained this mystery, Isabel would inevitably start to wonder if he had reasons for not revealing his identity—leading her to consider that his identity might be questionable. At least it would be an identity she couldn’t openly introduce to her father, grandmother, or teacher… In that case, no matter how close their relationship, he could only be a secret friend whom she couldn’t share or boast about with others.
But Eivass was different.
The Moriarty Family was one of the twenty founding families of Avalon, with noble prestige and status.
Although Eivass was only Professor Moriarty’s adopted son, as long as Old Moriarty was alive, he would always be a member of a founding family. And if Professor Moriarty, before his death, willed the Moriarty Family to Eivass… although it might be difficult due to the lack of blood relation, the possibility of successfully inheriting it was not small.
After all, Professor Moriarty had no biological children or living relatives of his generation. He could only pass it down to his adopted children.
Just as she could directly invite him to the Silver and Tin Hall now—his identity was respectable, and his future was bright.
Becoming friends with such a person would certainly not be opposed by her elders.
Would I only be able to meet “Mr. Fox” in dreams? If Mr. Eivass knew about “Fox’s” existence, would he be angry? What if “Fox” developed hostility or manipulative intentions towards me after learning my true identity?
—If “Fox” was Eivass, all the problems Isabel worried about would cease to exist.
As Isabel hoped this in her heart, she was actually preparing herself mentally.
Facing such a girl, who was like a small animal easily startled and prone to fleeing under slight pressure, what others said might not be effective; she might not even listen to her most trusted teacher, Janis.
Only her own inner thoughts could be accepted by herself.
And when what she ultimately desired was successfully achieved, and everything proceeded smoothly without any twists or surprises—she could then establish a sense of “hope.”
Among the many methods to combat fear, hope was a beneficial medicine.
The thing Isabel lacked the most was confidence. And true confidence could not be instilled by others. Only when her own determined decisions received positive feedback could a wounded heart be healed and soothed by that feedback.
But for this very reason, Eivass could not delay too long.
Because the “prank” he revealed himself and the “lie” that was exposed were fundamentally different.
Eivass could not have her discover him by herself; he had to actively reveal his identity and admit his deception. Otherwise, their relationship would gradually become tainted with the peculiar flavor of “suspicion.” And that would also harm Isabel, causing her “escape” to turn into “suspicion.”
That would be a bad outcome.
For Eivass, the process of nurturing Isabel from now on was like a Princess Maker game—
Although they did not share the father-daughter relationship of the game, compared to Isabel’s irresponsible and absent father, Eivass, who would help Isabel in dreams, choose a brighter future for her, chat and play with her, supervise her growth and studies, treat her psychological ailments, personally cultivate her self-esteem and confidence, and protect her from future harm…
—Perhaps he was more fatherly than her biological father.
