Chapter 582
A Life Always on the Run
Eivass’s eyes widened slightly.
“—Enilis Flower.”
He softly spoke his mother Isabel’s name.
In that instant, many clues intertwined in Eivass’s mind. Many things that had previously confused him finally connected:
He remembered clearly—Yanis’s mentor was named Bettinaydia Flower.
In the game’s original history, Isabel, who had fled here, sacrificed her fertility after performing a forbidden ritual, and in exchange, received the inheritance of Flowers. She then became the Queen of Flowers and rebuilt the Kingdom of Camelot.
And Bettinaydia solidified her essence in 1704, and it is now 1899. From her death to the present is exactly one hundred and ninety-five years—which is precisely when Yanis left without a word. Enilis Flower was over two hundred years old twenty years ago… which means, when Yanis left the Church, Enilis should have been a little girl.
Since Bettinaydia was already dead, the inheritance of the Lady of Flowers could not be passed down at all… at least Yanis herself could not be called “Yanis Flower,” indicating that Yanis herself had not mastered the Lady of Flowers’s ability to control plants. Enilis, who could easily be cursed and killed by a bone sculpture, goes without saying.
Since Enilis could inherit this surname, there were actually only two possibilities—either Enilis was Yanis’s junior, and closer to the Lady of Flowers’s inheritance than Yanis, or she was Bettinaydia’s daughter.
The latter possibility was much greater.
Because if they were merely in a master-disciple inheritance relationship, then by Isabel’s generation, there should be no direct connection to the Lady of Flowers.
And originally, about sixty years ago, Yanis had already visited Avalon once. She was like a free wind, leaving here joyfully. But about ten years ago, Yanis suddenly returned to Avalon inexplicably and stayed for ten years, which was completely different from her pursuit of freedom.
Although she verbally stated it was because of her friendship with Queen Sophia.
…But she had been traveling the world for one hundred and fifty years at the time; it was impossible for her not to understand human forgetfulness.
For Queen Sophia at the time, this was an old friend from fifty years ago in her long life of sixty-odd years—how much effect could such a “childhood sweetheart” friendship have, to bind a Fifth Tier expert who pursued freedom here for ten years?
And according to Eivass’s observation, in another world line where Eivass did not interfere, Queen Sophia would eventually take the longevity medicine offered by Minister Dross and walk the path of twilight, and attempt to marry Isabel to Prince Star Antinomy. Yanis would also leave Avalon because of this.
But what if…
Yanis’s departure at that time was not, or rather, not just because the Queen took the longevity medicine—but because the reason Yanis stayed there no longer existed?
And most decisively—
Isabel, who had been taught for years by Yanis, did not learn any extraordinary skills from Yanis.
Besides the basics, Yanis taught her almost nothing, only how to choose the Path Traits related to illusion…
What if Yanis didn’t care whether Isabel smoothly became a professional, and didn’t teach her any extraordinary skills of The Path of Beauty, because she believed from the very beginning that Isabel would become “Isabel Flower”?
Since she would eventually become the inheritor, the professional’s level naturally wouldn’t matter.
According to Prince Albert’s account, Queen Sophia was a very strong and unfriendly queen. Although he made this evaluation, it might also be because his rebellious phase happened to coincide with the Queen’s menopause… but there was another, greater possibility, which was that the Queen was indeed strong enough in her youth.
But she specifically planned for Isabel, a timid person who looked nothing like a queen, to inherit the throne after the “Shadow of Avalon” ritual… You must know that without Eivass’s interference, Isabel would not become strong until Avalon fell.
Then, if such destruction did not come, and without Eivass’s help, how could Isabel serve as queen?
Besides the “brief friendship from over fifty years ago” that truly existed between Yanis and Sophia.
Could this also be some kind of… transaction?
“Do you know… Master Yanis?”
Eivass suddenly asked, inquiring of Prince Albert.
Prince Albert frowned slightly: “Of course I know…”
“—I mean, was Master Yanis in Avalon before you left Glass Island?”
“How is that possible?”
Prince Albert blurted out: “If Master Yanis were here, how could Enilis die so easily! They were friends!”
“You know they were friends?” Eivass pressed.
“When little Ishar was four or five years old, Master Yanis returned once…”
The decadent man was silent for a moment and said, “Because Isabel had great artistic talent as a child. She specifically came to check Isabel’s talent, and then left again. At that time, I didn’t know she was Master Yanis, but Eni and she talked privately for a long time.
“After Eni was harmed, I once wanted to search for Master Yanis to avenge her. Because I remembered she should have been in Avalon at the time… But I searched for a long time without finding her. After about two or three years, I suddenly discovered she had founded the ‘Glass Steps Herald’ and had been living on Glass Island for a long time.
“—She must have returned for Isabel. With her protecting Isabel, I was relieved. So…”
“So, you didn’t come back?”
Eivass laughed.
Prince Albert was silent for a moment and said in a low voice, “In the initial few years, I was actually… waiting for my death. I just didn’t want to die on Glass Island like this, I’d rather die fighting villains. And then… it was because Yunus died.”
“He died because of you.”
Eivass said.
Albert lowered his head: “Yes, I know. So from then on, I became ‘Yunus’.
“—Rather than Albert, who disappoints everyone, Yunus, who makes everyone happy, should be more valuable.
“I know I’m sorry to Isabel. So I… tried my best to be a righteous knight. I spared no effort to help the people everywhere in Avalon. I defeated those bandits and villains, and stopped those evil plans—but it wasn’t for people’s praise! I didn’t want to become famous, I just…”
“—You just didn’t know how to repay your guilt for running away.”
Eivass interrupted: “Just as you paid such close attention to Anastasia’s matters.”
At that moment, Eivass thought of Yanis escaping from Pure White.
Although not the same matter, it was essentially similar in nature.
Both ran away because of something at first, and then continued to run away because they couldn’t face the consequences of that event—the immense shame and sense of lack forced Albert to help others to alleviate his inner pressure. He gave all his possessions to the poor, leaving nothing on him, which was actually preparing himself to die at any moment.
But he didn’t have the real courage to face danger… just like his methods against those villains: he initially wanted to die at the hands of villains, but in the end, he still chose to flee. But after fleeing, he felt guilty, and tried hard to publicize the villain’s evil deeds to attract firepower to defeat them.
Always running, always regretting. Always fearing, always compensating.
“What a pathetic way to live, Your Highness. So spineless?”
Eivass said lightly: “You don’t dare to take revenge, don’t dare to die, don’t dare to apologize—with your huge build and strong body, what else dare you do?”
“…I am indeed a timid person,” even though he was being lectured by Eivass, a junior, Prince Albert just lowered his head and admitted, “I lack talent, and have only reached the Third Tier now…”
“No, this has nothing to do with courage, Your Highness. Nor does it have anything to do with strength.”
Eivass’s calm words were as sharp as a knife: “This has to do with responsibility.”
Hearing this, Prince Albert finally fell silent.
Perhaps because he was too young when Isabel was born, or perhaps because he lacked guidance from his father as an example, he was as naive as a ignorant child until he fled from the Silver and Tin Hall.
Prince Albert was not psychologically prepared to be a father; he could not bear the life and death of anyone. This was why he was tormented to the brink of madness by Enilis’s death—he didn’t even have the thought of “running away with Isabel” in his subconscious. Because he was afraid of Isabel dying in front of him, or dying because of his mistakes and powerlessness.
He dared not bear the responsibility for Isabel’s life and death.
The declaration of “renouncing his claim to the throne” was more like “running away from home”; the action of taking his brothers to roam as righteous knights was closer to “taking up a sword for a free adventure.”
—To put it bluntly, rather than “doing something meaningful before death,” Eivass thought he was more likely to go out and play.
It wasn’t until Yunus’s death that he became alone again.
There was no one by his side to comfort him anymore. From then on, Prince Albert began to grow up gradually.
But in the end, he chose to put on Yunus’s skin, still not daring to face others as Albert… but acting as if Albert were dead.
Even though he gradually got used to loneliness, adapted to living alone, and learned flattery and smooth social skills. But those were things “Yunus” was supposed to do, it was Yunus’s life. This did not mean he had matured.
Because he was still running away.
Enilis’s death made him run away from his identity as a royal family member and as Isabel’s father; Yunus’s death made him run away from the identity of “Albert.” Now that the curse has been lifted, he intends to die to atone for his sins—running away from his life.
He kept running away, missing every occasion in Isabel’s life when she needed a father.
He also grew up without a father’s company, but he was even less resistant to pressure than his daughter Isabel.
“Facing the same pressure, the threat from the curse… the more desperate Isabel was not crushed, but you were.”
Eivass asked: “What did you do?”
“…I only did one thing.”
After falling silent, Albert replied in a hoarse voice: “I left my necklace to her.”
(This chapter is finished)
