Chapter 997
So you still know about morality
Iris Flower, Lessar Gnaire.
“This is the Seminary of the Law University. A long time ago, it had another name… called a mendicant monastery. Yo, good noon, Grandma! You’re still so young.”
The Phantom Thief Arsen walked in front, taking off his top hat and familiarly greeting the dormitory manager. “I’m going upstairs to play with Mia. These two are my friends.”
“Oh, alright. Do you need a key?”
The grandma, sitting at the entrance knitting with reading glasses, replied casually without even looking, “Also, remember to register at the entrance.”
“She doesn’t have classes today, she should be in the dorm. No key needed.”
Arsen smiled and chatted familiarly with the rather stout manager, who looked to be in her fifties, for a while. Only after making her laugh did he put on his top hat again and walk inside.
“…You’re really an idol to middle-aged women.”
Eivass complained, “She looks like she really trusts you. She just let you in just like that? Does she know who you are? A thief?”
“A righteous thief. She knows who I am—although I have to correct one thing, even young ladies like me.”
Arsen said, flicking his curly sideburns with pride and showing a confident smile.
“As a phantom thief…”
Alistair asked somewhat doubtfully, “Shouldn’t you just sneak in quietly? And why did they let us in too?”
“Huh?”
Arsen paused at her words, then realized, “Ah, right… this might be a characteristic of our Iris Flower.
“A long time ago—before I was born—Iris Flower was a bit conservative for a while. Back then, this seminary was still just a monastery. You could see grandmas sternly scolding young monks and nuns every day… let alone bringing someone back to your own dorm, even just chatting with someone of the opposite sex on the street for a bit could lead to criticism.
“But later, Iris Flower had a ‘Pink Iris Flower’ movement—on the surface, it was to encourage students to seek true love and ‘find their romantic youth.’ But in reality, it was a plan led by the Children of the Moon to further imbue the Path of Love into this country.
“No one could oppose the Children of the Moon. The few protestors at the forefront were either eliminated or turned into Children of the Moon, and then their stance changed drastically. When people realized the Children of the Moon were behind it… naturally, no one dared to provoke them and adopted a completely permissive attitude towards it.
“It was after that… that Iris Flower gradually developed its current atmosphere. Those grandmas were girls who grew up in the era after the atmosphere changed. They naturally took it in stride…”
Arsen said, leading them past the dormitories on the first and second floors.
Although this was a women’s dormitory, there were actually several men walking around inside. They glanced curiously at Eivass and Alistair, then enthusiastically greeted Arsen.
Some dormitory doors were not even closed, and couples inside were eagerly engaging in activities—of course, according to the habits of the Iris people, classmates passing by outside might also be part of the play.
Although some girls felt shy because of this, covering their faces or eyes and quickly leaving—such innocent girls became a source of amusement. Young people pointed at the girls’ retreating backs, then burst into laughter. Some people leaned against the doorway, giving commentary and sharp reviews like a coach instructing a professional athlete.
As they passed, Eivass heard continuous joyful screams for almost the entire way. Many girls crowded around Arsen, and quite a few took the opportunity to touch him. Eivass, standing behind, could even clearly see that there was a man among them.
Eivass and Alistair exchanged glances, a bit of shock in their eyes.
Although he had known Iris Flower was quite “open” for a long time… he had underestimated the degree of openness.
…Is this the country after theChildren of the Moon took power?
“Hello, handsome…”
Finally, someone boldly approached Eivass to make a show of affection, “This cute girl… is she your sister?”
Eivass narrowed his eyes and looked at her.
He could clearly feel that the girl’s body was trembling. He could sense her heart beating rapidly, and Eivass could make her heart explode with just a flick of his finger.
“She’s my daughter.”
The white-robed Child of the Moon replied coldly.
“Oh!”
The female student smiled, “Then would you mind finding a mother for the child?”
“She already has a mother,” Eivass said indifferently.
“Then would she mind having one more?”
She didn’t even mention “changing one” but “adding one more.”
—From the very beginning, these girls weren’t aiming for “partners,” but for “lovers”!
For some reason, Alistair suddenly felt annoyed.
She forcefully pulled Eivass and left quickly.
“Isha’s makeup is still not good enough.”
After leaving the crowd, Alistair complained discontentedly, “It didn’t have any deterrent effect at all.”
Although Isabel had deliberately made Eivass look fiercer, and people had indeed scattered from him… the deterrent effect seemed limited.
“What’s this?”
Arsen intruded curiously, “Fierce makeup? That kind of thing is useless.”
He smiled, revealing an ambiguous smile that said, “You still don’t understand Iris Flower.
“After all, some people are into that—in Iris Flower, there are not a few girls who are passionate about being controlled or harmed. This is a country that has been influenced by the Path of Love of its rulers for a hundred years.
“Such peculiar fetishes are not considered ‘immoral’ in Iris Flower. Rather, they are fashionable and popular, chased after by young people for being different. Nowadays, if someone doesn’t have a quirk, they’ll be called a ‘bookworm.’ Just like that girl who ran away just now, such a self-chaste, elegant, and pure girl might become a goddess pursued by students in Avalon… but here, we call it ‘old-fashioned and boring.’
“We Iris people are born rebels. Workers rebel against merchants, merchants against nobles. Minors follow suit, students rebel against teachers, and children like to rebel against parents. The result is ‘anything traditional is bad.’
“The reason I’ve become their idol is probably because the profession of ‘phantom thief’ can never receive official recognition. Therefore, in their eyes, I am one of their ideals.”
Saying this, Arsen’s smile faded slightly.
His full smile was tinged with a bit of adult melancholy and sadness, “I only hope no one walks the same path as me.”
Hearing this, Eivass became somewhat interested.
This phantom thief didn’t seem proud of his work…
So how did he end up on this path?
But Eivass didn’t have time to ask, as they had reached their destination.
On the second floor of the dormitory building, at the end of one corridor, dormitory number 2048 was the room of the student named “Mia.”
Although this was just a student dormitory, the living environment was different from what Eivass remembered of dormitories. When he was studying, he would return to the Moriarty manor every night—although Avalon didn’t have nobles, it had “founding families” just as significant as nobles, so it was impossible for him to live with other students.
When he had the opportunity at university, Isabel had directly given him a house on campus.
And in his memories of his past life… his impression of dormitories was only the unpleasant memory of “four people to a room” or living with his good brother.
—This was the first time Eivass had personally seen and entered a student dormitory in this World.
The corridor here was paved with marble floors, and near the doors, it changed to wooden floors, with a wooden threshold at least three fingers wide.
The interior furnishings looked like luxurious single rooms in a hotel. The entrance of the dormitory was the bathroom, and directly opposite was a living room of at least twenty square meters. It contained three large sofas, a low glass table, and a high dining table. There was also a small balcony with good lighting, and some green plants were grown in flower pots by the window.
Upon entering—there were even two bedrooms!
Eivass remained silent, as his current persona was that of a cold vampire.
Even though Arsen could see his true identity—and Eivass hadn’t exactly hidden it—Eivass was still stubbornly playing the role of a cool handsome guy.
—But he was also genuinely shocked.
Fortunately, there was Alistair, who had a mouth and could speak without regard for her image, unrestrainedly voicing what he wanted to complain about, “This dormitory is this good? Is this some kind of nobleman’s university?”
“This used to be a nobleman’s university.”
Arsen nodded, pointing to the street lamps in the campus outside the window, “See? Each street lamp used to have one hanging on it.”
“…Teacher?”
“And students. As many street lamps as there were, that’s how many were hung. It was a trend. If this school didn’t do it, they would be looked down upon by other noble schools, considered ‘remnants of the old era.’ They had to fulfill the quota… Fortunately, this school is small, so there aren’t too many street lamps. After hanging the required teachers’, there were only a dozen or so spots left.”
Arsen sneered, “Unlike the movement led by the Children of the Moon—this part was led by the Eagle Eye organization. And the backer is said to be related to a certain Grand Duke. Their purpose was to weaken the Royal power… only after so many people were hanged did the old era finally end.”
Eivass couldn’t quite understand his expression and couldn’t judge whether he agreed or disagreed.
Arsen’s expression was deep and complex.
It was the emotion that only someone born on this land, who held deep love for it, would possess.
“What are you thinking about, Mr.?”
Arsen keenly caught Eivass’s gaze and turned back, asking with interest, “I’m quite curious… What’s your review of this matter?”
“I am not an Iris person, and I am not qualified to comment on the lifestyle choices of Iris people—as long as they don’t regret it themselves.”
Eivass shook his head, “If I have to say anything… I’m just glad my mother didn’t finish university in Iris Flower.”
“Was your mother also an Iris person? What was her surname?”
“I don’t know, she abandoned her surname when she married my father.”
“Oho.”
Arsen said meaningfully, “Then she must have been a noble lady. We ordinary people often change our original surname to our middle name.”
“Are you of commoner origin?”
“Yes,” Arsen shrugged, “I used to be a sailor. When I was young, I worked as a stevedore at the port, and I delivered milk and newspapers—children from poor families have to grow up early.”
“Arsen!”
Just then, a joyful voice called out.
A slender blonde girl ran out from the bathroom and hugged Arsen from behind.
She passionately kissed Arsen, then caressed his cheeks and his sparse stubble.
“Is this Miss Mia?”
Eivass looked at the girl.
“No,” the girl shook her head instead, “I am Zula, Mia’s roommate, Respected Sir.”
“…Huh?”
This time, even Eivass was stunned.
Alistair looked at Arsen in disbelief, “Then you just now…?”
“Oh, darling!”
Just then, a black-haired girl pushed open the door from the bedroom and said joyfully, “I heard the commotion downstairs and knew you were coming!”
She paid no attention to the blonde girl’s intimate actions with Arsen, but walked over and kissed Arsen as well, “Darling, are you bringing them to play? But such a young girl… isn’t that a bit immoral?”
“…?”
What did she mean?
Eivass felt his brain overload.
—So you still know about morality?
(End of Chapter)
