Not long after Haina left, James Moriarty returned home, carrying a heavy suitcase.
"Have the people from the Surveillance Bureau just left?"
Old James asked as soon as he entered the door.
He had obviously met Haina at the manor entrance and exchanged a few pleasantries.
James was a polite-looking old gentleman with noticeable wrinkles on his face. His gray pupils were somewhat cloudy, his eye sockets deep, and his hair white and sparse. However, his skin was very well-maintained. His cheeks were thin, and his cheekbones high. Although he looked thin when wearing his coat, one could immediately feel that he was not frail when he took it off.
He always spoke softly, with a long, soft, and trilling elven accent. It was clear at a glance that he had excellent upbringing and an absolutely good temper.
He set down his suitcase at the door, taking off his double-breasted long trench coat and top hat, handing them to the personal valet standing by the door: "They didn't interrogate Aiwass for several hours, did they... Oh, thank you, Oswald. Remember to send this suitcase to Aiwass's room later."
"Yes, sir. I've noted it down," his personal valet replied softly, taking the items and retreating.
"Miss Haina was late."
Old Elves did not choose to conceal her situation, but instead directly expressed his dissatisfaction: "She's always like this, thinking of her hat but forgetting her tie, always so scatterbrained. If she continues like this, she'll eventually miss something important and get a good scolding from her superior."
"Things that will happen eventually, we'll talk about when they do; if she makes a mistake because of her bad habits, then let her mistakes teach her."
The old man merely smiled, narrowing his eyes and saying gently: "Don't scold her now for mistakes she might make in the future, Oswald. You are just her instructor, not her superior."
He was quite friendly and close with his elven butler named Oswald.
This was normal, because over sixty years ago, when he was about the same age as Aiwass is now, he was also watched over and raised by Oswald.
Besides Mr. Oswald, the mansion also employed sixteen other live-in servants including a housekeeper, two personal maids, two personal valets, two maids, five footmen, a cook, two kitchen helpers, and a coachman. Aiwass's elder brother usually didn't come home, so the masters of the house, apart from him and Yulia, were only the old man.
James usually acted with a low-key and steady demeanor, and was very polite even to the servants. Although he rarely smiled, he never got angry or lost his temper with his subordinates.
Or more accurately, no one had seen him lose his temper or get angry in decades. Even when facing the most impolite guests, the old man always maintained his composure without being servile or arrogant.
Yes, the old man.
Although James was Aiwass's adoptive father in name, his age was actually enough to be Aiwass's grandfather.
This was also very reasonable... When he adopted Aiwass, Aiwass was only six years old. And now he was already eighteen.
Aiwass and Yulia's elder brother, Edward Moriarty, was adopted by James when he was eight years old. He was now thirty-five.
"...Dad."
Yulia, standing beside Aiwass, walked over and greeted him softly.
She was like a well-behaved cat, nuzzling her head against him, and the old man lovingly stroked her.
"How is your health today, Yulia?"
He asked earnestly: "Did you take your medicine properly?"
"I already have."
Yulia said softly, her voice giving off a dreamlike transparency.
"Go to bed early, don't read too late. Knowledge is endless."
The old man meticulously instructed: "You can't go to bed later than nine at night, your health isn't good did you hear that, Yulia?"
Seeing that Yulia's gaze started to wander as he spoke, he raised his voice slightly and emphasized: "Yulia?"
"Mm, I know."
Yulia responded vaguely.
The old man sighed helplessly, emphasizing again: "Don't stay up late, you silly girl.
"You don't go out anyway, so day and night are no different for you. So it's better to go to bed early and read whatever books you want during the day. That's also good for your eyes."
As he spoke, Yulia fell silent again.
Old James had no choice but to emphasize: "I'm old now, and I can't stay up late. I have to sleep by ten at night, and I won't be able to answer any questions you have. But if you read during the day, you can come to me anytime you don't understand something. Tomorrow is Friday, I don't have classes, and I'll be home for three days this time. You can ask me anything you don't understand, okay?"
"...Okay."
This time, Yulia didn't pretend not to hear. She seriously looked up, her ruby-like eyes fixed on the old man: "I've been reading about alchemy recently... discussions from the Path of Balance. Does Dad understand this area?"
"Dad understands all the books in the house."
The old man said calmly: "Dad understands a little about all nine great paths."
His tone was plain, yet a sense of confidence naturally emerged.
"Then I'll definitely go to bed early today."
The girl extended two fingers to her ear, pointing to the sky, and said seriously: "I swear, my word is my bond"
"Don't."
But the old man merely reached out, gently bending the girl's fingers and retracting them into a fist.
"Don't do that."
James said sternly: "This is a Simple Oath, a spiritual gesture. If you violate the oath, you will truly be punished."
"...I just wanted to try."
Yulia said softly: "I just read about it in a book today... Was my gesture correct just now?"
"Correct. So don't do it again next time."
The old man sighed with a bit of weariness: "Go eat quickly, I have something to tell Aiwass."
Yulia responded and followed Oswald to the dining room. Only two people remained in the living room.
James returned to silence and sat opposite Aiwass.
The old man picked up the cup of tea that Haiyina Inspector hadn't touched, poured it out, and then poured himself a fresh cup of hot tea.
Looking at the silent Aiwass, he clutched the teacup and asked softly: "How do you feel... about your current state? Is it still stable?"
What he was referring to was the Shadow Demon that Aiwass had contracted.
Such a thing could not be hidden from his adoptive father.
Since Aiwass woke up at home, it meant that Mr. Oswald had likely brought him back while he was unconscious. James must have already examined his body and performed a simple general sealing. At least, he didn't let the Shadow Demon take over Aiwass's body while he was unconscious.
It could be said to be very thoughtful.
In the "future" scene, that deranged, gloomy, hunched-over James Moriarty looked completely different from this kind old man who cared for him now!
In his memory, there were only scenes of James's loving care for him
When Aiwass was in his early teens, he once inadvertently mentioned that he missed the special fried cod fillets that Aunt Misu used to make for them during holidays at the orphanage.
As a result, the next day, Aunt Misu was hired at a high salary to work as a kitchen helper at home for a while. Not only the special fried cod fillets, but also her other "commoner dishes" were taught to the cook at home. When she was later asked to leave, she was given an additional sum of money as compensation.
Aiwass was so scared at the time that for at least half a year, he didn't dare to say what he wanted to eat or what he wanted. He was afraid that as soon as he said it, it would be bought immediately.
Even Little Aivas, who hadn't yet recalled his past life's memories, had always had a clear understanding of himself he was not James Moriarty's biological son after all. He was not entitled to take such preferential treatment for granted.
It was only because Aiwass himself was quite sensible that he didn't turn into some kind of spoiled profligate under such pampering.
So now, when Aiwass looked at his adoptive father, he always felt a complex mix of emotions. He still held a glimmer of hope.
...Is there a possibility that his adoptive father wasn't the mastermind at the beginning of the plot? Or rather, did he only fall into evil when the Avalon Kingdom disintegrated?
This was not impossible.
In the original plot, when the Avalon Kingdom disintegrated, Aiwass followed the protagonist and fled to the Church State. From that moment on, he and his adoptive father had separated. When they met again, it was three years later.
Perhaps...
Something happened during those three years?
...But then, that wouldn't explain Aiwass infiltrating the "players" as a spy.
Aiwass?
Seeing Aiwass lost in thought again, the old man called out softly once more: "If it's not working, should I go find His Grace the Bishop to help you dispel the demon possessing you?"
...Ah, I'm fine, Father. Among the Demon Scholar knowledge I obtained from those people, there just happens to be a method to seal Shadow Demons.
Aiwass looked up and said, a comforting smile on his face: "I was just thinking about something else."
"Then I believe you."
His adoptive father slowly nodded: "The materials you asked me for yesterday, I've brought them back for you. The rope from the gallows was easy to find... The nails from the heads of victims of the dismemberment penalty, those were really hard to find. The queen abolished the dismemberment penalty after she ascended the throne, so I found them in a museum.
"I don't know if you'll need more later, so I brought back all four existing ones. The museum records have also been handled very cleanly, so you don't need to worry about anything. Just tell me if you need anything else... Don't easily trust outsiders again."
...He found them so quickly?
Aiwass was somewhat disbelieving.
He hadn't expected his adoptive father to actually find them in just one day.
Was this the power that the Moriarty Family could wield when the Avalon Kingdom still existed?
"That's great! With them, I'll be able to seal the Shadow Demon more stably."
Aiwass's heart warmed, and he expressed his sincere gratitude: "Thank you, Dad!"
The two ritual materials he had asked for were actually not for sealing the Shadow Demon. Because using a wheelchair was the simplest and most stable sealing method, this was the optimal solution tested by the Demon Scholars of the Stibium Kingdom four years later.
"Then I won't eat dinner tonight!"
He felt an itch in his heart and looked somewhat impatient. Aiwass was originally such a fanatical enthusiast of mysticism, so his current actions didn't feel out of place at all.
"I'll do it."
Seeing Aiwass about to push his own wheelchair, Old James quickly took two steps forward, held the back of the wheelchair, and pushed Aiwass towards his room.
On the way, the old man said softly: "Aiwass, although what I'm about to say might displease you... Dad still has to say it.
"In rituals, you must never use humans, or human remains, as materials or sacrifices. Other than that, whatever materials you need, Dad will find a way to get them for you... Can you promise Dad?"
Hearing this, Aiwass, sitting in his wheelchair, widened his eyes slightly in surprise.
It wasn't because he was surprised that his adoptive father, the mastermind, would make such a seemingly moral request...
But because he knew that what the old man said was completely correct.
It wasn't until the Fallen Angel descended and the level cap for Demon Scholars increased that the old-era Demon Scholars realized they had been completely on the wrong Path.
They all thought the emphasis of a Demon Scholar was on "demon," but they didn't realize the emphasis was on "scholar."
Humans cannot use humans as ritual materials, and elves cannot use elves. If a transformed undead, they cannot use the bones of any animal as materials. This is the forbidden of "Heavenly Scourge."
Any Demon Scholar who had used sacrifices of their own kind and violated the Heavenly Scourge could not advance to a Great Sin Scholar in this profession. Those level 40 Demon Scholars could only transform themselves into various demons. That wasn't even considered an advancement; it was merely exchanging their professional level for a racial template stronger than humans.
Undoubtedly, such a cap and abilities would be much weaker than those of a "Great Sin Scholar," which was a hero profession.
Players, however, were unable to use their own kind as ritual materials from the very beginning, thus preventing them from meeting the conditions for incorrect advancement.
Now, James had revealed this secret so clearly.
Was it a coincidence, or...
Aiwass's heart stirred, and he simply nodded seriously.
He extended two fingers of his right hand, held them to his ear, and spoke the oath word for word: "I swear, I will not use the lives or remains of my own kind as my ritual materials or sacrifices."
As his words fell, he suddenly saw an illusion
In the darkness of night, atop a snowy mountain.
A brilliant dragon, wearing a silver crown, its entire body like crystal, like diamond, and like silver, quietly watched him.
The illusion lasted for an extremely short moment, less than half a second. But when Aiwass awoke, he was covered in cold sweat.
You felt the gaze of Authority.
You gained the trait: Authority - Silver Scale.
Authority - Silver Scale: With this mark as an imprint, the Silver Crown Dragon is watching you, and a certain oath you made cannot be violated. When you attack any oath-breaker, you gain +1 advantage (divine).
...I don't know if it's your luck or misfortune, but just a 'Simple Oath' made Him notice you. It must be a coincidence...
The old man behind Aiwass also seemed to sense something, and he paused.
He was silent for a long while before slowly continuing to push the wheelchair, saying softly: "But no matter what, the God of Authority has heard your oath, so it cannot be violated."
"Of course..."
Aiwass closed his eyes, feeling somewhat tired, and sensed his heart beating so intensely that it felt somewhat obstructed: "I will never walk down that irreversible Path of depravity."