When the plot-skips players into the game world

Sherlock was stunned for a moment, carefully reading through the entire front-page headline.

"Are you copying me?" he immediately realized.

"The trick doesn't have to be new, it just has to work," Aiwass said with a smile. "I think your faked death plan is quite useful."

"But if I fake my death, and you fake your death... What about Uncle York?"

Sherlock frowned deeply, "Should I try writing an anonymous letter to have Edward catch him directly?"

"There's no need for such trouble, because York has also disappeared," Aiwass immediately replied.

"...Ah?"

Sherlock was momentarily taken aback.

Aiwass narrowed his eyes, adding leisurely, "He has really disappeared—gone without a trace."

"Did you kill him directly?"

Sherlock's brows furrowed slightly, "If we can't search his memory, what about the clues?"

Aiwass explained, "Because I have already confirmed the things that needed to be confirmed by searching memories—York's superior was Bran Boka. They were all members of the Noble Red Society. The Lohar Society and the Noble Red Society indeed have an inseparable relationship, but there are serious conflicts and divisions within their ranks."

"Bran Boka?"

After thinking for a moment, Sherlock recalled his identity, "A judge at the White Queen District's First Intermediate Court?"

"Exactly. He is a fourth energy level Legal Mage, and he's also a fourth energy level Demon Scholar with an Ice Demon under his contract," Aiwass recited the intelligence he had just interrogated.

Sherlock also gasped, "He is also... And a fourth energy level, you say?"

At this level, it was basically impossible to capture him.

Because Avalon would not have a fifth energy level Court Ritualist. In other words, they could never confirm whether the other party was indeed a Demon Scholar—if this were centuries ago, they might have resorted to torture or memory extraction.

But now it is the civilized era, where memory extraction is equivalent to outright killing a person. Without evidence, they cannot take action... After all, Boka is not just anyone; he is also a Knight who can enter the Round Table Hall for deliberation. This would essentially mean "the royal family seeking to interrogate to death an old knight of the Round Table Hall without any concrete evidence," which they would never do.

The royal family of Avalon has always, in fact, been at a disadvantage compared to the Round Table Hall.

In such circumstances, conducting an inquiry on a criminal who is indeed not clean but for whom no direct evidence can be found is practically confronting not just this individual... but the entire web of relationships behind them.

To avoid being dragged down with him, everyone related to him would launch a fierce counterattack.

For the royal family, it's merely a purge of a common judge, but for others, it is a matter of life and death—the importance the two sides place on this matter is different, their resolutions differ.

According to Sherlock's understanding of Avalon, eventually, this matter would just be let go.

Even Judge Boka might be turned into a recruit for the royal family... because even if the royal family didn't act, the Round Table Hall would. To prevent further strengthening of the Round Table Hall's power, Bran Boka's position could instead be elevated—he only needs to accept benefits from the royal house, and then the Round Table Hall would not be able to comfortably trust him.

Sherlock felt his head beginning to hurt.

He rubbed his forehead, his brows tightly knit, "Then this is troublesome..."

"And there is more. I can tell you that your uncle is not only a third energy level Legal Mage but also a fourth energy level Parasitic Demon Bearer—an advanced profession of demon," Aiwass said with narrowed eyes.

"Do you know he was once a demon?"

"...I've suspected, but had no evidence," Sherlock admitted. "When I investigated Uncle York, I looked over his earliest case records. Based solely on the written records, his logic was not tight, and his defense testimony lacked persuasiveness. Yet he managed to change the opinions of the judges and jurors... I suspected at the time that he used some sort of Transcendent means, possibly related to his hidden Path ability. But I wasn't sure what direction his other Path could be."

"Now it seems it might be some kind of demon that can control people's wills."

But the fourth energy level... Sherlock felt a chill for a moment.

—Thank goodness I didn't try to apprehend him at the time!

Sherlock was just a third energy level Legal Mage, and Edward was merely an Inspector who had just reached the fourth energy level. If they had gone to capture York with Aiwass, they might have been killed by him!

"So, even if we tell Edward about this, it's no use. He can't handle the other party—can't capture him, can't judge him. It's better to just make him 'disappear,'" Aiwass's eyes narrowed.

A thought suddenly crossed Sherlock's mind.

He looked curiously at Aiwass and asked, "Then how did you make him...'disappear'?"

"That's a secret," Aiwass chuckled, raising his hand to his mouth in a shushing gesture. "If you're interested, you'll have to investigate it yourself."

He wasn't planning to hide his other identity deliberately but neither was he going to reveal it proactively.

When they discover it, that's when he would lay his cards on the table.

It's not about concealing any wrongdoing.

Even as "Aleister," the people he killed were evil-doers. It was just something "Aiwass" couldn't do.

But Aiwass understood one thing very deeply... To deceive others, one must first deceive their own people.

There's no better evidence than Sherlock actively investigating Aleister to prove that "Aiwass and Aleister are unconnected."

"Fine."

Sherlock readily agreed.

He saw it as a tough problem Aiwass had set for him, a challenge from a friend.

"Anyway, there's no need to worry about York. I can be one hundred percent certain that your father was framed because of him; I'm also pretty sure that the curse on the Avalon royal family is related to them as well. So even though I didn't catch him, it's as if I've completed your commission.

"The people who attacked me last night belong to the Noble Red Society. They wanted to kill me to silence me, and I realized that my situation was no longer safe."

Aiwass spoke seriously, "So I deliberately took leave and laid down misleading clues for them. I made them distrust each other and attack each other internally."

Sherlock pondered for a moment and then immediately responded, "You want them to think that you were captured by the other faction's camp?

"However, as soon as both sides check their information, they'll quickly figure it out. You can't fool them for long."

"That's why it's not two sides but three."

Aiwass narrowed his eyes, "Those in the Noble Red Society probably also look down on President Lohar."

Even though this generation's Lohar is also a half-blood giant, the result is the same.

The reason is simple.

—Because he's not transcendent enough.

As a Transcender, he chose to suppress his juniors to consolidate his own status. Such behavior in itself would cause those in Noble Red to look down on him, even despise him.

For the Path of Transcendence, it's a desperate move that one would resort to when they can't afford to lose. President Lohar must understand this point too.

So while Vice Chairman Boka thinks "Aleister" is one of President Lohar's people, the President Lohar whom Aiwass has never met till today, would only think "Aleister" comes from a faction inside the Noble Red Society that dislikes him—just to trouble him.

If Aiwass were dead, it would be better, but he has disappeared. Disappearance means that at any time, he might reappear... and the most important thing is, this means both the Supervisory Bureau and the Supervisory Court will search for Aiwass with all their might.

Therefore, President Lohar would definitely not do such a thing.

Even if he wanted to kill Aiwass, he would have had someone on Boka's side do it, making it easier for himself to disavow the action afterward.

But this is very much in line with President Lohar's style of doing things... so those in Noble Red would also believe this is mostly Lohar's doing.

But there is one common point.

Be it the Supervisory Court, Supervisory Bureau, the royal family, Vice Chairman Boka, President Lohar, Noble Red... everyone is looking for Aiwass.

But those looking for Aiwass are not limited to them.

In the Barrel Club, the sculptor Lars Graham set down the newspaper with trembling, aged hands, looked at the news of Aiwass's disappearance, and sighed silently.

...It was almost within reach.

He had already discovered that Croix's disappearance was most likely related to Aiwass.

It was very possible that she ignored his advice. When trying to assassinate Aiwass, she didn't even send out a signal and was killed by his Elf Butler, Oswald.

Although Croix was his immature disciple, she was, after all, the granddaughter of his old friend.

As soon as Oswald left Avalon... Lars Graham intended to take matters into his own hands and kill Aiwass.

As a rare triple Path Transcendent, Lars Graham possessed the fifth energy level of the Path of Beauty, the fourth energy level of the Path of Adaptation, and the second energy level of the Path of Dusk. Although his life was completely spent and he could die of old age at any moment, killing Aiwass would still be a piece of cake.

...And then those foolish and reckless Star Antimony people went directly for Aiwass.

Now the man was gone. They didn't even know where.

Even if Aiwass could return, the school's security measures would definitely be greatly enhanced. It would not be so easy for him to act again.

It's not that he might not be able to kill Aiwass, but that he might expose himself. That could cause trouble for the Speaker and the organization.

His mission was almost complete, and he would be returning home in two months. He no longer had much time to spend in Avalon.

Then let's give those Star Antimony people some trouble.

That's what Lars Graham thought.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Minister Drost was on the phone with Vice Chairman Boka, discussing this matter.

"York is in trouble."

Vice Chairman Boka said tersely, "He was attacked by someone called Aleister... it's Lohar's doing."

"...Aleister?"

Hearing this name, Drost's brows relaxed, "I know him. Aiwass's disappearance should also be his doing."

"You know Aleister?"

Boka questioned back, supplementing with the information he knew, "York has also disappeared. His servant said that in the middle of the night, the security ritual in his office was triggered, so he entered the office. But he never left until dawn. And upon further investigation, they found that he had vanished directly from his office... without anything but a telephone receiver missing."

"Actually, I think, they might not have disappeared... but were directly devoured by the Shadow Demon. Leaving no remains."

Drost answered, "Aleister is a demon inhabited by a Shadow Demon, I've encountered him during a promotion ceremony before."

"Give me more information about him, Mr. Drost."

Boka said seriously, "The situation is urgent right now, and we must unite."

"Agreed."

Drost no longer haggled and said gravely, "I'll compile the information into paper documents and have Diomedes deliver them to you this afternoon."

Although the results of his investigation into Aleister had not yet returned, there was no time to wait now.

The lawless "Aleister" has become a massive threat looming over the entire Glass Island.