Chapter 185: Counterattack Ritual: Shadow of Avalon
...the Silver-Crowned Dragon mentioned me?
How could that be anything good?!
He must still remember.
The very first time the gaze of the Silver-Crowned Dragon fell upon him was because he swore never to use his kin as ritual material... And that was due to Old Moriarty's inducement. After all, who knows that a "simple vow" of that level could summon the lofty Silver-Crowned Dragon.
At this thought, Aiwass suddenly felt a jolt of fear in his heart.
—Could it be, the Silver-Crowned Dragon thinks I know of the Sin against Heaven?
But that has nothing to do with me, that's entirely Old James's problem!
Aiwass was suddenly filled with unease, "What did His Majesty... say about me?"
The Silver-Crowned Dragon is the Pillar God of the Path of Authority, the God of kings. Therefore, it was permissible to directly address it as Majesty.
And the words of Her Majesty the Queen made Aiwass's heart skip a beat yet again, "He said you are a natural Transcender, reminding Him of His younger self."
—I'm done for!
In that instant, Aiwass realized he might have just stumbled.
To receive praise from the Silver-Crowned Dragon likely meant his performance in the advanced version of the transcendence ritual had been seen by It. This did not surprise Aiwass, after all, the ritual was presided over by Gavin, the Angel Envoy of the Silver-Crowned Dragon... It was only natural for Him to mention Aiwass's performance to the Silver-Crowned Dragon afterward.
But what Aiwass hadn't expected was for the Silver-Crowned Dragon to be such a gossiper—why would the Nine Pillar Gods even chat with humans?
The Candle Master was known to be good-tempered, but even he wasn't known to chat about such things, was he?
Since the Silver-Crowned Dragon spoke of this matter, at the very least the Queen probably knew by now that he walked both the Path of Devotion and the Path of Transcendence.
So the lie of "Aleister" he had sown could be easily seen through by her.
After all, the alias Aiwass had chosen was to commemorate his past.
"Aleister" is a variant of "Alexander." By changing a few letters and reading it in another country's language, it would sound this way.
Because in the Irisflower language, the spelling of Aleister and Alexander are completely different, Aiwass was not worried about Irisflower People uncovering his identity. After all, he had seen his biological father's face in the ritual, and there was a seven to eight out of ten resemblance between them. If someone who knew him saw him, they could easily identify Aiwass's origins.
—To put it simply, it's like the pun "dar vu hou." The more Irisflower People there are, the less they understand the joke that Aiwass is making—it's actually the Avalonians who could possibly get it.
And since the Queen knew Aiwass was also an Adapter on the Path of Transcendence, she might have known that the Shadow Demon was his contracted Demon. Then she could naturally see through exactly who "Aleister" was.
But the good news is that even if his cover was blown, it was not completely gone—
Because the Silver-Crowned Dragon had praised him, in other words, he had been approved by the big boss.
At least now, his Path of Transcendence was legitimate. The Queen cutting straight to the point and revealing this meant she was hinting she wouldn't trouble him.
Before, Aiwass was concerned about encountering a Court Ritualist upon visiting the Hall of Silver and Tin.
Though he had never met one... but the Court Ritualists nurtured by Avalon, no matter how you look at it, should also have an Energy Level of at least three, right? At that level, it would be effortless to unmask his identity once he got close.
The good news now is that Aiwass would not be hanged for exposing his identity as the Demon Scholar.
The bad news, however, was that the Guardian beside him was already looking at him with a thoughtful gaze.
—Grandma, take it easy! George and David are still listening over there!
...or is it that, this is intended for George to hear?
Fortunately, the Guardian interjected at that moment, diverting this topic that Aiwass could not handle: "What's next, Your Majesty? Will it be the same as before?"
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Aiwass, who had been silent, was struck by a thought upon hearing the Guardian's words.
"Hmm, this number should suffice," replied the Queen with a nod. "Regardless of whether Albert survives... worst comes to worst, count me in, I'm dying soon anyway."
What on earth is she talking about?
Aiwass was filled with confusion but dared not ask. He could only guess that this might be related to some sacrificial ritual...
Fortunately, at that moment, David, puzzled, spoke up, "Dad, Your Majesty... what are you talking about?"
—Good lad, you too possess a heart for Transcendence!
In his heart, Aiwass praised David.
This subject clearly sounds top secret. I dare not even ask, yet you bravely inquire directly!
Miss Aleister will have to give you a good talking-to when you meet again!
But Aiwass also belatedly realized that the Queen wasn't sad, it didn't seem to be related to her being accustomed to the matter or not... but for another reason.
Because the Queen, glancing at David, had a slight smile at her lips. She seemed quite pleased with his question.
And the Guardian didn't scold David, only lowering her head to inquire, "Can I tell these children, Your Majesty Sofia?"
"They are the pillars of Avalon's future," said the Queen with a light chuckle, "Tell them, for these secrets must be passed on to them. The curse should have already ended anyway."
Aiwass suddenly stilled.
The key point was, she was right...
The Queen had actually guessed it?
This was information Aiwass had never encountered in the game.
This had nothing to do with Aiwass not following the plot, because even players who did didn't know what exactly this curse was.