When the plot-skips players into the game world

——Moderation.

Having heard only the first painting's critique, Yanis immediately understood Aiwass's aesthetic preference.

Moderation is not a derogatory term. It is the very Path of Beauty she herself adheres to.

The Path of Beauty subtly influences one at a material level, allowing their image and temperament to gradually align towards their ideal "epitome of beauty." Yanis was not particularly tall among humans, nor short among elves; her physique blurred the characteristics of both male and female, and her facial temperament could not be considered mature but also not naive.

Because "moderate aesthetics" is the most universally appealing aesthetic.

This was Yanis's personal understanding of the "Path of Beauty." It was also the reason why she walked the Path of Balance.

Unlike the sharp-tongued, astute professional critics of the Iris Flower—who always seem to find points and details Yanis herself hadn't thought of, ones she had not paid attention to, lost in their own world as they spoke.

Creators translate inspiration into their works, and there will inevitably be some loss in the process.

The viewer can never truly enter the world of the painting, can never truly empathize with the thoughts and emotions of the painter during creation.

They can only judge based on their own cognition and understanding.

True "beauty" has a universality that moves people of different races, genders, social statuses, ages, and cultural backgrounds. But when it comes to "the reason for feeling beauty," everyone's answers are likely to vary.

Because rather than saying they perceive beauty in the artwork, one could say they see their own reflection within it.

Their own life, their own fantasies, their own fears, their own dreams.

Therefore, the viewers' answers will always bear some degree of subjectivity.

Yanis enjoyed asking others how they judged her paintings because, as the creator, she of course knew what a "standard" answer should be.

By asking, she could determine whether the other person had genuine knowledge and skill, how much ability and talent they had. She could also deduce the person's character, experiences, and even their inclination towards certain paths based on the critiques they strained to express.

It felt as if, through these comments, she saw the distilled results of numerous condensed lives. This was also a kind of psychological test, which she found endlessly fascinating.

——But the answer given by Aiwass took her by surprise.

His critique was not overly tainted with his personal hues.

It was sufficiently objective and fair, yet he did not lack sensitivity. He was candid about the flaws resulting from her still immature skills, while also properly praising the aspects she meticulously crafted but others overlooked.

It was as if another version of herself— a more mature version from the future—had provided a conclusive answer.

Without a doubt, Aiwass was indeed her "kindred spirit."

"…Would you be interested in embarking on the Path of Beauty?"

Yanis couldn't help but ask, "I think you might become the human who goes the furthest on the Path of Beauty."

"Eh?"

Isabel, who was by her side, was startled and looked at her teacher with surprise.

She had never seen her teacher offer such high praise to someone!

Even the teacher's evaluation of her could almost be seen as low!

What Yanis had said to her at the time was: "With your talent, you could never reach the limit on any branch of the Path of Beauty, no matter if it's 'Songstress' or otherwise. Choosing 'Prodigy' was a wise decision. If you had pursued the peak of singing skills, you would have gone mad before you ever reached it."

But for some reason, seeing her teacher recognize Aiwass so highly, she didn't feel the slightest hint of jealousy.

Just a sense of joy and a subtle feeling of pride.

It was as though a friend she had found with great difficulty, upon being brought home, received high praise from her parents.

——And this child was raised by me!

Isabel silently exclaimed to herself.

She didn't dare say it out loud, because she feared being scolded—she of course knew that Aiwass was raised by Professor Moriarty and only played the role of Aiwass's mother in a dream. But she still couldn't fully "exit the role," and remained unable to forget the memories of that dream.

Therefore, these words were meant for herself only.

It's less about self-deception and more about not wanting to forget.

On the other hand, Yanis's feelings were also complex.

She took Isabel as a disciple partly because she saw "beauty" in Isabel and found her adorable; another part was because she and Queen Sofia were close friends.

Their first meeting was sixty years ago, just after Queen Sofia had ascended to the throne.

She was still a lively teenage girl, even younger than Isabel now.

But unlike Isabel's personality, which was completely different or even contrary—Sofia was vibrant with energy, extremely extroverted and approachable. She would often sneak out of the palace after dressing up to watch plays at the theater; or she would dress like a schoolgirl and enter schools, asking other students as a junior about their opinion on various royal decrees.

That was Yanis's first visit to Avalon for an art exhibition. At her own exhibit, she met the young Queen Sofia. Yanis was struck by the beauty and vivacity of the charming young girl and wanted to paint her on the spot.

While painting, they chatted away. But halfway through, the queen's personal guards rushed over.

Only then did Yanis realize that this girl, who looked even younger than herself, was the newly crowned queen of this country.

Sofia was incredibly cheerful and unbounded by tradition.

She held much disdain for many rules and carried out numerous reforms, decisively abolishing many traditions that now seemed outdated—such as punishments more severe than the death penalty, the convention that women could not become knights, the old law that members of the Knight Family could only be imprisoned and not executed… as well as opening up certain "forbidden arts" for teaching and learning to contribute to the prosperity of the kingdom.

The alchemy, art, preservation arts, healing arts, and the development of professions such as the Path of Wisdom and Detective in Avalon, all began with Queen Sofia.

Yanis had spent twenty years with this enlightened and young queen before leaving her to continue her travels around the world.

She returned to Avalon and took Isabel as her student only because she saw the shadow of her dear friend in the girl. But in truth, she didn't believe that Isabel could inherit her mantle.

Art requires a vast amount of time to accumulate. The fivefold lifespan that separates humans from elves is an insurmountable chasm in the realm of art.

But Aiwass was different.

Yanis keenly perceived a beauty similar to her own in him.

He was handsome and composed, undeniably a masculine beauty, yet at the same time, he possessed a feminine sensitivity and delicacy; his demeanor was mature, and he conducted himself in a steady manner, yet he also had the vigor of a young person; he walked the Path of Devotion as a Priest, but Yanis keenly detected an invisible arrogance, as if he looked down upon the world from high above.

This paradoxical feeling of balance reminded Yanis of another version of herself.

Similar to herself, yet different—

Aiwass, upon hearing this, couldn't help but be at a loss for words.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Guess what, Sherlock just said yesterday that I'm more suited to the Path of Wisdom. And now today, Master, you're saying I'm suited to the Path of Beauty... How about you two have a fight?

But let's forget it, I'm afraid Sherlock might get beaten to death.

After Aiwass declined once, Yanis recommended the Path of Beauty to him again. And after he refused a second time, she did not insist.

After all, walking on the path requires not only the corresponding talent but also some conviction.

If someone doesn't want to, they can't be forced.

Being forced onto a path that one neither recognizes nor likes will eventually lead to deviation from that path. And all efforts will be in vain.

Yanis just felt a profound sense of regret.

Aiwass clearly had the talent for the Path of Beauty, yet he lacked the desire to pursue beauty. If he had entered the Path of Beauty, his prospects would have been much brighter than those on the Path of Devotion. There was a high probability that he could reach the fifth energy level, approaching the limit for mortals.

And considering the short lifespan of humans, his talent might even be better than hers.

Thinking this, she made a decision.

"Since you like my painting so much," Yanis said lightly, "then, I will give 'Golden Dawn' to you."

At this, Aiwass suddenly widened his eyes, feeling a tingling in his scalp.

Even Princess Isabel couldn't help but gasp, not daring to utter a word.

Aiwass knew how much Yanis loved that painting—among those three paintings, "Pilgrimage to the Temple of Akpolis" was Yanis's first Demonic Painting, an encouragement to herself determined to walk the Transcendent path, and it also hid the youthful ambition of "comparing herself to the Angel Envoy Hippocrates"; while "Crystal Sea" was the scene at the end of the world she had witnessed, a gift to her dear friend Sofia who could never leave Glass Island, never having the chance to see how beautiful that scene was… It was a summary of her world tour, as well as the crystallization of her friendship.

And 'Golden Dawn' was the peak of her pure skill.

That was a painting she made when she saw people in the Horus Empire worshipping The Sun, inspired by the stunning sight of the sunrise. It was the best painting that could be made without involving the "Power of the Path."

After that painting, her works started to carry mystical power, capable of changing reality. It was the last painting that could flow and was viewable by all mortals, and it was also the most highly regarded work among all of Yanis's paintings.

A timeless masterpiece without question. Its value immeasurable.

—Who gives such a thing away at a first meeting?!

"Of course, it's not completely without conditions..."

Yanis's next words allowed Aiwass to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Good, there's a condition. The fear is owing an indefinable favor—debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay, especially such troublesome ones that are difficult to value.

But when Aiwass heard Yanis's request, his expression became even more subtle.

"You're a prodigy, Aiwass. I believe you can do very well on the Path of Devotion... Even though you've just stepped into the Transcendent, your advancement will surely be swift.

"As you can see, my student Isabel is a somewhat delicate girl. I'm not very confident about her advancement rituals.

"If you've caught up with Isabel by the time of your second or third advancement ritual... could you perhaps wait for her and advance together with her? Of course, the full moon ritual is fine..." Continue your journey with m|v-l'e m,p y r

This request was almost as good as no request at all.

To give a friend a boost during the full moon ritual or fend off an enemy during the new moon ritual is basically a custom in the Transcendent world.

This was merely lending a hand when convenient.

Having a friend on the same progress level but on a different path can offer considerable advantages on the Transcendent journey... While Yanis only asked Aiwass to help Isabel once, as long as her advancement wasn't too much slower than Aiwass's, this was essentially a fixed team arranged by the parents themselves.

After all, in team play, the chances of success are inherently higher than in solo play, and having someone you can absolutely trust is a great advantage. Thus, Aiwass had no reason to refuse.

But when applied to Aiwass, there was a minor issue.

"...Should I find an opportunity to lay my cards on the table with the princess first?" he thought to himself.

If she finds out I'm her "Mr. Fox" once we start the venture... would that be too hard on the young lady's psyche?

Aiwass fell into deep thought.