Aiden heard someone whispering beside him, "It's a lame guy... but pretty handsome!"
The voices became chaotic, and the students who were asleep began to wake up gradually. Those who hadn't been awakened by their friends were certainly woken up by the commotion.
"That's Aiwass Moriarty!"
Someone stated Aiwass's name clearly, "The great detective who was in the 'Glass Staircase Daily' a few days ago!"
More people heard the name and suddenly realized who he was, showing looks of recognition.
After all, he was Senior Hayna's partner, so it was normal for her to bring him along.
However, some people disapproved of what seemed to be an old-fashioned hobby, "Ah, do you still read newspapers?"
"...Moriarty? Is he Professor Moriarty's child?"
Someone astutely picked up on Aiwass's surname.
"Yes, 'Mr. Popular' Moriarty!"
Obviously, Aiden wasn't the only person who remembered Aiwass.
The only one concerned about Aiwass's health was a girl who looked deeply worried, "His leg..."
Others were gossiping, speculating about Hayna's level of concern, which was almost like she was "nurturing carefully": "Could it be Senior Hayna hasn't accepted Arlen because she already has a boyfriend?"
—Most likely not. Aiwass didn't seem like someone who would date Senior Hayna...
Aiden thought to himself.
He of course recognized the person before him. He easily recognized him at a glance.
Without a doubt, this person was Aiwass Moriarty, his classmate from middle school!
Even back in middle school, Aiwass often became the center of attention.
He was like the current Hayna, passionate, cheerful, kind, and always considering others. Not even the flaw of "origin" that Hayna was most criticized for was present.
Aiwass hailed from one of the Founding Families. Though he was only an adopted child... but given that his father had no direct descendants, being an adopted child wasn't much different from being of direct blood.
The difference between him and Hayna was that she was popular for her cheerful personality and mixed well with both boys and girls.
Whereas Aiwass was the opposite. He was clearly more popular among the girls.
Not that Aiwass had any animosity with the boys, it was purely because he attracted too much attention and didn't leave much for others. What was most annoying was that he never really dated anyone; he just spread his charm and kindness around. This meant he didn't have a definite girlfriend... And so, the girls wouldn't step back, always harboring some kind of fantasy.
—"He's so nice to me, maybe he actually likes me?"
But if someone confessed, Aiwass would politely refuse, carefully preserving the other's dignity, and make it clear that he was just being nice to everyone. Although there were those who saw through this... what of it?
Compared to the immature, brash, self-centered boys his age, mature and understanding Aiwass was just more comfortable to be around. Even without a romantic relationship or close contact, he was undoubtedly a good friend of the opposite sex.
Among the things Aiden was aware of, Aiwass's "achievements" included finding a girl's kidnapped sister, helping resolve a misunderstanding between a young couple, skipping class to accompany a girl who had suddenly lost her parents in a tragedy, and helping a rebellious classmate mend relations with his family — and most outrageous of all, a female teacher was heartbroken over a failed romance, and Aiwass wrote her a hilariously clever poem, playing the harp like a Bard, consoling her that being single wasn't so bad.
With Aiwass setting the bar so high, his immature peers seemed even more juvenile.
This was exactly why Aiwass wasn't viewed favorably among the boys.
Many said he changed girlfriends weekly—from a thirty-something teacher to a classmate's sister in elementary school was supposedly in his range, but those were just jealous rumors. Only those who were close to him and familiar with his private life knew Aiwass actually didn't have a girlfriend.
Aiden was one of them.
He even knew why Aiwass didn't have a girlfriend. It was because the guy was a foolish brother who was always "Yuli this, Yuli that"—and his so-called "sister", equally a Moriarty foster child, was not related to Aiwass by blood.
Though he had never met the legendary frail sister, and didn't know what kind of stunning beauty she must possess... to make Aiwass so infatuated with her.
But Aiden knew the girls, unaware of where their real enemy lay, were utterly doomed to lose… because Aiwass truly didn't care about them. His eyes were for his mysterious sister, whose existence was so secretive, its reality was uncertain.
Even when rumors were being spread, Aiwass didn't bother to pursue.
"It's fine, it won't really affect me anyway. Besides, I have indeed done some things wrong... Ultimately, it's because I went too far in helping them, failing to maintain proper distance..."
Back then, two girls who Aiwass had turned down lied to save face, claiming Aiwass had accepted them; but they bumped into each other with the same story. Neither wanted to admit to lying, so they accused one another... and as the story spread, it morphed into Aiwass juggling a harem that was set ablaze.
Aiwass was playing cricket.
After hearing about the rumors, he didn't panic. Instead, he earnestly explained their behavior to his cricket teammates, "They're just not ready to admit defeat and are a little vain. If we reproach them now, loud accusations of lying and rumor-spreading could ruin their lives. They both love me, and I don't hate them. I can't do such a wrong thing.
"Right now they're like standing on the edge of a perilous peak, with just a fine line separating them from a fall, and all they need is to cool down to come back to normal. At this critical moment, my role isn't to push but to pull. Once they've calmed down, they will naturally help dispel the rumors."
At that time, Aiwass sat on a table, with his teammates gathered around, listening blankly.
—Are you sure this is okay? Will they really help dispel the rumors? Won't they turn their love to hate instead?
But as it turned out, Aiwass was right. It was they who didn't understand.
The rumors of Aiwass's romances had not negatively impacted his aura, but instead caused even more people to actively pursue him. After calming down, those two girls did admit to their lying and rumor-spreading behavior, running around trying to erase the impact for him, becoming close friends in the process, with nothing they didn't confide in each other about.
Aiden was thoroughly convinced.
Master, truly a master!
Please teach me, Master! I want to find a girlfriend too!
Yet, not long after that, Aiwass, who had been admitted to the Theological Seminary of the Royal Law University, suddenly disappeared mysteriously.
It was said that he was in poor health and was recuperating at home, but no one would believe such an absurd excuse for absence.
Some said he had gone to undertake religious training at the headquarters of the Eternal Theocracy, others claimed he had found his biological parents and left Avalon.
Later, rumors further fermented, with someone insisting that Aiwass had probably gone to study at a university in the Iris Kingdom—his romantic characteristics indicated that his real parents were obviously nobles of the Irisflower People, which explained why he had such a prominent personality in the otherwise unromantic Avalon; others argued that one of his parents had elf blood, therefore he should be in the Holy Nation now.
The most outrageous claim was that he had been summoned away by Princess Isabel. She, a sophomore like them and someone who had already embarked on the Transcendent path, was in need of a loyal and reliable long-term ally—one without too many desires yet still meticulous and smart. Perhaps, after hearing about Aiwass's miraculous experiences, she had chosen him.
——Now Aiden realized that all those speculations were wrong.
So Aiwass really was injured!
Could it have been a sports injury to his leg? Why else would he be in a wheelchair...
The students buzzed with speculation, and the noise inside the classroom grew louder. Professor Bard also paused his lecture and turned around.
"Good morning, Professor Bard!"
Hayna greeted the elderly professor energetically.
"Good morning, Miss Dane."
The small, frail-looking old professor also had a fondness for this well-performing and polite student.
Turning off the microphone button on the lecture podium, he turned back with a smile on his stern face and politely addressed Hayna by her surname.
Saying this, he turned his gaze towards the person behind Hayna, touching his shiny, nearly bald head, "This is... Mr. Aiwass Moriarty, isn't it?
Unlike the students, Professor Bard was obviously someone who read the newspaper daily.
Therefore, it wasn't surprising that he recognized the young detective who had solved the Pelican Bar case, indirectly resolved the previous demon sacrifice case and the warehouse explosion case, and at least twenty-three smuggling cases.
"Hello, Professor Bard."
Aiwass nodded politely in greeting.
"Actually, Aiwass is also a student of this year's Theological Seminary," Hayna warmly introduced him to the elderly professor, "You should recognize him already.
"He has been in poor health before, and so has been recuperating at home. But even so, Aiwass has been studying on his own at home—you know, his father is Professor Moriarty. So he hasn't fallen behind in his studies... Although final exams are approaching, Professor Moriarty felt that Aiwass could also come and try taking them.
"He, and Miss Lily here, are both new additions to our class. However, he's two months behind, so it might be difficult for him to get along with the other students. That's why I'd like to borrow your microphone, Professor, to help Aiwass introduce himself."
The elderly professor lit up at the request.
He already had a favorable impression of the accomplished young Aiwass from the newspapers, and now with his trusted student Hayna recommending him so enthusiastically, he looked forward to it even more.
Moved by the idea, he asked Aiwass softly, "Do you have any knowledge about the Star Antimony Kingdom and Heracel?"
Aiwass affirmed confidently: "I'm aware of the four nations of Star Antimony, Iris Flower, Narcissus, and Black Hawk that emerged after the division of the Heracel Empire."
It was even beyond mere awareness—these countries' backstories were a favorite topic of his screenwriter friend during meals. He worried he might accidentally spill something he shouldn't...
The open-minded old professor stepped aside with a chuckle, "Why don't you come here and introduce yourself.
"Afterward, you can talk about the founding of Star Antimony. Here's the lesson plan, and the textbook... start from this section. You can refer to them if you like, or improvise as you wish.
"I believe after your appearance, they won't be able to concentrate anyway. And since you're in a wheelchair, it's not easy for you to go up to the stage, so you should sit beside the podium anyway. Why not just take this class... I'm sure the students will listen attentively."
Professor Bard encouraged him, "Don't worry, if there are any mistakes I will point them out on the side—this is a rare opportunity, isn't it?" .net
Hayna standing aside was a bit stunned, hesitating for a moment, not sure if she should intervene.
But Aiwass readily agreed, "No problem."
This left her with no choice but to look on with a bitter expression, choosing to stay beside him.
——At least with her there, even if Aiwass didn't do well, those rascals wouldn't dare to make a fuss in front of her.