Hayna was stunned for a moment before she realized with fear what she had just said.
Fortunately, she had asked Mr. Sherlock this question, not Director Kent!
"As for why I do not enter the Supervisory Bureau..."
Mr. Sherlock said indifferently, "Because you and I are similar but not the same, I also cannot reach far—the world does not elevate the more talented or excellent. I understood this when I graduated."
"...What do you mean?"
"It means I am like you. Compared to the Path of Authority, I lean more towards other paths."
The dark-haired young man fearlessly spoke with candor, "What I requested from Mr. Kent was the mysterious book of the Path of Wisdom. I handle difficult problems for him, and he gives me forbidden books in his personal capacity—it's a fair trade of mutual use. Now, my second Path is almost reaching the second Energy Level... Compared to the Path of Authority, it is the Path of Wisdom that I truly aspire to."
Hayna wanted to say something more.
But her intuition was suddenly triggered, so she immediately became alert and fell silent.
After five or six seconds of silence face to face, a middle-aged man gasping for breath finally came running from around the corner.
"Hayna—finally found you, I've been looking for you for ages! Ah, Mr. Sherlock is here too! Great, the Director is looking for both of you!"
"Does Mr. Kent need something?"
Mr. Sherlock retorted without courtesy, "I have other matters to attend to right now."
"He didn't say... but I think you should go check it out. It won't take long, will it?"
The middle-aged man said with a cheery smile, "You know, Mr. Sherlock—if it were something boring, Director wouldn't have asked you to come, right?"
Mr. Sherlock nodded in agreement.
He said, looking at Hayna beside him, "This is another reason.
"I am restless. If I have nothing to do, I'll be uneasy... but if asked to do ordinary, repetitive work, I'll grow bored. I need tough challenges and formidable opponents to excite me.
"Your kind of routine patrols are too dull. With that time, I would rather read more books, conduct experiments. Even traveling alone like a wandering monk would be more meaningful than that repetitive every day.
"I do not seek fame, nor do I desire achievements. I just want work to utilize my intellect and vent my boundless energy—and incidentally, to satisfy my curiosity. That's why I collaborate with you guys."
"Alright, Mr. Sherlock."
The middle-aged man said with a wry smile, "You should get going—finish listening to the Director's tasks sooner, and you'll get back to your own matters earlier, won't you?"
Mr. Sherlock, noncommittal, walked towards Director Kent's office.
In the center of Glass Island, the capital of Avalon, lay a crystal-clear lake, as blue as sapphire.
The royal family of Avalon resided on an island within an island—the Lake Heart Island in the middle of capital Glass Island. There stood the Hall of Silver and Tin, with glass stairs, blessed by the Silver-Crowned Dragon. It shimmered under the sunny skies with brilliant light, and even in overcast weather emitted a dreamlike gentle luminescence.
Within the Hall of Silver and Tin, a girl who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen with golden hair and blue eyes was quietly flipping through today's "Glass Staircase Daily."
She seemed to have elven blood, making her appear younger than her actual age. Her demeanor gentle, her back straight, with the back of her neck revealed by her dress reflecting the sun's radiance. She exuded a quiet temperament characteristic of an artistic young lady, her eyes as calm as still waters.
Opposite her, an elf who appeared to be in her twenties or thirties—with the allure of mature womanhood and the innocence of a young girl—smiled with hands cupping her cheeks. She possessed a distinct aura of an artist—not an illusion, but the influence of the Path of Beauty.
"I didn't deceive you, did I, my little princess?"
The elven artist said with a smiling gaze, "I told you yesterday I saw a very handsome man. I specifically saved a whole twelve seconds just to capture that key moment when he looked back and smiled.
"My aesthetic judgment is impeccable—the smile was the key, maximizing the preservation of his charm. Honestly, I even want to paint a portrait of him. Though I feel there's no rush at this moment, I will certainly have a chance to meet him later."
The girl nodded quietly, "Mrs. Yanis is right. Mr. Aiwass's smile does make one think of the sun.
"Being of the same age and the same level of Path, he was able to personally lead the arrest of a Demon Scholar much more powerful than himself... with flawless investigation, judgment, and deduction throughout the process. Very impressive and very brave.
She whispered softly, "I can't do it. Because I am very timid."
There was a yearning mixed with resignation on the girl's face.
——That was the yearning stirred deep inside a genuinely kind person upon seeing someone of their kind who was much stronger than themselves; as well as the resignation of not being envious or deceptive but honestly recognizing the fact that they were far from being the other's equal.
Seeing her , Mrs. Yanis spoke lovingly—and also somewhat manically, making a noise like teasing a puppy, and then hugged the girl, ruffling her hair vigorously: "Little Isabel, you are really too adorable!"
"Please call me Isabel, Mrs. Yanis."
Isabel whimpered, covering her hair with her hands and speaking earnestly, "And please don't mess up my hair——"
"And besides, I don't know in what way I'm cute. I was merely stating the truth."
"Your cuteness lies in these unbearably serious explanations at moments when no explanation is needed at all."
"That sounds too stupid. I am an idiot."
Isabel was somewhat annoyed and also a bit disheartened, "I can't even paint well."
"You are already a genius, Isabel."
Mrs. Yanis became serious when the topic was brought up: "It's just that the people you have encountered are even more genius than you.
"Isn't your Path of Beauty also close to advancing? To be able to engage with the second energy level at this age is already quite impressive... And the way I have taught you is to build on a more solid foundation, so although you may start a bit later, you'll be able to go much further."
"I feel that is just because my father is Prince Albert."
Isabel dropped her gaze and spoke softly, "I myself am nothing remarkable.
"If Mr. Aiwass were a prince, he would be able to start even earlier and go even further."
"Aiwass is an exception. You shouldn't think too much about it. Even Her Majesty the Queen said after seeing the newspaper, he is an extraordinary young man... You don't need to compare yourself with such a person."
"...Even Grandmother?!"
Isabel was astonished: "Grandmother rarely praises people... Is that Demon Scholar really that amazing?"
"It's not the battle, nor even the searching ability. What Her Majesty the Queen values is his decisiveness when he fired those two shots. Although the results were only the death of a second-level Demon Scholar, it actually exhibited his outstanding judgment, that absolute confidence in his own judgement, and a steady execution.
"Her Majesty the Queen said it herself, he has the makings of a great general. You should also think about it, surely it was because she nodded her head that I dared to put him on the front page, in such a large article. It's because Her Majesty the Queen said, to let the young people of the kingdom learn a lesson—though I believe they certainly won't be able to learn it, but it's still nice to let everyone have a look at a handsome young man."
Mrs. Yanis shook her head helplessly: "You must stop this habit of only comparing yourself with the strongest, and then immediately feeling inferior and backing down when you fall short."
"I feel that if I have to compare myself with my peers, then I must compare myself with the strongest among them."
Princess Isabel said earnestly: "Because I have enjoyed the best resources, if I can't become the best, then it's a waste of those resources. They should be given to someone who needs them more."
Mrs. Yanis sighed, finding Princess Isabel's stubbornness astonishing.
"By the way, Mrs. Yanis."
Isabel suddenly asked, "What did Mr. Aiwass see at that time? What was he gesturing at?"
"Actually, I wasn't at the scene either."
Mrs. Yanis shook her head: "But I asked the recorder. He said it was a little girl selling flowers nearby.
"That girl called him 'a very gentle big brother.' I'd imagine he politiely bought a bouquet from her before. Aiwass indeed is a very polite young man—you could invite him to sit in the Hall of Silver and Tin sometime. Chat about what happened then, his thoughts, how he made his judgement... I think it would be very interesting. And I believe Her Majesty the Queen would allow it."
"——You're looking forward to it too, aren't you, Isabel?"
Isabel didn't reply, but simply clenched her small fists a little tighter, like a child with yearning in her eyes, which widened beautifully, emerald-green as her grandmother's.