Chapter 164: Threats are more powerful than captures

The kidnapping and disappearance of Aiwas Moriarty is probably the biggest news on Glass Island recently.

And this news is a serial drama - first, he made headlines several times for repeatedly breaking the conspiracy of the Noble Red Society, and finally he was awarded the Order of the Holy Sword as an exception for his great merit.

As a result, less than a week later, people from the Noble Red Society broke into the school and captured him.

"Judging from the traces of battle, Aiwass put up a very fierce resistance. He even knocked down several Transcendents who were far stronger than himself... but unfortunately, he was still outnumbered. Haina, I remember that Aiwass and you had a good relationship, right?"

"Hmm? Ah..."

Haina listened to her roommates talking about the latest news, and said absentmindedly: "Yes."

She was thinking about something.

Is Aiwass okay now?

Or in other words, is the current disappearance... part of Aiwass's plan?

Aiwass had mentioned to her before that he might also fake his own death like Sherlock. But now that he was really in trouble, Haena couldn't help but wonder... Was this the "faked death" Aiwass was referring to?

She was a little nervous.

What if Aiwass's plan fails?

The fake death he was talking about wasn't just this time, but what would happen next? In other words, he was really attacked and captured this time. Isn't that actually possible?

"Why did the Noble Red Society capture Aiwass specifically? Did they intend to torture him?"

"Indeed, this doesn't make sense. If it was revenge, shouldn't they have just killed Aiwass? It would be difficult for them to escape with a living person."

"Isn't it to torture him? Maybe Aiwass knows some secret, so he must be captured alive."

"Then there's no need to storm into the school and kidnap him, right? Our school is Headmaster Meg's territory... Even though she's usually not here, she's definitely going to be furious after this incident."

"I think, maybe they want to exchange hostages?"

"That's possible. But wouldn't those members of the Noble Red Society be hanged if they were caught?"

"Maybe there are still some alive."

"Impossible. If there were any survivors, the newspapers would have reported it immediately to put pressure on them."

"Could it be that Aiwass is being exchanged for the list of traitors? That's what's written in the novel, right?"

Haina's roommates gathered together, chattering about this matter.

Thanks also to Aiwass.

Originally, many people on Glass Island were completely unaware of the Noble Red Order. Perhaps more people knew about it in rural areas, but demonologists rarely appeared in large cities—there were too many highly educated inspectors and priests to easily detect traces of rituals and demons.

But thanks to Aiwass's numerous front-page headlines, people quickly began to take this group of demonologists seriously. After the Glass Steps newspaper published the news, other newspapers, eager to capitalize on the buzz, would interview high-ranking inspectors or bishops about the demonologists and the Noble Red, then publish their reports explaining "what the Noble Red Society had done."

"What do you think, Haena?"

Haina suddenly felt someone touch her and asked, "Does the Supervisory Bureau have any inside information?"

But this sentence broke Haina's thoughts and hesitation.

She decided not to hesitate any longer, stood up from the bed, put on her coat and rushed out: "I don't know, I'll go out for a while, you guys chat-"

As Haina left, the dormitory fell silent for a while.

Her roommate, who often went to the Old Captain's Bar to pick up men, sighed, "It seems that Haina really cares about Aiwass."

"She doesn't like Aiwass, does she?"

Another person suggested a possibility.

"Who doesn't like Aiwass? He's handsome, gentle, and his last name is Moriarty."

The other party retorted.

So the few people who didn't have to attend class gathered together again and started chatting, this time they started talking about Haina.

As for Haena, she originally wanted to find Headmistress Meg, but she didn't know where she was, so she ran around looking for her but couldn't find her, so she turned to look for Sherlock.

With his wisdom, he must know what Aiwass's situation is!

She first ran to Mrs. Mina's fortune-telling shop and wanted to go in through the back door, but was surprised to find that they were closed.

Then Haina's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She nervously ran to the front door and knocked.

It was Madam Mina who opened the door.

"Oh, it's Haena."

Mina already knew the other person and said with a smile, "Are you here so early today?"

Because Bishop Mathers and Madam Mina both have many secrets and don't like to order people around.

So they usually don't like to hire servants, and they don't even have a housekeeper.

For a prominent figure who could enter the Hall of the Round Table, this was considered an oddity. But Mathers was, after all, a bishop and a spiritual councilor. Thus, this became a form of asceticism, a "simple living," and was highly praised.

Anyway, Mrs. Mina can do the ordinary housework at home, and for the troublesome and laborious ones, she will borrow servants from her friends to help.

After Sherlock moved in here, when Haina, who came to help Aiwas pass on information, came to visit, he would also come to help - anyway, she was the one who did this kind of thing when she was at home.

Eagle Point Village wasn't like Glass Island. There were no rules like "things had to be left to servants to do otherwise it would be disrespectful," or "guests couldn't move or speak out on the spot, but had to be informed tactfully afterwards."

Haena simply saw work to do and decided to help. She didn't have any particular motives; if she had to, she was just bored and not tired—if she were tired, she wouldn't have done it and would have just slumped over in bed all day.

Fortunately, the Mathers couple also shared similar views, so they did not feel offended, but instead thought Haina was cute. She just came to help Aiwass and Sherlock pass a few messages back and forth, and she became a popular child.

"I'm here to see Mr. Sherlock... Is Mr. Sherlock up yet?"

Haena asked slightly nervously.

The last time she came, it was almost ten in the morning and Sherlock still hadn't woken up. She waited in the living room for over an hour, and even after Sherlock woke up, he remained dazed and grumbling for a while, as if instinctively. When Sherlock was still asleep, his words were even more venomous than usual.

"Well, they've all finished eating and are playing chess now."

Mrs. Mina replied.

...playing chess?

Mr. Sherlock and Bishop Mathers?

Haina was a little confused, but she thanked him and followed him.

Finally, I walked to the second floor and arrived in front of Sherlock's bedroom.

She suddenly heard a familiar voice from inside: "General. Aren't you going to change the game? If we change to bridge, I probably won't be able to beat you... It's just right that Haina is here too. We can get together for a four-player game."

Hearing this, Haina was shocked.

But she soon felt joy again - just like when she was a child and her greed was full of honey. It felt like the whole world had become sweet and the sun was shining.

She knocked on the door immediately and pushed it open without waiting for a response.

"You're really okay, Aiwass!"

In the room, Aiwass, freed from his wheelchair, leaned back in his seat, his legs folded together, his left leg raised, a confident smile plastered on his face.

That was a completely different temperament from the well-behaved and gentle appearance that Aiwass had when he was sitting in a wheelchair.

He bathed in the golden morning sun, red butterflies fluttering around his fingertips.

Only after getting out of the wheelchair and sitting on a seat of the same height did Haina realize that Aiwass and Sherlock were almost the same height. But at this moment, Aiwass seemed taller.

Opposite him, Sherlock was looking at the chess board, his brows furrowed, his arms resting on his knees, his hands resting on his chin, thinking about something.

Lily sat next to Aiwass, leaning against him. She also had a smile on her face and was the first to look up at Haena.

Sherlock ignored her.

He just stared intently at the chessboard, muttering softly, "How tricky. I was clearly in an advantageous position at the beginning, but when did it suddenly become a disadvantage?..."

He thought for a long time before finally moving another chess piece: "Even though I've already lost, I still have to finish the game."

Aiwass laughed and said, "Because you don't understand a principle, Sherlock. Chess isn't a purely logical game; it's about psychology. From this perspective, threats are always more powerful than captures... Because I didn't choose to let you deal with the situation I had created. Instead, I used the anticipation of pressure to increase your thinking and psychological pressure."

"They use defensive tactics to gradually weaken you, and when you get impatient, they apply pressure to force you into making mistakes. The more proud a person is, the less they can tolerate mistakes... If you repeat this, your strategy will gradually become distorted. Your goal will change from 'winning' to 'solving the problem I've given you.'

"From this perspective, some plans don't need to be actually implemented. Just by making the other party aware of the possibility, the plan itself has taken effect - the impact it produces is the effect."

After saying that, Aiwass dropped the White Queen. "Checkmate. I've won three games in a row, Sherlock. Your desire to attack is too strong, which makes you unable to see that you are also threatened."

"That's why I'm here."

Sherlock replied, "That makes perfect sense."

Aiwass smiled and shook his head. "Offensive doesn't guarantee an advantage, and continuous attacking certainly doesn't guarantee victory. It's because I voluntarily gave up my turn that you were able to launch continuous attacks... Some people give up because they're truly weak, but some people give up attacking simply to preserve their mobility."

"Like if you choose to stay here and not move?" Sherlock asked.

"right."

Aiwass picked up the white queen, held it between the index and middle fingers of his right hand, and showed it to Sherlock.

"Once I've jumped off the chessboard, I'm no longer a chess piece. Now I can go anywhere, and they'll panic. Panic leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to death. And when they die, they'll have to drag everyone else down with them to be content."

The young man with short platinum hair narrowed his eyes slightly like a fox: "Watch it, Sherlock... Watch it.

"They can't hold it in for much longer. I've already put all the pressure on them. Now it's their turn to attack."

Sherlock looked at Aiwas Moriarty in the sunlight.

For the first time, he realized that perhaps he had never really understood his friend.

The first chapter of 3,000 words!

Chapter 2 will be later. I got up late today... I guess it will be around 2:00.

(End of this chapter)