Chapter 90: The Principle of Transcendence

Today's White Dance Shoes Club has a slightly different layout than usual.

All the tables on the first floor had been pushed into a corner, and the front desk where Allen and the bartender had been was also empty. The chairs were divided into three groups and neatly arranged in front of the stage and on both sides.

Several groups of reporters gathered in twos and threes between the three sets of chairs, chatting quietly. Flashlights stood nearby. The largest camera, nearly a man's height, stood on the ground like a giant accordion. There were also smaller cameras on stands that could be held in the hand.

There weren't many guests seated at the moment. Sitting in the center, in the front row, was a fully armored knight in silver armor, complete with helmet. No one was beside him, and the surrounding chairs were all empty. Even so, he sat there motionless, straight and erect.

The knight alone occupied two seats. A silver-white two-handed sword lay diagonally on the seat to his right. Its hilt was long, more than a third of the length, and the blade was long and narrow, yet thick. The blade wasn't a flat line, but a thin hexagon—more like a sharpened lance than a "sword."

This weapon prioritizes thrusting over slashing. It's clearly not suitable for use in cities... but it's one of the most common weapons used by air cavalry riding griffins.

It was sheathed in a thick, hard leather scabbard, its surface coated in silver-gray plating and inlaid with numerous tiny diamonds, spelling out the cursive word "Honor." It gleamed beneath the light.

This is the "Sword of Honor" temporarily awarded to retired air cavalrymen who have participated in wars and achieved at least three major victories. The word "Honor" on it was designed and written by Queen Sofia herself, and the diamonds were embedded into it one by one by royal craftsmen.

This sword, bestowed personally by the Queen, holds a powerful authority. If a descendant chooses not to become an air cavalryman, the sword will be reclaimed after seventy years of inheritance. If a descendant wishes to join the military, they can directly carry the sword and enroll in the Avalon Royal Air Force Academy—a symbol of honor passed down from generation to generation.

Although his face couldn't be seen from behind, the sword revealed the Knight in Shining Armor's identity. He was none other than Commissioner Gordon, who had just been transferred.

At Aiwas's signal, Lily pushed Aiwas' wheelchair and slowly walked over.

Aiwass just watched Gordon from a distance - before he even got close, Gordon noticed his gaze and turned his head.

Noticing the gaze was directed at Aiwass, the old knight nodded slowly, as if expressing both friendship and approval.

But he immediately noticed Princess Isabel following Aiwass. The old knight immediately stood up, took off his helmet, and knelt on the ground with a clang.

"The Silver Crowned Dragon is above. Greetings, Your Highness."

Gordon's old and deep voice rang out, and it was unusually clear even in the noisy club.

Those who didn't notice Aiwass at first because of the crowd and noise were also attracted by Gordon's voice.

Realizing that Aiwass had arrived, the reporters subconsciously wanted to take pictures.

But before they could set up the camera, they noticed Princess Isabel following closely behind Aiwass and were immediately startled.

There's nothing wrong with taking pictures of Aiwass without permission. Although he was adopted by the Moriarty family, he didn't inherit the family armor after all.

In Avalon, armor itself is a symbol of authority—those who wear it are respected. But even a knight who can enter the Hall of the Round Table, if he goes out without armor, it means that he is now an ordinary person. He can be photographed or painted, his body can be touched, and when he meets someone, he does not need to greet them or give way to them.

But Isabel's situation was different.

Although Isabel, who abandoned the sacred traditions of Avalon and embarked on the path of beauty, is not as recognized as her brothers, she is still a true princess after all.

If they secretly take pictures of Isabel, they probably won’t make it to tomorrow... When they go back tonight, someone in a black suit and white gloves will come knocking on the door.

Those present either half-knelt and touched their chests in a chivalric salute, or bowed to Isabel. The uneven, individual greetings rang out one after another.

In the past, Isabel would have been so nervous that her brain would have frozen.

But now she just mustered up her courage and took a deep breath.

He gave the crowd a gentle smile, imitating Aiwass's, and waved modestly around them: "Good afternoon, everyone. Please stand. May the Silver Crown Dragon bless you all."

"Once the ceremony begins, you can take photos."

Isabel's clear and pleasant girlish voice rang out, and people finally stopped saluting.

A somewhat strange thought came to their minds.

It seems... this princess who seldom goes out is not as shy and bad at speaking as the legend says?

Isn't she quite decent?

At this moment, Aiden, who was standing closely behind Aiwass, ran over under the gaze of everyone, with his chest held high and his head held high, and removed the chair on the left side of old knight Gordon.

Lily pushed Aiwass's wheelchair, and with a graceful reverse motion, she parked it in an empty space. Isabel sat to Aiwass's left, which deterred those who had originally wanted to sit down and make themselves known.

The result was that all the seats in the middle group of the first row, from Isabel to the left, were empty.

So Aiwas took the initiative to arrange for his classmates to sit here. Even so, the seat to Isabel's left was still empty, and the next seat was Angela.

As Aiwass took his seat, the people who had been standing and chatting quietly in various corners of the club also found their seats and sat down. The person sitting one seat to Gordon's right was a middle-aged man in a white suit with neat short blond hair.

Wearing a white suit meant he was a graduate of the first department and working in the legal profession. He was either a judge in his formal uniform or a lawyer.

He held out his hand and shook Gordon's hand, exchanged a few words in low voice, and then sat down.

From his right, the area became more mixed, with people wearing all kinds of clothes. Edward, Aiwass's eldest brother, sat in the group on the left. He nodded at Aiwass from a distance, but didn't come over to greet him.

Gordon placed his helmet on the chair next to his sword.

He turned his head hesitantly and greeted softly, "Mr. Aiwass."

"Commissioner Gordon."

Aiwass nodded at him and chuckled, "Or should I call you Inspector Gordon now?"

"It's all right. It's just a job."

The old knight was clearly unconcerned about his promotion: "An inspector has his own duties, and an inspector has his own duties. We are both protecting Avalon, but the content of our work is slightly different."

"I do have a question, Mr. Aiwass. I hope you can explain it to me. What is the relationship between Her Highness Isabel and you..."

"Ah, a friend."

Aiwass replied with a smile.

He said, then turned back and exchanged glances with Isabel.

Isabel also heard the topic and leaned forward to emphasize, "We are very good friends, Mr. Gordon."

Aiwass patted her arm gently and motioned for Isabel to sit back down.

For some reason, Isabel seemed in a good mood. Not only was she bolder than usual, she even looked a little cheerful—if it weren't so crowded, she might have hummed a song.

"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."

The old man with dark blue eyes answered without hesitation.

He looked at Isabel, who had her hand on Aiwass's wheelchair, and her resolute and weathered face was full of hesitation to speak.

But in the end, he swallowed his words silently, lowered his head and pretended that he hadn't seen anything.

The club, which had been bustling and even noisy, quickly quieted down after Aiwass—or rather, Princess Isabel—appeared. In less than ten minutes, everyone was seated.

Soon, apart from the reporters and photographers who were still standing, and the supervisors and inspectors standing in the corner, there was no one standing in the first floor hall anymore. Then the door closed, and blue and white runes appeared on the wall.

Gordon was the only one present wearing armor, and even those wearing black suits were few and far between. About one-fifth of the people wore white suits, and the rest were dressed in suits of other colors, or even other clothing.

Most of them were officials—in addition to political and administrative officials, there were also scholars, priests, professors, and executives of large companies. Aiwass also saw his mentor, Professor Budd.

There were even more people gathered on the second floor.

They are spectators and do not need a special invitation. As long as they are of age and have a decent formal outfit, they can come and watch.

Earlier, Aiden had found his father on the second floor of the club and excitedly waved at him, pointing him out to Aiwass. He was a gentle-looking businessman with a potbellied, white, plump figure and small eyes. The frightened middle-aged man quickly waved his hand and mouthed to him to be quiet.

At this moment, Aiwass suddenly had an idea.

Because just now, Shadow Demon woke up.

My Master...

A hoarse and vicious voice echoed from the bottom of Aiwas' heart.

[I sense it. The thief who stole the power of shadows is nearby—]

...the assassin?

Aiwass narrowed his eyes slightly.

——You really dare to come?

The assassin called "Hawkeye" is quite courageous.

This time was completely different from Monday—there were no shortage of high-level transcendents present. And having learned from the previous lesson, they had the lawyers present seal the door before closing it.

Or was she just here to monitor me?

Aiwass touched the heavy keys hanging around his waist and felt calm.

This time, Aiwaske was not afraid of her at all.

Rather, he was even a little impatient——

...If you don't help me, wouldn't I have taken this key in vain?

[My Lord...can I help you this time? I mean, if your life is in danger...]

The Shadow Fiend's voice became anxious and frantic.

"First, tell me where she is?"

Aiwass asked in his heart.

So the Shadow Demon marked her target—

It gave some of its power to Aiwass. Even with only a first-level shadow affinity, it could still accommodate a little bit of the Shadow Demon's characteristics.

So Aiwass gained a temporary "shadow vision" ability:

I saw that Aiwas' pupils darkened slightly, as if covered with a thin and transparent black veil.

In his vision, the entire space grew dim. The originally black shadows turned into a transparent gray, and the people hidden in the shadows became even darker in color.

Aiwass saw clearly that the female assassin was hiding right under the largest camera in the lobby on the first floor, which was like a cart, and was hiding quietly in the shadows.

“No need.”

Aiwass calmly withdrew his gaze and replied calmly in his heart, "I won't need you this time, Shadow Fiend. Just watch me do what I do."

[…Okay, Master]

The Shadow Demon's voice gradually became quiet and cold, but it made her hoarse and mature female voice become clearer, more like the sound of human speech.

[Then I will stay here in silence... and wait and see.]

What it meant was that if Aiwass found that he couldn't beat it and called it again, it might not obey.

Although it coveted the sacred flesh and blood that was offered voluntarily, demons are always arrogant.

Since it has already said that it is not needed, it will not rush to help.

"certainly."

Aiwass raised the corner of his mouth: "I won't let you down."

He knew that if he could handle the situation well, such as defeating a stronger foe, or even just surviving it, the Shadow Fiend would respect him even more. The fact that he could solve a problem without relying on the Shadow Fiend's power was a testament to his strength of mind and his exceptional talent.

That is different from the almost irresistible control brought by the "pastoral law" against the devil. It is the true recognition of the devil.

Just like how Aiwass was willing to challenge the evil sorcerer Veronica despite his weak body.

After careful and detailed planning and conspiracy, one can finally face the strong with a weak body and win perfectly or bite off the opponent's flesh and blood... This is the core principle of the way of transcendence.

This requires him to have enough "talent" and "courage".

——The principles of transcendence are rebellion and victory.

(End of this chapter)