Chapter 1036 Ludwig II
"Actually... to say that no one in the Vendôme family has ever become a Moon Child is probably not entirely true."
Suddenly, Sherlock spoke.
Several people immediately focused their attention on Sherlock.
Old Argon frowned slightly, and his whole body was intimidating without even being angry, naturally releasing a strong aura.
Aiwass rarely saw this kind of aura in others. Whether it was the princes and princesses of Xingti, Isabel, the cardinals of the Theocracy, or even the Pope... The last person who had given Aiwass this feeling was the old Queen of Avalon. Besides that, it was Arthur, whom he had seen during the promotion ceremony.
Although Aiwass did not have the level of the authoritarian path, he could guess that this was the special aura unique to the authoritarian path.
The old duke probably has a level of authority besides the path of beauty, and it's probably not low.
...Wait, beauty and authority?
Thinking of this, Aiwass was stunned for a moment. He suddenly thought of something.
Sherlock continued, "The Moon Child cannot cross flowing water, nor can he enter another's door without permission - although the river at the door can indeed form a river to prevent the Moon Child from entering... However, it can only defend against the Moon Child who 'flies in as a bat' or 'walks on foot'.
"The Moon Children's taboos are reflected in their 'motives'. They simply don't dare to do it, can't do it, are afraid of it—not that they 'can't do it no matter what'. Just like the Moon Children, despite being afraid of flowing water, can cross borders by boat...wasn't Aiwass's previous expedition against the Fallen Angels an example of this?"
"……really."
Aiwass nodded in agreement.
This is the fundamental reason why the Moon Sons of Xingti must control the Navy. The sea is a fatal weakness for the Moon Sons, so they must keep the navy in their own hands.
——This was also the discomfort that Aiwass felt when he entered the door earlier.
While this river could theoretically block the Moon Child, relying on it to truly do so was pure fantasy. It was like adding a security guard at the entrance of a residential complex to deter thieves; it was only a temporary measure. If one truly desired to enter, there were many ways—whether by car or boat, one could traverse this seemingly perfect barrier.
Compared to the protection that prevented the Moon Child from entering...
"It's more like... a prison to prevent the Moon Child from escaping. Isn't it, Your Excellency?"
Sherlock said slowly.
Sherlock, who had regained his youthful form after reaching the fourth energy level, now had a blazing gaze, even possessing a faint aura of power like the radiant sun.
"It seems your investigation has been quite fruitful, Detective."
The Duke of Argonne was not angry.
The old man's bright, emerald green eyes gazed at Sherlock, and the corners of his tense mouth lifted slightly. "As expected of the famous Sherlock Hermes...why not talk about the results of the investigation here?"
"…Here, Father?"
Anne was a little uneasy: "But, Aiwass..."
She didn't want Aiwass involved.
But Aiwass shook his head silently.
He stretched out his left hand and gently placed it on the back of Anne's right hand, which was resting on her thigh. His attitude was self-evident.
The touch from her fingertips was surprisingly not youthful. Even after receiving Aiwass's treatment, Anne's hands were no longer as cold as before... However, the clearly raised blue veins on the back of her hands, and the skin that was no longer as delicate as jade, proved that she was no longer young.
Anne looked back at Aiwass in surprise, and after a few seconds... she suddenly smiled.
She breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. There was a hint of moisture in her eyes.
Shylock didn't care about that. After getting the old duke's permission, he closed his eyes slightly to gather his thoughts, then spoke calmly, "As you said, the 'Third Rebellion' that occurred in the land of Iris was indeed driven by a hidden third party."
Upon hearing this, Aiwass and Yassen also turned their gazes to Sherlock, listening intently. After all, this was the reason Sherlock was "kidnapped". They risked getting lost in the dream world and finally rescued him...
If they can't figure this out, or the secret behind it isn't worth it, it feels like their time has been wasted.
Only Anne didn't seem to be listening much - she was staring at Aiwass blankly, as if she was thinking about something, or missing something.
Aiwass asked with interest: "A third party?"
"That's right."
Sherlock nodded. "Contrary to the history most people know, the most famous Iris act, the Third Rebellion, which cut off the king's head and ended the era of kings and nobles, was actually driven by the king himself."
"The secret nature of the 'Third Rebellion' operation is actually a drama directed by the last monarch, 'Mad King' Ludwig II himself."
Ludwig II...
That was the name of the last monarch of the Iris Kingdom in Aiwass's memory.
He was obsessed with drama, even to the point of madness - in modern terms, it is called "Chuunibyou".
Before he was dubbed the "Mad King" by the people of Iris, his nickname was actually "Swan King."
This story comes from an opera called "The Swan Knight" - an opera that also has a prototype on Earth called "Lohengrin." The famous "Wedding March" comes from this opera, where the newlyweds' wedding ends in a bad way.
The opera's gist is that a mysterious knight, calling himself the Swan Knight, appears in Princess Elsa's dreams and tells her that if she encounters a threat, she can call upon him and he will fly to her aid. Later, Elsa is in a near-death crisis, and when she calls upon the Swan Knight, he arrives and easily defeats her enemy.
He was as powerful as a saint, his virtues noble and spotless. Elsa fell in love with the knight who had saved her, and the knight, in turn, fell in love with the princess's beauty. He was willing to protect her country and defeat all her enemies, swearing eternal loyalty to her with only one small, single request: You must never ask my name or where I come from.
Elsa naturally agreed to this simple request. However, under the constant instigation of malice and jealousy from others, she became curious about this issue and couldn't help but raise it on her wedding night.
The Swan Knight sighed, revealed his true identity, and left Elsa forever, keeping his promise. He said that if Elsa could resist asking him for a year—just a year—he could stay forever. But before leaving, the Swan Knight defeated all the villains and enemies around Elsa as a final act of protection.
——This is a very famous opera in Iris.
Just as Isabelle was mesmerized by Lulu's Magic Flute in her childhood, young Ludwig also possessed a talent for beauty...which made him unable to escape the curse of this opera for the rest of his life.
(End of this chapter)
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