Chapter 106 The Bishop Wants to Make Amends
The "refreshing wine" prepared by Mrs. Mina was obviously very useful, or rather too useful.
After drinking the hot brandy, Sherlock became visibly excited, truly showing the "excessive energy" that he always talked about but never showed.
On weekdays, this consultant to the Supervisory Bureau always used his strong rationality to restrain his behavior. However, occasional bouts of hypoglycemia made him look quite lazy and listless.
It was a very contradictory trait. It made Sherlock's behavior, in which he vented his excess energy, feel awkward. It was like some sudden onset of neurosis.
Sherlock is a bit of a celebrity on Glass Island, and his habits are well known to many. He enjoys intense work, like brain-burning cases that push the brain to its limits, or complex or even dangerous investigations.
But the only thing he didn't like was exercising, because Sherlock felt that it was meaningless to waste energy.
Because exercise requires sugar to sustain, and his low blood sugar will make his body weak and his brain activity will also decrease.
But even so, his spirit still maintained a high level of excitement, which gave Sherlock a headache - a headache in the physical sense.
But now that he'd had some wine... As Sherlock himself had said, his intellect was indeed clouded by the alcohol, and that intense excitement, pride, and curiosity were overflowing. Sherlock had become visibly more talkative.
After talking to Aiwass about his grandfather, he began to talk incessantly about his previous exciting cases.
Those were cases he had solved privately and never shared with anyone, but now they were perfect topics for tea-table conversation.
Sherlock usually disdained to tell others the details of these cases or explain what he did. But his words now proved that Sherlock had never forgotten these things, but was just too lazy to tell others.
Less than twenty minutes later, Sherlock gradually regained consciousness. Aiwass could clearly sense that his speech was gradually slowing down, and his silence and thinking time were gradually increasing, so he knew he was about to wake up.
Sherlock finally realized he might have had a little too much to drink. He immediately straightened his clothes, politely excused himself, and returned to the second floor to wash his face and sober up.
"Although Mr. Sherlock gets drunk quickly, he wakes up quickly too."
Bishop Mathers laughed heartily.
In his impression, Shylock is always a gloomy and low-spirited man. "Like a clear river flowing in the darkness" is Bishop Mathers's impression of him.
"Now it seems that our always serious young gentleman is indeed still a young man. It's just that he usually suppresses his nature too much."
Madam Mina sighed softly, "If he had not been born in Avalon, but in a country where the Path of Wisdom is legal... somewhere where he could display his powerful and pure curiosity, perhaps he would have been happier."
"Don't talk about that, Mina."
Mathers waved his hand, signaling to change the subject.
He looked at Aiwass and asked, "How is it, Aiwass?"
"What do you mean?"
Aiwass raised his eyebrows: "Mr. Sherlock's drinking capacity?"
"That kind of thing isn't worth discussing," Bishop Mathers couldn't help but laugh. "I'm talking about Eagle Point Village in Pastoral Bay County... Are you going there?"
"I really want to go."
Aiwass nodded: "But I probably won't bring Yulia."
By then, Aiwass should have extracted the phantom demon from Yulia's body and sealed it.
Even if Aiwass reserved some power for Yulia, she was just an ordinary girl with some talent for fire, and she was not yet at the level of a transcendent - if she really encountered danger, Yulia would not be able to unleash the power of phantom magic to protect herself.
If they took her with them, Aiwass and the others' movements would be restricted. Given their current configuration, it would be a waste if they didn't conduct some dangerous investigations.
By then, Sherlock would have become a third-level dual-class Mage and Lawmage. The ample mana pool afforded by dual spellcasting would significantly increase his flexibility and strength, far surpassing the average third-level Mage or Lawmage.
There was also a player named Haina, who was probably around level 26 or 27, not far from the fourth energy level. This was a very standard combat, magic, and herding golden triangle, and everyone was a master.
Finally, with the addition of True Eye Lily, who has no combat experience but has a wide perception range and can work as both a scout and a thief, a perfect four-person light elite team is formed.
"You're right, Aiwass. It's a responsible brother not to take underage girls on adventures."
Bishop Mathers agreed, "But if you want to go, I suggest you go after the middle of the month."
"Of course," Aiwass said with a smile, "I will definitely wait until I advance to the next level before going."
"It seems that you are full of confidence in the advancement ceremony."
Mathers heard Aiwass's subtext.
He simply corrected her, "To be precise, you should wait a few days after the advancement ceremony. By then, the Holy Sword Art stored in the chapel key should have been restored."
Aiwass was a little surprised: "Your Excellency, didn't you say that it should be paid back before January 1st?"
He had brought the key with him this time, intending to return it to Bishop Mathers. By the time it was cooled down again, it would likely be around December 20th... meaning the Holy Sword Art stored within would likely never be used again.
"Yes, January 1st is the Candle Festival. The royal family will worship their ancestors at that time. I need this key to open the tomb-guarding ward in the chapel."
Bishop Mathers nodded, his expression serious. "But from what Sherlock said, there seems to be some shadow in Eagle Point Village. So I will lend it to you for a while... Just return it to me when you come back at the end of the year."
"What if I unfortunately die in the village?"
Aiwass asked in return: "What about the candle ceremony?"
"So, if you're not back by the 25th or 26th... I'll go look for you."
Bishop Mathers said solemnly, “In order to retrieve the key to St. Guinevere’s Chapel before the Candle Festival, it is reasonable for me to temporarily leave Glass Island.
"Even so, it will still be a bit troublesome to complete the formalities later. If possible, you'd better come back early."
...Giving the key to Aiwass was to give him a reason to come to the rescue?
Ai Hua was speechless.
If it was just an illusion before, or that Bishop Mathers was kind by nature... then now it can be seen that he really cares about Aiwass.
From the previous words, Aiwas easily grasped the source of Mr. Bishop's impulse - it was guilt and apology, as well as an urgent desire to make amends.
Although Aiwass's father was just one of the many students Bishop Mathers had taught, their relationship had ended when Julio graduated, before Julio's death.
But because Mathers was not there that day, he still felt a lump in his heart and could not get over it. Mathers always believed that he was responsible for the death of Alexander and his wife.
But at that time, he was indeed afraid of the stranger who controlled the demons to hunt down the Alexander family, so he didn't dare to take over Aiwass. He also didn't dare to hand Aiwass over to his parents or other acquaintances.
It's natural for people to feel fear when facing an unknown enemy lurking in the shadows. Not all those on the Path of Devotion are selfless saints, let alone Mathers, who already harbored dissatisfaction with the Path.
Although the bishop sent Aiwass to the orphanage invested by Professor Moriarty, whom he trusted, Mathers never even visited Aiwass after he entered the orphanage and before he was adopted by Professor Moriarty.
He obviously hoped that he could forget this incident which only lasted half a day in his life and draw a clear line between himself and the unknown powerful enemy; he was also worried that he would be entangled by Aiwass, whose personality he did not know, and disrupt his peaceful and happy life with Mina.
However, his overly perfect sense of morality made it impossible for Bishop Mathers to forget the existence of Aiwass.
He couldn't convince himself to really forget this incident, and the originally faint guilt tormented him day and night, becoming more and more intense. Therefore, when talking with Professor Moriarty, Bishop Mathers blurted out this incident that happened a few years ago.
It was not until Aiwass was adopted by Professor Moriarty that he finally let go of the worry and forgot about the matter for a while.
Aiwass had always believed he was merely a gift from Yulia, adopted as a tool to appease her. But now it seems Professor Moriarty was asking the dean about his name. It was only when his adoptive father discovered he was "Aiwas Alexander" that he chose to take him away.
Bishop Mathers may have contributed to this matter.
Therefore, when he later received a commission from Professor Moriarty to teach Julio's children the sacred arts, Bishop Mathers opened a small chapel for Aiwas alone for one day.
That wasn't what he said, but to repay Professor Moriarty—
In a sense, this was an atonement for sins that only Mathers knew about and that only he cared about.
That's why the bishop repeatedly comforted Aiwass, who was in a wheelchair, for fear of hurting him. He also chose to lend him the key to the chapel he was guarding when Aiwass was unable to protect himself.
That was his duty. As the guardian of the Holy Sepulchre, he guarded the key to the Holy Sepulchre... a very precious thing.
——Because Bishop Mathers had already regretted it once fourteen years ago.
It wasn't that he regretted sealing the curse and causing the death of Aiwass's biological parents, but that he regretted not adopting Aiwass out of fear and aversion to trouble.
He wanted to live just for himself. But Mathers was a good man after all, and he couldn't let go. So now he regrets it.
In order to avoid regretting it later, he tried hard to make amends, but it was obviously a bit too much.
Having understood all of the bishop's thoughts, Aiwass just sighed silently.
Aiwass had no intention of trying to persuade the bishop to change his mind, nor did he choose to forcibly return the key... that would only make Mathers sad and worried.
He chose to respect the weight of guilt and regret that Mathers felt day and night, accept this concern openly, and then protect himself.
——All Aiwass could do was to help this elder who truly cared about him... to truly stay away from his originally destined painful and tragic fate.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency."
Aiwass put down the cup of milk tea, lowered his head and thanked him earnestly: "I will take good care of myself and return soon. I won't cause you any trouble."
Bishop Mathers simply looked at Aiwass with a smile, though his eyes were slightly moist.
He obviously guessed why Aiwass suddenly said this.
Such a sensible and smart child...
"...Now that things have come to this, I really do regret it."
Bishop Mathers sighed inwardly.
(End of this chapter)
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