Chapter 59 Young and promising
When Sherlock entered the room, he subconsciously raised his eyebrows.
He noticed at first glance that there was too little food on the table and too much had been eaten.
Unlike Star Antimony, Avalon, a nation founded by knights, did not advocate the virtue of frugality. Here, holding a banquet was an honor - and if the food and wine were almost finished, but the banquet was far from over, it would be considered rude.
The reason why the guests need to leave early is that the host has prepared too little food. Therefore, when the guests realize that the food is almost finished, they will deliberately eat less to save face for the host.
So this can't be the first round of meals. It should be the second round.
Similarly, if finishing a meal is considered rude, then replacing it with a second round of dishes is a sign of respect and retention. The implication is: "I've already replaced the meal with another fresh, hot one for you. Wouldn't it be rude for you to leave now?"
"…Good evening, Mr. Sherlock."
Isabel was the first to speak: "Nice to meet you."
——Why are you suddenly happy?
Sherlock was a little confused, but there was still no mistake in etiquette.
"The Silver Crowned Dragon is above."
He didn't dare look up to meet the princess's gaze. He knelt respectfully on one knee, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed his head in a knight's salute: "Your Highness, I wish you all the best."
"Please stand up, Mr. Sherlock."
Isabel made a crisp sound.
Only then did Sherlock dare to stand up and greet Janice who was still sitting at the table and Aiwass who was sitting in a wheelchair.
Janice smiled and nodded in response. Aiwass, unable to move, had Lily, standing behind him, gently bow and return the greeting.
Soon, after standing up, Sherlock's sharp eagle eyes noticed Princess Isabel's slightly drunk face.
——Did you drink so much?
He was a little surprised.
It seems that Master Janice really values Mr. Aiwass.
Otherwise, she would have stopped the princess from drinking too much. According to etiquette, important people generally don't drink too much at banquets, only taking a polite sip or two. If they finish one glass and then refill it, it would seem too intimate and too serious about the banquet.
And this in itself is a political signal.
If Master Janice thought Aiwass was an unimportant guest, she would signal Isabel to keep her distance.
But now it’s probably not just a matter of drinking one or two cups.
Look at the two empty wine bottles on the table...the three of them actually drank two bottles of wine?
The servants of the Temple of Silver and Tin would certainly sell this information. Sherlock knew... some of them had connections to ministers or knightly families. Sometimes, he would buy intelligence from them himself.
That is to say.
By tomorrow morning at the latest, the information that Princess Isabel favors Edwards Moriarty will be delivered to the desks of several ministers.
Young and promising...
When Sherlock thought about this, an idea suddenly popped up in his mind:
...Speaking of which.
Her Royal Highness had previously played the role of little Aiwass’s mother in the ceremony… Could it be that she hasn’t finished the role yet?
"Speaking of which, Mr. Sherlock, I heard that you and Chief Inspector Edward went to handle some cases. Did you have any dinner tonight? Why don't you sit down and eat something?"
“…I don’t dare.”
Sherlock quickly and politely declined.
But he still symbolically took a piece of bread in his hand to indicate that he accepted the food given by the princess.
He knew that it was already Her Royal Highness's rest time and she must have finished her meal. He didn't dare ask Princess Isabel to accompany him for dinner because of his own reasons.
If his father knew about this, he would probably give him a beating.
Thinking of this, Sherlock suddenly saw the little princess's mouth slightly raised, and realized that she might have drunk a little too much.
...Now I'm afraid this is just a deliberate joke to myself.
In the dream before, as the only experienced senior in the team, I scolded the naive "Lulu" several times.
Basically, he was the only one who had the final say, and she had no room to refute. But now, in reality... in the Temple of Silver and Tin, their positions were completely reversed.
There's nothing we can do about it.
After all, it was she who took the initiative to expose her identity...it's not her fault.
But Sherlock soon ran into trouble.
If it were just the princess and Master Janice, he could have spoken directly. He could have also reminded Master Janice about the dangerous and mysterious Mr. Fox.
...But Aiwass is still here.
Although Sherlock is optimistic about Aiwass, he cannot take the initiative to disclose Princess Isabel's private information in front of outsiders.
After all, this was something only he and Isabel knew.
If he said it here, would that mean he would also leak or even sell the little princess's personal information outside? Sherlock was loyal to Queen Sofia and naturally would not do anything that would harm the royal family.
...But here comes the problem.
Sherlock, who always speaks his mind, how does he explain his motives for investigating the Sweater Brotherhood?
So Sherlock thought for a moment and came up with a response that only Isabel could understand:
"I accidentally learned from a gentleman who is not very reliable the meeting place of a gang of stranglers in Lloyd's district."
Sherlock hinted in a deep voice, "They might be related to the mastermind behind the Pelican Bar. I thought it would be risky to go alone, so I invited my friend Edward Moriarty to accompany me."
"So, what are the results of the investigation?"
Aiwass suddenly interrupted, looking very interested in the topic.
"It went very smoothly. It was indeed the gathering place of a gang of stranglers called the 'Sweater Brotherhood'. We also found a batch of alchemical bombs."
"So," Aiwass said with a smile, "that 'unreliable gentleman' seems to be quite reliable after all."
Sherlock remained silent for a moment before adding, "However, after brief questioning, they themselves didn't even know it was a bomb. They were just taking the money to look after the goods.
"I suspect the mastermind behind this is connected to the customs officials. This batch of bombs came through the customs through formal channels. Edward and I went to check this afternoon. This batch of goods has formal signed orders and inspection labels."
The detective with black curly hair and a lazy expression seemed very confident at this moment: "This is very important information and a key breakthrough.
"Following this clue, we immediately grasped the logistics batches and arrival times of the remaining bombs. If we continue to investigate, we can use this time to trace all the inspection and acceptance personnel of the customs department on that day.
"Your Highness Isabel, I can even say this—this case has now been solved. The remaining work is nothing more than repetitive, low-skilled investigation work."
He didn't hide it from Aiwass because there was no need.
The other party involved in this case is Aiwass's eldest brother. He is not the type to follow the rules. If Aiwass asks, he will definitely tell the truth.
"...Also, Your Highness Isabel, the identity of the Bone Sculptor has been largely confirmed, but the investigation into the Fox has yet to begin."
Sherlock asked respectfully, "Should we go find the bone carving or the fox first?"
He hasn't written the report yet.
But once he finished writing the report and submitted it to the Queen, she would most likely ask him to consider Her Royal Highness's opinion... After all, this also involved Isabel's own advancement ritual. Only she and Sherlock knew what went on inside. Given the Queen's wisdom, she would definitely not interfere.
When that time comes, I will still have to ask Isabel for her opinion when I conduct my own investigation - it would be better to ask now and give myself some initiative.
"Go find the bone carving. We need to eliminate the unstable elements who may endanger Avalon as soon as possible. I will support your investigation. If there is any link that requires a signature, you can come to me."
Isabel thought for a moment, glanced at Aiwass, and replied vaguely, "As for Mr. Fox's matter... we can put it aside for the time being."
Aiwass blinked.
Isabel began to have some doubts at this moment.
But the answer she gave surprised Sherlock. He really didn't want to find the "fox," so he deliberately said that the identity of the "bone sculpture" was almost locked down, hoping to use this method to guide Isabel's decision.
After all, in his opinion, Isabel was quite obsessed with her "Mr. Fox".
——Is it because of Aiwass?
If so, that would be great.
Compared to the cunning "fox" with unclear identity and smooth talk, he had the impression that Aiwass was smart, decisive, humble and polite. In addition, he also respected his professor Moriarty - his math grades were relatively poor at the time, and it was thanks to Professor Moriarty's tutoring that he was able to maintain his position as the head teacher until graduation.
Thanks to Professor Moriarty's guidance, Sherlock realized that his true talent lay in the Path of Wisdom. He didn't really agree with the principles of the Path of Authority, but his strict control of his will and his actions in leading others inadvertently aligned him with the Path of Authority.
And the way he met Professor Moriarty was through his friend Edward.
He is the only good friend Sherlock has made in college.
Therefore, there was some personal feeling in his evaluation of Aiwass.
"When you go, be careful on the road."
Janice asked, "Do you have a dagger, Sherlock?"
"Yes," Sherlock replied, "Edward brought me one."
Many spells in the Path of Authority require the use of this short sword. This short sword is a symbol of Avalon's law enforcement officers, representing the law. In a sense, it's essentially a staff that can be used as a melee weapon, a limited-edition Path of Authority staff.
Edward carried two swords when he went out, not because he wanted to wield two swords, but because one of them was for Sherlock to defend himself.
Shylock is not an inspector, but merely an advisor. He does not carry a sword.
He refused to enter the legal system of Avalon, so most of the magic he learned would be unusable. Those who were unwilling to obey their superiors and did not follow the order would be stripped of their power - this was also the characteristic of the authoritarian path.
"That's good."
Janice nodded and said to Aiwass, "I'll have someone deliver the painting to your house later. Don't take it. It will be very dangerous - at least Sherlock will definitely not be able to protect it."
"What painting?"
Sherlock was startled when he heard this, and subconsciously asked back: "I think it's still okay."
He is at least a lawyer who has barely had a chance to reach the fourth level, and not someone that any petty thief can mess with.
"It's the Golden Dawn."
Aiwass, sitting in a wheelchair, spoke softly and gently, "I had a very pleasant conversation with Master Janice, and she decided to give me this painting."
Sherlock was stunned for a moment and suddenly startled.
There was a clear look of shock on his face, and the incomprehensible reality made his mind go blank for a moment.
——"Golden Dawn"?!
Can you give away a national treasure-level work of art just because you had a pleasant conversation with someone?!
...Young and promising, young and promising!
Sherlock didn't know how to comment on this, so he could only repeat it in his mind.
(End of this chapter)
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