The Shepherd's Secret Sequel

"Yes, hello... I am Haina, the inspector assigned to investigate the assault on Mr. Aivas Moriarty, as per the appointment made yesterday." A young girl, dressed in a blue and white uniform, appearing to be around twenty years old, stood nervously and uncertainly in front of the gate of a mansion, clutching her wide-brimmed hat. Her curly brown hair was tied into a ponytail at the back, and she had a straight, prominent nose. Her lake-blue eyes were filled with a sense of panic as if something had gone wrong. "Ap... apologies. The District Inspectorate had an impromptu meeting... There was another warehouse explosion incident in the White Queen District yesterday, with traces of flame spirits detected at the scene, indicating possible involvement of demonic scholars... I believe it might be the fugitive who attacked Mr. Aivas two days ago!" Haina's voice grew softer as she continued, "...so, I took the liberty to attend the inspectorate meeting, which, in fact, did not require my presence, and ended up being late... by two hours and twenty-three minutes?" A stern and aged voice echoed from the other side of the iron gate. It carried a distinct, drawn-out tone, a special accent unique to the people of the capital city. He snapped shut the gem-encrusted pocket watch in his hand and returned it to his chest, staring intently at Haina with seriousness. Facing Haina was an elderly elf, tall and thin, dressed in a butler's uniform. The wrinkles on his face resembled tree bark, and his deep green pupils were closer to the color of a wolf than a lake. The old elf appeared to be nearly two meters tall, standing with his hands behind his back, resembling a ghostly figure of a withered tree illuminated by moonlight. His tall and motionless posture exuded a formidable sense of pressure. Although Haina was technically still an apprentice inspector, she had passed the graduation assessment with a perfect score and was eligible to receive the queen's knighthood at any time. She was currently wearing the apprentice emblem because the gryphon assigned to her was still being transported. In theory, she shouldn't be afraid of a butler. But the elderly man before her was different. Because this aged elf butler was her mentor. Despite adhering to the ancient agreement and serving the Moriarty family since the founding of the kingdom, he was, in fact, the former Chief Inspector who retired eighty years ago. "I thought you would be even later, Miss Haina." The old butler, hands behind his back, spoke with an elven accent that always gave Haina a slight sense of arrogance. "Mr. Aivas was attacked by a demonic scholar two days ago and only regained consciousness last night. But when he heard that the Inspectorate wanted to ask some questions, he willingly gave up going to the Glass Steps Sanatorium. He just took some medicine and waited by the fireplace with a weak body for two hours, and I have been waiting at the door for two hours as well. "Now it's almost dark, and if you're any later, it might as well be postponed until tomorrow. And since it's already postponed until tomorrow, I suppose there's no rush for a week of rest. According to the rules of the Inspectorate, for cases where an appointment has been made, a result should be delivered within a week. With Miss Haina's excellent training and perfect graduation, I believe you will be able to find that demonic scholar smoothly." "Since the culprit has already been apprehended, why are you bothering our poor young master, Aivas? It would be better for you to leave, Mr. Kent. I will explain the situation to him." Kent is the director of the White Queen District Surveillance Bureau. Even if Haina is now a full-fledged member, Kent is still three ranks higher than her. If the butler's tone wasn't so ambiguous, she would immediately run away and leave this trouble to her superiors. But the problem is, she is currently just a senior student. Although she can be said to have a lot of influence in school, she hasn't graduated yet. She doesn't have enough social experience to discern whether the old man is seriously making such a proposal or just mocking her. But her intuition tells her that if the old man didn't originally intend to do so, she would just leave without thinking, and she would probably be in real trouble. "...I'm truly sorry." So Haina can only lower her head and apologize, "I will also apologize to Mr. Aivas." Regardless, she had already made an appointment for the meeting time but arrived so late without prior notice...she was indeed at fault. She looked at the iron gate that separated her from the old man, and her thoughts began to drift involuntarily. The black wrought-iron gate was adorned with subtle thorn patterns...it didn't look like the entrance of a prestigious family. In fact, Professor Moriarty, who is Aivas Moriarty's adoptive father and the person related to the incident this time, can truly be called a low-key, calm, wise, and knowledgeable person. Professor Moriarty was also Haina's teacher during her university years, responsible for subjects such as astronomy, astrophysics, and advanced mathematics. Inheriting the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce, he owns three museums and even funded the construction of the only observatory in the White Queen District. Despite being so wealthy, he only quietly pursues academic research in the university. He even sponsors many orphanages and has adopted numerous orphans. He is truly an extraordinary and kind-hearted person. The captain specially reminded her that the Moriarty family is not only wealthy but also a noble family served by elves. Although the family head, Mr. James, has a gentle personality, she still needs to be cautious. According to the rules, any direct participant involved in a demon ritual must be immediately restrained with the Discipline Lock and sent to the local surveillance bureau for the Soul Examination conducted by the magistrates. Only after confirming innocence will they be returned to the hospital or sanatorium. This is because the identities of the ritual conductor, participants, mentors, and sacrifices in the demon ritual cannot be simply distinguished by whether they are injured or not. Since the sacrifice survives, it means that the ritual has generally failed. Although the sacrificial victim may not die, they are usually killed to silence them. Therefore, when there are injured individuals instead of deaths, the injured person may not necessarily be the sacrificial victim but could be someone related to the ritual. But this rule has unexpectedly become ineffective now. Director Kent, like a blind man, completely ignored this easily accessible clue. It was the old butler who took the initiative to contact Director Kent and made an appointment for today's meeting, as if he "suddenly remembered" this matter. And when she came, the surveillance bureau didn't even assign her an accompanying magistrate. They only allowed her, an apprentice inspector without a Gryphon, armor, or sword, to come alone. "So obvious a cover-up..." Haina felt that even if this matter was truly related to Aivas, she probably couldn't take him away. But because of such a grand display, she couldn't help but think that maybe this matter was indeed connected to him—otherwise, why would he refuse the scrutiny of a lawyer if he was truly innocent? ...How fortunate. She was just an adopted commoner orphan. It was only because of her luck that she was recognized and adopted by the professor. And now she had become a prominent figure whom the Supervisory Bureau couldn't touch... Lost in thought, Haina stood at the doorway, feeling a hint of bitterness. But at that moment, the iron gate slowly opened. She raised her head in surprise and saw the old man, still expressionless, but somehow less angry. The old elf silently glanced at her and then leisurely walked back with his hands behind his back. Haina was taken aback for a moment, realizing that he was gesturing for her to follow. She hastily put on the hat she was carrying and hurriedly caught up. But just as she took a few steps, she remembered to turn back and close the door. However, when she turned around, she saw that the gate had closed on its own. Not only that, but bright runes appeared on the inside of the seemingly ordinary iron gate. The sunlight slanted, and the evening breeze calmed. Haina had a vague sense that something intangible enveloped this area, altering the atmosphere of the estate. "I didn't mean to trouble you, Miss Haina," the old elf spoke in a much gentler tone, though still distinct in Haina's ears. "But when you make an appointment with someone, you should honor it. The agreed-upon time is the time to meet, without any need for advance notice or delay. Yes, the consequences for violating rules in school may not be as severe, but in school, there are also no Gryphon Knights patrolling the streets or armed knights regularly inspecting corporate tax accounts like the lawyers. And there are no inspectors in school who can arrest suspicious individuals like you can." "Everyone in this country values 'rules.' The Supervisory Bureau, the Court of Law, and the Arbitration Hall uphold not only the Queen's decree but also many rules established by the Parliament. "This time, I will forgive you, and I won't inform Mr. Kent of your mistake—I'll tell him that you arrived on time but stayed for two cups of tea and indulged in some snacks after understanding the situation. "But this is because Lord Aivas is kind-hearted. When you were one hour late, I had already decided to call the Supervisory Bureau. It was Lord Aivas who stopped me. He said that everyone should be given a chance... Regardless of the reasons you may have, you must first meet in person." The old elf spoke slowly, and it took a long time for him to reach the entrance of the estate. In the next moment, his voice became softer, but still clear in Haina's ear. "Although Avalon doesn't have the so-called 'nobility' found in other countries, the descendants of the founding fathers are equally noble. Without the sacrifice of those twenty founding fathers, everyone would have died—even the Queen must respect the descendants of the founding fathers. "I sense your sincere apology, so I'll reluctantly forgive your tardiness. But perhaps you should carefully consider if you have offended anyone or obstructed someone's path... As I said before, this is a supervisory meeting that you don't need to attend." Upon hearing this, Haina was suddenly taken aback. The old man who had reached the doorway gracefully turned around and slightly bowed to Haina. "Please follow me, Miss Haina. The young master has been waiting for quite some time."  At this moment, he finally put on the mask of a butler to greet the guest. His previous demeanor was more akin to an instructor dealing with a troublesome student.  With her mind in a state of confusion, Haina followed the old elf towards the living room. The soft touch of the carpet under her feet startled her, and she looked up, wanting to ask if she should take off her shoes. However, the calm and composed attitude of the old elf left her uncertain. So she could only follow behind with an anxious heart, feeling the sudden warmth of the fireplace in the winter season.  It was then that she realized she had made an elderly person wait at the door in the winter evening for two hours.  Filled with guilt and shame, she didn't know how to speak up.  Even her suspicions about Aivas were diluted in this feeling of repentance.  And so, she caught sight of the somewhat notorious Aivas Moriarty.  He was sitting in a wheelchair at the moment, with a blanket covering his legs. His pale and weak face had no trace of color, and his youthful appearance, seemingly no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, possessed a striking beauty different from Professor Moriarty's. He was wearing a pure white fluffy pajama, as if he had just come out of a bath. His silky platinum hair reflected the warm light of the fireplace. He was quietly and attentively reading a book in front of the fire, his delicate features exuding a gentle aura... reminiscent of a poet and the fire rising from a fireplace at home. That beautiful scene looked like a painting. Haina instinctively widened her eyes. But at that moment, the young man heard something and deftly turned his wheelchair around. It was only then that Haina noticed he was sitting in a wheelchair. ...Was this the price of being attacked by the demonologist?  At some point, she instinctively dismissed the possibility of "Aivas being the demonologist." The young man looked over, his deep blue pupils resembling the sea. "Miss Haina." His voice was clear and noble, matching his appearance with a luxurious tone.  Compared to his frail countenance, his voice was more vibrant and polite: "Nice to meet you for the first time. " "May I ask, are you here to arrest me?"