Chapter 1 Are you here to arrest me?

"Yes, hello... I am Inspector Hayna who made an appointment yesterday... to investigate the assault case involving Mr. Aiwass Moriarty."

A young lady, about in her early twenties, wearing a blue and white uniform, stood nervously and helplessly in front of the grand entrance of a manor, holding her wide-brimmed hat.

Her chestnut-colored curly hair was tied into a ponytail at the back, and her high nose bridge. Panic about messing something up filled her lake-blue eyes.

"...I'm sorry, the division's Supervisory Bureau had a last-minute inspector meeting... Another warehouse combustion incident occurred in the White Queen District yesterday, and traces of Flame Spirits were detected at the scene, suspected involvement of a Demon Scholar—I think it might be the same fugitive who attacked Mr. Aiwass the day before yesterday!"

As Hayna spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter: "So, that's why..."

"—So, you took it upon yourself to attend that inspector meeting, which you were not actually required to attend, and you are late... by two hours and twenty-three minutes?"

An old and grave voice resonated from the other side of the iron gate. It carried the long, drawn-out tones peculiar to the Elven accent of the people of the Royal Capital.

He snapped his gem-studded pocket watch shut and tucked it back into his chest, staring sternly at Hayna.

Standing opposite Hayna was an old, thin, and tall elf wearing a butler's uniform.

The wrinkles on his face could remind one of tree bark, and his dark green pupils were closer to those of a wolf than to the waters of a lake.

The old elf seemed to be nearly two meters tall, and his posture with his hands clasped behind him was like a phantom of a withered tree under the moonlight. His pine-straight, motionless spine emanated an intense aura of oppression at this moment.

Although Hayna was actually an intern inspector, not yet graduated, she had passed her final assessment prematurely and could be knighted by the queen at any time. She was currently wearing the intern badge only because her assigned Gryphon was still en route.

Normally, she shouldn't be so afraid of a butler.

But this old man was different.

Because this aged Elf Butler was her mentor.

Though he followed an ancient covenant, serving the Moriarty family as a butler since the inception of the state... at the same time, he was also a former Grand Inspector who retired eighty years ago.

"—I assumed you would be even later, Miss Hayna."

The old butler, with his hands behind his back, spoke with that Elvish accent that always imparted a slight sense of arrogance to Hayna: "Mr. Aiwass was attacked by a Demon Scholar two days ago and remained unconscious until last night. But upon hearing that the Supervisory Bureau was coming to ask some questions, he very cooperatively gave up going to the Glass Step Sanatorium. After taking some medicine, he dragged his weak body to the fireplace and waited for you for two hours, while I also waited for you at the gate for two hours.

"Now it is almost dark, and if you were any later, you might as well simply postpone until tomorrow; since it's already postponed until tomorrow, I don't think a week's worth of recuperation is urgent. According to the rules of the Supervisory Bureau, a case that has been signed off on must yield a result within a week— given Miss Hayna's commendable conduct that allowed her to graduate early, you must be able to find that Demon Scholar smoothly.

"Since you have already apprehended the criminal, why trouble my poor Mr. Aiwass? You might as well return, I will explain to Mr. Kent."

Mr. Kent is the Director of the Supervisory Bureau in the White Queen District. Even after Hayna becomes a full-fledged inspector, Kent would still outrank her by three levels.

If the old butler's tone hadn't been so sarcastic, she would have taken to her heels right this moment and dumped this troublesome matter onto her superiors. But the problem is, she's actually still a senior student.

Despite being able to call the wind and summon the rain at school, she hasn't graduated yet.

She didn't have enough social experience to discern whether the old man was seriously making such a suggestion or just mocking her. But her intuition told her that if the old man had not intended to do so, and she foolishly ran away now, she would indeed be bringing disaster upon herself.

"...I'm truly sorry."

Thus, Hayna could only bow her head in apology first, "I will also apologize to Mr. Aiwass."

In any case, she had already scheduled a meeting time in advance but didn't say a word before being so late... She indeed was at fault to begin with.

She looked at the iron gate that separated her from the old man, and her thoughts began to drift unconsciously.

The black openwork iron gate was only decorated with low-profile thorn patterns... It didn't look like it belonged to a prestigious family.

In fact, Professor Moriarty—namely, the foster father of Aiwass Moriarty, who was involved in this incident, could indeed be described as a low-key, stable, wise, and learned good man. Professor Moriarty was also Hayna's teacher in university, responsible for the subjects of astrology, astronomy, and advanced mathematics.

Having inherited the Moriarty Commerce Association, with three museums to his name, even the sole Astronomical Museum in the White Queen District was built with his funding. Despite being so wealthy, he quietly pursued academia at the university. He even sponsored many orphanages, adopting many orphans, and could be regarded as a remarkable and kind-hearted adult.

When coming here, the team leader specially reminded her that the Moriarty Family was not only wealthy but also a Founding Family served by elves. Although Mr. James had a gentle personality, she still needed to be very careful.

According to the rules, any direct participants involved with a demon incident must be sent to the local Supervisory Bureau wearing a Restriction Lock for a soul examination by the Legal Mage after they are out of life-threatening danger. They would only be sent back to the hospital or sanatorium after being confirmed innocent.

This is because the identities of the demon ritual's master, participants, instructor, and sacrifice cannot be simply distinguished by the status of 'injured or not' as victims.

If the sacrifice survives, it indicates the ritual largely failed—although the sacrificed may not necessarily die, they are usually killed to silence them. Therefore, if there are injured rather than dead, the injured person might not be the sacrifice but could likely be related to the ritual.

Yet such rules now seem to have failed.

Director Kent acted like a blind man, completely ignoring this clue within reach. It was the old butler who took the initiative to contact Director Kent, scheduling today's meeting; only then did it seem like he "suddenly remembered" this matter. Moreover, when she arrived, the Supervisory Bureau didn't assign her any accompanying Legal Mage; they only let her, an intern inspector without a gryphon, armor, or sword, come alone.

Such obvious collusion...

Hayna felt that even if this incident really involved Aiwass, she probably couldn't take him away.

But because of such fanfare, she instead felt... perhaps this incident really was related to him.

...How nice.

He was simply a commoner orphan adopted out of charity. Just because of good fortune, he caught the eye of the professor and was taken in. And now, he has become a towering figure that even the Supervisory Bureau cannot touch...

Standing at the doorway, Hayna was lost in thought, feeling somewhat bitter about it.

But at that moment, the iron gate slowly opened.

Startled, she raised her head and saw the old man's expressionless face, which somehow seemed less angry than before.

The elderly elf gave her a glance, then turned and walked back inside with his hands behind his back.

Hayna was startled for a moment before realizing he was signaling her to follow.

She hurriedly put on the hat she was holding and quickly followed. But after taking a few steps, she remembered to close the gate behind her. When she turned back to do so, she saw that the manor gate had closed on its own.

Not only that but bright runes lit up from the inside of that ordinary-looking iron gate.

The sunlight slanted, the evening breeze paused. Hayna faintly felt as if something intangible enveloped the area, altering the ambiance of the estate.

"I didn't come to trouble you, Miss Hayna."

Although the elderly elf walked ahead of her, the old man's voice, which had softened considerably, reached her ears precisely: "But when you set an appointment with someone, you adhere to it. The agreed time is when you meet, not a moment sooner or a minute later. Yes, in school, breaking the rules might not lead to severe consequences, but there are no Gryphon Knights patrolling the streets, no Legal Mages with armed knights routinely examining the tax ledgers of companies—there is no Inspector like you, who can arrest suspects directly.

"Everyone in this nation values 'rules.' The Supervisory Bureau, the Legal Courts, and the Arbitration Hall not only safeguard Her Majesty's mandate but also uphold the myriad rules established by the parliament.

"This time I will forgive you, and I won't mention your lapse to Mr. Kent—I will say that you arrived on time but stayed afterwards to have two cups of tea and fancy some sweets out of gluttony.

"But that's because Mr. Aiwass is kind-hearted. I had already decided to call the Supervisory Bureau when you were an hour late. It was Mr. Aiwass who stopped me. He said, 'Everyone deserves a chance... Whatever the reason, they should at least be given an opportunity to meet first.'"

The elderly elf continued at his leisurely pace, taking a while before reaching the entrance of the manor.

Then, his voice grew softer, yet still clearly reached Hayna's ears: "Although Avalon has no so-called 'nobility' like other nations, the descendants of the Founders are equally noble. Without the sacrifices of those twenty Founders, everyone would be dead—even the Queen must respect the descendants of the Founders.

"I sensed your sincere contrition, and so I forgave your tardiness. But you might want to consider carefully whether you have offended someone or blocked someone's path... As I mentioned, this was an Inspector meeting that you needn't have attended."

Upon hearing this, Hayna suddenly froze.

The old man at the door now turned gracefully, bowing slightly to Hayna: "Please follow me, Miss Hayna. The young master has been waiting for some time."

It was then that he donned the butler's mask to greet the guest.

The previous demeanor was more like that of an instructor facing a disappointing student.

And Hayna, her mind in turmoil, followed the elderly elf to the living room.

The softness of the carpet under her feet startled her, and she looked up, wondering whether she ought to remove her shoes—but the elf's indifferent composure made her uncertain, so she could only follow with an anxious heart, warmed by the sudden heat of the fireplace in the wintry season.

Only then did she realize that she had made an elderly man wait at the door for two hours in the evening cold of winter.

Feeling both guilt and shame, she did not know how to begin to speak.

Even the suspicions she had towards Aiwass were strangely diluted by this penitence.

Then, she saw the somewhat reckless and dissolute Mr. Aiwass Moriarty.

At the moment, he was sitting in a wheelchair, a blanket over his legs.

His pale, fragile face was colorless, and his appearance, seeming to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, was strikingly different from the handsome features of Professor Moriarty.

Drapped in a pure white fleece nightgown, he looked as though he had just come out from a bath. His soft platinum hair reflected the warm light of the fire. He was reading a book quietly and intently by the fire, his delicate features conveying a gentle intention... It made her think of poets and the flames rising in the fireplace at home.

That beautiful scene was like a painting, and Hayna unconsciously widened her eyes.

But just then, the young man heard something, adeptly turning his wheelchair around.

It was at that moment that Hayna noticed he was seated in a wheelchair.

...Could this be the price paid for the attack by the Demon Scholar?

From some point on, she instinctively dismissed the possibility that "the Demon Scholar was Aiwass."

The young man looked over, his deep blue pupils akin to the sea.

"Miss Hayna."

This was a voice that carried a sense of nobility, clear and luxurious, matching his appearance.

His voice was more vibrant and polite than his frail appearance suggested: "Nice to meet you for the first time, hello.

"——Are you here to arrest me?"