When the plot-skips players into the game world Chapter 36: 19: Hall of Silver and Tin

Hayna was stunned for a mont before she realized with fear what she had just said.

Fortunately, she had asked Mr. Sherlock this question, not Director Kent!

"As for why I do not enter the Supervisory Bureau..."

Mr. Sherlock said indifferently, "Because you and I are similar but not the sa, I also cannot reach far—the world does not elevate the more talented or excellent. I understood this when I graduated."

"...What do you an?"

"It ans I am like you. Compared to the Path of Authority, I lean more towards other paths."

The dark-haired young man fearlessly spoke with candor, "What I requested from Mr. Kent was the mysterious book of the Path of Wisdom. I handle difficult problems for him, and he gives forbidden books in his personal capacity—it's a fair trade of mutual use. Now, my second Path is almost reaching the second Energy Level... Compared to the Path of Authority, it is the Path of Wisdom that I truly aspire to."

"But..."

Hayna wanted to say sothing more.

But her intuition was suddenly triggered, so she imdiately beca alert and fell silent.

After five or six seconds of silence face to face, a middle-aged man gasping for breath finally ca running from around the corner.

"Hayna—finally found you, I've been looking for you for ages! Ah, Mr. Sherlock is here too! Great, the Director is looking for both of you!"

"Does Mr. Kent need sothing?"

Mr. Sherlock retorted without courtesy, "I have other matters to attend to right now."

"He didn't say... but I think you should go check it out. It won't take long, will it?"

The middle-aged man said with a cheery smile, "You know, Mr. Sherlock—if it were sothing boring, Director wouldn't have asked you to co, right?"

"Alright then."

Mr. Sherlock nodded in agreent.

He said, looking at Hayna beside him, "This is another reason.

"I am restless. If I have nothing to do, I'll be uneasy... but if asked to do ordinary, repetitive work, I'll grow bored. I need tough challenges and formidable opponents to excite .

"Your kind of routine patrols are too dull. With that ti, I would rather read more books, conduct experints. Even traveling alone like a wandering monk would be more aningful than that repetitive every day.

"I do not seek fa, nor do I desire achievents. I just want work to utilize my intellect and vent my boundless energy—and incidentally, to satisfy my curiosity. That's why I collaborate with you guys."

"Alright, Mr. Sherlock."

The middle-aged man said with a wry smile, "You should get going—finish listening to the Director's tasks sooner, and you'll get back to your own matters earlier, won't you?"

Mr. Sherlock, noncommittal, walked towards Director Kent's office.

anwhile.

In the center of Glass Island, the capital of Avalon, lay a crystal-clear lake, as blue as sapphire.

The royal family of Avalon resided on an island within an island—the Lake Heart Island in the middle of capital Glass Island. There stood the Hall of Silver and Tin, with glass stairs, blessed by the Silver-Crowned Dragon. It shimred under the sunny skies with brilliant light, and even in overcast weather emitted a dreamlike gentle luminescence.

Within the Hall of Silver and Tin, a girl who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen with golden hair and blue eyes was quietly flipping through today's "Glass Staircase Daily."

She seed to have elven blood, making her appear younger than her actual age. Her deanor gentle, her back straight, with the back of her neck revealed by her dress reflecting the sun's radiance. She exuded a quiet temperant characteristic of an artistic young lady, her eyes as calm as still waters.

Opposite her, an elf who appeared to be in her twenties or thirties—with the allure of mature womanhood and the innocence of a young girl—smiled with hands cupping her cheeks. She possessed a distinct aura of an artist—not an illusion, but the influence of the Path of Beauty.

"I didn't deceive you, did I, my little princess?"

The elven artist said with a smiling gaze, "I told you yesterday I saw a very handso man. I specifically saved a whole twelve seconds just to capture that key mont when he looked back and smiled.

"My aesthetic judgnt is impeccable—the smile was the key, maximizing the preservation of his charm. Honestly, I even want to paint a portrait of him. Though I feel there's no rush at this mont, I will certainly have a chance to et him later."

"...Indeed."

The girl nodded quietly, "Mrs. Yanis is right. Mr. Aiwass's smile does make one think of the sun.

"Being of the sa age and the sa level of Path, he was able to personally lead the arrest of a Demon Scholar much more powerful than himself... with flawless investigation, judgnt, and deduction throughout the process. Very impressive and very brave.

She whispered softly, "I can't do it. Because I am very timid."

There was a yearning mixed with resignation on the girl's face.

——That was the yearning stirred deep inside a genuinely kind person upon seeing soone of their kind who was much stronger than themselves; as well as the resignation of not being envious or deceptive but honestly recognizing the fact that they were far from being the other's equal.

"He is so amazing."

The girl repeated.

"Ah——"

Seeing her like this, Mrs. Yanis spoke lovingly—and also sowhat manically, making a noise like teasing a puppy, and then hugged the girl, ruffling her hair vigorously: "Little Isabel, you are really too adorable!"

"Please call Isabel, Mrs. Yanis."

Isabel whimpered, covering her hair with her hands and speaking earnestly, "And please don't ss up my hair——"

"And besides, I don't know in what way I'm cute. I was rely stating the truth."

"Your cuteness lies in these unbearably serious explanations at monts when no explanation is needed at all."

"That sounds too stupid. I am an idiot."

Isabel was sowhat annoyed and also a bit disheartened, "I can't even paint well."

"You are already a genius, Isabel."

Mrs. Yanis beca serious when the topic was brought up: "It's just that the people you have encountered are even more genius than you.

"Isn't your Path of Beauty also close to advancing? To be able to engage with the second energy level at this age is already quite impressive... And the way I have taught you is to build on a more solid foundation, so although you may start a bit later, you'll be able to go much further."

"I feel that is just because my father is Prince Albert."

Isabel dropped her gaze and spoke softly, "I myself am nothing remarkable.

"If Mr. Aiwass were a prince, he would be able to start even earlier and go even further."

"Aiwass is an exception. You shouldn't think too much about it. Even Her Majesty the Queen said after seeing the newspaper, he is an extraordinary young man... You don't need to compare yourself with such a person."

"...Even Grandmother?!"

Isabel was astonished: "Grandmother rarely praises people... Is that Demon Scholar really that amazing?"

"It's not the battle, nor even the searching ability. What Her Majesty the Queen values is his decisiveness when he fired those two shots. Although the results were only the death of a second-level Demon Scholar, it actually exhibited his outstanding judgnt, that absolute confidence in his own judgent, and a steady execution.

"Her Majesty the Queen said it herself, he has the makings of a great general. You should also think about it, surely it was because she nodded her head that I dared to put him on the front page, in such a large article. It's because Her Majesty the Queen said, to let the young people of the kingdom learn a lesson—though I believe they certainly won't be able to learn it, but it's still nice to let everyone have a look at a handso young man."

Mrs. Yanis shook her head helplessly: "You must stop this habit of only comparing yourself with the strongest, and then imdiately feeling inferior and backing down when you fall short."

"I feel that if I have to compare myself with my peers, then I must compare myself with the strongest among them."

Princess Isabel said earnestly: "Because I have enjoyed the best resources, if I can't beco the best, then it's a waste of those resources. They should be given to soone who needs them more."

"...You,"

Mrs. Yanis sighed, finding Princess Isabel's stubbornness astonishing.

"By the way, Mrs. Yanis."

Isabel suddenly asked, "What did Mr. Aiwass see at that ti? What was he gesturing at?"

"Actually, I wasn't at the scene either."

Mrs. Yanis shook her head: "But I asked the recorder. He said it was a little girl selling flowers nearby.

"That girl called him 'a very gentle big brother.' I'd imagine he politiely bought a bouquet from her before. Aiwass indeed is a very polite young man—you could invite him to sit in the Hall of Silver and Tin soti. Chat about what happened then, his thoughts, how he made his judgent... I think it would be very interesting. And I believe Her Majesty the Queen would allow it."

"——You're looking forward to it too, aren't you, Isabel?"

Isabel didn't reply, but simply clenched her small fists a little tighter, like a child with yearning in her eyes, which widened beautifully, erald-green as her grandmother's.