When the plot-skips players into the game world

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"Yes, hello... I'm Inspector Hayna, who made an appointment yesterday to investigate the attack on Mr. Aiwass Moriarty."

A young girl, looking about twenty years old, dressed in a blue and white uniform, nervously stood in front of the gates of a manor holding her wide-brimmed hat.

Her brown curly hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her aquiline nose made her look very distinguished. Her lake-blue eyes were full of panic, as if she had messed something up.

"...I'm sorry, but there was an emergency Inspector meeting at the Supervisory Bureau... Another explosion happened in the White Queen District yesterday, and traces of Flame Spirit were detected at the scene, suggestive of possible involvement by the Demon Scholar—I believe, it might be the same wanted criminal who attacked Mr. Aiwass the day before yesterday!"

Hayna's voice grew fainter as she spoke, "So... so..."

"—So you took it upon yourself to attend that meeting which didn't actually require your presence and you are now late... by two hours and twenty-three minutes?"

An old but clear voice arose from the other side of the gate. It bore the elongated tones typical of the Royal Capital's elven accent.

The old man snapped shut the gem-encrusted pocket watch he held, and returned it to his chest, staring sternly at Hayna.

The person facing Hayna was a thin, tall, elderly elf wearing a butler's uniform.

His face, wrinkled like tree bark and his eyes a deeper shade of green than the lake, more akin to that of a wolf.

The old elf appeared almost two meters tall, his posture with hands clasped behind him resembled the haunting silhouette of dry wood under the moonlight. His straight, immovable back now emitted an immense pressure.

Although Hayna was technically still an apprentice Inspector and had not yet graduated, she had passed the graduation assessment in advance and could be knighted by the Queen at any moment. The apprentice badge she bore was only because the Gryphon assigned to her was still being dispatched.

Normally, she wouldn't be so frightened of a butler.

But this elderly man was different.

Because this aged elf butler was her instructor.

Although he adhered to an ancient pact, serving the Moriarty Family as a butler since the founding of the nation, at the same time, he was also the retired Grand Inspector eighty years ago.

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

The old butler, hands still behind his back, spoke in that elven accent which always seemed slightly pretentious to Hayna, "Mr. Aiwass was attacked by the Demon Scholar the day before yesterday and had been unconscious until last evening. When he heard that the Supervisory Bureau wanted to ask him some questions, he readily agreed to skip his visit to Glass Step Sanatorium. He just took some medicine and has been waiting by the fireplace for you for two hours while I waited here at the door for two hours.

"Now it's nearly dark. If you'd been any later, you might as well have been delayed until tomorrow; since you're already delayed until tomorrow, I suppose a week's rest wasn't urgent. According to the rules of the Supervisory Bureau, a case once assigned must have results within a week—with Miss Hayna's excellent standing that allowed her early graduation, I assume you would manage to successfully locate the Demon Scholar.

"Since the criminal has already been caught, why bother my poor Mr. Aiwass? You might as well return, I'll explain everything to Mr. Kent."

Kent is the Director of the White Queen District's Supervisory Bureau. Even after Hayna's certification, Kent would still be three ranks above her.

If the old butler's tone weren't so sardonic, she'd have already fled, leaving this troublesome matter to her superiors. But the problem was, she was still a senior student.

Although she could summon the wind and rain within the school, she had not yet graduated.

She lacked enough social experience to discern whether the elderly man was making a serious suggestion or merely mocking her. But her intuition told her if he hadn't intended to do so, and she had just foolishly run off, she would have been in grave trouble.

"...I'm truly sorry."

Therefore, Hayna could only first bow her head in apology, "I will apologize to Mr. Aiwass as well."

Regardless, having previously arranged a meeting time but not informing of her tardiness was indeed her fault.

She looked at the iron gate separating her from the elderly man, her thoughts drifting subconsciously.

The black wrought iron gate, adorned only with modest thorn patterns, didn't seem like it belonged to a distinguished house.

Indeed, Professor Moriarty—the foster father of Aiwass Moriarty involved in this incident—was known as a reserved, composed man of great wisdom and erudition. Professor Moriarty, who was also Hayna's university professor, was responsible for Astrology, Astronomy, and Advanced Mathematics.

He had inherited the Moriarty Commerce Association, owned three museums, and even built the only Astronomical Museum in the White Queen District with his own money. Despite his wealth, he chose to quietly pursue academic interests at the university. He even funded many orphanages and adopted numerous orphans, truly a remarkable and kind-hearted figure.

Upon her departure, her Captain had specifically reminded her that the Moriarty Family was not just rich but also a noble Founding Family served by elves. Despite the mild manner of the family head, Mr. James, she still needed to be extra cautious.

Under normal circumstances, anyone directly involved with a demon incident who was out of immediate danger should be sent to the local Supervisory Bureau with a Restriction Lock and subjected to a soul examination by the Law Mage. After confirming their innocence, they would be returned to the hospital or sanatorium.

This was because the roles of the ritual leader, participants, mentor, and sacrifice in a Demon Ritual could not simply be distinguished by whether one was an "injured victim."

If a sacrifice survived, it generally meant the ritual had failed—the sacrificed individual might not necessarily die, but they were usually killed to silence them. Hence, when there were injuries rather than deaths, it was not certain that the injured were the sacrifices; there was also a considerable chance they were involved in the ritual.

But such rules seemed to have failed now.

Director Kent seemed blind, utterly ignoring this glaring clue. It was the old butler who had proactively contacted Director Kent and scheduled today's meeting, as if he had "suddenly remembered" about it. And when she arrived, the Supervisory Bureau didn't even provide her with a Legal Mage, letting her, an apprentice Inspector without a Gryphon, armor, or sword, come alone.

Such obvious protection...

Hayna felt that, even if this matter was related to Aiwass, it was unlikely she would be able to take him away.

Yet, because of this grand arrangement, she felt even more that perhaps this matter really was related to him.

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...How nice.

Just an adopted commoner orphan. Simply because of good luck, adopted by the professor. Now a big shot that even the Supervisory Bureau couldn't touch...

Standing at the doorstep, Hayna was lost in thought, feeling a bit bitter.

But just then, the iron gate slowly opened.

She suddenly looked up, seeing the old elf's expressionless face, yet somehow feeling as if he was not as angry anymore.

The old elf silently glanced at her, then with hands behind his back, slowly walked back.

Hayna stood confused for a moment before realizing she was supposed to follow.

So, she hurriedly put on the hat she was holding and quickly followed. But she had just taken a few steps when she remembered to go back and close the gate. As she turned around, however, she saw that the manor gate was closing on its own.

Not only that, but bright runes also began to shine from the inside of the ordinary iron gate.

The sunlight slanted, and the evening breeze paused. Hayna vaguely felt as if something invisible enveloped the area, altering the atmosphere of the manor.

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

Though the old elf was walking ahead of her, the old man's voice, much gentler now, clearly rang by her ear, "But when people make appointments, they should be kept. Whatever time is agreed upon is when the meeting shall occur, neither earlier nor later. Yes, breaking the rules at school might not carry severe consequences, but there are no Gryphon Knights patrolling the streets or Legal Mages regularly scrutinizing companies' fiscal records—there's no Inspector like you who can arrest suspects directly.

"Everyone in this country values 'rules'. The Supervisory Bureau, Law Court, and Arbitration Hall protect not only Her Majesty the Queen's will but also the numerous rules established by Parliament.

"This time I shall forgive you, and I won't mention your lapse to Mr. Kent—I'll say you arrived on time, only stayed behind after getting the details to drink two cups of tea and nibble some snacks.

"But that's because Mr. Aiwass is kind-hearted. By the time you were an hour late, I had already decided to call the Supervisory Bureau. It was Mr. Aiwass who stopped me. He said, 'Everyone deserves a chance… whatever the reason, a meeting must occur first.'"

The old elf spoke leisurely, taking a long time to reach the manor's entrance.

The next moment, his voice lowered a bit, yet it still clearly resonated by Hayna's ear: "Although Avalon has no so-called 'nobility' like other nations, the descendants of the founders are just as noble. Without the sacrifice of those twenty founders, everyone would perish—even the Queen must respect the descendants of founders.

"I sensed your sincere apology, so I've tentatively forgiven your breach. But you might want to consider whether you have offended someone, or blocked someone's path…as I said, this is a supervisory meeting you were not required to attend."

Upon hearing this, Hayna suddenly froze.

At this moment, the elderly man elegantly turned around at the door and bowed slightly to Hayna, "Please follow me, Miss Hayna. The young master has been waiting for some time."

Now he put on the Butler's mask to greet the guest.

The previous attitude, rather, was more like that of an instructor facing a disappointing student.

And Hayna, with her mind in turmoil, followed the old elf into the living room.

The soft touch of the carpet under her feet startled her, and she looked up, wanting to ask if she should remove her shoes—but the elf's indifferently calm demeanor left her unsettled. So, she could only follow behind with a nervous heart, feeling the suddenly warm fireside in the wintertime.

It was then that she realized she had let an old man stand at the door waiting for her for two hours on a winter's evening.

With guilt and shame, she didn't know how to speak.

Even her suspicions regarding Aiwass were strangely diluted in this repentance.

So, she then encountered the somewhat notorious Mr. Aiwass Moriarty.

He was sitting in a wheelchair, with a blanket over his legs.

His pale, bloodless face looked to be just seventeen or eighteen years old, bearing a beauty completely unlike that of Professor Moriarty.

He was wearing a pure white fleece nightgown, looking as if he had just come out from a bath. His platinum blond hair reflected the warm light of the fire. He was quietly and intently reading a book opposite the fire, his delicate features carrying a gentle aim…reminding her of a poet and the fire rising in the hearth at home.

The beautiful scene looked like a painting. Hayna couldn't help but widen her eyes.

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

Only then did Hayna notice the wheelchair beneath him.

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

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

The young man looked over, his deep blue eyes like the sea.

"Miss Hayna."

His voice was clear, carrying a noble touch, matching his appearance.

Compared to his frail appearance, his voice seemed livelier and very polite, "Nice to meet you for the first time.

"—May I ask, are you here to arrest me?"

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