When the plot-skips players into the game world

Albert said, looking toward Aiwass's collar.

Hanging there was Ysolda's Teardrops—a token of affection from Isabel to Aiwass, capable of warding off a fatal injury just once.

"It's called 'Ysolda's Teardrops,' a necklace left to me by Innie. She told me it was something her mother had left her. And her mother ultimately succumbed to amberfication and died; the necklace couldn't save her. Had Innie been wearing this necklace when she was attacked, maybe she wouldn't have died. But after we got married, she gave it to me."

"...How ironic, isn't it? A consumable necklace that can spare one from death once, but ended up passing through several owners without saving anyone. It didn't even get the chance to be used up."

"I feel unworthy to use it; compared to its previous owners, at least, my life isn't worth spending this precious opportunity for avoiding death."

Albert stared at the necklace on Aiwass's chest and said in a low voice, "So, before I left, I gave it to Isabel. Hence, the moment I saw you... I recognized your identity."

"And what is your opinion of me now?"

Aiwass raised his already empty wine glass to clink with Albert's: "Father."

Out of the "several fathers" Aiwass had, Albert certainly was the closest to being an "ordinary human."

"...you leave me speechless."

After a long silence, Albert seriously replied, "But this feeling... it's not so bad."

"Naturally."

Aiwass chuckled lightly, twirling the wine glass through his fingers: "Because you've been waiting for someone to scold you like this, Father."

"...Treat Isabel well."

Prince Albert said almost feebly, "On Little Isabel's birthday... I will return. No matter what, I will come back."

"You needn't say that to me, nor do you need to make a promise to me. Whatever Isabel decides to do at that time, I will respect her wishes.

"No matter the danger she faces, I will stand by her side and protect her. In fact, I recently rescued her from the clutches of a Fifth Power Level Demon Incarnation. And now, she has a platoon of Papal Guards by her side... so you needn't worry."

"The timid child has grown up—relying on her own strong will and the help of us friends. She is now Her Majesty the Queen of the Avalonians.

"And what about His Royal Highness Prince Albert? Poor Prince, he died long ago in a skirmish with bandits."

Aiwass leisurely set down his glass and placed a finger on the edge.

With a gentle twist of his finger, the air trembled, emitting a humming sound.

Compared to when they first entered the room, their standpoints had completely reversed.

Aiwass declared the conversation over: "Now, I would like to have a talk with Mr. Yunus—about Miss Anastasia."

"Oh my, oh my!"

In just an instant, Prince Albert, who had been hanging his head in despair and dejection, had somehow reverted back to Yunus.

He clapped his hands in delight, then like a happy seal, he slapped his own belly: "What a great drama, absolutely delightful! Seeing that stubborn man finally left speechless, it's like witnessing the stars fall from the sky!"

The bald, fat man's face showed not a trace of dismay.

It was as if he and Prince Albert were two entirely different people.

From the perspective of an onlooker, he sharply commented, "That man has never faced problems head-on, but only with your identity was he utterly unable to escape—because indeed you have taken over his duties, the honorable Minister of the Department of Care of Magical Creatures, Prince Moriarty!"

This conversation gave Aiwass a strange feeling.

He suddenly thought of the God of Wine and the Banquet Master.

Aiwass put aside the mixed thoughts in his mind, and spoke softly: "Let's not get into that for now. Tell me about Anastasia. Did you really see her in Avalon?"

"I truly did see her, I even touched her hand! Her skin was a bit cool, but still had the warmth of a living creature—I suspect that might have been because of the cool evening breeze of Avalon."

Yunus strummed the strings of his instrument a couple of times, his expression becoming serious: "I received her hairband. According to Mr. Maxim's words, it was a gift from a friend who came to visit."

...Tree disease?

"Since it's a gift," Aiwass mused, "does that mean there's another one in the Holy Nation?"

"Those items have long been lost—that's what Mr. Maxim said, but I have a different view."

Yunus spoke seriously, his cheerful and bouncy tone suddenly becoming more solemn: "It's my first time in the Elf Country too, but I've been here for several months. Many elves do not consider 'amberfication' to be a disease, but rather a form of honor. Because it means that the amberfied elf will surely be reborn from the Dream Realm in a more exalted form... but ordinary elves might not necessarily receive the acceptance of the Celestial Marshals and Pillar Gods."

Aiwass nodded.

Indeed, if an elf could amberficate, it was akin to an automatic ascent to a Phantom Demon. Although it meant the early demise of their material realm body, if one merely sees the Material Realm as a "newbie period" and "screening period" for the Dream Realm, then amberfication could almost be said to... correspond to an "early graduation of life."

Especially for elves who revered The Great Tree, to ascend as a derivation of The Great Tree would indeed be an honor.

"After an elf fully amberficates, their kith and kin will burn the items they treasured in life—placing them in front of the tree they've become, and then burning both with a single fire!"

"...Burned up?"

Aiwass was somewhat surprised: "Why?"

"Because there's no meaning,"

Yunus immediately replied, "Unlike Amberficate—where the essence of the elves isn't completely gone, their souls are still locked within their husks. Theoretically, there's even a possibility of restoration.

"But the transformation into a tree signifies the decay of the husk and the sublimation of the soul. Even if they were to return to the Material Realm, it would be impossible to return to their original bodies. It would just be a tree, just as The Great Tree once left behind its divine body. Some might want to keep the bark or branches as a memento, but that's all they would be—mementos. It's like how the people of Star Antimony like to turn corpses into gems or create revenants from them.

"Elves believe in Light and fire. Their transformation into blazing flames is considered a Blessing to them—just as elves are not fond of burials, preferring cremation instead. From what I've heard, many elves believe that the soul is purified by burning away its shackles and ascends higher."

"—No, no, no, that's actually a superstition. It's just a story old elves tell to children,"

Aiwass shook his head, speaking up to dispel the myth: "Any priest would know, whether you burn a body or not, whether it's buried or cremated. As long as the funeral has been properly conducted, the soul will definitely be sent to The River of the Dream Realm. The corpse left behind in the Material Realm has no meaning at all; it's just meat... If applied to Miss Anastasia, it would simply be a pile of wood.

"The main reason for elves practicing cremation is actually due to the lack of space necessary for burials within The Great Tree, and The Great Tree doesn't need fertilizing, either…"

"...Whatever it is, Mr. Aiwass! My point is, that hair ribbon should have been burned up as well!

"But I saw a girl who looked like Anastasia and even got the hair ribbon from her—and even Mr. Maxim confirmed that it belonged to Anastasia. It's precisely because he couldn't explain that he changed his story to say these items were lost. Just like the tree that Anastasia became, which should have also been burned up by now. After all, I've been here for so many days and have still never seen the tree that 'Anastasia' turned into."

Yunus said seriously, "But his attitude is wrong.

"His daughter turned to a tree in death, and whether he feels joy or sorrow, or loneliness for her... either way, that's not how he should be behaving!

"He warmly welcomed me and permitted me to write to Mr. Sherlock. He didn't send me away but allowed us to investigate freely here, even taking care of our lodging and meals… But when I actually ask him, he says nothing. He doesn't refute that the girl I saw is Anastasia, yet he is adamant that Anastasia has already died from the tree transformation."

In Yunus's voice, the initial rhythm and jest were no longer discernable.

From his tone, Aiwass tasted a hint of helplessness and reluctance.

In that moment, Aiwass suddenly understood... why he was so obsessed with this matter, and why in the original course of history, he had gone back to apologize and admit his wrongs to Isabel after resolving this event.

He had seen a glimpse of himself in Mr. Maxim. He didn't know what Maxim was up to, but he felt that something wasn't right.

His keen sense of wrongness came from his guilt toward Isabel.

"Yunus" realized that if he continued to pursue this investigation, it would be tantamount to torturing his past self. Every question he posed to the earth-mage would boomerang back in his own face.

But he couldn't flee from here… The event was like a black hole, keeping him anchored in place.

In another sense, he was longing for self-destruction. And instinctively, Prince Albert realized that this might very well be his guillotine.

"…May I see the hair ribbon?"

After pondering for a moment, Aiwass asked.

Yunus nodded, pulling out a red cloth pouch from within his chest. He carefully took out the hair ribbon and handed it to Aiwass.

Upon receiving it, nothing popped up in front of Aiwass—which indicated that it was at least not an Extraordinary Item. It was just an ordinary hair ribbon.

"What about Sherlock? What does he say?"

Aiwass asked once more.

"It seems he understood something from the start, but he didn't tell me anything,"

Yunus replied, slightly annoyed: "He just said things like 'perhaps that's why you can see ghosts,' without any explanation—when I pressed him on it, he said, 'Wait for me to try and capture a ghost tonight.'

"I don't know exactly what he did last night, but he suggested… before you arrive, he doesn't plan on saying anything. He said, 'Some words are safe as long as they are not spoken out loud.'

"It's just like Sherlock's style,"

Aiwass nodded in agreement.

—That idiot finally knows to wait for his team before pulling the boss!

In the original timeline, Yunus's messy handling of events ultimately cemented the truth as "a girl manifested in spirit due to longing," a romantic yet illogical and unsatisfactory story.

"Without a doubt, the Anastasia you saw can't possibly be a ghost,"

Aiwass spoke with absolute certainty: "A ghost can't hand over its personal belongings to you. And if it's a cursed item, it wouldn't let you keep it safe for so long.

"So what you saw must be a living person."

"…A living person?"

"Or rather, the 'True Illusion' you are all too familiar with."

Aiwass said calmly: "Have you noticed… since you returned to your true form, there's been something noisy missing from this room?"

Yunus looked at Aiwass, slightly puzzled.

He quickly widened his eyes, recalling:

"That fairy lady?"

Aiwass nodded.