When the plot-skips players into the game world

"...The only problem I have is."

After listening to the story that Aiwass told, Sherlock's first reaction was to frown tightly, "How could you give such an unverified ritual to Miss Meg for use? If something happened to her..."

"If she had not succeeded in changing her path, then it wouldn't be much different from something happening to her."

Aiwass interrupted, "Her remaining life span was at most three months. What else could you do? You had to treat a dead horse as if it were a live horse doctor."

Sherlock fell silent.

He, of course, knew Aiwass was right—he just had to reason a little, and he knew the price of Meg's failed career change.

If she had not been successful in extending her life, then it was just a matter of bringing forward Meg's death by a few months. It wouldn't affect much.

Rather, it was precisely because he felt incapable of bearing the cost of Meg's death and yet could think of no solution... He was pained by such impotence.

"...But you could have experimented on me first."

Sherlock answered softly, "My life is far cheaper than Madam Meg's."

He knew how weak and even unreasonable his words were. That's why he couldn't say it out loud.

The lack of logic in his words made it so saying them out loud could even make him feel allergic to them.

But there was no helping it. If he said nothing at all, he would feel even more painful.

Sherlock had a deep loathing for this feeling of helplessness.

It was like when he was a child, and his father had been wrongfully accused of attempting to assassinate the royal family and imprisoned—the time when the "evidence" was so-called incontrovertible.

Back then, Sherlock could easily think of countless arguments to refute that evidence—each piece seemed reasonable, but upon closer analysis, it was all nonsense. Those far-fetched motives were laughable.

...But the problem was, he had no chance to speak out.

No one cared about what he had to say. They did not even care about the truth.

The child looked up anxiously, trying to tug at the hem of everyone's clothes as they passed by, constantly explaining the truths that seemed obvious to him, but not a single person would stop for him. They did not even bother to look down at him—it was as if he were air, just a ghost.

—At that time, Sherlock was so anxious that his ears rang.

The sudden onset of tinnitus made his entire world seem to fall silent.

It was as if, in that moment, he couldn't hear the voices of everyone around him, couldn't hear the noise of the banquet.

It was like the child stood on the shore, shouting at the oncoming tsunami, trying to use his voice to stop it from reaching. That feeling of powerlessness made him physically nauseous... just recalling it now made him feel queasy, with that ringing in his ears returning.

But Aiwass's words suddenly pierced through the grey memories—

"...Didn't I just call you this time?"

Aiwass looked at him in surprise, with a shameless smile on his face, "Why don't you try it out for yourself first, and if it works, I'll then promote it to the young people of Avalon.

"If it's successful, we in Avalon would also have our own Path of Wisdom inheritance. In the future, smart people like you won't be stuck at the third energy level, right?"

"You know, Isabel will definitely continue Queen Sofia's policies. If not, I'll keep an eye on it for you. In the future, the Path of Wisdom will be a legal path, and mages will be a legal profession. We need to enrich our talent reserve; only then can we catch up with Star Antimony..."

Sherlock stared blankly at Aiwass as he went on and on about these things.

He saw how Aiwass's hair had grown a bit without him noticing, saw the light that seemed to shine in Aiwass's eyes. Even though he was just a small Counselor in the Supervisory Bureau, Aiwass still shared these important matters with him.

—If back then, someone had been willing to stop and listen to that anxious child's words, perhaps he wouldn't be so cold and aloof now.

At that moment, Sherlock felt the sound that would occasionally ring in his ear like a tsunami, causing him anxiety and discomfort, as if it had been scattered by Aiwass's voice.

...How noisy.

Sherlock's lips twitched upward subconsciously for a moment, but he quickly realized it and compressed his lips back into a flat line.
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—He must not appear too pleased; otherwise, that fox would surely become unbearably smug. That was just the kind of character he had, the outer display of calm and composure was nothing but a facade. Deep down, he was still an immature child.

Sherlock maintained a serious expression, listening to Aiwass's earnest explanation. He had already resolved to try any outlandish ceremonies... but the more he heard, the more astonished he became.

Because it seemed that this ritual Aiwass had brought out was... somewhat substantial?

"...[Worshipper of Mithra] is a profession inherited in the Parthian Ancient Country, tied to a special religious organization known as Mithraism. Only young male intellectuals without disabilities or marriages can join the faith and change their profession—I think you should count as a young man, so there shouldn't be a problem.

"There were some kings in the Parthian Ancient Country whose names were 'Mithridates,' which means 'Son of Mithra.' The name Mithra carries connotations of covenant and also implies friendship, alliance, and loyalty. This is His most primitive divinity, that is, the God of Covenant.

"Some believe Him to be the Sun God, the God of Light, and others sing tales of His wanderings on earth as a deity who punishes good and evil. He is also the War God. But fundamentally, His divinity is tolerant—according to the principles of Mithraism, almost any deity can be accommodated within it..."

"Who exactly is Mithra?"

Sherlock couldn't help but ask, "Is He a Celestial Marshal of the Path of Wisdom?"

Hearing this, the corners of Aiwass's mouth lifted slightly.

"That's where the problem lies, Sherlock."

Aiwass answered composedly, "There is no Mithra."

"...What?"

"There is no such being as Mithra. There is no god by that name, with such deeds and powers, among the Celestial Marshals and Angel Envoys. It's evident when you think about it—His path in legend spans across Balance, Wisdom, Strength, Dedication, and Adaptation. How could that be a real 'single deity'?"

Aiwass's mouth curled slightly, "But, there are 'multiple gods'.

"The essence of 'Mithraism' is a product of blending stories from some fallen Celestial Marshals.

"His tales already mingled five paths. And creating a fictitious god aligns with the Path of Beauty, its purpose aligns with the Path of Transcendence, and preserving the deeds of deceased Celestial Marshals is a power from the Path of Dusk..."

At this point, Aiwass paused slightly.

"...And what about the Path of Love?"

Sherlock couldn't help but press on.

He knew Aiwass was deliberately whetting his appetite, yet his curiosity was indeed piqued.

"The story told by Mithraism also conceals another tale. It is the birth of the Path of Love.

"Before the Path of Love came into existence, the name of this path was the Beast's Path. The Pillar God of the Beast's Path at that time was the Beast Master, and Eternal Self was still a Moon Angel. She wasn't even a Celestial Marshal but an envoy of the Beast Master.

"The Beast Master did not perish at the hands of Eternal Self. Instead, he fell in love with her and was tamed by his own affection, ultimately stepping down peacefully. This was the second of the three Pillar God succession events, witnessed by the elves, the [Forbidden Fruit] incident.

"The essence of Mithraism is the fabrication of a male Sun God... and this act is similar to the past deeds of Eternal Self. From this perspective, Mithraism is an esoteric faith born from the powers of nine great paths, 'with one's memories, three's blessings, and five's word,' blended together. Its power comes from those deceased gods and does not belong to any current Pillar God."

Aiwass spoke unreservedly of secrets that made Sherlock shudder.

He couldn't help but glance outside the door to make sure Mrs. Mina hadn't overheard, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she hadn't.

Sherlock cast another glance at Lily, wondering—how could she remain so composed and cool-headed?

"Each believer is a Worshipper of Mitha, but at the same time, they are also the original form of Mithra himself. To advance to a Worshipper of Mithra, one requires intelligence, loyalty, and order, as well as thorough knowledge of astronomy, at least a beginner's grasp on astrology, and to complete the initiation ritual.

"If you can successfully transition to a Worshipper of Mithra, you can wield the powers of the Path of Authority such as contracts and punishment, using the wisdom level, as well as the abilities of the Sun and Light from the Path of Devotion, and your body will also be enhanced. This way, your headaches will be gone."

Aiwass patted Lily's shoulder, "You go back to sleep now, Lily.

"Sherlock, you'll be responsible for astronomy and astrology. Just the basics, don't go too deep into the Path of Adaptation. As long as you understand what it means, that's enough.

"Don't bother sleeping tonight, get ready instead. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, I'll help you with the initiation ritual."