The Shepherds Are Dense

Chapter 148. Oswald’s Departure

“…How did you do it?”After examining Yulia and confirming her full recovery and the absence of the phantom within her, Oswald knelt before her, his voice filled with awe. “It’s nothing short of a miracle.”

“I think everyone’s entitled to their little secrets, aren’t they?” Aiwass replied from his wheelchair behind Oswald, chuckling lightly.

Oswald, a five-hundred-year-old elf, was no easy mark to deceive. Rather than dodge, Aiwass opted for a blunt “I’m not telling,” which was friendlier while conveying the same message.

Surprisingly, Oswald seemed pleased with the response. The old elf stood, hands clasped behind his back, his weathered face cracking into a stiff but genuine smile—like a wolf baring its teeth.

“Of course, Young Master Aiwass. Everyone can have their secrets.”

He nodded slightly, adding with a sigh, “You’ve grown up, and that’s good. If the master were still here, he’d be pleased.”

“What was Father doing, exactly?” Aiwass asked earnestly. “He’s been gone so long. I’ve heard… unsettling rumors.”

“Unpleasant things, yes?” Oswald interjected.

Aiwass nodded. “I heard Father might be in danger. He left no contact information, so I can’t verify if it’s true…”

Yulia, clutching her stuffed toy “Mr. Dodd,” tilted her head, puzzled. “Danger?”

Oswald sighed softly. Instead of answering directly, he turned to Aiwass. “You can now take Miss Yulia to school. I imagine that’s something you’ve both long awaited.”

“Indeed…” Yulia replied softly.

But her sharp mind, despite limited worldly experience, picked up on Oswald’s unease. “What’s happened?” she asked, concerned.

“I’m leaving on a long trip, Miss,” Oswald explained patiently. “Avalon may grow turbulent soon. Staying in the dormitories should be safer.”

“You’re leaving too?” Aiwass raised an eyebrow, quickly deducing his intent. “To find Father?”

“Correct,” Oswald answered honestly. “I received official word of the master’s death, but I don’t believe it. I’m certain he’s alive.”

“You have a way to contact him?” Aiwass asked.

“Something like that,” Oswald nodded. “As the Moriarty family’s guardian, I can sense the general location of every ‘Moriarty.’ If close enough, I can assess their condition.”

That explained how he’d just evaluated Yulia’s health, Aiwass realized. Oswald lacked medical skills or Devotion Path healing abilities—otherwise, Aiwass wouldn’t have needed to heal Yulia himself. Yet, with a mere touch to her forehead, Oswald confirmed the phantom’s removal.

It also explained how Oswald found Aiwass during the alleyway sacrifice attempt.

“I’ve sensed the master’s position moving slowly, never lingering long,” Oswald said gravely. “It could be a corpse being transported, but there are backtracks. Perhaps he’s imprisoned and being moved? Or maybe the professor faked his death to expose someone, investigating in secret? Either way, he’s likely in danger and may need my help.”

He turned to Yulia. “Yet I’m also duty-bound to protect you all. Young Master Edward no longer needs care. The Royal Law University, under the Grand Arbiter’s watch, hosts two-thirds of Avalon’s knightly heirs, with arbiters patrolling at night, so you needn’t worry, Young Master Aiwass.

“But Miss Yulia… as a Demon Egg, she had to hide her identity, unable to attend school, using illness as an excuse to stay indoors.”

He looked at Yulia, her eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation as she hugged her plush.

As she wished.

Oswald declared, “If I stayed, I could protect Miss Yulia, as she had nowhere else to go. But now that she’s no longer a Demon Egg and can go elsewhere, I must fulfill my other duty. I’m deeply sorry, Miss.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Oswald,” Yulia said earnestly. “I really want to go to school with Brother!”

Aiwass, meanwhile, considered another issue. “Who knew Yulia was a Demon Egg?”

“Though the master regularly purchased Hypnos potions, no one had solid proof she was a Demon Egg,” Oswald replied. “You can claim she had a rare illness requiring Hypnos, now cured by Bishop Mathers. If asked why she never attended school, say she’s reclusive and avoids people. That keeps your secret safe.”

“I’ll act reclusive!” Yulia raised a hand, resolute. “I won’t reveal Brother’s secret!”

Aiwass stroked his chin. So, Avalon’s upper circles likely suspected Yulia was a Demon Egg but stayed silent out of respect for Professor Moriarty.

…Something’s off. What am I missing?

If their foster father adopted Aiwass and Yulia for lack of heirs, why choose Yulia, a Demon Egg unlikely to survive long?

Oswald’s departure had pros and cons. It could lure out the Lloyd Society, strengthening Aiwass’s fake-death plan. But it left Yulia vulnerable. Edward alone couldn’t protect or care for her daily needs.

Unlike Aiwass, whose disability allowed Lily to accompany him to school with Princess Isabel’s approval, Yulia couldn’t bring a maid. Her attendant would stay at the Moriarty estate. When Aiwass and Lily faked their deaths, Yulia would be alone.

Even with the school’s security, Aiwass worried.

Then, Princess Isabel came to mind. She’d likely help.

“When do you plan to leave?” Aiwass asked Oswald.

“As soon as possible,” the butler replied.

“Then Yulia comes with us,” Aiwass decided, turning to her. “There’s no railway between Red and White Queen’s Ward, so Lily pushed me there before. It’s not far—about two hours’ walk, three with a rest stop…”

“No need for that trouble,” Oswald interjected. “Your current wheelchair, damaged in the attack, was repaired but looks less presentable. I commissioned elven craftsmen to make a new one tailored to you—more comfortable, with a hidden pistol for protection and a Candlekeeper sigil for divine arts. It’s at the Inspectorate. Take a carriage there, have Lily retrieve it, and return to school. You can ride home later; a spare wheelchair’s here.”

“…Thank you for the trouble,” Aiwass said, apologetic. “But my health’s improving. In half a month to a month, I might not need it.”

In two weeks, final exams and Aiwass’s second Devotion Path ascension ritual loomed. Before then, he needed to deal with the Lloyd Society to free Sherlock from his fake death.

After ascending, they’d visit Haina’s hometown. A wheelchair would be impractical on rural paths or in forests, so Aiwass couldn’t keep pretending. Lily would accompany him, hosting the shadow demon, and by semester’s end, his Transcendence Path would advance, freeing him from the chair entirely.

In short, Oswald’s custom wheelchair would be used for less than a month—why Aiwass hadn’t requested a new one. Though the family wasn’t short on funds, he instinctively saved where he could.

“Even if your legs recover, a wheelchair has uses,” Oswald said with a sly smile. “The elderly use them not because they can’t walk. It lowers perceived threat. A frail priest, even if rumored to be a charmer, seems an ascetic. People resent the strong, but a strong man with a weakness? That inspires admiration.”

Aiwass felt a twinge of guilt.

Oswald’s words seemed pointed—maybe at more than one thing.

(Chapter End)