When the plot-skips players into the game world

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After Aiwass laid Sherlock down on the bed, he lowered his voice and turned back to look at Isabel: "He's asleep and can't hear anything."

——That was a mystical skill from the Path of Dusk, the "Turtle Breath Skill."

It allowed one to adjust various bodily indicators to a state of sleep while still maintaining keen awareness of the surroundings. It wasn't a profound skill, and could be forcibly executed by mimicking the abilities of a mage.

Isabel was unaware of the existence of this skill.

But she understood what Aiwass meant——he wasn't actually asleep; he was feigning sleep.

So what am I supposed to act?

Isabel looked at Aiwass with an inquiring gaze and also in a lowered voice: "What should I do then? And... with Mr. Hermes injured so badly, how long will he take to recover?"

"At most four to five days, but I hope to heal him by today or tomorrow."

Aiwass glanced at Isabel and quickly replied.

——He didn't rule out the possibility of keeping him alive until the end of the ceremony, but it's also possible to kill him within a day.

"However, before treating him, there's something else I need to say to you..."

Then, Aiwass gave a respectful bow to Isabel: "Your Highness the Princess... no, I should now address you as Her Majesty the Queen of Avalon. Let us talk frankly with each other."

Isabel's heart stirred, and her tone grew colder: "What is it, is there something wrong?"

Following Aiwass's expressions and actions, the tone of Isabel's impromptu performance turned forceful in an instant.

She knew what Aiwass wanted her to act out.

"I am just a bit confused... or rather, I suddenly had a thought."

Aiwass sat on the edge of the bed, lifted his head to look at Isabel, and said softly: "The conspiracy of the Star Antimony, could it have gone a bit too smoothly?"

"...What do you mean?"

"——It's about the Star Antimony's plan to replace you with a puppet. Assassinate Queen Sofia, then arrange a puppet princess to replace the real Princess Isabel...

"This conspiracy, I had previously investigated it with the great detective Mr. Hermes. He reported to Queen Sofia, and I wrote to you, but both attempts were blocked. Yet now I'm wondering if my letter was really intercepted?"

Aiwass gazed intently at Isabel: "I am considering another possibility—that maybe the 'Isabel tied up' that Lady Shafiya mentioned was, in fact, the real Isabel?"

"——You mean to say, I'm the puppet?"

Isabel let out a cold laugh: "Why would you think that?"

"Of course, there's another possibility. That the 'Isabel tied up' is indeed a puppet, but you who have been living in the Hall of Silver and Tin might have been replaced long ago. Not the original princess. Only, she was a low-grade puppet with 'ball joints,' and you are a technically superior new model puppet."

Aiwass said earnestly: "After all, as far as I know... that Princess Isabel was a small, timid girl who had never received the education of a monarch, fragile and naive.

"Don't you think——it's too calm how you behaved when Avalon was undergoing drastic changes?"

Indeed.

The counselor lying on the bed thought to himself.

The current Isabel was vastly different from that timid young girl in the impression—she seemed to be even more timid than Aurora, yet now she appeared even more assertive than the Queen Consort herself.

"...So that's why."

A look of fatigue appeared on Isabel's face.

She glanced at Aiwass and said indifferently: "I see what you're driving at—I accompanied my grandmother to the banquet, and then was persecuted offstage. Then a new 'fake Isabel' appeared. So if I just fight my way back, anyone would believe I'm the real Isabel. No one would consider that maybe from the very beginning there were two fake Isabels putting on an act... You're smart to think of this."

"So? Isabel... 'Your Majesty'?"

Aiwass's gaze was resolute, his tone calm yet laced with a hint of mockery: "Can you give me a clear answer?"

Listening to this, the counselor perked up his ears.

"...Hmph."

Isabel sighed, her tone revealing desolation and self-mockery: "Do you know of the royal curse, Mr. Bishop?"

"I've heard of it."

"Every heir gradually died off, leaving only me. But the truth is my grandmother wasn't ignorant of the curse... she just didn't know whether it was the doing of the Star Antimony people or the Irisflower People.

"But she knew that in the end, there would be only one left in Avalon. So from the very beginning, she put all her hope on me.

"From the moment I started to remember, I've been playing the 'Isabel' that the public had in mind, always maintaining a weak character that nobody believed in. Only this way I could survive. Apparently, the cursing sorcerer and the assassin overlooked me... allowing me to be the last to live."

"...I see."

Aiwass murmured.

Isabel laughed: "What, you believe me so easily? Won't you ask why it had to be that only one would be left?"

"No need," said Aiwass sternly, "because I know of that ceremony."

"...What?"

Isabel was truly surprised.

——Should she tell the "counselor" about the Ceremony of Avalon's Shadow as well?

She struggled to keep up with Aiwass's thoughts, but her body didn't hesitate to follow the rhythm: "You're not talking about that ritual of Merlin's, are you..."

"The national protection ritual, Ceremony of Avalon's Shadow. The miraculous ritual developed by the Great Sage Merlin—when the last of the Du Lacs of the same era remains, it can be triggered. It will resurrect Lancelot I from the Sixth Power Level, killing all invaders within the territory."

"...Who told you about this ritual?" Isabel's voice was low and dangerous.

"Naturally, it was Queen Sofia herself; otherwise, I would never dare to mention this to you."

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Aiwass stated assuredly, "I have mentioned to her numerous times that allowing the Cursing Sorcerer to act unchecked will only lead Avalon into a predicament. It was not until recently that she told me about this ritual."

"—And also, entrusted Her Highness with me."

Every word he spoke was the truth, which made him seem extraordinarily sincere, "So when she suddenly mentioned getting engaged to the Star Antimony people, I immediately sensed something was amiss. It seemed more like she was unable to speak and therefore desperately seeking my aid... Looking at it now, Queen Consort indeed perceived the issues."

"Now that you are also aware of the existence of the Shadow of Avalon, you definitely wouldn't be a puppet—I apologize for my previous speculation. It was merely jest, please don't take it seriously. If you wish to punish me, I am at your disposal after everything stabilizes."

—So that was it.

The counselor thought to himself, so the ambiguous relationship between Aiwass and Queen Isabel was born from that time.

He had always felt that if both persons were so unyielding, it didn't make sense for their relationship to become so close. Furthermore, he had no idea when they had begun their relationship; it suddenly felt like they were about to get married.

Now that he thought about it, it was probably all an act—their actual relationship was very tense, and they only appeared harmonious and intimate when performing for outsiders.

In truth, they were nothing more than a power couple that restrained each other.

That "Miss Aleister" was probably not trying to snag a man, but rather protecting Aiwass.

This fits the picture perfectly!

"...But from another perspective, I kind of hoped that you were a puppet now."

Aiwass let out a sigh, speaking frankly, "I never knew that beneath your appearance, you would conceal such firmness... even..."

"Cold-blooded and heartless, right," Isabel raised her eyebrows, "What are you afraid of? Why don't you dare say it?"

"...Yes. When we interacted before, I had always believed that 'Princess Isabel' was a fragile girl who needed my protection."

"What a joke. If I were really so naive, I probably would have died long ago. If you observed carefully, you would notice that I never dine with strangers—because no one can be fully trusted by me."

Isabel's lips curved into a captivating yet emotionally cold smile, "What's the matter, are you disappointed now?"

She stepped forward, lifting Aiwass's chin with a finger, "Or is it that... you like frail and weak little girls so much? Can't a true queen touch the heart of dedication in Archbishop Your Excellency?"

Her voice was measured, like the tone of Minister Aiwass during a meeting at the Round Table Hall.

Leaning close to Aiwass's ear, she whispered softly, "Or should I prove to Archbishop Your Excellency... that this warm body is not a puppet?"

"...I dare not."

"I think you're quite daring."

Isabel sneered, "Forget those words—Heal Mr. Hermes's wounds; we're preparing to leave."

Upon hearing this, the counselor could finally confirm... the information from the "secret chamber" was indeed accurate.

During this promotion ceremony, he indeed collected very important secret intelligence that could not be acquired through normal channels.

The real Isabel was indeed very assertive, just extraordinarily good at disguising herself. The Transcendents of the Path of Beauty are like that—although some are not good at acting, there are others who are exceptionally skilled performers.

But at the same time, there was a problem with the information—

Because they had vastly underestimated Isabel's assertiveness and dangerous nature!

A woman who has been disguising herself and playing the fool since she became sensible, what kind of insane actions would she take now that she's finally stopped pretending and showing her fangs?

—The counselor even entertained a dangerous thought.

Could Emma's loss of control be a deliberate inducement by Queen Isabel?

She hoped for Emma to lose control and attack her, thus deceiving the Holy Nation into supporting her!

Think about it, if Emma really wanted to kill Isabel, how could Isabel possibly have survived?

Queen Isabel was not even twenty years old; how high could her level as a Transcendent be? If Emma truly intended to harm Isabel, why would she choose a time when Ligeia was nearby as a guard?

Just the thought made the counselor shudder.

All of this was Isabel's conspiracy!

Even in this world line, Star Antimony's plot to assassinate Queen Sofia and replace the false princess in order to attack Avalon... could also fail.

—Because of that "Ceremony of Avalon's Shadow"!

If their forces truly reached Glass Island, the ritual could be triggered immediately.

And at this time, Aiwass coincidentally asked, "We indeed need to leave; that Flame Demon is too dangerous... But where shall we go?"

"Take me to the Holy Nation."

"Leaving Avalon? Aren't we initiating the Ceremony of Avalon's Shadow?" Aiwass retorted.

"...It depends on the situation."

Isabel paused for a moment.

—Aiwass implied he wanted to initiate the Ceremony of Avalon's Shadow?

A flicker of concern crossed her eyes.

But she spoke with enough firmness, "If we truly need that ritual—then we must first report back to the Holy Nation. We are the victims now, and can gain the support and assistance of the Holy Nation. But if we preemptively initiate the ceremony, it may not be the case."

The counselor was struck with realization—indeed!

The Avalonians are too crafty; it certainly is a trap!

We must steer clear of Avalon! We can no longer provoke this crazy woman!

There are likely new traps waiting for us—