Pastor's Tantra

Albert said, looking at Aiwass' collar.

There hangs the love token that Isabel gave to Aiwass - [Isolde's Tears] that can withstand a fatal injury.

"It's called [Isolde's Tears], and it's a necklace that Ini left for me. She told me that it was something that her mother left for her. But her mother eventually died of ashes, and this necklace didn't exist. could have saved her; if Ini had been wearing this necklace when she was attacked, she might not have died; but after we got married, she gave it to me.

"...It's ironic. A consumable necklace that can save you from death once, but it sent away several owners one after another, and ultimately failed to protect anything. It didn't even have a chance to be consumed.

"I feel that I am not worthy of using it, at least compared to its previous owners, and my life is not worthy of consuming this precious opportunity to avoid death."

Albert stared at the necklace on Aiwass's chest and whispered: "So before I left, I gave it to Isabel. Therefore, the first time I saw you... I recognized you. Your identity.”

"So what do you think of me now?"

Aiwass raised the empty wine glass and clinked it with Albert: "Father."

Among Aiwass's "digital fathers", Albert is undoubtedly the closest to an "ordinary person".

"...You left me speechless."

Albert was silent for a long time, and then replied seriously: "But this feeling... is not bad at all."

"nature."

Aiwass chuckled, turning the wine glass between his fingers: "Because you have been waiting for someone to scold you like this, father."

"...Be nice to Isabel."

Prince Albert said almost powerlessly: "On little Isa's birthday... I will go back. No matter what, I will go back."

"There is no need for you to say this. There is no need for you to guarantee it to me. No matter what Isabel plans to do, I respect her opinion.

"No matter what danger she encounters, I will stand with her and protect her. In fact, I just saved her from a fifth-level demon incarnation not long ago. And now, she There are even groups of papal guards around you... There is no need for you to worry.

“That timid child has grown up—by her own strength and with the help of our friends. She is now the Queen of Avalon.

"And what about His Royal Highness Prince Albert? The poor His Highness the Prince died in a battle between bandits a long time ago."

Aiwass slowly put down the wine glass and stretched out a finger to touch the wall of the glass.

He moved his fingers slightly, and the air trembled and buzzed.

Their positions were completely reversed from when they first entered.

Aivas announced the end of the conversation: "Now, I want to talk to Mr. Yunus about Miss Anastasia."

"……Oh My God!"

In just an instant, Prince Albert, who had his head lowered and was depressed and decadent, turned back into Yunus at some point.

He clapped his hands happily, and then patted his belly like a happy seal: "What a good show, it makes me so happy! Seeing that man with a tough mouth finally became speechless, it was like a star falling So strange!"

There was no trace of disappointment on the face of this fat bald man.

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

He even made a sharp comment from the perspective of a bystander: "That man never faces problems head-on. Only your identity makes it impossible for him to escape - because you have indeed replaced his responsibilities, regardless of whether you are a minister or a minister." Prince Riati!”

This conversation gave Aiwass a strange feeling.

He suddenly thought of the god of wine and the host of the banquet.

Aiwass suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart for the time being and said warmly: "Let's not mention those things for now, let's talk about Anastasia. Did you really see her from Avalon?"

"I did see her, and I even touched her hand! Although her skin was a little warm, it still had the warmth of a living creature - I thought it might be the cool night breeze of Avalon."

Yunus fiddled with the strings twice and his expression became serious: "I got her headband. According to Mr. Maxim, it was a gift from her friend when he came to visit."

...dendrosis?

"Since it is a gift," Aiwass thought, "that means there is another one in the Theocracy?"

"Those things have been lost a long time ago - that's Mr. Maxim's version, and I have a somewhat different view."

Yunus said seriously, his cheerful and jumping tone suddenly became more serious: "It is also my first time to come to the country of elves, but it has been a few months since I came here. Many elves don't think of 'trees' Transformation is a disease, but closer to a kind of glory. Because that means that the tree-turned elves will inevitably be reborn from the dream world with a more noble attitude... But ordinary elves may not be able to get the blessings of the Tiansi and the Pillar Gods. Recognition.”

Aiwass nodded.

Indeed, the ability of elves to transform into trees is equivalent to sending phantoms away. Although it means the premature death of the body in the material world, if the material world is only regarded as the "novice period" and "screening period" of the dream world, then tree transformation can almost be said to be... equivalent to "premature graduation in life."

Especially for the elves who revere the giant tree, ascending as a derivative of the giant tree can be an honor.

"After the elves completely transform into trees, their relatives and friends will burn the items they cherished during their lifetime - pile them in front of the tree they transformed into, and burn both of them with one fire!"

"...burned out?"

Aiwass was a little surprised: "Why?"

"Because it makes no sense."

Yunus immediately replied: "Unlike Ningpe - Ningpe's elves are not completely dead in fact, their souls are still locked in their bodies. Theoretically, there is even a possibility of recovery.

"But becoming a tree means the decay of the body and the sublimation of the soul. Even if it comes to the material world again, it is impossible to return to the original body. It is just a tree, just like the 'giant tree' of the past left behind its own It's like a god's body. Some people may want to leave bark or branches as souvenirs, but they are just souvenirs. Just like the Star Antimony people like to refine corpses into gems or make undead spirits.

"The elves believe in light and fire. The tree body turning into flames is a blessing to them - just like the elves do not like burial, but prefer cremation. According to what I heard, many elves believe that the soul Once the bonds are burned away, you will be purified and you will rise higher."

"——No, no, no, actually that is superstition. In fact, this is a story told by the old elves to the children."

Aiwass shook his head and refuted the rumor: "As long as you are a priest, you must know that no matter whether the body is burned or not, buried or cremated. As long as the body has a normal funeral, the soul must be sent to the River of Dreams. Stay there. A corpse in the material world has no meaning at all, it's just a piece of meat... If you put it on Miss Anastasia, it's just a pile of wood.

"The main reason why elves perform cremation is actually because giant trees lack the space required for burial, and giant trees do not need to be fertilized..."

"...No matter what, Mr. Aiwass! I mean, that hair tie should have been burned!

“But I saw Anastasia who looked like a girl and got a hair tie from her—even Mr. Maxim definitely thought that this was Anastasia’s thing. Because of this, he couldn't explain why he changed his story and said that these things were lost. Just like the tree that Anastasia turned into, it should have been burned. After all, I have been here for so many days, and I have always I didn’t see the tree that ‘Anastasia’ transformed into.”

Yunus said seriously: “But his attitude is wrong.

"His daughter turned into a tree and died, no matter he was happy for her, sad, or lonely... no matter what, this should not be the attitude!

"He entertained me warmly and allowed me to write to Mr. Sherlock. He did not drive me away, but allowed us to investigate here, and also took care of our accommodation and food during this period... But when I asked , but he said nothing... He did not deny that the girl I saw was Anastasia, but he was certain that Anastasia had turned into a tree and died."

In Yunus's voice, the original rhythm and humor could no longer be heard.

Aiwass tasted a hint of powerlessness and unwillingness in his voice.

At that moment, Aiwass suddenly understood... why he was so persistent on this matter. And why in the original history, after completing this incident, he went back to Isabel to apologize and admit his mistake.

He saw a trace of himself in Mr. Maxim. He didn't know what Maxim was doing, but he just felt something was wrong.

He keenly sensed something was wrong - and this keenness came from his guilt for Isabel.

"Yunus" realized that if he continued to pursue it like this, it would be equivalent to torturing his past self. Every question he raised to the civil mage would turn into a boomerang and hit him in the face.

But he couldn't escape from here... This incident was like a black hole, attracting him here.

On the other hand, he longs for self-destruction. Prince Albert instinctively realized that this incident might be his guillotine.

"…can I see that headband?"

Aiwass thought for a moment and asked.

Yunus nodded and took out a red cloth bag from his arms. He carefully took out the hair tie and handed it to Aiwass.

After getting it, nothing popped up in front of Aiwass' eyes - indicating that it was at least not an extraordinary item. Just a regular hair tie.

"Where's Sherlock? What did he say?"

Aiwass asked again.

"He seemed to understand something from the beginning, but he didn't tell me anything."

Yunus was a little annoyed: "He just said, 'Maybe that's why you can see ghosts,' but he didn't explain it. When I asked more, he said, 'I'll try to capture it at night. A ghost'.

"I don't know exactly what he did last night, but he said... that he wasn't going to say anything until you arrived. He said, 'There are some things that are safe as long as you don't say them.'"

"Like Sherlock."

Aiwass nodded happily.

——That idiot finally knows that he has to wait for his teammates to arrive before attacking the monster!

In the original history, Yunus's messy operations finally solidified the truth of the matter into "the girl manifested a spirit body because of longing", this kind of romantic but unreasonable story that ends in an anticlimax.

"There is no doubt that the Anastasia you saw could not be a ghost."

Aiwass replied with absolute certainty: "It is impossible for a ghost to hand over his belongings to you. And if it is a cursed item, it is even less possible for you to keep it intact for so long.

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

"...A living person?"

"In other words, it is the [real illusion] that you are extremely familiar with."

Aiwass said calmly: "Have you noticed... since you changed back to your original self, there are less noisy things in this room?"

Yunus looked at Aiwass in confusion.

He quickly opened his eyes and recalled:

"That...elf lady?"

Aiwass nodded.