Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 963 Are You Here to Kill Me?

"...Master Aiwass?"

Oswald was startled when he heard the familiar voice.

He turned around suddenly and saw Aiwass, who had appeared in the corner and was slowly taking off his hood.

Aiwas' eyes were not the clear and transparent emerald green as usual, nor were they shining with warm golden red. Instead, they were steaming with a strange purple mist.

——There is no doubt that it was Aiwass.

Even though he was not wearing temple-style church clothing at the moment, but was only wearing loose casual clothes that were convenient for movement... but Oswald, who had watched Edwards grow up, would naturally not recognize the wrong person.

He was shocked: "You...shouldn't you..."

The wolf-like old butler suddenly realized something and swallowed the rest of his words.

"'Should' what, Mr. Oswald?"

Aiwass chuckled and said, "Should it be in the military camp, should it be on the beach, should it be in the psychic tower?"

His eyes passed Oswald and looked at his adoptive father, James Moriarty.

"—Is that what you think?"

Aiwass said word by word.

Old James doesn't seem to be in good shape at the moment.

It’s not because of injury, illness or lack of sleep...but because I have lost that light and mysterious feeling in my temperament.

He seemed to be in a bad mood, with the corners of his mouth slightly drooping, losing the calmness that seemed to be a smile. His temperament also became more solemn and serious. It was like a cynical poker player who didn't even look at you suddenly sat up and played cards with you.

If I were to say it, it was like a grey spider hiding in the depths of a web like a phantom, turning into a shiny black-brown rhinoceros beetle. Without the hazy, dreamlike veil, the whole person became clearer.

——Or to put it more clearly, the monster that looks like a CG suddenly has an extra health bar underneath.

"The reason why Mr. Oswald temporarily lost some of his power of devotion is because he used his power of devotion on others."

Old James responded for him calmly.

"Is that so, Mr. Oswald?"

Aiwass turned around and looked at Oswald calmly: "But if that's the case, why do you look ashamed?"

Oswald's already lowered head drooped even lower, he said nothing and looked more and more painful.

Aiwass's words were not an interrogation, but concern.

But to the old elf, Aiwass was more than just a child he had watched grow up. Aiwass had once become the Pope, and although he had stepped down from office, his light words still sounded like the stern rebuke of the Pope wearing the Holy Crown and holding the Holy Staff.

The systems of professionals and inheritors are fundamentally different.

Once the heart of the corresponding path is lost, the power of the inheritor will be lost. It is more idealistic. If someone believes in this path, his power will grow rapidly; but if a person originally believes in the path of dedication, but one day he suddenly does not believe in it at all, then all his power of dedication to the path will dissipate.

The career system from Wei Zhe and Sha Shi Ji is more stable, but it does not change the mechanism of gaining power. Instead, it solidifies the transformation of the Tao on the human heart in a more mechanical and thorough way. That is, after people reach the corresponding Tao level, the influence of the corresponding Tao on the mind is continuously increased, so that it is "not easy to suddenly lose the heart of the corresponding Tao", and therefore they will not lose power. The side effect is that it is easier to lose control and become a puppet of the Tao.

The Pope's Guards certainly belong to the successor system.

Therefore, when a guard's power suddenly weakened, it meant that he might have deviated from the path of dedication and his mind had become impure. According to the rules of the church, Oswald should be immediately removed from the holy book and dismissed from his post. Before he regained his power, he could not conduct any external activities in the name of the church, nor leave the church's sphere of influence, that is, leave the city.

This is essentially house arrest, except that the area of ​​activity is as large as a city, and you can also do some voluntary labor or community activities to try to regain some sense of status.

This is actually a relatively mild punishment. If you completely lose your power of devotion, you will be branded with a black mark and imprisoned.

This is extremely terrifying in the social system of the entire theocracy. For the elves who are very concerned about their reputation, this is even more painful than the death penalty. It means publicly telling everyone, "This person has deviated from the way of devotion, and everyone should not believe anything he says in the future."

Oswald could still use advanced divine arts, which meant that he at least still retained the power of the path of dedication; he could fight Director Cornelius on equal terms, which meant that at least the power of the path of balance had not been lost and he still belonged to the fifth energy level.

Oswald must know Moonchild's weakness. Even if he doesn't, old James will tell him.

Now he couldn't even use the fourth-level scorching rays... This meant that Oswald's path of dedication, the power of the path, had at least declined to the third level, or even lower.

Only two months had passed since the last time I saw Oswald from the Theocracy.

...What exactly happened in these two months?
Oswald did not respond to Aiwas's question.

After a silence that might be short or long, old James slowly said, "Please go out for a moment, Mr. Oswald.

"Can you watch the wind for us? To prevent anyone from approaching us."

"But you——"

Oswald looked up in astonishment and looked at the old man beside him.

Old James smiled calmly and handed the cane in his left hand to his right hand lightly: "This is a matter between Moriarty - it's not good for you to get involved."

He looked at Aiwass, as if asking and confirming: "Right, Aiwass?"

Aiwass could understand what his adoptive father said.

The duty of the guardian elves is to protect the "Moriarty" family from extinction, which is a contract made in the past. However, the special inheritance model of the Moriarty family has resulted in only one "Moriarty", and the rest are just adopted sons and daughters in name only.

Therefore, Oswald always stayed with old James, intending to protect the old man who almost died.

——His decision was certainly correct.

What old James meant by this was...

"This is a battle between Moriartys. Whoever wins will be the new Moriarty. Therefore, as a guardian elf, it is inappropriate for you to attack the old master or the new master."

In other words, what James Sr. meant was, "You're here to kill me, right?"

“——You are right.”

Aiwass responded with a gentle nod and smile.

Upon hearing this, old James not only did not curse or reprimand, but instead laughed silently.

Oswald looked at Aiwass, then at old James. He was suddenly shocked - because these two people who were obviously not related by blood had such similar smiles on their faces.

It's like looking in a mirror.

The old elf had a complicated expression.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, or wish for something, or beg for something. But in the end, he said nothing.

He shook his body, as if something had been pulled out of this body. The old elf, who looked like a dead tree, murmured "yes" in a suddenly hoarse voice and turned away.

——Besides that, he really didn't know what he should say.

(End of this chapter)