Chapter 1291: Chapter 17 Shadow Hunting Beast (Request for Monthly Tickets!)

Although Aiwass has been the “Human Pope” for four months, Arsene still doesn’t know what His Holiness looks like.

Even though the news of Aiwass becoming Pope was overshadowed by the arrest and investigation of the former Alice de Hacourt, and didn’t get the photos to Irisflower immediately… the scene of Aiwass resisting the Fallen Celestial Marshal was briefly broadcasted to Irisflower. Although only the part of the city near Star Antimony saw it, it was enough for people to take photos and spread them everywhere.

He had only heard people mention that His Holiness the Pope and the Fallen Celestial Marshal looked almost identical–which is actually what people focused on the most. After all, this was too easy to let imaginations run wild.

Arsene didn’t go out of his way to see it, completely because of personal reasons–he wasn’t interested in these high-ranking figures. Neither worship nor hate. They are people entirely irrelevant to his life, career, and ideals. He didn’t like joining in the excitement.

At least until seeing Aiwass in person, Arsene couldn’t have imagined how this truly important figure could be so gentle, rational, and down-to-earth… something utterly unimaginable in Irisflower.

–It’s precisely because he’s now considered the Duke’s son-in-law that he knows what kind of attitude these big figures have towards those ordinary people without status.

And after seeing Aiwass’s face clearly, Arsene’s eyes widened instantly.

His pupils were trembling!

Despite a slight difference in looks and that weirdly large antlers on his head, there’s no doubt–that platinum blonde hair is the most prominent feature of the Vandom Family!

They are very proud of their hair color, “radiating like gold” and “blazing like the sun.”

It is said to be proof of divine blood running through their ancestors.

Those unusually bright hair colors and eye colors are generally proofs of divine blood. The Royal Family of the former Helasal Empire was the same.

As for Aiwass’s appearance, it was even more astonishing–

Arsene had seen portraits of every generation of Vandom Family heads. Unlike other noble families, their appearances were quite stable. There was a seventy to eighty percent similarity between generations, all in their twenties, and placed together, they looked like siblings.

–And Aiwass’s appearance was almost identical to an ancestor of the Vandom Family whose name had been erased!

It is said that this ancestor was a sinner of the Vandom Family. Because of his existence, the Vandom Family bore tens of thousands of blood debts… Hence they changed their surname. Before that, the Vandom Family didn’t have the Vandom surname.

Yet at the same time, this ancestor was also the pride of the Vandom Family.

–It is said he once challenged a god.

It’s also said that the god he challenged was closely related to the fall of the Helasal Empire.

His identity is a kind of unspeakable secret. Even though Arsene’s surname has changed to Vandom, he still isn’t qualified to seek details. Only the heads of generations could know this…

And what Sherlock said to the Duke is said to be related to this.

At that time, Arsene couldn’t understand why Sherlock had just arrived at the Vandom Family and could reveal a secret shocking enough to intimidate the Duke. Now he finally understood… It was because Sherlock had seen the portraits of the Vandom Family.

Especially that one and only anonymous portrait!

Sherlock immediately realized that this matter was related to Aiwass. Hence obtaining the intelligence Arsene didn’t know… Their information gap started from then.

“…What,” Aiwass was somewhat surprised, “You’ve never seen me? I thought I was quite famous.”

“Um… how should I put it…”

Arsene’s expression was somewhat troubled.

He didn’t know how to put it.

According to Arsene’s character, he was always disdainful of intelligence about those “big figures”–after all, most Irisflower people were like that. They were keen on deconstructing those big figures, using various tabloid news and political jokes to make them less mysterious and great, thereby making themselves seem great indirectly.

For every person who praised the greatness and pioneering nature of the Human Pope, there was another who countered.

Especially because the pope’s authority came from the Elf Church Country that Irisflower dared not offend, there was even more excuse–the pope’s glory was not a “human glory” but rather a worship of the elves. So, a part of the Irisflower people who loathed elves also loathed Aiwass by extension.

Yes, a loathing for elves–

This was related to the nobles of Irisflower.

The iris nobles always claimed to inherit the rightful lineage of the Helasal Empire, thus having a significant admiration for elven culture. All nobles had to learn Elvish Language, and this was an even higher priority than learning the Irisflower language.

After people resisted the rule of the nobles, they decided to overthrow everything the nobles revered–nobles liked traditional solemn architecture, so they insisted on making it lively and light; nobles praised elven-style crafts, so people opposed these crafts; nobles liked traditional operas, so they encouraged new-style operas; nobles liked graceful and slow-paced dances, so they insisted on encouraging dances unbound by form, so innovative that they were too avant-garde; nobles liked floor-length skirts, now the fashionable thing was short skirts…

Elven culture was one of them.

But they didn’t dare to smash buildings truly belonging to elves. So, they simply distanced themselves and denounced those craftsmen who “idolized elven culture and hence made architecture like elven style.”

After all, the resistance of Irisflower people never stemmed from having any ideology or stance; it was merely because “this is the trend,” because “everyone is doing it.” They never understood the true meaning of rebelliousness, as they never once launched resistance during a “truly necessary moment” –too early and too successful resistance had instead made them accustomed to getting benefits by stirring up some trouble, hence gradually regarding it as entertainment, an art.

As a pureblood Irisflower person, Arsene actually couldn’t resist it either.

“…So, you mean the Irisflower people resisted me as a high-ranking figure?”

Aiwass was quite surprised, then couldn’t help but laugh: “No wonder there’s so many operas and plays about me… Sherlock mentioned this in a letter before. He said people hugely revered me and made numerous operas for me.

“At that time, I was puzzled about one thing–if they respected me enough, shouldn’t they not dare to touch upon such topics? After all, adaptation isn’t just random writing, let alone the plot involving bits of pink chant… Where did this boldness come from?”

Now Aiwass finally understood.

This was actually the Irisflower people’s weak and subtle cultural defiance–just like “Soviet jokes” or “French jokes” kind of anecdotes, aiming to gradually deconstruct the pope’s authority in this way.

What Sherlock said in the letter was actually a sarcastic dig!

Aiwass couldn’t help but sigh, Sherlock’s level of sarcasm had really increased after visiting Irisflower…

“You’re not mad?”

Seeing Aiwass laughing happily, Arsene was quite surprised.

Considering his understanding of big figures, even if well-educated and not expressing displeasure outwardly… they would still feel obvious dissatisfaction and silence. Who would be happy about people joking about them as if making them a clown?

But Aiwass was unconcerned: “Their mouths are on their bodies, how can I stop them from speaking?”

“…You really can.”

Arsene hesitated to speak, but still said quietly.

Unlike Avalon, Irisflower doesn’t have speech and work censorship. They always take a more direct, thorough approach–whoever dares to gossip is caught, skinned, drained of blood, and hung outside. It doesn’t take long for things to quiet down.

If they cannot eliminate speech, they eliminate the carrier of speech.

And by this point, the Irisflower People fell into silence.

Hearing this, the smile on Aiwass’s face gradually faded.

He prepared the prayer ritual directed at Lady Morgan and sighed helplessly, “It’s probably because of this reason that such ‘anti-conformist’ Irisflower People haven’t gained the favor of Heaven Defier.

“Their actions have already fallen into the domain of the Path of Beauty. Treating resistance as a form of performance art, they ultimately gain nothing. It’s just a waste of life…”

The fusion of beauty and transcendence is exactly the Path of the Void.

But just as Aiwass was preparing the prayer ritual, Arsene suddenly widened his eyes.

“Watch out!”

He shouted urgently, extending his right hand towards Aiwass–

–Castle Maneuver!

In an instant, he exchanged places with Aiwass.

And immediately, Arsene’s body was silently cut in half by giant pincers!

The pincers made no sound, nothing was behind them, and they cast no shadow. Had Arsene not happened to be looking at Aiwass, and if at that instant lightning hadn’t illuminated the sky, he wouldn’t have noticed something was sneaking up on Aiwass!

However, Arsene did not die–his coat was neatly cut into two sections, and wearing only his shirt, he rolled out from the shadows, grabbing Aiwass to flee outside.

–Clothing Substitute!

This is also one of Arsene’s “Phantom Thief tricks.”

No matter the harm received, as long as he has time to use this trick, he can substitute “a piece of clothing” to escape safely. The strength of this ability lies in its sole movement of himself, not interacting with an opponent’s ability, thus ignoring most transcendent skill’s energy level suppression.

If he can react in time, having a few clothes meant having several lives!

When he was a young phantom thief, he relied on this trick to escape!

“–Don’t run.”

Aiwass said calmly: “It’s useless–close your eyes.”

Having said that, Aiwass freed himself from Arsene’s hand and raised his other hand high.

In the next instant, an immensely bright light shone from his hand!

Arsene didn’t react to Aiwass’s words–or rather, he hadn’t developed the habit of following Aiwass’s orders unconditionally.

Thus, in an instant, Arsene’s head buzzed from brightness. He felt intense dizziness accompanied by ringing in his ears, even making his steps unsteady, with a strong nausea causing him to kneel weakly on the ground. For Arsene, who had remarkable perception, the effect was as damaging as strong gases on a dog sensitive to smell.

Fortunately, that unnamed enemy also cried out–what was probably a scream, as it let out a “zi” sound like a cigarette butt roasting a cockroach, before disappearing.

“Don’t escape.”

Aiwass said leisurely: “It’s useless even fleeing.

“That is a Seventh Level Shadow Hunting Beast that feeds on other Phantom Demons’ shadows to live. Once stripped of its shadow, it becomes muddled and loses dreams. These entities can appear in anyone’s visual blind spots…you dare to run? Where are you trying to escape to? Have a death wish?”

“…Did, did it leave?”

Arsene asked hoarsely while retching, “Do I still need to…close my eyes?”

“No need,” Aiwass responded, comforting him, “Don’t be too afraid, I came to the Shadow Nation because I am quite familiar with the Phantom Demons here…”

Before he finished, another bolt of lightning struck.

Seeing fear flash in Arsene’s eyes, Aiwass realized the enemy’s approach.

This is also why he didn’t let Arsene close his eyes.

Because relying solely on himself was insufficient to discern if a Shadow Hunting Beast was behind him.

“–Vinesse!”

Aiwass cried aloud.

A torrential blood rain fell in torrents.

The chilling dark purple corrupt aura seeped out.

“…Aren’t you calling Alai?”

Miss Night Fiend’s not-so-pleased voice reached out: “I thought you wanted to always carry her…don’t need to call for me anymore.”

The next moment, countless deep purple chains full of corrupt runes spread out, tightly binding the three Shadow Hunting Beasts behind Aiwass!

–This is the Fallen Celestial Marshal’s authority, [Sinful]!

Though at the Sixth Power Level, Vinesse easily restrained three Seventh Level Phantom Demons!