Early the next morning, Haina arrived at Moriarty Manor with an authorization order from the Supervisory Bureau. This time, she had clearly learned her lesson from yesterday. After a quick breakfast, Haina immediately rushed over, arriving even before seven o'clock.
At that hour, Aiwass had not yet woken up, so Oswald, the butler, could only seat her in the reception room and have the maids serve her tea and refreshments. It wasn't until Aiwass had woken up, washed, and finished breakfast that Oswald informed him that Haina was waiting.
"You're here so early this time, Senior. Wasn't our agreed time nine-thirty?"
Aiwass sat in his wheelchair, slowly pushed into the reception room by Oswald. As he entered, he saw Haina dressed in "formal attire." Completely different from her look yesterday, she was now wearing a two-piece leather armor set.
However, this leather armor was more akin to a uniform than protective gear. It didn't fully cover all skin, and while it offered some protection, its primary significance likely lay in its ceremonial aspect.
"Armor" holds sacred status in the Kingdom of Avalon.
In the Kingdom, the primary power classes are divided into "Knights" and the civilian system's "Civil Servants." The former, in addition to the hereditary knight families who can enter the Senate, also include Inspectors, Arbitrators, and the entire cavalry system. Only "Knights" can wear armor; members of parliament must also be fully armored when entering the Senate, as entering in civilian clothes is considered a provocation to the authority of the Round Table Hall.
Aside from Knights, anyone wearing, or even possessing, armor can be directly sentenced to the severe penalty of death. Even within knight families, the children of the head of the household cannot wear their parents' armor without authorization from the Queen. Because of this, anyone seeing an armored person on the street can immediately discern their identity and rank—the more majestic the appearance and the closer the color is to silver-white, the higher their status.
This was not from game experience... after all, the Kingdom of Avalon fell too early. This knowledge came entirely from little Aiwass's memory and common sense.
Aiwass could tell that Haina's leather armor was brand new. He could even smell a faint oil scent. Because of this, she was hesitant to sit on the Moriarty family's sofa. She cautiously sat on the edge, sitting upright, fearing she might accidentally dirty it.
"Better early than late." Seeing Aiwass, Haina let out a long sigh and hastily stood up. "It's fine, Mr. Aiwass. I can act according to your convenience—that's the Bureau's requirement."
Aiwass raised an eyebrow. Late by two and a half hours last time, three hours early this time... "I feel like you're a bit too extreme."
"What?" Haina was somewhat confused.
"Nothing," Aiwass smiled slightly. "The leather armor looks good."
"This was specially approved for me by the Bureau!" Hearing this, Haina immediately perked up. "Although my equipment and griffins have been approved, they are still on their way. The Director said it might take another two months to get them. However, because I reported your matter, the Director felt that if something happened to you, the Supervisory Bureau would be in trouble. So the Director made an exception and approved the armor and sword for me first!"
Saying this, Haina gleefully patted the sword she had placed on the table. Aiwass followed her gaze. It was a leaf-shaped short sword with a scabbard shining with silver light, etched with beautiful thorn patterns and embedded with colorful crushed glass. One could tell at a glance that it was a very typical Elven style.
"I will definitely protect you well!" Haina said with immense determination. Her calloused fingers carefully stroked the scabbard. After taking the sword into her hand, her confident aura suddenly ignited. Unlike the timidity of last night, her entire demeanor had changed. To use an analogy, it was like the difference between a horror game player without a gun and one who had obtained a gun.
Aiwass looked deeply into Haina's eyes, falling into silence. He noticed she clearly hadn't slept well—she was too excited to rest. Part of this was the sword, but the greater excitement stemmed from her belief that she could finally "show off her skills."
After yesterday's test, Aiwass could now roughly organize Haina's thought process. She was clearly not very intelligent; once things became complicated, she would be too lazy to think logically. At the same time, she likely came from a poor background but possessed extraordinary talent in her own field—swordsmanship—enough to be proud of. Simply put, she was a "martial arts fanatic."
Such a person could be completely utilized. The weakness and helplessness Aiwass displayed when he met her yesterday were precisely the postures he had carefully selected to attract her attention immediately. The act of "reading poetry" and the wheelchair reinforced the intention of "stillness," preventing him from immediately arousing her competitive spirit.
Aiwass knew his face was quite striking. On this basis, he had his maid apply makeup to appear pale from blood loss, using the warm firelight as a filter. This image triggered Haina's protective instincts. A "weak," "injured," "handsome" superior was now under her control.
After their interaction yesterday, Haina would assume they had become friends. She desperately needed to display her strength—her swordsmanship—in front of this noble, delicate new friend. If Aiwass affirmed her and expressed that he needed her help, it would satisfy her social needs.
In that case, Aiwass, who was originally a suspect, could conversely become her good friend. Although manipulating a young girl who had just graduated made Aiwass feel a bit bad, this was his debt. And Aiwass never liked to owe favors.
In Aiwass's memory, the name "Haina" did not exist in the game. If nothing went wrong, she should have died in the first version of the game when Avalon was invaded. Aiwass was not saving Avalon for her; he was doing it for his own stable life.
To be honest, the HR profession has a bit of a "secret police" nature. It requires sharp insight and an objective attitude, but must also be sufficiently ruthless. A mere flick of the wrist could mean someone being "eliminated."
Aiwass had just experienced three years of unemployment. He desperately hoped for a stable life and did not want to become a person of a fallen nation. To combat the fear of the future, he had to climb as high as possible, as quickly as possible, to gain a portion of the Kingdom of Avalon's authority.
What Aiwass wanted was for those in power to have to consult his opinion before making decisions. He wanted to become an existence higher than them—not to control others, but to avoid being controlled himself.
Aiwass vaguely remembered that this incident would eventually involve a certain minister. In the original history, it was the players who gained prestige by resolving this. Since there were no player characters here, he had to join.
Fortunately, thanks to Yulia—although Aiwass still skipped the cutscenes, he remembered some details. He knew where the crucial intelligence was and what enemies were in the final dungeon. Because after a chaotic investigation, the game's first dungeon would open:
A Level 10 dungeon, "Pelican Bar, the Nexus of Sin."