Vice President Boca

Just thinking about how Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty, the original nemesis, both faked their deaths today made Iver a little nervous.

However, Iver keenly spotted a blind spot here.

Lawyer York was able to confirm Sherlock's death for a simple reason—because he was the one who carried it out. He drugged Sherlock with sleeping pills and then detonated a large quantity of bombs he had prepared at the exact moment the drugs took effect. He also received news of Sherlock's death at a reasonable time.

From this perspective, the fundamental reason he was able to confirm Sherlock's death... was actually because York genuinely hoped so.

Although York's position within Lloyd's appears relatively high, he is actually in a very difficult situation. He absolutely cannot expose himself in this case, yet he must kill Sherlock himself.

If the bomb didn't kill Sherlock, whether he went to finish him off or not, it would easily expose him. Therefore, he didn't want to hear that Sherlock had survived—hence, he would subconsciously use the intelligence he had gathered to confirm his already established viewpoint. This was also part of his preparation to persuade the other high-ranking officials.

From this perspective, does Lloyd's's confirmation of Professor Moriarty's death suggest that they were also involved in the matter?

After all, divination can be disrupted and is not always entirely accurate. Furthermore, those at a lower level cannot accurately divine for those in higher positions. Since Lloyd's could invite prophets to divine for them, they must have been aware of these limitations.

So, the only reason they could confirm the death without even seeing the body is because they were involved. For example, they might have sent someone to assassinate the professor, and that person then returned with news of the professor's death, perhaps along with evidence confirming his demise. That's why they could confirm the fact and feel relieved after just one divination.

Another possibility is that they didn't actually need Professor Moriarty to die.

Lloyd's's only need is to make Professor Moriarty temporarily socially dead. Preventing Professor Moriarty from returning to Glass Island will buy them time to plan their scheme.

Regardless of which possibility it is, the professor's chances of faking his death to escape are not small. Moreover, both possibilities have one thing in common—Lloyd's of Lloyd's has absolutely no goodwill towards Iver.

It was precisely because they were so eager to use Iver that they summoned him here ahead of time and informed him of Professor Moriarty's death. This was to prevent Iver from having time to confirm and consider the information, and also to put pressure on him.

Iver narrowed his eyes slightly, a plan forming in his mind.

He decided to go straight for the ball and try to take the initiative.

So he stopped hiding it and suddenly said, "Lawyer York, you seem to be in a hurry."

York's expression changed the moment Iver said those words.

He tilted his head slightly to the left, resting his chin on the fingertips of his raised left hand. Meanwhile, three fingers of his right hand rhythmically tapped lightly on the armrest, like playing an air piano.

Looking at Lawyer York, Iver spoke slowly, tapping him. "You don't seem to be saddened by my father's death."

That's because...

"His death is more in your interest. Whether he is truly dead or missing, or just a lie that I cannot verify and that temporarily deceives me."

"But in any case, the fact that you told me this information in advance, instead of coming to me after I saw it in the newspaper or even after I encountered a predicament in reality, shows that you were in a hurry. Because obviously, the latter would make it easier for me to believe you and thus easier to recruit you."

The saying goes, "It's better to offer help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade."

"Lloyd's's is a group of businessmen. If a group of businessmen can abandon the lowest-risk, highest-profit option and choose to activate my line ahead of time, can I interpret that your current situation is not as secure as you appear?"

Iver half-closed his eyes, as if he were a little sleepy.

He spoke slowly, his voice low and clear, like a whisper to a child, "From Sherlock's funeral, you took me straight to Lloyd's's headquarters instead of letting me go home; you made me ride that shaky elevator; you subtly showed me photos of you with so many important people; you used the Devouring Demon to intimidate me; you pointlessly pointed out that you could monitor the ' Noble Red '; you announced my father's death..."

"You keep putting pressure on me, what do you want me to agree to here? Why don't you tell me first, maybe I'll agree easily."

Iver narrowed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Let me guess... has it been something you've done wrong lately? Is that why you're so eager to recruit me, using this achievement to offset your mistake?"

"Judging from your eyes, I think I guessed right."

"... Aren't you afraid at all?"

Lawyer York scratched his head in slight distress, but his face did not show any coercive expression.

Iver chuckled, demonstrating his worth. "Actually, I informed Mr. Mycroft before coming here; I also specifically informed Butler Oswald before I got in the car. You don't want anything to happen to me here, do you, Lawyer York? That's one reason."

"Secondly, the fact that you would go to such lengths and spend so much effort to persuade me, telling me stories of Lloyd Prince and the backwardness of the royal family, shows that I have special value. This makes it impossible for you to control me through simple means such as coercion or bribery."

"Finally... I guess there's someone at the door right now, probably Vice President Boca. He was probably already there before you told me about my father's death."

"—How did you guess that?"

A steady voice came from the doorway.

The man who entered was a middle-aged man with half-black and half-white hair and a small mustache. He was wearing a dark blue suit and had a square face. His hair was neatly styled, but without any hair gel or wax.

The middle-aged businessman appeared to be a stern and unsmiling person. Upon entering, he instinctively put his hands behind his back and slowly walked to Lawyer York's side.

Iver simply smiled gently, raised his left hand and made a grasping motion in the air, greeting the man who entered after him.

He said lazily, "Let's just ask like this for now, Mr. Boca."

"Now that you're here, I wonder if Mr. York will miss out on the credit? That would be a real shame, as I think he's a good man."

"His contribution is significant, because your value far exceeds our expectations."

Without even consulting Lawyer York, Mr. Boca directly spoke with Iver on his behalf.

Completely different from Lawyer York was always cheerful and spoke in a gentle and soft manner.

Vice President Boca's words were more direct, impactful, and captivating. "Do you want to be King, Mr. Iver? More than ' Prince '... and not just ' Moriarty '."

Iver raised an eyebrow and countered, "Who wouldn't want that?"

"But you have such an opportunity right now. If you're lucky enough, you could become not just King —but an emperor."

Boca's voice was deep and magnetic, his words full of seductive power. "That's entirely possible. You have to understand, we're all businessmen, everyone has their own market and business. Nobody wants the old, stable market to be smashed to pieces, and for those virtuous and powerful to be stolen by some unknown bastard."

"From this perspective, we are actually the maintainers of order in Avalon, just as Lloyd's maintains order in the Lloyd District."

"... So what you value is my relationship with Isabel?"

Iver addressed the Princess by her name without any hesitation.

He tilted his head slightly and asked in return, "Then why should I cooperate with you?"

Upon hearing this, both Boca and York's lips curled up slightly in unison.

"Young people are just hot-blooded, it's normal."

York chimed in, cheerfully smoothing things over. "Who hasn't been young? Especially someone as outstanding as Iver..."

"Mr. Iver, this is a business we have been running for many years. From the very beginning of Lloyd's, it has had a mission to Transcender —in that sense, you are the latecomer."

"Our ancestors laid the groundwork for two hundred years, only for later generations to stumble in and reap the rewards. If these later generations choose to monopolize the spoils, do you think they only need to contend with the royal family? Don't forget, Mr. Iver —compared to the authorities, we are all the weaker party. The weaker party doesn't need to fight against the weaker party; we need to unite with each other."

When he was trying to persuade Iver, Boca said something even more direct.

Upon hearing this, Iver raised an eyebrow. "You were the ones who created the Royal Curse?"

"It's not entirely us."

Boca replied, "Many people want to do that. Star Antimony, Iris, Round Table Hall ..."

"It has been more than four hundred years. It has been four hundred years since Lancelot I led the Round Table Knights to conquer Isle of Avalon and renamed it Glass Island."

"I remember your mentor taught history—do you know what it means to have a country that has lasted for four hundred years without a single interruption of its lineage, without Civil War or rebellions, without changes in monarchy, and without experiencing a transformation of customs?"

It signifies decay, but it also signifies change.