Shepherding Bayard

At dawn, Eagle Cape Village returned to normal.

The sun still rises as usual, and the verdant forest exudes the direction of nature. The streets, bustling with people, are filled with the fragrance of damp earth, and people chat and laugh as usual, repeating their daily routines.

It was as if the strange events that occurred at dusk last night were just an illusion.

Meanwhile, Hai Na, leading the griffin, Sherlock, and Iver, walked along the forest path.

—She clearly has the griffin she's been longing for, but instead of riding it, she carefully leads it around. It makes one wonder what she's keeping the griffin for.

If it weren't for Griffin Liz taking the initiative to carry her luggage, even Iver's luggage would have had to be carried by Hai Na.

What did you do last night?

Hai Na looked at Lily with some suspicion, then at Iver.

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Iver's face had become somewhat pale, while Lily was radiating vitality.

She had some speculations that she found difficult to articulate.

But considering that the werewolf seemed to be with Iver and the others last night, he felt that his speculation was too far-fetched.

"Just stayed up all night."

Iver calmly replied, "They're all Third Level superhumans; they can go without sleep for days without any problem."

"It also depends on the specific path taken."

Little Sherlock added, "I still get headaches after staying up late, but maybe priests don't have this problem."

They were currently planning to send Iver and Lily away from Eagle Cape Village.

Yes, it's only for Iver and Lily.

Sherlock planned to stay another month—he intended to commission Hai Na's father, the Magnetic Hammer Master, to craft a staff for him. Hai Na, Haina would return with Sherlock; her griffin could easily carry another Sherlock.

While having a blacksmith forge a staff might sound like a joke, that's precisely why Sherlock had to stay behind himself.

He needs to assist the Magnetic Hammer in completing the spell inscription of the magic circle and infuse it with mana.

A qualified staff must have a core made of special materials to improve the energy conduction efficiency of spells with a specific attribute—that is, to increase the casting speed of the corresponding attribute.

It should also have a magic circle inscribed somewhere inside, outside, or in a corner, which can store some simple spells and activate them directly at a specific time, releasing them directly without consuming mana or chanting.

If that's all there is to it, then Sherlock could just buy one. Although staves are expensive and rare, they are not unavailable on the black market.

But Hai Na said that Sherlock's requirements were too complicated—the staff that suited his taste could only be custom-made from the Magnetic Hammer Master and could not be bought anywhere else.

Iver, curious, inquired about Sherlock's requirements for the staff. The more he listened, the more subtle his expression became.

Sherlock considered the possibility that his current and future physical size might change, so he requested that the staff be retractable for easy gripping.

So far, this part is still a relatively reasonable requirement.

However, Sherlock also carefully considered the need for concealment—after all, a staff is a weapon, and if its design is too exaggerated, it could easily make people nervous when walking on the street. It would also make people more likely to be wary and targeted.

Therefore, Sherlock also required that the staff be so indistinguishable from a staff to the naked eye. In addition, Sherlock occasionally needs to go into the wilderness, so he also needed the staff to serve as a walking stick.

He is also skilled in swordsmanship and staff fighting, so he needs it to be at least able to be used conveniently to whip others; therefore, it must be sturdy enough. If possible, it would be best to also include a pocket pistol as a substitute when casting spells is inconvenient—even if it only has one bullet.

"...You really have a lot of demands," Iver remarked.

—What a devilish client!

Iver was sweating for the Magnetic Hammer Master: "Haven't you noticed that many of your demands are contradictory? You're using your staff like a baton, aren't you afraid of breaking the staff core?"

Sherlock, however, disagreed. "If it's really inconvenient to achieve, then let Magnetic Hammer Master remove the unreasonable requirements. As the one who placed the order, it's definitely better for me to clearly state all my needs—it's better than doing half of it and then adding requirements at the last minute."

"That's true."

Hai Na agreed, "In any case, Father is already thinking about a solution. When we left, I saw him take a bottle of wine to his workbench—he doesn't usually drink when he's drawing, so drinking means he's thinking of something special."

Okay then, it seems the other party doesn't have any objections. So, as an outsider, I won't say anything.

Hai Na and Sherlock saw Iver off at the Train Station and watched Iver and Lily board the train.

Iver bought First Class Cabin -class tickets, of course. They had a private room with two single beds, a sofa, and two armchairs. Iver lay lazily on the bed while Lily sat beside Iver peeling an apple.

Lily's shadow trembled slightly before flowing into Iver's shadow.

"My dear."

The Assassin Miss's honey-sweet voice, tinged with resentment, echoed from the depths of Iver's heart, "Are you really going to waste your blood like this?"

Is this considered a waste?

Iver chuckled, toying with the necklace hanging around his neck. "And remember to call me master. My loyal hound."

That was Isabel's life-saving equipment, "Isolde's Tears," which she lent to Iver. She was very worried that Iver might encounter danger on his journey, so she specifically lent it to Iver.

Of course, it was said to be a loan... but Iver always felt that Isabel wanted to take the opportunity to give it to him.

On one hand, it protected Isabel through every long, dark night, enduring each day filled with the fear of sudden death. But Iver helped her break the curse, and she no longer needs it. Instead, looking at it each day reminds her of her less-than-bright childhood.

On the other hand, she also wanted to give the necklace, which carried her heavy past, to Iver. With Iver's help, she had overcome her past self and become stronger, and the necklace was proof of that—so giving the necklace to Iver was perhaps partly a cute way of showing off, like "handing in homework."

Should I return it to her? Or should I give her a better gift in return...?

Iver thought to himself.

"This is what you promised me, my dear master."

The Shadow Demon's dissatisfaction was almost overflowing. "Now that you can use the Shepherding Method again, every drop of blood is so precious. Why feed it to the werewolf? She's not a Phantom Demon; she won't become stronger because of it."

"Don't worry, it's just blood."

Iver said casually, "It doesn't contain any magic power... If you want it, I'll give it to you now."

As he spoke, he patted Lily on the back.

Lily understood and moved away from the bedside.

She struck a match and lit the brand-new large candle by her bedside— First Class Cabin had even considered the possibility that the priest might want to offer candlelight, and had prepared ritual supplies for the occasion in various places.

Iver extended his left hand and gently pinched the candle flame as if playing with a jewel. The flame was pinched by Iver, and a vibrant life force, like a bursting grape, surged from it and flowed into Iver's body.

"—Or would you like something hot to drink?"

Iver chuckled, "I just performed Sacrificial Fire Method, and my blood is boiling right now."

"If I could order food, I'd like something cold to drink."

The Shadow Demon transformed into a slender black snake, coiling and wrapping around Iver's waist, while its head rested on Iver 'Iver neck, licking his neck and whispering softly.

Iver pushed it away and reached out to press the snake's head back into the shadow pool cast beneath Lily.

Soon, the black snake swam back again and was pushed back by Iver.

"No."

Like training a dog, Iver firmly refused. "If I don't give it to you, you can't have it. What I give you is yours."

Looking at the Shadow Fiend, which was now a chaotic mess rolling around in his hands, Iver finally couldn't hold back and smiled, "But I can still grant you this small request."

He got out of bed and went to the bathroom.

When she returned, she had become No. 14.

The shadow beneath Lily transformed into a drooling, jet-black hound, circling around No. 14.

"I know you want to drink this."

No. 14 chuckled, his small and innocent smile possessing a certain bewitching quality, "Become Bayard first, my pet."

Soon, the black hound transformed into Miss Bayard's likeness.

She eagerly hugged No. 14 from behind and knelt down, as if she were praying for something.

Lily handed over a silver Ritual Knife from the side.

But the girl refused it.

No. 14 leaned close to Bayard's ear and whispered, "This time, I'll give you something fresh to drink."

As she spoke, she opened her mouth and bit her own wrist, her sharp teeth piercing a hole in it. Blood dripped down her fingertips.

She kissed Bayadt gently, letting her lick the blood from her mouth. But there was no shepherding light, only sweet blood.

Just as Shadow Fiend was anxiously watching the blood on Iver's fingertip, No. 14 chuckled and said, "Turn back into a dog."

She opened her right hand, and blood pooled in her palm, forming a small Blood Pool. It shimmered with a crimson yet sacred light, attracting the Shadow Demon's gaze like a bewitching pool of magic.

She brought her hand over, letting the black and loyal Shadowhound lick her palm.

She murmured softly, her small face radiating a saintly glow. "Enjoy it, little dog. This is my flesh and blood, my life."

"This is my kindness to you."

Update complete!